Never Before | ✓

Chapter thirteen

Chapter thirteen:

I flutter my eyes open only to find myself in an unfamiliar room. The pillow under me is hard and I feel a heavy object on my stomach. The images of Caleb before I slept rush back to my mind.

The realisation slaps me on my face when I realize that I am sleeping on Caleb's chest and the heavy object on my stomach is his arm. I look up to find him sleeping peacefully while clutching me closer. A small smile appears on his face. I've never seen him at peace. He always has a scowl on his face or no expression at all. Seeing him smiling is new, but it someone cracks something inside of me.

Caleb has been through a lot, too. He has been living alone with his mom while his dad took advantage of their trust. I doubt if he even left any money for them.

I have been a total piece of shit thinking that I have the biggest problem in my life. I'm wrong. Everyone is facing their own problems. However big or small they are, problems are still problems.

I don't want to run again from the people I care about. I'm done running away every time. This time I won't be reckless, but I won't be the type to a person who shoves others away either.

And suddenly an urge to stay arose in me.

Involuntarily, I lean forward to kiss Caleb on the edge of his lip and I just realize what I have done, but this time, just this time, I couldn't care less.

Circumspectly, I untangle myself away from him and grab my bag which is lying down to take out my phone.

10.23, it said. I yawn knowing that I need more sleep, but I don't go for it. Should I wake Caleb up? I guess, not. He is sound asleep and I even suspect he is a light sleeper. I decide to splash water on my face before heading out. I walk inside the luxurious bathroom and turn on the tap. I look at my reflection in the mirror after wiping my wet face with a white towel. I fix my hair and walk out of his room after glancing at him one last time.

Before heading out, I stick a sticky note on his forehead so, that he reads it without fail. I rush downstairs to find Laura sitting on the couch. I decided to greet her since I'm not planning to reach school until the last lecture.

"Hey, Laura!" I chirp and sit beside her. She was watching a baking show until I arrived. This woman really loves baking, trust me.

"Aye, hi, Amber. How's Caleb? You took quite a while there." She looks at me with a naughty smile. I was up there for more than an hour.

"Oh, ah, please, don't give me that mischievous grin. We were just talking." I decide not to tell her sleeping with each other since it is a fact that even I haven't digested just yet.

"Well, I would never know what does 'talking' mean to you." She air quotes at the word talking and continues, "besides, the rooms are soundproof so, you don't have to worry, but use protection. I don't want to become a grand-" I intervene her.

"Oh, my God, Laura. Caleb and I are friends, nothing more!" I'm sure I must've turned all red. I look away and avoid to meet her eyes.

"I doubt. You do clearly remember what he did for you, don't you?" She grins, referring to being beaten up by Henry.

"I'm so sorry about that. I really didn't mean to hurt him," I apologise as soon as a wave to guilt splashed over me. Laura immediately takes my hands into hers and makes me look in her deep-set eyes.

"Hey, it is fine. You don't need to apologise. It was Caleb's choice because you are his...umm...well, according to you...friend." She emphasises on the word friend.

I wish my mother would be so friendly to me, but that would never happen. Not even in my wildest dreams.

"Anyway, I was wondering if you could help me out in making some cupcakes," she asks and I replay my schedule. I have no special plans so, why, not?

"Umm..sure. When should we plan that?"

"The thing is, I'm baking these cupcakes for our new neighbours who would be arriving on tomorrow so, how about the day after tomorrow...umm...Saturday?"

"Sounds good to me!" I smile at her and leave Caleb's house after waving her goodbye. I have to drive back to school for two reasons. One is to return Charles' jeep and also, to attend the remaining lectures.

If I don't have enough attendance, my school might just call up my parents or suspend me for a week.

"Hey, did you meet him? Took you quite a while," Charles says when we meet after his French lecture.

"Yeah, we just...um..fell asleep," I say and he nods understandably, without a hint of doubt. Thank goodness.

"See you after school," I tell him and walk toward my Astronomy lecture which I share with my favourite goofy guy a.k.a Wes.

I walk inside the room to find it filled with students. There is just one seat on the last bench that is available for me so, I quickly make my way there. Wes approaches me with a grin on his face and asks a guy named Kyle to exchange places with him who agrees without any persuasion.

"Look, he is afraid of me that's why he didn't deny," Wes points out after sitting beside me. I roll my eyes at him.

"Sure," I reply sarcastically. 

"I need your help in something," he says grimly and I ask him what it was.

"I want to prank Caleb," he smirks and I agree without any hesitation. We spend the subsequent twenty minutes planning about the prank as Mr. Curdle is absent.

(A prank, I see;))