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Calum Hood was always late. Every time he hitched a flight to see family back in New Zealand, his baggage would get lost, and he’d nearly miss the plane. Luckily, he had never missed one yet. This fact constantly left him worrying if this time would be the yet, the exception. And this time, it was vital that he actually make the fucking thing. There was an All Time Low concert in Sydney in three hours, and the drive took at least two hours, on a good day of traffic. If he was unable to make it in time, he’d miss a chance he might never get again.
Luke Hemmings was always on time. He was the sort of person to always carry a book in hand, and made sure to double and triple check that he had everything. The idea of being late never startled him before, but he, too, had bought tickets to the All Time Low concert. And, as he flew across the sea from London, where his family had just been on vacation, he was downright frantic. The plane was set to land in Newcastle, and he had no idea how -- or if -- he’d get there in time.
“I’m not gonna miss it.” Calum muttered to himself, watching the baggages go around and around. His grandma had dropped him off at the airport, where he was meant to drive home alone. He had to borrow a bright pink suitcase from Mali-Koa since she ‘accidentally’ took his navy one. Calum kept his eyes sharp, looking for the neon bag. “I’m not gonna miss it.” Brown, black, and red baggages spun around the carousel. Not a single pink one.
The plane landed, and Luke was among the first off. He rushed across the airport to the luggage check, where his suitcase should have rested. He sighed overdramatically, craning his neck to look over the other side of the carousel. His bright pink luggage should not be very hard to find, but even this was proving surprisingly difficult. “Seriously? Where is it?” Luke yelped, and whipped his head to the right. A boy, about his age, had just said the exact same thing… at the exact same time.
Calum would have thought it weirder that the blonde guy and he had said something in usion, but he really couldn’t find the time. His bag was missing still, and that’s what really mattered. A pink bag finally emerged from the baggage cart, and Calum’s eyes darted to it. “Fucking finally!” He shouted, and glanced back at the blonde guy. They spoke at the same time, again.
Luke dashed up to the bag, but watched as the guy from earlier snatched it from reach. “But that’s my bag.” Luke said to the stranger, who flicked him off, turning around and walking off. Luke put his hand on the guy’s shoulder. “Listen, I can’t talk right now, I’ve gotta go to an ATL concert, and I need my bag, so-” The two boys said at once, before glaring at each other.
“Stop doing that.” Calum said, and, no longer to his surprise, the blonde guy did as well. “No, you stop.” They said in sync. Calum had had enough. He turned on his heel, making a mad dash to the parking lot. The bag held not only his tickets, but the money he would need to get a cab to drive there. Calum turned behind him to see if the blonde guy had followed him, and to his relief, he had not. Calum quickly hailed a cab, sliding into the back seat.
Luke groaned, defeated. The bag held the tickets, as well as his cell phone. In hindsight, he should not have placed the phone in his suitcase, but he usually slept on planes, so it wasn’t such a need to have his phone with him at all times. Maybe I was mistaken, and that was really his bag… Mine’s still probably on the trolley, Luke thought. Sure enough, a pink bag was stuck at the edge of the carousel. Luke ran to grab it, smiling as the bag slid into his hands.
Cal lifted the flap to his luggage, unzippering the top. But the second he pulled away the fabric of the bag, he knew he was mistaken. The contents were neatly organized, the name Luke Hemmings printed neatly on a sticky note on the back of the top flap. A golden-colored iPhone 6 rested amid the neatly folded clothing. When Calum pressed the ‘On’ button, the screen lit up with a picture of the blonde guy from earlier. Calum finally was able to connect the dots. “Uh, cabby? Sorry, but I think we need to turn back.”
Luke gripped the handle of the bag. From the smell alone he could tell it was not his- it reeked of cologne and dirty clothing. “Shit…” he murmured, any hope of finding his own bag draining. Just then, the doors to the airline were thrown open, and the unison boy from earlier charged into the airport. “Luke Hemmings! Luke Hemmings, I have your luggage.” The boy shouted, and Luke smiled. “Took ya long enough to realise.” He shouted back jokingly, and the boy gestured for Luke to follow him.
Calum nearly ran into the guy, whose name he now knew to be Luke. “Well, come on!” Calum yelled, and then he and Luke sprinted back towards the exit.
“We have to make that concert!” They both shouted, which lead to a fit of laughter. Never before had Calum managed to speak simultaneously with anyone, never less so many times in a row. The cab still awaited Calum.
“Well, I’ll see you, maybe.” Luke said, stopping. Calum rolled his eyes.
“No, you dork. You’re riding with me. Your bag is still in the car, and good luck hailing another cab to drive you all the way to Sydney.” Calum said, and he saw a big smile spread across Luke’s face.
Luke did not see that coming. He slid into the back seat of the taxicab with the boy, not mistrusting him for a second. “Do you have a name?” Luke asked once the car began to drive.
“No. I am a nameless foe who wonders the airline stealing blonde guys’ pink luggage and speaking in unison. Yes I have a name.” he laughed, and Luke couldn’t help but join. His laughter was contagious.
“Well then, what is it? I did just agree to get into a cab with a random stranger, I think I deserve to know his name.” Luke said, and Calum sighed.
“Ah, you’re no fun. You ruin the mystery, Hemmings! I’m Calum, Calum Hood.” The boy said, and Luke grinned.
“Well, Mr. Hood, I’m glad I’m not sharing a taxi with a nameless foe.”
The two hour car ride was filled with conversations of music tastes, food preferences, and general oddity. Calum discovered many things of the strange blonde boy- that he adored Green Day, Mayday Parade, Nirvana and Blink-182, that he was really laid back, or at least he claimed to be, and he was willing to talk about literally anything. At one point, their conversation on the weather veered to aliens invading Siberia, and then to pigs taking over the world. Luke was crazy, but so was Calum, so they managed to get along quite well.
Luke was actually a little sad when the taxi stopped, but then he remembered the concert. He was planning to meet his friend Michael there, and excitement was pulsating.
“Dude, what ticket numbers did ya get?” Calum asked, pulling out cash to pay the driver.
“I’ll pay, it’s fine.” Luke said, and Calum shook his head.
“Nah man, whatever. What ticket numbers did you get, though?” Calum asked.
“Oh, um… Hold on, I’ve gotta check.” He rooted through his bag, which was now thoroughly messy. The weird part was, he didn’t really care. “Ticket to Sydney Olympic Park, aisle 131, row 15, seat 12.” Luke read off his ticket. It was significantly closer to any band than he’d ever been, and he was excited as shit.
“Man, we need to stop with our crazy-ass coincidences.” Calum said, holding up his ticket for Luke to read. Calum and his friend Ashton had bought tickets months ago, and were lucky enough to get out of that frenzy alive.
“Dude.” Luke muttered, and Calum smiled. Calum’s seat number was aisle 131, row 15, seat 13.
Luke saw Michael chatting with a guy with square glasses when he and Calum entered the stadium, and Luke started waving his hands at his friend. Michael didn’t seem to notice. “Ashton!” Luke heard Calum call, and the boy with the square glasses looked up. Michael finally saw Luke, and stuck his tongue out. Calum walked up to greet the glasses boy, and Luke trailed behind. “Heya, Ash. I’d like you to meet Luke.” Calum said formally, to which Luke bowed, mocking him.
“Well it’s a pleasure to meet you, Luke. And this is Michael.” Ashton said back. Michael winked sarcastically, and Luke laughed.
“You could say that we’re acquainted.”
First the pink baggage, then the unison thing, then the concert, then mixing the bags up, then the similar tickets, then their friends being friends? Calum wasn’t sure how many more coincidences he could take. “Mate, I bought us all waters so that we’d not die of screaming too loud again.” Ashton joked, and Calum laughed at the memory. They had gone to a Fall Out Boy concert a while ago, and he and Ashton were jumping and screaming as loud as everybody else. And while it was amazing, he felt like he was going to collapse any second. “Sorry that I didn’t buy you one, Luke, didn’t know you were coming. I could now if you want or something, I-”
“Nah, it’s fine. Thanks, though.” Luke declined politely, and Ashton shrugged.
“We should probably find our seats, the concert’s gonna start in a few minutes.” Michael said, and Luke nodded. He had wanted to see All Time Low live in concert for quite some time, and now, he was finally getting the chance. The four boys glanced around, bewildered at the amount of people attending.
“I think I see them, c’mon!” Ashton called, already running towards the section of seats proudly labled ‘131’. Luke, Michael, and Calum followed, dodging fans clad in ATL merchandise. Luke counted over twelve to find his chair, and quickly narrowed his eyebrows. Four guys already sat in their seats.
“Um, excuse us, but I think you’re in our seats.” Calum said politely. He figured it no big deal, and smiled as the teenagers began to stand.
“No, uh, actually, these are our seats.” The tallest one said, pulling out his ticket. The words ‘aisle 131, row 15, seat 13’ were printed clearly on the top of his ticket, and his friends pulled out theirs, proving their validity. Calum squinted, and pulled out his own ticket. Sure enough, the same title was printed over his, as well.
“Calum.” Ashton said worriedly, and Calum looked over at him.
“Yeah?”
“I bought our tickets online, Calum. I think I bought fake tickets.” Ashton said, his face paling. Calum paused, running a hand through his hair.
“Shit.”
Luke studied his own ticket, and looked up at Michael. “Um, Mike?”
“Tell me you did not buy them online, Hemmings. Those sites are never trustworthy.”
“I was offered a good deal, and they were so close to the stage, and…” Luke trailed off, and Michael nodded, sighing.
“Okay. Great.” He said sarcastically, and Luke shrugged. He really had no idea what they were going to do now.
“I’ve got a pickup truck out back. We could tailgate, I guess? I dunno, I’m sorry.” Ashton said, wringing his hands. Calum was upset that he couldn’t stay to see the concert that he payed quite a bit to see, but he couldn’t take that out on Ashton. The boy seemed distressed as it was.
“Sure. And it’s okay, Ash. It really was just a mistake.” Calum offered, and Ashton nodded, forcing a smile.
“Could we maybe come? Mr. Dumber over there managed to buy tickets from the same place as you, Mr. Dumb, and we don’t exactly have a ride.” Michael said, and Ashton nodded, chuckling.
“As long as you don’t call me Mr. Dumb again, you’re welcome to stay.”
Luke was mortally embarrassed. He felt as if he had let Michael down, and almost as if he had let himself down. He trailed behind Michael and Ashton as he exited the massive arena, keeping his eyes on his shoes. “Hey, Luke? It’s not your fault, you know.” Calum said, turning up behind him. Luke looked up at Calum, before looking back down.
“Yeah. I kinda did let him down, though.” Luke said, referring to Michael. Calum seemed to understand what he meant.
“Look at him, though. Really look at him. Does he look all that sad to you?” Calum questioned. Luke looked up at Michael, who was laughing with Ashton about something bizarre. Luke smiled.
“I guess you’re right, yeah.” He said, walking up to a dark blue pickup truck.
“That’s one thing you’ll get to know about me- I’m always right.” Calum joked, hopping up into the bed of the truck. Luke laughed, joining him. Michael crawled over the side, landing head first next to Calum.
“What’s up?” He asked casually, as if he had meant to do that.
“Your feet.” Calum said, and Michael stumbled, pulling his legs into the truck bed, forming a much less awkward position. Ashton sat down next to Michael, chuckling. Music echoed from the stadium, and Luke sighed heavily. “C’mere, you dork.” Calum joked, pulling Luke into a hug. Luke nuzzled against his chest, shutting his eyes.
“You two are too cute for words.” Ashton said.
“Shut up.” Luke muttered, pulling away slowly.
And that’s how the hours passed- Calum and Luke and Ashton and Michael just listening to the quiet music in the background. By then, Therapy, the closing song, had begun. Luke looked wistfully at the arena. “This song got me through some really tough shit.” Luke said, smiling softly.
“I know what you mean.” Calum said, nodding.
“When I was fourteen- no, it was fifteen, I think. When I was fifteen, a few of my classmates caught me with my boyfriend in the locker room. I was the laughing stock of the school, and even worse, he left me. He told everyone that I manipulated him to kiss me, and… I don’t know. It was a wreck.” Luke said. He pulled his legs up to his chest, eyes never leaving the arena.
“With me, it was when I finally got the courage to leave an abusive relationship. That was, uh, hellish.” Calum said, looking at Luke. “I still have scars from where he’d hit me. I called the police, and I
managed to get a restraining order. The guy, Andrew, never went to jail. He wasn’t even fined.” Calum said, nodding. “But I’m over it now, and I’m just glad that I had that moment of bravery to stand up. I might not be here if I didn’t.”
Luke turned his gaze look back at Calum. “How could anyone ever hurt you? You’re perfect.” Luke said, biting his lip.
“Funny, I was thinking thing about you.” Calum said.
Luke nudged his head forward, closing the gap between him and Calum. Their lips brushed together softly before Luke pulled back. Calum’s eyes fluttered open. “Thank you.” he said quietly.
“What for?” Luke said.
“For… for being here. For chasing me when I took your bag. For talking at the same time as me. For riding in a cab with a stranger. For buying fake tickets. For staying with me. Just, thank you.” Calum said, smiling. He took Luke’s hand as the final chord to the song played.
“And thank you.” Luke said. They watched as confetti from the concert rained just meters away, and Luke settled against Calum.
The night hadn’t been perfect- they didn’t even get to go to the All Time Low concert- but Calum and Luke were happier than could be. What a coincidence.