30 ~ Calum
With the hours set back for winter, the sun was already beginning to set on our walk home, splattering dark orange and deep pink across the blue horizon, the colors reflecting beautifully against the dying trees and chipped paint peeling off the houses. Like someone had finally colored in this blank page of a neighborhood.
"So.... Winter formal is in just a few weeks," Thomas says pointedly, watching me with a smirk that I still haven't quite gotten used to.
"Yeah, so?" I shrug, stepping over a crack in the sidewalk that had a few small flowers struggling through the cement.
"So, when are you going to ask Valerie?" His smirk grows as I choke on the cold December air.
"What? Who said I was even going?" My voice, a bit louder than intended, echoed against the molding houses
Thomas stopped walking, his shoes scrapping the sidewalk as he grabbed my arm to also stop me. "Come on, Cal, you're totally obsessed with her,"
I scrunch my face up, causing wrinkles to form on the bridge of my nose, "pfffffffft, I'm not obsessed with her,"
Thomas looks as me for a second before deep chuckles escape from his throat. " Good one, mate."
I narrow my eyes at him as he wipes his own in laughter.
"No, but when are you going to ask her? I need to know that way I can secretly record it for your wedding,"
I roll my eyes as he chuckles again, and we begin to walk once more.
"You're really annoying, ya' know?" I eyed him and he just shrugs, "But I...I don't know if I'm going to go at all," my voice comes out soft, and my hands burrow their way into my pockets.
Thomas looks over to me, his chocolate eyes that mirror my own, scrutinize my facial expression, his lips set in a thought full line. The multicolored light emitting from the setting sun catching his face so purely, it almost covered up the yellow bruise resting on his jaw.
"Why? You two...you guys have something, it's prevalent against all your claims otherwise," His breath formed small clouds, a visual of just how cold everything seems to be getting.
I sigh, the chilled air refreshing my lungs and sending shivers down my arms and legs. "I just don't want to- I-," I shake my head, my thoughts jumbled like scribbles on paper. "I guess I'm scared of being rejected," my cheeks heat against the wind.
Although, that's not the complete truth.
"Calum," Thomas says, his voice a confusing tone of amusement and thoughtfulness. "Valerie, she doesn't do things like most people do, she's very ....reserved. But the one thing I know about her, for sure, is that you have a strange effect on her,"
I look over to him, his dark hair tossed back by the wind and his eyes squinted. "What do you mean, strange effect?"
He closes his eyes for a moment, and it is just then the colors streaked across the sky began to lose their vibrancy. "The simple way of putting this is you make her rapturous. Her face lights up when she sees you and her smile stretches much wider at your jokes, even the ones that aren't funny," He muses, sending me a smug smile, " You should have seen her when she told me what Seth did, she can get pretty protective. Trust me, she cares about you."
The blood that had already heated my cheeks pressed harder against my skin in a desperate attempt to be seen. I look the other way, letting Thomas see me blush is not on my to-do list.
"And you, man you're whipped. Anyone, a complete stranger could tell that you'd follow her to the end of he word," He says, with only the slightest hint of teasing.
I just don't get it, I can hide everything I feel, but with her it's like my mind is showcased in a glass box. I hate it. She's captivatingly double-edged, she cuts both ways, tantalizing me with the truth- I'm inadequate for her.
"Yeah, well she's...." I trail off, trying to put my feelings into words, yet finding the right ones seemed impossible. "Incomparable."
Thomas hummed and seemed to be lost in thought. The conversation becomes covered with a light blanket of silence, one that was comfortable.
However, the sky darkens as we approach our house, throwing ominous shadows against the old building. We glance at other, saying good luck without actually speaking at all.
The house smells of chicken and the warm air attacks my cold body roughly, lighting the same sting I felt after that horrible shower.
My dad, sat in the same spot he always is, looks up from his laptop, his eyes hopping from me to Thomas.
"How was school?" He says, only attentive to Thomas.
I was surprised, not that I was ignored, but that Thomas wasn't. The last few days since he stood up to dad, we've both been shunned from our father. Now it was back to normal.
"It was pretty good," he shrugs nonchalantly, "Calum had to help me with an essay during study period, though. I couldn't figure out how to word what I needed to say," He chuckles, kicking his shoes off before shouldering me playfully.
My fathers dark, caterpillar like eyebrows raise to just below his hairline, and he finally acknowledges me. "He did?"
"Yup. You can read it if you want, and then Calum can explain it too you, it might be a little hard for your to understand," Thomas says, a faint sass to his words.
My eyes widen, and I suck in a deep breath, my eyes flicking between the two. That was a risky remark. However, my dad hadn't heard Thomas, or was ignoring him because he was still staring at me with raised eyes, judging my movement.
He the lets out a low grunt, "Well, I hope you both had a good day." He turns his attention back to his laptop, and I'm completely content with the small acknowledgement. Just as I turn to leave, he stops me, "I asked your mom to make homemade chicken and noodle soup to help you with your cold, Calum. It should be done soon."
I look to Thomas to find he was wearing the same shocked expression as I did. My fathers sudden change in attitude so unexpected that I laugh.
I laugh, and his looks over too me, a questioning look on his face. "What's so funny?"
I sake my head, glancing to Thomas once more, "Nothing,"
We rush up to his room, and he throws his bag onto his bed in excitement. "What was that?!" He takes off his glasses and rubs his eyes, "Did I imagine that?"
"I have no idea, but I'm loving it!"
"See, I told you that you'd be working at McDonald's!" He laughs at his own joke about the catchphrase, and I can't help but smiling.
"But remember what I said was gonna happen to you?" That shut him up real quick.
Wanting to savor the moment, Thomas pulls out my phone from my bag and take a picture with Me, his glasses still off and happiness still reaching our eyes.
Picture perfect twins once again, but how long will it last?
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A|N
Do you still like this story? I just haven't had a lot of active readers in a while and I need to know if people actually want to read this book.
Anyways what do ya think?
Expect some gushy Calerie/Valum (which could it be?) stuff soon!!
Tell me, who do y'all ship in this book? Out of all the characters so far?
Love y'all!
❤️❤️