Cupid's Crime

Grief and tragedy

It's been three years, but the pain is still raw and fresh. Calista Bonneville feels a heavy weight on her shoulders as she gets out of bed. The world feels dull and colorless, and even the sun shining through the window feels cold and harsh. She tries to start her morning routine, but it's a struggle. All she wants to do is stay in bed and shut out the world. But she knows she has to face the day, even if it's just going through the motions.Putting on her work clothes feels like a mask, something she has to wear to pretend that everything is okay. She tries to focus on her routine, putting one foot in front of the other, but the grief keeps pulling at her. She feels like a small boat, tossed about on a stormy sea. But she knows she has to keep going, even if it's just one step at a time. She forces herself to eat breakfast, and drinks her coffee even though it tastes like ash in her mouth. Her heart lifts a little when she sees her friend's name on her phone. She takes a deep breath and answers the call, trying to sound as normal as possible. "Hey, I'm good. Just getting ready for work." Her friend's voice is kind and concerned, "Are you sure you're okay? You sound a little down." The girl considers her answer. "I'm fine, just a little tired. I'll be okay. Thanks for checking in, though."
Her friend sounds a little doubtful, but she accepts the answer. "Well, I'm here if you need to talk. I'll be there to pick you up in 15 minutes."
The girl gets ready for work, putting on a brave face, but inside she feels so alone.It's like there's a storm raging inside her, full of swirling emotions. She's feeling angry, sad, lonely, and exhausted. But she keeps telling herself to just get through the day, and then she can deal with her feelings later. The doorbell rings, and she takes a deep breath before opening the door. Her friend gives her a concerned look, but she just smiles and says, "Ready to go?" They get in the car, and the silence is heavy between them. Susan,her friend wants to be supportive, but she doesn't want to say the wrong thing. She's trying to think of something comforting to say, but she's afraid of making things worse. The car ride is long and uncomfortable, and the Calista can feel her friend's eyes on her. Finally, Susan speaks up, her voice gentle and hesitant. "If you want to talk about it, I'm here. No pressure, but just know that I'm here for you."
Calista feels a lump in her throat, but she manages to say, "Thanks, that means a lot."
She plugs in her airpods and look out the window,The music feels like a wall between her and the world, a barrier to keep her emotions safe. The scenery outside the window is a blur, but it's better than facing the sympathy in her friend's eyes. It feels like a weight has been lifted, even if it's only for a moment. As the car pulls up to the office, Calista takes a deep breath and prepares to face the day. The contrast between the attention the case received and the lack of acknowledgment now is so painful. It's like the world has forgotten, but she can't. The grief feels even heavier as she sits at her desk. She tries to focus on the work in front of her, but it's hard to concentrate. Her thoughts keep drifting back to the past, to the memories that are both comforting and heartbreaking.Her work keeps her busy, but when she takes a break, the thoughts come flooding back. She heads to the break room, hoping for a moment of peace. But the break room is bustling with activity, full of people chatting and laughing. She feels like an outsider, unable to connect with the people around her. She goes to the vending machine, hoping a snack will help her feel better. As she stares at the options, she realizes that nothing can fill the emptiness inside her.
Just then a co worker,a friend of hers asks her "What's wrong?"
The question catches her off guard, and she hesitates, unsure of what to say. She doesn't want to burden her friend with her grief, but the question has broken the dam of her emotions. She starts to cry, unable to hold back the tears any longer.
Her friend wraps her in a hug, holding her while she sobs. "I'm here for you, whatever you need," her friend says.She feels ashamed and embarrassed, and she can't bear the thought of her friend seeing her so vulnerable. She walks out of the break room, trying to hide her tears. She goes to the bathroom and locks herself in a stall, trying to regain her composure. But no matter how hard she tries, the tears keep coming. She feels so alone, even though she's surrounded by people.She takes a few minutes to wash her face and fix her makeup. Then she returns to her desk and dives back into her work. But she can't focus, no matter how hard she tries. She keeps thinking about her parents, and the pain is still raw. But she refuses to let it show, determined to be strong and professional. She goes through the motions of her day, but she's just going through the motions. She doesn't really feel anything, just numbness. When she gets on the bus, she sits in the back, not wanting to make small talk with anyone. She stares out the window, watching the world go by. She feels like a ghost, invisible and alone.
The moment she walks in the door, her dog runs to greet her. She kneels down and hugs her dog, sobbing into its fur. She tells her dog everything that's been on her mind, all the grief and pain she's been carrying around. Arya,her dog listens, not judging, just offering comfort and unconditional love. She feels a little better after getting it all off her chest, but the pain is still there, just a little less intense.She tells Arya about the day she lost her parents, and how she never really processed the grief. She talks about the case that's been weighing on her, and how it's made her question everything. She talks about how she feels like she's just going through the motions of life, not really living. She tells Arya how much she misses her parents, and how much she needs them. She feels like a lost child, wandering through life without a map. Arya just listens, its tail wagging gently.She lights a candle and sets out a picture of her parents. She says a prayer and talks to them as if they were there with her. She apologizes for not visiting them at the cemetery, and for not being able to talk about them without breaking down. She tells them that she misses them, and that she loves them. She asks them for strength and guidance, and for a sign that they're still with her. She feels a little lighter after the ritual, but the emptiness is still there. She goes to bed feeling a little better, but still not quite whole. The next morning, she wakes up to find a white feather on her pillow. She picks it up and holds it in her hand, tears welling up in her eyes. She takes the feather as a sign from her parents, a sign that they're still watching over her. She feels a little more at peace, knowing that they're with her in spirit. On Saturday, she decides to take the day for herself. She goes for a long walk, taking in the beauty of nature. She sits by a lake and watches the ducks swimming by. She takes a deep breath and feels the sun on her face. For the first time in a long time, she feels truly present in the moment. She feels herself starting to heal, a little bit at a time. Then her friend sent her a text saying
"Be ready in an hour,I set up a date for you,you can't refuse it,you owe me"
A jolt of panic and dread courses through her body. She's not ready to date, and the thought of going on a date terrifies her. But she remembers the text,
"you can't refuse it. You owe me."
She feels like she has no choice, so she gets ready for the date. She gets dressed, does her hair and makeup, and tries to put on a brave face.
Her friend picks her up and during the drive she shows her the pic of an hot guy and tells her he's her date
She looks at the photo and her mouth drops open. The guy is hot, like seriously hot. She looks at her friend in disbelief.
"You're kidding me, right?"
The man is tall, with broad shoulders and dark, wavy hair. His eyes are a deep blue, like the ocean on a clear summer day. His smile is warm and inviting, with dimples that make her heart skip a beat.
As she enters the restaurant, her heart sinks. The man who's supposed to be her date is red-faced and yelling at the waitress. He's waving his arms and his voice is getting louder and louder. She feels her face flush with embarrassment. The waitress is frozen in place, her eyes wide with fear.She stands there, frozen, unsure of what to do. A part of her wants to run away and forget this ever happened. But another part of her feels a sense of duty to her friend, who went to so much trouble to set this up. She takes a deep breath and walks over to the man, tapping him gently on the shoulder. He whips around, his face still red with anger. "What?!" he demands. She takes a deep breath and says, "Excuse me, but you're making a scene and upsetting everyone around you. I think you need to calm down and treat the waitress with respect." The man's eyes flash with anger. "Who do you think you are, telling me what to do?" he spits out. "I'll treat people however I want. You can't tell me what to do!" he yells, his voice getting louder and louder. She turns to the waitress and says, "I'm so sorry about this. I'll handle this." The waitress looks relieved, and scurries away. She turns back to the man, who is still standing there, fuming. She sits down at the table across from him and says, "Look, I get that you're upset. But you're taking it out on the wrong person. She's just doing her job, and you're being completely unreasonable. Can we just start over?"She sighs and says, "My name is Calista. I'm a friend of Susan's, the person who set this up. I came here because I thought you were someone who could be a friend, but right now, you're being anything but. I think you need to calm down and treat people with respect. If you can't do that, I'll leave." He stares at her for a moment, his eyes still filled with rage. But then, something changes in his expression. He slumps down in his chair and rubs his temples. "I'm sorry," he mumbles. "I just... I've.... nevermind"The waitress approaches their table, and the man orders without looking up. She turns to Calista and asks what she wants, Before Calista could speak the man already told the waitress to get double what he ordered,not caring about her opinion. The waitress walks away, and calista feels a sense of relief. But then she looks back at the man and sees that he's still simmering with anger. She feels the frustration building up inside her. But she knows that violence isn't the answer. She has to find a way to reach him, to help him see that his anger is causing him to lash out at others. She wants to help him, but she doesn't know where to start. As she's contemplating this, their food arrives. The man starts eating without even saying thank you to the waitress. Jane watches him, feeling a mixture of anger and pity. She starts eating her food, but it tastes like cardboard. He calls the waitress and begins screaming "Sir, I understand that you're upset, but you need to calm down," the waitress says, her voice shaking. "There's no need to be rude to me or anyone else. I'm just trying to do my job. If you have a problem with the food, I can get the manager to come and talk to you, but you need to be respectful." The man scoffs and rolls his eyes. "Whatever," he mutters, crossing his arms. Calista can see that the waitress is about to lose her temper. "Sir, please listen to me," Calista says, trying to keep her voice calm. "You're taking your anger out on everyone around you, and it's not helping anything. I know you're upset, but I'm asking you to please try to control your emotions. You're upsetting the people around you, and it's not fair to them." But the man just glares at her. "You don't know anything about me or what I've been through," he snaps. "You don't know what it's like to be me. So just stay out of it." "You're right, I don't know what you've been through," Calista says. "But that doesn't give you the right to take it out on other people. Everyone has their own struggles and problems, and they don't need you adding to them. I'm trying to help you, but you're making it very difficult. Please, just try to relax and be respectful." The man looks at her, his face unreadable. For a moment, she thinks he might calm down. But then he opens his mouth and says, "Get out of here"
"I'm not leaving," Jane says firmly. "You can't just order me around like that. I'm trying to help you, and I'm not going to give up on you. I know you're hurting, and I want to be there for you. But you have to be willing to accept help."
The man glares at her, his jaw clenched. "I don't need your help," he says, his voice cold and hard. "I can take care of myself. So just leave me alone."
Jane feels her frustration growing, As she walks out of the restaurant, she feels a mixture of emotions. She's angry, but she's also sad. She takes a bus home "He doesn't deserve my anger," she says out loud, as if to convince herself. "I'm not going to let him bring me down to his level. I'm better than that." She looks out the window, watching the scenery pass by. She takes a deep breath and tries to focus on something else, anything else. She doesn't want to think about him anymore. She wants to let go of her anger and move on with her life. She wants to find peace and happiness again.Her friend calls her asking how the date was
"Hes such an asshole"
Her friend is taken aback by her response. "Whoa, what happened?" she asks.
Jane sighs and tells her friend the whole story. When she's done, her friend is silent for a moment. "I'm so sorry that happened to you," she says. "You didn't deserve to be treated like that. But I'm proud of you for standing up for yourself and walking away. You didn't let him take away your power."
Jane feels a little bit better after hearing her friend's words.She gets home and went straight to bed, stressed outShe lies down in her bed, exhausted from the day's events. As she tries to sleep, her mind keeps replaying the encounter over and over again. She keeps thinking of all the things she could have said or done differently. But then she reminds herself that it's in the past, and there's no use dwelling on it. She tells herself to focus on the present, and try to get some rest. But sleep doesn't come easily.

Please don't judge I'm just 14
Hope it's nice though....