EVANESCENCE

CHAPTER 23| Come out and Play

“Hi, why are you alone?” A tall guy with dark hair that almost looked like an Asian walked up to me to the kitchen and that guy was Calum sipping on a red cup. “Oh, Alex just suddenly disappeared as you see, and the two girls I was with a while ago somewhat bailed me.”

The house was getting a lot more crowded which was quite smothering. I feel like I took drugs because of the high adrenaline rush in my veins, perhaps caused by the alcohol that didn’t even count how many shots I took. The alcohol was strong but yet I was sober and I wasn’t intoxicated.

“What’s your name by the way? Haven't met you yet," Calum smirked as I smacked his bicep and laughed at his own bad acting skills. "You'll never get a girlfriend,"

"I don't mind at all," He said, he set the red cup on the counter as he cleared his throat. "Wanna go out somewhere? I know parties aren't your thing." He suggested as he nodded. We jostled past people who seemed to be preoccupied on their own businesses and their drinking games still there was no Alex in sight. Perhaps he's really trying to not cling onto me like my guardian like how he used to be like before. Once we're out the hot summer breeze welcomed us. The music was now muffled fading away as we passed through the houses on the neighboorhood.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, smiling. "I feel quite better," I assured. He suddenly crouched down, "hop on my back, I'll take you somewhere Sta. Cruz is notorious of," So I did. Effortlessly, he carried me on his back and held the back of my knee for support. He suddenly ran a few blocks which made me feel like we're falling but we laughed so hard our stomachs ached anyway. As soon as we reached the beach, he purposely crashed ourselves onto the sand while laughing so hard as if we're being tickled. "f**k you, Calum." I giggled. I sat down and brushed off the sand and so did he.

"I thought coming back home would be really heavy," I confessed while locking my eyes on the view where the lights trailed the shore. The boardwalk can be viewed from our distance which really caught my heart. I took my shoes off and let the wave crash onto my feel. "Because I'm here," I smiled sheepishly, agreeing with what he said because it's true. I feel less alone.

"Thank you, Calum," I pursed my lips as he motioned to face me instead with his legs crossed. The sound of the waves was so highly calming. "Now, stop that before you cry again, cry, baby." He joked but indeed I am a cry baby. Little things make me cry a lot.

"No, I'm not gonna cry this time okay" I laughed it off. "But seriously though, thank you."

"No problem, really. I just, I care about you a lot you know,” He said, his voice sounding so soft. “Do you see yourself with someone new?” He suddenly asked. “Like, after a few months or a year, I guess.”

“I don’t know,”

“Oh,” He paused, feeling a little embarrassed. “I shouldn’t have asked you, it’s a bit off, isn’t it?” He sheepishly said.

“I like questions, don’t you remember?”

“Oh, I remember that one time we had this terrible would you rather session with Michael,” He chuckled as I was so fond of that memory too. We got too nasty deciding if we’d rather have our partners poop on us while we go down on them or the other way around. It was comical. “Michael is the best when it comes to stupid things you know,” I despondently said remembering how their faces looked when I said goodbye. “I’ll miss them,”

“And Luke?” He glanced at me checking if I was going to say yes. “No,” I rolled my eyes.

“Okay, let me ask it again, will you miss him?” He c****d an eyebrow at me teasingly, “Okay, that’s really inevitable you know… I can’t say I have fully moved on already.”

“I know who moves on from a five-year relationship anyway?”

“Him,” I laughed, but it kind of stung a little. “It only takes a little bit of getting used to,” I said

“It sounds really impossible now, but soon enough Stacy you’ll get over,” I nodded agreeing. “Do you ever think he and Christen are real?” I queried but I sounded so hopeful although I just wanted to hear his perspective towards her.

“I really think they are,” He paused for a few seconds and glanced at me. “What made you ask that?”

“Well, a lot happened after we broke up,” I realized I haven’t told anyone about it. “Like what?”

“A few days before our birthday, he prepared a bubble bath for us and he was like, he missed me and everything…And then when he got beaten up he was so soft on me, constantly making me feel needed and it got me every time you know? But… yeah when I asked him what it all meant, he said… it meant nothing,” I felt how confused I am, but at the very least he answered me. He sighed

“Maybe he just wanted to like, let go of you in a less painful way- I don’t know, he never opened up to us. But with them, I think they’re real enough though… I can see how pressured he is to fit for her standards,”

“And, I’m s**t because I kind of created a fragment on their relationship.” I breathed out, “Hey, It’s not your fault okay… Luke just really needs to grow up,”

“Maybe it’s all okay now, I’m out.” I responded. “I can take you to lots of places while I still have a week to burn, the management are still reviewing our demos and they still have a lot to do for us so we had to wait for their go signal maybe within a month or two you know…then we get to start touring with Pink Salt,” He sounded so excited upon his dream getting close to reality and I was so happy for them even for Luke. I know how much it meant to him how much he dreamed of it fervently and never dropped it even when his relationship with his father got more creases. I hope Christen supports her more than the way I did. “Really? That’s great, I’m so proud of you.” I pulled him for a warm hug which seemed to last longer. It felt so consoling. “When will baby Hood come out?” I asked referring to his soon nephew.

“It’s not baby Hood, it’s baby Briggs,” He corrected but a smile was painted on his squishy face. “Baby Hood is cute though, I’m excited to see her.”

“She’ll be home soon,”