- to make Calessa real or to make it sink is the question at hand -

Vanessa's point of view

The knock on the door made my stomach drop a bit and I told them that I'd get it. "No, I will, it's fine." Calum said, needing a reason to get away from Luke.

"I'll do it." I said and stood up. He stood up aswell and we ran after the door. He opened the door and then looked at Miranda with a confused expression. "I said I'd get it." I told him and pushed him aside.

"Help?"

"What the hell happened?" I asked and helped her inside. "Did you run?"

"Have you seen my anke? No, I used this fucking shit. God, I can't breathe." She told me and I helped her stand.

"Who's this? What happened?" Calum asked as he closed the door. "Who did this to you?" He asked her as he brushed her bangs out of her face, revealing a bruise.

"I can't breathe right now." She said and held a finger up. "Fuck this isn't okay." She said and I looked at her worried.

"I don't know who you are, but lets get you a glass of ice water." Calum said and I nodded.

We helped Miranda into the kitchen and then he sat her on the counter. Her breathing was heavy as she leaned her back against the cabinets, her face scrunched up in pain.

Calum handed her water and she thanked him. "You're... Ashton?" She breathed out and he shook his head. "C... I forgot."

"Calum." He said and she nodded. "Miranda right?" She nodded and and set the water down. "What happened to you?"

"My older brother, he came to watch me, but like... he like left to go drink and he came home for poker and stuff. Then like, his broke ass lost a bet and they came after me and I-I had to leave." She said and we nodded.

"Where the hell were your parents?" Calum asked as he went to the freezer, grabbing an ice pack. "How could they leave you alone like that? Do they know he drinks and stuff?"

"He said he got better." She said and held the pack against her eye. "They were out talking about the venue they're going to rent and arranging dinner stuff."

"Least they could have done is take you with them, it is your party." I said and I turned around when I heard Luke's voice.

"What the fuck? Who the fuck?" He asked and I winced. "Vanessa..."

"I'll explain later Luke, please." I said and looked at Miranda. "I fucked up again." I said and she looked at him.

"It's my fault Mr. Hemmings, I'm sorry." She said and got down, crying out in pain as she put too much weight on her ankle. "God dammit that hurt like a bitch."

"Are you... Are you okay?" Luke asked cautiously and she looked at him as I helped her stand. "What happened?"

"Long story short, my brother's workers beat him up until he passed out and nearly raped me because his broke ass made bets he can't pay." She said and ran a hand through her hair. "Sorry... that was too blunt."

"I um..." Luke seemed conflicted and he sighed. "Where were your parents in this?"

"They went to sort out catering and the venue for my quince. It's booked, it's just they're explaining how they want it arranged."

"Right, right." He said and ran his hands over his face. "Look um..."

"Miranda."

"Look Miranda, I'd love to have you stay with us for a day but... but your parents don't know you're hear right now. I also don't want to send you back home after this..." He sighed and looked at me.

"Please Luke? She's my best friend." I said and Miranda butt in.

"I mean like, if you don't want me he really that's totally fine um, I think I have-"

"No, call your parents. Tell them you're over here so we're not charged for kidnapping and causing your injuries." He told me and I ran up to Luke, wrapping my arms around him.

"You're the best Luke." I said and he rubbed my back as he chuckled. "Thank you." I said and he nodded.

"You're welcome." He said and I looked at Calum. "You have your phone on you, right Miranda?"

"Yeah, but I think it's about to die."

"We have cha-"

"Android."

"Oh." He said and I pulled my phone out. "That'll work." He said and I laughed as she took my phone, leaning on Calum for support.

"Thanks Nessa." She aaid and smiled at me.

"Welcomes Andy." I said and a thought hit me. "I have a pin o-"

"Unlocked it." She said and smirked a bit. "Get better at your pin codes." She said and I blushed because it was Calum's birthday.

"You know his birthday but not his name?"

"Birth year actually."

"Whatever." I said and Calum asked who we were talking about. "No one important." I said and he shrugged as she put the phone against her ear.

"¿Mamá?¿Papá?" She said and I looked at Calum. "¿Dondé estás?" She asked and it was silent. "No. Claro que no." She said and ran a hand through her shirt hair again.

"¿Qué está mal? ¡Qué está mal! ¡Mi hermano llego a casa borracho! ¡Tenía que ir a casa de un amiga! ¡Eso es lo que está mal!" She said and I wanted to leave but I felt like she'd need me in here for some reason.

"¡No! ¡No está bien!" She said. "Mom, he came home drunk after going to a club with his coworkers! Drunk! Borracho! ¡No vamos a 'hablar de esto más tarde' mamá!"

"Sí. Mi amiga papá, amiga. No. Sí. ¿Puedo pasar la noche, por favor? Papá, por favor! Mis hermano es borracho papá! No. Sí. Estoy asustado papá... ¿por favor?" She said and it kind of irritated me because I didn't know what she was saying.

Talk slower woman.

"Voy a explicar por la mañana, lo prometo. Lo prometo mamá." She said and sighed. "Yes I know mom, I know. Fine. I'll explain everything tomorrow, everything. Yes? ¡Gracias mamá! ¡Gracias papá! Sí. Adiós, Te amo demasiado." She said and then hung up the phone.

"They said yes." She told me and I smiled as I took my phone back. "Thanks Luke, thanks Calum." She said and he shrugged.

"Luke! I'm home!" I heard Arzaylea say and she walked in. "Oh, who's this?" She asked and looked at me.

"My best friend Miranda. Miranda, that's Arzaylea." I said and she waved as she held on to me and Calum for support

"Hola, um, sorry for my appearance. I'm kind of beat up right now." She said and Arzaylea chuckled.

"It's fine love, are you okay?" She asked and Miranda nodded. "Is she staying over?"

"Yeah, I'll take her home in the morning." Luke said and nodded. "Are you hungry? I have to cook dinner anyways." He said and laughed.

"I'm fine Mr. Hemmings, don't worry about it." Miranda said and nodded. She looked at me and I hummed.

"I'm just going to take Miranda to the music room to chill for a bit, don't mind us." I said and they nodded. Calum said he'd get her crutches and I thanked him as I helped her go to the room.

"When do you get this thing off again?"

"Few days." She said and I nodded. I opened the door and then sat her down on the couch. "So, you and Calum were out today, it's all over twitter and shit. What happened?"

"Of course it is." I said and scratched my head a bit. "Nothing-Nothing. We just went to buy Luke something and then grab some burritos, which if I remember correctly, I took two bites out of mine and that's it."

"That's a waste." She said and I counted to five before the door was opening. "Hi um... Ashton right?"

"Yeah," he said and I looked at him. "Burrito." He said and held up a bag and a bottle of soda. I took it from him and thanked him as he left the room.

"Let me see the guitar as you tell me why people think you're seventeen and dating Calum." She said and I handed her the acoustic guitar.

"I guess I look seventeen," I told her and shrugged. "Calum thought I was seventeen at first." She laughed and then nodded.

"We were spotted together and I guess that automatically means we're married, I don't know. It's weird and it's kind of awkward." I told her.

"Kind of?" She teased as she played. "Only kind of?"

"I mean, if you were spotted with your idol and people thought you two were dating, wouldn't you feel kind of... accomplished? Like wow, I'm cute enough to date this magnificent specimen, thanks." I said and Miranda nodded.

"I'd kill for someone to say that they thought I was dating my fave." She said and I laughed as I opened the burrito again. "What if Calum's into you like that?"

"He's n-"

"Be open minded, what if? What would you do if he asked you out?" She asked and I shrugged.

"I'd say no."

"What? Why?" She asked and I took a bite of my food. "Why would you turn him down?"

"I mean yeah that's cool and your feelings are nice but you could get in serious trouble for this and I'm not going to be the reason your fans call you a pedo." I said and she nodded, saying that was reasonable to an extent.

"What if you like him just as much?"

"Keep it a secret." I said and she nodded. "Luke would die, Ashton would explode, Michael would probably hate me because of Malum, and fans would be mad. It'd throw everything off."

"Would you kiss him?"

"If we were alone and absolutely no one could walk in and catch us... and if we would be able to do it again." I said. "Why?"

"Tell me again, how do to see Calum?" She asked and I gulped as I thought about it. "A brother?"

"Oh shit." I said, nearly choking on my food again. "That was my fangirl talki-"

"Bullshit." She sang and I looked at the burrito. "You like Calum, Calum obviously likes you." She said.

"He's twenty! You even said it yourself, that's weird!"

"Who's twenty? What's weird?" I heard Calum asked and I turned around. He placed Miranda's crutches against the walls.

"Halsey is like twenty, I said it's weird to call her mom." I said and he furrowed his eyebrows, not seeming to believe us.

"You're right, it is weird." Miranda said and I rolled my eyes. "I'm so sorry."

"Okay..." Calum trailed off and nodded. "It's your quince right?" Miranda nodded and Calum looked at me. "I'll take you if Luke can't, you're a nice girl."

"Thank you Calum." I said and smiled. He nodded and then sat down beside me. "You can leave now." I said and pushed him.

"I want to hear her play guitar." He said and Miranda nodded as she began to play a Bon Jovi song.

"Rad." I said and she laughed as she nodded.