Stardust // Reggie Mantle (3)

Chapter Twenty-Two

Caia stormed into her house, the fury of hell in her heart. She noticed the woman sitting on her couch and immediately shivered with rage. She made eye contact before rushing forward. "You bitch," she hissed.

Caia raced forward, intending to hit the woman on her sofa, but the other stood up and grabbed both of her wrists and forced them down. "What the hell are you on about, girl?" She demanded.

Caia wrenched her wrists away and pulled the ID from the bonfire that night out of her pocket. "You know exactly what I'm on about." She held up the ID as 'Francis's' eyes grew wide.

She snatched the ID from Caia's hands. "Where did you get that?" She demanded.

Caia's face was hard. "I can't believe I ever thought you were my mother. Of course you're not. You're nothing like she ever was." Caia grabbed Francis's arm and shoved her towards the door. "Get out. And if you ever come back here again, you'll wish you were never born." Caia shoved the woman's chest, causing her to stumble backwards, obviously stunned.

"I- I don't know what you're talking about," Francis stuttered.

Caia rolled her eyes. "Give up the act, you fiend. Tallboy told me all about you." Francis's face grew white. "Now leave. I won't ask again."

The woman turned around and fled, with more energy than Caia had seen her move in all of the months she had been crashing at Caia's house. As soon as she was gone and the door was shut, Caia sank to the floor.

For months she had hated her mother because of who that woman had pretended to be. And now the guilt attacked Caia's whole body with a vengeance. Her mother really was dead, and she had disrespected her memory in so many ways.

Caia broke down, the tears flowing out of her eyes. Her mother really was dead, her father was in jail and had never loved her, and Reggie was gone. She was alone. Abandoned and estranged from everyone she had ever loved.

And it hurt like hell.

*

Reggie laid on the couch in the student lounge swiping through old pictures of him and Caia. Archie entered the room. He hit Reggie on the shoulder, causing the boy to move his legs to make room for Archie to sit. "Hey, Reg, you busy?"

Reggie shook his head, trying to come up with an excuse for what he was doing without sounding like a lame idiot. "Nah, just swiping on Bumble," he lied. "Praying the future Mrs. Mantle is within a thirty mile radius." Archie zipped up his backpack, furrowing his eyebrows at Reggie's statement. "The truth is, love doesn't come easily to me these days."

Archie cocked his head. "You and Caia break up?" He inquired.

Reggie panicked, swallowing hard at the reminder. "Uh, yeah," he muttered. He turned to Reggie, plastering a tight lipped smile on his face. "Anyways."

Archie decided to let Reggie's relationship problems go, as he didn't seem to want to talk about them. "Listen, Reg," He began. "I need to talk to you about something." Reggie motioned with his hand, probing him to go on. "I need to talk to you about cheating."

Reggie's heart dropped. He figured Veronica had admitted what had happened. "Aw, dude, she told you?" He questioned sadly. "You know it's over, right?"

Archie was confused, to say the least. What in the world was Reggie on about? He let out a breathy laugh. "What are you talking about, Reg?"

Reggie panicked, realizing what he had done. He widened his eyes at Reggie. "What the hell are you talking about?" He demanded.

Archie, slowly trying to put the pieces together, stared Reggie in the eye trying to get some clue as to what was going on. "I- I figured you'd know a way to cheat on the SATs," he explained.