KATE
"I just love this place", I say, looking at the walls of Sweetheart Delights. Images of Callum sitting at a table with me, his gorgeous brown eyes staring into mine, telling me how he'd like to kiss me again flash through my mind and I have to swallow hard.
I really fucked up.
Cue the very long sip from the milkshake.
"Too pink", Avery mutters. With her black short skirt, black boots and headphones around her neck and a large Lana Del Rey hoodie, she doesn't seem to fit the picture. "Wow, so are you", Vee points out, looking at me. I think she means the pink crop top I'm wearing, the sambas or the pink ribbon I tied to my baggy jeans, but she is actually meaning my cheeks. "Our little hockey guy really twisted your mind so badly?"
"Nothing about that guy is small", I reply, yet it's then I notice my mistake. I cover my mouth, while Vee's eyes dart open. She takes a sip from her Coke, not to comment.
"Anyway, tell us about your date, Katie", Liv encourages me. She's in a pair of short pants, a TVD large sweater and some white sneakers. I notice stains of paint on her fingers, and I have to swallow hard. Liv always paints. But she always paints when she's sad. She hasn't painted in a while, ever since she started dating Aaron. The fact her fingers now have color on them, means something is wrong. Not necessarily with Aaron and her, but something is wrong. I have to press my teeth hard to not burst out crying. Liv has been through hell and back, and she's only sixteen. I'm sixteen too, and if I would have been through half the stuff Liv has been through, I'd probably lock myself in the room and never come out. But she always wakes up in the morning and carries herself through the day. She finds the power to survive.
Avery must have also noticed the paint, since her expression grows worried at the same time mine does. Yet Olivia doesn't seem to want to talk about it now. And she needs a happy moment. Hence why both Vee and I pretend to have seen nothing, and I start telling them everything about my not 'date' with Callum Slade.
"That sucks", Vee comments as I come at the end. She even makes a move to steal from my cheesecake. I let her, since I'm too confused about the whole Cal thing to stop her.
"Yeah, it really does", Liv agrees. "I'm so sorry, Katie." She takes a sip from her dark coffee, another sign something is wrong. Liv only has dark coffee when something is wrong. Her drink of choice would be lattes, any types of lattes. But she always has dark coffee when her nightmares are so bad that she can't sleep. Or when she spent the whole night worrying. Vee and I shared a side-eye as we saw the order, and Liv tried to calm us down saying it matches more with her cream cheese bagel.
Neither Vee or I commented.
"Want me to try to talk to Aaron, see if I could make him change his mind?", Liv offers, and I'm pulled back to reality. I put on a fake smile that I do my best to make it look real, so that she doesn't get I'm worried about her. Because that's the thing about Liv. Her world could be coming down, yet she still insists us to act normal. Act like nothing is going on. I guess she's craving for some normality. Which was part of the reason why she moved here from D.C a few years ago.
"No", I let out convinced. "Aaron will never say yes, and you know it."
Liv nods shy, but agreeing.
"Well, Aaron doesn't have to know", Vee suggests. "Fuck, no one has to know. Liv and I know, for obvious reasons, but if you like the guy, go snatch your man." She softly hits me in the rib cage. "He obviously likes you."
"How do you know that?", I ask, my heart currently staring in a firework show.
"He kissed you on that kiss cam", Liv is the one to answer.
"Plus, he came inside this hellhole. This place has more pink than your wardrobe. And that must say something."
"Gee thanks, Vee", I mutter annoyed.
She only smirks bright. "All I'm saying is that you should give your man a chance. Especially after what I have heard."
Curiosity grows inside me. "What have you heard?", Liv and I ask at the same time, both clearly drowning in excitement.
"Well, you know how Callum never had a girlfriend", she begins. She then winks at me: "Now I get you might have something to do with it." I blush pink, as she continues. "Anyway, so he's been at this high school for what, three years? He's in his junior year now? So, the guy is one of the most wanted at our high school, has all the girls at his chokehold, and he doesn't have a girlfriend for three years? Very suspicious."
"What are you trying to say, Avery?", I ask, impatience growing inside me.
"So, I heard that he was seeing someone in his first year. Lasted two weeks. But starting his sophomore, no girl entered the picture. Guess what happened in his sophomore year?"
"What happened?", I almost shout, earning myself some curious looks from the tables nearby.
Vee smirks as she answers. "Well, you, duh. You entered the picture. And for some reason, starting then, he has been with no one."
My heart feels like a ticking bomb in my chest.
"Oh, and there's more", she continues.
"There's more?", again Liv and I in chorus.
"There's more. Gossip has it he's been going on-and-off with this girl, Julia Haze from his grade. Anyway, nothing serious, only hookups and so."
"Thanks for the visuals, Vee", I hiss.
She just shrugs and moves on. "Anyway, that has been until Friday. I've heard Callum broke up, or whatever you can call it, with her. Reason unknown. Neither Julia or Callum said more about it, her even denying the whole thing altogether. But if it were to be true, and Callum really ended it on Friday... When did you two go out?"
"Thursday", I whisper, dots starting to connect in my head. Dots I don't even know if are true.
"That will mean he broke off with her exactly after your date", Liv emphasises that.
"No", I let out. "No no no. That can't be true. Because I told Callum I can't date him. And he wouldn't break up with her, after I told him I can't date him."
"Maybe he still has hope", Liv suggests.
"Do you?", Vee asks, eyes wide.
"I don't even know what to think anymore", I whisper.
"Well, you better think of it soon, because that man might not wait forever", Vee replies.
"Noah did", I find myself saying. I quickly realise my mistake.
"Noah left", she almost spits the name of her ex/boyfriend-who-said-they-took-a-break-and-she-classified-him-as-ex. I save her my comment that he only left for an exchange and that he will come back next school year. Noah Deven, Vee's whatsoever, went to live for two years in France, to experience life abroad. He really loved Avery, and told her they were only on a break. He asked her not to contact him, since her messages would only make him hop on the first plane and come back to her, her being the one thing that ties him the most to home. As Vee told us he said that, I couldn't believe it. Noah never seemed to be the romantic type. With a cold gaze, arms filled with tattoos and a reputation, one would rather call him a red flag. But he really loved my best friend. I think he still does.
Only stuff changed in two years. And the girl he left home might not be the same with the girl he'll find at his return.
Plus, Avery is hell-bent they broke up.
"Let's not talk about Noah", Liv comes to our rescue. "I heard they organised a book market in the city centre for today. What do you say? Care for a visit?"
I nod excited, and even Vee has to agree it's a good idea.
"I'll have to use the bathroom first", Vee excuses herself. "Don't want to pee on the bike or so."
"Disgusting", I hiss.
Vee smirks as she heads over to the bathroom.
In the meantime, I remain alone with Liv. We already paid at the order, so we're only waiting for Vee to come back.
I use my chance of being alone with Liv to ask her: "Are you okay?"
She looks up at me, her eyes trying to seem reassuring when in fact they're hollow. "I'm fine", she clearly lies.
"You always say that", I answer back.
"That's because I'm always fine."
I take a very deep breath, to calm down my nerves. "You know I'm here for you. Vee and I both are. And if you ever need us, -"
"I really am fine", she cuts me short. "Really, Katie. Let's just enjoy the day out."
I swallow hard, yet nod. "If that's what you want."
"It really is", she whispers.
As on cue, Vee walks out of the bathroom coming to us. I see she now has a chewing gum in her mouth, like she usually has after walking out of the bathroom.
"Alright, party people", Vee begins. "Are we ready to get this show on the road? You're the ones who insisted we ride our bikes here. I could have been better with the tram or walking."
"Riding a bike is fun", Liv exclaims, standing up. "And Vee is right", she adds. "Let's get this show on the road."
A smile tugs on my lips as we walk out of the bakery, heading towards our bikes.
I just wanted you to know.
Images of Cal fill my mind again, being taken back to that day. The drive in his car, how the tension seemed to float around us.
I swallow hard.
I can find another time to think of Callum Slade. For now, I'll just have to kick him out of my mind.
Easier said than done.