Inflorescence • Poison Ivy's Daughter

chapter seven ~ shallow

Calla looked like shit the next morning.

And she was aware of it.

She trudged down the school hallway, her eyes smudged with purple and rimmed with red. The rough cut of her hair was designed in a messy bun on the back of her head and despite her hard-working efforts to dye her hair to its previous mosey brown, it came out blotched and a shade too light. With her mother around she never had the need to dye her hair herself, she regretted not having her teach her that skill, she supposed she had learned enough from her mother and two "aunts", just not the kind of things kids her age know about. A pang of longing echoed in her chest as she thought of her mother, Calla hardly slept the night before, the empty half of her bed was too distracting. She knew she was going to have to work harder and faster to get her mother back to her before she couldn't handle it anymore.

She rubbed the back of her neck as she yawned, her throat was still tender from where the staff had buried into her neck, despite the fact the bruise had long faded. Who would have thought a boy dressed in his underwear would be such a threat, she mused to her self.

An armed snaked around her body, grasping hold of her shoulder and pulling her close as a voice snarked in her ear, 'Looking radiant this morning.'

Calla reacted instantly, grasping the arm and twisting it off her and using it to drive the person into the lockers with her elbow pressed against their throat. She looked up at the person, and startled ultramarine eyes blinked back.

'Woah, rough night?' Dick laughed nervously as Calla sighed a breath of relief and released her hold on him.

'Don't get me started.' She sent daggered to the student who had stopped to stare at the exchanged, they all muttered to each other but broke away and carried on through the hall. Calla continued walking too, Dick a few steps behind her.

'Seriously though Calla, you don't look great.' he said after her.

She smirked back at him, 'Not lookin' to peachy yourself there, Grayson.' she glanced over her shoulder at him and realized the truth in her words. It was a number of subtle difference, his hair was geld back unevenly and his olive complexion was paled revealing the trail of veins under his skin near his eyes which were unfocused, lost in deep thought despite looking right at her. Calla knew this look well, he got it whenever he found a new puzzle, something interesting to play with. It made him look have mad.

Calla was about to question him on it when a childish smirk twitched on his lips. He waved his hand dismissively, flashing his sparkling grin, 'Lair, I'm stunning as usual today. Girls love looking at me, guys love looking at me, I love looking at me, but no one actually wants to get to know me.' He pouted at Calla to which she flicked him on the cheek.

'That probably due to you're trash personality you've got.' she remarked.

'No, no. Everyone knows personality doesn't matter if you've got the looks,' He sighed dramatically, 'It's like no one cares who I am... on the inside.'

Calla met his eyes with a sympathetic look, 'Wow, sounds like you got it rough. You have my sincerest condolences for your daily struggles.'

'They're deeply appreciated, Calla, thank you. Every day may be a battle, but it's one worth fighting, you can quote me on that if you want.'

Calla scoffed as a group of girls walked by, engulfing Dick with their stares and bubbly whispers. Calla places a comforting arm on Dicks' shoulder. 'You going to be okay there, bud?'

Dick sighed again, walking ahead of her, 'I'll manage.' he called out over his shoulder.

Calla's response was cut short by the bell erupting through the building, in response, a flood of students erupted into the hall separating the two in the busy halls.

Calla smiled a bit to herself, her mood now slightly lightened. Although Dick may be an absolute dork at times, he was sneaky when it came to cheering her up. Somehow he could always tell when something was up, with her at least, it made her a bit uncomfortable but warm at the same time as she walked down the hall with her chin raised higher.

Don't worry mom, she thought to herself, you're girls a soldier and she's not going down without a fight.

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