Chapter 2 - Calliope Flores

Calliope POV

“Callie, are you sure that’s a good idea?” Rachel asks as we look both ways before we run crossing the street. Her arm is linked to mine.

“Nope,” I let out as I laugh and she shakes her head. Rachel is a lot more sensible than I am. She likes to make lists and take everything under consideration when making a decision while I am a more go-with-the-flow kind of girl.

“What are we talking about?” Carson asks as he kisses me on the cheek before he kisses Rachel and steps between us, forcing me to link arms with him. Carson is our best friend, our very gay best friend. The thing about him is you would never tell he is gay. The guy is still in the closet and only dates the richest and prettiest girls in the city.

“Callie thinks it's a good idea to go out clubbing tonight after what she has gone through…” Rachel says, and I stop walking. My friends’ eyes land on me, and they are forced to stop as well.

“Rach, you know that is a forbidden topic,” Carson lets out, shaking his head, and I feel my entire need to go out disappear as I remember that afternoon. “Hey, come on, she didn’t mean to upset you,” Carson says, and Rachel nods, resting her head on my shoulder.

“I am sorry, I just think you’re not dealing with it,” Rachel says and Carson lets out an exasperated breath.

“Seriously? Don’t you ever shut up?” He asks, and I force a small smile on my face, trying to get myself out of those memories.

“What?” Rachel says as they start bickering.

“Okay, guys, that’s enough,” I let out between my greeted teeth, and their eyes landed on me one more time. “I have to go,” I say, but as Rachel lets go of my arm, Carson keeps a grip on it.

“We’re all going that way,” he says. I offer him a small smile as tears threaten to spill. He can see them, and he nods slightly.

“I’m… I have a meeting with Trent before class, and I am already running late; I’ll see you guys later?” I let out, and he nods, picking up on my bullshit, but he decides to keep his mouth shut.

“I’ll call you later, and you better answer,” Carson says, and I nod. I mean it, Callie. Don’t make me break into your dorm room,” he says, and I flip him the finger as I walk as fast as my legs allow me. I am not the type of person to run away from a confrontation, but when Rachel focused on what was going on, I felt small and lost.

Instead of going to class, I walk straight into my dorm. I am not in the mood to listen to someone talk to me about the law when I know one of my professors has broken it and is about to get away with it because he has money to get the best of the best to represent him.

Don’t get me wrong, my lawyer is great. The woman is a shark, and she is doing it pro-bono because she believes in me, and she is a feminist trying to fight for us women who are kept silent by men in power. Men that think they can do whatever they want because of their social status, their money, and their name.

Falling on my bed, I close my eyes, throwing my arm over my eyes. I shake my head as I keep remembering Judge Rover touching me. His lips on my neck. I shake my head trying to push away the feeling as I strip my clothes as fast as I possibly can and jump in the shower. I can’t even imagine how many showers I’ve had since that pig touched me, but I still feel dirty.

I keep trying to remember every single detail of that afternoon to try and figure out where I led him on because that is his excuse. I led him on. I gave him signs. Of course, he is saying now that I am a liar and he hasn’t touched me. I am a gold digger and want my five minutes of fame. If he knew anything about me, he would know the last thing I want is for him to focus on me.

Even though my parents are in America legally, I know a man with his power and his money can make things very difficult for them. That’s why I kept my mouth shut in the beginning, but my parents have sacrificed so much in their lives to make it in America that I feel like I would be doing something wrong.

“Tu es forte, tu consegues,” “You’re strong, you can do it,” my mom’s words keep replaying inside my head. When I told her what happened, she broke down crying. My dad wanted to kill the man and I can’t help but love them for trying to protect me. They even wanted to get a bank loan to pay a lawyer but then Donna Johnson appeared in my life.

Donna was giving a lecture when I read about her. I spoke to her, mostly to get some feedback on how to proceed. None of my professors would be able to represent me because they probably all believe in him. But Donna took care of me, and she’s been representing me since. She was a God-sent, and I hope to be just like her someday.

When I finish my shower, I wrap a towel around my body and enter my bedroom to find an envelope under the door. I frown walking to it and grabbing it. Opening the envelope, I find the invitations for the party tonight. I shake my head throwing the envelope onto my desk and walking away from it.

I managed to get some invitations to the new club that just opened last week, and I was going to surprise Carson and Rachel tonight, but I don’t feel like going now. I know Rachel doesn’t mean to rain on my parade, that’s just who she is, but sometimes I wish she would just keep her mouth shut.

My phone rings a few hours later, with Carson’s name flashing. I press the green button. “Hey, lollipop,” he says as soon as I answer.

“Hey,” I say as I put my pen down and rest back on the chair.

“We will be picking you up in one hour, get the glam ready,” he says and I can hear Rachel next to him, “Glam up guuurl.”

“Is she drunk?” I ask, leaning forward in my chair and resting my elbows on the desk. The sound goes silent, and I can hear movement as if the phone is being passed to another person.

“Hey, sorry about earlier, I didn’t mean to put you down, but we are going out for dinner and clubbing, and I am not taking a no for an answer,” Rachel says between giggles, “And no, I am not drunk,” she adds, and I can’t help but smile.

“I don’t know, guys, I am studying, and I am really into it now,” I say, and I can hear the eye roll from here.

“Oh no, I am all dressed up. We are going. Get dressed. See you in one hour,” Carson says, ending the call before I have time to protest. I put my phone down, looked in the mirror next to my desk, and shrugged before closing my books and standing up.