The Athena Effect (17 page)

Caledonia put on the skirt and slipped on the shoes, standing tentatively.

Brandy took the sides of Caledonia’s man-sized T-shirt and tied them into a knot in the front, revealing her taut stomach. She stood back to give her a once over. “Girlfriend, if I had legs like you do, I’d never wear pants!”

Caledonia wobbled on the tiny spikes of the heels like a newborn fawn, struggling to maintain her balance, “How do you walk in these things?”

Brandy snorted. “Honey, I can pole dance in them!”

Before Caledonia had a chance to ask, Crystal grabbed her arm and steered her down the hall, nearly tripping her, “Come on! Wait ‘till Cal gets a load of you!” When they came into the room Crystal cleared her throat.

Calvin looked up and did a double take, his eyes widening in shock. It was Caledonia, but not like he’d ever imagined her. Shining straight hair fell to her waist, and her legs looked long and shapely in super high heels. Her huge eyes were rimmed in black eyeliner, making them stand out even more than they already did. She could have been one of the unattainable girls from a poster or a magazine; she looked older, and not innocent at all.

Taken aback, he just stared, speechless.

She was a far more beautiful version of the girls Jarod was always bringing around and partying with, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about her sudden transformation. When Jarod’s friends started wolf whistling in the background, Calvin wanted to turn around and smack all of their mouths shut. Caledonia looked like she wanted to run away.

“Well,” Crystal asked, “What do you think?”

Jarod nudged him with his elbow, “She looks hot, huh?”

Caledonia stood awkwardly, wishing that she could simply disappear. She looked at Calvin fearfully, seeing his surprise and confusion turn to irritation and anger. She wasn’t sure exactly what kind of reaction she expected, but it wasn’t this. She had donned the costume of a desirable girl, and he clearly didn’t like it. There was no denying anything; colors never lied.

Her face burned with shame, “I better go change. It’s getting late,” she wheeled around and rushed down the hall.

“You Jackass,” Crystal scolded Calvin, “I think you hurt her feelings.”

“Yeah dude,” Jarod added, “What’s wrong with you?”

“I didn’t say anything!” he cried.

“Exactly,” snapped Crystal.

Brandy and Crystal turned and followed Caledonia back down the hall. By the time they caught up with her she’d already slipped back into her jeans, and was crouched down on the floor, strapping her knife back onto her ankle.

“Boys are stupid,” Crystal said.

“Yeah… You look totally hot,” Brandy added.

Caledonia shook her head. “It doesn’t matter,” she lied.

She was ashamed, angry at herself for acting like such a fool and pathetically allowing herself to be transformed in a desperate bid for his approval. She’d known better than to get involved with him all along, and she only had herself to blame for her wounded feelings.

“It doesn’t matter at all,” she repeated.

She had recognized the trap, and yet she had still fallen in; she was no different than all of the girls vying for his attention at school. She bit down on her lip and collected herself. There was no point in feeling bad about it… Nothing had really changed. She hardened her heart and straightened her spine. She’d be alright once she got back to her little cabin in the woods.

She stood up and forced a smile, “Thank you for everything. I have school tomorrow, and I should really be getting back.”

“Back where sweetie?” Brandy asked sympathetically.

Caledonia thought for a moment, refusing to call it home, “The place I stay. My aunt’s house.”

Crystal stepped forward to enfold her in a sympathetic embrace, patting her back while Caledonia stood stiffly. “Don’t feel bad… I think we just surprised him,” she said.

“I’m fine,” Caledonia said. She decided it would be best to feel nothing at all. There was a knock on the door and Brandy went to open it.

“Cali?” Calvin called, looking over Brandy’s shoulder. “Can you guys give us a minute?”

Brandy and Crystal both gave him the stink eye as they filed out past him, and Caledonia met him on her way out the door. She seemed completely calm, her blank face registering no emotion.

He stood in the threshold with anxious eyes, “Uhmm… They sure made you look different.”

She nodded blandly, “Yeah… That was funny. I’d better be going now.”

“But–”

“I have some homework I should do.”

Now he looked worried, “I thought you were going to stay for a while… We can just hang out…”

“No,” she was firm, “I have to go now.”

He tried to think of another reason to get her to stay, “We could watch a movie.”

“I’m really very tired,” she countered.

He looked at her with pleading eyes, “But I wanted to talk some more… About… You know, everything.”

She looked down, “I don’t want to talk about it. I really want to go home.”

“Okay… Okay. I’ll take you.”

He watched her as they walked along down the street, a feeling of dread taking root in the pit of his stomach. She was distant and reserved; he could feel her pulling away from him, but he didn’t know what to do about it. All of the progress he’d made with her had vaporized, and all of the patience he’d shown had amounted to nothing.

“I’ll give you a ride to school tomorrow… Okay?”

She shrugged, “If you want to.”

He raked his hand through his hair with a grimace, not sure what to say to say. “I’m sorry,” he said softly. “Please don’t be mad at me.”

She looked up to see him radiating bitter blue-green regret.

“I’m not mad,” she told him. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I was just… I didn’t want…” he groped for words.

“What?” she asked.

He sighed, “I didn’t want you to look like those other girls.”

“Why?” she asked, thinking that they were the kinds of girls he couldn’t seem to keep his hands away from.

“Because you’re not like them.”

Caledonia had to agree with that. She knew she wasn’t like them, and she never would be. She was a hopeless freak that saw things that no-one else did with her oddball eyes. She would have to accept the fact that she’d never be his type of girl. She would never be anyone’s type of girl.

He looked at her earnestly, radiating concern. She was sorry he was feeling so anxious, but she was anxious too, looking over her shoulder to see that the lights were on at her aunt’s place.

“Goodbye,” she said, rushing off before he had a chance to say any more. She couldn’t bear listening to Calvin apologize for something he had no control over.

He stood on the sidewalk, watching as she made her way to the door, looking back just once at him before the building swallowed her up. He wanted to chase after her, to take her in his arms and beg her not to go. He wanted to kiss her until he felt her kiss him back, but he was terrified that she would reject him once and for all.

He was afraid again, and this time, it was for himself.

~

Chapter Thirteen – MUSEUM

~

Phil appeared before her the instant the door clicked shut, staggering over from the kitchen.

“Where’s Angie?” Caledonia asked, her guard up.

“What… No hello for me?” he leered at her. She could smell the alcohol on his breath from three feet away. His eyes narrowed as he scrutinized her made-up face; she could tell right away that he approved. “You’re looking good tonight.”

She thought about him pawing through her things, and her lips curled in disgust, “You stole my money,” she spat out, all of the pain and injustice flooding back to her at once.

“Maybe we can work out a trade…” he said, coming closer.

She darted towards the stairs, but he lunged for her arm, jerking her to a stop. She tried to stoop for her knife, but he pulled her arm up. She composed herself and turned to look at him with a blast of scalding yellow confusion.

He blinked a couple of times, dropping her arm.

“Leave me alone!” she growled, imagining carving him up with her knife, “Or I swear to God you’ll regret it.”

“You little tramp! Are you threatening me?”

“Yes I am,” she said in a low throaty voice. She channeled all of her bitter disappointment into building up the next color bombardment. Staring directly at him, she sent a shockwave of frigid greenish-white fear his way. His eyes flew open in surprise, and he took a step back. She could see he wanted to hurt her, but he was terrified, and completely unable to act on the impulse.

He clenched his fists, “I’m telling Angie what a little slut you are!” She watched as he stumbled back the way he came in a blind panic.

Caledonia stood in the foyer for a moment, collecting her thoughts. It was growing more powerful– she could feel it. She was surprised at how easy it was becoming; first pacifying Jarod and the cop, and now decisively repulsing her aunt’s sinister boyfriend. She realized that she no longer needed to fear Phil, and she grew strangely calm inside, considering what she should do next.
 

She climbed the stairs, lost in thought. After a long hot shower she retreated to her room, curling up into a ball on the deflated mattress. All of her practice on animals must have strengthened her abilities, and she wondered what it all meant.

Her parents must have somehow known, she thought. They probably realized what she would eventually become, hiding her away as best they could, like some kind of monster in a labyrinth. Maybe she was to blame for their terrible panic attacks.

Calvin knew what she was capable of. He knew, and surprisingly, he still wanted to be her friend; he didn’t hate her at all. But he didn’t desire her either– not in the way she wanted him to. It was obvious that he was simply not attracted to her. She had submitted to the makeover, wanting to please him, and the experiment had failed miserably. She felt like a fool.

She was certain of one thing. She didn’t belong here anymore, and although she pitied her aunt, she did not love her. It was time for her to strike out on her own. There was only one thing in the whole wide world she would truly miss when she left, and she rubbed her temples, trying to forget about how his dark eyes made her feel when she looked into them.

~

The next morning Caledonia dressed for school and went down to the kitchen boldly, with a stiff set to her shoulders. She was done being afraid, and fully prepared to flex her newfound power.

“Good morning,” she told Angie.

When Phil looked up at her she cast him a withering glance filled with sour green fear, smiling to herself when she saw him look down and shrink away from her. She helped herself to an apple from the counter and sat down across from her aunt.

“I want my money back,” she announced. When Angie looked up at her, she received a strong pulse of tranquility, along with a sweet shade of lavender acquiescence. She smiled and nodded.

“Phil?” Angie asked dreamily, “Could you give Cal her money?”

Phil looked up in shock, “I thought we agreed…”

“Phil,” Cal said, holding out her hand with a threatening smile, “My money please.”

He stared, and the longer he maintained eye contact the more afraid he became. He blinked, unable to comprehend what was happening to him. He looked to Angie for reassurance, but she was staring off into space, her head resting on her propped up arm.

Caledonia snapped her fingers, catching Phil’s beady eyes again, “Now.” Phil found himself reaching for his wallet, sweat beading on his upper lip. He knew something was terribly wrong, but he couldn’t stop his shaking hand from opening the wallet and handing her the contents. He had a feeling that something awful might happen if he failed to comply, but he couldn’t think of what it might be.

Caledonia snatched the cash with a triumphant smile, leaning closer to send a punch of the most powerful black despair she could manage in Phil’s direction. She watched his face crumple, and she told herself that he deserved it. Despite everything he’d done to terrorize her, she still felt a twinge of guilt; she’d never done anything so intentionally cruel before.

She pocketed the money and walked out the front door, her head held high. When she neared his house, Cal was waiting out front, and even from a distance she could see that he was pacing, agitated.

“What happened?” she asked, surprised to find him so worked up. “What’s wrong?”

His anxious eyes searched hers, “I was worried about you,” he said.

“Why?” she asked, confused.

“You left so suddenly last night…”

She looked down, her face flushing hot, remembering her humiliation. She kicked at the ground, resolute. “Can we not talk about it?”

She had already decided that they would only ever be friends, but when she looked back into his face he was blazing with the strongest, most powerful affection and concern she’d seen since her parents last looked at her.

“Why do you like me so much?” she wondered out loud.