Sell Your Soul

Cali ran into someone, and she looked up to see who it was. It was Maria, her cheeks flushed and tears running down her cheeks. She looked at Cali, and she began crying again. She fell to the floor and covered her face with her sleeve.

"Cali," she cried. "I'm so sorry. I didn't...I didn't mean for it to end up like th-this. I screwed it up for everyone!"

Cali knelt down and touched Maria's arm.

"I didn't mean to screw it up!" she continued. "I'm such a fuck-up! I can't do anything right-"

"Maria, calm down," said Cali, wiping a leftover tear from her cheek. "What's wrong?"

"Everything!" Maria sobbed, looking up at Cali. "I messed up me and Matt, you and Charlie, and me and you! I screwed everyone over, and I just want everything to go away! Nobody deserves this!"

"Shhh, stop," Cali said.

"I can't! It's never gonna be the same. I didn't think it would be this bad! I didn't think I would mess things up like this."

"To be honest, it's a wakeup call for all of us."

"I miss him, Cali! I thought he'd be just another guy, but I miss him."

Cali closed her eyes and said, "Charlie?"

"No," Maria sniffled, "Matt."

Cali's eyebrows rose. "Matt?"

"I love him, Cal. And I-I screwed it up for us. Wh-what we h-h-had...it was more than sex." Maria wiped her face with her sleeve and half-laughed. "I miss having him next to me all the time, and I miss playing with his hair."

Cali smiled and took off the sweatshirt she was wearing- Matt's sweatshirt. She handed it to Maria and said, "This is his. Take it."

"Wh-what?"

"He's not mine, and he never was. He never will be. He's yours, and I can tell he misses you."

"You think so?"

"I know he thinks this whole thing is his fault," Cali said. "Just go get him back."

Maria smiled. "I'm sorry. For everything I did. I wouldn't do it to hurt you, or anyone. I just wanted to make you jealous, but I'm so stupid and couldn't figure out an easier way."

"I don't really know what to say. I wanna say 'it's okay', but it's not. I wanna believe that everything can go back to normal, but what's normal?"

"I don't expect you to forgive me, but at least let me know we can be friends again."

Cali nodded and said, "Yeah, but it's going to be a complicated friendship."

"As it should be. I messed up, and it's not an overnight forgiveness thing."

Cali helped Maria to her feet, and they hugged. Cali put her forehead against Maria's shoulder and squeezed her eyes shut. Even if Maria had wrecked her relationship, she couldn't stay pissed at the only person who'd taken her off the streets of LA and tried to help her. She was practically family, and families forgive each other- in time.

Cali looked up to see Dillon standing in the doorway, smiling. But it wasn't a dirty smile or a creepy one. He was happy. He had no perverted comment to make, so he stood there while the two best friends reconnected.