Addie’s POV

My headache i killing me. I open my eyes and see Lucy sleeping next to me on the bed. I get confused, and then it all rushes back to me. The bet, Calum in his car having sex with that random girl. Me throwing up. Me kissing Michael, again. Telling Lucy everything, and then getting in Ash’s car, to go home.
“You know, Addie” I hear my mom’s voice from the door “You really need to stop with these late nights”
“I’m sorry” I whisper and feel Lucy shift besides me. She puts the cover over her head.
“It’s very irresponsible” my mom continues. I just nod. “Now, I know you were um…celebrating last night, and that’s fine. But you cannot come back at nearly 2am, drunk out of your mind”
“Mom, I really really want to have this talk, you know I do. But um…I cannot concentrate on your voice or whatever you are saying to me, so maybe after breakfast…” I can see her trying to fight the smile, but then she just nods.
“Alright. Make your own breakfast then. I need to run some errands,, but I’ll see you later. Please don’t set the house on fire” She then says.
“Yeah” I say, and she closes the door of my room.
I manage to drag myself to the bathroom and take a cold shower. When I come back in the bathroom, Lucy is still lying on the bed, but she has her phone in her hands.
“Morning” She says, and sits up straight. “Can I shower please? Also…use your clothes?”
I nod and she enters the bathroom. I get dressed, open some windows to clear the alcohol smell and go to the kitchen to see what I can fix us up.
“Coffee?” Aggie asks.
“Yes please” I say, opening up the fridge. I take out eggs, some bacon for Lucy, cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes, and basically anything that looks fresh and I can put into an omelet. “Want some?” I offer to Aggie and she shakes her head, setting the mug down next to me. “What time is it?” I ask cracking the eggs.
“Almost noon” She answers and then moves to the living room. I can see she has set up school books, and I remember having to study for something, but I don’t actually remember what for.
I cook breakfast, and when it’s done, Lucy comes out of my room, wearing my clothes. Her hair is wet and in a towel, just like mine, and she joins me on the dining table.
“I am so hungry, I could eat a horse” She says digging into her eggs.
“Don’t eat a horse” i say, taking a bite from mine.
We eat for a while and then Aggie joins us. We talk about last night, but we only give her the basics - The gig was great, we were all dancing and in a good mood, I got sick so we all left. The end.
As Lucy is giving details about the gig and what not, I have very vivid flashbacks of me freezing to death outside, and then kissing Mikey. That was so stupid! I should not have done that! I don’t like him like that. I realised that yesterday, so why the hell did I do it?!
I don’t notice when Aggie leaves the room, but after we are done, and Lucy does the dishes, we go back to my room.
“So” Lucy says, sitting on my bed. I join her “About last night”
“ughhhh” I bury my face in my hands “I was a mess. Why was I so dramatic?!” I hear Lucy laughing.
“It was alright.” She shrugs “But…did you really kiss Michael?”
I nod not wanting to meet her eyes
“So…you like Michael…and Calum?” She asks tentatively.
“Nooooo” i say, resting my head on my pillow “I like Calum, but I don’t like Michael. And I don’t know why I did that. I don’t know…Like I was just feeling…stupid and lonely and…I don’t knowwww” I said closing my eyes.
“You just wanted to get back at Calum?” She asks.
“But…Calum’s not going to find out. He can’t” I jump up.
“Yeah, no, I mean I’m not gonna tell him or anything. But you probably needed to feel like…I don’t know, like you are winning a game you aren’t realising that you’re playing.” She pauses, and then continues “Because he was having sex on that parking lot with a girl, so you figured if you kiss his best friend, you’re winning”
There is a heavy silence after she says all of this. And it dawns on me that…it’s true. All of it. I was feeling like I was losing something, like a game or a competition, and kissing Michael was how I knew I would win. But…Oh dear.
“Why are you right?!” I bury my head in the pillow again.
“It’s okaayyy” She pats my wet hair “This is just getting unnecessarily complicated. I’ll help you fix it. You’ll talk to Mikey, and settle that, and then you’ll talk to Calum, and just…I don’t know. I can talk to him, tell him to ask you out or something.”
“Ughhh” I get up. “But not today okay? I just don’t want to face any of that today. I am too tired and…” i trail off “oh no. Ohhhhh no no no” I burry my head in the pillow again.
“What, what???” Lucy asks.
“I’m suppose to have dinner at his house tonight” I mumble from the pillow.
“What?” She asks, probably not hearing me so I raise my head.
“I’m suppose to have dinner at his house tonight. His mom invited us. So it’s going to be me, Calum, Aggie, Mali, his mom and dad, and my mom…great.” and then i pummel down again.
“Okay” Lucy says, as if deep in thought, and then one more time, more uplifting “Okay, so here’s what you do. You make sure it’s not awkward. You stay away from alone time with him, and come home as soon as you can. You guys should not have this conversation while you’re both hungover.”
“What conversation?” I ask, or, no, I actually mumble.
“The conversation where you talk out all the miscommunications and drama, and see where you can go from there” She says, and I look up from the pillow.
“You…you want me” I say and pause, while Lucy nods. “To tell him” she nods again “That I like him?” She nods for the third time. “But…that’s just so awkward. What if it makes our friendship awkward. I don’t want it to be like it was in the beginning. You weren’t here Lucy. I couldn’t hang out with them. It was miserable”
“I get it dude” She says “But right now, you’re just back and forth. I mean, one day you’re all flirty and dancing as if you’re having sex, and then you are weird and awkward because one of you guys says something stupid and it makes you unsure or whatever. Time to put all that bullshit aside, and just talk it out!”
I sit there, staring at the ceiling and then say “Oh my god. You’re right. It’s a pattern. Every time I feel like we’re in a good place, it gets fucked up”
“Glad we understand each other” Lucy says, and then puts all the make up, and outfits from last night, in her duffel bag “I have to run. Told mom I was gonna sleep over here, but it’s 2, and I have studying to do.”
After she gathers all her things, she leaves. I lay out all of my school work in hopes that it will distract me from the disaster this dinner will be, when my phone buzzes.
‘You feeling better?’ It’s a text from Mikey.
‘Yeah. A lot. Sorry for being a drama queen last night. Also sorry I was vomiting. And sorry..you know, just about pretty much everything’ I text. It takes him a while to text back, and I almost start actually reading my AP Psychology chapter, when I get a text back.
‘What are you doing today?’ I stare at my phone.
I text back ‘Studying. Kinda behind. Nothing exciting. You?’
‘Wanna grab lunch?’ He texts back immediately. I let out a long sigh and then we have a friend-date in an hour.
I change in normal, non-hobo looking clothes, which is just jeans and a sweater. I’m still hungover, and not hungry at all, but I manage to put on my shoes and walk outside. It’s not as cold as it was last night. I walk to a place nearby, that I always pass on my way to school, but have never actually been in. Mikey is already there, alone with his coffee. His head is on the table.
“You look rough” I say, sitting down opposite him. He looks at me, and smiles lazily.
“What can I get you?” A girl, maybe a little older than me, comes by our table.
“Just coffee. Black” She smiles and leaves to get me my coffee.
“Are you hungover?” Mikey asks. His voice is hoarse.
“Yeah. Had my share of greasy food this morning. I’m suppose to be studying today, but I can’t focus” I answer. My coffee arrives and I thank the girl.
“Listen” He says, not really looking at me. He looks like he just rolled out of bed “What happened last night-“
“Ughhh, I thought we’d have more small talk so I can figure out how to apologise” I cut him off, and we both laugh.
“I don’t know what was wrong” He says “But you seemed really upset. And the last time we kissed…it was again, because you were upset.”
“I know, I know. I’m sorry. I am not a happy drunk” I say drinking my coffee. He does the same.
“I just…I don’t… I mean I like you. And I kinda…I did like you like that” He says, his eyes avoiding mine, and his cheeks turning a bit red “But I…I don’t know. I…”
I laugh and it’s more of a relief than anything “I feel the exact same way.” He looks up at me a little confused, so I clarify “I mean, I did kinda like you like that too, but then…I don’t know. We became such good friends, and I like our friendship. A lot. So like…I don’t know”
He laughs too, and takes a sip from his coffee.
“So we’re good right? No weirdness?” He finally looks at me.
“Absolutely. It’s weird to be weird with you” And the tension that was here moments ago, completely lifts up.
“Glad we agree” he says, and finally sits upright like a normal person “Now, onto the next thing I want to talk to you about”
“I feel like I’m on a job interview or…interrogation” I say nervously. He chuckles.
“First, real quick, I will give you your well earned $50, but I don’t have it on me right now. I have like $20, and I’m paying for coffee, so…it won’t leave me with a lot”
“Don’t worry about it” I say, but he puts a hand in my face.
“No no, you won.” I laugh at that. “So. How’ve you been?”
I look at him confused, and I don’t know what I expected him to ask me, or talk to me about, but I didn’t imagine it was this.
“Um…I mean considering all the stuff that has happened to me since I moved her, and before that, I would say I’m hanging. You know? I’m like…I’m dealing” I say, only half-joking.
“I’m serious Addie. You know you can talk to me about anything right? Like, I don’t know if this goes both ways, but I do consider you as one of my best friends here” He says, a little uncertain.
“Yeah. I consider you as one of my best friends anywhere, Mikey” He smiles and takes a sip from his coffee. “But I don’t know. I’m just trying to move on, I guess. I mean my lip i still cut and it stings sometimes. I have a giant bruise on my arm, and I have nightmares almost every night. And this is just the recent stuff” I stop and take a deep breath “But I have to deal with it, because I can’t undo it, which sucks, because I would so undo it”
Mikey takes my hand in his and gives me a little squeeze. He then asks me about my family night and how that went, and I told him about how I’m not sure I’ve completely forgiven Aggie about everything, and that the fact that we’re sisters or twins or family or whatever will not change what she did. Not that it was like god knows how dramatic, but it was mean.
After the mood lightens up a little bit, he says “So what are we gonna do with those bed bugs?”
“Oh shit! Right, we ordered them” I say, and look down “Well…Um I guess we can try to return them, if not, I’ll just pay you back the money…somehow”
“No, no! Don’t you see? This is a perfect opportunity!” I furrow my brows in confusion “See, we’ve been wanting to get back at Stephen and Chris for what they did to Calum, since that night. Now, if we try to physically fight them, we will lose. Badly. Buuuuuuuuuttt” He wiggles his eyebrows.
“Are you joking?” I laugh.
“Think about it. We’ll have the bugs at our disposal, we’ll just have to you know…distribute them.”
And then me and Mikey are making this crazy plan about using the bugs on Stephen and Chris. And maybe Marissa and Ashley; depending on their attitude this next week.
After a while, my mom calls me to go home and do homework and stuff, which to be honest, I am very behind on.
“I have to go” I say locking my phone.
“Alright. Study hard, little one” He says, and takes out money to pay for our coffees. “Don’t stay up too late studying”
“Technically, I am having dinner with Calum, so I need to be kinda done before that” I say, and Mikey almost trips “I mean, I’m not having dinner with Calum, but like with his family, because…his mom invited us, meaning my mom Aggie and me, to dinner tonight” I quickly add.
“I don’t want to like…bombard you with questions today but I have to…” he takes a breath and I take one too, a deep one “What’s happening with you and Cal?”
“What do you mean?” I ask. A prepared answer. I’ve been waiting for him to ask me about Cal all through our coffee friend-date thing.
“I don’t know. Both of you have been weird around each other, and then you go normal, and then it’s weird again. It’s like…some kind of tension” I look at him with my practiced confused I-am-having-a-hard-time-understanding-what-you-are-saying look “It feels like you guys had a fight and now are forced to be friends because you are friends with the rest of us. And it’s not bickering you’re just…I don’t know how to explain it. It’s weird”
“You’re weird” I say. Which is a stupid comeback because it just perpetuates what Mikey is trying to explain. He shakes his head, not buying my act. We start walking towards my home, without talking about it, and I realise he’ll await a response or an explanation until we get to my place “I don’t know. It’s just how we are. We established a weird awkward friendship in the beginning and it’s just…I don’t know. it’s how it is now” I say. And as I’m saying it, I realise it’s kind of true. Maybe that’s why there’s a pattern?
“I guess so” he says, buying it. I am kind of buying it too.
“Anyway, you don’t have to walk me home” I say, shoving my hands in my pockets.
“It’s fine” He says walking next to me. “It’s not like I’ll do any school work when I home” he says and playfully shoves me. I do the same, and we go back and forth, laughing until he puts his arm around me, and i hook one of mine around his waist and we just walk like that, both of us completely comfortable with each other, and very much on the same page - this is not in any way romantic.


Calum’s POV

I open up my window, for some air. I woke up this morning, not as hungover as I thought I was going to be. But still, my room smelled faintly of alcohol, and my mom still hasn’t been in here, and she might take away my car keys if she figures out i was drinking and driving last night. I know I won’t be able to convince her that I wasn’t drunk when I was driving. I just smelled of alcohol.
Since then, I showered and sprayed deodorant in my room, but knowing my mom, and maybe being a bit paranoid about having my car keys confiscated, I open the window so I can air out the room.
And right there, walking down the sidewalk, I see Addie and Michael. His arm is lazily around her shoulder and she is laughing about something he said. And that jealousy bubble that has been meaning to explode, is on the verge of bursting. She takes out her keys, as he takes a step back from her. And then they hug and he goes back to the direction he came from, and she goes inside.
And I have to have dinner with her tonight. Like…for real. Dinner. With her. My family. And her family. And not make it awkward. Greaaaatttt.


Addie’s POV

“Something smells good!” I say, closing the front door and taking my shoes off.
“I’m betting it’s not your report card” My mom calls from the kitchen. I am in such an uplifted mood, it has not only cured my hangover (that might be the coffee though), it cannot be spoiled by my mom’s passive aggressive comments.
“Oh mother, you know I always pull through at the end of the year, and those are the grades that count” I give her a kiss on the cheek, and then go to my room.
I do end up studying and it hits me just how behind I am. I have to write two essays for English class, I have to study a chapter in AP Psych for a pop quiz I’m expecting this week, and I need to do my Maths homework. So I start with my essays because it seems like I can bullshit my way through them.
After I do, and read through them multiple times to make sure it sound like I know what I’m talking about, I do my Maths homework, which make me want to hit my head against a wall. And I leave my AP Psych study session last, because I know it’s the only thing out of these three that I enjoy, and I will be interested, even if I am super tired.
I decide to take a nap, but my mom announces that we are going next door in 20 minutes. I hadn’t noticed that it’s almost 6pm. So I get up, and freshen up, and in a short while, we are walking to Calum’s house.
My mom rings the doorbell, and Mr. Hood opens the door. They exchange greetings, and my mom hands the dessert she was making, and it's less awkward than last time which makes me think - do our parents hang out without us knowing? That’d be weird.
Mali comes downstairs and says hi to everyone, and then Cal comes downstairs as well. He says hi, and looks at me a bit intense, and then we are sitting in the living room. Our parents are not in that awkward I’m-going-to-talk-about-my-child-because-i-don’t-know-what-else-we-have-in-common stage. No, they full on start discussing stuff that has happened to them at work these past few days, and I notice some tension between Mali and Mrs. Hood. But who am I to talk, you can cut the tension between me and Calum with a knife. But our parents include us in their conversation and Mali and Aggie are eager to discuss whatever they are talking about. I can’t follow it. I’m too busy thinking Don’t be awkward Addie. And don’t get yourself alone with Calum. Don’t do it.
I get up to use the bathroom, just to have an excuse not to be around people. I wash my hands so i have something to do and stare at myself in the mirror. My hair is in a ponytail, a bit messy. Should’ve fixed that before I went out. I have absolutely no make up on, which makes my freckles stand out.
I dry my hands and open the door, and right in front of me stands Calum.
“Hey” I say, and try to move past him, but he stands in my way. “Um…you okay?” I ask him. he looks at me, not saying a thing and then shakes his head.
“Yeah, yeah, sorry. “ he then moves away and lets me pass. I hear him close and lock the door to the bathroom, right before I turn the corner to enter the living room.
We soon move to the dining room, where my mom helps Mr. and Mrs. Hood to bring out the food. I talk to Mali about the club we went to, the one where the boys have already played two gigs, and I explain to her the space, and the procedure.
Calum comes back and I can safely say that dinner went as ordinary as it could’ve. Calum was sitting on the opposite side of me, and once I accidentally kicked him, when i was trying to figure out if i have like a pebble in my shoe (it was just one of my laces, stuck inside), but that was the only contact, verbal or physical, we had all through dinner.
It was around 8:30, maybe 9, that Aggie and I left to go home, and Calum and Mali to bed.
“I am so full, I will sleep for 4 years” Aggie was saying “Goodnight” And then she climbed the stairs and I heard the soft click of the door of her room.
I entered mine, and lied down on the bed, so tired from the hangover this morning, and the food, and the school work i did.
I changed into my pyjamas, and just surfed the internet, until I couldn’t anymore, and fell asleep.


Calum’s POV

I was lying in my bedroom, staring at the window. I almost talked to her about last night. Almost.
I almost apologised, although I have nothing to apologise for because…we’re not together, and I wanted to explain what happened. Explain how I got jealous and how I was not feeling like myself, and how I was drunk, which is not a real excuse but whatever. And how I was sorry for not being there for her when she got sick. And how I wasn’t there to drive her home, and…maybe ask her about Mikey.
Although, I don’t know why I was so surprised when I saw them earlier. I mean, he likes her, she obviously likes him. What’s wrong with me? Why am I being so selfish about this?!
Believe it or not, I am back and forth like this all night. Literally. I get maybe 10 minutes of sleep, before I have to get up for school. I shower, get dressed and right as I’m about to get in my car, I freeze. Is she expecting me to take her to school? Do I still do that? I know I stopped because her father was here, but now…
I take my phone out and dial her number. Perfect excuse to call her.
“Hey” She picks up, sounding unsure.
“Um…am I giving you a ride?” I ask. I can literally feel the awkwardness through the phone.
“If you want to?” She says, and I nervously laugh.
“Of course. I’m outside. Come when you’re ready” I say. She says okay and then we hang up.
Not long after that, she comes out wearing black skinny jeans, a loose sweater and her backpack slung on her shoulders.
“Ready?” I ask as casually as I can.
“Yep” She says and sits in the passenger’s seat.
I try talking to her on the ride to school, but she doesn’t seem talkative. At all.
When we get to school, she thanks me for the ride, and thank god Lucy walks up to us, because otherwise it would’ve been so awkward.
“Turns out I have an AP Biology test. Kill me” She says, walking with us through the hallways.
“Good luck” I say to her, and she gives me an over exaggerated crying face, and then walked away. Addie stops at her locker, and I mumble a “See you later” and then leave her.
I fall asleep in most of my morning classes, and then I almost fall asleep during lunch.
“Mate, how late was your dinner?” Mikey asks, eating fries, per usual. It’s just us on the table, while everyone else is getting their food. I raise an eyebrow, wondering how he knew about it, but then it made sense that Addie told him. They were walking all..cuddle up yesterday.
“Couldn’t sleep for some reason” I say, avoiding his eyes. I promised myself that I won’t ask him about it. If he want’s to, he’ll tell me about him and Addie. Or she will. And if they don’t, which is stupid because why would they hide it, then fine. I don’t care.
“I died like four times yesterday” He says, chewing
“What did you do all day?” I ask. But then Addie arrives at our table, holding a chocolate milk box and sits next to Mikey. Of course she does.
“Nothing really. Was lying in bed for the most part” He answers, and I notice, weirdly enough, nothing shifts when she joins us. Nothing becomes secretive, or whatever. There are no knowing looks between them. Which irks me even more.
“Cool” I say. I am itching for a fight, and I should really stop. Being sleep deprived and pissy will not do me any good.
“Kay, so I think I failed that test” Lucy comes with a sandwich and sits next to me. “I swear to God, if I get something lower than a B, I will murder someone. They let you do make up tests right? I mean right? Every school does.”
“Okay, so let me get this straight” Mikey says, pausing his eating “If you get something lower than a B, which doesn’t necessarily means an F, you count it as a failed?”
She looks at him like he’s stupid for asking such a question and we all laugh.
“Damn, then I’m failing high school” He says.
Luke joins us after a while, and teases Lucy about Biology, and she eats her sandwich in silence.
Addie and I don’t exchange a word.
I fall asleep at least once in all of my classes. When I exit the school, I don’t know if I’m hallucinating or not. Marissa is standing in front of my car, looking unsure.
“Hi?” I greet her, which comes out as a question.
“Can I talk to you?” She asks me. She’s been wearing contacts lately, but today she has her glasses on.
“Um…sure?” I say. I awkwardly put my hands in my pockets.


Addie’s POV

I walk out of school, Lucy and Luke with me. They are laughing about something I’m not ever listening to. My eyes fall on Cal’s car, my ride home, and then I see him with Marissa. They…they are talking.
“What. The. Fuck” I hear Lucy whisper. Luke looks equally confused as us. We stand there watching them talk. She seems upset, and Calum seems very uncomfortable. She then reaches for his face, and cups it. For a moment my heart stops, thinking she will kiss him, but she tilts his head, and he immediately brushes her off.
“Someone explain what’s happening?” I didn’t even notice Mikey standing next to me.
We watch as Marissa holds Cal’s hand and then she starts walking back, still holding his hand, until they cannot reach. His hand drops, and he watches her go in the direction she lives in. Same direction Lucy goes in.
He then turns around and looks at us, and then his eyes settle on mine. We all start walking towards him, and Mikey starts talking, but it’s like neither of us is listening to him.
“Cal?” Mikey says, poking him in the arm “Explanation?” He is laughing. Lucy is standing close to Luke, and he is smiling as well, the teasing kind of smile.
“She was…she was apologising” Cal says, confused, but still looking at me. And then he looks at Mikey “Like, about Stephen and Chris, and that she didn’t know that they were going to do that, and about…I don’t know…stuff”
“Please, be more vague” Luke laughs, and so do the rest of them, but then Cal’s eyes meet mine, and we’re just…staring at each other. Super weird. So i look away, and pretend i’m searching my backpack for something.
“I don’t know. It was weird. She was waiting for me here, and she was just apologising for treating me the way she did, and for giving me a hard time when I was with you guys, and for being mean to Addie” When he says my name I look at him, and his eyes are already on me “And said that if she could change it, she would”
Lucy and Mikey burst out laughing, Luke looks concerned, and I imagine I look like I’ve been hit by a truck.
“You don’t actually believe that, right?” Lucy asks, still laughing “I mean…she’s horrible. You know all the horrible stuff she’s been saying about you, and Addie, and me, and just…all of us really. And besides, there is no way she was being genuine”
Cal shrugs and looks down.
I can almost see the wheels in his head turning. I figured he still had feelings for her, but this…she still having feelings for him? What if they get back together? What if they go back to being Cal and Marissa?
“So are you getting back together with her?” Lucy asks the question I’m thinking, and everyone looks at her a bit terrified, including Calum “What? We’re all thinking it”
“No he is not” Mikey laughs, and throws his arm around Cal’s shoulders. Cal glances at me and then looks down. I don’t know what to say…or think. “Right?”
Cal shakes his head, and Mikey gives us a see-I-told-you-so look.
“Alright, let’s go to Ash’s” He taps Cal’s shoulder, and gets in the passenger’s seat. Lucy and Luke get in the back, and it’s just me and Cal standing.
“You coming?” He asks.
“Yeah” I say snapping out of it, and then getting in the back with Lucy and Luke.
And then we’re driving to Ash’s, Michael playing the music in the car really loud and singing along to it all the way.

Notes

DUN DUN DUUUN
Lol ok.
Anyway, thanks for the feedback guys. I know I don't reply in comments, it's because for some reason I don't get alerts and then I notice them too late and I feel weird if I reply to a week-old comment.
Hope there are more than like 4 people still reading this story lol
I love all 4 of you though <3