They're Just Girls

Calum's POV

"Come on Calum take this seriously. I want to get a good grade." Jett pouted, taking the camera from my hands. We were in our last period, photojournalism.

It had been a week since Jett told me about her sister and we had warmed up to each other a little better, I wouldn't quite call us friends yet but we were getting there. At first I hadn't like Jett much, she had seemed bossy and always thought she was right.

"Do you have to work today?" I asked her as we roamed the empty halls, looking for something to complete our assignment.

"No," she shook her head, "I'm going to visit my sister though."

"Oh, how is she?" I didn't really know the right words to say, but these seemed to fit best.

"She's alright I guess, it could be worse." Her face fell and I wished I knew how to make her feel better, "The doctor gave her six months, she's coming home tomorrow."

A tear trickled down her cheek and we stopped walking. I felt bad for bringing all of this up.

"I'm so sorry, Jett." I told just above a whisper.

"It's really fine Calum," she sniffed wiping her eyes, "but anyway, no I'm not working why?"

"I was going to say we could maybe go take pictures for the project after school, but we can finish this another day, you have a lot going on." I didn't want to add to her stress.

"Well I can't stay past five anyway, they have to get her ready to leave and everything, you could come if you want and we can go take pictures after."

I knew it would probably be really awkward if not for the both of us, then for me, and I didn't want to intrude on the little time they had left together, but I still agreed, and she smiled.

"Just warning you, she's a bit of a smart ass." We began our walk back to class.

"I'm sure I can handle it."

Ashton's POV

She hadn't tried to make conversation the whole day and I was glad my small attack had deterred her. I didn't believe all of the things I said, but she didn't know that.

Locklyn was no doubt good looking, her long brown, naturally curly, hair falling to her shoulders, perfectly framing her face, plump lips normally running together in thought or frustration, and her heart seemed to be in the right place. If I was here on different circumstances things would be different. I was saving her from me before she could figure out she needed to do it herself.

"Ashton?" Her voice was small and I could hear the caution in it.

I didn't reply though, every word would only weaken the effect I made on her. I needed Locklyn to fear me, hate me, want nothing to do with me, or I would only do it again.

"Why don't you talk to me?"

I bit my tongue.

"Look, I get it. You don't like me, I'm boring and annoying blah, blah, blah, I get that, but this is how it's going to be for a while and I don't want it to be this never ending battle the whole time." She glanced around the mostly quiet classroom obviously making sure no one had heard.

"Why do you hate me? What did I do?" She spoke again when I didn't.

Silence.

"Why did you kill someone?"

I could physically feel the world stop, my heart skipped several beats, not believing she had spoken the words. I was a combination of pissed, upset, a little embarrassed, and even confused. Why was she bringing this up?

"That part of my life is none of your business." I growled, my fists clenching.

She shrugged, "I was just curious."

"Well don't be."

"Ashton please, this is exhausting."

I opened my mouth to speak, but, the final bell rang and I gathered my things dashing out quickly.

"What were you going to say?" Her voice came from right behind me.

"Nothing Locklyn, just drop it."

All I wanted was to be alone in my room. I was done with this shit.

"No! Tell me what you were going to say!" She grabbed my wrist trying to stop me but I was easily stronger than her and ripped myself away.

A few people glanced after us, the disaster making its way down the hall.

"You've been treating me like shit since the day you got here and I've been nothing but nice! You owe me something!" Her small hands gripped the back of my shirt tugging on it.

Immediately I grabbed her wrist, shoving her against a row of lockers, wanting to end this already. Her eyes went wide, staring up at me as I pinned her with my body. She looked so scared and innocent, leaving me alternately turned on and reminding me of why I couldn't get involved, but oh God I wanted to.

I leaned down and I saw her swallow hard as I brought my lips to her ear, "I said, drop it."

Then I forced myself away from her, stalking off quickly, before she could pull me back in.

Cleo's POV

"Why are you always trying to get out of here so quickly?" Luke questioned walking next to me, heading to the school exit.

"I have places to go." It wasn't a lie, I did have to go to work and before that I had to pick up my younger brother and sister from school.

"Where? Church?" He mocked.

I didn't reply. I had learned that was the easiest way to get him to shut up.

"Anyway, you should go to this party with me tomorrow night."

"No." I answered quickly, remembering he last one I had gone to.

"Why not?" His ego was obviously bruised.

"I just don't party."

"Come on it will be fun! Michael and Marley are coming."

"Why? If you haven't noticed me and you don't get along."

"I just think it would be fun." He gave me a smile, fiddling with the ring in his lip.

"I don't think so, I have to go." I tried to walk away but his hands gripped my waist pulling me into him.

"Luke, I really have to go." I needed to be at my sister's school in less than ten minutes.

"Just go with me! Please! I'm begging which you should know is something I definitely never do."

I rolled my eyes at his arrogance.

"Please Cleo, I'm not letting you go until you say yes." He smirked.

"Fine."

"Cool! Marley's driving by the way so I'll tell Michael to tell her to pick you up. I'll see you tomorrow." He released me.

"Bye, Luke." I sighed, waving to him, not believing what I had just agreed to.

***

"Hey how was school?" I inquired of my sister Brielle as she got in the car.

"Bad." She replied sassily, rolling her over lined eyes as I pulled out of the Junior High parking lot.

"Well that's unfortunate."

"My life sucks." She grumbled, putting her earbuds in.

I sighed heading in the direction of the elementary school to pick up Robby, my little brother.

He was much more cheerful than Bri, entering the car already bouncing excitedly, talking about a huge beetle him and his friends had seen at recess.

We pulled into our neighborhood full of small one story houses and chain-linked fences built decades before. It wasn't a nice place, beat up cars littering the sides of the street, a group of dangerous looking men hanging out on the corner.

My family didn't have money, my dad was no longer in the picture, and my mom's job working the night shift at a hotel front desk barley covered the bills. Last year I got a job at a juice bar in order to help out, now that Bri was thirteen and old enough to care for her and Robby until I got home.

"Why do you have to work? I don't like it when Bri watches me." Robby cried seeing me in my uniform.

"I know bud, I'll be home soon enough." I ruffled his hair.

"Bri!" I called out in the small house waiting for her to respond.

"What?!" She huffed, coming into the living room.

"I'm going to work, Robby can watch cartoons until eight, then he needs to get ready for bed. I should be home around nine. There's left over pizza in the fridge you can heat up for dinner." I told, gathering my keys and wallet.

"Why do I have to take care of him?" She complained, her attitude working my nerves.

"Because everyone had to do their part."

"I'm so tired of you and mom going on about this "do your part" shit! You guys are seriously ruining my life! I have better things to do than sit around here and watch him!"

"Can you stop thinking about yourself for ten seconds and just do this with out complaining?! For God's sake Brielle you're so self absorbed!" I yelled back at her, angry that she thought she had it off any worse than the rest of us.

"I hate you!"

"Oh don't be dramatic! I'm leaving."

Calum's POV

"Hey cutie, how're you feeling?" Jett entered her sister's hospital room, me trailing awkwardly behind her.

"I wish that for once no one would ask me that. I mean I'm dying how do you think I feel?"

I almost jumped at her words, not expecting such grown up things to come out of her mouth. The smile on Jett's face dimmed noticeably.

"Who are you?" She looked at me, raising an eyebrow.

"Presley, this is Calum." Jett grabbed my arm pulling me to stand next to her.

"Hey." I gave a small wave, still not comfortable in the new environment.

"Nice accent. Where are you from?" She commented.

"Australia."

"I've always wanted to go there, too bad I'll be dead soon."

"Presley!" Jett tried to quiet her, obviously not enjoying what she was hearing. Hell, I didn't even know the girl and it was pulling at my heartstrings. How could she joke about her life?

"It's true!"

"Please, Pres, just stop okay?"

"Fine." She crossed her small arms leaning back on her pillow, "You're taking me to the movies tomorrow right?"

"Of course! What do you want to see?" Jett and I sat down in some chairs.

"I want to see the new Muppets movie."

"Alright, that sounds good."

The longer we sat here the sadder it got thinking about the sassy, but funny, little girl, much too wise for her age, and how in just a few months she could be gone. The way Jett looked at her, there was so much love, and adoration, I couldn't imagine how she must feel, it must hurt so bad to know that there's nothing you can do about it.

"Oh good, Jett you're he-" A woman, I'm assuming the girls' mother, entered the room, lots of papers in hand, her sentence cut short when she saw me.

"You must be a Calum!" A smile took over her features, not the reaction I was expecting, it was usually along the lines of angry or scared.

I stood to shake her hand, "Hi, it's nice to meet you."

"I'm Jett's mom, but you can call me Rachel!" She was welcoming, and something about her made me miss my own mom. "How are you liking America?"

"It's really good, I like it a lot."

"That's great! If you don't mind I'm going to borrow Jett for a moment." The smile stayed on her face though it was obvious by her red puffy eyes she had been crying, and then I began to feel bad for Presley, but not for the same reason as everyone else. I felt sad for her, because everyone seemed to step so lightly around her, giving fake smiles and worried stares. She must feel so lied to, like nothing was genuine, and in her last few months on earth I'm sure that was the last thing she wanted.

"Why don't you ask her out?" Presley asked once we were alone.

"Huh?" I looked over to see her smirking at me.

"It's obvious you like her, just ask her out."

"I don't like her." I lied.

"Yeah, sure, why else would you be here?" She motioned around the room.

I shrugged, not having a fighting argument.

"I think she likes you too."

"Really?" My voice came out more excited than I had hoped.

She nodded, "Just ask her out. She'll say yes, trust me, I'm her sister."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"I just can't."

"Come on Calum, man up just -" She stopped talking when Jett came back in looking upset.

"Calum, you should come to the movies with us tomorrow." There was mischief in the ten year old's voice and I knew what she was up to.

"I don't think I can I -"

She cut me off, "You can't deny me, I won't be around much longer." Her statement was matter-of-fact, knowing no one could resist after that.

I looked over at Jett to see if she was trying to protest, but she just watched us, her lips slightly turned upwards.

"Alright, I'll go." I sighed feeling happy and excited knowing Presley was on my side in this, hoping that having her on my team would help my Jett situation in the end.