Seconds || Calum Hood [on hold indefinitely]

seven

"Yeah, yeah, it was pretty dumb..." He shakes his head with a small laugh. "But as long as you're positive that you aren't upset-"

"Do you want me to change my mind?" I laugh in disbelief, standing up and brushing myself off while clipping Caden's leash on again.

"Nonono," He protests quickly, shaking his head as his eyes go wide. "Definitely not." He gives me a lopsided grin and rises off the concrete himself. We kind of stand there for a few moments, silent, giving me just enough time to creepily admire his chocolatey eyes before remembering that I probably look like a weirdo.

"Um..." It takes me a second to snap out of my boy-induced daze. "I should go." I grasp Caden's leash tighter in my hands. "Thanks for the music, I'll guess we'll have to meet up again if I'm ever going to actually listen to them though. But no more illegal stuff." I laugh, remembering what Calum said about the record player.

"Cross my heart and hope to die." He gives me a heartfelt smile and the adrenaline rush from a few minutes ago faded, similar to the way I melted into his grin. Swiping a pen from the side of the backpack, I scribble my phone number onto Calum's hand and turn to leave, the nerves from earlier transforming into butterflies in my stomach.

"See you later, Calum Hood."

"See you later, Carter Stevenson."

+

*Carter's POV*

It's funny, how much your life can change so quickly.

Last year, I spent almost every lunch alone. If I was lucky, I would hang out with one or two girls that were nice enough the let me tag along, but even with them it was like being by myself. Most of the time I would sit outside, finishing up homework, or sometimes I would go up to the library. But I was always alone. After all, no one really cares about a girl that will disappear in a few months.

But this year, I'm not invisible. I'm the opposite actually, sometimes I'm too visible.

It took one connection. One connection to an arrogant asshole was all I needed to skyrocket me to the top of the rumor mill. To make my business everyone else's business. To make the popular kids interested in me enough to adopt me without my consent.

And it's strange, how much just a few seconds can change your entire perspective on something. Calum Hood used to be the only one that understood me, the reckless boy with the caring smile, but now I see the cocky look in his eyes and the smirk he carries so he can maintain his social status. I guess I was too blindsided by his crazy ideas and humor that I couldn't see his two personalities.

But it only took me a few seconds to decide that I won't let him decide who I hang out with or what I do. It's my life.

So by the time 5th period rolled around, I already knew where I was sitting. Maybe I didn't have a choice at first, but it's kind of nice being accepted by the cool kids, normally I'm a loner whenever I move schools, but now I kind of belong to a little group, even if I can't stand a certain one of them. I'm not going to let him ruin the only good thing I have going for me here. Sure, they aren't the greatest people in the world, in fact, Amanda's a sugar coated brat, but as long as her claws aren't aimed at me, I'd rather have a group of... interesting friends, than go another year alone.

I grab a sandwich and a lemonade, not even bothering to grab a bag of chips because Amanda would disapprove and shoulder my way past staring people to the table. The rumors still haven't died down, in fact, now I apparently have herpes and am in the witness protection program for witnessing a murder. I guess you learn something new every day.