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Luca looked at her with a knowing look about him. Callie had never been a good liar, and time didn't make her any better at that. Perhaps she genuinely believed her own reasoning. Or maybe she just really hoped she did. Either way, when he questioned her she couldn't help but laugh.
"You want me to dance for you?" She asked him. But then, she knew that's exactly what an audition was. A hum passed her lips as she looked at the man who called himself the owner. That was a lot of pressure, and he was still so young. She was almost jealous that he seemed to know exactly what he wanted out of his life.
"How about you dance with me instead."
Calliope Gallo
Why don't we just go get naked; let's not make it complicated
Compared to their last meeting, it was almost odd how quickly her former friend made it to her side. Last time, Callie had felt like an invisible wall separated them, and it seemed impossible to break through.
"It's just my ankle. I don't think it's a super big deal." She was, after all, the queen of frequent dislocations. The pain of it all was like second nature.
A familiar hand reached out to her and it quickly dawned on Callie that this was the first contact she'd made since she got back. The idea terrified her in a way, physical as she was, for all she could take from such a simple gesture. She sucked in a breath, reaching for the offered hand and clasping her own around it instead. "Listen, you didn't have to stop." She offered, glancing from her own injury to this girl instead.
Calliope Gallo
Why don't we just go get naked; let's not make it complicated
Settling after a fall was supposed to be grounding. Callie knew the importance of checking in on herself before dragging herself back up again. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath or two, but the motion was interrupted by a familiar voice that had her drawing her eyes back up immediately.
Callie had to be grateful for some kind of company, she supposed. She was even more grateful that her fall wasn't actually seen. She gave her the once over, immediately figuring out she wasn't dressed to practice.
But she was dressed to go somewhere.
"I'm fine, it's okay." She reassured her, trying a smile that just ended up looking hollow. She'd never been a good liar, and that lack of skill always filtered through her fake expressions.
Calliope Gallo
Why don't we just go get naked; let's not make it complicated
Callie never expect to hear that Luca was the owner of the very building they were standing in, let alone the establishment being built within its walls. It surprised her if only because his father never seemed like the type who would accept such a life for his son. Surely he was like her own older brother; being built to take over a company whether he wanted to or not.
But there were the facts, and there was the surprise etched into her features as her eyes widened. "Well, at least you're doing something worthwhile with it." She said with a smile. She couldn't say the same about her own. It still sat neatly tucked away in the hopes that one day she could actually do something good or inspiring with it. Studying further with it seemed more like a nightmare.
Fingertips were slow to ease off his shoulders until the very tips brushed the fabric of his shirt. Without the physical lifeline, they fell to her sides unsurely. The question posed had the most obvious answer, but she didn't think she could give it. "I don't know, really. I guess I just wanted to see what auditions for something like this were even like." She explained, "The kids I teach are pretty good, but this'd be next level, and I think I miss that." She could only hope that didn't sound as stupid out loud as it did in her head.
Calliope Gallo
Why don't we just go get naked; let's not make it complicated
Callie hadn't exactly let go of the information she'd gathered about Luca's family. She knew he had a tumultuous relationship with his father, but that he loved his sister more than anything in this world. He'd only ever wanted to protect her. She could hardly blame him for his distance with that factor looming in his mind. After all, she'd always had an amazing relationship with her own older brothers.
She tried a smile at the idea that she was still around. He almost made it seem like she was stuck in Oregon. California was her home, and it would have been so easy to go back there once everything here had fallen to pieces.
"I'm not really sure." She replied honestly. Everything about Luca was a safe space, so there was no issue confiding in him, even with all the years that had passed. "I guess everything is just easier here, y'know? There's not as much pressure. I teach dance at the school once a week. It's... Safe." Even she had to admit that it was easy to fear the world outside this place they knew.
"You're working here, I guess?" She asked him, still oblivious to the way her hands stayed on him.
Calliope Gallo
Why don't we just go get naked; let's not make it complicated
Callie knew he was probably hesitating before he moved. She felt the exact same pull; how odd it was to want something that seemed so achievable. Had they been people with stubborn egos - about each other, anyway - such a thing would have been impossible. This week, she knew exactly how it felt to have an interaction like that. She didn't want it to be the same for them.
But when he stepped to her, she couldn't stop herself from helping him cross the distance. Arms wrapped around his neck and drew him in close. Familiar hands hadn't lost their touch as they circled her waist like they still owned it. Maybe that was just a thing about him; she didn't know. Eyes drew to a close and even she laughed when he asked her such a question. His cheek was cool against the way her blood pressure had risen just from his existence here of all places.
When he moved to pull away, she followed suit, hands still pressed to his shoulders for all that she'd missed.
"What's weird is that you're here." She said, squeezing him lightly. "I thought you went back home or... I don't know, somewhere better."
Calliope Gallo
Why don't we just go get naked; let's not make it complicated
The sharp response she received to the idea of leaving had Callie stalling in her tracks. All thoughts of walking away left her head in that exact moment. He'd earned that much at least. More than that, really. She watched the step he took, and she counted that as a blessing she probably didn't deserve. His hands had filtered into his pockets, and hers came together behind her back idly to keep themselves busy.
Weird? Definitely. It wasn't what she thought she'd be walking into today. She didn't know what to expect, but it certainly wasn't her well-rounded ex boyfriend.
Pressing her lips together, Callie refrained from letting her know that this wasn't the first time she'd run into an ex this week. The earlier even didn't exactly go as she expected it would either, but it would have been worse. She shrugged her shoulders, letting out the breath she didn't know she was holding on a laugh. "That depends; is it weird for you that all I wanna do is hug you right now?" She asked him. After all, she'd always been overtly physical. A little time could never change that about her.
Calliope Gallo
Why don't we just go get naked; let's not make it complicated
Friday came along and there wasn't an ounce of Callie that had forgotten the offer she put on the table between herself and an obvious former beloved. She honestly thought about it a lot, but it wasn't her place to put any pressure on the situation. At this point, Chandler was like a little bird easily crushed by her own hands. It was smarter to pretend that it wasn't as big a deal as it probably was.
But there she was alone on a Friday night, music forcing her to pace herself and honestly, it helped a lot to ease her anxiety over the whole thing. She never actually thought she'd spend the whole practice alone, because she always sought the best in people. But now that she was there, it was completely different.
She didn't hear anyone come in. Instead, she was too engulfed in her own movements. That was until she slipped and fell against the hard wood of the auditorium stage. She hit the floor with a harsh sound, sitting up immediately and hanging her head to wait for whatever pain she felt to subside.
Calliope Gallo
Why don't we just go get naked; let's not make it complicated
Callie felt herself frozen in some kind of odd fear when his eyes settled on her. She knew he recognised her by her voice, because he whirled around with a kind of knowing in her eyes. Her name didn't sound the best coming out of his mouth, but then, he probably thought the same of her. That was a hard hit of unreadable emotions packed into two very small syllables.
She offered an uncontrollable smile when he tried to ask her the most obvious question. She looked at herself when he said she looked the same, like she could even hope to see what he saw, if that was even a good thing anymore.
"I had no idea-" She said quickly, her feet frozen. Crossing the great distance between them felt like a lot more than a few steps. "I can go, if you want. You-" She didn't even know what he could want in a situation like this, but she was almost certain it wasn't her company.
Calliope Gallo
Why don't we just go get naked; let's not make it complicated
Like a lot of people around campus and the town, Callie caught sight of the advertisement that plastered the notion of a new club opening up in the middle of town. She hadn't really considered audition herself; she had a job now, and while she didn't work all that much, she still couldn't deny the fact that she was interested in at least seeing this new place.
It was exactly why she turned up easier than the auditions were supposed to be. She wasn't dressed to dance today, because she hoped that fact would stop her from even trying. She walked through the door and let the overall nature of the place overwhelm her. It was impressive, she had to admit that.
Immediately within that feeling, she caught sight of a young looking man who looked incredibly familiar. It only took her mind a second to piece together a face to that name, and with it came a myriad of conflicting, high emotions.
"Luca." She said his name aloud. It practically echoed in the empty space.
Calliope Gallo
Why don't we just go get naked; let's not make it complicated
How about this... On Friday nights I'm usually in the auditorium practicing by myself. If you want, you can come by. If not, I won't take it personally, I promise
▶
LAIKA OF GANGNAM STYLE
Calliope Gallo
Why don't we just go get naked; let's not make it complicated
