Forever

05/08/2023

Prompt: Write a love story that starts with an argument or breakup.

—

Why are you being like this? 

What are you so afraid of? 

Why do you even care? 

Can’t you see? 

How do you know what I deserve? 

Best friends forever, remember?

It’s over…

1 Month Ago

Calum’s eyes lit up when Kara walked into class. As Kara scanned the room, looking for her best friend, her eyes suddenly settled on his. With a smile, Calum patted the plastic chair next to him, signaling to Kara that he saved her a seat. Kara returned his warm smile as she made her way over. 

“What took you so long? I had to fight off the freshmen to save you a chair,” Calum informed Kara with dramatic flair, as if the act had been very heroic on his part. 

“Sorry,” Kara apologized as she flounced into the seat next to Calum, resting her arms on the tabletop as she said, “I got caught up in English class. I stayed after to talk to Mrs. Ronson about our next assignment, then I had to wait for Jesse to finish talking to his friends in the band hall so I could see him before I sprinted to class…”

Calum always tuned out when Kara droned on about Jesse. He knew she didn’t mean anything by it. Jesse was her boyfriend after all. It’s not like she even knew that Calum had any type of feelings for her. He had been absolutely head over heels for her since the first day they met. No big deal. He pushed down the little voice in the back of his mind that reminded him that Kara was in fact dating a class-A jerk and wasn’t remotely interested in him. Letting his thoughts run wild, Calum didn’t realize Kara was speaking to him. 

“Huh?” Calum said dumbly, refocusing his attention on Kara. 

“Sorry, I was rambling again wasn’t I?” Kara laughed sheepishly as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Anyway, I was saying that your bold heroism has not gone unnoticed. I am forever in your debt for this chair.” Kara gave Calum a charming smile with her one-of-a-kind Kara flare that Calum loved so much. 

“It was my honor, milady.” Calum smiled back at Kara as he winced internally. Milady? Seriously? But much to Calum’s relief, Kara didn’t seem to notice the cheesy line. She always had a way of allowing Calum to be himself, and unfortunately that sometimes involved revealing his nerdy stream of consciousness when he spoke to her. But Kara always accepted him, quirks and all. 

Art class was Calum’s favorite part of the day. Since he and Kara were the only seniors in the class, their teacher let them do any projects they wanted, including helping her with some painting projects for the school. This meant that Calum and Kara got to leave the classroom and work on the hallway murals. It was always just the two of them, two best friends who shared a passion for art, getting out of class, and most importantly goofing off together. 

“I finally listened to that Avenged Sevenfold album you lent me,” Kara said as she applied a fresh coat of bright orange to the wall with her broad paintbrush. “I surprisingly enjoyed it! I also plan to burn copies of the Imagine Dragons and Lumineers albums you gave me.”

Calum looked down at Kara from the ladder he was currently standing on, a safe spot for him to admire her from before he replied, “Oh yeah? Nice. I always knew there was an alternative rock girl in you. Glad you liked them.”

Kara and Calum talked like this every morning: about music, movies, life, and of course anything hilarious. If they weren’t joking around or giving each other a hard time - as best friends often do - something was seriously wrong with the world.

As Calum scaled back down the ladder, he could hear Kara snickering. When he reached the bottom rung and looked up at her, he saw that she had a hand over her mouth as she tried to contain her laughter. 

“What?” Calum asked, wondering if Kara pulled some prank on him that he wasn’t aware of. 

“Oh, nothing, nothing,” Kara giggled before adding, “I like your hair. Orange looks great on you.”

Calum’s hand flew to his head, and sure enough, there was orange paint on his fingertips. He didn’t notice that he brushed his hair against the wall on his way down the ladder. 

Oh man, how embarrassing. 

As he wiped the paint off his head, Calum decided it was a perfect opportunity to get Kara back for laughing at him. 

“Well at least paint comes out of hair. It doesn’t wash out of clothes though…” Calum sucked air in between his teeth, wincing as he gestured to Kara’s shirt sleeve. 

“Oh no!” Kara groaned as she looked down at her arm, expecting a glob of orange paint to render her new blouse destroyed. 

“Gotcha,” Calum said smoothly, lifting his eyebrows as he said it. His classic made-you-look scheme was a success, and he was pretending to be cool and smug about it. “That’s for laughing at my new hairstyle,” he added.

Kara laughed and playfully punched Calum’s arm. “You got me.” 

After the paint shenanigans, Calum and Kara continued to work while they talked about weekend plans, prom, and - Calum’s least favorite topic - Jesse. As much as he hated to hear about him, he knew it was a small price to pay to get to spend time with Kara and talk to her. Although it did get tiresome at times to be her relationship counselor when all he wanted to do was tell her to be with him instead. 

After class, they made their way down the hall, passing the head cheerleader as they rounded the corner. When she was out of earshot, Kara nudged Calum in the arm and said, “There’s your crush. Have you asked her to prom yet?”

“Please,” Calum snorted, “Like she would ever say yes. Plus, I don’t think I’m going to go.”

“What?! Why not?” Kara demanded, mouth agape in false surprise. “How could you want to miss out on a romantic evening in the poorly lit and cheaply decorated high school gym as the DJ overkills sub-par pop songs and you dance arm length apart? I mean if you were looking for a perfect night to find love, this is definitely going to be it.” Kara joked in a mock serious tone. 

“Well, when you put it that way…” Calum trailed off, giving Kara a skeptical grin. “I think I’m just going to sit this one out.” Besides, there’s only one person I’d want to go with…man she sure is beautiful.

“What did you say?” Calum was snapped out of his reverie by Kara, who must have heard him mumble “beautiful” out loud by accident. 

“I, um….I mean yeah, Jessica is beautiful, but I think she’s got a date and probably doesn’t even know I exist.” Nice save, slick. Oh brother. 

“Well, there are plenty of fish in the sea, so they say,” Kara said absentmindedly, changing the subject. She went into great length about her prom plans, and as always, Jesse. As they walked through the double doors, Calum saw Jesse down the hall, waiting for Kara by her locker. His unwelcoming sneer signaled to Calum that he should head to his next class. 

“I’m going to dip out,” Calum announced as Jesse approached them with a demeaning stare. 

“Oh, okay,” Kara said, turning her gaze from Calum to Jesse as he made his way closer. “I’ll catch you later then.” 

Calum watched as Kara walked over to meet her grim faced boyfriend. He gave her a quick passionless peck on the lips before putting his arm around her, giving Calum one last look of disapproval over his shoulder as they disappeared down the hall. 

“What a guy,” Calum muttered to himself as he ducked into Spanish. 

—

A few days later, Calum got a text from Kara. 

Kara: Hey! I’m having an emergency! Can u come by? It’s important 😬 😰

Calum: Oh hey! Yeah I can swing by

Kara: OMG you’re a lifesaver! Just let yourself in! Mom will be happy 2 c u! Lol

Calum: Lol ok cool, be right there

Calum lived on the outskirts of their small town, close to Kara. As he drove down the highway with the sunroof open and the windows down, he wondered what Kara’s emergency might be. Does she have something important to tell me? Does it have to do with her and Jesse? About her and me? Would I finally have a chance? 

He pulled up to the familiar house, took a deep breath and walked to the front door. After a short burst of knocks, Calum let himself in and made his way down the hall. When he reached the kitchen on his right, he found Kara’s mother at the table, writing down some recipes in her cookbook. 

“Hey Ms. G,” Calum greeted her from the entryway, his voice startling her.

“Oh, hi Calum,” Ms. G chuckled, flustered from being caught unaware. “It’s great to see you! How are you? How are Miriam and Marcus?”

“I’m fine, they’re fine,” Calum replied quickly before asking, “Is Kara here? She said she was having an emergency of some kind?”

“Oh yes,” Kara’s mother answered. “Although I wouldn’t consider a fashion emergency a real emergency.” She laughed to herself and informed Calum that Kara was upstairs. 

Calum’s heart sank as he made his way to Kara’s room. He mentally scolded himself for getting his hopes up.  

Kara’s door was open. She had her back turned to the door, currently studying two dresses laying on her bed. Her arms were crossed and her chin was resting on her hand, reminiscent of a famous pondering statue. She heard a light rap on the door and turned to see Calum standing there. 

“Oh good, you’re here!” Kara’s relief was apparent as she ushered him in. “I’ve got two options and I can’t decide,” Kara explained as she showed him the two prom dresses she now held, one in each hand. 

Calum flounced - a little too hard - onto the bed, trying to mask his disappointment as he tried to help Kara with her so-called emergency. It was clear that Kara was invested in this issue, and to her this was a serious Code Prom emergency, which was the most dire problem a teenage girl could have. 

“I can’t decide between simple or elegant,” Kara informed him. “I need a second opinion.”

“Umm, I mean, I don’t know anything about dresses,” Calum gave Kara a sheepish grin and a shrug. “Which one do you like?”

“I like both, that’s the dilemma!” Kara complained as she looked at each dress in turn. “Oh I know! How about I try them on and you pick the best one?”

Before Calum could reply, Kara bounded out the door to the bathroom down the hall. She returned in a short black dress. It was simple but lovely. Calum did his best to give her his opinion. 

“Yeah, I mean it’s cute and fun I guess?” 

“I don’t know,” Kara looked at her reflection with disapproval, “I think this one is too simple. Too boring.”

Kara darted to the bathroom before Calum could say anything to the contrary. He sat and waited for her to return, unable to get the image of Kara and Jesse at prom together out of his mind. Stupid Jesse. Stupid prom. Calum didn’t understand what the big deal was. And he was definitely not going to the prom just so he could pine over Kara while she danced the night away with him. 

Lost in his thoughts, Calum was taken aback when Kara returned wearing a blue dress. There was no comparison to the previous dress when he saw the way she glowed in the reflection of the mirror. It was a strapless vintage turquoise gown, and the layered tulle cascaded down to her feet. She looked like Cinderella on her way to the ball. Calum was at a loss for words. 

“I, um…wow. You look…” Calum stuttered, his face starting to burn as he tried to compose himself and find the right words. Luckily Kara wasn’t paying attention. She absentmindedly talked over him as she said, “I just can’t get the zipper up the last couple of inches. Do you mind?” Kara pulled her hair over her shoulder as she turned her back to Calum. 

Oh man. Okay you’ve really got to get a grip. Just be cool…

“Um…sure,” Calum rose from the bed slowly, cautiously making his way over to Kara, where she stood in front of her full length mirror, smoothing the front of her dress as she admired her reflection. With shaking hands, Calum grabbed the zipper on the back of Kara’s dress and slowly pulled it up, unaware that he was holding his breath the whole entire time. After what felt like a million years of agony, the impossible task was complete. Calum took a step back, letting out a silent sigh of relief as he steadied his hands and his breath. Kara spoke first, which bought Calum a little extra time to gather himself. 

“Thanks,” Kara said, a little shyly, as she turned to face him. “So…what do you think?”

You look absolutely stunning.

Clearing his throat, Calum managed to say, “I like it,” being careful not to let his unconscious thoughts slip out this time. “Yeah, this one’s definitely the winner.” Calum gave Kara a nervous smile. 

“I think so, too,” Kara smiled as she turned to give herself a final glance in the mirror. “Thanks for your help. I feel like a princess,” she said as she twirled. 

“No problem,” Calum said as he secretly admired her in her fairytale ball gown.

All she needs is a prince to kiss at midnight, Calum thought to himself, the image of Jesse ruining the fantasy for him. He was not a knight in shining armor. Far from it in Calum’s opinion. 

Kara clapped her hands together with excitement as she said, “Now I have to call Jesse and tell him I found my dress so we can coordinate colors! Thank you, really. I owe you one.”

“Anytime” Calum reassured her before saying, “Well, I guess I’ll get out of your hair then.”

“Oh,” Kara hesitated, only slightly. Calum must have imagined it. She glanced up from her phone mid-dial, her mind already a million miles away as she called Jesse to discuss prom plans. “Okay. If you’re sure.” 

“Yeah, I know you have a lot to do to get ready for your special night. I’ll catch you later.” Calum gave his best supportive smile as he made his way to the door. He turned to Kara and said, “For the record, you don’t owe me anything. This is what best friends are for.”

“I know,” Kara smiled warmly. “You’re the best.”

Kara had the phone to her ear as Calum mustered up the courage to say, “You really do look beautiful.” But she didn’t hear. She turned on her heel as she paced the room, waiting for Jesse to pick up on the other end of the line. “Hey babe! I wanted to talk to you about prom. I know what colors I’m wearing and…”

After stealing one last glance, Calum made his way down the stairs. He didn’t wait to hear more. He didn’t want to hear more. With that, Calum said goodbye to Kara’s mother and slipped out the front door. 

“...anyway, call me back when you get this message. Love you…bye.” Kara slumped onto her bed and sighed. Maybe Jesse will call me back later, she thought to herself as she fell back onto her pillow, eyes locked on the ceiling, lost in a melancholy trance as she waited for her prince to return her call. 

—

On Friday night, Calum sat in his room, clicking away at a computer game he wasn’t the least bit interested in. It was Prom Night, and he was spending it alone. He found himself staring through the screen at the wall, thinking about Kara in her dress, probably on her way to the dance right now. She looked utterly breathtaking when he saw her last week. And he couldn’t even tell her. He couldn’t get the image of her out of his head. Calum pictured Kara having the night of her life, and he wondered if there was such a world where there was no Jesse if he would have been the one dancing with her tonight. But he knew as long as there was a Jesse, he would never know. 

—

Kara was still waiting for Jesse to pick her up. He was an hour late. When he finally arrived, he didn’t even come to the door. Kara had to make up an excuse as to why her boyfriend didn’t have the decency to ask for her properly or to let Kara’s parents take their picture before they left for prom together. She just told her mom and dad that they were running late as it was and bolted out the door. 

As she made her way to Jesse’s truck idling on the curb, she tried to figure out what she would say to him. I can’t believe he’s late. I don’t know if it’s worth getting into…I don’t want to ruin the night.

The passenger door was locked when Kara tried to pull the handle. She had to bang on the window loudly over the blaring music to get Jesse’s attention. When she finally caught his eye, waving wildly with her hands through the window, he reached over - in no hurry whatsoever - to unlock and push the door open for her. Didn’t even get out to open the door for me. This is really romantic so far. Just like I pictured it, Kara thought sarcastically. 

“Hey babe,” Jesse said nonchalantly as Kara hoisted herself up into the pickup truck, gathering her dress up in her hands so it wouldn’t get stuck in the door as she slammed it shut. 

“Hey babe? That’s all you have to say?” Kara decided against holding her tongue. “ You’re an hour late, you don’t want to meet my parents, and you don’t even want to help me into the truck? Am I missing something here?”

“What’s the big deal? I lost track of the time. I didn’t want to make us even more late by getting out of the car. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to help you or meet your family. I just thought you’d be ready to get to the dance.” Jesse had a much too casual way of making big things seem trivial in Kara’s opinion. She wasn’t having it. She also made note that he had not tried to match her dress at all, and instead was sporting a red vest underneath his black tux.

Kara blinked hard before she said, “So you show up late, act casual about being really rude, and you fail to coordinate colors with me after I specifically told you what color I was wearing?” Kara scoffed as she fastened her seatbelt, folding her arms across her chest with her jaw clenched. “You know what? We can talk later. I’ve been looking forward to tonight and I don’t want it to get ruined. Just drive.”

Jesse’s demeanor instantly turned cold. His silence was just as dangerous as his words could often be, when they would get into bad arguments. But Kara didn’t care right now. She was on her way to prom.

—

As Jesse and Kara danced under the paper-mache decorations to a sub-par pop ballad, Kara’s mind was far away. She couldn’t help but wish that her best friend were there too. She probably would have had more fun dissing the popular girls who took the dance way too seriously or placing bets on who was going to spike the punch bowl with Calum. Jesse’s voice snapped her back to reality as they swayed back and forth, arms length apart, stiffly, none too romantically. The tension from the truck ride was still tangible in the air. 

“You seem distracted. What’s up?” Jesse’s tone signified a lot more than he was willing to say aloud in front of the whole school. I still don’t know why you’re mad at me. I showed up, didn't I? I’m here with you aren’t I? Why do you always do this? Why are you always so difficult? You better not ruin this for me or embarrass me in front of my friends. 

“Hmm? Oh nothing.” Kara decided it was best to choose her words carefully right now. Although there was one thing that still really bothered her. “I still think it’s a little funny that I gave you plenty of time in advance to get a matching tux and vest and you still didn’t even try to coordinate. I guess you don’t check your voicemails.” And I guess you also don’t care about anything that isn’t about you. Or band. Or being top of your class, Kara thought bitterly.  

“Are you still going on about that?” Jesse’s words were sharp. His disregard for her feelings always stung. Kara glared at Jesse before she responded, a slight smirk on her face. 

“The point is that you weren’t there when I needed you. You never even returned my call, and I realized that lately you don’t return many of my calls or tell me your plans or seem to want much to do with me. I had to ask Calum to help me pick out my prom dress—”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on. You asked Calum to help you with what?”

Now I’ve got your attention, don’t I? 

“You heard me,” Kara’s voice was none too kind. “I had to call on my best friend because you weren’t there. If you were then maybe I wouldn’t have had to ask for his help.” 

“I’m not okay with this,” Jesse said through gritted teeth, clearly trying hard to contain his anger. “I don’t like him spending time with you alone. I don’t trust him.” He had always felt threatened by Calum, even though he and Kara were just friends. Kara tried to convince him of that ever since they started dating. But to no avail, so it seemed. Kara chalked this up to Jesse’s infinite insecurities, and for this reason, she knew how to hit Jesse where it hurt. 

“I didn’t ask if you were okay with it,” Kara said in a low growl, “because it’s none of your business who I choose to be friends with.” She held Jesse’s gaze, urging him on, daring him to have a problem with it.  

“I gotta get out of here. Come on.” Jesse grabbed Kara’s arm and before she could protest, she was pulled out of the gym and towards the parking lot. He announced that he was taking Kara home. She didn’t object. Kara spent the whole ride home holding back tears as Jesse laid into her about her relationship with Calum. 

“I can’t stand the thought of him being close to you,” Jesse shook his head as he said, “I don’t want you to hang around him anymore.”

The words sent a shockwave through Kara’s body. She turned to Jesse in disbelief, eyes wide, mouth agape at the nerve he had to make such a bold declaration, especially after the way he had been acting all night.  

“What?! What on earth do you mean you ‘don’t want me to hang around him anymore?’ I told you it isn’t up to you—”

“If you’re going to continue dating me then it is up to me,” Jesse said with authority, as if his words were enough to lay the problem to rest. “It’s either me or him.” He was so calm and collected, already a different person than he was only a half hour ago as they were rushing out of the dance in an angry dash. He acted as if his request - more like a calm demand - was completely normal as he suggested that Kara wreck her lifelong friendship with Calum to be with him. She didn’t know what to say. He was asking for something that was equally unfair and impossible. 

When Jesse pulled up to the curb outside Kara’s house, she bolted out before he could stop her. She didn’t look back as she sprinted across the front lawn and up to the front door and into her room. Falling against her closed door, she sank to the floor and pulled her knees up to her chest as she began to sob. Cinderella spent the night crying alone in her bedroom in her fairytale dress. The clock hadn’t even struck midnight.  

— 

The next week at school, Kara was distracted and distant. Calum didn’t press her too much for details; he knew she would always come around in her own time and talk to him as she always did. She did at least inform him that prom was great and she was fine. Despite Calum’s feelings towards Kara being with Jesse, he was still happy to hear that she had the night of her dreams. At least the jerk didn’t ruin the night she had been looking forward to all semester. Calum knew she looked beautiful in the dingy high school gym dancing to sub-par pop songs. The image made him smile. Calum gave Kara space for the rest of the day, respecting whatever it was that she was going through, waiting for her to come around. 

When Calum got home from school, he felt a lingering suspicion that he couldn’t really place. His intuition told him that something was out of sorts with Kara when he saw her at school that morning. Being her friend for so long, he knew there was little she could keep from him. He could always hear the words she wouldn’t say aloud. Normally she would gush about things she was passionate or excited about to no end, and Calum would gladly listen to her as she poured her heart out to him. But she didn’t bother to share the details of her night at prom, and something just didn’t seem right about it. Going with his instincts, he decided to send Kara a message. 

Hey, r u sure ur ok? You seemed really down at school today. Did I do something wrong? I can give you more space if you need me to, I just wanted to check on you. 

Soon after Calum hit send, his phone lit up with a picture of him and Kara. Kara’s contact photo. Calum took a deep breath and answered the phone.

“Hello?” He said, unsure.

“Hey. I saw your text. I wanted to talk to you.” She sounded apprehensive. 

“No worries. What’s up?” Calum swallowed. 

“Well, I’m sure you guessed, but prom didn’t exactly go like I imagined it would. I just didn’t want to get into it at school in front of everyone, especially Jesse.”

So he couldn’t keep it together for just one night. Figures.

Calum balled his free hand into a fist, his fingernails digging into his palm as he did so. Although he wished it didn’t happen to her, he expected Jesse to ruin Kara’s special night.  

“Oh man…I’m so sorry Kara. I hate to hear that your night got ruined. Is there anything I can do?”

“Well, that’s the thing…” Kara paused a long time before she continued. “It sort of has to do with you…”

This got Calum’s full attention. How could prom night possibly have to do with me? His mind started racing, searching for any clue as to what Kara might say next, what he possibly could have done to interfere. 

“What do you mean?” Calum said carefully.

“Well…Jesse and I got into a pretty nasty fight…” She hesitated. 

“And?” Calum asked anxiously, the seconds passing agonizingly slow. 

“...He seems to be jealous of you or something, and…”

“And?” Calum urged Kara on. 

“...And he told me that I can’t talk to you or hang around you anymore.” 

Kara’s words rendered Calum speechless. He couldn’t believe what he had just heard. Surely not… After a few more moments of pure shock, he managed to sputter, “Wh— What? Seriously? That’s crazy, we’re just friends. He can’t do that. I mean—”

Calum stopped mid-sentence as the reality set in. What if he can?

It took the rest of Calum’s courage to ask Kara his next question. 

“You’re…not going to listen to him are you?” Calum gripped the phone tightly as he awaited Kara’s response. He was holding his breath. 

After a long pause, Kara finally said, “I…I don’t know…it’s complicated…”

Calum felt as if he had just taken a knife to the chest.

How could she even consider the idea of choosing Jesse over me? How could she throw away a lifetime of friendship for someone who doesn’t even appreciate her?

He weighed his options carefully before he spoke again, his mind swimming with a thousand questions and emotions. If he told her what he thought about her relationship with Jesse, she might push him away. If he told her how he felt about her, she might still push him away. As much as he hated his only option, it was the only scenario in which Kara wouldn’t be able to push him away. It was a sorry attempt to spare himself the pain of her walking away from him forever. 

“Is…Is this what you really want?” He managed to whisper, hanging his head in despair on the other end of the line. 

She sighed before she said quietly, “I’m…I’m not sure…”

In that moment, Calum knew that what he said next would free Kara of her burden, her dilemma of choice. He knew it was the right thing to do. He loved her so much. 

“Well, if it is, I won’t come between the two of you. I’ll stay away. I just want you to be happy, Kara. You’re my best friend,” Calum choked back emotion as he said, “Forever.” 

The pain in Kara’s voice was tangible as she begged, “Wait, please don’t go, not like this…” Calum could hear her quiet sobs on the other end of the line. 

“It’s okay, really,” Calum reassured her before hanging up. He sat there for a long time, staring at the phone in his hand. Just like that, his whole world had completely shattered. He realized that these could very well be the last words he ever got to say to her. He spent the night staring at the ceiling, wondering what was going to happen next, what he was going to do now. All he could think right now was that maybe forever didn’t last after all.

—

It had been a week since Kara and Calum had spoken. Kara avoided Calum in their shared classes, always rushing out of the room as soon as the bell rang. Calum tried to make himself as scarce as possible when he could. He stayed true to his word and kept his distance, until one day he saw Jesse and Kara fighting in the hallway. He didn’t have to be close to hear them yelling at each other. 

“I told you, I have band practice tonight after school and the guys wanted to grab dinner before,” Jesse said matter of factly, unphased by Kara’s annoyance at the fact he didn’t mention this to her before he picked her up for school and gave her no heads up that she no longer had a ride home. 

“No, you didn’t tell me,” Kara snapped back, visibly angry that Jesse was adamant that he told her. “In fact, you don’t seem to tell me a lot of things lately. I assume I’m not invited to dinner either. You know what?” Kara scoffed as she rolled her eyes, “Don’t worry about it. I’ll get a ride home.” Kara slammed her locker shut, clutching her books tightly in her arms until her knuckles turned white. She was about to walk away when Jesse slammed his fist against the locker next to her. He lowered his face to hers and spoke at a volume too low for Calum to hear. Kara looked equally shocked and frightened by Jesse’s outburst. 

“Don’t do that,” Jesse warned her. “You always act like this, freaking out about so many little things,” Jesse waved his fingers in her direction to signify how she ‘freaked out about so many little things.’ “I’m sorry, but I just wanted to catch up with my friends before we go to practice. It’s kind of a guys only thing, you know? Things have been really stressful and busy lately and I just wanted some time alone.”

Kara’s face was visibly crimson. “Oh, you’ve made it perfectly clear that you want to be left alone. I won’t bring it up again. Have fun with your friends,” Kara said coldly, bumping against Jesse’s shoulder as she stormed off down the hall. 

“I’ll call you tonight,” Jesse called after her, knowing full well he didn’t intend to call her. Not even a few moments later, he was chatting lightheartedly with his friends, as if nothing was out of sorts. And all Calum could do was watch from a distance. He was seething. Before his mind caught up with his movements, he was already striding quickly towards Jesse down the hallway.

Jesse didn’t even have time to register who grabbed his shoulder, spun him around, and sucker punched him straight in the nose before he toppled over to the floor. He covered his face with blood soaked hands and assumed the fetal position at Calum’s feet. 

When Jesse opened his eyes and realized who it was standing before him, he screamed, “What the hell is your problem?!” Within seconds Jesse was on his feet. He grabbed Calum by the collar of his shirt, his face not even an inch away from Calum’s. 

“You think you’re tough, huh?” Jesse turned his head and spat blood out of his mouth. “You just can’t stand it that I got her and you didn’t, can you?” 

His arrogant sneer was all it took. Calum grabbed Jesse’s shoulders and shoved him onto the ground. Jesse was pinned down as Calum threw punch after punch, blinded by his rage. His ears were ringing as he heard a familiar voice in the crowd. 

“Calum? Calum!” Kara screamed as she ran toward him, pushing her way through the horde of students that gathered around to watch the fight. He turned to her, his left eye starting to swell shut. In the heat of the moment he didn’t even realize that Jesse got a few punches in. Seeing the look on Kara’s face was enough to bring him back to his senses. He looked down at Jesse, gasping for air on the floor, and then to his bloodied knuckles and trembling hands. What have I done? As his eyes met Kara’s again, he realized his mistake. He was mortified. He stumbled to his feet, releasing Jesse from his grasp. Jesse rolled to his side, coughing and breathing heavily. 

Kara shoved past Calum and ran to Jesse, kneeling by his side on the floor. She looked up at Calum, pain and fury in her eyes. “What is wrong with you?!” Kara screamed as she cradled Jesse’s head in her lap. 

“I…I heard the way he was talking to you, and I couldn’t help it…I—I overheard and I just—” Calum stammered, dumbfounded that she was so angry with him after Jesse had been so cruel to her before.

Why am I the one that has to explain myself? 

“I thought you said you were going to stay away?!” Kara stood and made her way over to Calum. She shoved him as hard as she could, once, twice, three times as she screamed, “Why didn’t you stay away? Things were going just fine before you tried to interfere! Just go! Please…” Kara’s voice wavered as she looked Calum in the eyes and said, “Just go.”

Calum knew there was nothing he could say to mend this. After a moment, Calum mumbled, “I’m sorry,” to no one in particular before he turned on his heel and hurried down the hallway and out of the school. He left without so much as a glance back in Jesse’s direction, or Kara’s. He knew he would only find pain and disappointment if he did look back. The thought alone was unbearable. Calum ran straight to his car and drove home.

—

Two days passed and Calum didn’t show up to school. He remained in his room, replaying the fight between Kara and Jesse that pushed him over the edge. He couldn’t get the image of Jesse’s battered face out of his mind. He had never been overcome with so much anger before. All he wanted now was to explain himself to Kara. But he couldn’t take back what happened, and he was afraid he’d never get the chance to set things right.

I’m so sorry Kara. I’m sorry I hurt you. I just want you to be happy. 

—

The next day, Calum awoke to his phone vibrating on his bedside table. He almost let it go to voicemail before rolling over to see who it was. His heart skipped a beat as he quickly grabbed the phone. Just as he was about to answer, his finger hovering over the answer button, he wondered whether he should pick up. What would she have to say to me after what happened? Should I just ignore her? Maybe she’ll give me a chance to explain. But what could I even say…Wait…is she alright? Calum answered the phone. 

“Hello?” Calum croaked. 

There was a delay on the other end of the line. Calum could hear heavy rain in the background, so loud he could barely hear Kara when she finally spoke.

“Hey, it’s me…”

“Yeah, uh, I know.” 

“Sorry, I figured you would have blocked or deleted my number by now.”

“Um, no. No I haven’t.” 

“Oh…,” Kara said awkwardly before she added, “Anyway, I’m sure you’re wondering why I’m calling…I’m having a bit of an…emergency.”

The tone of Kara’s voice made it clear that this was more than a Code Prom emergency. Calum wasted no time jumping to action. 

“Um, yeah,” he said as he leaped  out of bed to get changed and grab his car keys. “I’ll be right there.”

With the windshield wipers on the highest speed, Calum could barely see the road. He was driving slowly, leaning forward in his seat, hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. His death grip on the wheel was partly to maintain control of his car in the torrent, and partly because he was trying to steady himself as his mind ran wild with thoughts about Kara. He was just starting to worry when he saw a familiar car up ahead in the pouring rain, the hazard lights sending a beacon through the dark afternoon. Pulling up slowly behind the car, he sat for a long moment watching the windshield wipers fly violently back and forth as he gathered himself and his thoughts. He killed the engine, jumped out of the car, and slowly approached Kara’s driver side door. 

As he made his way to the car, Calum couldn’t help but let his worry get the better of him. Despite everything, all he cared about was if Kara was alright, but he couldn’t help but wonder why she called him instead of her boyfriend. The thought of Jesse sent a surge of anger through him. Calum had always felt a strong impulse to protect Kara, as long as he’d known her. And he knew he would always do whatever it took to keep her safe, to keep her happy. If last week’s series of events taught Calum anything, it was that his feelings for Kara had only grown in the time they spent apart. Which is what made this so much harder. What if this is my fault? Calum didn’t have any more time to speculate. He was at Kara’s car window. 

Kara didn’t notice Calum at first. He stood there for a moment, watching her through the rain streaked glass. He felt a pang of sadness tinged with longing as he watched her. She still looked as beautiful as ever, even when she was soaked to the bone with smeared makeup. It was a superpower she always had; there wasn’t a moment when she wasn’t stunning. After another moment of secret admiration, Calum took a deep breath and tapped on the window.

Kara jumped at the sound, and when her eyes met Calum’s, he could see guilt and shame on her face. His heart skipped a beat as they looked at each other. After a long moment, Kara drew her jacket hood up and slowly stepped out of the car. Her smile was polite, guarded, an attempt to hide the vulnerability that was in the air around them. Her voice was barely audible through the pouring rain and booming thunder when she finally spoke.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know who else to call. I didn’t think you’d show.”

To this, Calum gave a slight nod as he rocked back on his feet, unsure of how to navigate the situation. He could sense the awkwardness and fear that loomed over them both, feelings that never existed between them before. Calum hated that feeling. 

“So,” Calum finally said, nodding his head in the direction of the car. “What seems to be the problem?” He raised his voice over the wind and rain, hoping he sounded at least civil or polite as he made his way to the hood of the car. Since he didn’t know what to say, taking action was the next best thing he could think to do at that moment. 

“I have no idea,” Kara replied. “I was driving and smoke started coming out of the hood so I pulled over.” She joined Calum at the front of the car, ducking under the hood to shield herself from the rain, if only a little. Calum felt a familiar rush, an electric current that ran through his body as Kara’s shoulder brushed his. It took everything in his power to push the intrusive thoughts away. He was simply helping an old friend, or at least that’s what he tried to convince himself. 

“Sorry, I don’t know much about cars,” Calum shrugged and sagged his shoulders in defeat. “Is there someone I can call for you? A tow truck company maybe? Or…”

Kara met his gaze slowly before replying nervously, “Well, I was…I was hoping you could give me a ride?” 

There was a long pause as Calum processed what she was saying. As much as it killed him to not be able to help her more, his mind immediately went to Jesse, and he knew he wouldn’t forgive himself if he gave Jesse another reason to mistreat Kara. Trying hard to mask his conflicted feelings, Calum finally shook his head and said, “I don’t think that’s the best idea.” He put his hands in his jacket pockets, looking down at his waterlogged shoes to avoid meeting Kara’s gaze. 

“Why not?” Kara asked, a bit of disappointment in her voice. 

Calum thought about the events of the last couple of weeks. Kara, the prom, Jesse, all of it. What hurt most about it all was that his best friend left him high and dry when he least expected it. This painful recollection conjured an unexpected anger inside him, and he couldn’t help but let out a surprised scoff before he said, “Well, forgive me for being surprised by your call, but didn’t you choose Jesse over me? Because that’s how I remember it.” Even he was startled by his abrupt callousness. Of course he felt hurt and conflicted on the inside, but snapping back at Kara was very unlike him. He couldn’t stop himself before saying, “Where’s your oh-so-charming-knight-in-shining-armor now when you need him?”

Kara shrank back, his words hitting her like a cold slap. Her lip quivered as she whispered, “Why are you being like this?”

Calum wasn’t sure. But he knew he couldn’t hold back any longer. He decided that this would have to be the last time that he ever spoke to Kara, to spare himself from this pain of living in a world where he couldn’t have her. It hurt every time he saw her. Calum also decided that if this really was going to be the last time he spoke to her, he was going to make sure she finally knew the truth. 

“Because,” Calum raised his voice in anger, ignoring the look of shock on Kara’s face as he continued to scream in the rain. “He doesn’t appreciate how amazing you are and you know it. And you just cast me aside, like what? And now you come running back when it’s convenient for you? I’m sorry, but I don’t know how you expect me to process all this. It’s just a little hard to believe that you would think to call me first after everything that’s happened.” 

Kara’s shame was evident in the silence that followed. She sighed, closing her eyes to gather the last ounce of courage she had left before speaking. 

“Look, I know I messed up. I honestly didn’t think you’d show, and I wouldn’t have blamed you if you didn’t pick up the phone. I realized that I never should have betrayed you for Jesse, and all I could think about was how I hurt you, and I didn’t know what to do or what to say…I didn’t know how to tell you how I feel. All I know is that I’m scared.” Kara’s voice cracked as she admitted to Calum how lost and afraid she felt. Despite this, he still couldn’t get his words and feelings in check before he spouted off again. 

“What are you so afraid of, huh? What are you really afraid of?” 

“I–” Kara started. 

“That you might actually get to be happy for once?” Calum screamed over her. 

“I was happy! At least I thought—”

“Oh yeah, sure, he makes you so happy! Is that why you always run to me when things inevitably come crashing down? Is that the reason you called me to come rescue you instead of him? I’ve seen you happy, Kara, and frankly I haven’t seen that in a long time. Not since you’ve been with him.”

“Why do you even care?” Kara snapped back. “I called YOU didn’t I? But now I realize how big of a mistake that was!”

“I care because I know you’re lying to yourself, and you could be happier if you’d just open your eyes and accept that you deserve more! Can’t you see? You should have been able to rely on him at a time like this, not me. You made it clear that you don’t want anything to do with me!” 

Calum and Kara continued screaming at each other through the downpour. They paced angrily around each other, making gestures with their hands as they threw words that cut like knives. 

“How do you know what I deserve?” Kara threatened. “I clearly chose wrong and I have to live with it.” She sobbed as she choked on her words. 

“Because I know you, the real you. And this,” Calum gestured wildly with his hands in Kara’s direction, “this person he’s turned you into? Isn’t it. I’ve been by your side your whole life. ‘Best friends forever,’ remember? That little box you put me in and pull me out when it suits you. All this time I’ve been watching you grow into this extraordinary person who I’ve truly come to admire, and you have no idea do you? How could you? I could never tell you—”

Kara screamed at the top of her lungs, cutting off Calum just as he was about to make his declaration of love to her once and for all, to hell with the consequences. 

“I dumped him, alright?!?! It’s over.” 

Calum blinked hard and stared, mouth slightly agape, confusion replacing the anger that was propelling him forward only moments before. Dubious, he tried to find any words at all. 

“I— what…?”

“It’s over,” Kara repeated with finality. “So you can stop reprimanding me now.” She looked down as she said, “And now I’m lost and I’m terrified.” She looked up at Calum, tears welling up in her eyes as she yelled, “Is that what you want to hear?!”

Calum could only look at Kara in shock. His body still hadn’t caught up with his mind as he processed what she had just told him. There was one thing she said that was suddenly on repeat in his head as he stared. It’s over. It’s over. It’s over. 

“It’s…it’s over?” he managed to choke out after what seemed like a lifetime. 

“Yes,” Kara sniffled and crossed her arms. “Like you care or deserve to know.” She looked away, unable to meet his gaze any longer. She didn’t realize she had just said the words that would set Calum free from his misery. 

“W– When?”

“Last night,” Kara informed him. 

The realization sent a rush of instant regret through Calum’s body.

Why didn’t I just keep my mouth shut?

“I…I didn’t know,” Calum said calmly, empathetically, as he tried to pick up the pieces of what he had just broken between them with his careless words. The reality set in that he had been a complete jerk when Kara was hurting the most. Now it was his turn to feel shame. 

“How could you have known? I didn’t tell you.” Kara said pointedly. 

“I’m sorry,” Calum said weakly, “I didn’t realize what you were going through. I didn’t mean to get so angry…” Calum took a deep breath as he balled his hands into fists by his sides. This is it. It’s now or never. 

“It’s just that I had to stand by and watch as he hurt you and made you unhappy every single day. It killed me to see you being unappreciated and mistreated that way. All I ever wanted was…I just…” Calum trailed off, unable to continue. 

“You just what?” Kara shot back as she regained her defensive vigor. “Wanted to berate me about my life choices? Well, you’re doing a great job!” There was fire in Kara’s unwavering stare. She breathed heavily as Calum stared back, silent. 

After a long pause, Calum’s feet started to move before his mind could process what he was doing. He quickly covered the distance between himself and Kara, overcome with a purpose and haste that allowed no time for him to think before he acted. Kara had no time to comprehend what was happening either. 

Calum was suddenly right in front of her. He grabbed her face in his hands as he said, “I just…love you.”

Time stood still as he kissed her in the pouring rain. It was everything he had always tried to convince himself it wouldn’t be, so he could spare himself the pain of loving Kara in secret for so long. It was finally happening, and he didn’t want the moment to end. He wrapped his arms around her, leaning into the kiss just as Kara broke away from his lips, attempting to push him away as tears ran down her face. 

Kara’s voice wavered as she asked him, “But what if I’m not the amazing person you think I am? What if I let you down again? What if I really lose you…?”

Calum looked down at Kara, his heart filled with so much love for her it ached. He brushed her tears away with his thumbs and pulled her into a fierce embrace. “Hey, come here,” Calum smoothed her hair as he said, “You could never lose me, alright? You’re my best friend. Forever. Remember? We’re still on for forever right? What do you say?”

Kara met his gaze, her eyes full of uncertainty, and Calum found himself hanging on whatever her next words might be. He smiled down at her, a half-smile filled with doubt as his future with her hung in the balance, a tangible weight in the air. There’s no way this is real. How could she possibly want me after—

What Kara said next interrupted his doubtful thoughts. 

“Of course,” Kara said softly, looking up at Calum with a smile that made his heart soar in a way he had never felt, and up to this moment had only dreamed of. 

Kara stood on the tips of her toes, wrapping her arms around Calum’s neck as she leaned in to kiss him again, with complete certainty now. Calum could feel Kara’s smile against his lips as he kissed her back. He felt her mouth move beneath his as she said, “Best friends forever.”

They held each other as the rain poured down relentlessly around them, the whole world melting away as they melted into each other. 

THE END