| Calum |
Helen ran down the sand towards the pier.
I picked her shoes up.
She got under the shade and fell on the sand.
"We should just leave her here," Luke said.
"Yea, Ashton hot wire the car," I agreed.
"None of us know how to drive stick shift," Michael said.
"Plus, I really like this beach," Ashton said.
We walked towards her.
The beach was full of people.
Some were surfing.
"Luke we should surf one day," Ashton said.
"Gnarly surfing," Luke agreed.
"So many beautiful girls," Michael said.
"Seriously man," Ashton added.
"Hey, I'm happily taken, don't get me involved," I said.
"There's always that one friend that is either taken or married in a group of single friends," Michael said.
"And I'm that guy I know," I said and jogged towards Helen.
She was laying on the sand.
"You okay there, sweetheart?" I asked her.
"Yea, I'm good," She stood p
"Where do you want me to out your shoes?" I asked.
"Just put them on the sand," She replied and I set them on the sand.
She walked past me and towards the water.
The water came towards the sand and it covered Helen's feet.
"Is it cold?" I asked.
"A little," She admitted.
I stood behind her and wrapped my arms around her stomach
I kissed her shoulder.
"Oh I got that on picture! It looks so tumblr," I heard Michael say.
"Girls will probably turn that picture into a 'Just Girly Things' meme," Luke said.
Ashton giggled.
"Send the picture to me, yea?" I asked.
"I'm sending it now," Michael replied.
"This is cool," Luke said and leaned against the wood that held the pier up.
"Michael maybe you should sit in the sun for a while, you're really pale," Ashton said.
"Vampire pale," I agreed.
"I'll get sun burnt and it's gonna hurt," Michael insisted.
For the next two or three hours we sat on the sand under the shade of the Huntington pier.
We watched people surf and catch killer waves.
"Do you know how to surf, Helen?" I asked.
"No, Dad knows and he tried to teach me few when I was younger, but it was never really my thing," She explained.
"The only surfing Helen knows how to do is surf the internet," Luke said.
Helen snorted, "True, but I also know how to crowd surf. Never done it, but it seems easy."
"Throwing your body onto a crowd of people? Sounds awesome," Michael said.
"I feel like people will try to steal your wallets or something," Ashton spoke up.
Suddenly a ball came flying in and landed in the sand in front of us.
It was a soccer ball.
"Hey can you kick the ball over?"
I turned my head away from the ball and in the direction in which the voice came.
It was a girl, with blonde hair, tan skin and an orange bikini.
"Can you get the ball, please?" She asked with a smile.
"Gonna get the ball, Calum?" Ashton asked.
I got up and grabbed the ball.
I held it in front of me and drop-kicked it.
She caught it.
"Thanks, cutie," She said with a wink before turning and running back to her group of friends.
I sat next to Helen on the sand once again.
Awkward silence surrounded the five of us.
The only noise came from the waves, dogs barking, and the occasional girl scream/laugh.
"Well," Michael said breaking the silence, "This is awkward. There may be a little bit of jealousy between you two." He motioned between me and Helen.
"Oh, I'm not jealous. See there is a little thing called 'Trust' and I trust Calum," Helen said.
"Can I talk to you, privately?" I asked Helen.
"Yea, sure," She replied.
"Excuse us, lads," I said and got off the sand once again.
I helped Helen up and we started walking on the sand away from the pier.
The sun was still out but was starting to go down.
I looked over my shoulder to make sure they couldn't hear us.
"Do you really?" I asked Helen.
"Do I really what?" She asked.
"Trust me."
"Yea, whole heartily, one hundred percent trust you, Calum."
"How? I mean after what you went through with that douche bag, Brad. How can you trust me. Or anyone for that matter."
"I don't know. It just feels right. I know you'd never do that to me, you're a sweetheart and you're so nice. I just know you wouldn't do that. Plus my feeling have never been this strong for a person as much as they are for you, Cal."
I wrapped my hand around hers.
"And I know it's bad but I'll love you unconditionally," She said.
"That is bad," I said and we both laughed.
"It is because I love you like a dog loves their human. Whatever you do to me, weather you hurt me, or put me through immense pain, I'll still love you."
I looked at her and stopped walking.
I cupped her face and lightly kissed her lips.
"I'll still love you, whatever hell you put me through," I whispered into her ear.
She smiled slyly.
We turned around and walked back to the pier.
"It's at 7, let's go to Griffith's Observatory," Helen said once we got back to the guys.
"Let's do it," Michael said and stood up.
We walked back to Helen's car, got in and drove off to our next destination.
The long car ride was totally worth it.
Griffith's Observatory was at the top of a mount Hollywood, so you could see the whole city of L.A, from the tall skyscrapers to the Hollywood sign itself.
"This is phenomenal," Ashton said.
With the sun going down, the city's lights started to come on. Soon the whole view will be sprinkled with orange, yellow, white and blue lights.
I took several pictures, but I wasn't the only one, apart from me and the guys, tons of people held professional cameras and were clicking away.
"This is insanely wicked," I said.
"I have no words, the view took my breath away," Luke said.
"I'm with Luke on this once. I'm speechless," Michael agreed.
"Told you, this place is amazing," Helen said.
"This makes The Cliff look dull," I said referring to the place back in Oz.
"I love The Cliff, it reminds me of this place," Helen spoke up.
"What's this?" Michael asked pointing to a monument.
"Oh that's a monument for James Dean. In 1955 his movie 'Rebel Without A Cause' was filmed here, it portraid the observatory in key scenes. It was also the first movie to have a planetarium in it. Anyway this sculptor named Kendall began to sculpt a bust of James Dean on the night that he died and now the bust is here with the iconic Hollywood sign in the back. And might I add James Dean looked like a grade A cutie in his movie," Helen explained
I coughed.
"What? He's dead anyway it's not like I'm going to hook up with him," Helen said.
"Is the movie good?" Luke asked.
"Oh yea, it's a little sad, but it's a really good movie. A classic. I highly suggest it," Helen replied.
"How did he die?" Michael asked
"Car accident," Helen replied.
"When?" Ashton asked.
"September 30, 1955," She replied.
"Wait so the same year he filmed 'Rebel Without A Cause' he died?" I asked.
"Yea, fucking sucks," She said.
"How old was he?" Luke asked.
"24 years old," Helen replied.
"He was so young!" Ashton said astonished.
Helen nodded.
I took a picture of the monument.
We spent the next hour looking at the distance.
I just didn't get tired of the amazing view.
The sun had gone down completely and the city lights sparkled in the darkness.
I had my arm around Helen's waist.
I took another picture of the view.
"How many pictures have you guys taken?" Helen asked.
"I dunno," I replied.
"Probably 100," Luke snorted.
"Surprised you still have space left," Helen said.
"What time is it?" Michael asked.
"8:30," Ashton replied.
"We should go, the observatory will be closing in about an hour," Helen said.
"No, I like it here," I refused.
"Me too," Michael said.
"I'm kinda hungry," Luke spoke up.
"I'm craving Panda Express." Ashton said.
"We'll go get some," Helen told Ashton. "C'mon let's go, we'll come back tomorrow if you want."
I groaned.
"C'mon Cal," She said and pulled my arm.
I finally gave in and began following her.
We headed back to Helen's house and her car smelled like Chinese food, due to having Panda Express in the back seat.
When we arrived, Helen parked the car in the garage and closed the door.
We got out and walked into the house through the garage door.
"Wanna watch a movie?" Helen asked us.
"What movie?" I asked.
"I got James Dean on my mind, so lets watch Rebel Without A Cause," Ashton replied.
We all agreed and sat on the living room couches.
Helen put the movie into the home player and turned on the plasma TV.
She skipped through all the commercials and pressed play.
"Oh do you still want the beer?" Helen asked before she began to eat.
"I do," Ashton replied.
"I'll just bring you all one," Helen stood up form the couch.
"I'll go with you," I said and followed her.
We went into the kitchen and Helen opened the fridge.
She pulled out two bottles of Corona beer and handed them to me. She held three more and closed the door with her foot.
"Put them right here," She told me and I set them on the granite counter.
She pulled a bottle opened from the cabinet and opened all five of them.
"Do you want lemon or salt?" She asked me.
"Nah, I'm good," I replied.
She nodded and cut a lemon before squirting some into her bottle and pouring some salt into the bottle.
White gas bubbled began to rise.
Before they could spill off the top, Helen picked the bottle up and began to chug the beer down.
After a while she set the beer down and burped.
She covered her mouth, "Sorry!"
I laughed at her, "It's okay."
I helped her carry the beer bottles to the kitchen.
We handed a bottle to each of the guys.
After Helen and I got settled down on the couch we were sitting on she pressed play and the movie began.
The movie was great.
Really sad the kid died.
And the gun wasn't even loaded!
"That's an amazing movie," Michael said.
"It's sad that he had no one and he was just trying to relate and talk to someone," Luke said referring to the kid that died.
I finished the last gulp of my beer and put it on the glass table in front of me.
The table had ten or twelve more bottles.
I heard the front door unlocked.
Luke's eyes widened, "That's Dad! What will we do with all the bottles?"
"Calm down, bruh." Helen said. "Just chill, he won't do anything."
The door opened and Helen's dad came in and closed the door behind him.
"Hey kids," He said.
"Hey Dad," Helen and Luke said in unison.
"Where did you go today?" He asked.
"First we went to the Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard," Helen replied.
"After that, we went to Citywalk," Luke added.
"Then Huntington Beach," I continued.
"And lastly, Griffith's Observatory," Michael said.
"It was awesome," Ashton added.
"Ah yes, Griffith's Observatory is an excellent place. The view is breathtaking," Mr. Hemmings said.
"It is, we just finished watching 'Rebel Without A Cause,'" Helen spoke up.
"My favorite classics," he said.
His eyes drifted to the glass table and he raised a brow.
"What's this?" he asked.
"Oh, yea sorry, Dad," Helen apologized.
"There's still some left, right?" He asked.
"Yea," Helen nodded.
"Great, that's all that matter," he said before going upstairs.
"See I told you," Helen said. "He won't mind."
"That's cool. You're dad is cool," Michael said.
Twenty minutes later we were watching Ridiculousness and laughing our asses off.
I heard footsteps coming down the stairs and Mr. Hemmings appeared in a fancy black suit.
"Whoa, were are you going Dad?" Helen asked.
"Yea, you look all sharp and stuff," Luke agreed.
"I'm going to an engagement party. Ivan finally popped the question to Sarah," He replied.
Helen gasped, "No! Really? After four years of dating, finally! It's about time. Tell them I said congrats."
"Will do, sweetheart," Mr. Hemmings said. "Alright, bye kids."
"Bye, Dad," Luke and Helen said in unison.
"Later Mr, Hemmings," I said.
He opened the door and locked it behind him.
"What time is it?" Michael asked.
"Almost midnight," Ashton replied.
"I'm tired," Luke yawned.
"Yea, me too," Michael agreed,
We threw the glass bottles in the recycling bin and the styrophoam plates in the trash can.
Helen turned the TV off and and we used the lights from out phones to go up the stairs.
"Goodnight," We all said to each other before going into our rooms.
I closed the door behind me and got out of my black jeans and into a pair of grey sweats.
My phone vibrated.
Helen: Coming over or what?
I smiled to myself and walked out my bedroom door, I closed it and went to Helen's door.
I opened it and stepped into her room. I locked the door behind me.
"Helen," I whisper screamed.
"I'm right here, Cal," She whispered back.
I sat on her bed and felt her take my hand.
She kissed me and I didn't hesitate to kiss her back.
"Let's go all the way tonight, Cal," She whispered into my ear. "No regrets, just love."
I smiled against her lips and deepened the kiss.