A/N: This is a song-fic I wrote to 'Love Story' by Taylor Swift about Callum and Sephy and what could have happened. I hope you enjoy it, and please leave a review :)

All There's Left To Do Is Run

We were both young
When I first saw you
I close my eyes
And the flashback starts

I looked down at the piece of paper in front of me – what could I say? What was there to say? I knew I had to run away. Get away. And it was either to Chivers boarding school… or with Callum. God knows, I would rather it be with Callum. That's really all I've ever wanted. Fifteen years I've known him. Fifteen years…everything was so different fifteen years ago. Everything was simple. Easy.

I closed my eyes and thought back to my first memory of Callum. Then all the memories of the past fifteen years came flooding back to me…

.x.x.x.

I'm standing there
On a balcony in summer air
See the lights, see the party, the ballgowns
See you make your way through the crowd
And say hello

Look at the twinkly lights! They're so pretty. I can see Mummy and her friends dancing through the balcony doors. She looks pretty too. Like a grown-up princess. Or a queen.

"Look, Sephy!" said the lady whose lap I was sitting on. Didn't she realise I didn't want to sit out here with her? Why couldn't I be with my mummy, in the party? "Callum's here!"

Oh, there's the boy. The lady's son. He helps his mummy look after me sometimes, and he plays games with me.

He walked up to me and smiled. He has a nice smile, I think. "Hello, Sephy."

"Ello!"

The lady had her arms around my stomach and she started tickling it. I began to giggle.

"You will learn another word someday, Sephy! Callum's first word was mummy. Isn't that right, Callum?"

"Callum! Call-uum!" I liked how that sounded. Call-uum.

"Sephy!" The lady sounded surprised. What had I done? Nothing special.

"Ello Callum!"

The boy, Callum - he looked pleased. All I did was say his name. Call-ummm. I like that word.

"Sephy, say Mummy! Mumm-y!" The lady looked worried. Why?

I didn't want to say that word. Mummy. The lady wasn't my mummy anyway. Maybe I would say it if my real mummy tried to make me say it. But she never had. Mummy didn't talk to me all that often, really.

I like the boy's name, though. He talks to me all the time. "Callummm!"

The lady lifted me up and turned me around so I was looking at her. I didn't like that. I couldn't see the boy anymore. "Callum!"

"No, Sephy," said the lady, shaking her head. "Say Mummy! Or Daddy!"

"Why can't she say MY name?" asked the boy. Callum. He moved round to stand next to his mummy. "Sephy likes me."

"Her mother won't like it," muttered the lady to herself, but Callum heard.

"Why not?" said Callum.

She ignored him. "Say Mumm-y!"

"Ello Callum!" I said again.

He smiled at me. "Hello, Sephy."

.x.

Little did I know
That you were Romeo
You were throwing pebbles
And my daddy said, "Stay away from Juliet,"
And I was crying on the staircase
Begging you, "Please don't go."

I felt a stab of annoyance as I looked down at my watch. It was five o'clock, and Callum hadn't been round to my house in three days. Meggie wasn't looking after me anymore. I asked Mother why, when Meggie didn't come, and she said "I don't employ that woman anymore." What did she mean? Obviously, I know she meant Meggie doesn't work for us anymore. I'm ten years old; I'm not stupid. But why did she say 'that woman'? Meggie and my mother are friends. Aren't they?

I knew that obviously Meggie wouldn't bring Callum round anymore, but I thought he'd come on his own. He's my best friend in the whole entire world. Doesn't that mean anything at all to him? I can't go three days without seeing him once, I just can't. I want to talk to him, play with him. I don't even mind if he wants to come over and laugh at me, like he does more and more often these days.

Right then, the doorbell rang. I jumped up from my position sitting on the stairs and ran down them, two at a time – only to be beaten to the door by Sarah.

She opened the door, and said, "Yes, how can I help – oh. It's you."

That had better not be Callum at the door, I thought to myself. Sarah couldn't have been quite so rude to him, surely. I jumped the last step and stood next to Sarah…and there he was, looking offended, but also confused. He wasn't the only one.

"Can I see Sephy, please?" he asked, seeing me coming up to Sarah. He smiled. I've always loved that smile.

"Of course," I said, speaking for Sarah. "What took you so – "

"I don't think so," interrupted Sarah, shaking her head. She looked nervous.

"Why not?" said Callum and I at the same time.

"I just don't think…"

I felt a strong hand on my shoulder. I turned around, and standing there was my father. He was due to leave in the next hour or so. Leave for where, I had no idea. I stopped asking when I was six years old; now, I just accept it.

"What do YOU think you're doing here?" he said roughly, almost shouting.

Callum looked taken aback. "I was just here to see Sephy, if that's alright with you, Mr Hadley."

"No, that's not ruddy alright! Get off my property. I thought we were rid of you McGregors!" he roared. I shook his hand off my shoulder and turned to face him.

"Don't speak to my friend like that!"

"Don't you speak to ME like that, young lady! Go to your room!"

"NO!" I shouted.

"GO, NOW! And I thought I told you to get out of here!" he said, stepping towards Callum. "Go on! Go!"

"Please, Mr Hadley, I – "

"GO! Stay away from Persephone, you dirty nought!"

A tear fell down my cheek. How could my own father say something like that to Callum? I sat back down on the stairs and let the tears fall. Maybe my father would see them, and let Callum and I talk. But then again, maybe not.

"Callum…don't go," I shouted. "Please, dad, I – "

"ENOUGH! Persephone, go to your room."

He shut the door in Callum's face and stormed down the hallway.

I sat on the staircase and cried.

And I said
Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone
I'll be waiting, all there's left to do is run
You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess
It's a love story
Baby, just say yes

The next morning I walked straight out of our door. No asking permission, no telling anyone where I was going, no note. Nothing. I walked all the way to Callum's house. It was the first time I'd walked there alone, but I felt anything but scared.

I knocked purposefully on the front door. Meggie answered and glared at me. I'd never seen her looking that way; what had I done?

"Meggie, hi," I said, feigning a smile. "Could I see Callum?"

"You have a nerve, Miss Hadley," she said, pointing her finger in my face. "Your mother sacks me but you come skipping over here like everything's fine and dandy. Well, Persephone, everything is not fine."

My mother sacked Meggie? Why? They were friends, good friends. What had happened?

"I'm sorry, I really am," I choked out. "I didn't know."

Her face softened, but only slightly. A moment before, I thought she was going to slam the door in my face, just as my father had done to Callum; but her grip on the door handle relaxed. She was better than my father, at least – but what had Callum and I done to deserve this from either of them?

"Well…Miss Hadley, now you know. I'd appreciate it if you left now," she replied.

"Please, can I just see Callum?" I pleaded. I knew the answer even before I'd finished speaking.

"No. That's just not possible."

"But, Mrs McGregor, you know better than anyone how close Callum and I are. Please." I peered around the door to the room inside. Callum was sat alone on the sofa, watching the television.

"Callum?" called Meggie. Yes, she was going to let me see him. He looked around and brightened as he saw me standing there. I grinned.

"Hello, Sephy," he said, standing beside his mother.

"Hey. I was just asking your mum if you could come talk to me…" I looked at Meggie, and she bit her lip.

"Does your mother know you're here?"

I wondered about lying. I could easily say Mother knew I was here, and I had her blessing – but I knew Meggie wouldn't believe that. Meggie would never believe that in a million years.

"Well, no, not exactly – "

"Just as I thought. Goodbye, Miss Hadley." No. She started to close the door, but Callum pulled it back open.

"Come on, Mum. At least let us talk for a little while."

She looked between the two of us. "Well…okay, fine. Two minutes." And with that, she walked up the stairs.

"Finally," I said to Callum when Meggie's back had disappeared from view.

"Do you know why my mum doesn't work for yours anymore?" he asked.

"No, no idea," I replied, shrugging.

"Oh. Please don't tell her I came around to your house yesterday, by the way."

"I'm really sorry about that. My dad…"

"It's okay," he said, brushing off my apology. "I know I'm a nought, and you're a Cross, and we're not supposed to be friends," he continued glumly.

"I don't understand it. Why not?"

"It's just the way the world is, Sephy," he replied in that patronising tone of his.

"Callum!" I heard Meggie call from above. "Say goodbye…"

No. I couldn't leave already. We hadn't even talked yet.

"Callum…take me somewhere we can be alone," I whispered.

"Like where?"

I thought for a moment. "I know! The private beach at my house! My parents never go down there! Come on, let's go!" I said, tugging on his arm excitedly.

"MUM!" he shouted. "I'm going for a walk!

"Not with her, you're not!" She came bounding down the stairs and Callum pushed me quickly out of the house. I put my back against the exterior wall next to the door and stifled a giggle.

"No, she's already gone. See," he said. I couldn't see him, but I bet he was gesturing around the room, pretending to look under cushions to show I wasn't there. He does make me laugh.

"Okay, then." I could practically hear Meggie pursing her lips.

Callum stepped out of the house without another word, slamming the door behind him. He grabbed my arm and we sprinted all the way down to the beach, laughing.

.x.

I sneak out to the garden to see you
We keep quiet 'cause we're dead if they knew
So close your eyes
Escape this town for a little while

It was three o'clock in the morning and earlier Callum had used our signal to show he needed to speak to me urgently. We worked out the signal two years ago, when both of our families had basically forbidden us from ever seeing each other. What else could we do but sneak around and use secret signals?

I always get a tingle up my spine when I'm waiting for him in our rose garden. Is he going to come? Is he not going to come? What does he want to say?

"Sephy." It was a faint whisper, as always. If anyone in the house knew Callum was here…

"Callum," I whispered, walking towards him. I could barely make out his silhouette in the dark. "I wasn't sure if you were coming."

"It's usually me wondering if you're going to show up," he replied, grinning.

"Hey! I always show up!" I replied indignantly.

"Eventually." I knew he was only teasing me, so I shut up. He grabbed my hand and pulled me down to the ground. It was a small patch of grass amidst the many roses, and it was a beautiful place to sit. Especially with Callum.

"What's so urgent?" I asked, keeping my voice low. I looked nervously up at the house.

"Nothing much," he said in reply.

"You just fancied meeting at three o'clock in the morning, then?" I said, pretending to be annoyed. But he knew as well as I did that I loved meeting him in the middle of the night. I think he loved it too; but it's always hard to tell with Callum.

"What, it's a crime to want to see my wonderful best friend Sephy?"

"Oh, shut up. Flattery will get you nowhere."

He laughed and I put a finger over his lips. He took my hand away and mimed zipping his lips shut. He held my hand in both of his and I felt a familiar tingle in my spine.

Callum lay back on the grass, pulling me with him. I lived for moments like these; moments on the beach and moments in the rose garden. Forbidden moments.

I closed me eyes and let myself float away. I imagined lying there with Callum by my side forever…I would do anything if Callum was by my side forever. But that's not allowed here, is it? Not in this town, or any other. Noughts and Crosses are different. Noughts and Crosses can't even talk, let alone be friends, let alone anything more. Crosses and noughts. Noughts and Crosses. Crosses and noughts and Crosses and noughts and Crosses and noughts…

Even the words suggest a difference. Crosses deserve a capital letter, according to the world. Crosses are more important, bigger, better. According to the world.

"What are you thinking about?" Callum whispered. He was so close to me that his breath tickled my ear. I opened my eyes and saw that his were still closed.

"Everything. The world. Crosses and noughts, noughts and Crosses. Us."

He didn't reply. I don't think he knew what to say.

'Cause you were Romeo
I was a scarlet letter
And my daddy said, "Stay away from Juliet,"
But you were everything to me
I was begging you, "Please don't go,"

A light flicked on up at the house, and I felt like my heart stopped with it.

"Callum…" I whispered, quieter than ever. He opened his eyes and saw the light immediately.

"I have to go," he said, so quietly that I couldn't be exactly sure what he said.

"No…please don't go," I begged, holding on to his arm. "It's nothing. I'm sure it's just someone going to the bathroom or something."

"I have to go," he said again, gently prising my fingers from his arm. "I'll see you at the beach tomorrow, Sephy."

"Don't go. The light will go off in a minute…"

"Bye, Sephy." He stood up and within a second he'd vanished into the dark.

.x.x.x.

And I said
Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone
I'll be waiting, all there's left to do is run
You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess
It's a love story
Baby, just say yes

I forced myself to return to the present and open my eyes, though I wanted nothing more than to reminisce on every moment with Callum, every touch, every laugh. Everything.

I realised that if I didn't write the letter, I'd never have another moment with Callum again. I'd never touch him, or laugh with him, or kiss him again if I didn't write this letter. This letter…it was the most important thing I've ever written in my life.

So I put pen to paper and began to write.

And the words came flooding out of me.

I signed my name, and whispered "All there's left to do is run."

Romeo, save me
They're trying to tell me how to feel
This love is difficult, but it's real
Don't be afraid
We'll make it out of this mess
It's a love story
Baby, just say yes

I fiddled with the button on my Chivers uniform, staring at myself in the mirror. This wasn't supposed to be happening. I wasn't supposed to still be here. Callum was supposed to have come by now. It was quarter to two on Sunday afternoon…in fifteen minutes, I'd be gone. Gone to Chivers. Why hadn't he come? Why weren't we hundreds of miles away from here?

Sarah promised she'd delivered the letter, but I began to doubt her. What if she was lying? But I knew inside that Sarah would never lie. She delivered the letter, all right.

Callum just didn't believe in any of it.

"Sephy," said Sarah outside my door. "Your mother would like you to come down now."

"Okay!"

I didn't move. Maybe if I wished hard enough, Callum would come. He had to come.

But why do I have to wait for Callum? I can make things happen. I can go see him. I can take action. Why can't I?

I got tired of waiting
Wondering if you were ever coming around

I decided what I was going to do in an instant. I wrenched open my bedroom door and leaped three at a time down the stairs.

"Finally, Persephone!" said Mother when I ran outside. "We have to – "

"I'll be back in a minute!" I shouted.

Hopefully, I'll never be back.

"Persephone, come back!"

But I was already gone. I was running as fast as my legs could carry me, ignoring the shouts of my mother and Minerva behind me. I had to reach Callum's aunt's house; I knew he must be there. If I had to beg him to run away with me, I would.

I couldn't just leave without a fight.

I was running faster than I'd ever moved in my whole life, faster than I thought I could move. But it wasn't fast enough. Faster, Sephy. Faster. I had to see him. Even if he was just going to reject me, tell me I was crazy, and tell me he didn't care one iota about me. I needed to see him.

My faith in you was fading
When I met you on the outskirts of town

As I turned a corner to a long, empty stretch of road, I saw a figure in the distance. They were running even faster than I was, and their arms were swinging wildly.

Callum.

I felt like my insides were twisting, but I ran faster, faster faster… He hadn't seen me yet, and we were less than twenty feet apart.

Fifteen feet.

Ten.

Five.

And only then did he see me, when I was right in front of him. He skidded to a halt and pulled me roughly towards him and kissed me.

He was kissing me just as desperately as I was kissing him. He wrapped his arms tightly around my waist and pulled me even closer to his body. After several seconds – or perhaps minutes, or hours – we broke apart; but he kept his arms tight around me, and I never wanted him to let me go.

And I said
Romeo, save me
I've been feeling so alone
I keep waiting for you
But you never came

"I thought I was too late…" he whispered to me, stoking a strand of hair off my face. I was shocked to see he was crying. "I only just read your letter."

I felt relief flood through me – Callum did want to be with me, he wanted to run away with me, he wanted to get away from here just as much as I did. Callum and Sephy. Together.

"I couldn't leave for Chivers without speaking to you," I said. "I wouldn't leave without you without…without a fight."

He smiled. "That's my Sephy."

"And it was extremely fortunate I did. Because otherwise, I'd – well, I'd be on the way to Chivers."

Before he could reply, I leaned forward and kissed him again, more gently than before.

"Don't talk about that," he said after a moment. "We're here. We're going."

"I love you, Callum."

If there's only one thing I know for certain, then God knows, that's it.

"I love you, too."

Callum loves me.

Is this in my head?
I don't know what to think
He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring
And said
Marry me, Juliet
You'll never have to be alone
I love you and that's all I really know

"And, Sephy, I know I want to be with you. Forever."

He crouched down to the ground and pulled a long blade of grass from somebody's front garden. He knotted the two ends together and knelt down on one knee.

"This isn't a proposal," he hastened to assure me. I had to laugh. "It's…a promise for the future."

I held out my hand and he slipped the grass ring on to my finger. I looked down at it and smiled so hard I thought my face might split in two.

The ring Callum gave me meant more than a diamond. It meant more than a hundred diamonds.

It's a love story,

Baby, just say yes

"I love you, Callum. Now all there's left to do is run."

Nought and Cross. White and black. Light and dark. What does it really matter?

Sephy and Callum together. That's all that matters.

A/N: Please review, it really would make my day :) Thanks for reading.