Suffocating

Careful

Calvin.

"Ash, can I ask you a favor?" Calvin asked, walking into Ashley's room. She was sitting at her desk, applying make up to her cheeks. She was wearing dress pants and a red top. She always said that dressing up made her feel more mature and grown up.

She looked at him in her mirror, an eyebrow raised. "What?"

"Do you care if we pick Sophie up this morning?"

A grin spread on her face and internally, Calvin groaned. Of course she knew. Ashley loved gossip and word had to have gotten out about him and Sophie. Either that or she'd been watching him through the window. He hoped for the latter. "You're giving her rides now? That's new."

"It's just... it's nothing."

"You're so full of it, Cal."

He rolled his eyes but a blush crept up onto his face. He couldn't hide his feelings no matter how hard he tried.

"We have to leave early so don't take too long in the shower." She winked at him.

Calvin ducked into the hallway and went back to his room. He changed out of his clothes three times, worrying about what to wear. He didn't want to see Sophie in just anything. He wanted her to know he cared about her.

He stared himself in the mirror and frowned. His gray t-shirt and jeans weren't nice enough to wear around Sophie but anything more would make him look like he was trying too hard. He only wanted a subtle change, not a drastic one. After all, he didn't want the whole school paying attention to him. Again.

Ever since his failed suicide attempt, Calvin felt like all eyes were on him. If he made the wrong move or a slight change to his normal self, people paid too close attention to him and made him feel different. He didn't want to be treated differently or have people baby him because he was fragile. He was still the same depressed teenager that he was before.

Except he had Sophie.

Sophie.

Calvin sat down on his bed and rubbed his wrists where the hospital band had been. Where the bandages had been. Where blood had been pouring out of him only a week prior. The bandages were off yet, giving him a freeing feeling, yet he still felt vulnerable. The cuts hadn't faded and the scars would remain for years after. Sophie would find out eventually and what would she think?

"Cal, let's go." Ashley yelled from the hallway.

Calvin took a deep breath and got to his feet. Though he was nervous as hell about seeing Sophie after their kiss, he was sure that he'd do it again.