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twenty-five
Callie
I have to use intense face cleanser to get my makeup off as Aviva laughs at me over FaceTime. I shake my head, hating how much makeup we have to wear for our team promo pictures. The picture session went awesome, and we all looked as gorgeous as ever, but this thick makeup irks me. Coach had given us a hair and makeup day out of his own pocket for our pictures as a thank-you for training hard for the upcoming season. It’s a nice gesture, but I hate trusting people with my hair. Especially when they insist on straightening it.
“I argued with the lady for ten minutes. She didn’t want to deal with my curls. It took Shantae coming over and doing my hair for the lady to leave me alone.”
Aviva makes a face. “How rude.”
“I know, so annoying. But I love how Shantae does my hair, which is why I’m only washing my face,” I say, picking out the leftover glue from my lashes.
“I love how tight she gets your curls. I need her to do mine.”
“I know, right?” I agree, picking glue out of my other eye. “Get this shit. We get home, and Mae had drunk all of Cameron’s almond milk, which Cameron needs because she’s lactose intolerant, and then doesn’t replace it. So, Cam confronts Mae, and Mae makes her cry, and then I had to get involved, and ugh, it was hell.”
Aviva laughs. “You can’t fight everyone’s battles, Cal.”
“I know, but don’t make the people I care for cry, ya know? Or hurt them. I don’t play that way.”
“I know, and I vividly remember you cussing out Nico’s mom when she outed him as autistic to us.”
“Bitch.”
“Calliope,” she scolds, and I shrug. “But she is.”
“I know,” I agree and then look closer in the mirror to get the rest of the glue. “Have you heard from Jaylin?”
“Yes, we have a court date the second week you’re here. You’re still planning on staying the whole time?”
I glance over at her. “Yeah. Why wouldn’t I?”
She waggles her brows at me. “Now that you have a boyfriend.”
Her singsong voice is annoying, yet it makes me giddy. We’ve been dating officially for a week now, and it’s been magical. We’re both insanely busy, but that doesn’t keep us from running together or the little glances we give each other at the gym. When he tapes my ankles, his touch is way more than it used to be. I may be a horndog, but I get turned on every time he grabs my calves. It’s been awesome. I’m happy.
“I’m pretty sure he’s coming to stay with his brother for a week or two. I may see if he wants to road trip with me.”
“That sounds like fun. You should stop and enjoy some of the towns and stuff. I’m pretty sure you drive right through Bigfoot country.”
I roll my eyes. I need my sister to get a job so she can stay off the TV and bingeing Bigfoot reality shows. “There is no Bigfoot.”
She gives me a skeptical look. “Eh, according to the BFRO, there is.”
“I don’t know what the BRFO—”
“BFRO. Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization,” she corrects, and I flash her a dry look.
“I hope I forget that quickly,” I tell her, and she grins. “And I don’t want to know anything about them.”
“Just saying, it could be fun.”
“I doubt it, but I’ll run it by Evan.”
“I’m sure he’s a believer,” she says happily, and I snort in disbelief.
“Highly doubt that.”
She laughs before asking, “So, things are good?”
“I think so. We’re having fun.”
“I’m glad. Did he tell you about his run-in with Nico?”
I furrow my brows. “What run-in?”
She makes a face. “So, he didn’t.” She pauses for a second and then shrugs. “You know how Nico is. Apparently he told Evan to stay away from you.”
“What did Evan say?”
“He said no,” she says as she cuts up some fruit. I hadn’t even realized she had gone to the kitchen, not that it matters. My mind is reeling from the fact that Evan blatantly told Nico no. That gives me all the feels. Everyone finds Nico scary, but I guess Evan doesn’t.
“So, he knows about Evan and me?”
“I assume so. Anytime I bring it up, he gets really pissed and refuses to talk to me.”
“How did you hear about it, then?”
“Heard him on the phone with his therapist.”
