Sell Your Soul

Cali woke up, startled suddenly by a dog barking outside. The clock next to her read seven a.m. She looked around her room. Dark. She looked at the pair of arms wrapped around her. Matt. Her back pressed against Matt's chest, and he pulled her closer. She closed her eyes again, and she touched his arm.

"Did I wake you?" he said.

"Oh...sorry, no," Cali whispered. "Were you already awake?"

"Yeah, I've been awake for awhile," Matt replied. "I was going to go pick up some breakfast, but I didn't know what you wanted. And I didn't wanna wake you."

"I'm not hungry," Cali mumbled, turning over to face him. "Why did you stay?"

"You asked me to," Matt said.

"I meant after I fell asleep."

"I didn't want you to be alone. If you wanted me to leave, I would have."

Cali shook her head. Matt smiled, and he kissed her forehead. She didn't smile back though, but he knew she wouldn't. She still loved Charlie. He stood up and stretched.

"We should eat anyway," he yawned. "I can go get some donuts."

Cali sat up and shrugged. "No chocolate ones, though."

"Alright, I'll be back soon," Matt said. He left her room without another word, and a moment later she heard his car start outside.

Cali picked up her phone and glanced at the screen. Six unread messages. One was from George- Matt's heading over. Tell him not to fuck with you or I'll fuck with him.- and another from Dillon- comin' home later or not?

There were a couple forwards from some of her classmates, but there was one from Charlie and one from Maria.

First, Cali opened the one from Maria. If she was going to end up emotionally distraught, she might as well work her way up to it.

Cali idk if this means anything to you or if you even care but Charlie hasn't said anything. Srsly. No words

Cali closed her eyes. She almost didn't want to open Charlie's message. But she did because she knew she had to.

I didn't wanna hurt you. I'm a dumbass always have been. Tried calling but you didn't answer

She dropped her phone on her bed and covered her face with her blanket. She screamed as loud as she could, muffling her mouth so nobody thought she was dying. She pulled the blanket from her face and took a deep breath.

She felt a tear fall from her eye and hit her phone as the screen lit up with another message from...Jay? What could he want? Cali opened the message.

Get your ass home right fuckin now.

Cali raised her eyebrows, startled that Jay would say something like that to her. He was usually so mellow with her, so she replied Something happen?

She waited and waited while the sun began to rise, and her room filled with rays of sunlight. It was going to be yet another beautiful day in the state of California. Eventually, she got out of bed, and she drew back her curtains in time to see Matt pull back up.

She heard her phone buzz again, and she turned to look. It was Jay. She picked up her phone and read the text.

no but something will happen if you don't get back here.

Cali went out to the kitchen to greet Matt. He set the bag of donuts on the table, and Cali sat down.

"JD text you?" she asked, taking a sprinkled donut.

"No, why?" Matt replied.

"They need us back home," Cali said. "He didn't say why, but his tone kinda makes me worry."

"Charlie maybe?"

Cali flinched a bit and said, "Don't know."

"Well, we can go now if you want."

"I'll finish eating, then we can."

Matt nodded. It was silent for awhile, until Cali stood up. She took the last bite of her donut and turned toward her room. She stopped, swallowing the rest, and she looked back at Matt.

"Why do you care so much about me?" she asked.

"This whole thing, with you and Charlie, it's my fault," Matt said. "If I hadn't told Maria so much I liked about you she wouldn't have thought I wanted to be with you. And she wouldn't have done what she did. I just think I need to make it up to you somehow."

Cali bit her lip and said, "Thanks. For everything."

Matt nodded, but as she walked away, he couldn't help think she was being sarcastic. Like Gee, Matt, that's so sweet of you to break up me and my boyfriend whom I loved very much.

He put his head on the table and sighed.