Chapter Sixteen - Cancellations & Screaming
Chris' Point Of View
Twenty minutes later, the six of us were sitting/laying down on the living room floor, a fort of blankets and couch pillows surrounding us.
Zach had refused to tell us who his "friends" were, and he told us that they should be here any moment.
We were munching on the popcorn (whatever was left after Salem and Erika threw it at Zach) and the candy, while telling embarrassing stories of our childhood.
So far, the most embarrassing story, by far, had been Salem peeing her pants at her middle school graduation. According to her, it was white skirts and black shirts, the opposite of every single band concert and formal event in every child's school. She was walking up, when bam, she couldn't hold it anymore and a steady stream of the yellowy liquid ran down her leg.
The way she told the story was so hilarious I almost peed myself.
Ding Dong.
"How is the doorbell still working if the power went out?" Zach asked no one in particular.
"Do I look like an electrician?"
I could sense him rolling his eyes at my remark, "snotty."
"I'm going to get the door!" Meleah announced, and I heard shuffling.
"Salem should get it!" Erika chimed in, and we all snickered knowing full well Salem was basically naked.
"Yeah!" Macy and I shouted in agreement.
"As long as Chris comes with me," Salem bargained.
"Oh, I'm sure my friends would love that," Zach muttered under his breath, but I heard him. "No way," he said louder.
"Now I'm going to do it just to piss you off."
"Seriously, C!" He said angrily, throwing his hands up, and letting them fall back down to his sides, hitting them with a smacking sound.
Meleah sat back down next to me.
Ding Dong. Ding Dong. Ding Dong.
"Shut up!" I yelled towards the front door as Salem and I walked slowly, our hands out in front of us, feeling the wall as we went, careful not to hit anything.
"Zach!" Someone yelled from outside the door, "we're getting soaked, man!"
"We have a porch, you're fine!" I yelled through the closed door, replying to the familiar sounding voice.
"Open the damn door!" A different voice, still familiar, yelled.
I finally found the knob, and turned it, the door swinging inwards.
I could make out six dark silhouettes, and when there was a clap of thunder, I realized who they were.
"'Sup guys?" I asked, and at the same time Callum said, "Chris?"
I swung the door shut, hearing a sickening sounding slam, and Salem locked the door.
"Probably should've had clothes on for that," I thought out loud, and immediately the dark-haired girl agreed with me.
She opened the door again, and only stuck her head out, asking one of the guys for their iPhones, so we could have a light.
I heard muffled sounds, and then a shout at us to open the door more, and soon, Salem opened the door all the way.
She quickly turned on the flashlight, and she ran upstairs, me following closely behind.
"Hey, Callum, your girlfriend looks hot," Ryan said loud enough for me to hear, "you don't look to bad either Salem!" He yelled the last part up to Salem, and if it wasn't dark, I was sure I'd see a fiery red spreading across her cheeks.
I stepped into my room, very clumsily, and grabbed a black hoodie, and another blue one for Salem.
She smiled at me gratefully, and we made our way back downstairs to join the others, now with a little less showing than before...
Callum walked up to me and hugged me, and I returned it, "why didn't you answer any of my texts or calls?"
I immediately felt guilt surging throughout my body, he looked kind of hurt, "I'm sorry, it was a girls night, and we're not allowed to use our phones."
He nodded in understanding, the hurt still present on his face, "I was surprised your brother invited us over."
I rolled my eyes, "it's because I said he didn't have any friends."
He laughed, and one of the guys said, "someone get the love birds to come over here, they're distracting us from picking teams."
"Teams for what?" Callum asked whoever spoke.
"Manhunt, dude!" I recognized Hayden's voice.
"Yes!" I cheered.
"You like manhunt?" Hayden asked me excitedly.
I nodded eagerly, "are you kidding? It's like, my favoritest game ever!"
"That's not a word," Erika pointed out from her spot on the floor. She was sitting very close to Hayden, and she actually had a regular shirt on, not just a tank top.
They all did.
"Thank God you actually have clothes on now," Dylan told me, shaking his head.
"Oh, shut up! It was girls night, okay?"
"Why?"
"Why what?'
"Was it girls night," he told me.
My mouth formed an 'o' shape, and I sneakily glanced at Meleah to see if I had to okay to tell them.
She shook her head slightly, so I just said, "why not?"
He seemed satisfied with my answer, because he didn't press any further, "so what are the teams?"
"Chris, Ian, Dylan, Hayen, Salem, and Meleah," against, "me, Callum, Ryan, Erika, Macy, and Zach?" Connor asked.
I laughed, "you sound like you have it all figured out, don't ya."
The lights from all the guys phones were in a circle on the rug, and I saw Connor roll his eyes at my joke.
Callum muttered something about not being on the same team as me, and I laughed as his childish behavior and grabbed his hand in mine.
"It's pouring outside," Erika pointed out.
I shrugged, "as long as it's not thundering anymore, we're fine."
"It is though."
Zach shot up from his seat, and ran out of the room, flashlight in hand. I watched him go, and then realized that I hadn't heard Ian talk at all the whole time he'd been here. He was usually in a screaming match with Hayden.
"What's wrong with Ian?" I whispered to Callum, while we sat down on my sleeping bag, my shoulder leaning into him.
He shrugged, "he's been acting pissy these past couple days."
"Period?" I asked.
"That's what I said!" He exclaimed.
Laughing, we sat down.
Minutes later, Zach came running back with his laptop in hand, "I have solved all of our problems!"
He typed on his computer for a little bit, the keyboard clicks the only sound in the awkwardly quiet room.
"So..." Macy said, trying to break the silence.
"So..." Dylan said next.
"So..." Hayden joined in.
Connor said it next. "So..."
"Penis," I heard Callum whisper from beside me.
You can't play that game when no adults are around, or it's not fun! I thought, but I continued it anyway, "penis."
"Penis," he spoke in a regular voice.
"Guys!" Zach said to the others, who were still 'So...'ing and us who were busy playing the most childish game since 'Duck Duck Goose', "the movies on!"
"Wooo!" Ian cheered, and for the first time that night too.
"He speaks!" I yelled.
His face turned and glared at me, but his eyes had a twinkle of amusement.
I widened my eyes and gave my weirdest, biggest smile, and he just laughed shaking his head and focusing his eyes on the newly starting movie.
"What are we watching?" Meleah asked from somewhere off to Zach's right side, "it better not be scary."
I don't think he realized that literally everyone was listening to him when he whispered to her, "I'll protect you."
We all started snickering and in the fluorescent lighting his cheeks transformed a deep, deep red color.
Meleah's face wasn't any better.
"Paranormal Activity?" Erika read off the opening screen.
"Zach!" I whined, "the scariest part in this whole movie is when the chair tips over!"
"Well too bad!"
Rolling my eyes, I snuggled closer into Callum, who was rubbing small circles on the side of my hand.
I let out a small giggle, "that tickles."
"Oh, you mean this?" He started rubbing it more, and soon he was tickling my stomach.
"Damn it Cal!" Laugh, "Get off!" Another laugh. " SOMEONE HELP!"
The others were either staring in amusement at us, or ignoring us completely.
"Okay, enough molesting my sister when I'm sitting right next to you guys," Zach says to Callum.
"So you mean its okay for him to do in private?" Ryan, the ever-so perverted boy spoke.
Callum and I both blushed a deep red color, and I held my tongue from biting back a sarcastic comment that'd only land us in a 'who can out sarcasm the other person' match. Trust me, I'd been in plenty with Zach and they weren't the most pleasant things in the world.
I heard a slap after that, which could only be my brother losing his cool and slapping Ryan.
I was hoping for something along the lines of a punch; a slap wasn't going to take the annoying smirks off his face.
Thirty minutes into the boring movie, and nothing exciting had happened besides a mere minute of a door opening by itself. Talk about scary. The girls, aside from Salem and I, who were "prone to being scared," were cowering behind a wall of soft, fuzzy blanket, or behind a body. Salem and Ryan were getting pretty cozy and I opened up iMessage on my phone and texted a single winky face into our group chat.
All the girls' iPhones buzzed at once, and I saw Salem read the message, a bright pink tint splashing on her face, a great indicator that she'd read my message. Erika's face got quite red too and I smirked to myself knowing that Salem likes Ryan and Erika, Hayden.
"Hey, the rain let up!" Dylan cheered from the opposite side of the room from where Callum and I were snuggling.
"Yes! Man hunt time!" Hayden replied in an equally excited tone.
Callum's Point Of View
My arm had been protectively around Chris' shoulder the entire time since we stepped foot inside her grandmother's house, and I didn't plan on letting her go anytime soon.
Now, or for the months she was staying here.
I don't know how to explain it, and I feel entirely pussy-like for admitting this, but I got excited seeing her, or even hearing her name. I got a warm and fuzzy feeling inside, and a soft beat of a drum inside my stomach every time I was near her. Hormones?
I was a little pissed at Connor, too, for making me on separate teams as her, but I respect his decision because if it was up to me, Chris and I wouldn't really be playing a lot of manhunt, if you catch my drift...
Chris, who was now talking to Hayden and having an animate conversation with him about manhunt, looked so different than she did the other night outside of Chester's, and I can't help but wonder what that was about. I knew I told her I'd be there for her, I just wished she trusted me a bit more.
"Right, Callum?" She told me, her bright blue eyes looking up into mine.
"Uh...What?"
Hayden laughed, and I cleared my throat awkwardly. I could feel my cheeks heating up in embarrassment as Chris quirked an eyebrow and Hayden covered his mouth with his hand to keep himself from disturbing the peace with his huge bark of laughter.
"Never mind," she stated, shifting so she was facing Hayden again, "anyway..."
After a couple of seconds of staring at Chris, and her naturally beauty, I tuned out of their conversation. It was so weird to come across a girl who didn't really dress up in layers of makeup and skimpy clothing for school, no matter how much the boys loved that. It was, refreshing. I turned my attention to Paranormal Activity, for the first time tonight, and watched for a bit.
"Ahh!" Meleah screamed, not for the first time, as the main female character was once posessed by the ghost, again.
How do girls find these movies so scary? They're such wusses!
My phone suddenly vibrated with a new text and I pulled it out.
hey bb, im home alone tnt & i rlly miss u! come over (; -ShelbXX
I clicked open and started typing my response, the white text box quickly filling up with words.