RISKY BUSINESS

Chapter 12

He wanted to ask me something, and I wanted to know what.

"What do you want to ask me?" I asked calmly.

That got him. As if he knew I could read his demeanour, and as if he had control over it, his mood changed once again. Back to his confident self. Like the true him shone for a good minute until the computer programs in his head regenerated his act of being Calum Hood, the rebellious heartthrob. But he was back, and a smirk grew on his face.

I hated that about him. I hated how he would switch from one mood to another like a switch. And I hated that it bothered me. I hated it.

The car turned down our street just as he opened his mouth. "When I take you out tonight. To a party," he paused to send me a quick glance, and his smirk grew wider when he saw my expression. "That's when you'll let me drive you places again."

I was shocked. No, I was more than shocked. Shocked was an understatement, it was the understatement of the year. Shocked was when I found out Calum was my neighbour. This? This, was more than shocked. This state of me being frozen, struck by Calum Hood claiming he was going to take me out, was the absolute extreme level of any and every word bigger than shock.

I didn't realise that my mouth had fallen open, so I shut it and looked away, out the dashboard and at the road. We were getting closer to our houses. I almost didn't want to go home— but that was because my mother would easily squeeze out of me a detailed explanation of how my day went. But at least I'd be away from Calum. Far, far away from him; since he'd be heading back to Morgan's after dropping me off.

I cleared my throat, and finally spoke. Still not looking at him, however. "And if I say no and don't let you take me out to said party? What then?"

He pulled up into my driveway, put the car in park, and softly turned me around by my shoulder. I knew he did it to get my full attention. But what he didn't know, was that my attention had been focused on him more than myself lately.

"Brooklyn, will you please come to a party with me tonight?" He asked this time, much less demanding then before. I didn't understand why he still asked, when it was clear I didn't want to go. But then a voice spoke in the back of my mind, telling me to just give in to him. To let him take me out, to let him take me to a party. I was young, I deserved to have fun.

So I sent him a small, red-cheeked smile, and pushed a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "Yeah, okay."

❦❧❦

I couldn't tell if I was disappointed or relieved when I got home to find out my mother had been called in to work. But my father was waiting for me at the door as I walked down the path that lead to it from the driveway. And when I saw him, my pace slowed to a stop. He wouldn't be mad like mum, would he? I hoped he wouldn't be annoyed that I'd gotten a lift home from Calum, and not Morgan.

I was surprised when he smiled past my shoulder at Calum —who had rolled down his side of the car's window— and waved at him. He even greeted him with a friendly voice. "Hey, Calum! Thanks for taking Brooklyn home. What happened to the bike?"

By the time I reached my father, I knew I had nothing to worry about. My dad wouldn't act like I'd done something wrong. So I turned to stand with him, and waited for Calum to reply.

Calum had his arm resting on the car door, and was grinning politely at my father. "No worries, sir! And my bike's in the garage. Still got it, don't worry. I borrowed Luke's car to drop off your daughter, then I'm gonna head back to Morgan's to return it."

My dad nodded, and looked just about ready to head on inside, since the conversation seemed to be over. But before the two off us could move, Calum's voice piped up again.