Just Saying

Chapter 6

The next day, I wake to the repetitive sound of my alarm clock; outscreching my limb and shutting it off in a hurry. I hit the snoose button and give myself 10 more minutes before dragging myself out to the kitchen for my morning tea. After, my aching legs carry me to the shower, I strip from my pj's and sigh under the hot liquid gushing over my exgausted body. Admitedly, I stay in there a little longer than normal due to my unwhilling attitude to sitting at an office for 9 hours.

Eventually, I pull myself from the water, rap myself in a fluffy towel and take my hair down before making my way over to the sink and brushing my teeth. Once I've left the bathroom, I gravitate over to my wardrobe, picking out my black pencil skirt, white blouse and favorite black-heeled Jimmy Choes. Obviously the shoes were a gift from Louis; there's no way i'd be able to afford a beautiful pair of shoes like that. He got them for me for my 20th birthday and I love them so much and put so much effort into trying not to wear them every single day, counter to my wishes.

Next, I apply a small amount of foundation, add some colour to my cheeks and layer on my favorite mascara before shading my lips in a dark brown/red kind of colour. I then begin to brush my hair and curl it slightly to make small waves in my hair and finallly, i'm finished.

I grab my bag, keys, phone and heels before shoving in my bag and locking the front door behind me. I silently thank myself for remembering to wear my running shoes and change them when I get to work as I begin to run down the two flights of stairs.

I meet my friend Carl at the nearest coffee shop and together we race to work, eager to make it ontime for once. When we finally get there, he walks towards his desk two rows beside mine and I slump into my desk.

I change my shoes and start tydying my desk that I left messy in a rush to get out of the office on Friday. Before I even log onto the computer sitting ahead of me, I hear my phone bleep. My hand reaches into the bag sitting beside me as I retreive the noisy device. It's a text from an unknown number...

From Unknown Number:

Hi Annie it's Calum! I got your number off Ash, hope you don't mind :) I was wondering if you maybe wanted to meet later? Let me know :)

I can't help but smile at my phone as I realise how cute he is and how much of a good friend he actually is.

To Calum:

Yeah sounds great, how about for lunch? :)

He replies with a yes then we begin to arrange where to meet. He said he would meet me outside my office at 1 and we'd go to a Sushi restaurant i'm in love with close by.

I spend what feels like days going through account numbers and more account numbers untill it's finally time to go meet Calum. The lift is full and takes I while to get to the bottom as it's just my luck that at least one person needs to stop at each floor. Eventually, the doors open to the lobby. I swipe my card through the barriers and make my way over to a particular Australian boy.

He's in his signiture black skinny jeans with rips at the knees and a black t-shirt saying 'SUBLIM' across the front, also with holes in it. I can't help but notice his tattoos through the holes of the shirt and become instantly intreagued by the meaning behind them.

"Hi" he says as I approach him. I can't help but wonder if he is as cold as I am, especially where he's so used to the australian weather, he must be freezing.

"Hey" he replies, pulling me into a welcoming hug.

We walk two blocks down the street and eventually arrive at the destination sushi bar.

"So how was Michael feeling yesterday?" I start off the conversation.

"Shit to say the least." he giggles. "I didn't feel too great either"

"Really? I was tired but I weren't hungover" I explain.

"That's so unfair" he wines.

We sit for about 20 minuites, sharing all the drunken memories and stupid nights we can think of and it's not long before i'm creasing of laughter. Admitedly, I have a few more stories purely because i'm two years younger but by the looks of things, even though he's only just turned 18, that never stopped him before.

He then continues to tell me memories of their tour last year and it doens't half amaze me what they actually get up to on the road. It looks like i only see half of it. But still it doesn't surprise me a bit.

When we begin to tuck into our food, I instantly regret taking my dish from the conveyerbelt that cirulates in the center of the room. It looks too fishy for me but I decide to open it anyway. I love sushi but there's something about this dish that doesn't look appetising.

"What's wrong?" Calum looks at me with furrowed eyebrows. "Don't you like it?"

"I don't think i'm going to" I explain, slowly picking up the chopsticks besides wanting to throw the meal away.

"It looks nice" he tries to convince me. Listening to him, I pick a piece up with my chopsticks but instantly turn my nose up at the fishy-looking food. "Do you want me to try it?" he asks with raised eyebrows.

I nod my head and extend my arm over to Calum side of the table. At first I thought he was going to take the sticks from me, but instead he leans forward and encases his plump lips around the sushi.

At first his face looks like he's just ate dog shit, but then his brain kicks in and his mouth turns into a smile. "Mmmm." Laughter rumbles through my entire being as I watch him pretending to like it.

"Don't even try that! You look like you want to throw up" I say through thick laughter.

"I don't." he giggles and I know he's lying. My eyebrows raise as I stare at the handsome boy before me. "Okay, I need to spit this out" he eveuntally gives in and spits the remains into the nearest napkin.

We stay there talking and laughing untill it gets to about 10 to 2 and we realise we should leave. Calum goes to pay for the bill and as much as I refuse and protest, he won't let me win and hands over his card before I can say anything.

We walk back two of the familiar blocks, Calum with his hands slid in his front pockets with me close beside him. When we get to my building, I thank him again for lunch before hugging him and making my way back up to the sixth floor, back to my desk.

The afternoon goes pretty quickly as I Carl comes over and I spent my time wastfully, speaking to him about his weekend away with his boyfriend Mickey. And when my shifts finally over, I rush back out onto the sidewalk and rush back to my cold appartment.