WRONG NUMBER / CH

chptr 23

Calum was determined to make it to soccer practice today without tripping down the stairs or losing focus, so he decided to turn off his phone the whole day.

Even though it killed him not knowing what was going on in her life at that moment, he needed some time with his own.

He loved the field and the rush of the sport; he loved getting down and dirty and the feeling of the wind blowing against him as he ran as fast as his burning muscles could allow. He loved soccer, and he was good at it.

He nodded to his teammates when he arrived. They exchanged standard athlete jokes before they started actual practice. There were warmups, routines, strategy plans, and of course, an actual game.

When the whistle blew his heart started pumping like crazy and the minute he started running, adrenaline rushed in his blood. He managed to score three goals throughout the game, mainly because he was the fastest runner in the whole team. The game ended with a close 5-4 in Calum's team's favor.

He was sweaty and grimy but he didn't mind. He was used to the feeling. Before he took a shower, he dried himself off and decided to turn on his phone.

A torrent of messages came flooding in, all about looking for a part-time job to start their new life right. Leia didn't want to burden her mom with things she wanted to do, so she decided having her own cash would help.

from: leia :~)
im walking around the city now trying to look for one

She sent a picture. At first glance it was just a plain city picture, but he noticed familiar details. A dented stop sign, a huge grey building, and at the far corner, the entrance to the stadium where he had his soccer practices.

Calum's mouth went dry. He checked the time it was delivered-two hours ago. When practice was just beginning.

He wanted to laugh out loud. So close but so far away. He shook his head and left to take a quick shower, not allowing himself to imagine what would've happened if he knew just where Leia was two hours ago.

When he came back, more late messages were being delivered. He picked his phone up and started reading.

from: leia :~)
no luck so far

from: leia :~)
wait there's a help wanted sign yes

By then Calum was leaving the stadium, exhausted but happy. Vaguely he wondered what shop Leia was referring to. It must be around here somewhere.

from: leia :~)
omg i got the job

That was fast, Calum thought.

from: leia :~)
its a place called ice cream palace

"Holy shit," he whispered aloud. He was standing in front of the entrance to the stadium. When he turned his head to the right, he could see the cutesy sign of the Ice Cream Palace, just a block away. He couldn't believe his luck.

Or misfortune, depending on how one looked at it. He walked toward the ice cream shop carefully-and when he saw the HELP WANTED sign posted on their front door, he knew it was true. She had been there. She still might be, who knew?

Instead of dealing with decisions, he went straight home.

"So get this-she got a job at the Ice Cream Palace." Calum had just entered the apartment when he announced that to Luke, unaware of another presence in the room.

"So are you gonna meet her?" someone asked, but it wasn't Luke. Calum realized it was Nicky before he even entered the living room.

"I don't know yet," he said wistfully. "Should I?"

"Definitely, mate," Luke replied without hesitation. "Haven't you been whining about not meeting her?" He turned to Nicky and whispered, "Sometimes I hear him crying at night."

Calum threw his empty Gatorade bottle at Luke but missed. Luke laughed evilly. "Shut up," Calum said, but he was smiling. Even though that part wasn't true, he couldn't deny that he wanted to meet her.

Now that it was a possibility, the question was when, where, and most importantly, how. What if he makes a bad impression? What if she wasn't who he thought she would be? What if she finds him repulsive?

Calum needed a break. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he made his way to his room to rest. He'd think about this some other day.