1983 c.h. (au)

15: probably succeed

Calum held onto Charlie's bony hand as she was unconscious in the hospital. He didn't know what happened to her and why her mom called him sounding frantic. He prayed that she would wake up soon and he could stare into her beautiful hazel eyes that he had fallen in love with.

And shortly after, his prayers were answered. Charlie woke up and her first sight was Calum. "Hi." He squeezed her hand hoping that she could forgive him.

"Hi." She answered back not knowing what the hell he was doing here. And why she was in a hospital bed. "What time is it? Where are my parents?"

"It's 1 in the morning. And your parents are back at home. Charlie what happened? Why did you snap? I thought that I'd lost you." Calum held back the tears in his eyes.

"What do you mean?" Charlie sat up straight struggling with the blankets.

"Your mom called me. She sounded really worried that you were dead. She said that you were passed out with a bottle of painkillers in your hand. Charlie why would you do this?"

Charlie shook her head. "That's not what happened. I didn't try to kill myself. If I did I would probably succeed."

"Then why are we here."

"After I went home my mom and I started talking. And then fighting. About you." Calum inhaled sharply and nodded letting her know she can continue in the story. "She was telling me that I can't trust you because I had discovered that she lied about the whole depression and Liv thing. She told me that you're dangerous and that I shouldn't be so comfortable with you."

"I am dangerous and you shouldn't be comfortable. But I wouldn't ever hurt you."

"And then she started throwing stuff at me. And I don't remember anything after getting hit with a frying pan. And now we're here." Charlie laid back down still looking at Calum. She couldn't believe this. "How long have I been here?"

"Almost two days. Or that's what your mom told me." Charlie sighed and then swallowed. "Charlie. I'm so sorry. I just thought it would be best if you didn't know about the whole Liv thing. And I just don't want you finding out about me yet. It's just, it's a dangerous game that I've gotten myself into. And I just really want a way out. And I thought that I lost you. But I'm glad that I didn't."

"There isn't anything special about me."

"Charlie. You don't see it do you?"

"See what?"

"There's something about you. There's a spark inside of you. That I absolute love. You're a fighter. I love how you're different from all the other girls. You don't care about looking sexy or about how many guys you've slept with. And I think that is something that you don't find in anyone anymore. You're beautiful." Calum tucked a strand of hair behind her hair. Then his lips pressed themselves to Charlie's forehead. "I have to go. The doctors don't want me here too long. I'll see you around Charlie." And without a word from her, Calum left.
***

Charlie was out a week later after recovering from the beating. She walked to the back of the music store with all the books. The little bell above the door chimed and in walked Calum. She turned toward his direction and smiled. "Hi." She spoke first. Charlie was feeling a lot better because she didn't endure her mother's wrath for more than a week which is a record. But the second she goes home it's gonna happen again.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling a lot better." Charlie nodded and smiled small. "I just don't want to go home."

"Why not?"

"Because the second I do, it's gonna happen again."

"How do you know?"

"Because its been more than a week almost. That's like a new record. I just know." She shrugged and sat on a stool letting her feet dangle. Calum didn't know what to say to that. "Can you tell me a secret?"

"What do you want to know?"

"Something that you aren't telling me?"

"Only if you do. "

"Deal."

"I haven't really slept with half of San Francisco." Calum looked down to his feet and then back up to Charlie.

"I haven't cut myself in 12 days." Charlie tried to smile proudly but couldn't.

"You cut yourself?" Calum furrowed his eyebrows confused that she would do such a thing. Charlie nodded and rolled up her sleeves and showed him the evidence confirming the truth. "And you haven't done it for 12 days."

"It's not just my wrists. I used to cut my thighs too. But I managed to stop." Charlie nodded. "I have to trust that you can keep this my secret."

"You can trust me. I won't tell anyone about this." Calum brought her wrists up to his lips and he kissed her softly. Charlie knew that she had forgiven him of his faults but she was unsure as to where that put them. But she didn't want to question him because he wasn't really good with answering.

"I don't know much about you." Charlie blurted without thinking a habit she tried to control when she was around Calum.

"What do you want to know?"

"Why won't you introduce me to your friends?"

"Because you already know Ashton and Michael."

"But not Luke."

"You and Luke wouldn't click quite well."

"That's not a very good reason." Charlie folded her arms across her chest and rose an eyebrow annoyed. "Tell me why."

"It doesn't matter. What does matter right now is your plans for when your shift is over."

"I was just gonna go home and probably get hit with a vase." Charlie shrugged and then got back to what she was doing before her boss came out and saw that she was fooling around with a possible customer.

"Well forget getting abused. You and me are going to my job."

"You have a job?" Charlie turned back to Calum clearly not expecting this. Why would Calum need a job?

"Yes I have a job. Just because I'm Calum Hood doesn't mean that I am any less of a teenager than all of the teenagers." He rolled his eyes at Charlie's curiousness and lack of knowledge.

"Oh right. I just, thought that you wouldn't need one." Charlie mentally slapped herself in the face for being so stupid. Her cheeks turned red at her dumbness and she coughed awkwardly.

"Okay so are you down?"

"Only if I can meet Luke afterwards." Calum threw his head back in exhaustion. "Come on Cal please." She grabbed his hands and pulled on them. "It'll be fun."

"What's so fun about meeting a blond giraffe."

"I didn't know that Luke is really an animal. And I also didn't know that you were Asian." Charlie laughed at hers and Ashton's inside joke.

"Oh my god I'm not Asian."

"Yeah and you haven't slept with half of San Fran either."

(truth be told i miss you. truth be told im lying.)