“Yeah, that’s us!” says Corey, louder than necessary, clearly inebriated.
“So, sunshine, what do you say about coming to a party with us? The night is young,” Payton offers, his arms outstretched like a king speaking to his subjects, the group of football players behind him serving as his audience.
“Sorry, guys, not tonight. Thank you for the offer though,” Celeste says with a tight smile. I stand there, sentry to Celeste in case she needs me for back up. These guys haven’t even acknowledged my existence and it’s not out of awareness since I have about three inches of height on them, and I’m clearly right fucking here. My tongue slides over my teeth at my sudden impatience to get Celeste far away from these clowns.
“Ah! But, sunshine, you have to! It wouldn’t be a party without a pretty blonde.” Corey winks at her and leans in, the smell of stale beer wafting from him. “Lose this loser and let the big boys show you what’s up.”
I’ve had about enough. My hand that isn’t holding Celeste’s is clenched tight in a fist and my teeth ache from how hard I’m grinding them. I’m just about to let them knowwhat’s upwhen Celeste beats me to it.
“Okay.” Celeste smiles and it rivals the one Ellora had given me earlier, absolutely venomous.
She turns to me and dips her head with a small wink just for me. She lets go of my hand and walks two steps, closing the distance between us and the group of players.
“I’ll go, if you can answer one question.” Her words drip saccharine sweet, Corey and Payton falling for this web weaved by a black widow. They nod eagerly, chuckling and holding each other up.
I swear to God the whole team shares a single brain cell.
“What’s my name?” she asks slowly as if speaking to children. The question hangs thick between them. Corey and Payton are silent, their shared brain cell working on overdrive to try and remember her name as if they hadn’t had a full conversation with her only a few weeks ago.
“Uh, it’s Callie!” Corey says with conviction while Payton yells out, “Angelica?” at the same time. She shakes her head with a small, amused smile on her face.
“You make it very difficult to underestimate you two. While I haven’t had the chance to meet Callie, I do know Angelica. I also know she’s pressing charges against you and a few of your little buddies that are cowering behind you. She’s told me all about it actually, and I have no problem spreading this information around.”
I swallow my smile as a few of their teammates turn tail and head back for the bar. Corey and Payton look gob smacked, finally realizing Celeste isn’t little red riding hoot, she’s the goddamn wolf. More follow suit heading back towards the bar, and now it’s just Corey and Payton standing in front of us.
“Those charges won’t stick, my Dad is getting me out of it. It’s a misunderstanding,” Corey says through gritted teeth. I worry he might retaliate at Celeste but he looks more like a skittishanimal instead of Remington Hills University’s tough first string wide receiver.
“Oh really? I’d say you look pretty dumbfounded that I know this information, but I think dumb found you a long time ago,” Celeste continues, her hands clenched so tightly together behind her back her knuckles are white, the only indication she’s upset, “And whatdoesDaddy think of this? Does he change the subject when you’re brought up amongst his friends? Are you the epitome of a stain on the family tapestry? Can’t scrub it out so it just sits there, stinking up the living room. It’s nice to see someone like you be so confident, really, it’s great to see your hairline isn’t holding you back from approaching women. Now I know these are some big words for your underdeveloped brains so maybe I’ll dumb it down to a level you’ll understand. Go row, row, row, your boat gently off a cliff, because a night with you two would only end in disappointment.” She gives them a small wave and turns on her heel pulling me along and leaving Corey and Payton standing like pylons by the side of the road.
“I’m incredibly impressed,” I say with a chuckle, breaking the silence as we approach her car. When I turn to her though, she’s shaking and tears have filled her eyes. “Celeste? Sweetheart, what’s the matter?” I ask with concern, the endearment slipping out without thought. I tilt her chin up gently with my hand as she tries to look down.
“I just got so mad. I cry when I’m mad, okay? Like when I’m really, really mad,” she sniffs, crossing her arms and leaning her back against her car. “I didn’t know when I first met them that day at the cafe, but then I met up with Angelica again, the girl I tutor,” she explains and I assume she means Espresso Barbie, “and she explained that Corey sexually assaulted her and she’s pressing charges.” She shakes her head again and releases a very long breath.
“I’m so sorry, Celeste. I had no idea, I would have…” I’m not sure what I would have done, because Celeste truly held her own back there and if I had started anything I’m sure I would have had my ass handed to me by the whole football team.
“No, it’s not your fight. Fuck,” she looks up to the sky, “It’s not evenmyfight.” She sighs and looks towards me. “I just can’t stand for men being pigs and slimy with women. Withanybody.I feel for what Angelica is going through. She’s so strong and is fighting with all her might not to have it turned into a he-said-she-said thing where a male judge says Corey has a bright future ahead of him.” Celeste is out of breath, frustration written across her brow at Angelica’s fight, at a broader issue at hand. I honestly don’t know what to say to make her feel any better.
“How can I help?” I ask softly.
“Thank you, Dom. Seriously, I appreciate that, but I’m good. Angelica’s okay, it’s just…a constant fight.” She nods at me with an appreciative smile and hands me her keys. I take them, since I only had one beer compared to her two fruity concoctions. I jog around to the passenger’s side door and open it. She looks at me in confusion.
“You can’t be a passenger princess without a little chivalry.” I tip an imaginary hat to her. Her face brightens, making my heart thump. She stands in front of me, biting the inside of her cheek as she looks up to me.
“What is it, your Highness?” I ask with a curtsy.
She giggles and shakes her head at me, rolling her eyes in amusement. “Absolutely nothing fair, jester, come with haste,” she plays along, plopping herself into the passenger seat.
I close the door gently and move around to the driver’s side. “So I’m the jester, am I?” I ask with fake annoyance, starting up the ignition and checking Celeste has buckled up before pulling out of the parking lot.
“Well I don’t think you’re a clown, if that’s what you’re implying. In a medieval court you’d be the equivalent of a judge, brooding from the sidelines of course.” She giggles again. I snort a laugh at her accuracy. “Okay, let’s revisit that conversation with Ellie because it seems I’m on a roll with expressing my feelings tonight,” she says with determination. I grip the steering wheel a little tighter.
“Okay,” I say tentatively. Not my favourite topic, but it had to be brought up eventually, I guess.
“Well, you never told me Ellie was dating Delaney, so let’s start there.” There’s no judgment in her tone, just a hint of sadness, like I was keeping something from her.
“If I had known, I promise I would have told you. No one has ever referred to my sister as ‘Ellie’ before, so I didn’t even consider it,” I explain.
“Okay fair. It seems like you guys have a lot to talk about.” she says quietly, cautiously, like I’m an anxious street cat she’s holding out a can of tuna out for.
