A Coalition Story

Meg Just Had to Talk, Didn't She?

"Look at him, he's such an idiot, thinking you ever loved him." Meg's laugh, accompanying her haughty words, met with a fierce glare from her older brother. Still, he followed her stare to a somber Torin and an angry Ravyn. The two had become best buddies in recent weeks, since Christmas and New Year's, and from what Cal had heard, Ravyn had gone through a rough patch herself with Atticus. He didn't envy her, but he felt some of her pain. He'd screwed up everything with Torin, and while it was for the best, that didn't mean it didn't hurt. But he couldn't focus on the pain; he couldn't focus on Torin.

"There's no need to be cruel, Megaera," Cal lectured, finally getting his little sister to meet his glare. She rolled her eyes dramatically.

"Excalibur," she began, using the full name treatment, too, "you played with his heart for months and fooled him into loving you. I'm not the cruel one here and we both know it." Her pointed stare was met with silence. He didn't even make eye contact with his sister. She didn't need to see the pain in his eyes, and he really didn't need his girlfriend, who sat beside him, seeing it. Ksenia truly thought he cared for her, but she was the closest thing he had to a distraction, not someone he cared about or even liked. So while Meg was wrong about Torin, she was right about his cruelty. His sister just had the wrong target in mind.

"C'mon, Cal, don't be a brat. It's not like you ever liked him, even as a friend. He's an annoying jerk who literally only Ravyn likes, which says a lot. We all know Ravyn only likes horrible people for friends, especially guy friends. Look at Atticus, look at you!" As his sister spoke, rambled really, Cal stiffened. Insulting Torin was one thing, but insulting Ravyn was worse. Sure, he hated her, too, sometimes, but who didn't? Ravyn was more of a little sister to him than Meg was, even after their Christmas Eve disagreement.

"Meg, I think it's best that you're quiet now," Ksenia spoke, her voice firm. The blonde only scoffed, flipping her long hair over her shoulder. She truly was a sixteen-year-old girl, wasn't she? At least Cal's girlfriend could sense his anger. Maybe she was good for something.

"Why? I'm just speaking the truth, and it's about time some of it comes out. Anyways, Ksenia, it's not like you like Ravyn or Torin either. Ravyn certainly hates you." This, Cal was reminded, was why Meg had not been accepted into the spy program. She was incapable of reading a room. How did she even have friends? How was she even related to the rest of the family? And to think Cal was the illegitimate child...

"Meg, that's enough," Ksenia spoke, her voice even more assertive.

"Meg doesn't know when enough is enough. You know this babe, even she knows it. She knows it's why she's a failure," Cal muttered, finally speaking up. Both women turned to him, his girlfriend in shock and his sister in fury.

"I am not a failure!" Meg's sharp words boasted her pain and insecurity, but that was because they all knew it was true. Ksenia was just shocked that her boyfriend could be this cruel to his sister. She'd seen his cruelty with others but had never expected it with his own family.

"Then why couldn't you become a spy?" Cal countered coldly. His sister's eyes turned red with vitriol.

"Because the program was too competitive that year!" she shouted. He raised an eyebrow.

"So you weren't good enough. That sounds like a failure to me. Anyways, back when I thought you had potential, I talked with the people in charge of the spy initiates. They said you were their last choice, and frankly, that was a good one." Leaning back in his chair, one arm over Ksenia's shoulders and the other in his lap, Cal painted the definitive picture of indifference.

"That's not true!" Meg yelled, her voice thick with emotion and anger. Tears welled up in her red eyes, and a smirk rose to her brother's face. He was under her skin, hurting her. Good. Now she knew some of his pain in regards to Torin. It was time to make it worse. He leaned forward, arms now resting on the table.

"Megaera, dear, sweet sister of mine, you have no potential to follow your dreams. You'll end up being a wife to some abusive man who sees you only as a baby-making machine and a personal punching bag. Don't try and deny it. You know what the Coalition does to people like you, weak and with no future. They hide them in the background if they even manage to survive. It's just a matter of time. Dad will marry you off to get rid of you the second you turn eighteen, and then we will happily never see you again." His smirk shone strongly on his face, arrogance and confidence exuding from his person. As Ksenia stood from beside him, walking away from the debacle, he didn't bat an eye. Cal never cared much for her anyway. She was an easy distraction. And Meg had had this coming for sixteen intolerable years. And yet he couldn't bring himself to abandon the only family he'd ever had...

"This is why Daddy hates you. You're horrible and cruel. It's not because you're not his son, it's because you're never going to be deserving of his love." Meg stood. People in the Cole and White families knew how to be cruel, particularly to each other, and it seemed that Meg, for once, was no different. Cal would never admit this to her, but her sharp words stung.

"Your father hates me because I'm just like him. You may think you're his favorite, but you're not. He only likes you because you're easy to control and manipulate. I never claimed to be a saint, Megaera, but at least I own up to my faults. You never have and never will. So it won't be a surprise to me when your future husband eventually has you offed for arrogance and insubordination. Have fun with that life." This time, Cal stood, leaving his lunch, which included a chocolate pudding, his Achilles heel, untouched. He wasn't hungry anymore, just angry, and it was time to go take that out in the gym. So with a malicious smile flashed to his sister, he turned and left the cafeteria, watching as a shocked Alice stood to the side. She must have witnessed the whole ordeal, Lev, too, since he stood by her side. But Cal didn't care. He didn't care about anyone anymore, certainly not those he was supposed to be close with. And he was starting to think that maybe, just maybe, he didn't even care about Torin anymore. That was the scariest part of it all.