Deals (Calum Hood)

Chapter 22

"Allison, you okay?" Stella asked as she pushed the door open with her back, carrying two bowls of popcorn. "I heard yelling, I think."

"Yelling? Oh! I was watching a video my friend sent me, sorry. You probably heard that." I laughed, trying to support my cover up. "Did Casey get the movie yet?"

"Got it," Casey answered my question as she leaned in the doorway. "The DVD player is in the living room."

We both followed Casey into the living room. I took one of the popcorn bowls from Stella, doing my best to focus on having a good time with my friends rather than focusing on Calum and I's conversation.

-

Day six in New York. It was 9 o'clock at night. My flight was set to leave at noon, so that meant I had to get to the airport at 9 o'clock in the morning. Normally, I'd be already thinking of sleep but I just decided that I could sleep on the plane tomorrow. I'd rather spend time with my friends while I could. 

"How has it already been a week?" Casey asked as she sat on the edge of her bed, her elbows on her knees and her chins in her hands. "A week wasn't long enough."

"No time will be long enough," I replied, sitting next to her. "I'd do anything to just stay here in New York with you guys. But I can't just leave my mom."

"Well, you have one year left. Once you graduate just come to college in New York and we can go together. Like we always planned." Stella added as she sat on the other side of me.

"That's the plan." There was a long pause. No one said anything until Casey spoke up.

"Are you okay, Allison?" She blurted.

I contemplated on whether to lie or spill my feelings. But I couldn't and didn't want to hold it in anymore. "Not really." I let out a sigh, falling back onto the bed. "I know I said I didn't want to talk about Calum bu-"

"Go ahead, Allison. We're here for you." They both fell back onto the bed and lay next to me.

"Well, the other day I called Calum without you guys knowing. And we had a fight. I called him out, saying that he needs to stop making me seem like the bad guy because it was really him who was bad. Then I said "I loved you, Calum" and he said "I love you too" and I told him "I said loved, past tense" and I just don't even know what's going on anymore." I huffed, closing my eyes and running my fingers through my hair.

"Aw, Allison! He loves you!" Casey cooed, laughing.

"But he's a dick, Casey! Literally, he's a dick. He has all these problems and he believes all the bullshit and it tore us apart." I groaned.

"But I think he wants to fix it with you, Allison. People deserve second chances, depending on the consequences. But I think you should give him one." Stella said.

"You guys are no help," I said as I sat up.

"Oh did you want us to just shit talk him? Okay, we can do that! God Stella, don't you think Calum is a dick?"

"Oh my god, yes Casey! Calum is such a dick and a douche how does anyone like him." They giggled to themselves.

"You guys are annoying," I said with a slight laugh as I stood up, throwing a pillow at them.

-

"I missed you." My mom said to me as she took her eyes off the road to look at me. "But you don't seem happy to be back." 

I uncrossed my arms and took my eyes off of the rainy Sydney atmosphere. "Mixed feelings, mom. I just miss my friends."

"Understandable. It's okay. You can visit them on all your school breaks as much as you want."