Torn

CALLIE

Its been three weeks since I couldn't have sex with Calum. Nothing has gotten better for me, as usual. I warned that social worker that I couldn't come back, but he didn't care. Pfft. This is my life. Is this even a life? I don't know. I'm getting out of this though, I have too. I can't keep pretending everything will get better, because it won't. I'm doing this MY way now. The real Callie way.

"Hey." Calum smiles, opening the door, "Wanna come in?"

"Uh, no this is going to be quick." Half of me hates myself for doing this, the other half knows I need too.

Calums face drops. "Wait. Um. Are you..."

"I'm breaking up with you." I say quietly, nodding a little.

"W-Why?" His eyes widen. "It isn't because I wanted to-"

"No, god no Calum. I really do love you. More than anything, I just- Too much is going to happen, I can't worry about you romantically. I'm really sorry." I fidget with my black sweater sleeves, that's a lot more big on me than it used to be.

"O-Okay." He stutters. Judging on what I'm about to do makes me wish I'd waited for this a few minutes just to hear him say he loves me too one more time.

When I get back home, my heart is pounding. I lost him again. Jonathan isn't home, he's going out at night time these days. I run to my room and search for one of my duffel bags. I grab my black one and start stuffing clothes and food and anything I can find that I'd need on my own around the house.

For the first time in years, I intentionally look at myself in my mirror.

"You look different." I whisper, my eyes wandering on all the covered bruises, less fitting clothes and red hair. "You're not nothing. You're not worthless." I say. Those words finally mean something to me. I get my beanie and within minutes, I'm gone.

MORGAN'S POINT OF VIEW ****** THE NEXT DAY ******

Everyone besides Callie is sitting at the lunch table. I've never noticed how boring everything is without her here. I mean even when she doesn't say much, just her presence makes everything better.

"Calum, where's Callie?" Ashton asks him.

"How should I know?" He mumbles, glumly stabbing his food with a plastic fork.

"Well, you're her BOYFRIEND." Michael chuckles.

"No. She broke up with me last night." Calum looks up, and you can immediately see the tiny amount of sleep he got, if he got any at all. Everyone at the table just looks shcoked. "What?"

"Callie wouldn't dump you." Jess says seriously.

"Well, she did-"

"Did she say why?" I ask.

"Just that things were about to happen and she didn't want to worry about me." He shrugs. Michael and I look at each other with wide eyes. Sara and Luke are completely lost.

"And you didn't think to ask her what she was going to do?! Callie is reckless as hell, we ALL know that! If shes going as far as to dump you, she's about to do something REALLY bad." I say.

"Or she already has." Michael says with a hand over his mouth. Within minutes all of us but Sara and Luke are in Ashtons car. Once we get to her house, Calum is the first one out of the car, running up her driveway. He doesn't knock, he swings the door open and runs into the house. "What the hell is he doing?! Jonathan could be in there!"

"Come on," I say, and we all get out of the car. We find Calum on the second floor, frantically searching every room while Jonathan screams at him. Jess and Michael calm him down, and Ashtons and I help look for Callie.

"Have you SEEN CALLIE?!" Calum screams. We're all thinking the same thing, either she committed suicide or she ran away.

"No, now get out! Tell her if she stays out past curfew again, I'll-"

Calum gets inches close to his face, "You will not touch Callie ever again, understood?! I WILL do ANYTHING to keep her alive, so you can just shut the FUCK UP because if I ever see you lay a hand on her again, YOU'RE DEAD!" He yells. All of us are just standing there in shock. Calum has beat up people our age, but he's never threatened anything, especially killing someone, on an adult.

"Okay Calum we should go." Ashton says. Sara runs in panting, I'm assuming she ran here instead of being forced to sit on her ex's lap.

"Son, if you ever come into MY house, and threaten me AGAIN, I will call the fucking police and sue your ass." Jonathan says in a low tone. Calums already heading down the stairs.

"Fucking do it! You took away the one thing I've ever needed anyway!" He calls back. I glance at Sara, who has hurt written all over her face.

We all get outside when Calum is fuming into the car. "Mate maybe you should-"

"WE HAVE TO FIND HER."

"Calum, if she left last night she's long gone by now." I say gently. I know Callie. If she doesnt want to be found,she won't be.

"We have to try!"

"She ran away for a REASON, Cal! Finding her will only make her hate you, and us. She'll come back when she knows she can, she's smart. Best thing for you to do is to just get some rest and relax, okay?"Jess says. Wow. She's good when she isn't angry at the world.

"I love her so much." Calum sobs.

"I know. Ashton will stay with you okay?" Michael nods.

"Okay."

Notes

Oh no no Callie ,•O•,

-BeautifulHood