[not a poem] *IN EDITING*

**CALLIOPE**

“Yeah! It’s all good,” I manage to reply. My heart drums against my ribcage.

If Asher’s going to be there, Boston and I are going to have to work harder to keep the facade running.

“I’ll see you in half an hour, Cal!”

And she hangs up.

In half an hour, I’m standing awkwardly by the popcorn machine. I’m just waiting…

And waiting.

Until… Asher shows up with his date…

“Hey Calliope,” he shouts as he spots me, sending shivers all throughout my body.

Once they reach the popcorn machine, we all glance around awkwardly.

“Claire, this is Heather’s best friend Calliope. You can call her Callie, though,” Asher introduces. I smile and wave at the tall brunette. She’s a lot taller than me for sure, almost Asher or Boston’s height. She must be a year or two older than me…

“And, Callie, this is Claire.”

“Hi! Like Asher said, I’m Callie,” I greet, trying to bury my feelings as I glance at Claire, “where did you say you two met? Sorry, I’m bad at remembering things!” I laugh softly, extending my hand in a friendly gesture.

She takes my hand and returns my smile.

“Nice to meet you, Callie. And, Heather set us up,” Claire explains, “this is our first date.”

My eyes flick back to Asher, who stands a little too close to Claire. I raise an eyebrow suspiciously as I try to read his expression.

_Nothing._

I shift my weight to my left foot.

“Asher, you’re being awfully quiet. Are you alright?” I ask, noticing how his hand is balled in a fist.

Claire turns around to look him in the eyes. She places a hand on his chest and starts whispering.

“…should… quit…? …don’t… comfortable…”

What a strange vocabulary.

_I probably shouldn’t have listened to that. They whispered for a reason!_ I scold myself.

I start glaring a hole in the floor.

_Pay attention to anything else._

“I’ll be right back,” Asher grumbles, sliding away from his date. He starts walking down the hallway.

“That was strange…” I comment, before noticing a few familiar faces in the crowd. “Ah! They’re here!” I gently reach for Claire’s hand.

“Who?”

“Heather, her boyfriend, and my boyfriend,” I say, my voice rising up a bit on the last words.

Claire gives me a skeptical look, but she decides to follow me anyway.

“Hey, Cal.”

Boston’s the first to notice me.

Of course, he’s also the first to act on it. Boston leans down to place a kiss on my forehead.

Somehow, I feel butterflies all the way to my toes._ I don’t like Boston. It’s an act._

I give him a small smile and ruffle his hair gently. He fixes his hair and smiles in response. Once he’s back to his natural posture, I wave Claire over again.

“Claire, this is my boyfriend, Boston. And, Boston, this is Asher’s girlfriend, Claire,” I announce, watching the introduction.

Boston grins at her.

“Pleased to make your acquaintance, Claire,” Boston exclaims in a gentlemanly manner, tipping his imaginary top hat to the brunette.

“You too?” Claire says with a giggle.

“Hey!” I shout with mock-jealousy, “you don’t tip your hat to me!”

I place a hand on my heart and look up at him with a false grimace.

My “boyfriend” side-eyes me before grabbing my hand and just holding it.

_‘Help!’ _I mouth to Claire, who just continues to giggle.

**BOSTON**

“Babe,” Callie squeals.

I give her a strange look, before remembering the task at hand.

“I’m not letting go,” I muse, yanking her hand enough to move her forward but not enough to injure her.

I catch a glimpse of a dark-haired guy with ice-blue eyes hauntingly similar to Heather’s.

Ah… there’s Asher.

_Who apparently likes to stare daggers at people he’s never met…_

I look back down to Calliope. I try to signal her while remaining inconspicuous.

She raises an eyebrow at me.

_Wow, that is an attractive look on her._

I lean down, my lips right beside her ear.

“Asher’s right there.”

I notice her breath hitching.

**ASHER**

_What is he doing here? Why is he so close to her?_

I approach everyone, specifically Claire, as I keep my eyes on the new boy.

He has made Callie laugh…

_How? She never laughed at my jokes…?_

My fingers lock back into fists.

And when I catch Calliope’s beautiful green eyes, I see a glimpse of something I know all too well.

_——————————_

Claire shrieks a little too happily in my ear.

“What is it this time?” I whisper-shout at her, barely paying attention to the movie. She nods at the the screen before nodding at the new guy and Callie.

He’s comforting her.

I look at the screen once more, noticing the argumentative expressions on the actors’ faces.

As soon as she’s out of her seat, I am too.

“Claire, save me some popcorn,” I order in a tone probably over-aggressive.

_I just need to talk to Callie._

I follow her out of the theater.

As soon as we’re out, I yell her name.

“Calliope—”

She stops abruptly, her back still to me.

“Asher, what is it?”

_There she goes saying my name again. _

I shift uncomfortably, biting my lip as I try to think of a response.

“Why are you here with him?”

—————————

Hello! Since I just became super busy, I decided to post this already before editing. (Got to keep the readers happy!) I promise I will edit this after I finish my belt test. I have to practice a ton if I want to become a brown belt.

Thank you for reading!

[896 words **excluding** the a/n]