WRONG NUMBER / CH

chptr 15

It was, by all definitions, a dull day.

Calum had school. He passed their biology test. He had tuna sandwich for lunch. Michael got a new high score in some video game, Luke told Ashton about The Renaissance Period and now Ashton had fallen in love with them.

Calum felt restless. Leia had not texted him all day. But he tried not to think about it so much. Just go with the flow, Calum, he reminded himself. Whatever happens, happens.

But when school came to an end with still no sign of her, he began to worry. Horrible thoughts filled his head like a daytime nightmare. Oh my god. What if she got hit by a bus? What if she suddenly went blind? Or worse, what if she just decided to stop texting me? Oh my god. What do I do? I don't have training for this. Why am I such a loser?

But when he arrived home that day, his phone chirped with a promise of a new text message.

He practically tripped over himself in excitement. Followed by the realization that he was, indeed, a loser.

It had been three months since she started texting him, and all of her messages never failed to make him smile. But all of her messages couldn't really prepare him for the message she sent that day.

from: leia :~)
so i went out with a guy today

Oh, fuck.

Truth be told, he'd thought about her relationship status. But she never mentioned anyone ever in her texts, so he always assumed she was single, and that thought always amazed him. Wow. Someone as lovely as her, single?

But this new piece of information threw him off. Okay, what the fuck was he going to do if she had a boyfriend? The mere idea made him upset. Being in love sucked, he concluded. He eagerly waited for more information.

from: leia :~)
he was cute :)

from: leia :~)
i think went nicely

Calum melted into a sad emoji.

from: leia :~)
he took me to an ok restaurant i guess

from: leia :~)
then we watched a movie but i've already seen it, i was just too nervous to tell him

What a douche, Calum thought immediately. What kind of guy takes a girl to a movie without asking her about if first? More importantly, a restaurant and a movie? Overrated. Boring. Cliche. He'd do so much better.

But of course, he realized, he couldn't. He slumped down his swiveling chair angrily, waiting for the next text.

from: leia :~)
im still not sure if i want to go on a second date, though

Good, he thought with a slight smirk.

from: leia :~)
i mean he was nice and all so i think im gonna

Gonna...?

She didn't reply again.

Calum felt like he was going mad. What kind of person sends a message halfway through the thought? What was she gonna do? Gonna ditch him? Gonna go through on the date, God forbid?

He counted the minutes to pass the time. One. Two. Three. Four. What the fuck am I doing. I have no life. Five. Six. Seven.

Twenty minutes in. "There is a hell," he mused aloud. "This is what it feels like." He decided to play some games on his phone to take his mind off him. But not even the Kim K Game could ease his feelings of jealousy-jealousy!-over this mystery guy Leia was talking about. Even if he was an A-lister celebrity. He turned off his phone in dismay.

Luke poked his head through Calum's door. "What are you doing?"

The dark-haired boy glanced at his phone, sighed deeply, and said, "Dying."

Luke nodded. "Cool," he replied. Then left.

Calum felt like Justin Bieber's That Should Be Me was playing in a loop in his head. Or maybe Jealous by Nick Jonas. Or any other sappy, miserable song. He imagined some silhouette holding her hand, smiling at her, playing with her hair. Terrible. What a terrible thought. Unless that silhouette was him.

He was practically rolling around the floor in boredom when his phone rang. He had never moved so fast.

from: ashcunt irwin
calum want some weed

Calum swore aloud and texted Ashton back (something along the lines of what the fuck ashton). But right after he sent it, another message popped up:

from: leia :~)
nah, im not gna go out w him again. he just texted me a heart emoji. gross

He smiled in triumph and pumped a fist in the air. Inside he was giddy with relief. What a time to be alive. The girl he was in love with was still single.

Now if only he could meet her and change that.