everything in italics is a flashback btw (◡‿◡✿)
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*Carter's POV*
My feet slammed against the hot sand as I ran, the burning sensation on my soles distracting me from the empty feeling in my lungs. Caden ran by my side, the shaggy black and white fur of the border collie still clinging to his body from his dip in the ocean.
I was dressed in a pair of shorts and a blue sports bra, more revealing than I would have liked to wear for my morning run, but it's all I could find with all of my stuff already packed into boxes, one of the many inconveniences of moving.
Once again, my mom got tired of where we're living, so, with only two days notice, she told me to pack up my stuff, because we're leaving town. We're moving in a week, but I can't say I'm excited, it's kinda my routine now, I wake up every morning not sure if my mom's going to want to move towns, move countries, move continents.
Sure, it's exciting at times, I'm constantly seeing new places, though the adventure wears off when you can't make any friends or get too attached to anyone, because there's a good chance that in a few months I'll be only a memory.
That's how it always is. I always end up as just a memory.
At least this time she promised we would stay the year, so I can start and finish my junior year at one high school. Thank god, maybe I can actually make some real friends this time.
"Caden, wait up boy!" I call to my dog, watching as he runs ahead, something in the distance catching his eye.
I'm surprised that he's leaving my side. Morning runs are a daily thing for us, and even though this is a different beach, closer to my new town so I could scout it out, he normally sticks straight by me while I jog.
"Caden!" I shout, but he's already gone, disappeared into the stretch of beach.
Sprinting to catch up, the salty spray from the ocean stings my face, and I feel the soreness in my legs that I crave. I love running. I always have, always will. It's the only thing that I can actually call mine, something that hasn't been invaded by my mother's spontaneous tendencies.
I round the bend of the beach only to see Caden barrel into some poor beach dweller, knocking him flat to the ground.
Pushing myself faster, I can see my dog attacking the boy that was pinned underneath him, ferociously licking ice cream off his face.
"Caden! Caden, down boy... down..." I drag him off, allowing the boy to stand up and for me to get a good look at him.
His dark, fluffy hair was littered with sand, and so was his naked torso, his fingers brushing off his abs, and shaking out his hair. Splotches of pink ice cream were layered across his nose, right underneath his deep brown eyes that made me swoon when they looked into mine. His tan cheeks were slightly flushed from embarrassment, but honestly, I was more embarrassed, standing there in my sports bra, trying to restrain a crazy dog, and all sweaty from my run.
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry..." I apologize, glancing down at the ice cream cone lying in the sand. Caden's calmed down a little now, and I let him roam to the spilled desert, watching with caution as he laps it up.
"No, no it's fine..." The boy shrugs it off, wiping across his nose to get rid of the ice cream.
"No, it's not, I'm so sorry, I didn't realize he would, and he just-" I start to ramble when a smile peeks out of the boys lips.
"Seriously, it's fine," He laughs, the sound music to my ears. "Plus, it's not everyday a very attractive stranger's dog attacks me and steals my ice cream."
Even through my deep blushing, I was grateful he was being kind about it. If some damn dog came and took my ice cream, I don't think I'd be this relaxed, that'd be war.
"Well, Caden seems to like it... and he seems to like you..." I laugh, watching as my big awkward dog rubs his head against the boy, begging for more attention which the boy happily supplies.
"Well, I don't blame him, it was black raspberry, my favorite," he chuckles while stroking the dogs fur.
"Well that just so happens to be Caden's favorite flavor too.." I smile at the boy. True, maybe ice cream wasn't the best thing for dogs, but Caden loved it, and I was being completely serious when I said black raspberry was his favorite flavor.
"Is that so?" He cocks an eyebrow with a grin.
"I swear on my life." I say with mock seriousness.
"Well then maybe it's fate."
"Or maybe you both just think black raspberry ice cream is delicious..."
"Nah, fate's sounds better."
"Is that so?"
"One hundred percent so."
"Well then it was fate that brought you and my dog together, you guys have a real connection... when will the wedding be?"
"I was thinking late december."
"Well, I'll save the date. You can send my invitation via mail."
"Who should I address it to?"
"Carter. Carter Stevenson."
"Well, hello Carter Stevenson, I'm Calum. And I think that you owe me one black raspberry ice cream cone."
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"Calum?"
I'm astonished to see him. I knew he went to school close to the beach we always met at, but there are so many schools around here that I figured the chances of me transferring to his was slim to none.
Memories of the summer flashed back to me, from how we met, to how we parted, both of us thinking that we would never see each other again. I hadn't thought it was necessary to tell him about my move, I guess I see how well that worked out.
"What, um... what are you doing here?" He scratches the back of his head, looking completely caught off guard while his tall blonde friends nudges his elbow into Calum's side.
"Wait, you two know each other?" Amanda cuts in, astonishment clear on her face. I was probably carrying the same expression.
"Oh, um yea, we met briefly, over the summer... nothing big..." He shrugs, rearranging the collar of his leather jacket and fixing his hair, it's clear he has his confidence back.
Nothing big? He told me he never felt this way around someone before, he told me he could truly be himself with me, he told me I was special. What happened to all of that?
"Oh, well... good." Amanda seems unsure at first, but finishes off with the snarky confidence that I guess always travels with her.
"Wait, Cal, what are you talking about?" I ask, shrinking down a bit as everyone at the table starts to look at me. This is not how I expected my first day to go.
Isn't seeing me supposed to be a happy surprise? Isn't he supposed to pick me up and spin me around? Isn't he supposed to kiss me passionately? Maybe I've been watching too many chick flicks, because from what I can tell, Calum is barely looking at me, much less jumping out of his seat with joy.
"What do you mean what am I talking about? You were just a booty call. Nothing more, nothing less." He avoids looking at me, instead looking quickly at his friends, who were staring at us in happy surprise, as if they were taking enjoyment in Calum acting like this.
His words sting. He's lying through his teeth, I know it, what we had this summer was something far beyond hooking up. But why would he lie? And in front of all these people?
"Callypoo, I'm so glad to hear you say that..." Amanda giggles obnoxiously, laying her manicured hand over Calum's shoulder, but he shrugs it off. Neither of us pay attention to her, we're not even sure why she's in this conversation.
Everything about him screams player. The black leather jacket, the carefully styled hair, the way Amanda looked at him in pure adoration. Yeah, looks wise he was the same, but I can barely recognize him.
He isn't my Calum.
It feels like I'm looking at him from a completely different perspective now, and I'm not liking what I see.
"Babe, sweetheart, get over me." He says in a condescending tone, but I see his eyes glance quickly to the people around him, gauging their reactions. "You better understand that our little summer fling meant nothing to me." He smirks at me.
And things click into place. The way Calum sits in the center of the table, the way everyone eyes linger a little too long on him, the way he acts as if people are always watching him, probably because they are.
Maybe this is who Calum really is. Maybe this smug, obnoxious boy that sits in front of me is who I failed to see over the summer.
"Don't you remember anything from the summer?" I give him one last chance to show any sign that he was the caring boy I thought he was, but anger was already bubbling inside of me.
"Oh, trust me... I remember it..." He says smugly, looking around at the boys sitting around him, the two on either side of him erupting in hoots at his sexual innuendo, of which was completely untrue.
And my final string broke. This summer had been the best of my life, and I thought Calum had felt the same way too, but obviously I over judged things. If this is who he really is, I don't want anything to do with him.
Maybe it was the smug look on his face that sent me into a fit of rage, or maybe it was the stress of being center of attention on my very first day of school, but either way, I felt like I couldn't control myself as I uncapped my iced tea.
With one angered toss, the sugary drink fell from my cup, straight onto Calum's unsuspecting, perfectly styled head.
Game on.
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tbh im not happy with this chapter but i wanted something up so oh whale
but aye everyone who votes and comments can join #brennasbitchclique
so do all that shit
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adios amigos ~brenna