As days passed Callum and Harrow managed to print posters and make the official announcement about the upcoming prom. Harrow began making calls to catering companies and photographers to help ready for it. As soon as word spread, students started taking time out of their days to help decorate the basketball court to ready for the prom.
Callum and Soren handled getting the extra supplies and decorations, as Rayla and Nyx searched the school's old supplies decorations for events.
The school was closed and locked by 7:00 pm regularly. On the days that Callum had work, he would wake early to help earlier in the morning. Rayla put in her part as much as possible, but whenever she could she'd stay home.
Ethari did his best to help her and as did Callum with feeling better about the whole first and worst dating experience. Eventually, Rayla started smiling more, finally excepting what Dante decided to do and leaving it like that. She learned she didn't need to get worked up about something that was out of her control. She was going to be seen a certain way through someone else's eyes, she shouldn't care about what others thought of her.
If Dante thought she was replaceable, that was justhisopinion, and it didn't matter. He seemed to think every female was. It took a couple days of convincing, but no longer. An entire week flew by and Rayla was herself again.
It was Thursday night, when Ethari invited Callum over for dinner. Ezran was having a sleepover at Ellis's house, and Harrow was researching good and lining up the prices for catering and photographer companies.
Callum arrived a couple minutes, before the scheduled time, 6:00 pm. He knocked on the door and Rayla rushed to get it and let him in. "You're early. Dinners not even ready. Since you're here, You don't mind helpin' in the kitchen, do you?" Rayla said as she let him in and walked him to the kitchen grabbing him one of Ethari's aprons.
She tied the ropes around his neck and then around his waist, blushing lightly as she did. Callum smiled a light pink rising to his cheeks as he felt her doing it.
"Of course not. I don't mind helping make dinner."
Ethari was stirring something in a big pot over the stove. "Good evening, Callum." He greeted handing the spoon he was using to stir, to Callum.
The three of them soon finished cooking and serving and were all sitting at the table talking and eating. Ethari sat at the end of the table with Rayla beside him and Callum next to her.
Rayla turned to look at Callum, "Do you remember two weeks ago when I got that letter from... them?" She found herself unable to really call them her parents, anymore. They weren't there for her like parents should be, and they abandoned her, something parents should never do, especially to a four year old.
Callum nodded, "Yeah, did you- did you figure out what you feel like you should do?"
Rayla studied her food for a moment. Then she looked back to Callum with a small smile, "I think so. But I want to know what you think, before I make it an indefinite choice. I wanna run it by you and you can tell me what you think." She rested her elbows and lower arms on the table.
Callum put his hand over Rayla's left arm, "I think that if you feel like you should do it, then you should. But are you sure you're ready to see them?" He read her expression as if it were an open book.
"Truthfully? I don't think I'll ever be ready. But like you told me, if I don't try I'll never know. So I want to try. Do you- would you be... okay with comin' with me? Maybe? I just- It'll be easier with you there... With someone there,.. I mean. I don't think I could do it by myself. I mean, if you don't want to that's fine. If you can't, or don't want to, or if you're too busy, it's okay." Rayla began to ramble.
"No, no, Rayla, I would love to come with you... To support you or whatever you need." Callum stuttered in response. It wasn't time to tell her. Not yet.
Rayla slightly giggled, "I get it. If you're sure, I can send the letter. I wrote it, I just need to send it."
After dinner, Callum insisted on helping Ethari wash the dishes. In the meantime, Rayla went to take a shower.
Ethari started casual conversation as he and Callum washed the dishes. They talked over a variety of things as Ethari started insinuating hints about Rayla and molded the conversation to be directed about her.
"I've noticed your attraction and fondness toward Rayla. And do not tell me it is not true, because I can read people quite well. Iwillknow if you are lyin' to me." Ethari suggested.
It was a little unsettling to hear that he would know if he said something untrue. Rayladidtell him, Ethari was very perceptive. Shedidgive him a fair warning. He just didn't think too much about how perceptive he was. "Ohkay, good to know, then. But, Sir, I don't plan on lying to you. You're right. Iamattracted to her. She's radiant. She's talented, and smart and strong, and... Brilliant. She's different from anyone I've ever known."
Callum paused for a moment as if briefly caught in his thoughts. Then he resumed his scrubbing a plate harder, "How could someonecheaton her?!! Anyone would be lucky to be with her. She's remarkable. Who couldn't see that?" He stopped for a minute and calmed.
"But there's more to this attraction and fondness. Is there not?" Ethari hinted baiting Callum into admission. "You love her." He guessed softly.
"Yes, I do. And I can't stop, even if I wanted to, no matter what. I just-- every time I see her, she gives me more reasons to love her. Her beautiful laugh, her unique, entrancing voice, her captivating smile. The cute way she giggles when I say something stupid, the way she pouts when I open the door for her, before she can do it for herself, the funny noise she makes when she's shocked by something. She always fiddles with her fingers when she's nervous. I love her. She's breathtaking." Callum droned on and on with a smitten grin across his lips. They finished cleaning the kitchen and sat in the living room on the couch and recliner.
"And do you think she could love you the way you love her? Since two weeks ago, you've seemed more sure of things." Ethari said curiously.
He wasn't kidding when he said he could read people. But Callum had nothing to hide. "I am, Sir. I know she knows, I was just too blind to read the signs. I want her know she's wrong about me. Idolove her. She means the world to me. She helped me change for the best. She helps me feel confident in myself. I want to forever make her see herself through my eyes. Make her feel like the queen she is. I want to tell her that Idolove her... but I can't. Not right now. So much has happened, so much isgoingto happen, I need to wait for the right time."
"And when exactlyisthe 'right time'?" Ethari questioned raising an eyebrow.
"I don't know, yet. But I'll know when the timedoescome." Callum assured.
Rayla suddenly came out drying the ends of her long, white hair with a small towel. "Time for what?" She asked walking to the couch to sit next to Callum. She was wearing her pajamas. A purple, oversized t-shirt, and gray, conformed longish pants.
Callum, of course, still checked her out. Whether her clothes were loose or tight he could never help it. Ethari grinned wide at the sight. This was painfully obvious.
Callum noticed something somewhat hanging from Rayla's shirt pocket. It looked like a folded piece of paper, what Callum could only assume was her letter to her parents. Curious, Callum reached over and snatched it before Rayla sat down. "Is this your letter to Tiadrin and Lain?" He asked. He rarely used the title "your parents" when addressing them, because Rayla wasn't sure she even still considered them her parents.
Rayla reached to snatch it back, "Yeah, but it's not finished." She informed trying to grab it, but Callum swiped it away from her bringing his back to the left armrest and extending his arm nearly behind him and out of her reach. Lucky for him, he was taller than her.
"Hold on. Let me read it. I'm sure, it's fine. Didn'tyousay it was finished?" He pointed out teasingly.
Rayla put her right hand over the back part of the armrest pinning him... partially. Her knees straddled over Callum's thighs bringing her torso high over him to grab it using her left arm to reach for the held out letter. "Come on, give it back!"
Callum still kept it out of her reach. Being taller, certainly had it's perks. "Just wait a minute. I wanna read it. I could be your proofreader." Callum teased as he played keepaway with the letter.
Rayla scoffed as she continued to reach out for it. "Yeah, right. I got the higher overall grade in literature, remember?" She happened to look at him and realized how close they were. Her face turned a bright red as if the heater was turned on and up to 1,000 F. She stared into his enchanting green eyes, glancing to his lips.
Callum's eyes wandered from her eyes, to her lips, to her torso. He noticed where Rayla's eyes were going. He wasn't the only one thinking about it.
Ethari could do one of two things. Stay quiet and let this lead to what would likely be a long awaited kiss, or interrupt this moment between them. He decided to break the moment. He cleared his throat. "Perhaps, I should give you two some time alone together?" He wasn't really going to leave them alone to get some sorts of ideas. Even if he knew neither would act upon those ideas.
"No, You don't need to- I'm just-" Rayla reached again to grab the letter from Callum outstretched hand. But she reached too far left and consequently fell to the floor between the couch and coffee table, bringing Callum down with and directly on top of her. The letter fell and landed on top of the coffee table.
Rayla started giggling furiously, "You're in a mischievous mood, aren't ya?"
Callum laughed, "Maybe just a little. Feel familiar?" He said between fits of laughter gesturing to their new, but quite familiar position. One on top of the other.
Rayla managed to die down her giggle fits. "April 22nd." She said happily at the remembrance.
Both sat in that position for a moment staring into one another's eyes releasing small giggles. Ethari cleared his throat again reminding them of his watchful presence.
Rayla cleared her throat as her cheeks flushed red. "We should- um, we should probably... uh... get up."
Callum smirked, "Yeah, probably." He got off of her and helped her up, grabbing the letter before she could even notice it.
Rayla playfully scoffed at his determination to read the letter. Once he finished reading, he handed it to back to her. "Rayla, this is good. Why would you say it's not finished?"
"Well, I think I was too rude or blunt about some things. If I'm to be meeting them again, should I really be talking to them this way? It could push them away. That's why it needs fixing." Rayla excused self consciously.
Callum shook his head and he placed his hands over her shoulders, "Rayla, the letter is fine. You have no reason to change how you feel. You were honest with them. They should know how you feel. You didn't even write that far into it. But if they can't understand how or why you feel the way you do, that's on them. They're the ones that reached out it's not your fault they did that to you. Their choice led to this not yours. If they really feel bad for what they did, they should understand how you truthfully feel."
"You're right." Rayla thought before replying. He was right.
"Yes. It's perfect the way it is." Callum nodded, he grabbed the letter again, "We should send it tomorrow."
Rayla smiled, "Okay."
~RxC~
The next day, Rayla and Callum went to see Octavius or better known as "Crow Master" and he agreed to mail it.
Another week passed and Rayla received a response from Tiadrin and Lain. They wanted to meet her as soon as she was available. Rayla called Callum informing him of it, and they settled on a date that they would visit the cabin. They would come Wednesday afternoon.
It was Sunday afternoon, and everyone was at the school decorating the basketball court. Some students were fixing the music player, some were checking the speakers, others were moving and setting up tables, a couple were messing with the platform to assure sturdy framing, a few were setting the paper plates on the some of the tables, some of them putting up streamers, and the rest putting up the stringed lights on the ceiling to save on electricity.
Rayla was on a latter putting up the stringed lights, while Claudia spotted her. Callum and Soren were helping bring in tables. Nyx was orchestrating everything giving everyone their jobs as well as supervising everything and directing where things should go.
Claudia began discussion with Rayla as she spotted her handing the stringed lights to her. It felt like they hadn't talked in ages. The last time they'd had an actual conversation was when Rayla had a first date Dante. "Hey, Rayla, howdidthat date go with Dante? I haven't gotten the chance to ask you about him."
Rayla scoffed quietly. He was an idiot. That was one way to tell her about it. But instead she replied, "It was... educational. Long story short, one girl just wasn't enough. It was my worst mistake to even consider agreein' to."
"He cheated on you?! Yikes! Jerk!!" Claudia responded appalled.
"Yeah, well... Oh, well. I mean, I am, in a small way, relieved. I don't think I could've ever felt comfortable around him. He preferred really pricey things, the high end things. The things he liked said he had high standards. That's... Not me. On the other hand, that didn't mean I didn't feel like 'little miss replaceable'."
"That's why you were acting so weird last week? Rayla, you're not..."
"Replaceable? I know. I feel worse about his girlfriend and how she's taking it." Rayla finished.
"Are you thinking about maybe trying again?" Claudia asked.
Rayla shook her head, "No. Besides, I have enough to think about without addin' anythin' as pointless as datin'. Maybe I'm better off single. I don't think I have all that much luck in that department, anyway."
"Better off? Single? Being single is for- for- for depressed people. Don't you want a shoulder to cry on?" Claudia interrogated insulted by the statement.
Rayla rolled her eyes, "I barely cry and I already have a 'shoulder to cry on'. Callum counts... And it doesn'thaveto be romantic. He's there for me as a friend."
"Oookay, someone who uplifts you like no other?"
"Got it!"
"Someone who will randomly surprise you just to see you smile?'
Rayla looked down at her from the top of the latter with a ridiculing, plain look.
"Okay, fine. You have all that in Callum, your 'just a friend'. But what about someone you can kiss?" Now Claudia knew she didn't have that in Callum.
Rayla scoffed again. As nice as it sounded to have that in Callum, She didn'tneedit. She was going about his needs and wants, not hers. "I don'tneedto kiss someone. I don't need to kiss at all!!" She called out a little too loud and her voice echoed slightly bringing attention to her. "Oops." She lightly blushed at the attention.
"What if he asked you to the dance?" Claudia suggested.
"He won't. His Dad said you don't need a date to go."
"Crud!!" Then she thought back to Rayla's statement about agreeing to a date being her worst mistake. "Agreeing to the date wasworsethan kissing a stranger orrrrr...?"
"Both are pretty equal." At least, one hurt less.
