"You aren't mad! You love me!" Calum shrieked like a four year old girl as he pulled me into a huge hug. It was unreal to me; seconds ago he was leaving my house pissed, and now we're hugging.
But I couldn't help but hug him back. I missed it; I missed him. As I let his arms swallow me whole, I buried my face in his neck. Smelling his cologne I had become acquainted with quite well over the years. Hearing his sharp breathing as he held me. Feeling his arms actually shaking as they supported me. Calum was scared; nervous to say the least.
"Cal, you're shaking." I laughed lightly as I pulled away to get a better look at his face. Damn, this boy. I could actually see the extent of his features this close to him, I couldn't help but stare.
"I was scared of loosing you is all." he tried to shrug it off, but the voice crack at the end of his sentence helped me know that he was quite serious.
"I'm afraid you can't lose me even if you tried." I laughed, burying myself into his chest again.
"That's where you're wrong, Bug. I lost you once, never again." he whispered. Calum was literally holding me like his life depended on it, which also meant that I couldn't breathe.
"Cal." I said, hoping that he got the message that I was suffocating to death in his right grip.
"Sorry." he laughed slightly and released me. "You haven't called me Cal in years." he whispered.
"I'm sorry?" I raised an eyebrow at him, but he just shook his head.
"No, don't be. I like when you call me that." he laughed, taking a strand of my hair that had fallen in front of my eyes and tucking it behind my ear.
"Good, because I wasn't going to stop no matter what you said." I giggled.
Our little moment was interrupted by Calum's phone ringing in his jeans pocket. He muttered a few curse words under his breath, then dug it out and answered it.
"What?" he muttered. "Band practice? What time is it?" Calum groaned. I laughed slightly at him, and he clamped a hand over my mouth to keep me from continuing to laugh. When I licked his hand, he made a face and yanked his hand away, wiping it off on his jeans while glaring at me.
"Who is it?" I mouthed.
"Luke." he mouthed back. "No, I wasn't talking to you. Fuck off, I didn't know it was that late. I'll be right there. Okay, no need to be an asshole." Calum muttered into the phone, and I laughed at his relationship with Luke.
"You're so mean to him." I laughed lightly.
"Yeah yeah. Now go get dressed, we're going to band practice."
>>>>
The whole 'being friends with Calum again' thing didn't sink in until I was standing at Luke Hemmings' front door with Calum by my side. I hadn't been dragged to one of these band practices in years; I wasn't sure how the other boys would react to see me back.
"Let's go." Calum pulled a spare key out from under the doormat and unlocked it, then slid the key back under. "They're gonna kill me for being late." Calum mumbled under his breath, but still lead me inside.
"Calum Thomas Hood! The next time you're late we're starting without you- Jade." Ashton stated once he caught sight of Calum and I.
"Uh, hey." I gave him a slight wave, my eyes avoiding all of the boys. This is weird, to say the least.
"You're back!" Luke squealed and jumped up off the couch, throwing himself at me.
"Jeez Luke, you got stronger." I chuckled. When Luke slammed himself into my arms, I stumbled backward and would have fallen if he didn't have such a tight grip around me.
"Sorry." he mumbled. "I'm happy you're here. I never thought I'd see you and Calum in the same room again."
"Well Hemmings, as usual, you thought wrong." Calum snapped, then took my hand and led me on to the couch.
"Let's get started lads, since Calum already wasted a lot of our time." Ashton stated with a blank expression on his face.
I would have thought at least a hug from Mr. Irwin would be nice, but I guess not. Calum and Luke sat down at their places, then Ashton rose and walked toward me.
"Hey McKingsley. It's good to see you." Ashton grinned and pulled me in for a tight hug.
"You too Ash." I laughed.
After the boys set up and everything, they played a few songs and asked for my opinion. I was used to it; I'd been doing it for a while. Mainly I would sit on the couch and half listen while I scrolled through my phone, then try not to laugh when one of the boys would begin to argue with another.
"Fuck it, I'm hungry. I'm going to get a pizza. Bug, you want me to pick you up some Chinese?" Calum asked, picking up his phone and wallet.
"Yeah. Can you get me-"
"Pork fried rice and two shrimp egg rolls. I know." Calum grinned. The other boys all rolled their eyes, and I couldn't help but laugh a little.
"Hurry up Calum." Michael pressed.
"I'm going, I'm going." Calum waved his hands up in the air in defense, then walked out of Luke's house. We sat in silence for a few seconds, and I pretended to be scrolling through my phone.
"Man, he's so whipped." Michael scoffed.
"I thought he would have gotten over it by now." Luke agreed.
"It's almost hard to watch." Ashton put in, and all of them chuckled.
"What are you three idiots talking about?" I asked, tucking my phone away in my pocket. They all snapped their heads at me and gave me a look. As if to say 'are you retarted?'
"Are you retarded?" Luke scoffed.
Told you.
"No I don't think so." I replied, giving him a sarcastic smile.
"Okay, smartass." Luke muttered. "But seriously, Cal is like, in love with you." he scoffed.
"I'm sorry, you must have me confused with someone else. Hi, I'm Jade McKingsley. I'm sure you remember me, right?" I asked, cocking my head to the side and giving Luke a sarcastic smirk.
"Shut up Jade, I'm not joking." Luke muttered.
"Neither am I." I retorted.
Calum is most definitely not in love with me. Luke's just being his typical, overreactive, asshole self. Calum and I just started being friends again after two years, there's no way in hell that he's already in love with me.
"I mean, you know how many pranks and jokes Calum always pulled on me?" I continued to defend myself, even though I really didn't have to.
"Those were harmless pranks he used to pull to get your attention. It's the least the guy could do since you were off in La La Land dreaming about Ethan and your ten children." Michael scoffed, finally looking up from his phone.
"You two are being ridiculous. Ashton, tell them they're being ridiculous." I turned to Ashton, who seemed to be the only person who had their head screwed on straight in this house.
"I don't think I can do that, Jade."
My jaw nearly hit the floor. Not only did Luke think Calum was in love with me, but it seemed that all three of his best friends thought it.
This is not good.
