Duplicitous (F.C)

Good Company

Felix Catton's point of view.

      My suitcase is almost packed for my weekend with Calliope, we're staying in my family's cottage. Their only stipulation was to meet Calliope during our stay in the small town that happens to be twenty minutes from home. If Callie could get along with Farleigh, my family would be a breeze to impress.

      A soft knock echoes from my door, which is usually only Calliope. "Come in." I'm surprised to see Oliver walk past the threshold. "I came to return this." He hands me the lead pencil I gave him yesterday. "You didn't have to bring this back, Ollie." A soft chuckle escapes my mouth as I inspect the pencil. "Didn't want you to think that I was knicking it from ya." He hands me a latte as well. 

      Oliver takes a sip from the styrofoam cup as he walks into my dorm. "Did I catch ya at a bad time?" He motions to the unzipped duffle bag on my bed. "Umm, not necessarily." Since being with Calliope, she's taught me to be less guarded with people, despite her apprehensive attitude welcoming Oliver into our group. "What's the duffle for?" He makes himself comfortable at the wooden desk in my room. "Just a little break before mid-terms."

      He hums as he takes a sip of his latte. "Calliope and I will miss you." I pause before going into detail about my upcoming adventure. "Actually... Calliope's tagging along." His face turns cold momentarily, but he quickly covers it up. "Good on you!" He raises his styrofoam cup. "The two of you should spend as much time as possible before she returns to the States."

      My life carried on before meeting Calliope, but I didn't want to live in a world where she wouldn't be in the same hemisphere as me. Before her, I had no idea of what an honest relationship felt like. She genuinely cared, whilst everyone else used me for money, sex, or the title that comes with being associated with me. She made me forget that all of the material things existed. 

      "I'm sure we can figure something out." My speed of packing has decreased. "She has a whole life back home, ya can't be selfish, Felix." He was right, nor would my family approve of me jetting across the world for what they would consider a college fling. "A baby niece she has yet to meet, along with the finances to extend her visa, her mother wasn't pleased with her interest in Oxford to begin with." 

      Olliver seemed to know more about Callie than what I seemed to know. "I'll let you get packing, lover boy." He throws his empty cup into the miniature trashcan underneath my desk. "Do you think she's putting up a facade?" Maybe I don't know the real Calliope Sinclair. "For both of our sakes, I hope she isn't, Felix." Maybe the girl I had gotten to know wasn't the girl she truly was. "Fun company isn't always good company." With that, Oliver leaves as quickly as he enters the room. 

Calliope's point of view. 

      Mornings in the countryside have been bliss. Felix and I could talk for hours on end throughout the night. We would go from reminiscing childhood pets to weird internet theories about the deep sea. It felt like I could live in this tiny bubble here forever, but eventually, the reality would set in. My heart was set on staying here through the summer, but the possibility of staying here scared me more than I care to admit 

      All my life I had never seen what stability looked like between two people that loved each other. My father was always working toward a better life for us, no matter how ungrateful my mother was., which would lead to arguments and nights of my father taking the couch. With Felix, I was scared to commit because every morning that we've spent here has been perfect, and I was waiting for the other shoe to drop

      Felix wraps his arms around me as I pour the espresso into the miniature cup. "Want me to carry out the breakfast, love?" I nod. "I'll be out in a moment." He places a kiss on my forehead before heading outside. A text from Oliver lights up my blackberry. He hasn't checked in as frequently as I thought he would, but I chalked it up to him being courteous of our space. I make a note to respond to his message after breakfast.

      "Thank you, C." Felix smiles as I make my way to the breakfast table. "So, do you feel well about mid-terms?" He asks before taking a sip of his espresso. "I will if you're in the room." We laugh at my joke. "I think I'll be able to manage myself, as long as Finley doesn't surprise us with another Topic for us to study." Felix nods, knowing the feeling. "Keeping us on our toes as he likes to call it." A pain in the ass is what I would refer to it as.

      "So, I know we haven't talked about it..." Felix trails. "Summer will be here before we know it." The serious topic on his mind causes him to fidget. "It's selfish of me to ask-." He looks into my eyes. "More than anything I wanna stay with you, Felix." He sighs. "But?" It seemed like he was prepared for my excuse. "It's not in my cards right now." As the semester passed, the more draining my mother became. "Is it money? You can spend the summer with me in Saltburn, or we'll hideaway here if tonight goes sour."

      "Money can't solve every problem, Felix." I could never ask him for such a favor. "My time here with you is something I'll carry with me forever, but there's a time when I have to face the music and go back to reality." My heart breaks knowing that there's gonna be a day when I no longer get to see him every day. "I was never meant to stay here forever, Felix." We were two kids from two opposite sides of the earth, reality was going to creep in soon enough

      "I didn't fall in love with you with the intent of this not working out." My heart sinks. "No matter what I say, it seems like you've already decided the fate of our relationship." He looks down at the plate in front of him. "We both know how this relationship ends, Felix." Our story has been written a million times over, and it ends in heartbreak each time. "Do we, or are you just running from a commitment, Calliope?" Ouch. "Be honest."

      "I think we're done here." As I go to get up from the table, he catches my arm. "I'm sorry." An audible scoff escapes my mouth. "You wouldn't have said it so casually if you didn't mean it, Felix." I pull my arm out of his grasp. "If this is the end, then I don't wanna end it on this note." He gets up from his chair. "We just need space." Meaning it was the end for us, at least for now. "Send my regards to your parents tonight." A silent tear falls down my cheek while I walk away from Felix.