Tangled Strings (sequel to Red Strings)

Chapter 15

"Hi everyone!" Ashton says waving behind his drum kit.  There's a couple murmurs of confusion before Ashton continues "Well we're 5 Seconds of Summer, and we figured we should play at our best friend's prom."  Me and Skyler glance at each other and blush a little.  

"We have another slow song, and we figured that all you couples will enjoy it." Calum says into the mic, and I can see that he's staring straight at me.  I swallow and try to ignore it before he continues.  

"It's something I wrote myself, and it's our first time preforming it to a crowd.  It's called Amnesia." Calum said and I feel myself freeze.  I immediately feel my stomach churn and I know I can't just run off.  Not now.  "Hope you enjoy it." Luke adds as a couple guitar chords ring through the gym, and I see that Calum leans into the mic and begins to sing.  

I drove by all the places we used to hang out getting wasted

I thought about our last kiss, how it felt the way you tasted

And even though your friends tell me you’re doing fine

And you’re somewhere feeling lonely even though he’s right beside you

When he says those words that hurt you do you read the ones I wrote you?

I know that he's singing about me.  I'm not that stupid, but as I'm dancing with Cameron, I feel out of it, like I'm in some dream, as if I'm robotically preforming everything.  I feel tears welling up in my eyes as my hands are still around Cam's neck.  I look at Calum and he's staring straight at me, those puppy eyes are even visible from a good 20 feet away.  

Sometimes I start to wonder, was it just a lie?

If what we had was real, how could you be fine?

‘Cause I’m not fine at all

I swallow looking at Cameron as he says "Are you alright Nat?"  I nod my head vigorously and reply "Yeah yeah I'm fine." "Natalie, you're crying...." Cameron states as he wipes a tear away.  I smile and say "This is just such a nice song ya know?"  Cameron nods and replies "Yeah it is."

I remember the day you told me you were leaving

I remember the makeup running down your face

And the dreams you left behind you didn’t need them

Like every single wish we ever made

I wish that I could wake up with amnesia

And forget about the stupid little things

Like the way it felt to fall asleep next to you

And the memories I never can escape

‘Cause I’m not fine at all

I suddenly can feel my emotions take over as I say to Cameron "I'm just gonna go to the bathroom...." "Oh yeah go ahead." he says as he lets go of me.  I ran out as fast as I could, the tiara still on my head as I run out of the stuffy gym.

I head out the doors as the tears come streaming down my face, and I sob a little as I sit down on one of the benches, and I take off my heels, seeing the blisters that have formed on the back of my heel.  I hear something going on in the gym, and I wipe eyes, knowing my makeup was already ruined enough. 

Suddenly I see the door open and Calum steps out.  No.  I don't want this, not now.  I feel the anger beginning to boil inside of me and I look away from him.  "You alright?" he asks and I then spat "Oh I'm just FINE Calum." 

He's silent, and he then comes over and sits beside me.  "Natalie I get that you're upset and I just wanted to know why." Calum states, looking at me.  I look at him and reply "Oh you wanna know WHY Calum?" "Yeah actually I do.  Considering your prom date couldn't do anything." Calum says "Oh please, he probably could take care of me better than you ever could." I snap

Calum reels back before I turn to him and then ask "Why the hell do you wanna ruin my prom night?"  Calum seems taken aback.  "What?  Natalie I never was gonna ruin-" "NO CALUM!  YOU WERE!  IN FACT YOU ALREADY ARE, AND ALREADY HAVE!" I scream back at him, as I stand up.

"Nata-" "No Calum, you came to my prom night for what?  'Support'?  BULLSHIT." I say as I begin walking away and Calum grasps my hand and says "Listen just hear me out!" "No Calum.  Hear me out.  You've ruined my night.  You showed up thinking that I would go to prom ALONE?  So that what: you could swoop in and be the superhero?  That's the only reason you showed up.  And you're pissed to find out that I've got someone." I say.  

"And now, all you've been doing is glaring at me, as if this whole thing was MY fault.  When in reality, YOU showed up to MY prom, and YOU sung a song about ME.  Don't deny that.  Amnesia was about me." I state pointing my finger at him.

Calum sighs and runs a hand through his hair and chokes out "Yeah, Amnesia was about you.  And I didn't know you would move on so....so quickly." "Excuse me?  Did you just say QUICKLY?" I ask not believing what's coming out of his mouth.  

"I was DEVASTATED.  I still am!  But I'm giving other things a shot, because I'm not going to let YOU ruin the rest of my life because we broke up!" I say as Calum argues "Oh really?  So you call kissing whoever the hell that guy was GIVING IT A SHOT?!" 

"Well first of all: you don't know him.  You don't know Cameron and what kind of a guy he is.  He knew I had gone through a massive break up, and he didn't even expect me to go with him to the prom!" I yell before Calum says "And what else didn't he expect, to take the prom queen?" 

"I never wanted this fucking crown Calum!" I state as I take the crown off and throw it to the ground.  "I never wanted any of this.  And I sure as hell didn't want my night to come to this." I say as I feel the tears welling up in my eyes as I begin to walk away.  

"So what?  You're just gonna walk away?" Calum yells and I turn around and flip him off, before heading to the field and sitting onto the middle of the turf, as I lay on my back.