g w e n:

Calum was missing in action for almost two weeks.

It wasn't just skipping out on school or his hours at the Center-- he couldn't be traced. It started with missed calls and texts, then his phone was completely shut off. I don't know if Calum forgot to pay for his phone bill or if he was completely ignoring me. I honestly thought things were moving forward between him and I; I thought we could actually be friends.

I was legitimately worried about Calum. You could say that I cared for the dark haired, troubled soul and I wouldn't deny it. He could be sweet and gentle when he wanted to be and it was that kind of feeling that drove the hope in me. I can't fix something that's not broken. Calum wasn't broken; just chipped and I had the piece of tape to mend the crack.

"How's desk duty? Enjoying it?" Evan asked as he plopped his bottom down on the empty rolling chair next to me.

"It's really relaxed, but I do miss teaching the kids," I looked at Evan with a smile. My eyes were beginning to cross from staring at a computer screen all day. "Especially Lauren, there's a lot of things we need to catch up with."

"You didn't hear?" Evan gave me a quizzical expression.

"Hear what?" I questioned, spinning the chair completely in his direction.

"Her older brother Ashton got jumped and has been in the hospital for the past week. Officials just moved him to a detention center," Evan informed. His voice was at a whisper, careful that his words weren't heard by anyone else. I assumed that this information wasn't meant for the public and I made a note to keep it a secret myself.

"Oh, that's terrible. That explains why Lauren hasn't been here in almost two--"

"Two what?" Evan raised a brow, eyeing me in confusion as he waited for the rest of my sentence. "Gwen, are you alright?"

"Can you access volunteer files on this thing?" I hastily asked, pointing to the large computer on the desk.

"Uh yea I can. But that's kinda unethical and against the rules," Evan explained with a cautious tone. His light eyes bore into mine as he tried to search for some kind of justification for my sudden criminal intent.

"Do you think you could bring those files up for me?" I asked him earnestly. I bit my bottom lip and laced my fingers in hope as I watched Evan mull over my request.

"May I ask why?"

"Calum,"

"What about him? Gwen, he's bad news. You shouldn't get caught up in his business," Evan persuaded, but his attempts to sway me away from Calum faltered.

"He's my friend Evan and I want to make sure he's okay," I explained. "Evan, you and I both came to Australia with the goals to aid those who are lost. I have the map and Calum needs it. Please help me?"

Evan gazed at me for a moment, not uttering a single word. Finally he sighed, rolling his chair closer to the computer, "fine, I'll help you."

"Oh my gosh!" I whooped, "thank you so much!"

"On one condition," Evan suddenly added, holding up a finger. "You let me take you out to dinner tomorrow night."

Whoa, did not expect that.

I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. I just sat staring at Evan with the utmost confusion. I had completely missed the memo that this boy who I've known for several years, felt something for me. Then again, when we met he was in a relationship and when he wasn't, I was with Ryan. Evan was always a nice boy and good looking too. We had the same values and I guessed time was never on our side, except for now.

"What do you say Gwen? Dinner with me tomorrow? I'll even get you dessert," Evan smirked playfully.

Why the heck not?

I nodded, "I'll go to dinner with you."

"You won't regret it Gwen, I promise," he confidently declared before giving me a wink.

Evan inched closer to the computer again as I scooted out of his way. His fingers grazed the keyboard, typing and clicking away at different folders. I observed the tech-savvy boy as he seamlessly found a folder full of files.

"Right there," I breathed, pointing at the screen, "Hood. Calum."

Evan double clicked the file, the document opening up before our eyes. Calum's personal information was at my fingertips and I was itching to keep reading past the information I needed. I tapped at the down arrow key, scanning through Calum's file. I learned that his middle name is Thomas, that he has an older sister, and lived with his mother. He had no allergies, but had quite a criminal record.

"Wow," Evan breathed, his eyes trailing the long list of petty crimes. I moved the page up to the top, uncomfortable with Evan reading Calum's file. Then again I was looking at it too, but I had a good reason. Evan was just being nosy.

"Hand me a pen and that pad of paper please?" I held out my hand towards Evan who placed a pad of post-its and a blue pen onto the palm of my hand. "Thanks."

Evan watched me as I jotted down the address on Calum's file before exiting out of the official document. Grabbing my school bag that was underneath the desk, I pushed the rolling chair backwards.

"Where you going?" Evan asked, even though he already knew the answer.

I stood up from the chair, "you saw what I was writing down."

Evan didn't answer. I was right, he knew exactly my intentions and exactly why I was in a rush to leave.

"Do you want a ride to his house?" Evan offered. I placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him a reassuring smile.

"I'll be fine. The bus will do. Thanks for all your help Evan. I'll see you tomorrow night."

"Be careful Gwen," Evan advised, bidding me a goodbye. I nodded my head as a promise before turning on my heel.

I walked out into the setting sun, heading towards the bus stop right outside of the center. A short five minutes later, a huge white bus pulled up to the curb, its double doors opening. A few people stepped out of the vehicle before I walked in, sliding my bus card into the electronic pay system. I took a seat towards the back of the somewhat crowded bus, twiddling my fingers in anxiety.

I don't know what came over me because this sudden urge to go to Calum's house was something I could never see myself doing. This whole trip could be a travesty because he may not even be home. I could just be knocking on a door with no one on the other side, leaving me to walk away with no answers. But I had hope, and God did I have a lot of it. I didn't know how else to live my life without having copious amounts of hope in me.

It was all I had to keep going.

I was on the bus for almost 45 minutes, arriving in another part of Sydney. The bus was virtually empty by the time it pulled off to the side near a quaint subdivision. I thanked the bus driver as I exited, crossing my arms over my chest. The sun was fully set, and with the maps app open on my phone, I walked alone towards Calum's home.

The neighborhood, I noticed, was not how I expected it to be. It reminded me of my own back in the states. I didn't want to be judgmental, but looking at Calum you would think that he lived in a low-income neighborhood. This however, was upper middle class. I was still getting to know Calum, but he couldn't complain about his home-- not when the two story house that loomed before me, exuded such warmth.

I rang the doorbell, bouncing on the balls of my feet as I waited for a response. The porch lights were on and not a moment too soon did the door open wide to reveal an older woman.

She smiled, an identical, sweet grin that Calum rarely showed, "may I help you?"

"Um, is Calum home?" I asked, my voice losing a few decibels due to nerves. The woman smiled again and nodded her head.

"Are you a friend of my son?"

"Yes ma'am I am. We're classmates and we both volunteer at the Outreach Center together. He hasn't been answering my calls so I got kind of worried," I expressed. The woman, who happened to be Calum's mom, seemed to listen to every word I said. She sighed, a wave of concern flushing over her.

"I'm sorry sweetie," she gave me an genuine, apologetic look. "He hasn't been feeling too well."

"Oh," my face fell, "is he sick?"

"Sick, sad, something. He doesn't talk to me," the poor woman looked tired and heartbroken, as she spoke about her son. "But what teenaged boy talks to their mum anyway?"

"I'm really sorry to hear that. I'm sorry to bother you Mrs. Hood. Can you just let Calum know that I was here? My name is Gwen," I introduced.

She opened her mouth to speak, but the words that filled my ears did not belong to her. Instead, both of our attention drifted over to the figure who stood at the landing of the staircase.

"Gwen, what the hell are you doing here?" Calum angrily asked, taking the last few steps of the stairs. He looked utterly distressed, disheveled and whatever was stressing out the tattooed boy, it made him look five-times older.

"Honey, that's no way to speak to her," his mother reprimanded.

"Go home Gwen," Calum sneered, ignoring his mom. He pushed passed her, grabbing onto the door and glared at me. "Bye Gwen. I'll see you at school."

Calum was closing the door in my face despite his mother's attempts to stop him. I wasn't done with him, and although I was ready to leave his doorstep without any answers, catching glimpse of a boy so worn out, only wanted me to find out why.

"Will I Cal?!" I exclaimed, just before the door could fully shut.

"Excuse me?" the door creaked open again, Calum's head peaking out. His eyes narrowed in on me.

"Will I see you at school Calum? Because I expected you to be at school; I expected you to be at the center; I expected you to answer my texts and calls but I got nothing. Aren't we friends?"

Calum turned to look at his mom, who stood with a concerned expression dripping from her face. He stepped outside with me, slamming the front door behind him.

"It's a bad idea," he told me, "us being friends I mean."

"So you taking me to climb the bridge, and wanting to volunteer with me was, what? Spending time with an enemy?" I was growing frustrated with the boy and I almost lost sight of why I was trying so hard with him. "Don't tell me you hated it, because I'm pretty sure you enjoyed it just as much as I did."

"You don't fücking understand Gwen! We can't be friends! You're mind is in a stupid fairytale and being a part of my life is not some Disney story. You're going to fücking get hurt,"

"Are you scared of having a friend? Are you scared that I'm going to end up like Ashton Irwin?"

Calum teetered, taken aback by the words he didn't expect to fall out of my mouth, "how'd you know about that?"

"His sister hasn't been to the Center in almost two weeks. The same amount of time that you've been missing," I revealed with a shrug. Calum looked impressed that I was able to figure out a connection between him and the little girl I spent my afternoons counseling.

"Well since you're so good at playing detective, why don't you go play Sherlock at home," Calum hissed, flecks of ire in his voice. He sounded offended almost, and I was confused to what he was feeling. I couldn't read him and I wished I had the senses to do it.

"Why are you pushing me away? I thought you wanted to be friends?"

"Well you thought wrong Gwen. So go home to your bestest buddy Luke Hemmings. Go back to your Center and spend time with good samaritans. Go save the world or something. Just stay the fûck away from me!" Calum's shoulders heaved up and down, his fists clenching tightly at his side. He turned away from me, grasping onto the door handle and pushing it open.

I didn't know what else to say. He was pushing me away and I didn't understand why. He has yet to give me a legitimate reason and I felt as if he was avoiding it. Calum was giving me bull answers; yelling at me like he's trying to scare me away. But I didn't just have hope in me. I was resilient too. My mother called it being hard-headed, but I just saw it as persistency.

"You can't scare me off you know,"

Calum ceased his movements, his hand still clutching onto the door knob. His forehead rested against the door and I heard him let out a drawn out sigh. He slowly turned his head curtly to look over his shoulder in my direction.

"Baby dumpling why do you care so much?"

"Because we're friends, and I care about my friends," I simply answered.

"You're going to make me regret this," Calum stated with a chuckle, his body fully facing me.

"Regret what?"

"Letting you into my life,"

//

So what does everyone think about this chapter? What about Calum and the mystery behind pushing Gwen away? Unfortunately for him, he can't get rid of her that fast. Something's drawing her into him and I wonder why? Hmmm.

Anyways, if you liked this chapter please do VOTE, COMMENT and SHARE it with all your friends. This story is almost at 2K so let's make it happen? Thanks so much for reading my story guys! Love you!

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