She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not (gxg)

Part 22

It had been 6 months since Callie had passed away, on February 7th.

Callie had struggled with addiction since I was in middle school. She was always two grades above me- so when I was in high school, I knew even more so that she was on drugs. People would talk about her drug use.

It wasn't until I got older, I would say my junior in high school, after Callie had graduated that I realized that my sister was a drug addict- through and through. And that she could die from this. When I was younger, I didn't quite realize what it meant that she was on drugs.

She was using heroin by the time she died, I'm pretty sure that was her drug of choice. But she used anything she could get her hands on, and also drank a lot. Anything to not feel...well, anything. Callie was a unique soul. Very free spirited, didn't care what anyone thought of her. Beyond generous. The type of person that made you feel special.

The only time she wasn't using was when she was pregnant with Cameron. She got pregnant with him on a one night stand, and Cameron's father was also a drug addict and apparently wanted nothing to do with him.

I was hanging out with Nia when I got the phone call from Charlotte. We were in her kitchen, drinking wine and eating ice cream, as we do. It was late- around 11:30 PM. Nia didn't have Isabella that night, so we were free to do whatever.
My phone then rang. It was on the other side of the table.
"I wonder who's calling me this late?" I said.
"Probably one of those spam calls. I get them super late sometimes." Nia said.
But when I saw the name "Charlotte" on my caller ID, I got a major pit my stomach and immediately felt nauseous.
I picked up, "What's wrong?" I immediately said.
"Where are you?" Charlotte asked me.
"I'm with Nia. What's going on?"
Her voice was very calm. Matter of fact. "Okay. Jane, Callie overdosed."
I felt my mouth go dry. "Is she okay?"
"No. She's not. She died about ten minutes ago." Charlotte said. She once again was speaking in a matter of fact tone, how she's used to speaking with patients. Now I know, she was in complete shock and denial.
I also was in complete shock. To the point where I couldn't even cry. I felt numb. Completely numb. Like I was in a nightmare.
"Jane, are you there?" I heard Charlotte say. But she sounded so far away.
"I'm here."
"Can you come to the hospital?" Charlotte asked me, "Meadowbrook Hospital."
"I'll leave now." I said.
Nia was looking at me the whole time, panicked. She knew something was very wrong.
When I hung up, she rushed right over to me. "Jane, what's going on? You look like you're going to pass out. Wherever you have to go, I'm taking you."
"Meadowbrook Hospital." I said, "Callie died."
Nia looked horrified, but immediately pulled me in for a hug.

A part of me left the day that Callie died. A spark that I had for life, it went away. I moved in with a Charlotte a few days after Callie died. She wanted me to live with her and not be with my parents. And I couldn't bare the thought of going back to school. Or doing anything. The whole rest of August, I hardly left the house. It wasn't until September that Charlotte forced me to look for a job. How I wound up at Fiore.

I wasn't working the day when it was 6 months after Callie's death. It was a Thursday. I was trying my best to not mope around all day. Nia didn't work, so she came by and brought us lunch.
Charlotte got home from work, and she knocked on my bedroom door. "Can I come in?"
She sounded irritated.
"Yeah, what's up?"
She came in and sat on the edge of my bed. She was in her blue scrubs.
"So, I just had the absolute pleasure of speaking with mom. And she decided to inform me that she is holding a memorial ceremony for Callie tonight. And that we have to go." Charlotte sounded angry.
"What? I said, "Why would she just spring this upon you now?"
"That was my question. Apparently she's had this planned for weeks- but she just told me tonight. She definitely wasn't going to have us come, but she said 'it's what Callie would have wanted'" Charlotte rolled her eyes.
"I'll go- of course. But I do not want to talk to mom- at all. Or Natalie." I said.
"You're not going to have to. Mom informed me that there will be at least 50 people there. We can avoid her." Charlotte said, "Damien is also not thrilled, but we of course have to go. And apparently they are holding this ceremony as well because they have an announcement?"
"Whatever it is, I don't care." I said, "Guess I'll start to get ready."
Charlotte got up, and then she said, "You know what. It's unfair that Damien gets to go and your significant other doesn't. Bring Colby. Mom and dad won't dare to say anything."
"You know what- I will." I said. Honestly, bringing Colby would make me feel better- to have her there by my side.