V

This is the second time that I've accidentally ran into Calum.

I don't mind though.

"Hey, I'm sorry about last night. I shouldn't have done that." Calum says, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand.

"S'okay." I shrug, looking away from his face.

"No, I can tell you're not that kind of girl. I just drank too much. Hell, I haven't drank like that in a long time, and it's just my luck that a beautiful girl like you shows up when I do."

I scoff out a "What?" when he calls me beautiful. He doesn't know me, he doesn't know how ugly I feel inside.

"Let me make it up to you. Come to lunch with me. I have to go to chemistry class right now, but I don't have any other classes after that." and I feel like I'm going to die.

He tried to hook up with me last night and now he's apologizing and offering to take me out?

I want to run away and hide and never come out.

But wait, he's really asking me out?

After he seen me bawling my eyes out like a maniac?

After I ran away like an idiot last night?

Oh, I know what this is. "You don't have to pity me." I snap coldly then add "Besides, you didn't do anything wrong. I just overreacted last night."

And he looks confused so I clarify "Just because I act like I need help doesn't mean that you need to be that person for me."

He still looks confused. The back of my mind resurfaces to defend him - maybe you're not explaining it well, maybe no one would understand you right now.

Nevertheless I say "I was acting like a freaking mental patient when you first met me then yesterday I busted out of your room and ran away like a psycho." bluntly.

Maybe he'll understand now. Yeah, that looks like recognition on his face - his eyebrows unfurrow and his brown eyes seem to lighten a shade if that's even possible.

He has really gorgeous eyes.

Focus, Jackie, focus.

"No, no, no, that's not what this is. At all. I just appreciate your sarcasm and quirkiness, and you seem like cool girl, and you're gorgeous, and..." he trails off as he rings his hands briefly then moves one to the back of his neck and rubs it nervously while stuffing his other hand into his jean pocket and I realize that's his nervous fidget, like shifting on my feet is for me.

"Swear it?" I ask with a small smirk forming on my face as he nods furiously.

"Oh, well then, in that case..." I pause and put my right hand under my chin crossing my left arm across my torso to support my right and tap my fingers to my chin in an attempt to look mockingly thoughtful then say "Yes."  

Simple.

I giggle as a look of relief flushes over him. I can tell he's not used to being rejected.

"What time?" he asks to which I reply "Whenever we get done with class is fine. I have British Literature right now but I'm gonna hang around here and finish last week's homework afterwords, so I'll be here when you get out." I say, grinning like an idiot. It's okay though, he's wearing the same giddy expression as me.

We part ways and I walk into the classroom, sitting next to Ashton. I still feel the remainder of a smile lingering on my face.

"What're you so happy about?" he asks.

"Uh, Calum's taking me to lunch." I say, fighting a smile as my cheeks flush.

"Jackie, I wouldn't - " Ashton starts with a concerned look on his face but is cut off by the teacher beginning to lecture.

Ashton leaves halfway through class which I find incredibly strange.

...

About 120 minutes later - no, I wasn't counting, or maybe I was? We're finally dismissed from class and I go to sit at the bench I was on earlier.

After a few minutes Calum's approaching me and I stand. As he walks over to me I realize for the first time just how tall he actually is - he must be at least 6' but he's not gangly or awkward. He moves with purpose and  I notice that he's wearing a Green Day t-shirt. I like Green Day.

When he reaches me I ask "How tall are you?" mostly just because I don't know what else to say.

"6' and about three quarters, so like 6'1" I guess. How tall are you?" he says looking down at me.

"A measly 5'4", I'm flippin' fun size, man." I say and he laughs quite possibly the most amazing laugh I've heard in my entire 17 years of being on this earth.

"Ready?" he asks and I just nod. 

Usually I don't accept rides from strangers but today I'm feeling uncharacteristically trusting, especially of him even though I guess I shouldn't be judging by last night. Against good judgment I agree to let him give me a ride to lunch. 

He doesn't act like a serial killer. It'll be fine, I say to myself as I get into his car. 

We quickly agree on Pizza Hut, the go-to restaurant for local students. When we arrive I busy myself looking at the menu after the waitress leads us to our booth - she introduces herself as Candy.

Candy has bleach blond hair and has been to the tanning salon a few to many times if you ask me. I wonder what her parents were thinking when they named her "Candy".

I really hate that name. But more than her name, I hate her. Not even her, I hate the way she's ogling over Calum.

I mentally shoot her a "Back off." and physically shoot her the death stare. Then realize that I was actually jealous of another girl checking out Calum, a guy I met less than a week ago.

What is happening to me?

We decide to order a medium pizza and share it instead of ordering one small one each - it's cheaper that way and we're both poor, starving college students.

Well, I'm poor at least. He's driving a hummer for Christ's sake so who knows about him.

"I like your shirt." I say to him, keeping my gaze fixed on the design of his shirt so as to avoid eye contact.

"You like Green Day?" he asks and my eyes instinctively shoot up to meet his.

"Why yes, I do." I say and smile widely at him.

We make small talk about their music - our favorite albums, our favorite songs on those favorite albums.

Once the waitress/whore takes our order I take the opportunity to learn more about him.

"So where are you from? You have an accent."

"Australia, and you?" he winks.

"Uh, here, Los Angeles. That's weird, my best friend Ashton's from Australia too. Why'd you move?"

I see him shift in his seat and he seems uncomfortable, but I want to know the answer.

"Yeah, him and I knew each other before I moved here but we hadn't talked in forever until last year. Anyways, my parents wanted to move to the 'land of opportunity' for me and my sister. Which is totally lame since we moved when my sister and me were old enough to know the difference. No offense, but there are some things that are better in Australia than here."

"Like what?" I ask, eager to know more about him.

"Vegemite. Australia has Vegemite, America doesn't. It's tragic really. So anyways, enough about me." he says and I freak out.

I don't want to tell him about me.

Nobody knows anything about me, and I've worked really hard to keep it that way lately.

I don't want to depend on someone only to be let down like I have been countless times before.

"What do you want to know?" I say hoping he asks something stupid like 'What's your favorite color?" or "Do you have any pets?" 

 Oh, who am I kidding? We're not in grade school.

"Why were you crying before?" he says with concern lacing his chocolate-colored eyes.

God, I don't want to answer that question.

"Uh, that's a long, complicated, and overly dramatic story. I don't think you want to know." I say, crossing my fingers under the table that separates us and hoping and praying that he doesn't push further.

I don't know what I expected when he asked me to lunch.

More eating, less talking I suppose.

My heart drops and leaps simultaneously when he says "Yes, I do."

"I'm just not in a good place right now." I say in a last ditch effort to will him not to ask any more questions, but to no avail.

"Go on." he says.

Here we go. I can feel myself detaching from the situation.

...

A/N: Thank you for reading! Comment and vote please! A new chapter's coming soon!