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Chapter Song: No One Compares To You- Jack & Jack

After dinner and finishing a good chunk of my draft, I went downstairs to my room to change into running clothes. I tried to run a few days of the week even if we had practice. Coach Tanner always nagged us for endurance training.

I decided on a pair of black running shorts with a matching sports bra. I found a hoodie at the bottom of my closet. It was probably Liam's but I didn't think he would mind. After throwing on my running shoes I went in search of my headphones.

I had to go back upstairs to search only after looking through not only my room but also Liam's. I couldn't seem to find them anywhere. In the family room, I found Winnie cuddling with Olivia in front of the tv. They must have gotten home while I was changing.

"Hey, Liam have you seen my headphones?" I yelled as I ruffled through my swim bag. They weren't in there either. I tried to think of where they could be, but I didn't have a clue.

"I don't know are they in your Jeep?" He called back from the living room.

I could already hear the crashes followed by ohs from the guys. I hadn't realized they also had gotten here. How long was I actually working on my paper?

"Oh I don't think they'd be in there, are you sure you didn't use them?" I walked over to the living room but stopped short in the doorway. "Oh hey, Cal," I said in a lighter tone nodding towards him. I hoped neither of them noticed the change in my voice.

"Hey Parker," Cal smirked, the playful look danced across his buttery brown eyes. I felt my stomach flutter in the slightest.

I couldn't help but blush. I tried to shake my self out of it by scanning the room for my headphones. I didn't see them anywhere, but I wasn't actually looking for them anymore. My mind was too busy trying not to focus on Cal.

Something had changed in him over summer. I couldn't place what it was, but something seemed different about it.

He was always something to look at. He had the curliest brown hair that was a mess on top of his head but somehow it worked for him. His perfectly playful deep mocha eyes and a crooked smile. He was on the taller end of all of our friends and probably the most muscular. He used to be more scrawny as a kid, but he definitely grew out of it.

If you thought Tyler was perfection, Cal was a God. At least that's what everyone else said. There was also the fact that he had gotten more muscular this summer at lacrosse camp.

He moved in across the street from us when we were kids. It was around the time that our mom had left actually. He was more of Liam's friend who was usually over the most, or the longest. I always had seen him as just one of the guys, but seeing him today at school had been different. He just seemed there.

He wasn't my next-door neighbor or my brother's best friend, but him. I tried to shake off whatever that feeling had been, even now. Maybe it was just the fact that none of them had been around the house all summer. That had to be it.

"So you really haven't seen them?" I turned my attention back to Liam who just seemed to have no idea what I was even talking about.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Cal look me up and down slightly. He was trying to be slick about it, but I caught him. Not that I was going to point it out.

Cal got up and started towards his bag. "If you need some headphones to use I have some Parker." He suggested already reaching into his backpack pulling out the string.

"You sure?" I asked. I felt my eyebrows raise with the question.

Normally, he would have stayed quiet. Maybe this lacrosse camp taught them all how to talk to girls. Who knows?

"No problem, here." He smiled reaching out for me to grab them. I swore that as soon as our hands touched there was something there. Oh no I had to get out of there fast.

"Uh, thanks." I quickly turned out of the living to go start my run.

I grabbed Winnie's leash calling her, and lead her out the door. I put my favorite running playlist on and proceeded to our normal route. I didn't have to have this extra workout, but it was good to get the rest of my energy out and Winnie needed it too. Besides Liam wouldn't walk her, at least not tonight. Maybe next time I would get Livi to come.

Liam would take her but since all his friends are coming over there is no way he was leaving the couch. Besides, I had to stay in peak shape in order for college scouts to look my way. Both Liam and I have recruiters already looking at us to sign for college.

Liam only wanted to play in college so he didn't have to pay for school, and I don't blame him. I still don't know where I want to go or even if I wanted to swim.

My dad and I had been dreaming of the idea of Berkley, but its all the way across the country. Besides going to school only because they want me to swim doesn't sit well with me. I mean yeah it's great to be that athlete, but ever since my shoulder had been getting worse it doesn't seem worth it. Sometimes it makes the sport feel more like a chore than the escape it used to be.

Today was the first day in a long while that swimming actually felt good again. Up until I smashed my hand. Maybe that's why I put in the extra effort, to prove that I'm still as good as I was and if not better. Always improving, or at least that was the goal.

I continued to run the course Winnie pushing me more than normal. The trees were beginning to bloom with golden and wine speckles amongst the green. There were even leaves beginning to litter the ground beneath us.

I've always loved the sound of leaves crunching under my feet. I turned my music down so I could hear the crunch with each foot hitting the cement. It was the most satisfying sound that I heard.

Eventually, our two miles lead us back to the house. I saw the cars parked in front of our house and pray that it wasn't loud inside. I skipped the first two steps taking a deep breath and walk straight in. I unleashed Winnie leaving her leash on our side entrance table and made my way towards the kitchen.

As I passed the living room I heard, "damn Parker let me get a piece of that." I looked up and saw Tyler's eyes locked on my butt. Of course.

Subtle.

In the living room, there was Liam, Tyler, Cal, and Mason on the couch surrounded by popcorn and video game controls. Why weren't they in the basement? That's where they always were. Usually in this situation, I would end up upstairs with my dad, Tish, or Olivia to avoid them. Some days I would hang out with them, but after that comment, I would rather lick the sidewalk. There was only so much of Tyler that I could take.

"In your dreams Anderson." I leaned against the wall and end up locking eyes with Cal again.

I began to feel my cheeks get warm so I looked away fumbling with my bun to give me something to concentrate on. "Anyways please don't be too loud our sister needs to go to sleep soon." I pretend as if Tish hadn't already given Liam the usual 'your friends are over you need to be quiet' speech. I saw Liam roll his eyes as I turned away.

"Hey were you going to come to hang out with us for a while or what?" Mason asked without looking up from the screen. I saw Liam eye me waiting for a response.

I shrugged at them casually. "Nah I don't think so I'm tired," I said turning away before any of them could respond.

Liam didn't mind when I hung out around all of them. Sometimes I preferred it. They were a good group of people to hang out with. I just didn't feel like it tonight, I was tired.

I walked towards the kitchen to grab water and a snack when I heard footsteps behind me. The kitchen was spotless for once. I was impressed with Liam. I had put the dishes in the sink before I left but, I meant to do them once I came back from my run.

"I cleaned up the kitchen." Liam sympathized.

I'm pretty sure he thought I was mad at him but I'm wasn't. I was more annoyed at Tyler's commentary than anything, not to mention Liam's snark all day.

"You didn't have to," I said into my water glass before taking a drink.

"I know." he shrugged. "But just so you know you don't have to do everything around here I can help too. Besides you cook, I clean its kind of in the rules." He was right. Anytime someone cooked the rest cleaned.

"Thank you," I said.

"You smell, go shower." He nudged my shoulder.

"Hey!" I yelled punching him in his chest.

"No!" He yelled back deflecting my second hit. "You need to go shower!" He could barely finish his sentence from all the laughing. I stuck my tongue out at him before I ran downstairs.

Before my shower, I spent some time with Liv coloring in one of her coloring books. I knew Tish is going to make Livi come upstairs for bed soon but I still wanted to spend a little time with her. Liam and I both had our own bedrooms downstairs in the basement, while Livi has hers upstairs. They agreed that it gave us more space, and Livi can move rooms when she gets older. We'll be out of the house by then.

After my extra long shower, I put on a sleep shirt of my dad's and turned on my fairy lights. I left my wet hair to air-dry into soft curls and cuddled up with my latest book.

At the beginning of each chapter, the author had a song to play while you read, it easily became my favorite playlist. She was one of my favorite YouTubers, so I was pretty stoked when she finally published this book.

After a few chapters, I heard a knock at the door. I closed my book to see who it was.

Cal.

"Is it okay if I come in?" He was nervous I could tell because he started to bite his lip.

Which was weird in a few ways. One, he was never nervous around me. Two, he never just came downstairs to pay me a visit. I rarely spent any alone time with the guys. Well except Ty but that didn't count because we swam together.

"Yeah, uh come on in." I pulled the blanket closer to me. I tried to steady my breathing to make it seem like Cal coming into my room is a normal everyday thing.

"Ah, the infamous wall of books." He smiled as he stood awkwardly in the middle of my room.

Reading was always one of my favorite escapes besides swimming. I would read so much in my free time that I had piles on my floor at one point. So much that my dad had to keep buying bookshelves that now lined my entire wall to the left of the door. My own little personal library.

"So to what do I owe this pleasure, Callum?" I challenged him with a smirk trying to avoid awkward silence.

"Well, Miss Kennedy Lee." Letting out a low breath he added, "I just wanted to see how you were doing after the whole Tyler comment." His deep brown eyes searched for answers.

"Nothing I can't handle." I brushed off the question hoping he would drop it. It was just Tyler.

He threw up his hands in defense. "It's okay maybe I stepped over the line. Hey." He paused. "Are you going to Riley's back-to-school party this weekend?"

Riley Daniels. My best friend in the entire world. I swore if Liam wasn't my twin she was, or at least my soul sister. Her parents were always traveling on business trips so she was often home alone. It gave her a great excuse to throw some wicked parties.

She was basically our honorary fourth child since we were seven. Her parents always let her have parties, so she always held the biggest ones during the school year. This weekend just so happened to be the back to school party.

"Of course why wouldn't I?" It came out more insulted that'd he'd ask that.

"I don't know I just wasn't sure if you had plans or anything." He kicked one of his Converse into the carpet. What point was he trying to get at?

"I think Riley would die and come back from the grave to kill me for not being there." I joked.

"Honestly she just might." He laughed, a real laugh.

"If you do happen to be there come find me. I'd like to hang out for a bit, that is if Riley hasn't killed you first." He gave me a small smile meeting my eyes.

"I'll think about it, Callum." I teased.

He let out an exasperated sigh and rolled his eyes. Just as he was turning I called out for him to wait. Slowly he turned around. I grabbed his headphones off my nightstand and tossed it to them.

"Thanks." He said as he caught them.

"Thanks for letting me borrow them."

"I'll see you Friday." He pointed at me using the headphones before turning out of the room. Technically he would see me tomorrow since we had class together, but I didn't mention it.

I put my book on the bedside table and shut off my lights with a loud sigh. Would I see him at the party? I didn't have to, but part of me wanted to. Or at least I liked the feeling that he wanted to see me. I stretched out my muscles one last time before finally laying down in bed.

Friday couldn't come soon enough.