Kryptonite

Chapter 4: Simple

C A L U M

"Stacy, please let go." I sighed, trying to take off her hand from my wrist. She was persistent. "Don't fight with me, Calum. Just tell me the truth!"

"I did!" I raised my voice. She tightened her grip, making me wince. "I don't believe you," Stacy mumbled.

"Well, that's your problem. I don't know why you keep asking about it when Luke and I are in fact not dating!" I yanked my arm away from her, massaging at the abused skin. "Why don't you just ask Luke, anyway?"

"I did. He said the same thing as you." Stacy ran a hand through her hair, letting out a sigh. It was obvious she was desperate to get the answers she wanted to hear, so much so that she pulled me into a janitor's closet.

I had come earlier to campus today because I had been planning to finish the homework that I accidentally left in my locker yesterday, but since Stacy decided it would be a great idea to interrogate me, I guess I won't be able to do it after all.

"You like him, don't you?" I decided to do my own bit of questioning.

The ginger haired girl scoffed, not being able to look me in the eye. "No, I don't."

"Yeah, you do, don't you?" I pestered, although I pretty much knew what the answer was.

Stacy had enough, apparently. "You know what? Screw you, Hood. I don't know why I even bothered." She left the janitor's closet, just like that.

I bit my lip, feeling a bit guilty but I didn't know why. The moment I stepped out of the janitor's closet in a hurry, still hoping to get some work done before homeroom, I bumped into someone. "Oh, sorry, I--Calum?"

"Hey." I smiled at Luke, adjusting my glasses. Before I could ask him if he'd seen Stacy, he spoke up again. "We've been looking for you. Where were you?"

"I was, uh, in the janitor's closet." My eyebrows scrunched together, realizing how weird it was to say that out loud.

"And why were you in a janitor's closet?" Luke asked slowly, narrowing his eyes in curiosity.

I looked down the hallway, but Stacy wasn't anywhere to be seen. "Stacy kind of dragged me inside."

"Stacy Hills? Girl with ginger hair?" Luke asked. I nodded.

"Why did she drag you into a janitor's closet?"

"She just asked some questi-"

"She didn't, like, force you to kiss her or anything, right?"

"Luke!" My mouth fell open. "No! Ew, what the hell?!"

"What? You never know!"

"I do know. She was asking about you, i***t. Well, about us, actually. But basically the entire school knows I'm gay, why would you even think that she'd take me into a janitor's closet to make-out?"

Luke has known I was gay since the beginning of our friendship. He said it was absolutely fine and that he accepted me for who I was. Now that I thought about it, Luke's never seriously talked about his sexuality. From what I know he's straight, he's slept with different girls already so he definitely doesn't find them unappealing, but maybe he's bisexual? I never really pried. I'm sure if Luke was ready to tell me, he would.

"What did she ask you?" Luke had on his usual outfit, black jeans and some random shirt. I could smell the mixture of smoke and his cologne radiating from his body. He wasn't the most fashionable when it came to his clothes, but even just looking at him would give you an idea as to why people found him attractive.

"She asked if we were a couple. In her defense, she probably wasn't the only one wondering, so I didn't really mind it at first. Then, she started saying that I was lying. In all honesty, Luke, I think she likes you." I said. I expected a greater reaction from Luke, but all he gave me was a dull look.

"Yeah, she told me."

"She told you?" The shock was evident on my face. Luke seemed unbothered, nodding his head. "Yeah, a year ago. She mentioned it while we were at some random house party. She tried to kiss me, too. I stopped her, told her it wouldn't work out."

"Huh. Weird. Usually from the stories you and Ashton have told me, you don't really turn a girl down if they promise s-" Luke covered my mouth before I could go on.

"While that may be true, and remember, I said that it may be true," I couldn't help but roll my eyes at that, but Luke continued. "I only say yes to girls who are looking for a temporary thing. You get what I mean?"

I nodded, waiting until he dropped his hand before I said, "So, really, you just hook-up with girls looking for one-night stands?"

"I tried sugarcoating it for you." He sighed. I laughed just to annoy him even more.

"So, why not Stacy?" I asked. Luke and I had began to walk as he answered, "She said some things about someone which were really offensive. I didn't like her from the start, and that just confirmed it. The next day, she acted like nothing happened. It was perfectly fine with me."

"Who did she offend?" I asked, seeing our classrooms coming into view.

"Someone who shall remain nameless." Luke grinned goofily at his reply.

"Come on, tell me? Please?" I gave him my best puppy face, widening my eyes and jutting out my bottom lip. "Aw, come on! That's not fair!" He huffed, staring at me. I held the look longer, staring up into his eyes since he was a few inches taller than me. I basically came up a few inches above his chin.

He caved. "Okay, I'll tell you. You just have to promise not to make it a big deal." I nodded eagerly, waiting for him to continue. "She was saying stuff about this person I kind of like and-

My eyebrows shot up. "You actually like someone? Why have you not told me this? I thought I was your best friend." I crossed my arms like a child. Luke immediately said, "You are! It's just, not a big deal, that's all. I did say kind of."

"I still can't believe you're only telling me now. You actually like someone." I poked him teasingly, Luke sighing in exasperation.

"Cal, it's not a big deal."

"I know, I know. But it could be. I mean, if they like you back, you might get a girlfriend that lasts for more than a month!" I gasped in faux shock.

Luke narrowed his eyes at me. "Okay, are you mocking me or-"

"I'm not mocking you! I'm just excited at the prospect." I grinned.

"Whatever you say." Luke chuckled, tapping my nose before turning around. "I'll see you later!." He walked off, waving goodbye.

L U K E

The person I was referring to was Calum.

Obviously, it was Calum. That's why I hadn't used the word she, because Calum's technically not a she.

I really thought he'd figure it out.

Michael was sat beside me, a to-go cup of coffee on his desk. Though we had most of our classes together, our homeroom classrooms were different. Right now, I was beyond thankful for that.

I told Michael about the whole thing. He seemed trustworthy to me, that and Ashton told me Michael was a person you could rely on.

Michael thought what I did was a good plan, for some reason.

"It's a great plan! Since you don't want to let him know directly, then just give a few subtle hints. Calum's smart--either he figures it out, or you see if he acts jealous in the near future."

"I don't know. He seemed pretty oblivious. Plus, he was so excited at the idea that I might get a girlfriend." I sighed, sinking into my arm chair.

"Did you say it was a girl?" Michael asked, I shook my head. Michael's face lit up. "This could work. Don't tell him it's a girl, maybe it'll tip him off."

"What if he just asks if it's a boy?"

"Then tell him yes. You could, I don't know, actually tell him about your feelings. Why don't you just act on your emotions?"

"We've been friends for years. In all those years, he hasn't shown any real signs saying that he liked me back. Me acting on my feelings could potentially make things worse. It'll come to the point where he won't be able to even look at me without feeling awkward."

"Ashton told me before that Calum isn't interested in anyone at the moment. Why don't we make him fall for you?" Michael grinned, doing jazz hands.

"You're joking, right?"

"I'm actually quite serious. We'll call this mission Project M.F.E.O."

"What's M.F.E.O?"

"Made For Each Other." Michael sighed dreamily, placing his chin on the top of his palm.

I've only known Michael for a short period of time. Yet he's become one of the weirdest people I know.

I thought about it for a moment.

"I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but what exactly will I have to do?"

He seemed all too pleased at the fact that I cooperated so quickly. "Glad to see you have an open mind. For this week, just basically try being flirty with him, see how he responds. Don't overdo it, though."

"Seems simple enough."

Was it, though?