Chapter One
I was hanging out with Callie while our parents were watching. I always thought that Callie's parents were jerks, so I took the best care of her. However, I couldn't resist the urge to tease my younger cousin every once in a while. It was usually about how much she ate. Callie loved burgers, I couldn't understand why. Pizza was better in my opinion. I just watched as Callie was chasing a bug. She got too close to the water for my comfort, so I got up and ran in front of Callie. "Hey dummy, get away from the water." Callie stuck her tongue out, "Fine, Moooooommm!"
I rolled my eyes as my cousin ran back to her parents. How does she still love them? I mean, they are her parents, but they treat her terribly. We went home and Callie jumped on her bed. I had snuck in and hid under the bed, when Callie got off I grabbed her legs, making her scream loudly. She looked under the bed, "Marie! How can you still do that after a bazillion times and still scare me?",
I chuckled, "Because I don't try to do the same thing every day like you do. Also unlike you, I don't eat everyone's food, so I'm not fat and make little to no noise. You, on the other hand, are plump and make too much noise to do anything."
"At least I'm not one hundred years old like you, grandma."
"And you haven't lost a bit of your baby fat. It just keeps growing."
Callie laughed and teasingly dragged me out and slapped my shoulder.
One day we were allowed to go shopping with our parents. Callie had her eye caught on a huge burger. "Hey, Maire, look at how big it is! Maybe I can convince mom to get it for me. I didn't eat breakfast."
"That's probably a good thing. You eat too much."
Callie's mom approached behind us, "Callie, you are a fat squid who will never accomplish anything in your life because of it. You won't eat anything until you lose weight."
I felt sorry for Callie. She wasn't fat, in fact she ate pretty well, minus the times when her parents starved her because they thought she was. Callie knew that I would joke when I said it, but this time her mom went too far. Callie stepped back with a hurt expression and ran off. "Callie! Wait!" I charged after her, but couldn't keep up.
I assumed that she was in her room, so I checked. She wasn't there, then I heard sniffling, and then Callie's mom, yelling. I looked out the window. Her mom was walking towards her, I saw that Callie was about to walk into the water. I couldn't let her fall in! I ran out the door as fast as I could, but Callie turned around and jumped in the water, crying. "Callie!"
Her mom stopped me from going any further, "She deserved it. I knew she would die if we treated her poorly." She laughed. I glared at her, my eyes becoming moist in tears, "You're evil! She didn't do anything. You her mother, you're supposed to treat her well, and not bully h-" I had a lump in my throat, I couldn't finish the sentence. I was supposed to be like her mom, and I would bully her. I ran off before anyone could see me bawl my eyes out. I was sitting by my bed crying for about an hour. I eventually fell asleep, dreaming about what I could've done before Callie left.
It had been a year since Callie ran away. But she came back, that's what I told myself. In fact, I told myself that so much that I believed it. I must be going crazy, because I can still see Callie. She was standing right beside me while I was getting ready for a dumb singing thing that our grandpa wanted us to do. We were standing behind an inkling with an unusually large forehead. I almost ran for cover when the Inkling broke the speakers with her powerful voice. It was our turn to go up, and Callie and I sounded great. We were the same age, but I was born before her.
Don't be dumb, Marie. Callie was younger than you, but she died a year ago. I shook away the thought. Sometimes my brain kept saying things like that, but it wasn't true. Gramps told us that in the next five years we could go to Inkopolis. I was so excited to become an idol with Callie. When we were younger we dreamed of being in a singing group called, The Squid Sisters. Once we get to Inkopolis, that'll be guaranteed. "Hey, Callie, did ya hear that? Soon we'll be the best singing group there has ever been. According to me, I was officially her mom ever since her parents died. I think I've been doing a pretty good job.
Today we go to Inkopolis! Callie had been pestering me this entire morning to get up, but I was so tired. Wait, hold on a second. I just realized that today we are going to Inkopolis. I burst up and grabbed Callie by the arm. She was even more happy than usual. We boarded the train, Inkopolis getting closer by the second. We arrived and got simple jobs to pay rent for the apartment. It was going well. Everyone was so much nicer in Inkopolis, though I wouldn't know for sure because I've never had an actual conversation with anyone back at home. After months we were finally a duo. The Squid Sisters were going to rise. Callie and I kept talking about what our first song would be. Callie had a great idea, Calamari Inkantation.
Our first concert was tonight, I was nervous, and Callie was, Callie. We approached the stage and started singing. We ended the song and the crowd loved it. I gave Callie a big hug backstage. Someone wanted us to do more. We were growing in popularity just after the first one! "Marie," Callie shook my arm, "we could be on the top in no time."
"I know!"
We went home and were exhausted. My dreams consisted of my worst memory. Callie was being an idiot one day and thought it would be funny to jump into water, luckily I caught her just in time. She was in big trouble when her parents found out. I'm just glad Callie's alive. She's not alive though. You're going crazy. Just let go of her, Marie. Don't be one of those people who actually go through the five stages of grief. You've had your anger, depressing times, and denial. Now just accept the fact. Callie died in the water. I jolted awake, I really was going crazy. I checked Callie's bed and she was there. She's not dead. She's not dead. She's not dead. I kept telling myself this until I grew too tired and went back to sleep.