Author's Note:
Here's more of Castiel and the other members of Sweet Amoris. I feel like I haven't really focused on the other characters much, so I'm gonna try to give them some more show time. Once again, thank you to everyone reviewed and supported this story! You're all wonderful. :)
Sweet Pea
a My Candy Love (© ChinoMiko) fanfiction
Chapter Seven
Sabotage
Opening Song: "Flowers in Your Hair" - The Lumineers
Aunt Lonnie hears the news before I even make it home, because when I open the door I'm greeted with five chocolate cakes, bread pudding, and hot cocoa. She stands in the kitchen with her arms open wide. "Hey hon," she says softly. "How're you doing?" After crying the entire way back, all I want to do is curl up on the couch and gain ten pounds from junk food. Wordlessly, I walk into her embrace and press my forehead against her shoulder. I hiccup as she wraps her arms around me and sways. "Oh, Sweet Pea, I'm so sorry."
I cuddle with Sherlock on the couch for the next four hours, watching reruns of Downton Abbey while shoveling cake into my mouth. I feel pathetic and I know I look at least a hundred times worse, but something in me is just off. My best friend is going away. I don't know how long he's gonna be gone for. At least when I was in Paris and he was in Denver I knew for sure that we'd be apart for two years. This is different. This is like having him forcibly pried from my life.
"I didn't appreciate him enough," I tell Sherlock. "Maybe if I paid more attention to him, I would known that Amber was such a..." Just saying the blonde-haired cretin's name leaves a sour taste on my tongue. That bitch has been stealing Ken's lunch money! I know for a fact that she can afford her own damn sandwich, so she was only doing it because she could. God, people like her... "I'm gonna kick her ass when I see her, Sherlock, just you watch."
While I'm still plotting the she-devil's demise, my phone vibrates somewhere from somewhere within my cocoon. I fumble around the crevasses and dips until I find it (hidden under Sherlock's paw). It's a text from Ken; I hesitate for a second before opening it.
I'll miss you, Aome.
I'm a woman on a mission the next day at school. My eyes scan the crowd, moving over curious Nathaniel, confused Lysander, chipper Iris, and upbeat Rosalya, and zone in on my target. I push through everyone until I'm right in front of Amber — and I shove her against the lockers. Someone gasps and whispers and shouts sound around me, but I don't care about any of them right now. Right now, it's just me and the repugnant bully.
She's so shocked that she doesn't say anything. She blinks at me like she can't believe I'm even standing here.
"How the hell can you walk around like nothing's wrong!?" I yell, pushing her again.
Something clicks in her eyes when her back hits the lockers for a second time, and this time she pushes back. "What's wrong with you!?" Before Li and Charlotte can jump in on the girl fight, Amber holds up a hand and shoos them away. "Whatever, like I care. I can handle you on my own, Fish Bait. You're just a lost little girl wandering around the hallways; I'll show you who's in charge. Don't think I'll take it easy on you just because you're new."
Amber's someone who likes to hear herself talk, so I don't say anything because there's no point. I grab her by the shirt again, but she's taller and easy pushes me off. I stumble back, losing my balance, and she raises her hand to slap me.
Before she can touch me, Castiel pulls me away by the shoulders, and Lysander firmly pulls back her open hand. "Hey, cool it." My face feels as red as hers turns. "Seriously, I knew you were ballsy, but attacking her in the middle of the hallway?" Castiel whispers into my ear. "Probably not the best idea."
Nathaniel shows up with the principal right behind him, and I know I'm in trouble. "What is going on here!?" she demands, hair on end and glasses slightly askew. I'd laugh if I didn't know how much shit I'm in. "Who started this?" Everyone's eyes reluctantly turn to me, save for Amber, who points a finger at me. I'd snap it in half if it wouldn't get me sued and I wasn't poor. "This is not a good way to get started at a new school, Ms. Sauveterre. Detention today!" I almost roll my eyes because I've already been a frequent flier in the detention room. "One more situation like this and we'll have to consider suspension. Now everyone mind your own business and get to class!" Everyone scatters like Thor the Lightning god has just reigned judgment on puny earth.
"Amber, stop. Just go to class," I hear Nathaniel whisper.
"You're seriously defending her!?" she hisses. She glares at me over his shoulder, and I return it in full.
"No, I'm just… Amber, please." She pouts and looks up at him through her eyelashes, trying to get him to relent (so that she can pound me into the ground in front of him?), but he shakes his head. She gives in with a scoff, mutters something about telling her parents, then stalks off with her cronies. She makes sure to catch my eyes before she disappears down the hallway; there's the promise that she won't back down on her face.
Nathaniel pulls me out from under Castiel's hold. The disappointment on his face reminds me too much of the way my dad used to look at me whenever he had to pick me up early from school because of bad behavior. "What were you thinking?" I can tell he's trying to keep his tone under control. "I know Amber isn't the easiest person to get along with, but physical violence? Really?"
"Why are you defending her?" I ask, feeling stupidly betrayed. I know Nathaniel owes no loyalty to me — other than me playing errand girl between him and Castiel — but I still kind of thought of us as friends. Plus, Amber's the devil and no one should want to defend her, and I'm saying that as objectively as possible. "Do you even know what she's been doing? She's been stealing Ken's money and bullying him and now…" Oh God, emotions emotions emotions, I don't need this right now— Nope, nope, nope here are the tears, dammit. "God, she's such a witch!" I sniff and rub my eyes, desperately trying to shove the stupid water drops back into my eye balls.
"What?" Nathaniel sounds legitimately disturbed and shocked. "Are you sure?"
"No, I'm just making it up so I can get a head start on my career as a politician," I snap.
He shakes his head. "If that's really what she's been doing, then we'll have to seriously look into it. We've been talking about a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to bullying, but…" His face scrunches up in thought; it looks like he's internally fighting with himself. "In any event, just leave it to me. Try not to get into anymore trouble, please."
Castiel snorts. "Yeah, like he'll actually be able to get anything done. She's got him wrapped around her finger."
"Some loyalties can't be broken," Lysander says. "Blood is one of them."
"Yeah, maybe now. It was another thing when they were kids and he was pulling out her hair…"
I'm confused and disoriented, which is probably due mostly to my out of whack emotions, and I don't understand anything that they're saying. "What are you guys talking about?" I ask. I hiccup and, embarrassed, I slap my hands over my mouth. God, crying in public is the worst.
Castiel raises an eyebrow at me. "You haven't figured it out yet? Amber's his sister."
My jaw drops. "Seriously?"
"With your ability to gather information, I'd think you'd have discovered that early on," Lysander says, but teasingly. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a silk handkerchief, and I finally realize how much of a mess my face probably is. "Why don't you clean up?" he suggests with a smile. "There's still a couple minutes left before class starts."
I try to smile back as I take the handkerchief. "Alright. Thanks." I shuffle into the bathroom while pocketing it; I bet there's a special place in hell for people who ruin perfectly good silk with their snot and runny mascara.
As usual, I'm late on my way to detention. It's not on purpose or anything (I was eating my feelings and Rosalya kept buying me ice cream from the ice cream truck), but I'm sure the principal isn't willing to cut me any slack. I slide down the hallway and race up the stairs, checking my watch in the hopes that one of the hands will just freeze or something. "Shiiit, I'm already deep in it… If I'm late, she's definitely gonna give it to me." I can't even imagine how my dad would react if he found out I was fighting in school...
WHAM. My foot awkwardly hits the last step to the top, and I topple to the ground face first. Pain sears up my nose, stars dance in front of my eyes, and I can feel the tears as I attempt to pull myself up. "Jesus Christ..." Well, at least no one saw that.
"Uh, are you okay?"
Just kidding. I hate my life.
"Yup, I'm fine, I'm fine," I reply quickly. I try to wave them away and minimize my humiliation (though, really, what does it matter at this point), but I can still feel them hovering over me. It's sweet, but I'm in too foul a mood to appreciate anything sweet. "Seriously, I'm okay. Please, just let me wallow in my own self-pity and self-deprecation."
"Don't they have hotlines for that kind of thing?"
I raise my head to glare at the person, who I recognize as the girl from the library. What was her name? Katherine? Katalina? Cameron? "No, definitely not for this kinda crazy," I say, jumping to my feet. I readjust my backpack and try to steady myself before rushing for the detention classroom.
"Wait! Your backpack—"
"Sorry, I'm late!" I shout over my shoulder.
Ms. Ringo points the yard stick in my face the second I throw open the door. "You're late," she states, looking as nonplussed as ever. "Again. I've never given a detention to a student for being late to detention, but I can certainly make an exception for you." I just grin because I've already used all my best excuses on her (unsuccessfully), and I swear the woman is like a fortress. "Hmph. Take a seat, Aome, before I change my mind."
I shuffle to the back of the room, where I take my seat next to Castiel. Honestly, I probably should be more embarrassed and ashamed of the fact that I've only been here for a month and I already have a detention buddy, but there's gotta be something impressive about that, right? "What'd you do to get landed in here this fine Thursday afternoon?" I ask.
"They found a bunch of cigarette butts in the bathroom and someone blamed it on me," he grunts.
"You mean they weren't yours?"
He scoffs. "Please, little girl. I'm not so stupid that I'd just leave evidence sitting around in the bathroom. Nathaniel probably said they were mine, and everyone believes him, so..." Castiel flicks a stray piece of paper off his desk, then slumps in his seat. "I don't have to ask you why you're here. Everyone in school knows why." The smirk on his face makes me want to rip his hair out. "Like I said before, I'm impressed, but it was pretty stupid. What were you thinking?"
I've been getting stares and comments all day because of my smackdown with Amber. Like, I don't really regret it and no one hates me for it (save for Amber and her friends, and maybe Nathaniel), but in hindsight it definitely doesn't belong in my collection of genius ideas. "I wasn't," I admit.
When he laughs, I feel mildly insulted. "Well, at least you're honest." I contemplate throwing a book at his head, but that would most definitely get me another detention, and I'd probably get suspended for acts of violence used twice in twenty-four hours.
I blow at a raspberry at him, but he just snickers. "Whatever..." I dig around my backpack in search of my phone to see if Ken's texted me back or if Aunt Lonnie's worried about where I am. (I keep telling her I'm staying late at school for club activities, but basketball season doesn't actually start for another month.) "Wait... What the hell?" My heart starts to race when I can't find my phone. My fingers fumble around through loose mechanical pencils, erasers, and pens, but where the hell is the stupid flip phone...!?
"What's up, Sherlock?"
"I can't find my phone!" I proceed to dump everything in my backpack on to my desk (effectively earning myself a higher place on Ms. Ringo's student shit list), but all that comes out are books, writing utensils, and snacks. "Dammit, dammit... I swear I put it in here after lunch... What the hell?"
"Is there a problem, Aome?" Ms. Ringo asks, but her tone tells me she's not even pretending to care.
"Yes, I can't find—"
"Yes, well save it for after detention. This isn't the Aome Sauveterre show and not everyone cares about what you're doing at every moment." She gets a couple of snickers from everyone who's still awake, including Castiel, but I have to remind myself that murder is definitely a crime and just because my dad's in the military does not mean I would be exempt.
"You're really on a roll today," Castiel comments unnecessarily. I'm too worried about the state of my phone to throw back a witty remark. Instead, I desperately turn to my greatest frenemy in this school with a quivering lip and watery eyes. (P.S. I like to put "can cry on command" on my resumes.) He edges away from me in his seat, looking kind of terrified. I push aside the thought that this is oddly gratifying. "W-what!?"
"Please help," I plead.
"How the hell am I supposed to help you find your lost phone?"
"Call it," I say.
"How is that supposed to help?"
"Maybe it's just lost under all the rubble and in the crevasses of my backpack or something. I dunno, just help! Please?"
Though he's still looking at me like I might be the grim reaper, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone. "Alright, what's your number?" he asks gruffly, and I cheerfully recite the number back to him. We both wait for some kind of response, whether it's on the other end of the line or just my ring tone, but nothing comes. Groaning, I let my head fall against the desk with a loud 'thump.' My parents are going to kill me. "Looks like you're screwed... Or was this just some strategic way to get my number?"
Too lazy to turn my head, I just glare holes into the desk. "Shut up."
Ken falls back onto his bed with heavy breaths. Moving in everything was a lot more difficult than he'd anticipated, and doing it all on his own just added to his current fatigue. His dad dropped him off and immediately sped off, without asking if he wanted help or offering a hand. Not that Ken expected any different; there was no way his dad, an army general, was going to help his pathetic son move into boot camp.
"My first day's tomorrow," he thinks, cringing. Running, weights, digging around in the ground, jumping over walls — everything Ken's been horrible at. "This is gonna be terrible..."
Wanting and needing a little cheer (the walls are off-white and remind him of a mixture between a hospital and a prison), he pulls out his phone. He sees "1 New Message - Aome," and instantly his heart feels lighter. When he opens the message, it crumbles to pieces.
Closing Song: "On Top of the World" - Imagine Dragons
I always think about possibly discontinuing this, but the world is so versatile and the characters are so fun, so I end up keeping it. Hopefully I'll ge the next chapter up soon! :)
xx, der kapitan
