C4 Chapter 4

Callum’s POV

Fourth period was a designated free block on our schedules, which practically translated to eighty-five minutes of doing absolutely nothing productive. My boys and I were currently killing time on the concrete steps of the back stairwell, a secluded little corner of the building where the hall monitors rarely bothered to check. Rio, Lestrade, and I basically ran this section of the school. Even though both of them could be absolute, grade-A idiots ninety percent of the time, they weren't just my best friends—they were my brothers. When my life had completely hit rock bottom a while back and the rest of the world felt like it was crashing down around me, they were the only ones who actually threw me a lifeline. They had given me the kind of unwavering loyalty and support I needed to survive it, entirely ignoring the fact that, at their core, they were both complete dickheads.

If you knew anything about the social hierarchy at Lakewood High, you knew my name: Callum Bradshaw. I was the school's resident player, a title that had been pinned on me early junior year and one that I hadn’t exactly fought to get rid of. To be completely honest, I was far more proud of being a known player than being a fake, manipulative human being like Tanya—my absolute nightmare of an ex-girlfriend who treated people like disposable chess pieces.

"Hey, did you guys hear about the new transfer student yet?" Rio asked out of nowhere, breaking the quiet hum of the stairwell as he tossed an empty water bottle between his hands.

Lestrade didn't even bother to look up from his phone, his face a picture of pure, unadulterated boredom as his thumbs flew across the screen. "Yeah, I heard a rumor about it. It's a girl, right? Why do you care so much?"

Let me give you the quick, necessary breakdown on these two goofs. Rio is a textbook case of a guy who never, ever misses an opportunity to get laid with random girls. He would jump at anything that breathed. Will, on the other hand, is definitely a player too, but he carries himself with a totally different vibe. He’s a lot more selective than Rio, hiding behind a laid-back attitude. You know exactly what I mean—he actually has standards.

"Because she's not just any girl," Rio insisted, his entire demeanor shifting as he sat up straighter, his eyes lighting up like a stubborn child on Christmas morning. "I caught a glimpse of her walking into the front office with some guy this morning. Man, let me tell you, she is absolutely hot as hell."

I rolled my eyes hard, leaning the back of my head against the cold concrete wall of the stairwell. "Shut up, you idiot. Every single girl who walks through the front doors of this school is hot as hell according to you. You’d say the exact same thing about Nina."

Look, I might have a reputation for playing the field and moving from girl to girl, but I don’t just chase after anyone who smiles in my direction. I have lines I don't cross. A girl actually has to be my specific type to catch my attention, or I'm completely uninterested.

Rio looked at me like I had just insulted his entire lineage. "What? Nina?! Okay, first of all, yeah, I agree that she’s pretty hot, but she’s also my literal first cousin! I never said I wanted to fuck her, man! Why would you even say that?"

"Then where exactly did the thought of fucking your little cousin come from, Rio?" Will interjected, finally looking up from his phone with a deep expression of pure disgust written all over his face.

"Yeah, and did you suddenly forget about Amy?" I chimed in, a victorious, wicked smirk crossing my face. I knew exactly which buttons to press to shut his moronic mouth down instantly.

Right on cue, Rio’s confident facade shattered. A deep, undeniable flush of crimson rushed up his neck and flooded his cheeks. Total, utter shutdown. He was completely whipped, and he didn't even have the girl yet.

"Fuck off," he muttered defensively, aggressively running a hand through his messy brown hair to hide his burning face. "Guys, she doesn't even like me. She thinks I’m a joke. Stop teasing me about her."

To clarify the situation a little more clearly: our resident, unapologetic fuckboy Rio was completely, helplessly head over heels for Amy Lockwood. The ultimate catch? Amy knew his reputation all too well and treated him like a toxic plague because of his player ways. She wouldn't give him the time of day, which only made him chase her harder.

"Well, maybe she'd stop hating your guts if you gave up the thought of sleeping with your own family members," Will joked, leaning over to give Rio a heavy, mocking pat on the shoulder.

Rio was practically fuming with anger now, his eyes darting between the two of us as his jaw clenched. Will and I couldn't hold it in anymore; we both burst out laughing at the absolute misery and fury radiating off his face.

"I genuinely hate both of you guys!" Rio grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest and pouting like a frustrated toddler.

"Sure you do, dickhead," I laughed, still chuckling as I extended a hand to exchange a crisp high-five with Lestrade.

Right as our hands connected, the loud, intrusive chime of the school bell echoed through the PA system, indicating that fourth period was officially over and it was finally time for lunch.

I stood up, rolling my shoulders and stretching my arms out to get the stiffness out of my muscles after sitting on the stairs for so long. But before I could even take a single step forward, a pair of manicured hands unexpectedly wrapped around my waist from behind, pinning me against a soft body.

"I missed you so much, baby," a sweet, entirely toxic voice purred against the fabric of my jacket.

My stomach instantly turned into a tight knot. I didn't even need to spin around to know that the voice belonged to none other than Tanya, my relentless ex. I aggressively swatted her hands away from my body, turning on my heel to face her with a look of pure annoyance.

"What do you want, Tanya?" I said through gritted teeth, my voice dangerously low.

"Baby..." She took a deliberate step closer to me, her hands reaching out to touch my chest, but I held up a sharp, warning hand, signaling for her to back off.

"Don't even start," I snapped. "I'm not your baby anymore, and we are completely done. Why don't you go run off to your sweet new toy, Caleb? I'm sure he's looking for you."

Tanya fluttered her long, fake eyelashes, putting on her best dramatic, sorrowful act. It was pathetic. "But Callum, Caleb is nothing like you! He's boring. I made a mistake, okay? I want you, Callum, and I know deep down that you still want me too..."

"Listen to me, you absolute whore, we have had more than enough of your psychological crap!" Rio suddenly burst out, stepping up right to my side, his temper flaring on my behalf. "Take the hint and get the hell away from here."

Tanya glared at him, her mouth opening to fire off an insult. "You—"

"He's right," I cut her off entirely, a low growl rippling through my chest as I stepped into her personal space to look down at her. "You lost me a long time ago, Tanya, and I don't want your drama anywhere near my life. So stay the fuck away from me."

I didn't give her a single second to start a massive scene in the stairwell. I turned around and went directly toward the double doors leading to the cafeteria, not wanting to deal with another single second of her manipulation. Will and Rio fell into step right beside me, matching my aggressive stride.

"What a spoiled brat..." Will muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Yeah. Let's just not talk about her, okay? It ruins my appetite," I replied, forcing my hands into my pockets. Tanya had already done enough damage to my reputation and my sanity, and I wasn't going to give her a single opportunity to destroy anything else.

Shaking away the lingering anger from my thoughts, I pushed open the heavy doors and stepped inside the chaotic, noisy cafeteria. As soon as we cleared the threshold, Rio did his usual, obnoxious routine, yelling out over the crowd: "What's up, babes?!"

Right on cue, half the room turned their heads to stare directly in our direction as we began our walk down the center aisle toward our usual table. It had become a daily routine at this point, an unwritten rule that everyone watched the three of us walk in.

But as my eyes scanned our usual spot in the dead center of the room, I stopped dead in my tracks. There was a third girl sitting right at our table, slotted between Amy and Amadine.

She hadn't noticed our grand entrance yet because she was leaning forward, staring at my friends with a small, confused frown playing on her forehead. And man... Rio hadn't been exaggerating in the slightest.

She was beautiful.

Suddenly, as if sensing the shift in the room, her head turned, and her eyes locked right onto mine. In that exact second, I was completely damned.

She looked like an actual angel that had dropped straight out of heaven. She was so stunning, so entirely gorgeous, that it felt like the air had been knocked clear out of my lungs. She didn't have a single drop of obvious makeup on her skin, but she still managed to look entirely flawless, putting every other girl in the cafeteria to shame. Her eyes were a deep, mesmerizing ocean blue, and her pink, luscious lips were slightly parted in sheer surprise as she stared back at me. God, a sudden, primal urge hit me, and I wanted nothing more than to taste those lips right then and there.

A dark, intense pink blush quickly crept over her pale face, and she abruptly ripped her gaze away from mine, staring intensely down at her lap.

Definitely, 100% my type.

A slow, confident smirk spread across my face as we finally closed the distance to the table. I walked around to the empty side and deliberately sat down in the plastic chair directly opposite of her. The very second I claimed the seat, she became visibly nervous, keeping her eyes glued to her lap, her fingers twisting together nervously. Was she really that intimidated by our presence? Or was it just me?

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the table, completely ignoring the chatter of my friends around me. I didn't care about the food or the crowd. I just desperately wanted to see those beautiful, ocean blue orbs look back up at me just one more time.

Suddenly, as if she couldn't help herself, she looked up and caught me staring intently at her. Our eyes locked for a second time, and once again, I was completely lost in her gaze.