c a l u m:

The only reason why I tolerated school was because I knew Gwen would be here. She was the reason for a lot of the things I did and while some people would deem me as some whipped boyfriend, I gave no flying fûcks. I could never admit it out loud to other people but Gwen meant so much to me that there wasn't a moment when I wasn't thinking about her. She made me happy.

At the back of the car park of the prison-- or school as some people call it, Michael and I sat on the curb smoking cigarettes. Its been stressful these last several days at work and we both were in dire need of something to relax the anxiety that threatened to eat us alive.

"I bet it's heroine," Michael guessed, taking a long drag of the death stick in his fingers.

"That's possible," I inhaled, "why do you think heroine?"

"Because it's worth ten percent more than the bricks we're distributing," Michael postulated, "besides, Fiora wants to control the trade in the nation. He can't be top dog unless he's part of the distribution of heroine."

"Your theory bodes well Mr. Clifford," I complemented, taking another puff of my cigarette that was close to being done. "But whatever this new import Fiora keeps mentioning has to be a big fücking deal since they're not keeping product in the warehouses."

"Whatever it is, we'll find out soon enough," Michael sighed, inhaling one last time before chucking the bud over his shoulder and into the vegetation behind us.

"You're not going to step on it?"

I lifted my gaze from Michael to the direction of the new voice entering our conversation. Gwen stood there looking as pristine as a china doll in her school uniform. Her long hair was kept out of her face with a pink, lace bow that became the final touches of a look so innocent.

My mind reverted back to the beginning of the school year when I first met Gwen. Still posh, clean cut, and the epitome of purity, the girl I declared mine, was a girl I wanted to corrupt. I wanted so bad to taint that little angelic image of hers and turn her against dickface Hemmings. But what I didn't know then, that I know now, is that Gwen is much stronger than I anticipated. She stood strong for her beliefs, no matter how stupid they were, and never once did she fall into peer pressure. Anything she did, like consuming alcohol last weekend, was all because she wanted to do it.

And that was hot as fück.

"You know, only you can prevent forrest fires," Gwen simply stated, taking a few steps in our direction, and I could smell that fruity perfume of hers that drove me nuts in a good way.

"Isn't that a quote from somewhere?" Michael raised his pierced brow and smirked at Gwen.

"Yogi the Bear," she answered without missing a beat. "But it doesn't really matter where the quote comes from, just as long as you understand why it's a quote in the first place."

"I have feeling you're going to tell me, princess?" Michael predicted.

I shoved him, "hey, leave calling the princess, princess to me, okay?"

"Sorry," Michael held his hands up in defense.

"Firstly Michael," Gwen sauntered right passed us and towards the bushes. With her head down, she began searching, "I'd never judge you. It's not in my character to dictate what people should and shouldn't do with their lives. But it's also in my character to look out for the best in others."

"Okay, princ--"

I scowled at Michael, immediately causing him to correct his words.

"--I mean Gwen," Michael continued, emphasizing the altered word, "what's your point?"

"My point is that lung cancer is scary," Gwen declared, turning back around with Michael's leftover cigarette in her fingers. "You're still young and you can still reverse the effects. But if you don't want to take my advice, which is totally okay, just please don't forget that sometimes your actions can affect others."

With that, Gwen plucked a leaf off of the bush behind her and held it on top of the cigarette. Moments later, the sparks from the stogie had burnt a hole in the leaf, evidence to Gwen's statement. She dropped the cigarette to the ground and stepped on it, digging the cancer stick into the concrete.

"My baby has a point," I sighed with a shrug, dropping my own cigarette and stomping on it too.

"You're such a whipped bitch," Michael grumbled underneath his breath, though I could still hear him clearly.

I stood up off the curb and held my hand out towards Gwen. She happily took it as I pulled her in closer to me. Leaving a quick kiss on her forehead, I draped my arm around her shoulder before leading her out of the car park and towards the main building of Mesa Vale. Yes, we got looks from every person on campus as we walked together but I didn't give a damn. They could all fück a cactus because I didn't care what any of them thought.

"You've got volunteer hours today after school, so should I just meet you at your locker?" Gwen suggested with a smile.

"Yea, about that..." I bit my bottom lip and scrunched up my face in guilt.

Gwen sighed, stopping mid-trek, "Calum, don't tell me you're ditching me. You know you need to complete these hours to graduate."

"I know," I kissed her quickly, hoping it'd ebb the blow, "but I have to work after school."

"Do you have to?" she asked, a slight pout to her lips. God, this girl, I swear was driving me mad.

"Yes, I do. I have to pay some bills off for my mom. I can't be late on those payments," I explained to her, hoping she'd understand if I brought up family.

"Calum, I don't want you doing that stuff anymore," she disclosed, "it's dangerous and I don't want you getting hurt."

"What was all that your were saying about not dictating other people's lives?" I brought up, "just let me be me."

Gwen shook her head, "not when it involves a risk on your life. Please don't do it. Baby, please."

She rarely calls me by any pet names and so when the word baby fluttered out of her delicate lips, I knew she meant business. I could see the concern glaze her eyes and it was for certain that Gwen was legitimately scared. To ease her nerves I cupped her face, a gesture that she loved and relied on to fade her anxiety.

"Babe, I need you to understand that while my job can be dangerous, it isn't always. The majority of the time I'm dropping off packages and picking up money. I interact with people for less than three minutes. I'm in and I'm out," I explained, my hands still lightly gripping her cheeks.

"But I'm still scared," she professed.

I leaned down and kissed her lips, "I'll be careful, I promise. I always am. I'll make it up to you."

Gwen bit her bottom lip in wonder. I could tell by the worry wrinkles on her forehead that she was deep in thought by the endless possibilities of what could happen to me. Her imagination was wild and free. For the most part it was inspiring, but on days like today, I knew she was thinking about me getting killed by rogue squirrels while on the job.

"Just keep me updated okay? Text me and let me know if things aren't okay," she negotiated.

I chuckled, "like if dolphins jump onto the dock and killing me?"

"Cal!" Gwen smacked me in the chest with a fit of giggles. "I'm sorry, but--"

"--your imagination is crazy baby girl," I interrupted. I quickly grabbed her hand, lacing our fingers together.

"Whatever," she rolled her eyes. "Let's go to class."

"But we gotta be careful," I started, prompting Gwen to gaze at me in curiosity, "killer raccoons might attack us on our way to Literature."

//

g w e n:

Right after school, and a twenty minute bus ride, I was hopping off of public transportation and making my trek into the Outreach Center. The moment I pushed the glass doors open, the cool air conditioning hit me and immediately I felt relieved after being exposed to such high, outside heat. It was quiet inside the building, I noticed, and there weren't too many kids running around the lobby as normal. Like always, Evan was seated behind the main counter, his eyes glued to the computer screen.

"Hey Evan," I greeted, approaching the counter with a smile.

Evan looked up from the computer to give me a grin. It was a grin made of the world's joy and even though I didn't deserve it due to Calum's behavior, Evan never failed to give me one of his million dollar smiles.

"Hey there Gwen," Evan waved, "how was school?"

"Alright," I shrugged, "honestly, it wasn't eventful at all so I'm hoping to get a little excitement from here. But from the looks of it," I paused, gesturing at the empty lobby, "that there isn't much going on today."

"Yea, I know," Evan agreed with a chuckle. "Both the art and basketball classes have been cancelled. The flu or something is going around, so you might want to stock up on the vitamin-C."

"Yes, sir, I will," I mused. "So what exactly will we be doing today?"

"Well it's kind of okay that the art class is cancelled today. The paints and other supplies are low so this gives us a chance to restock the classroom."

"Sounds like a plan," I agreed. "I'll just go put my things into the locker and I'll come back."

I blissfully turned on my heel and proceeded my trek towards the employee and volunteer break room. I waved to the passing volunteers and smiled to the kids who were at the center that day. Through one of the brightly-lit halls was a door propped open-- a door that led to a room where I didn't spend much of my time in.

Tables, chairs, a refrigerator, and microwave were just some of the break room essentials at the center, and against one wall were a line of double stacked lockers. Number three was where I stored my belongings-- the locker right above Evan's. After stuffing my school bag and sweater into the space, I slammed it shut, causing the rattle to echo through out the empty room.

Once deeming myself ready to aid Evan in restocking art supplies, I headed back to the lobby to meet up with the boy. Upon my approach, he smiled up at me with gleaming eyes.

"Ready?" He asked.

"All ready," I grinned, "I'll follow your lead."

Evan walked around the counter to meet me at my feet. He gestured from another hallway opposite of the break room and sauntered towards it. Following suit, the two of us walked side by side.

"Isn't Calum supposed to be here?" Evan questioned, taking a moment to glance at me.

"Yea, but he had to go to work," I wasn't going to lie, but there was no way I was going to tell the entire truth. Calum was indeed at work-- but his line of duty, was not going to slip passed my tongue.

"I didn't know he had a job," Evan noted, seemingly quite impressed with this new information.

"He helps his mom pay for bills and stuff, so yea," I rushed my answer, wanting to move forward with this subject. I had hoped Evan got the idea, and while he did sense my desire to latch onto a different topic other than Calum's job, he didn't exactly leave the realm of Calum himself.

"Is everything good with you two? Like, you guys are an actual thing?" Evan's statement came out like a question. Like the kind of question you knew the answer to but your tone was laced with so much hope in wishing it weren't true.

"If you're going to judge our relationship, please don't," I pleaded, ceasing my movements and causing Evan to stop his steps too. "Just trust my decision and know I'm making the right choice with Calum."

"I didn't mean to offend you by asking," Evan quickly responded, his facial expression genuinely spiked with guilt. "I just-- I trust you. I just don't trust him so much."

"He's edgy--"

"--edgy?" Evan interrupted with a scoff, "Gwen, he's a grade-A criminal d-bag. I'm not so sure he has your best interest at heart."

"What makes you think you're entitled to tell me that?" I was growing frustrated, as my eyebrows slowly narrowed in on the boy I was normally so buddy-buddy with.

"Gwen, you're here for how many more months? Three?" Evan continued, "then what happens next? You fly back home to America, graduate high school and attend university leaving Calum here. What makes you so sure he'd be committed into something long term, let alone long distance?"

"I haven't thought that far ahead," I admitted, "but what's wrong with that?"

"Coming from you Gwen, a lot is wrong with that," Evan answered with a small chuckle. "You're Gwen Guzman. You have a ten-year plan that involves changing the world and I'm not so sure Calum is mature or ready to grow with you and help you on that journey."

"Look, I do have a plan. Or maybe I don't anymore. I don't know. But what I do know, is that life is precious," I declared, "and I know you know that. We both lost someone several months ago so you should understand that the future is never guaranteed."

Evan opened his mouth to speak, but I didn't let him.

"I don't know what's going to happen when I go back home to the U.S. but why should I let the unknown stop me from enjoying the present-- enjoying my moments with Calum because believe it or not, that so-called grade-A d-bag," I air quoted, "makes me incredibly happy. So just let me enjoy it while I still can and I'll figure out the future when it comes."

Evan didn't have anything else to say after my testimony. He simply let out a deep breath before giving me a sweet smile. He gave me a reassuring rub on the shoulder, a gesture so simple, yet meant a million different things. I liked how Evan was understanding-- a trait that Calum often had difficulties with.

"Sorry," Evan apologized, his hands up in defeat, "let's drop the subject of Calum altogether and talk about other things... like," he paused, taking a moment to contemplate with pursed lips, "pasta."

"Pasta?" I raised a brow, a giggle escaping my lips. I followed Evan who continued walking through the hall and towards a heavy, metal door.

"Yea, pasta," he reiterated confidently. "It's my favorite food and I haven't found a place in Sydney that makes it as good as my favorite Italian place in San Diego."

"Well you know what that means," I stated, walking through the door and descending down the steps in the stairwell, "it means before we have to depart Sydney, we are officially on a mission to find the best pasta place."

"I like the sound of that," Evan beamed, pulling out a set of keys from his pocket. He inserted a gold key into the handle, twisting it till a click echoed through out the stairwell.

I darted my eyes around the vicinity, shuddering in realization of how eerie this place was. I never came down the back stairwell that led to the basement because there was never a need for me to do so. I was always in the lobby, or in one of the classrooms helping out the kids that came through. Restocking supplies was always left for Evan or other volunteers.

"I know, I know, it's really creepy down here," Evan sensed my discomfort, as he too, took in the dim lighting and concrete walls. "But at least you're not alone."

Evan pushed open the door of the basement and the two of us walked in. He flicked on a switch, causing the area to be lit up with a bright, yet still equally as creepy fluorescence. The basement was filled to the brim with unopened boxes, shelves of art supplies, and even a crate of new tennis balls.

"So what do we need?" I asked, ready to push pass the creepiness of the basement. I also just wanted to grab whatever the heck we needed and jet out of there.

"We need a few bottles of paint, brushes, and sketch books. Grab an empty crate over there," Evan pointed to a stack of dark blue crates off to the side, "and grab a bottle of each paint color from there," he pointed to a shelf on the opposite side of the basement where rows upon rows of sealed bottles of paint resided.

I nodded my head and followed his orders. I walked away from Evan, leaving him to grab whatever else we needed while I proceeded to pick up an empty crate. With it in my hands, I sauntered over to the shelf of paints. As I grabbed a bottle of pink, purple, red, and green, I heard a faint breathing from somewhere in the room.

I turned over my shoulder, expecting Evan to be behind me, however when I did, he was in a whole different area of the basement near other shelves. It was odd to me, but I disregarded the sound. It was most likely just my mind playing games with me-- a self-fulfilling prophecy of fright while being in a creepy basement. So I went back to filling up my crate with the wide range of paint colors. Until it happened again, and I swore I heard crying.

CRASH.

I dropped the crate onto the cold, concrete floor, causing the bottles of paint to hurdle with it. I let out a shriek, my heart palpitating rapidly, and I ran towards Evan who had a look of confusion on his face. I ran around him, using his body as a barricade as I tried to observe the paint supply area from a far distance.

"Gwen, what's going on? Why are you so scared?" Evan quickly asked, turning his head over his shoulder to catch a glimpse of my frightened state. "Did you see a bug?"

"This place isn't... haunted, is it?" I gazed up at Evan with worrisome etched upon my face. "Because I swear I heard something--"

I shuddered at the thought.

"This is an old building, renovated several times to fit each owner's need. If it is haunted," Evan began, "which I'm not so sure it is, then it would make sense as the building and land does have a long history."

"Are we al-almost done h-here?" I stammered, clearly still spooked about the whole situation. "I wanna get out of this place."

"Yea, just hang tight. I'll go grab those paint bottles that you dropped and we'll be out of here in less than two minutes," he promised.

I nodded my head, finally letting go of the grip I had on Evan that I didn't know I had. I watched, cowering in the corner, as Evan went over to the same exact spot I was in. Bending over he picked up the bottles of paint and neatly put them into the crate. As he did however, I noticed a slight jump to his mannerisms. When he turned around, his face was pale and his eyes were wide but full of curiosity. I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could utter a single word, Evan had spoken first.

"I just heard crying,"

//

So what are YOUR theories? What do you think Gwen and Evan are hearing in the basement of The Outreach Center?? I wanna know your thoughts!

Also, sorry for the lack of updates in the last two weeks. I've been crazy busy but I should be back to regular updates. THANKS to everyone for reading my story! RUN BABY RUN is at 53K+ views and 1.8K votes! That's so amazing and I'm sincerely so proud and excited!! THANKS for reading, for voting, and for commenting!!! Please don't forget to share this story to your friends too! :)