What I Like About You
13
Calum's POV
We were sitting in the dressing room between interviews. Luke was getting his hair fixed, Ashton was on his phone, and Michael and I were writing a song, toying with some lyrics and melody, as inspiration had struck us.
My phone rang and I looked at the caller I.D., seeing that Kennedy was calling.
"Hey, babe, I-"
"Calum?" A voice that was definitely not Kennedy's came through my phone. I froze.
"U-uhm, yes, this is Calum." I replied.
"Calum, thank god, I was trying to call Luke, but he wasn't answering his phone. This is the girl's grandmother, Rose."
Bile rose in my throat.
"Hi, Rose." I greeted, trying to remain calm. "Is something wrong?"
I felt all of the eyes in the dressing room turn on me and I heard Rose sniffle.
"Calum, there's been an accident."
Everything inside me short circuited then, and I knew I was gripping Michael's arm, I knew Luke had come over to us, I knew all of this, but it all felt like white noise.
"W-what happened?" I ask, choking on the words.
"T-they were walking home from the party and a car h-hit them. He just drove off. I don't... I don't know what to do. I know you're on tour, but is there any way you can come see them? I don't... Ken is in rough shape, Calum. I think you should be here."
"Of course I can." I said without hesitation. "Luke and I will be there as soon as possible, okay?"
"Thank you so much, Calum."
"Of course. See you soon."
I hung up the phone and immediately bent and started to dry heave over the carpet. Luke sat down slowly and rubbed my back.
"What happened?" He asked in a small voice. I tried to ignore the crack at the end.
"W-we have to go." I said, sitting up and grabbing Luke's hand, pulling him up with me.
"Wait." Michael grabbed my wrist. "What is happening, Cal? Where are you going?"
I didn't want to say it. I didn't want to acknowledge it. I swallowed hard and looked at my friends.
"K-ken and J-jaz. They were uhm. T-there was an accident. We need to go now."
"Fuck." Michael dropped my wrist.
I didn't dare look at Luke, but I felt him move, going to grab our backpacks from across the room.
"C'mon." He urged, heading for the door.
I looked at Ashton helplessly. He put his arms around me.
"Go. We'll figure it out here. She's gonna be alright. She's a fighter." He whispered in my ear before letting me go.
I turned and ran with Luke, getting a car to the airport and booking our flight on the way there.
Neither of us said anything to each other as we got to the airport and got on a plane, but I knew we were both thinking the same thing.
We were hoping we weren't going to be too late.
We were sitting in the dressing room between interviews. Luke was getting his hair fixed, Ashton was on his phone, and Michael and I were writing a song, toying with some lyrics and melody, as inspiration had struck us.
My phone rang and I looked at the caller I.D., seeing that Kennedy was calling.
"Hey, babe, I-"
"Calum?" A voice that was definitely not Kennedy's came through my phone. I froze.
"U-uhm, yes, this is Calum." I replied.
"Calum, thank god, I was trying to call Luke, but he wasn't answering his phone. This is the girl's grandmother, Rose."
Bile rose in my throat.
"Hi, Rose." I greeted, trying to remain calm. "Is something wrong?"
I felt all of the eyes in the dressing room turn on me and I heard Rose sniffle.
"Calum, there's been an accident."
Everything inside me short circuited then, and I knew I was gripping Michael's arm, I knew Luke had come over to us, I knew all of this, but it all felt like white noise.
"W-what happened?" I ask, choking on the words.
"T-they were walking home from the party and a car h-hit them. He just drove off. I don't... I don't know what to do. I know you're on tour, but is there any way you can come see them? I don't... Ken is in rough shape, Calum. I think you should be here."
"Of course I can." I said without hesitation. "Luke and I will be there as soon as possible, okay?"
"Thank you so much, Calum."
"Of course. See you soon."
I hung up the phone and immediately bent and started to dry heave over the carpet. Luke sat down slowly and rubbed my back.
"What happened?" He asked in a small voice. I tried to ignore the crack at the end.
"W-we have to go." I said, sitting up and grabbing Luke's hand, pulling him up with me.
"Wait." Michael grabbed my wrist. "What is happening, Cal? Where are you going?"
I didn't want to say it. I didn't want to acknowledge it. I swallowed hard and looked at my friends.
"K-ken and J-jaz. They were uhm. T-there was an accident. We need to go now."
"Fuck." Michael dropped my wrist.
I didn't dare look at Luke, but I felt him move, going to grab our backpacks from across the room.
"C'mon." He urged, heading for the door.
I looked at Ashton helplessly. He put his arms around me.
"Go. We'll figure it out here. She's gonna be alright. She's a fighter." He whispered in my ear before letting me go.
I turned and ran with Luke, getting a car to the airport and booking our flight on the way there.
Neither of us said anything to each other as we got to the airport and got on a plane, but I knew we were both thinking the same thing.
We were hoping we weren't going to be too late.