Calliope Chained

Chapter 6: First Day of School

There are many things I don't like; at the top of the list are people who love everything, and right under that is Gren. Beaver decided that his new favorite pastime was watching her story on Instagram and talking about the way her eyes sparkled when she laughed.

I missed online poker.

"She's been through so much," he lamented over pizza rolls. "Her friend died freshman year. Did you know that?"

"How?" I grumped. "Terminal annoyance?"

He kept on talking. I swear I wouldn't waste my wit on him except that he's the only one who can hear me.

"She fell off a balcony."

Beaver set his steaming lunch to the side and pulled his laptop out. He began tapping, clicking his way into someone's private life, and playing with their sins.

I floated above him, counting dust specks in the window.

"I actually remember her dying."

Once spec, two speck, three specs, four specs.

Beaver stopped typing.

"What?"

"Todd was there the day that girl died. His friend Kingston took him to a cabin for a party." Oh, speck five was a big one. "We started dating a few weeks after."

"Interesting," Beaver mumbled.

It wasn't. It wasn't even as interesting as the five pieces of dust I watched dance their way to the carpet.

...

"So, you're telling me, if you lose that card, you can't eat?"

"Gosh, no! I swear you're so dense sometimes. It's my student ID card. It gets me into the dining room and stuff at school." Beaver zipped the card in question deep into the front pocket of his backpack.

"But if you can't get into the dining room, then you can't eat." I floated closer to the bag, drawn to a glimmer of light; I was disappointed to find it was just a ray of sun caught on one of the zippers.

"Or, I wait until someone who doesn't have a dead girl chained to their wrist walks in, then I just follow them." He folded his arms.

I squinted.

"So if you lose it, you can still eat."

"Ugh." He flopped against his bed. Around him, lying in various states of slop, was an arsenal of belongings. Including, I noticed, school uniforms, notebooks, and a Pokemon night light. Not that I was judging. Much.

"So you really have to sleep at school?" I asked.

"Technically only on weeknights."

I floated next to him.

"Man, you 'mom' must really not like having you around."

He sat up and rubbed his tired eyes.

"When I'm not here, she can do what she wants."

"Hm." I folded my arms.

He threw his hands up. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. Just seems dumb to pay for some big fancy school to keep you away when she could just stick you in another home."

Beaver rolled his eyes and flopped onto his stomach.

"I already told you-- I'm not a foster kid. I'm adopted." He jumped to his feet, picked up a random fistful of clothes, and started tossing things in an open suitcase.