You Play the Field - I Play the Strings

Chapter 6

I've got my mother lecturing in my ear and I hold in a sigh as I fumble with my key. Opening up our door I walk into the dorm room my phone pressed to my ear. Sadly Connor is sprawled out on his bed shirtless as always. He's got the window completely open letting in a somewhat cool breeze.

He has books open and a notebook in front of him with a pencil in his mouth. Looks to be trying to do homework also looks to be failing at trying to do homework. He does however succeed in distracting me from whatever my mother is trying to tell me.

"Cal are you listening to me!?" My eyes go wide in panic as I realized I hadn't heard a thing she said. I quickly try to process what she had been talking about before and hope I can just understand from context clues.

"Yes mama" I close the door after answering and immediately cringe at how much of a mama's boy I sound like. God I didn't want him to see that side of me.

"Can I talk to Emery now" I attempt to change the subject plus I did want to talk to my brother. So if anything the excuse is a win-win for me. My smile falters as I hear her suck in a deep breath. Basically a big sign that I wasn't going to get what I wanted.

"Callum I don't want you hearing him and trying to fly back the first chance your get." Her voice is low and sympathetic. She acts like she's doing this all for me but really or lately I just feel like I'm sacrificing everything for them. What am I really getting out of this? Don't think like that Callum you're just being a spoiled brat because you want to go home. I've got to get over this. Still I miss them.

"Mama I haven't talked to my brother in almost. A month? It's unfair!" I shout, immediately giving my roommate an apologetic look. He of course had looked over once I raised my voice and he doesn't even try to hide how all of his attention is now focused on me. Knowing him he's probably thankful from a distraction from the homework he wasn't even doing.

"I'm sorry sweetheart it's for your own good. Mama will talk to you later. I love you" she hangs up before I can say anything in return. This leaves me staring at my phone appalled by this woman that I call my mother. Why does she have the right to do this to me? I'm here for her why can't she give me something in return? Maybe I'm losing my mind.

I walk over to my side of the room and plug my phone in before messing around in my stuff trying to find something for me to do. Maybe get ahead on some more homework or maybe I should play a song that might make me feel better. I don't have time to find a good distraction due to my roommate.

"Cally are you okay?" I hate myself for visibly obviously shrinking in on myself at his words. How do I answer? What do I say without making myself seem like such a victim? I'm fine I'm just irritated. Family problems?

"Yeah I'm good" it's kind of a lie but I really don't wanna go into a big spiel about how I'm not even sure why I'm here. Am I going to be supporting my family for the rest of my life? Who fucking knows because not me. My mama knows though.

"You sure?" I just nod flopping onto my bed.

"How's your work going?" I am once again trying to change the subject. This time it works though. He loudly groans and I sit up just in time to see him smacking his head against his comforter. The papers that weren't even well placed earlier have somehow became even more of a mess. Which makes sense on why he can't read any of his notes. Since he doesn't know where any of them are.

"Awful I hate math" he admits. I gave him a little pout before suddenly lighting up. Maybe I can be useful? Plus this would give me a chance to get a little closer to him... show off my mad skills. Okay that was really cringy... I should never say or think that again.

"I like math, can I see!?" I ask anyway watching his face light up as well. He sits up and tries to put the mess of papers in front of him into one pile.

"Please help me" He begs and I laugh standing up for my bed. He scoots over for me, somewhat aggressively slapping the spot next to him which just makes me laugh. He then however changes his mind and decides to lay down rolling a bit so that I can lay next to him. I don't complain because who wouldn't want to lay in bed with their crush.

I lay next to him and immediately cringe at the way the bed sinks under my weight. He definitely noticed that. I sigh to myself and then tense up hoping that it wasn't too loud because I really can't have him asking about it.

"Damn I'm getting too heavy for this bed. I'm going to have to stop working out or something" he complains making me laugh.

"I don't think it's you-"

"Oh my god- what is that!" I gave him a somewhat confused look at his sudden outburst.

"Sorry they just added a different formula and I wasn't even getting the first one" my gaze flickers to the paper and I quickly catch onto to what he's learning. It's a hard class, so I understand why he's stuck but once he gets the formulas memorized it should be easy. So really if I help him out I'll get brownie points and then we'll live happily ever after. Fuck. Callum time to run yourself into a wall.

"So what are you majoring in?" I ask wondering why he'd have to take this class. It's a pretty hard class, so I'm curious. Maybe we're in something similar which just points towards us  being soulmates once again... Calum no!

"Marketing, so this is for my analytical class, but I swear there's also science shit in here." he huffs dropping his head for a second to emphasize his sadness.

"Would you be upset if I said I know how to do it and I can help?" I ask getting a questioning look from him.

"And why would I be upset by that? Sounds to me like you're going to be my thing to worship this year." He can't say stuff like that. Worship?! Oh my god he's going to kill me. Does he not know how that sounds. I talk about him like he's some ethereal being and he's over here saying he's going to worship me. Somebody save me from this stupid man. Stupidly attractive man.

"Well because I'm a freshman and you're a junior remember?" His mouth forms an o and then he looks down at the bed before looking back up at me.

"Oh- right. Not mad more like in awe. Please help me" He sticks out his bottom lip for a pout that looks almost goofy on his face. I'm not sure how old this man is but he definitely looks way too old to pout.

I lean in closer and this makes our shoulders brush. I force myself to hide the panic I'm feeling and refuse to freeze up and let it be known.  Instead I get right to teaching, and attempting to get these formulas engraved into his brain including the ones from a few pages before.

He nods along writing a few things and trying to understand. I have to try so hard to make sure that I'm speaking proper English and that I don't stutter over my words because I'm touching the man of my dreams. Sure I have a sweatshirt on but he is shirtless so that basically cancels out my shirt.

"You're a genius" he laughs as he tries to figure out one of the problems. He circles an answer and I look over his work before silently clapping.

"Shit!? Really I got it!" I nod and he immediately perks up. Maybe you should be my professor because you made it make so much more sense. He goes back to staring at his paper and seems to be lost in thought for a moment.

"I'm so happy my roommate is a nerd"

"Hey!" I shout back because I just helped him him.

"I never said being a nerd was a bad thing plus you got lucky you're a nerd and you're cute."