10:53 [calum hood]

01

I smirked and looked at Luke. His last name was Hemmings, and mine was Herman. He was my definite partner, and I mentally praised God that I wouldn't be working with someone I didn't get along with.

Mr. Thomson started reading names off a list in pairs, and as he approached the H's, I got very anxious. My breath hitched in my throat when Luke was paired with someone else.

"Havern and Hemmings," the teacher said. I saw Luke stiffen at his partner's name. Chris Havern was the school's "bad boy", as in he would beat up anyone who touched him in the hallway. I shot him an apologetic look.

"Herman and Hood." I stopped breathing. The room spun. I couldn't see straight. I became dizzy.

I was working with Calum. Calum Hood. The boy who I hadn't spoken to in three years because of the horrible things he has done to me. Now I was forced to complete a whole goddamn English project with him.

It was Luke's turn to give me a sad smile. Luke had been there for me when Calum spread the rumor. Luke was the one I came to whenever I needed a comforting hug or a night of cuddling and movies. Luke had been there when Calum had not.

I looked over at Calum, who was staring back with a pained expression. Why it was pained, I did not know. Was it because he had to work with me? Was it because he regretted everything he had said about me?

I slumped down in my seat and Luke tried to comfort me by whispering his lame ass jokes in my ear. I didn't really care what the two oceans said to each other--nothing, they just waved--and tuned out the world until class was over.

✿❀✿❀✿❀

"Hey, Riley," a voice called from down the hallway. I was walking with Luke to lunch when none other than Calum Hood called my name.

I spun around on my heel and came face to face with the devil himself.

"What?" I spat, causing him to flinch. His brown eyes held a look of sadness and he frowned, obviously displeased my by response.

There was no denying that Calum was attractive. He seemed to have everyone under a trance by his charming good looks and his angelic state. Everyone except me, that is. The way one side of his mouth curved up when he smirked, and the way his eyes sparkled when he was happy, and the way his brown hair was styled perfectly and made you want to run your fingers through it...

Maybe I was under his spell.

"Hello? Riley? Ry, it's not polite to stare," Calum chuckled, snapping me out of my daze. Luke rolled his eyes and moved a few inches closer to me, as if waiting to come to my defense if Calum decided to pounce.

"Oh, Hemmings. Didn't see you there," Cal snickered, giving Luke a mock friendly pat on the arm. I felt Luke tense up beside me and immediately moved so that our arms were touching. Calum noticed my small action and raised an eyebrow quizzically. "Hemmings and Riley, huh? Would've never guessed."

"Calum, what do you want?" I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Hey, we have that English project to work on. Come to mine after school, around 6:30. Bring all your shit with you," he said, motioning to my books. With that he simply strolled past us, as if he had never even stopped to speak to me.

Luke shook his head, slinging an arm around my shoulders lazily. "What an asshole," he muttered, leading me to the lunchroom. We took a seat at our usual table, where Dani was sitting with Sam and Michael. Michael consistently shot Sam a glare and I mentally laughed to myself.

"Hey Dani," I said, plopping down next to her.

"Ry, hey!" she replied, pulling me into a side hug. The boys soon became engulfed in a deep conversation about superheroes or something pointless like that, and I took that as my opportunity to talk to Dani about Calum.