Belief

2.5

"What?"

"Stop acting like you don't know that she still likes you; that she still cares. Stop ignoring your own damn feelings," he raised his voice. What?

"I didn't ask for your help," I turn away from him, wishing I could just hide beneath my covers.

"No, but you are one of my best mates and I'm not going to sit here and watch you make more idiot decisions. You both obviously care about each other, which I don't understand at all. You can't just let her slip away because you think it's the right thing to do for the band," Calum sighs, walking over, now with more confidence, and sat at the foot of my bed.

"Luke, the band doesn't even have a name yet. We aren't going to become anything, we aren't a real band. You and Maddie? You guys were real," his voice softens.

"It's too late," I mutter, casting my gaze to trace the blue stripes of my bed.

"What are you so afraid of?" Calum hits the bed in frustration.

"Nothing."

"Bull. If there wasn't something holding you back, you would have run after her that night. Don't blame the band either because I know that isn't it," he tested me.

I bit my lip, trying to hold in the words my mind was attempting to force out of me. I tried to hide what I was feeling. If I pushed my feelings down far enough, maybe they would drown and never resurface. I lost the battle, the words slipping out, "I don't deserve her."

Calum just laughed. "That's true."

I shot him a deadly glare.

"But love is weird," he continued, scrunching his eyes in concentration, "If she liked you, despite all of the shit you guys went through, that is something real. You may not deserve her, but she deserves to be happy, and if you are what makes her happy, then she deserves to have you."

I just look at him, his words sinking in slowly. I open my mouth to rebuttal, but nothing comes out. I have nothing left to fight. He gives himself a small smile, seeing his words have finally gotten through to my head. I just couldn't believe he had the emotional range to think of that.

"Hey, I don't have to be an ass all the time," He smirks, reading my thoughts.

"Just don't tell the other boys about this, okay?" I furrow my eyebrows, my mind bombarded with thoughts. The thoughts that had been hiding behind music notes, and within lyrics were finally developing into real feelings.

"So you are actually going to do something?" he hushes.

"I think I have an idea," I shrug.

Out of nowhere the door to my room swung open, making both of us jump from the bed. Michael was standing in the doorway, eyes wide. Shit. Calum glances at me, his eyes full of fear, reflecting mine.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?" Michael bellowed, running over to us. We both flinched, waiting for him to continue.

"We have another gig tomorrow!" he shouted excitedly.

I let out a breath of relief, Calum doing the same, before realizing what Michael had said. Calum and I leaped up, joining Michael for a group hug. We squealed like idiot girls.

In that moment, everything felt okay again.

Maddie's POV

Two weeks into summer vacation, and I am proud to say that I have actually been doing things. My usual calendar containing a tight schedule of nothing has been replaced by my idiot friends making me do idiot things. I have to say, they have lifted my spirits to the point where smiling feels natural again.