Chapter Text
((𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗨𝗠𝗦 𝗣𝗢𝗩))
Monday
October 10th, 2022
I saw her in the library at lunch.
She was studying, wearing blue flared jeans and a striped navy blue and dark green sweater. Her black headphones had old moon stickers on them, they were mostly rubbed off.
I made her those stickers.
I drew them and printed them with sticker paper. I gave them to her for Christmas, she loves the moon- well 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥. I don’t know if she still does. I gave them to her a couple months before our fallout. I’m surprised she even had the same headphones from when she was 12. It’s about time she got new ones.
She noticed me staring. My face flared up and I could feel the heat rise from my cheeks. She chuckled and waved at me. I waved back and grinned.
I tried to reach Claudia about Rayla’s schedule so I could talk to her. We had English together, but she was absent today.
As soon as I came up to her she was leaving. I frowned and stood in discomfort. Did she still hate me? She wouldn’t have waved at me if she didn’t though, so why would she-
*RINGGG*
Right, bell.
I saw her again after school in the main entry. I was walking up to her before a blonde boy pulled her hand.
“Rayla, can you come in my car?” He said. It was Jesse. His eyes reeked of desperation.
“No. I told you, it’s over,” she said in a cold tone.
“But please, Rayla. I already came here.”
“Did I ask you to do that? Get away from me.”
She pushed past him out of her view, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her to his face.“Stop being such a bitch and get in my car!” He yelled. students around us turned their heads toward them with confused expressions.
Rayla flinched, her eyes were wide. She slowly backed away, her right foot scraping the pavement. If I didn’t know any better, I’d figure she was going to make a run for it.
This was my window to help her. I walked up to her side and grabbed her shoulder.
“Hey Rayla, Ethari is at the back waiting for you. He got off work early,” I said, gesturing to her towards the back parking lot. She hesitated, looking back at Jesse. His eyebrows furrowed as his eyes fell on my face. I was certain he was going to kick the shit out of me, but luckily he turned around and stomped to his car door.
“Thanks, Callum,” she gave me a soft smile, “uh, I think he’s gone now so-”
“Actually, I wanted to ask you if you wanted to walk home together…if you want.”
She stared at me, slightly confused. After a few seconds, she said “okay.”
>_<
I led her to a forest by the side of our school, confused, she asked me where we were going.
“This is a shortcut to our houses,” I replied.
She shook her head, “No, this would take way longer! You just need to walk in that avenue and walk through the park and you’re there in 10 minutes.”
I shrugged,” I really like walking in the forest, it’s so incredible. With nobody here, it feels so peaceful and relaxing.”
“Well, that’s because you don’t have to worry about getting murdered and assaulted,” she said.
I turned to look at her, but I stepped and slipped on a branch in the process and abruptly fell on my back.
“Oh my god, Callum! Are you okay?” She shrieked, raising her hand near me for me to reach.
I grabbed her hand, rubbing the back of my head with my other hand. “I’m fine. I- I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you feel unsafe. We can just go in the avenue-“
“No, it’s fine!” She reassured
I hesitated, “Seriously, Rayla, we really don’t have to.”
“It’s alright, Callum. A walk won’t hurt me.”
“Are you sure-“
“We would’ve been out of the forest by now,” She said, pulling me deeper into the forest.
We stayed quiet for the rest of the walk. I didn’t really plan on what I was going to say to her, I just wanted to make sure she had an excuse to stay away from Jesse for a bit. I spent the whole time curating conversations that would suffice in the woods, but they all seemed so…off putting? Awkward? Was I pushing a boundary?
I was determined to help her, but I might just be a nuisance to her. Seeing me in her life again, bringing up terrible memories for her, plus with the weight of her ex- boyfriend who was terrible and is consistently trying to get her back in the most painful ways. She just might be better off without me.
No. That’s not what I should be thinking. I’m here to help, so I’m going to. I’m not gonna waste another chance.
“So,” she said, slowly looking up to me. “Thank you for the other night. You were really kind, and at the moment I needed that.”
“Of course, I don't mind helping you,” I reply. She nods and goes back to staring at the leaves on the ground. 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘸𝘬𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥.
“Um, Callum about the… about that day when Amybeth got expelled…”
“It’s fine! That was like, four years ago. You’re fine, we’re fine,” I blurted out. My eyes bugged out of my head, it 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘯𝘵 fine. I knew that this would’ve been brought up, but I didn’t think we had to at the moment when she felt so vulnerable.
“No, Callum,” She said. “You did the right thing, I was just being sensitive and stupid about it.”
“Rayla, really, it’s okay. We were 12, it’s all good,” I spoke and quickened my pace. It was too early for this, not here, and not right now. “That was in the past, and right now we have Jesse to worry about. He’s probably going to be bugging you for a bit. So, we should try to find a way to avoid him, when he tries to force you in a car again.”
She sighed and stared at the tall trees above. “I’m not worried. He will probably stop eventually, I think.”
“Maybe, but just in case.”
“Yeah.”
There was a painful amount of uncomfortable silence between us for the next couple minutes.
Eventually we reached our houses, she had a shy smile on her face before she turned around and walked off to her driveway. I really didn’t want this to end with an ill feeling between us, so I called out her name before she opened her door.
“Can I have your number?” I asked. She raised her eyebrows at me.
Flustered, I began explaining. “Well, I really wanna be friends with you again. If that’s okay with you, because I’m fine with it….” I trailed off.
She came by my side almost immediately, ditching her keys in the doorknob. She nudged at me to give my phone to her. I pulled it out of my pocket and put it in her hand.
“Here,” she said, giving the device back. “I would also want to be friends with you again.”
I opened my mouth to respond, but I caught myself staring at her bright purple eyes. When I was younger, I thought they were the prettiest eyes on planet earth. Any time she had even looked in my direction I was always so eager to catch a glance at them.
It didn’t take long for me to go into a trance, and it also didn’t take long for her to notice. She tilted her head and chuckled, “I will see you later, Callum. Tell Ezran and your dad I said hi!”
“Uh,” I could already feel the heat on my ears.”Yeah..yes! I will! For sure! Bye Rayla!”
The excitement in my tone was there. It was quite obvious, actually. I hoped she didn’t think i'm a creep or anything. Because then she won’t talk to me, and if she doesn’t then-
Yeah, I am going home now.