The Prince's Tutor

“So, you two aren’t dating…” Andrea said slowly, her skeptical tone bouncing back to Callie’s ear.

“No,” she breathed, switching the phone to the other ear. “Just do it. I can almost see your face turning blue. Go ahead and scream.”

“But you two kissed!” Pause. Then, high shrills of what Callie could only assume were the sounds of joy.

Callie sighed heavily. The day had given her time to analyze, visualize, and then re-analyze every moment she had ever spent with Harry.

It had been a long, tedious afternoon of nail biting and brow furrowing. She had hoped all of this thinking could allow her to sort out her feelings and finally give her the strength she needed.

After all, she couldn’t hide in her hotel room for the rest of the trip, and most definitely not for the rest of her life. But much to her dismay, she was left even more confused, frustrated, and above all -exhausted.

“No, he kissed me. There is a difference, Andy.”

“And,” another pause, “how was it?”

Callie tore the wrapper of yet another Starburst, a pink one, and popped the cube into her mouth. On the desk in front of her were probably more than a dozen of colorful, wrinkled papers.

Maybe if I fatten myself up I could just repulse him into backing off. There, problem solved. No more kissing.

“Andy, I’m shallow.” Callie whined, chewing the fruit candy forcefully.

“What? Callie, you are most definitely not shallow.”

“If you could only hear the thoughts that are going through my head. I’m sitting here, alone in my hotel room- when I am supposed to be out seeing the world, enjoying my youth and all that crap- and I’m eating candy. All the while I’m thinking that if I eat enough, I’ll be so fat that I won’t have to deal with that stupid boy anymore.”

Silence. Callie took the phone away from her ear and looked at the screen for a moment.

Nope, she didn’t hang up.

And then, like thunder cracking through a peaceful night sky, the sound of Andrea’s laughter fills up the line.

“You are so ridiculous,” Callie breathed, her lips forming into a reluctant smile. “Why did I call you again?”

“Because I’m your sister,” Andrea’s howling simmers down to an airy chuckle. “And I love you, and we’re going to figure this out together.”

Callie tilted her head into her palm, feeling a strong sense of appreciation. That’s the thing about having siblings. No matter what situation you’re going through, you will never have to go through it alone.

“Now, when did you realize you had feelings for him?”

“I didn’t say I had feelings for him!” Callie interjected, suddenly wanting to erase the previous thought that had entered her mind. Nevermind. Forget that whole sister bonding crap.

They’re completely useless.

“Right. Well, okay. When do you think he started having feelings for you?”

Rip, tear. One more starburst couldn’t hurt. Operation: Fat Callie might actually develop into something.

“I don’t know. I mean, I guess I never really thought about it. Except for the fact that I’ve been thinking about it all day and it probably started right after his birthday party.”

“Oh, right. The first time he hugged you.”

“Right,” Callie sighed again. Something about the way she said ‘hugged you’, made Callie want to reach through the phone and slap her.

“So, what did you do when he kissed you last night?”

“What you mean, after?”

“Yeah,” Callie heard a scoff on the other line, “did you at least kiss him back?”

“No, because that would mean that I feel the same way.”

“Oh my god,” another pause, then some shuffling, “Callie, are you really going to sit here and lie to me?”

Callie leaned her head back and groaned unattractively. She shouldn’t have eaten all those Starbursts. She was starting to feel really sluggish right about now.

“Why do I feel so scared?”

“Because you like him. And judging by the way he’s been acting, he feels the same way.”

“No, there’s something else. Like, I don’t know how to explain it- but I feel like everything in my body is screaming at me right now. Like something bad is going to happen if I let myself give in.”

“Callie, nothing bad is going to happen.”

“Still. I’m not going to risk it.”

“Then, what are you going to do?”

There was a long moment of silence and Callie could hear the small, crackling of the phone- like popcorn popping gently in the background. The kind of sound you hear when it’s a bad signal.

You know, when one is surrounded by freaking mountains?

“I guess there’s only one thing to do.”