A Flower in War

Chapter Seventeen: Spooky Scary Skeletons

"I can't believe she would say that in front of the whole Fucking school!" Cal says angrily, looking to the three boys that had followed her out of the cafeteria after the guidance counselor's announcement.
"She didn't say it about you, why are you so heated?" Miguel asks confused.
"Because Eli is my friend and she was a Grade A moron to give that much information out. She singled him out, and she should know as a guidance counselor that you don't fucking do that!"

"You've gotten meaner. Are you okay?" Demetri asks worriedly.
"I'm fine okay? I just... look I lost a friend already. I'm not willing to lose any more."
"You won't lose us Cal. Honestly you're probably the best thing to happen to us at this school." Eli interjects with a smile.
"I'm trying not to take offense to that but yeah, you're great Cal. Glad you're on our side because if you were with the populars I'd be terrified."

"Am I seriously that scary?" The boys nod quickly.
"I'm sorry. I don't mean to be."
"It's okay. Honestly you're pretty cool. I mean you don't get the allure of Crucible Chronicles, but I can look past that." Cal laughs, nodding.
"Do you wanna talk about... the friend you lost?"
"Nope, he doesn't matter anymore. I'm not going to go where I'm unwanted."
"Well then you'll never leave us."

—————————
A few days later...

"You really don't want to go to the dance?" Sam asks again.
"No thanks, being around a bunch of sweaty teenagers isn't my idea of a good Friday night. Don't know why your dad wants to go so badly."
"Probably to keep an eye on me and Kyler."
"Yeah? How's that going?"
"Really good! He's so sweet Cal. He said I was boo-tiful today." Sam giggles.
"Oh god, that's cringe."
"Shut up, it's sweet."
"Whatever you say sis."

"Okay, last chance!" Sam says, smoothing out her Lakers girl uniform.
"Go have fun for the both of us. I'll be set here. Gonna make some popcorn, watch Halloweentown, I'm grand."
"Okay, if you want to come later, just text me!"
"Have fun!" Cal calls watching Sam run down the steps before she returns to her room.

-

A Halloweentown movie marathon ensued before it was broken by Cal's phone ringing, along with a name she never expected to see on the screen.
"What do you want Robby?"
"Hiiii flower." Robby slurs.
"Christ are you drunk?"
"I'm crossfaded baby!"
"Robby, what the fuck? You didn't try all month to contact me and now you're drunk dialing me? What do you want?"
"Missed you flower."
"You're only saying that because you're crossfaded. Where are you?"
"Home with the boys! You should come over! We've got primo weed."
"No thanks."

"Come on flower! Don't be like that!"
"Don't call me that! You lost that right when you told me I was just looking at you like a pet project!"
"Ooo rich girl got bite."
"You know what Robby? Go fuck yourself." Cal spits, hanging up the phone and blocking his number.

Cal takes a deep breath before texting Sam and telling her she's changed her mind. She's going to that dance and she's going to look Fucking amazing.

-

"Come on let's just get some punch and we can survey the crowd! See if there are three girls we could dance with!" Miguel tries, bringing Demetri and Eli towards the punch table. They all grab a cup and fill it up looking around.
"Look! Three dragon queens! Perfect!"
"We should finish our punch first... don't want to waste it!" Demetri laughs nervously, sipping his punch slowly.
"Okay, are we ready now? Let's ask the dragon queens to dance."
"Slow your roll. We got time." As soon as Demetri says that a guy dressed like Dr. Who takes one of the three to dance.
"No... Shit! We just lost one to Dr. Who." Miguel groans.

"Well, glad I came then." The boys turn to their side to see Cal dressed in a black mini dress with feathers at the end, black wings, black chunky heels, a choker, and a black halo. She had paired it with dark red lipstick and sparkly eyeshadow, making her blue eyes look silver.
"Holy shit." Demetri says loudly, earning a few stares.
"What? You aren't glad to see me?" Cal pouts.
"No! No! You just..."
"I just what?"
"You look hot." Eli admits under his surgical mask.
"Awww thanks. Figured since I'm scary a dark Angel would be appropriate."

"Hey baby you wanna dance?" Some guy in a pirate costume attempts.
"Yeah fat chance buddy."
"Cmon don't be like that baby." The guy puts his hand on her arm, making Cal flinch.
"I'm not your baby douchebag." She seethes, ripping his fingers from her arm one by one.
"But you could be." Cal feels his hand on her waist and his hot breath on her ear and gags before grabbing his hand again and bending his wrist back, swinging around so it's behind his back at an odd angle.
"Let's get one thing straight. I'm not your baby. I'm not your angel. I am not your anything. If you touch me again I will break your arm with a smile. So I guess I am one thing that's yours. I'm your living nightmare." Cal spits, pushing him forward so he falls into the crowd.

"Oh you're scary. But I love it!" Demetri smiles.
"Thank you. Thank you. I'll be here all night."
"God that punch went right through me. Um bathroom anyone?" Demetri looks to the boys who both nod.
"I'll be here when you get back." Cal laughs, sending the boys off with a smile.

She turns around finding Moon and Yas.
"Hey Moon, you look great."
"Aw thanks Cal! You look amazing!" Moon smiles, giving her a hug.
"Thanks, last minute costume so it's a bit rushed."
"Sam said you weren't going to come. What changed?" Yasmine questions with a soft sneer.
"Needed the change of scenery. Problem? You look good too Yasmine." She did. Even though she was a bitch, she could still rock a cheerleading costume.
"Oh... uh thanks. I guess."
"You're welcome, I guess."

"Why do you hang out with the freaks? You could be really cool." Yasmine looks at her with her perfectly manicured eyebrows scrunched together.
"They're not freaks. They just like different things than you. Nothing wrong with that." Cal shrugs.
"Oh Kay then... I guess if you come to your senses let us know." Yasmine rolls her eyes, pulling Moon away.
"Bye Cal!" Moon waves at her before she's engulfed by the crowd.

Cal turns to go back to the punch table only to find Sam completely red in the face, her eyes darting around.
"Sam, hey are you okay?" Cal wonders, walking closer so she can put a comforting hand on her arm.
"God, I just... I need to leave. Yas is my ride."
"I can drive you?"
"No, no. I... I need to not be near any family right now okay?"
"Okay." Cal nods, a soft feeling of disappointment settling deep in her chest that she pushes down harshly. It's not Sam's fault, something happened and she needs her space. Cal decided to put that in the back of her mind and instead search for her three friends. Her eyes gazed over the crowds of people for the boys but they still haven't returned, which is slightly worrisome. It really shouldn't take that long to pee.

"Hey! Cal!" Aisha smiles, waving her over. A smile falls on Cal's face as she heads towards the voice of a Sodium molecule.
"Sodium huh?"
"Would have been better with chloride." Aisha shrugs, putting a cheese puff into her mouth.
"Table salt huh? I don't know, sodium keeps us alive and can also kill us. Very small margin of error there."
"Silent killer." Aisha laughs remembering what Sam had said earlier.
"Exactly!" Cal can hear the phones going off around her and looks to the rest of the student body who are now looking at her like she just grew three heads and one was a standup comedian.

"Oh god what now?" Cal groans.
"It's not you..." Aisha says softly, showing Cal her phone where a video of her with a pig nose and the caption "the buffet table is under attack" playing on loop.
"Fucking assholes." Cal gives the phone back to Aisha turning to see Yasmine and Moon laughing while Sam looks at her phone sadly.

"Hey! What the fuck is your problem?" Cal yells, walking over to the Queen biotch.
"Oh come on. It's funny."
"If that's what you think is funny you need to get your head out of your ass and see a comedy show."
"Oh whatever. It's not my fault she's a pig."
"She's not a pig! She's just hungry like I'm sure you are every time you purge! Go see a fucking therapist, you need it."

"Coming from the girl whose daddy died in front of her - that's rich." Sam can see Cal's face getting red and steps between the two.
"Yas that was low."
"What? It's not my fault she has shitty friends and a dead dad!"
"Oh fuck off, at least you're not my friend, then that would actually be accurate." Cal turns to Sam, "You need better friends. I'll see you at home." Cal stalks off, heading to her car and just letting the dam break.

It wasn't her fault her dad died. She did everything she could. She did CPR; she got an ambulance. She made sure his head was up so he could breathe. None of it mattered in the end. He was gone. One minute she had her dad and the next he was just a gray body in a hospital bed. But she knew he wouldn't want her to cry, she was his little warrior. So Cal wiped her eyes, deciding to numb it the only way she knew how.