Second Opinion

[Chester Douglas]

After that weird pseudo reunion with Cameron, Chester didn't waste much time trying to find Calliope. He needed to vent, he needed his sunshine to make him happy, he just needed Calliope. It was a little selfish of him to only visit her when he has problems but he liked to think he spread out his visits pretty frequently now. At least more than before.

He decided to pick up some things he knew she liked and put it all in one pretty and bright paper bag. It wasn't much in the way of gift giving but it will have to do for now. Heading over to her dorm, he felt strange walking through the school halls he knew he was leaving soon enough. It felt a little sad only because he wouldn't be able to see Calliope walking towards him across the hall as easily as before. It wasn't like he was going to lose contact with her, no way. She would be one of the two reasons he was going to stay in Pilot Ridge after all.

Arriving at her dorm, he leaned against the door frame and knocked dead center. He ruffled his hair a little and took a deep breath, awaiting the breath of fresh air that was Calliope.

Tagging: Calliope Gallo

[Calliope Gallo]

As things seemed to settle, so did Callie's mentality. She had put herself in an incredibly difficult position in her life, but she knew she'd been doing that when she walked into it. She knew, especially now, that relationships really weren't her forte. She was absolutely useless at them. And anyone who couldn't understand that concept about her wasn't someone she could ever follow. Pursue. Want.

Without fault, she sprang up when she heard a knock at the door. It wasn't exactly rare for her to get visitors, but she always felt a little happier now that she knew the people who were likely around, were around for her.

And sure enough, as she pulled the door open there was an incredibly familiar face. Instantly the corners of her mouth pulled into a definite wide smile, and she drew the door open further. "Hey, you," She said, deciding not to bother quelling the happiness that coloured her features, "Looking for little old me?"

[Chester Douglas]

The moment his eyes hit the sight that was his childhood best friend, everything seemed to melt away and a small smile made its way on to his lips. "Hey," Chester responded, moving in close to place a small kiss on Calliope's cheek in greeting. "Absolutely." He nodded in response to her question.

He held up the gift bag and shook it a little before handing it over to the blonde. "Just some stuff I thought you'd like. I couldn't fit in a puppy in there though so sorry to disappoint." Chuckling, Chester side stepped the other meta and pulled her in with him, going straight to her room before he could distract himself by Cameron's old room door.

Although immediately assaulted by the brightness of the room, Chester made himself comfortable on the bed, even kicking his shoes off, which wasn't normally what he did. "Can't believe this might be the last time I get to come in here as a student." He said with a small chuckle. "Do you think the rule about boys still applies if I'm no longer a student?"

[Calliope Gallo]

Callie leaned into the kiss on her cheek lightly, finding that when it came to the affection Chester gave, a little was never enough. She couldn't tell him, but she revelled in the way he looked at her. The way he reached out to her.

She took hold of the bag he gave him, glancing down towards it as he spoke. Her bottom lip jutted out slightly with feigned disappointment at the lack of a puppy. Still, she allowed him to draw her towards her own dorm, not really thinking of the fact that he only ever used to visit for Cameron.

Closing the door behind them, Callie settled the gift he gave her on her desk before sitting at the edge of the bed as he got comfortable. She couldn't hide the fact that she was a little sad for his departure. But then, he always had to make the trip to see her anyway. Despite the idea that it wouldn't truly be different, it felt different. And it always would. "I think you're gonna be okay. I mean, Lucah stayed over a couple of times and no one seemed to care. Or maybe they just didn't notice."

[Chester Douglas]

He restrained from all out nuzzling the blonde as he watched her look into the bag. Her expression made him chuckle just as he dropped on the bed.

Chester would have told Calliope not to be sad over his graduating. It wasn't like he was going to disappear from her life. No way in hell he was going to do that. Not anymore. He was committed to being Big Brother to her.

Which was probably why there was a steely look in his eyes when Lucah was mentioned. "Stayed over? To sleep, right? Just sleep?" There was no use flying off the handle just yet. Not until he got confirmation.

[Calliope Gallo]

Callie glanced down at her hands, wringing them together idly after she'd spoken. So she missed the initial expression Chester gave her.

It was only when he spoke that she looked up again. She knew that look. She'd seen it hundreds of times before from her older brothers. Thankfully, she was a little less nervous under the weight of his eyes than she would be theirs. Still, it didn't make the situation any more comforting.

"Yeah." Callie replied slowly, offering a nod. And it was the truth; after all, the half-Greek dancer was an awful liar, and he'd known that about her for a long time now. "Besides, that's over with now. I-" Callie paused, unsure of how to explain herself to him. If he'd even want to listen. If he'd be the type to understand. She honestly didn't know; "I messed it up."

[Chester Douglas]

The difference between Chester and the Gallo brothers was that Chester cared about going to jail. Sure, he had entertained notions of going to jail for the people he loved but at the end of the day, he loved his parents enough not to try and ruin their reputation by being 'that one family member who's gone to prison'.

Although if he had to go for any reason, Calliope would be it.

One could see the relief show on Chester's face as his shoulders drooped slightly at the fact that Calliope and Lucah were no longer a thing. But the worry came right back up when the blonde accused herself of messing it up.

"What do you mean?"

[Calliope Gallo]

Callie mightn't have been an expert on how to read people, but she knew relief on a protective-type when she saw it. The way his face wore less tension; how his shoulders fell on a breath. He was happy about it, and that didn't surprise Callie in the slightest. She knew he was never a big fan of Lucah.

Or any boy who got anywhere near her, really.

At least he seemed concerned about what she said.

"Ah-" The little sound passed her lips before she could stop it, but luckily she didn't ramble on. She didn't know how to explain herself. How to tell him, or how he'd take it. Somehow, this made her more nervous than she had been when explaining all of it to Eric. "There's this girl. Or there was. I kinda-" She glanced up at him, her expression questioning his. Did he really want to hear this? "Liked her. A lot."

[Chester Douglas]

Calliope's response had Chester frowning just slightly, not out of anything but curiosity.

As she went on to explain what had happened, Chester's eyebrows lifted in understanding. "Oh." He offered finally after a few moments of silence. He hadn't had any preconceived ideas on what Calliope could have messed up on but that was definitely the last thing he had expected.

"Did you cheat on Lucah?" Chester asked, his tone free of judgement and anger. In fact, he was more amused than anything.

[Calliope Gallo]

The sound he dropped caused involuntary panic to settle in Callie's bright eyes. But as she searched his expression, she found no real judgement. He was surprised, and she very much understood why he would be.

Because they were friends. But they weren't friends. For so long in their teenage years they had been those people who said hello without a word; just a nod from him and a smile from her as he made his way past her door and to another. The boy she thought she'd marry dissipated into a shadow, and with his heart broken on his sleeve he returned to her in a rare moment out of his solitude.

And he asked her what no one else had the strength to.

"Yes." She replied, "And I don't think I regret it."

[Chester Douglas]

Chester ran his fingers through his hair when Calliope finally replied to his question. He hadn't expected the answer but somehow, it fit the blond perfectly.

There hadn't been a moment in their friendship that Chester didn't realise that Calliope moved to the beat of her own drum. Which was why the fact that she didn't regret cheating on her boyfriend didn't actually surprise the redhead.

"But you thought you messed up. Why is that?" Chester asked, grabbing her hand absent-mindedly as he traced circles on the back.

[Calliope Gallo]

There was a brand of courage to be found in her own words. Callie felt the pressure on her shoulders rise to let the admittance out. Finally. Not because no one else had been willing to listen. But because he was willing to listen. There, in the company of Chester Douglas, Calliope Gallo felt the most at home she had in her years at Hammel.

She didn't glance down at his hand as he took hers, but she took in a slow breath. She was worried that if she looked, he'd realise his move and take it back again. She hardly wanted that.

"Because that's not what you do when you're with someone." She replied, but the words felt hollow. Like they weren't her own, but they were those she knew were the most fitting. It was what she was supposed to say. "But what if you're just... Not supposed to be with someone in that way?"

Callie pressed her lips into a line, unable to stop her bright eyes from dropping to their hands. "Maybe not everyone's supposed to grow into commitment." She said quietly, her eyebrows furrowing. If this was what she was supposed to be like, she wasn't sure if she could so easily accept it as fact.

[Chester Douglas]

Chester did eventually realise he was holding on to Calliope's hand and the blonde's thoughts sort of confirmed it. Not only did he not pull away, he brought it up to his lips and kissed it softly. Not because he wanted to reassure her that he wasn't going anywhere. It was because he wanted to. Period.

He couldn't help but notice that there didn't seem to be any guilt or remorse in Calliope's words, which was rare especially in someone who just admitted that they cheated. Calliope didn't believe she did, which was a distinction that Chester felt was uniquely Calliope. The blonde had nothing to feel guilty of.

"You're seventeen years old, Calliope." Chester dragged his thumb against the back of the blonde's hand and he looked to her with a reassuring smile. "You're not supposed to be committed to anybody." He pulled her by her chin to face him before he pressed a kiss on her forehead. Pulling his hand that was holding Calliope's around over her shoulder, without breaking hold, Chester pulled her close to him. "You're absolutely fine Calliope Gallo. You've done nothing wrong."

[Calliope Gallo]

Callie couldn't help but feel surprised by the way he raised his hand to his mouth. As his lips pressed against her skin, she felt the definite way her heartbeat elevated. And that surprised her even more, but she did her best to quell the distracting thought.

The idea that she wasn't supposed to be committed to anyone was incredibly comforting. So much so that she exhaled a heavy sigh in definite relief. She allowed herself to be drawn in as he requested it, finding more comfort in the way he pulled her in and held her close. She was fine. She did nothing wrong. Finally, someone understood her. Someone was telling her what she thought was right was right. "I'll let you know how he takes it." She replied finally, "I doubt it'll be as well as you." And that struck her in a way she didn't expect.

"Did you really come all this way just to hear about... This?" Callie asked him. As much as she found it comforting to be able to pour her heart out and be accepted, she hardly wanted to overload the moment.

[Chester Douglas]

Feeling guilty that Calliope even felt surprised by his affectionate gestures, Chester vowed to himself to be a lot more openly affectionate. At least with her. He kind of hated how stupid he acted with her when all she's ever been was sweet to him.

"Yeah," one corner of his lips quirked up slightly at her doubt. "I'm not the one dating you."

When she asked of the nature of his visit, Chester tensed just slightly. He forgot that he had a reason coming here. Though he would have gladly listened to the blonde talk the whole night, he kind of did need to get things off his chest.

"I didn't." He answered truthfully. "But it's okay if you want to continue." Pausing, he shrugged and squeezed her hand out of comfort. "Cameron paid a visit earlier this week." Chester finally said with a small sigh. "He's going to Princeton."