“You missed practice,” Calum states. The ice-cream and chips are on the nightstand. I’m so tempted to reach across and stuff my face in the ice-cream so I never have to talk but I remain frozen. Calum’s figure casts a shadow on my bed. Standing by my side with a stern frown, he almost looks intimidating. I tilt my head to meet his gaze and my lips purse. In the end, I simply nod. “Why?” he asks. Sitting up, I fold my legs under me and smoothen the creases on my bed. “Will you please sit?” “Will you please tell me what’s wrong?” he counters.Not yet. Resting my head on my shoulder in an awkward angle, I’m unable to meet his gaze when I whisper, “I want a kiss from you first.” “Cathy.” His emotions are bare for me to see. He wants to kiss me too but I’m too young. Well, Calum is wrong. I’m not y

I can’t stop smiling. I don’t think I’ll ever stop. I smile throughout all my classes. On my way to the cafeteria, someone crashes into me. She lets out a string of apologies and the only thing I can do is smile, joining her to pick up her textbooks.The girls are already at our table when I enter the cafeteria. We have an addition today. Lucien. I stifle a groan when Taylor kisses him. Sadly, she is officially off the single girls club. I scan the hall for Jackson. If Lucien is eating here, then Jackson should be around the corner, probably waiting for an invitation he wouldn’t be getting anytime soon.On cue, Jackson waves at me from his table. I wave back. He motions for me to join them but I point at our table a few inches away. I quicken my pace when he jumps out of his seat. That boy doesn’t get the hint. “Cathy, wait up!” The cafeteria falls quiet and unwanted eyes turn in my direction. Yeah, Ja

I wake up alone in my bed. The coldness of the pendant against my chest unlocks the memories from last night. Calum sang another song and my heart is convinced he did it because the lyrics are a true reflection of his feelings for me. Mine as well. I need him to warm these lonely nights and more than that, I need him to just be mine. Be the person I can always talk to.What if Calum loves me? I want him to love me, to see me as an adult. Halting in front of the mirror, I open the locket and tears shimmer in my eyes. My knees weaken and I place the necklace beside the snow globe. I couldn’t have asked for better birthday gifts. If I want to keep him happy, I should start getting ready for school instead of gawking at my gifts. A tiny wave of guilt stabs me in the chest when I spot Jackson’s bracelet sitting between my makeup kit. I slide the gift into its box with a mental note to return it to him. In the shower and alone with

CALUMI’m writing a song for my stepsister when the door creaks. Someone knocks and a smile curls my lips. I shove the notepad into my bag before crossing over to the door to open it. I don’t want Cathy to see it until it’s done. If I ever get done with it. The person at the door is not Cathy. It’s my mum. My smile drops. She flashes me a smile and I move back for her to enter inside. Cathy was supposed to be here for rehearsal. I haven’t told her yet but she will be taking the solo. Not only because she has my heart but because she has earned her place as the solo singer. Among all three, she’s the best. My mum walks over to my laptop opened on the desk. She picks up the notepad before I can stop her. Yes, she can be nosy. But her nosiness saved my life once so I can’t complain. I sit on the bed while she reclines on my chair. A glint creeps into her eyes as she scours my notepad.“You’re wr

The second our lips meet, I know it’s a mistake. “But we will have to take it really slow,” I tell a dazed Jackson. I’m dazed myself but I’m doing a better job of hiding it. I just kissed him. I just freaking kissed another guy that’s not Calum. It’s not wrong. Calum dumped me. His fingers grasp my jaw, tilting my head back. “Did anything happen? Cathy, are you okay?”  That’s not what I expect from him. Maybe that’s why tears gather in my eyes. Jackson peers down at me with so much worry, care and affection. The noises around me fade, everything is a blur but the guy worried about me. I need to get it together before it gets to my dad’s attention that I had a breakdown in the hallway before my first class. “No. Not really,” I answer sincerely. Jackson hugs me. It’s unexpected and different from all our other hugs. It&