lemon lover [cth]

06

Lemon Lover
06| Calum

An unreasoned nervousness accompanied Ava as she, June and that drunken girl followed the two boys into the kitchen, one of them being extremely drunk and the other one being the guy she had caught staring at her in class.

Not to mention that when June's friend had pointed at them, he had been staring again.

It made her curious about him, about why he was staring at her and she didn't even know why. It also made her feel nervous and annoyed at the same time, confusing her mind and making her bump into people as she wasn't really paying attention.

To both Ava's and Calum's surprise there were only a few people in the kitchen, standing around a white kitchen island covered in booze.

Ashton, a relatively tall guy whose curls were held back by a bandana was filling vodka into shot glasses, being extra careful and stopping every time his friend made him laugh. Both had something insanely attractive about them, entirely unnecessary as it didn't help with Ava's already increasing nervousness.

She had never been the nervous type, but even Calum could tell that she was feeling uncomfortable, even though he tried his best not to look at her.

But he couldn't help it.

He was simply too curious not to as he kept asking himself wether she knew or not. But the way that she looked at him was no different from the way she was looking at his mates.

As Ashton had finally finished filling the tiny transparent plastic cups with liquid that was just as transparent, Calum hurried to grab two, offering one to Ava who was now standing beside him.

"I don't drink", Ava rejected the alcohol, causing Calum to raise his eyebrows in surprise, but he didn't complain. Instead, he simply nodded, offering the cup to June, before taking away Luke's glass, murmuring a "You already had too much" under his breath.

Luke, however, didn't even seem to notice as he was too fixed on Chiara who was acting more drunk than she actually was.

"Cheers!", Michael called out, making everyone else answer him in a blur of voices, before heads were thrown back and drinks were emptied at once.

Ava shifted uncomfortably, not really knowing what to do as the others went for another round before returning to beer in red plastic cups.

She backed up from the kitchen island with all the alcohol on it until she could lean against the eggshell painted wall, focusing on nothing but her breathing, finally being able to sooth her nervousness.

From the corner of her eye, Ava noticed a tall figure leaning against the wall next to her, making out a tan and tattooed, well built biceps, causing her to bite her lip involuntarily, suddenly wishing she could hide her blush behind one of those red cups.

"So what is someone who doesn't drink doing at a frat party?", Calum started a conversation, smoothly as he thought, making Ava look up at the boy next to her, hoping he hadn't noticed her staring at his biceps only seconds before.

Calum, however, was still fighting his smirk as he had been watching her, knowing damn well where her eyes had lingered.

"What do you mean?" The words rolled from her tongue quickly, tasting right even though his question didn't leave much to interpretation.

"Are you trying to prove something?", Calum voiced the first thought that came into his mind. She couldn't have been there for him, she obviously didn't know.

"I'm trying to find someone.", Ava answered, hoping he could help her, not knowing the person she was looking for was standing right next to her.

However, he got the wrong idea, or so she thought.

"Oh, so you're trying to get laid."

"No, I'm not on the pull." Not this time. "I'm tryna find someone in particular."

She was just confirming his supposition.

"Who?", he breathed, suddenly becoming more interested in the conversation as he shifted his weight to stand in front of her instead, making Ava mutter a "fucking hell" under her breath, inaudible over the music playing in the background.

Her mind was imagining things, but she pushed those thoughts aside, trying to focus on her actual intention instead.

But he was standing so close.

"Hm?", he asked as he had seen her lips move, but hadn't heard her speak.

"I said I'm not sure.", Ava lied.

Calum chuckled. He wasn't good at lip reading, but he could recognise the shape a mouth formed when muttering the word 'fuck' from a mile away.

"That could be complicated.", he went along, ignoring her little white lie.

Her defences were building up and she proudly stated, that she had mingled it down to two, not wanting him to think she was stupid or pathetic.

"And who are they?", Calum asked in surprise, wondering who the other person could be. "Luke and Calum, d'you know them?", she asked hopefully.

From the corner of his eye he could see the blonde boy stumble out the room, Chiara clinging onto him, and Calum smirked. "Yeah, I know them." He wasn't going to tell her just like that.

"Does any of them take architecture?" The excitement in her voice enlarged the smile playing on his lips. Knowingly, he played with his bottom lip, speaking in a teasing tone. "Why?"

Ava was slowly growing frustrated. He obviously knew them and he could help her, but he chose to play with her instead and even though she couldn't deny the fact that he was severely attracted to him, she was desperate for a quick answer.

"I told you I'm tryna find someone. It's a long story, just tell me.", she urged, causing him to let out a low laugh at her desperation. He enjoyed watching her struggle, but he was certain he would enjoy her expression of realisation way more.

"Yeah, I take architecture."

His eyes watched her closely in anticipation, the grin growing wide on his lips.

"I didn't ask about you.", Ava furrowed her eyebrows, confused and annoyed at the same time.

"Oh, but you did."

"Oh."

Her emotions were temporarily paused and she stopped moving, eyes locking with Calum's again as a blush crept over her cheeks.

"So how'd you find out it was me?", Calum broke the silence, his excitement growing, yet he pretended to be calm.

"The song requests." Ava was thankful for him asking questions, because she honestly didn't know what to say now that she was faced with the person she had been looking for.

"Oh, she's smart.", he cooed teasingly, his praise making her feel self conscious. "Why'd you stop though?", she asked, her mind racing and blank at the same time.

"Maybe not that smart.", he corrected himself.

Ava's mood dropped slightly at his words. She of course didn't know that this was his way of flirting and that soon she would feel butterflies at his insults.

"I pictured you nicer."

Calum once again giggled before returning to a more serious mood, leaning back against the wall next to her. "You didn't notice?"

"What?", Ava asked, entirely confused. "I switched to morning class.", Calum explained, the whole picture suddenly starting to make sense. "Oh."

"And someone sat in my seat."

"You could've sat with me, you know? I don't bite.", Ava suggested casually, finally leaving the weird state she had been in for the entire conversation.

"That's a pity. I was actually starting to consider it.", Calum joked, pouring the rest of beer in his cup down his throat before getting off the wall.

"Maybe next time."

And then he was gone.

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