Later that night, although Ms Stride wanted to stay with her son she couldn’t, she still had Carver to look after and Callum also begged his mother to leave him be… Chris was the last to leave with his sister waiting outside for him.

Chris didn’t know what to say and felt vexed, the whole time he was here he couldn’t speak to Callum properly – most of it was because he was afraid.

Callum was staring at him who stood beside his bed looking agitated. Callum could see that he had something to say but was hesitant, “Chris,” he called out softly. His gaze landed on Callum and both their hearts started beating, “En?” he answered.

“Before, you asked me to hang out with you at the movies… why?”

Chris, “Because I wanted to spend time with you.”

”Why?”

Chris, “I don’t know,” he said dejectedly with his head hung low.

“Chris, I don’t know if you know this but I’m not someone who takes nonsense easily… today, I knew that something would happen after I got into the car with you… I know that the reason I got beat up is because of what happened this morning. I said things that would offend others and for that, I paid for it, I don’t regret it either. Although I’m in pain, I don’t do anything without thinking, I said those things because no one else would, this way – with me sacrificing myself, the others wouldn’t get hurt. Everything happens for a reason, the reason being that I and others around me benefit from my actions. So I don’t want you to feel bad about what happened today, it wasn’t your fault and you couldn’t do anything about it.”

Chris, “But if I just stopped the two of them from speaking it didn’t have to end in the way it did, you wouldn’t be here,” he interjected with a crocked voice.

Chuckling he shook his head, “It doesn’t work like that…”

Chris, “If things can be prevented then it wouldn’t.”

Shaking his head he sat upright although the slight movement sent pain throughout his body. Chris quickly held his hands out to help him.

Grabbing hold of his wrist he smiled saying ‘Thank you’.

Seeing Callum like this; the frustration on his face made Callum want to laugh but kept it all in. Looking into his eyes he said, “All of this became inevitable the moment your girlfriend and her friends saw that you had an interest in me.”

BAGN!!!

The sound of thunder hit beside his ear. Letting go of Callum, he couldn’t believe his words. Staring at Callum dumbfound Chris didn’t know what to say. “Since when?” floated around in his head.

The room went quiet… after a while he said, “I know you know that I like Ashton but I know that although I like him, he doesn’t like me and on top of that, you have come to like me.”

Chris, “H-how long have you known?”

Chuckling he shook his head. “I had my suspicions whenever I caught you looking at me but would suddenly turn away… then Chelsea noticed it and asked me what I think about you. You would suddenly freeze after you greet me then there’s the fact that you knew my name although we never spoke before…” he trailed while shying away.