Flight

Chapter 6

The next Monday, Kallisto went to school as if she hadn't heard the mother and Marcus, like she hadn't seen the creep of a lady, like she hadn't eaten her dad's soggy fried chicken the night before. It was a challenge just to keep it down.

She flew herself to school and as always, Abigale was waiting for her right outside the door.

"Hi, Kallisto," she said, pointing to her dark, torn denim jeans. "I love your outfit. Denim really suits you."

"Thanks, Abigale," Kallisto said, "that's really nice of you."

"No problem." Abigale said. "Someone's gotta say it. I bet your 'friends' have said nothing like that to you today."

"Well, I haven't seen them yet." Kallisto said. "I'm sure they will say something."

"I don't know," Abigale purred, "Allison was on a jealous streak last Friday--"

"We'll see how she is." Kallisto interrupted. "In the mean time--"

"Hey!" Marcus chirped as he walked onto the lawn quarter in which they were standing. "How's it going?"

"Is this your boyfriend?" Abigale scoffed. "Because that is one sorry specimen."

Marcus's happy attitude and pride looked like it had been shot down and stomped on. He put up the hood of his jacket and stuffed his hands in his pockets. Kallisto felt bad for him, so she did what anyone would have done. Since Abigale was reverent towards Kallisto and would agree with anything she says, it would work perfectly.

"Excuse me, Abigale," Kallisto said, "he is not sorry."

"Um, what?" Abigale snorted.

"I mean that of course he's my boyfriend." Kallisto said, slipping her hand into Marcus's. He started turning a brilliant shade of fuchsia.

"Oh, really now?" Abigale asked skeptically, "if you two are actually dating, kiss him in the face."

"Alright." Kallisto said. She wrapped her arm around his neck and kissed him on the cheek. Marcus became the same color as a firetruck.

"Well, then," Abigale said. "I'm sorry. Especially if I offended you two, I didn't mean to."

"Its okay." Kallisto said. "I'll see you at lunch?"

"Yup, see you then." Abigale piped. She walked into the school.

"Marcus, a request." Kallisto said.

"Um, yeah?" Marcus asked in a shaky voice.

"Never make me do that again." She said, patting his shoulder twice.

***~~***

Kallisto walked over to the table and sat in front of Marcus. She let her head fall so hard it hit the table and made it shake. Marcus instantly knew what that meant.

"What is it?" He asked her.

"The whole school thinks we're dating." Kallisto said, her voice muffled by the table.

"Well, what's wrong with that..." Marcus said under his breath.

"Sir, I can not hear you." Kallisto said, lifting her head. "What did you say?"

"Nothing," Marcus said.

Kallisto sighed. "I will just say that I got back from Abigale's table and that's all they were talking about."

"If you knew it would get you in such a big mess, why did you do it?" He asked.

"Well, you're my friend." Kallisto held out her hand and Marcus shook it.

"Nothing more, nothing less." They said in unison. Just then, someone came up behind Kallisto and yelled "BOO!"

"I've heard the news!" Allison said as she sat down next to Kallisto.

"Oh, they grow up so fast!" Blake sat next to Marcus and pretended to cry. "My little boy is all grown up now!"

"Congrats Kallisto!" Allison squealed. "I never thought you'd have a boyfriend--"
Kallisto began to silently growl.
"--seeing as, you know, you're hair is kind of choppy, you're eyeliner habits are kind of strange, and you have those gigantic feather dusters on you're back."

"Bro, stop it now." Kallisto snarled. Whenever Kallisto said 'bro', she was serious.

"Aw, what's the matter?" Allison cooed. "Are you sad because your mommy isn't here to hold your hand?"

Kallisto's face turned red hot with fury. She stood up and screamed at the top of her lungs, "WE ARE NOT DATING! WE ARE JUST FRIENDS!"

She stormed out of the cafeteria and into the girls' restroom. She stood in front of the mirror. She started crying. Did her hair really look that bad? Did her eyeliner really look that strange? Did her wings really look like feather dusters? She went to a corner of counter that didn't have a mirror. She sat on the counter and curled up into a ball. She heard someone walk in.

"Kallisto?" It was Allison. "You in here?"

She walked in and saw Kallisto crying in the corner. She felt horrible for what she had said. She had no idea it hurt her friend that much. Allison sat next to Kallisto and she put an arm around her.

"Im sorry for what I said." She stated. "Will you forgive me?"

Kallisto said nothing and did nothing. She kept softly sobbing.

"Please, Kallisto, stop crying," Allison pleaded, her own eyes tearing up, "you're going to make me cry."

Kallisto still did nothing. She covered her face with her wing. Allison's first tear came out.

"I'm sorry, Kallisto, for everything," Allison sobbed, her mascara running, "I'm so mean to you and you never say anything. How do you tolerate my presence?"

"I don't 'tolerate' your presence," Kallisto finally said. "I enjoy it. You're my friend."

"But I've talked behind your back, and I don't know why you don't do anything to defend yourself." Allison sniffed.

"Because I know its not worth it." Kallisto said, her eyeliner more on her cheeks now than her eyes. "People can believe what they want to believe as long as they aren't hurtful rumors about themselves. I've learned to just take it."

"But, if you're just taking it, then why--"

"You have to let it out at some point or another." Kallisto said. "If not, you will break down. Piece by piece. You'll crumble until you have no heart left."

"Is that why some people are rude?" Allison asked.

"Older people, yes, but younger people will see the older people get hurt, be it parents, siblings, or maybe even friends, and they will build stone walls around their hearts. It makes their hearts start to turn cold and it chills their blood. This is why they are sometimes cold blooded."

"Please don't ever do that. Don't be cold blooded. Forgive me and keep your heart warm."

"Then I forgive you. Best friend hug?"

Allison sniffed a little. "Best friend hug."

The two of them gave each other a hug. They then washed their faces and redid their makeup. They also let each other do makeup on each other in their softened state. Allison let Kallisto do cat eyeliner on her. Kallisto let Allison put mascara on her. They went back to the cafeteria, hand in hand, better friends than before.