3.8

                                    

                                          
Calum
                          
Hayley had left her phone on the table as she headed to the bathroom. There were a few notifications coming through, and although Calum knew it was wrong, but when the display flashed the sixth time, he couldn't help but look who it was from.
                          
Mikey: please talk to me im sorry if i confused you
                          
Mikey: I had to tell you though
                          
Mikey: I know ur ignoring me
                          
Mikey: please don't tell calum about it
                          
Mikey: either forget it ever happened or meet me at the diner tonight to talk?
                          
Mikey: at 7.30? please
                          
Was she hiding something? When Hayley came back she simply checked the messages, typed a response and deleted and typed and deleted it again. Surely if she had to think that much about it, it would be important. Calum didn't like the fact her and Michael had secrets. He knew they had once been very close - even kissed each other. She had an intense look on her face as she pressed the send button, and when he asked what was wrong, she lied.
                          
"My friend is doing this thing and I totally forgot about it. I'm really sorry but I have to go," she excused herself
                          
She was his girlfriend now, and while Calum knew he should trust her, there was a bad feeling in his stomach. Hayley was better than anything he'd ever had - and still Calum felt like she could - and probably would - leave him at any point if someone better came along to sweep her off her feet.
                          
What a shock that the only thing that was standing in the way was Michael. If it weren't for the fact that it was true, Calum would have laughed at that ridiculous thought. Michael had told him to go for it. He'd encouraged him to act on his lovesick feelings for the girl singing mainstream pop songs in the flat below. Was the redheaded seemingly converted fuckboy going to take that away from him now?
                          
Calum was beyond angry. Had that cheeky little fucker never heard of the bro code? No, they'd never actually set any rules regarding girls, but in Calum's eyes it was just so damn simple. You don't steal anyone's girl. It was that simple.
                          
One thing was for sure. Calum was going to go to the diner later to find out. Hopefully Hayley wouldn't be there. But the feeling in his stomach said she would. So as soon as Hayley had left, he called up Luke, trying hard not to get too emotional when he explained the whole thing.
                          
At half seven the two started their stakeout. Luke had insisted they would go all in with code names, and yes, Calum found it stupid, but he went with it. The blond lanky boy had apparently always had a dream of being a secret agent. Finally, Luke had explained, with excitement in his eyes, he would get to live out that dream. Calum just agreed. Anything to make Luke stay and help him find out the truth.
                          
"Golden Penguin to Stealthy Squirrel," Calum heard Luke whisper through his earphones. They were on opposite sides of the building, keeping contact on their phones. "Operation Red Riding Hood has begun."
                          
"I can see him," Calum reported, squinting his eyes. Michael was sat at a table for two, tapping his foot at the shiny floor. In front of him was a plate of chips, drenched in ketchup. He picked at them one by one, keeping his eyes between the food and the door. The redheaded boy was on the lookout for Hayley, jumping every time the little bell over the door suggested someone had come inside.
                          
"Purple Antelope has arrived," Luke said. "Stealthy Squirrel do you copy?"
                          
Busy watching his girlfriend enter the door and sit down at Michael's table, Calum was no longer in the mood for code names or secret agent games. His head was spinning. She'd actually left their night together to meet up with Michael. "Luke fuck off."
                          
"Stealthy Squirrel do you fucking copy?" Luke asked again in a low scowl.
                          
"Yes," Calum muttered, rolling his eyes. "I fucking copy."
                          
The two shared the chips, and Calum watched with his heart beating out of his chest, not knowing what he would be witnessing. At first, it all seemed fine. A bit awkward, maybe, as Hayley seemed to be leaning back as much as she could.
                          
Michael leaned forward, though. He rested his head in his hands, he looked her in the eyes, he was sweating - hell, he almost cried at one point. It seemed to be pulling her in.
                          
"Luke, I need to hear what he's saying."
                          
"Golden Penguin," Luke corrected his friend.
                          
"Goddammit Luke this is not the time. I'm about to lose my girlfriend to this fuckboy in there and I need to hear what he's saying."
                          
"Alright, find your chill."
                          
"I have no time to find my fucking chill," Calum whisper-shouted.
                          
"Maybe call her and see if she picks up?"
                          
Calum quickly hung up the call to Luke, pressing Hayley's number in his contact list. After three signals, she reached for her phone and pressed ignore.
                          
And that was it.
                          
Michael talked, shaking his head. Hayley looked sad. Michael looked even sadder. Hayley said something. Michael's eyebrows furrowed. He ran his hands over his face. She reached for his hand. Calum's heart twisted in his chest as soon as their hands touched.
                          
Calum had been sat in his hiding place for what felt like a lifetime when finally the dinner date seemed to come to an end. Hayley pulled the redhead in for a hug and Michael, whose eyes were almost as red as his hair from wiping and rubbing at them, let her embrace him.
                          
"I've never been great at lipreading or anything," Luke said, "but I think Mikey just said that he loves her."
                          
"Stealthy Squirrel feels like throwing up," Calum spoke; his voice and tone was as low as his head hung. He rubbed at his neck, feeling completely drained of emotion.
                          
"Sorry, Cal."
                          
But the sadness quickly turned into anger. When Michael left the diner, quite a while after Hayley, Calum decided to confront him.
                          
"What did you say to her?" Calum bit his teeth together and Luke held him back to keep his friend from launching at Michael. "I saw the texts, don't act stupid."
                          
"You read her texts?"
                          
"It popped up, okay. That's beside the point! Why would you do this to me?"
                          
  Michael looked scared and tired and sad.
                          
-
                          
hi hey, lauren here
                          
so luke's secret obsession is playing secret agent
                          
what would your code name be?
                          
mine is sassy fox
                          
~lauren