Strings C.H

Chapter 11- Backyards

*unedited

BACKYARDS

-
Calum

Where are you?
And I'm so sorry.
I cannot sleep, I cannot dream tonight.
I need somebody and always.

I hummed to the tune of I Miss You by Blink 182 as I sat in the chair, twirling the pencil in my hand idly.

"So what are you thinking?" Luke asked, guitar in hand, playing random melodies.

"I'm thinking something's missing." I replied, in wonder.

Luke and I were song writing, out in the backyard. It's 3am but that's when we work our best, in the early hours of the morning, when everything's quiet and everyone's asleep. And with a sky as nice as this and the soft tunes playing in the background on the stereo things couldn't be more relaxed.

I thought about it.

"Okay, play it again, let's see."

Luke nodded getting in position to play, and I began.

'I been thinking bout you lots baby.
Have you been eating breakfast alone like me,
Thinking 'bout you lots lately.'

The words rolled of my tongue and all I could think about as I sang was the person who was the inspiration behind it.

Grace.

I haven't spoken to her since she told me she didn't care that night at the bonfire and that was two weeks ago. Grace thinks she has herself all figured out. She thinks that I can't see right through her facade; she does care and I know that, but if she thinks she's going to play at whatever game she's playing at and I won't play along too, she's got another thing coming.

-
-

GRACE

"Grace, what the actual fuck?" Ocean cried "Have you lost your mind?"

I rolled my eyes and groaned in annoyance. I just told her what I said to Calum a few weeks ago at the bonfire, and she's not to happy about it.

"Ocean, please, you're giving me a headache." I complained, as I shut my eyes and massaged my temples.

I felt Ocean's eyes on me and opened my eyes, she was giving me a stern look and I offered her a sheepish smile in return. She didn't understand, Calum brought out another side of me. The side that made me afraid, afraid of the way he was making me feel. My pride always got the better of me and sometimes conditioning myself to not care is easier than caring at all.

"You literally push everyone away." She complained and I frowned.

Everything that I've become has been for the sole reason of being hurt. I didn't mean to always be so defensive, it's just my coping mechanism; she of all people knew that and it disappointed me a little that she'd even say that. I got up from my position at the table of the small coffee shop we were in and grabbed my purse.

"I have a two hour lecture in thirty minutes, bye." I said as I stormed past her and made my way to my brother's car that was parked on the curb.

=

I gathered my things into my backpack once Mr. Kuhblank dismissed the class, I was utterly fucked and I knew this paper would take up majority of my time, and how can I forget about my job, but most importantly my rapidly growing reputation as a 5sos groupie. Sighing to myself, I glanced at my phone, looking at the time; it was 6:30pm. I'd have to be home by eight in order to return Rory's car to him, since he told me that he had somewhere to be around that time.