Chapter 36
**Valerie’s POV**
“What the hell is he doing on the roof?” My voice booms in Harrison’s direction, however is barely audible over the blasting speakers.
“I don’t know. He probably got up onto that ledge over there and climbed onto the roof. How the hell should I know? I didn’t think he needed a fucking babysitter!” Harrison throws his arm in the air for emphasis. He appears to be the only other person at this party who isn’t extremely intoxicated at the moment.
“Well, what did you give him?” I speak shortly, my gaze traveling to Calum’s innocent, tired face before finding it’s way back to Harrison. It didn’t take a lot of knowledge to know that Calum didn’t climb on to the roof and fell asleep because he simply felt like it. Danielle mentioned that everyone hated Calum. He probably intended on only having one drink, and someone most likely slipped something into it as a practical joke. But this was way past funny.
“I think Rich slipped a couple ecstasy tabs into his drink.” He shrugs, like it’s no big deal. Meanwhile it’s a huge deal. And who the hell is Rich?
“Okay we just need to figure out how to get him off the roof, that’s our main priority right now.” I scratch my head, thinking of the best possible solution to this problem, “How about you go up onto the ledge and climb onto the roof and then we-“
“I am not climbing onto the roof,” He cuts me off, shaking his head from side to side.
“Why not?” I scoff, getting annoyed by his stubbornness. Calum could wake up and roll off that roof any minute, we really didn’t have time to get sidetracked.
“Because, I don’t want to die.” He retorts, crossing his arms across his chest, “You can climb up onto the roof and push him towards the ledge and me and a couple other guys will help pull him down.”
“So it’s okay for me to go onto the roof, and not y-“ I begin to argue back, before reminding myself there is no time to waste, “You know what, fine. I’ll go up there, just help me up.” We both elbow our way through the rowdy crowd, till we get to the ledge. I clamber up on top of it, Harrison as well before he grabs firmly onto my waist and hoists me up onto the roof.
I get on my hands and knees, beginning to inch my way towards Calum. I look down at the huge amount of people that fill my backyard, who appear distinctively smaller than they did before.
I cautiously make my way over to where Calum lays peacefully. Moving my right hand. Then my left knee. Then my left hand. Then my right knee. I repeat this process till I finally reach Calum. I sit a minute figuring how I’m going to pull Calum all the way down the roof towards the ledge. I could barely lift a suitcase off my bed, pulling a full-grown boy down a roof is going to be a challenge. I rest the back of my hand of his forehead, his skin icy cold, his face paler than usual.
I position myself next to him, wrapping my arm around his torso for support, I struggle to raise his upper body. When I finally do, all his weight leans against my weak arm, his head falling gently against mine. A small smile finds its way onto my face. This is so weird yet so comfortable, my emotions are too mixed right now to think straight.
Slowly I begin to scoot down towards the edge of the roof, dragging Calum’s body along with me, to right above where the ledge sits. Harrison and a couple boys wait for me to bring Calum down. Whoever those boys are, one of them better not be Rich, because as soon as I do find Rich, I’m going to slap him.
Once we reach the end of the roof, our legs dangling over the edge, two of the boys hold on two his legs and begin to gently pull him down, while Harrison and another boy grab on to his back and rest him down on a chair on the back deck.
“What happened?” Luke asked, tripping over his own feet as he ran over to where Calum was now laying.
“He passed out.” I state the obvious, as Harrison grabs onto my waist once again and pulls me down from the roof. Luke jogs over to where I’m currently trying to hold my balance, offering his hand out which I clutch on to tightly as he helps me down from the ledge and back onto the wooden deck.
“What the hell?” I hear Michael yell, as he runs over to join us.
“He passed out.” Luke raises his eyebrows, motioning his head in Calum’s direction.
“No shit.” Michael groans, running his hands through his hair before looking in my direction, “What are you gonna do with him?”
“I don’t want to leave him out here.” I keep my eyes locked on Calum, who stirs a little in his seat, “I could peel my eyes away from him for a second, and one of these morons could try to grope him.” I motion to the crowd of rowdy teenagers.
“Should we bring him inside?” Luke asks, folding his arms over his chest.
I nod, “We can bring him up to my room, that way he could lay down. Can you guys help me carry him?”
Luke and Michael nod in sync, each of them holding onto one of his legs. I wrap my arms around his shoulders, and all at once we lift him from the seat and bring him inside and up to my room. We make our way through the dark till we find my bed and gently lay Calum down on top of it. I walk over to the light switch and turn it on, a huge lump forming in my throat when I see the room we are in is not the bedroom I remembered. The previously grey walls were covered to the maximum with thick black posters of profane bands that my mother would never speak to me again if she knew I listened to. The plain white comforter is gone, now replaced with a dark black one with the outline of a naked man and a naked woman printed on it.
“Whoa Valerie, I didn’t know you were into some really intense, heavy metal shit.” Michael’s mouth hangs wide as he glances around the room, dumbfounded.
“I like the blanket.” Luke adds. “Kinky.”
“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me, I can’t believe she did this to my room!” I grumble, ignoring both the boys’ comments. I go to pull down a ‘Slayer’ poster that I‘m assuming Danielle put up when she completely transformed my room, when a whimper travels from Calum’s lips. I tune my aggressive demeanor down a notch, not meaning to disturb Calum.
“Well that was a lot of work,” Michael sighs, stretching out his arms, “I need a beer.”
“I’m with you on that one,” Luke chimes in, following Michael out the door.
“Wait guys don-“ I begin, but am cut off by the slamming door. I let out a huge breath and take a seat on the bed beside Calum. I glance down at his face, the guilt filling the pit of my stomach once again. I want to call Ashton. I want to hear his voice, just to reassure myself that I still can, that he is still willing to talk to me. But, I can’t bring myself to pick up the phone.
I wait in silence for a while. Time passes slowly, but I’ve lost track. I should be doing something about this party. But I don’t care enough to actually get off the bed and take action. I didn’t throw this party therefore it isn’t my responsibility. Everything in this house that was mine has already been replaced with Danielle’s crap so why should I bother trying to make sure no one touches my mom’s china or other valuables, she didn’t even want me to come home for semester break.
“Valerie?" Calum’s voice interrupts the long lasting silence. I tilt my head over to look at him, his eyes catching mine for a brief second before filling with confusion as they travel around the room, “Where are we?”
“In my room.” I sigh, scooting to the opposite side of the bed until my back rests against the wall.
“You carried me all the way from my house to yours?” His eyes widen, as he sits up completely.
I chuckle softly, “No you were already at my house, Luke and Michael helped me carry you upstairs.” I wear a weak smile, leaving out the part of him being on the roof.
“I don’t remember anything,” He looks down, holding the palm of hand over my forehead, “I just had one beer and then everything that happened after is a blur, I don’t remember.”
“Well you’re okay, so that’s all that matters.” I run my hand through my knotted hair.
“You’re not mad at me?” His voice is soft, the bed dipping slightly as he moves to sit next to me.
“Why would I be mad at you?” I speak shortly, avoiding eye contact. Calum flinches at my tone. I wasn’t mad at Calum. In fact Calum is probably the only person who I’m not mad at right now. I have a bad habit of taking my anger out on other people.
“I don’t know.” He scratches the back of his neck, “I just thought you would be mad at me for coming to this party.”
“Why do you always do that?” I snap, rolling my eyes, “God Calum, if there is anything that pisses me off the most, it’s when you do that.”
“Do what?” He wears an insulted glance, obviously getting agitated with my short temper.
“This,” I mock him, scratching the back of my neck, imitating that awkward look he always wears.
“I never do that.” He folds his arm over his chest, knitting his eyebrows together.
“You’re joking right?” I glare at him, “Pretty much every time we talk you scratch your neck like that, like everything is all awkward. You haven’t done it a while, but you used to do it all the time in high school. And lately you’ve been doing it a lot.”
“Well no one else seems to notice.” He shrugs, rolling his eyes, “Plus what do you mean I used to do it all the time in high school? I like never even talked to you in high school.”
“Whatever Calum.” I shift my weight on the bed, inching away from him slightly.
“I couldn’t even talk to you if I wanted to.” His voice rose louder than necessary. “It’s not my fault that you went around school, acting like you were some tortured soul, who had been hurt so many times that you had to push away everyone who even tried to talk to you.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” My voice raises above his, “You were the one who thought you were too good for everyone who was anywhere below you on the social ladder. You wouldn’t have been caught dead talking to someone like me unless you had to. I’m surprised you’re even talking to me now, with all your high school friends right downstairs.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” He retorts, the wrinkles in his forehead becoming dangerously prominent, “I tried talking to you. I tried to be your friend. I asked you for a pencil. I stood up for you when they tried to make strip in front of everyone. I invited you to that party on Halloween because I wanted to, not because my friends made me. I put all my effort into working on that project with you, so that we could get a good grade. So the fact that you think I wouldn’t be caught dead talking to you in high school is bullshit. And as for my high school friends, they all hate me because I kinda said some stuff to them that I shouldn’t have, but they’re not worth it. You cared about me more than they ever did from the beginning and I was a jerk to you and I’m sorry, okay?”
“You weren’t a jerk to me.” I sigh, realizing that I also had a bad habit of overreacting.
“Yes I was, so don’t fight me on it” He furrows his eyebrows, scratching the back of his neck.
“You did it again.” I giggle, bringing my knees to my chest.
“Did what?” He locks his gaze with mine, sending me a confused glance.
I wrap my arms around my legs, resting my chin against my knee, “Y-You scratched the back of your neck”
“God dammit Valerie,” He lets out a song of laughs, giving me a playful push, me toppling over onto my side, “Maybe I just had an itch!”
“You pushed me.” I send him a fake insulted glance, propping myself up with my elbows.
“No I didn’t.” He chuckles, followed by an exaggerated head shake.
“Yes you did.” I retort, a laugh escaping my lips. My hands find his chest, giving him a playful push, him falling back on the bed.
He sits up, his eyebrows knitted together once again, “I’ll give you 3 seconds to run,” His eyes hold amusement, but his voice shows seriousness.
“Why would I r-“ I begin to ask, but I’m cut off by my own laughs when Calum jumps on top of me and tickles me to the point where I am unable to control my heaving chest.
“Calum get off of me,” I laugh uncontrollably as I try to push him off me, “I don’t like being tickled,”
“I know,” He whispers, as he continues to run his hands over my stomach, “That’s why I’m tickling you.”
“You’re….so…..mean.” I giggle through staggered breathy laughs. I push hard at his chest, but it’s no use I’m not strong enough.
“Aw, but you’re….so…..cute.” He mocks me, laughing at me as I struggle to catch my breath underneath him.
I grab his hand which is dancing over my stomach, bring it to my mouth and bite it, “Ow,” Calum whines, as the tickles come to an immediate halt, “You bit me.”
“No I didn’t.” I chuckle, emulating his exaggerated head shake from before.
“Yes you did.” He retorts, a laugh escaping his lips.
“Okay so I bit you, what are you going to do about it?” I fold my arms over my chest, sending him a testing glance.
“I’m gonna get you back,” He states confidently, letting his back fall against the bed, and his head hit the pillow, “I’m gonna get you back when you least expect it.”
“Okay Calum,” I roll my eyes, the bed making a creaking noise as I shift my weight.
“I’m tired.” He pouts, shutting his eyes tight and holding his arms out, “Come here.”
“Calum I ca-“ I begin to speak, but he cuts me off.
“Stop making excuses and come here.” He cracks his eyes open a bit, “I want to hold you.”
I don’t say anything. I just crawl over next to wear he lies and situate myself next to him until I’m comfortable. He brings his arm around my waist and pulls me closer to him, until the space between my body and his is gone. His hand moves up to my arm, his finger running across my skin. Chills fall down my spine as his hand moves from my arm up to my face. He pulls a loose strand of hair behind my ear, his finger running down my neck before it returns to its position around my waist.
“Valerie?” Calum’s voice fills my ears at barely a whisper.
“Hmm?” My voice comes out softer than his, my eyes drifting shut.
“I-“ He clears his throat, “I really like y-“
Calum is cut off by the loud bang of the door slamming against the wall. I pull out of his grasp, both of us sitting up abruptly.
Danielle stands there in nothing but her bra. Calum rolls his eyes, looking down at his fidgeting hands rested in his lap, “She’s in here.” She turns her head to side, talking to someone out of view.
“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me.” Calum groans, planting his head in his hands when Adam appears in the doorway.
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I have a shit load of tests this week so I'm gonna try my best to update by Friday or Saturday. THANK YOU 600K READS ILY ALL!!!