Driving over to her apartment he tried her phone another couple of times, frowning as he kept getting her voice mail, leaving another message a feeling of dread started to grow in the pit of his stomach, he'd lost her, she'd gone, she'd decided she couldn't be around him. He took the steps up to her apartment two at a time and started ringing the bell continuously.

“Ok ok” came Nathan's voice crossly from the other side “I'm coming, I'm coming.

“I need to speak to Callan” Dave began as soon as he opened the apartment door.

“You can't she's not here.”

“Where is she? She's not answering her phone, I need to see her?”

“I told you she's not here she has an early class.”

“She never has early classes now where is she I need to see her” Dave pushed past Nathan and headed towards Callan’s room calling her name as he passed through the apartment.

“What the fuck! You can't just walk in here. I've told you she's not here, now get out of my fucking apartment.”

Dave turned and glared at him “Tell me where she is, I have to talk to her now.”

“I told you already she's not here, she's taken a new class, if you don't fucking believe me look in her room you'll find her schedule on her desk.”

“I will don't you worry and if I find you're lying to me I'll fucking have you.”

“You think so, do you Dave?”

“Yeah” he reached Callan's room “Callan?” He called knocking her door “Callan?”

“I told you she's not there.”

Dave shot him a look and tried the handle of her door “Callan honey?” The door swung easily open and Dave walked in heading straight to her desk.

“Top right hand drawer”

“And how do you pissing well know, go through her stuff do you?”

“I don't need to” Nathan smirked leaning in the door way with his arms folded. “She told me where she keeps it in case I ever need to know.” He watched as Dave ran his fingers across the days “Bet you feel fucking stupid now don't you mate.”

“Whatever” Dave huffed heading back towards the door “Tell her I need to see her as soon as she gets back.”

“I don't think so “Nathan put his arm across the doorway blocking Dave's path. “You and me need to have a little chat.”

“I can't honestly think of anything I'd want to have a conversation with you about, now get out of the fucking way.”

“Well I can, first you can apologise for just bursting in here and then I want to know if you are still using.”

“What?” Dave stared at him.

“I asked you are you still using?”

“That is none of your fucking business.”

“It is when it upsets Callan.”

Dave stopped and stared at him “Did she tell you that? Does she think I'm still using?” he asked his heart stopping for a second.

“No, but I'm the one who’s asking you now, not her.”

Dave glared at him “Not that I need to justify myself to someone half my age, but for your information I'm not, ok?”

Nathan looked at him “I only have your word to take for that, but I'm going to ask you.... no I'm telling you now, if you still are, you keep away from her.”

“That's up to Callan not you” Dave shot back at him” It's up to her who she does and doesn't see, not you.”

“Maybe so, but the last thing she needs in her life right now is someone who's an addict. So if you are and you really care about her you'll stay out of her life for good.” he dropped his arm and turned to go “I'll tell her you've called. You can stay and wait for her or let yourself out, but think about what I've said.”

“Nathan” Dave followed him into the lounge, “Are you telling me Callan's an addict.”

“No.”

“She used to be a user?”

Nathan shook his head. “That I don't know.”

“What then?”

“It's not for me to say.”

“Nathan if there's something about Callan I need to know then you'd better tell me.”

“If she hasn't told you then she doesn't want you to know.”

“Nathan just stop messing around and fucking tell me what it is” Dave spat starting to get pissed off by Nathan’s attitude.

“I can't do that.”

“Nathan I'm warning you, now stop taking the piss.”

“Would you ever betray Callan, tell someone about something she'd told you in confidence?”

“No of course not, what kind of guy do you think I am?”

“Well don't ask me to do it then.”

“Look if it's something that concerns Callan you need to tell me.”

“And I promised her I wouldn't so don't put me in this situation, ok?”

Dave stared at him for a moment “Ok, last night after I'd told her everything, she had this nightmare would what I said to her trigger that? Maybe something from her past.”

Nathan looked at him “I'm not saying anything more, but now you've got a reason to ask her.”

“Nathan?”

“Ask her about the dream, if she wants you to know then she'll tell you.”

“If she wants you to know she'll tell you”

“Ask her about the dream”

So many thoughts went through his mind, ok he knew she wasn't using at the moment, years spent with other junkies told him that, plus Nathan had confirmed it.

Past addict, maybe, but he couldn't see that either. Drink yes she'd told him about how she had a problem with that, but somehow he couldn't see as a junkie.

Reaching for his mobile has it began to ring he hit cancel when he didn't recognise the number not wanting to be disturbed.

"Something the matter?" Christian asked wandering through to the drum room.

"Uh what?

"Something wrong?"

Dave looked over at him, "I told Callan everything last night."

"Oh right,” he looked at Dave’s expression “So how did she take it?"

"Ok or so I thought at the time, but now I'm not..." he sighed loudly and broke off as the land line to the studio rang, "Hello?”

"Dave ? It's Callan."

"Calli, where are you? Why haven't you answered your phone? I've been ringing you all morning."

"I know, I'm sorry, with everything that happened last night I forgot to charge my phone, it hasn't even got enough charge to stay turned on, I tried ringing you a couple of times but I got no reply."

"Where are you now?"

"Still at school, I just wanted to check that you were ok after last night."

"Better for speaking to you, I was worried in case you'd decided that you didn't want to see me again.

"Why would I want to do that?" she smiled, "Listen can we meet up later I've got something to tell you, perhaps we could have a late lunch or something, as long as you don't have any plans with the children of course."

"No they're both at friends this afternoon, I have a meeting at 5.30 but I'm free until then."

"Good I'll get us something from the deli on the way over to yours shall I?"

"Yes, ok. What time?"

"I have my last lesson at 2.pm so say about 3.15pm, is that ok?"

"That’s fine" he smiled relief showing in his voice as he realised that she was going to be ok about it “I'll see you in a couple of hours then,"

"Anything you need fetching whilst I'm out?"

"No but if you want to pick up muffins or something for desert feel free."

"Ok see you later Dave." she chuckled.

"Yeah bye Calli oh and don't forget the muffins."

Turning back to his notebook he suddenly found that the words began to flow.

"Right I'm off " Christian shouted through from the next room a few minutes later "Are you going to be ok?"

"Yeah fine. Callan will be here about 3..ish."

"You've heard from her then?"

"Yeah she had a flat battery on her phone."

"So she still wants to be friends with you then?" He asked wandering through to Dave.

"Thank god yes," he frowned slightly thinking about the dreams she'd had the night before and wondering how he was going to broach the subject with her.

"Everything ok?"

"Yeah it's fine, we've just got a few things to sort out but everything is going to be alright I think."

"Good" Christian smiled at him "I like Callan"

"Oh yeah" Dave looked up at him and grinned “You do, don’t you?"

Christian laughed "No not like that, although she is very beautiful, what I meant is I can tell she likes you for who you are and not what you are, plus she's put a smile on that miserable face of yours."

"Thanks that means a lot Chris, I just hope I don't stuff things up with her somehow."

"See you tomorrow Dave"

"Yeah see you Chris."

Ten minutes later Dave was still thinking of ways to talk to Callan about her nightmare when the buzzer made him jump.

"Hello?"

"Hi Dave I'm here."

"Ok come straight up honey."

Two minutes later Callan was rapping on the studio floor. "I got food" she grinned coming into the room "Look " she held up a bag for him to see, “And I got some stuff for desert"

“Hey what was that for?” she asked giggling as Dave almost squeezed the life out of her as he hugged her hard

“I'm just glad you're here that's all, after last night.”

“You think you can get rid of me that easily do you?”

“Well I hope not, but......”

“Dave I told you then it's ok, it doesn't worry me, that's all in the past, now is what matters.” she pulled her mobile phone from her pocket “Now make yourself useful and see if this fits your charger, whilst I go and sort out lunch.”

She came back from the small studio kitchen a couple of minutes later with a large tray, “I wasn't sure what you fancied so I got one of those platter thingies for us to share is that ok?"

“That's fine” his eyes searched the tray as she placed it on the table and sat on the sofa “Did you get muffins?”

“Yes” she rolled her eyes “Would I forget them? They’re in the kitchen, I'll bring them through when we've finished these” she said selecting a tuna and cucumber sandwich from the plate “Did my phone fit your charger?”

“Yes. It shouldn't take too long.”

“Great, I can't believe that I let the charge get so low, so did you do anything interesting this morning then?”

“Nothing much tried to work on some lyrics I'd got in my mind, went ov...” he paused wondering whether he should mention that he'd been to hers and spoken to Nathan now or to leave it until a little later, looking up he saw her looking at him waiting for him to finish “Went over to the park and sat for a while” he finished chickening out.

“Mmmm I bet that was nice, that park always seems peaceful even when it's busy, I went there a couple of times to read up on some stuff.”

“Yeah it was peaceful, I've never thought of working over there though.”

“You should do, at home we have this really great park, well I say park it's really a great big open space, well anyway I spent a lot of time when I was revising for my GCSE's there, no distractions...” she jumped as her mobile rang and made her way over to the desk where it was charging, “It's my Dad” she frowned glancing at her watch “He wasn't supposed to ring me for another couple of hours.”

“Something wrong Calli?”

“No I just wasn't expecting him to ring me right now,” she looked at him shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot as she picked up the phone.

“Hi Dad.” she answered in a hushed tone.

“Yes. I'm fine, I'm just having lunch at the studio with Dave at the moment.”

“No there’s nothing wrong...”

“You managed to change them?”

“Thank you, I'll collect it from the desk shall I?”

Dave watched her, there was something odd about the way she was acting, speaking barely loud enough for him to hear, whilst she kept glancing over at him then toying with the lead of the charger.

“Ok Dad, I'll see you tomorrow night then, I love you.”

“Yeah love you, bye Dad, bye.”

Slowly she flipped her phone closed and looked over at Dave to find him staring at her. “That was my Dad.”

“So you said, is there something you need to tell me Calli?”

Nodding she came and sat down on the Sofa next to him, “I'm sorry I wanted to tell you before he rang, I'm going home tomorrow.”

“It's because of me isn't it?”

“No Dave of course it isn't, I knew you'd think that but I swear it isn't.”

“Are you going back for good?” he asked not wanting to hear the answer.

“No of course not, I'll be back in a week or so, I got to class this morning and found that my last three lectures have been postponed, so seeing as I'd finished my paper and you know how much I've been missing my Dad so I thought I'd go back a day or two earlier that's all.” she looked at the expression on his face “It's nothing to do with yesterday at all it's just the timing of it, see.”

“So why tomorrow all of a sudden?”

“Dad asked me if I would, apparently he has something he wants to discuss with me and he doesn't want to wait, so I'm finishing school a couple of days early.”

“And he can't tell you by phone?” he asked.

“No he said it's something he needs to do in person.” she looked up at Dave “What if it's something terrible, Dave what if he's ill or something?”

"I'm sure it's nothing like that honey."

"But what if it is?" she asked gripping his hand.

"Calli try not to get yourself worked up over it, it'll be fine, I'm sure it will be."

“I know I shouldn't I just get worried over stuff like this that’s all, it's like when the phone rings late at night and you dread that it's bad news."

"And is it?" he asked gently.

"No, it's usually a wrong number, someone asking for a taxi or something."

"Exactly, hon I know you can't help worrying but I'm sure it's nothing like that, if it was surely he'd wait until you get home before he said something was up."

She smiled "I guess so, Dad would hate for me to worry. No you're right Dave, I'm sure it's nothing like that, it must be something else” she let go of his hand “I'll find out tomorrow. Do you want that last salmon sandwich?

"No you have it if you want."

"Sure?"

"Yeah" he said getting up "I'm going to have one of those muffins, do you want one?"

Calli shook her head "No thank you, I need to go on a diet."

Dave looked at her and chuckled “Of course you have yeah.”

"I do I've put on so much weight recently, it's all your fault you know."

"My fault?"

"Yes all these meals out and the cakes you keep buying me I'm getting fat look" she pulled on the waistband of her jeans making Dave laugh.

"Where did you put weight on your little toe or something?"

"No but I can feel these getting tight, so no thanks to the muffin."

Dave chuckled on his way to the kitchen.. "Do you want a juice or something?"

"I'd love a diet Pepsi please."

"Ok" he paused as his mobile rang, flipping it open he checked the caller id...Claudine.

“Hi Claudine, is everything ok?"

"Yes Dave, but the school have just rang me, Mollie’s not very well so I was wondering

"If you're sure that’s ok."

"Yes it's fine."

“Ok I'll see you in a while then bye Dave.”

“Bye Claudine.”

“Something wrong Dave?” Callan asked as Dave wandered back from the kitchen with his mobile in his hand.

“No it's okay Claudine's dropping Rosie off here” he hit speed dial “I just need to ring Jen.” he swore softly as he got her voice mail “Jen it's Dave, Claudine has dropped Rosie at mine as Mollie is ill, so you'll have to collect her from here. Make sure you ring me to let me know you've got the message and change of plan, speak to you later ok by

“I thought you had a meeting later” Callan frowned.

“I do. I'll drop Rosie off at her grandmas it's only for an hour or so.”

“Ok” she started to get up from the sofa, “I'll get out of your hair then.”

“Now?”

“Yes. I'll see you when I get back.”

“Stay, Rosie would love to see you.”

“No I'll go and leave you to get ready.”

“No don't, just stay and say hello to Rosie.”

“Well I suppose I could if that’s ok. I've kind of missed her.”

“Good that's settled.” he smiled.