Shot In The Dark [Book 1]

1.1 - A Losing Game

"Answer me you asshole!" I yell, trying to wiggle out of Ashton's grasp. "Tell me what the fuck caused you to turn into a psychopath!"

Calum stops walking and turns around, not a single hint of regret in his eyes. He approaches me and looks past me at Luke.

"He likes to open his mouth when he shouldn't." He spits the words out as if they have a sour taste and I turn to Luke, only to notice Michael clenching his fists.

"I told you he didn't say anything to her!" Mikey yells, causing me to flinch. I look between the two of them, still confused as to what's going on.

"What are the two of you even on about?" I finally ask, moving out of Ashton's grip.

"The night you almost got shot, there's a reason they only went after you. A reason why they didn't bother Calum." Ashton speaks quietly, causing me to have to strain to hear him.

"What's the reason?" I ask, looking around at them. "Huh?! Is no one going to fucking tell me?!" I walk over to Calum and he doesn't bother looking down at me. "Tell me!"

He still doesn't move so I begin to laugh. Never in my life have I begged for a guy to talk to me, and I'm not starting now.

"Fine, don't tell me." I shrug, backing away from him as all of them turn to me. "But don't bother telling me anything else either. This, whatever it was, is over."

"You're acting like you won't be back to talking to us again tomorrow. Besides, we're fake dating, remember?" Calum responds, a smug expression on his face as if he did something.

I pull my phone out of my pocket and text Jeff a short message and hitting send before holding my phone out for Calum to see.

"As far as Jeff knows, you're history." I pull my phone back towards my body, putting it into my pocket.

"That's not going to be a good story for your reputation." Calum snorts and I smirk.

"Maybe not for yours, but I've already planted my name into the media. They know me as the girl who can get knocked down but get back up in a matter of minutes." I explain the way the food chain works and I notice a visible change in Calum's demeanour. "You're just my ex-boyfriend. Fake or not."

"That's not going to work." He shakes his head, pulling out his phone. "There's no way it will."

"I'm Margo Roberts, everything I say goes."

———

"Margo, talk to me please." Calum knocks on the front door, for the fourth time in the past two days.

I ignore him and walk into the living room where Abe is sitting.

"I thought you liked him?" Abe asks and I shake my head.

"I don't like liars." I shrug, making my way through the living room and to the stairs. "I definitely don't call people that keep important things from me my friends."

I'm sure Abe feels how the last statement is a shot towards him, because he stands up and walks out the front door without another word.

I roll my eyes and walk upstairs, entering my room and letting out a sigh.

The air has felt thicker than usual. Almost as if being around Calum made everything that was weighing me down lift off of my shoulders.

I may just be saying that because I manipulated myself into thinking it but I feel as if it could be true.

That's what happens when your role model turns out to be a horrible person, leaving you no choice other than moving to Los Angeles and making a name for yourself.

I miss my family, don't get me wrong, but there are so many more cons with being around them than there are pros.

Instead of thinking about the situation any further, I decide to grab my journal and sit on my bed.

I flip through the years of songs, poems and notes that I've written over-time, looking for a blank page. As soon as I find one, I grab a pen off of my bedside table and click it three times.

Hopefully if I click it enough, some gears will start turning in my head.

After around sixteen clicks, I decide to set the pen down and brainstorm. As soon as I lean my back against the wall, something hits my window, causing me to flinch.

I freeze in my spot, listening to see if it'll happen again. After a few moments, it happens again.

I stand up and grab a bat that I keep in my closet, scared that another paparazzi hopped the fence.

As I approach the window, pulling back the curtain, I notice a familiar silhouette in my backyard. I furrow my eyebrows at the sight of Calum searching for rocks in my garden.

I set the bat down and pull the window open, leaning my head out of it and looking around.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I call out to him and he looks up at me like a deer caught in headlights.

"You won't answer any of my messages, so I went to plan B." He shrugs, looking around at the scene laid out in front of us. He reaches up to scratch the back of his head, his shoulders falling. "I'm now realizing that I look insane."

"You think?" I snap at him, placing my elbows on the windowsill. "You're lucky I didn't call the cops. Get off of my property."

"Margo, I'm sorry I kept so much stuff from you. It was wrong, I realize that now, but I can't make it up to you if you're not talking to me." He tries to plead his case, but I don't buy it.

"It's over Calum, it's in the past. You should've thought about this before you fucking knocked Luke out and decided not to tell me any of that stuff." I shake my head and he runs his hand through his hair.

"What can I do to make it up to you?"

At this point, he genuinely looks sorry, but the words that Jeff has burned into my brain keep lingering.

Friends are distractions, especially at my age.

This situation is an amazing example of me being distracted by some teenage boy. As soon as he move in next door and began taking over my life, I've found myself at a loss for creativity.

I work amazing under pressure. When I'm around Calum I feel weightless. That won't cut it if I really want to make it in this industry.

"You can leave." The words hurt me as I say them, but I can't take them back.

"Margo, please..." He's practically begging me at this point, as if I'm his lifeline and I feel a knot form in my stomach at the sight.

Why does it feel like my heart is breaking when I'm the one holding the reins at the moment?

"I'm sorry Calum, I need time to think about everything. It won't work if I'm constantly worrying about where we stand. I hope you can understand." I apologize as if any of this is my fault.

"No Margo, I don't understand. The other night you were talking all of this shit about how we need to start taking chances, but now you're telling me you can't be with me because you need time?" His voice cracks and I suck in a shaky breath.

"Calum, you're acting like the relationship was even real. We were faking, right? Why does it even matter?" I argue back and he wipes his nose, laughing.

"It was fake." He nods, his voice softer this time.

"Yeah, that was the whole point. For us to be in a fake relationship so we could keep a stupid secret. Am I wrong? What did you think it was?" Although part of me wants him to say he wasn't faking, another part of me just wants him to leave.

"What kind of game is this?" He shakes his head, asking as if that's a genuine question.

"One where I'm losing."