Krista and Callie

Krista was a high school senior at Helena High School in Montana. She was the type of woman who was used to getting whatever she wanted. She was the head of the cheerleaders and enjoyed being the most popular girl in school. She did not realize it, but the reason she was so happy is because her father, Mr. France, was the owner of the biggest factory in town.

Krista was talking to her father one Thursday night when she mentioned that the school play was having auditions the next day. Her father thought for a second then suggested that Krista try out for the leading role. Krista was not sure about this, considering she had not acted in a play since elementary school but her father laughed.

"I'm sure you would get the part baby." He said and smiled at his daughter before kissing her on the forehead. Ever since his wife had died, Mr. France had made sure that Krista had whatever she wanted, and he was certain that his daughter would love to be in her last school play.

The next day, Krista went to the auditorium after school and auditioned.

"I... want... to... go... to... sleep." Krista said making sure she emphasized every word, then fell toward the floor suddenly. She then did a fake snore to really drive home the point of her sleeping. The student director looked up at Krista in shock. He was about to tell her if she got the part or not when the teacher next to him pulled him out of the room. Krista saw them arguing in the hallway but could not hear what they were saying.

The director then came in and looked at Krista. He looked away from her, then, towards the ground. The teacher walked up to him and put his hands on the student director's shoulder. The student sighed and finally looked back up.

"You got the part." He said then walked away. Krista smiled and thanked him. He looked back for a moment then continued to walk away shaking his head.

Later Krista was getting changed back into her regular clothes after cheerleading practice, which was after her audition, when she heard two people talking outside. It was the student director and one of his friends.

"I'm telling you Lars, she was horrible, and she wanted to be the lead." She heard the director say. Krista smiled, wondering who had done such a bad job before her. Moreover, do you know what the worst part is, Lars."

"What?" The other person asked.

"I had to give it to her. Mr. Williams pulled me out right before I turned her down and he told me to give it to her. He had been called by her father earlier that day, saying she had to have the part. It was something like he wanted to see his daughter perform in one more school play before she graduated." He then paused, Krista was in shock to hear all this. "I get what he wants that, and if it wasn't such a major part I would not be as mad, but you know what they say, Krista gets what Mr. France wants."

Krista was in shock and decided to confront the director about it. She walked out of the locker room and looked at the director. The director's demeanor changed before Krista's eyes. She watched as he went from angry to happy in only a second.

"Oh, hey Krista, how are you, I look forward to working with you on the play?" The director said, before smiling to his friend and tapping him on the arm. His friend looked over and smiled at Krista himself.

"Greg was just telling me how you killed the audition. I imagine this play might be our best yet." Lars said to Krista.

Krista could not believe how these two were telling such blatant lies to her face. She looked at Greg, then at Lars, and after looking at their smiles ran away. She had no idea where she was going, but she knew she wanted to be alone. After around two minutes of just wandering the halls she found herself in front of a bathroom and went inside. She was happy it was empty, so she went into the farthest stall and closed it and started to cry.

"Why were they lying to me?" She wept out loud. "I didn't even want to do the play, my daddy wanted me to do it.” She cried for a good long while.

Suddenly, she heard the bathroom door open and heard the stall next to her open with a slam. Krista went quiet and listened to the woman in the other stall start cussing.

"Damn! Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn!" The woman yelled and hit the stall walls, including the one Krista shared with her. She then heard the woman next to her start to cry. The crying continued another ten minutes before the woman next to her became quiet. After that, all Krista heard was a small whimper coming from the stall next to hers. Krista decided she would wait for the woman next to her to leave before she left.

Just then, Mrs. Cherry, the janitor came in and looked inside the bathroom, seeing no one in the room. She then turned off the lights and went out and locked the door. At the sound of the lock being locked, the woman in the next stall over ran out and turned back on the lights. She then stated to try to open the door.

"Fuck!" She screamed. "It's locked."

"Is it really locked?" Krista asked the other woman while she was still in her stall.

"Who's there?" The other woman screamed, and Krista walked out.

Krista at this point saw the other woman was Callie. She was the type of person her daddy had warned her to stay away from. Krista knew from stories that she was the type who got into fights, the type who the teachers avoided, the type to sneak out at lunch and have a cigarette. Krista thought about the last one and thought how gross that was and had always done her best to avoid her.

"Oh, it's you”, was all Callie said back to her. She stifled a laugh and went back into the stall she had been in and grabbed her book bag. She then pulled out her cellphone then looked at it for a second then threw it back into the bag. She looked up at Krista and shook her head. "My phone's battery is dead, how about yours."

Krista went to grab her cell phone out of her pocket, then froze, it was still in the locker room next to her bag. She had left it there.

"I don't have it on me." Krista explained.

"Great", Callie answered sarcastically, then went to one of the sides of the bathroom and sat down. She looked into her bag and pulled out two donuts and sighed. "The school is closed till Monday, today is Friday, these are going to have to last the weekend." Callie thought for a second then looked up at Krista.

"Is your father going to be worried about you not coming home?" Callie asked Krista hopeful that it might lead to people looking for them.

“My daddy is out of town till Tuesday.” Krista then pulled her keys out of her pocket and showed them to Callie. “I was going to be a latch key kid this weekend.”

Callie sighed then said aloud, "well my parents won't even notice me gone. I have had some weeks where I don't go home. This is just wonderful." She then looked over at Krista and grabbed one of the donuts and handed it to her.

Krista thanked her and took a quick bite. At this Callie stood up and stopped her. "Did you just hear what I said, these have to last the weekend, geez, you are not smart. God, it is such a waste." Callie said then shook her head.

"What does that mean?" Krista asked before putting the rest of the donut away for now.

"Well, I imagine you know, right?" Callie asked looking at Krista.

"Know what?" Krista asked back.

Callie then sighed, "how you get everything. How your father has made sure that everything is great for you." Callie then shook her head again, thinking about it.

"It’s not all great Callie", Krista said. Callie then made a big laugh. "No, I am serious. Take for example the school play. You know the one in about a month. My daddy asked me to try out for it. Well I did and guess what I got the part."

"Of course." Callie said in response.

"I'm not done. I was feeling great about getting the part, maybe finding something else I am good at besides cheering, and I was excited for the play. So, after cheerleading practice I am changing, and I hear the director talking to one of his friends. Do you know what he said? He said I am bad at acting, that the only reason I got the part was that the teacher who was supervising him forced him to. That it was because my daddy wanted to see me perform in a play one more time." Krista then started panting and teared up again which surprised Callie.

"That is not even the worst part. The worst part is I then come out to confront them about this and you know what they did. They smiled and told me I had done great in the audition. They lied to me, to my face, which just made me lose myself. I wandered the halls and found myself here. I cried in here for a few minutes", Krista then wiped a tear from her eyes. "You then came in and scared me, so I stayed quiet."

The two women then sat in silence for a while before Callie's stomach growled. Krista couldn't help but give up a small laugh when Callie looked at her donut, Callie considered having another bite but pushed it away. She instead went into her book bag and pulled out a lighter and a pack of cigarettes.

"What are you doing?" Krista asked.

Callie opened the pack and pulled out the second cigarette in it, then answered, "I'm hungry, and I have heard cigarettes are a good way to fight off hunger." Callie then put it in her mouth.

"Are you even eighteen?" Krista asked.

"Sure, are you?" Callie asked back in annoyance.

"I am. I plan on graduating in the spring. Class of '19, woot." Krista then moved her right hand in a circular motion to signify celebration.

"How are you going to graduate?" Callie asked, then lit her cigarette.

Krista backed away to avoid the smoke. "Well, I just plan on passing." Callie leaned up against the wall where she was sitting.

"What even are your grades, I can't imagine they would be too great?" Callie asked with her arms crossed.

"Well", Krista started then stopped, she couldn't recall her grades. "I don't know."

"How can you not know, what do you get on your report card?" Callie asked in confusion.

"I haven't gotten a report card since..." Krista thought back, "sixth grade, I got a D in math and my daddy got angry. I haven't gotten one since." Krista looked up in shock.

"How did you never notice this stuff?" Callie asked.

"I don't know", Krista answered back before sitting down and leaning against the wall across from Callie. She sat there and recalled what had happened. “I took my report card home, and I showed it to my father. He got angry and called the school. I remember her told me not to worry about my grades, and that I was going to be fine.”

Callie then stifled a laugh. “You know I got a bad grade on a test I had studied for. That was why I came in here so mad. I can’t really afford to fail that many test and graduate. Being a student who has to try is really hard.” She then looked up at Krista with a resentful look, then sighed.

Around an hour later Callie was having another cigarette when Krista heard her stomach growl. She looked over at Callie and had to ask. "Is the cigarette helping, with the hunger I mean?"

Callie looked up at Krista and told Krista it was. Krista then heard her stomach growl again, it was getting hard to ignore.

"Can I have one then?" Krista asked surprising herself. Callie looked up in even greater surprise.

Callie did not know how to answer. "Are you sure, they are addictive. I can't even imagine how bad you will react to your first cigarette. I really do not want to be known as the person who got the princess of Helena sick." Krista's stomach then growled again.

"I'm just hungry, and if I can fight it anyway, I will take it." Krista answered, patting her stomach.

Callie sighed then handed Krista an unlit cigarette and her lighter. Krista took the cigarette, put it in her mouth, then took it out because of the taste. She stuck out her tongue and stared at the cigarette. She then felt hunger again and put it back in. She grabbed the lighter and it took her ten tries to get it going. Luckily, this long attempt with the lighter had gotten her mouth accustomed to the taste of the cigarette in her mouth unlit. She then brought the flame to her cigarette and it didn't catch.

"You have to suck on the cigarette to have it catch." Callie told Krista.

Krista nodded then brought the flame back to the cigarette and sucked a small amount of air. The cigarette was lit this time and Krista had to pull out the cigarette to cough almost instantaneously. She coughed, and Callie could not help but laugh, Callie started to recall her first attempt at smoking.
“You look like me when I started.” Callie smiled and continued to watch Krista struggle.
Krista smiled and asked if that was how smoking worked. Callie smiled back and explained if Krista wanted to keep from being hungry Krista would have to inhale. Callie then demonstrated for Krista. Krista looked back down at the cigarette between her fingers and brought it back up, this time to attempt an inhale. She coughed again, and this time felt a little sick as well. She tried to rush the smoke out of her body as fast as she could.

"Believe it or not, that is what smoking is. I imagine if you finish that cigarette you won't be hungry for a while." Callie said with a grin on her face.

Krista took Callie's challenge and through a long struggle was able to finish the cigarette. She then took it over to the toilet, as Callie had been doing with hers, threw it in, and flushed the toilet. She then sat in front of the toilet and puked into it. After she was done, she walked over to one of the sinks and put her face parallel to the faucet and drank some water.

Much to Krista's surprise, she was not hungry for some time after that. Soon the sun had set and the light out of the opaque windows was gone. They now only had the light in the bathroom. It was at this point that Krista was starting to feel hungry again. This time she felt the growl in her throat, it was so strong. She took a small bite of the donut then looked over at Callie who was smoking again.

"Do you mind if I have another?" Krista asked, pointing at the cigarettes between them. Callie looked up surprised, but nodded her head.

This time Krista got the lighter to go after only two attempts and soon had the cigarette going. This cigarette also made her sick, and after she was done, she found herself back in front of a toilet puking. She pulled herself away, had some more water, then leaned against a wall and fell asleep feeling quite light-headed.

The next morning Krista woke up and found Callie cussing to herself. Krista looked over and saw that Callie had eaten nearly half her donut. Krista felt bad and decided to try to make Callie feel better. She then looked over at her donut, then ate nearly half of it.

She then walked over to Callie and looked over her shoulder at the donut. "Yeah, I did the same thing." Then she walked back over to her side of the bathroom.

The two women eventually found themselves talking to try to keep their minds off hunger. While talking the two women slowly moved closer to each other. Soon, they found themselves sitting across from each other only about a foot apart. The conversation had found its way to why Krista gets special treatment.

"So here is the deal Krista", Callie tried to explain. "The factory your father owns, it employs around a third of the town. The town loves him for it, and for not moving overseas. The people are afraid of making him mad though, afraid that he will move it. So, you get to enjoy all the benefits of his power. People call you the princess of Helena because of it."

Krista was sitting there thinking and answered back. "I heard Greg, the director, say something, that what Krista wants, Mr. France gets, is that really a saying around here?"

Callie laughed at that, "I have heard it. It does go around." Krista frowned at this and Callie saw it and tried to cheer Krista back up. Callie then felt some hunger and leaned down and grabbed the pack of cigarettes she had left between the two women. This was Callie’s second cigarette of the day.

Krista then grabbed the pack after Callie had put it down and asked Callie if she could have another. Callie had no reason to say no, so she let Krista have her first cigarette of the day. The two women continued to try to talk, they were, however, interrupted by a cough from Krista every time she inhaled. When Krista finished the cigarette, she walked over and threw it into the toilet and looked down before flushing, she then walked back.

"I didn't have to puke this time", she declared to Callie.

"I'm proud of you", Callie answered back sarcastically.

The rest of the day followed the pattern of talking and smoking, the two women having nothing better to do. Krista was amazed at all she was learning from Callie. It felt like she was learning more, being with Callie, then she had over the last ten years of school.

The two women were nursing cigarettes when the discussion went to fakeness.

"So, your main problem, Krista, is dealing with fake faces, or fakeness?" Callie started.

"Fakeness?" Krista asked before taking another drag of her cigarette and then suppressing another cough.

"That is what I call what you deal with. The idea that people have two faces, like the Batman villain, the one they show people, and the one they really are. Take the director and his friend for example. Their real face is thinking you suck at acting, that you do not deserve the lead role in the play. That is what they really think. That is not what they tell you though.

Instead, they put on this fake smile and say you have the part, that you are perfect, exactly what they are looking for." Callie then paused to take a drag and gather her thoughts. "I thought you were as fake as all of them if I am being honest. I thought you knew and took advantage of what they had to do." She paused and thought again. "Honestly, hearing you are not that type of person makes me like you a bit more. Yeah, you are kind of stupid, but that seems to be because of how you have been raised, not through any fault of your own."

Krista thought about this not exactly sure how to answer. All she knew she could do was continue to smoke the cigarette she currently had. Finally, she figured out how to answer. "Thank you for being honest with me. I never knew I wanted that. I wish more people could call me stupid if I am being stupid." Krista then smiled and took the cigarette she had just finished to the toilet and flushed it away.

Later, in the afternoon, Krista was going to grab another cigarette when she was scared to notice that it was the last one. She pointed this out to Callie who acted shocked.

"I am going to show you what I mean by false faces", Callie declared to Krista. Callie then stood up and looked down at Krista who was sitting on the floor. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, I shouldn't have yet you have a cigarette, now I am doomed!" Callie screamed, and Krista backed up away from Callie. Callie then laughed then walked over to her book bag and grabbed out another pack. She then smiled to Krista. "See, I was able to fake being angry at you, when I really was not, it is easy to have a false face. Go ahead have that cigarette. I always have a spare pack in case of emergencies."

Krista's heart was beating fast, she had been freaked out by Callie's display. She lit the cigarette and took a quick drag. She felt herself calming down after the drag and felt her heartbeat return to normal while smoking the cigarette.

That night, instead of sleeping on opposite sides of the bathroom as they had the night before they attempted to sleep next to each other hopeful that the other person would make it more comfortable. It sort of worked, they were not that comfortable, but they were warmer than they had been the night before, and they both soon feel asleep.

The next morning Callie and Krista woke up and Callie brought out their donuts, Krista had asked Callie to put them into Callie’s bag, so they would not have to look at them, and much to both their surprise neither had wanted one after they had both eaten as much as they had in the morning. They had just been able to talk and smoke the day before to keep their mind from their hunger. They each decided to have a quarter of a donut each, then smoked a cigarette to keep down the hunger.

Sunday was a lot like Saturday, the two women sat, talked, and smoked. They both were surprised they got along with each other which Krista brought up at one point.

"You know, my father said to stay away from women like you." Krista said with a cigarette in her mouth. "I am not sure why though, I rather be here with you, than with most of my other "friends"." Krista hand quote signs around the word friends.

"He just wants to keep you sheltered, that's it. He loves you, which isn’t really that bad of a thing.” Callie then looked up, thinking about her family, before coming back to reality. “For example, how would he feel, knowing you were smoking?" Krista looked down at the lit cigarette between her fingers and smiled.

"I have no idea." She then brought it back to her mouth and took a drag. Callie then noticed something and brought it to Krista's attention.

"You know Krista, I didn't even notice it, but you do not even cough anymore." Callie noted to Krista. Krista just said hmm in response and continued to smoke.

That night Callie looked in the pack of cigarettes and found that there were only four left. "Hey Krista, this time I am really running low on cigarettes, last one." She then handed it to Krista. Krista nodded and after Callie lit her cigarette, Callie handed the lighter to Krista who lit hers.

They both finished up their cigarettes then had what constituted a feast to them currently, and each had the last quarter of their donut. They then got into the same position they had the night before and went to sleep.

The following morning was Monday, so Krista and Callie were leaning against the door waiting to hear someone come by. When they did they started banging on the door, asking to be let out.

Mrs. Cherry opened the door and could not really see the two women who ran out of the bathroom. She wanted to chase them and find out what happened, but they were already gone by the time she looked down the hall.

The two women ran to the cafeteria and each had the school breakfast. They scarfed down the food as fast as they could and after it was over Callie started to laugh.

"What is so funny?" Krista asked, finally, coming up for air.

"I imagine we look like a pair of pigs, with how fast we just ate." Callie then started laughing again, this time Krista joined Callie, imagining how they must have looked.

Krista then got up and looked down at Callie, who was still sitting. "Well, I have to go grab my bag and stuff." Callie nodded. "I guess I will see you around." Krista then walked away, not sure what to do now.

During lunch that day, Callie found herself behind the school having her lunchtime cigarette. She was happy to be out of the bathroom finally, and in the sun. She looked up at the sun and smiled, before having to blink a few times due to the brightness. While blinking someone walked up in front of her.

"Do you have a cigarette you could spare?" The woman asked. Callie was about to say no when she saw it was Krista. She stared for a second then grabbed her pack and handed it to her, knowing there was one cigarette left.

“Are you sure, you don’t need to suppress your hunger anymore?” Callie asked. Krista looked at her and smiled, she asked if she could borrow Callie’s lighter.

Callie handed over her lighter, and soon Krista was smoking the cigarette. Krista leaned against the wall next to Callie and smoked in silence for a moment.

"Why are you here?" Callie asked Krista.

Krista looked over, then, using the cigarette as an excuse, took a drag, then moved it back down. She exhaled with a sigh and began.

"I have been thinking about what we talked about, fakeness, and well, I was seeing it everywhere today. I came into homeroom and my friends looked at me for a second confused, obviously because I was wearing these dirty clothes I had worn on Friday again." Krista then pulled on her clothes to show them to Callie. "They said nothing, they just smiled and wished me a good morning. This continued all morning, I would see a person, they would look confused for a second, then smile." Krista sighed and took another drag.

"Did you have lunch?" Krista asked Callie, seeming to change the subject. Callie shook her head no. "Well I did and guess what I made a pig out of myself again. I ran to the cafeteria and had my food on the table not two minutes after lunch had started. That food was gone not a minute later. Some friends I sit with at lunch came to sit with me and it was horrible. I saw them smile like they were about ready to laugh at me making a pig of myself, then it disappeared. They said nothing about it.

Remember this morning, remember when you called us a pair of pigs? I wanted them to laugh at me, to call me a pig, to share a joke between us. Instead they just stared at me and said nothing." Krista shook her head and then tapped her cigarette and took another drag. "I just can't stand it. I’m happy I notice it, but man, has it always been this way?"

Callie stood there and wondered what to say after hearing all that, suddenly it hit her.

"You know, that was my last cigarette, and, you have smoke around a pack of my cigs I imagine. You know you owe me a pack. You said you were eighteen, go buy me one." Callie then smiled at Krista. Krista then smiled back.

"I can grab you one after school if you like." Krista answered.

"What about the play, what about cheerleading?" Callie asked back.

Krista laughed to herself, "I'm not doing the play. I told the director that this morning. I ran into him and told him I wasn't really that interested, it was my father who was." Krista then paused and took another drag. "He looked so happy for a second. Then that look disappeared, he asked if I was sure, that he was certain I would be perfect. I told him I was sure, then left. I wanted to turn around to see his face but decided that it would probably make me really sad.

As for the cheerleading", Krista paused and looked down at the cigarette in between in her fingers. "Cheerleaders are not allowed to smoke. Anyway, I rather hang out with someone real like you." Krista then took one last drag of her cigarette then put it out against the wall like she had seen Callie do a minute before.

Callie looked at Krista impressed that Krista had changed so much, Callie would have never imagined her and Krista hanging out even three days ago, but things had changed.

"So, I will meet up with you after school here, and we will go grab a couple packs of cigarettes?" Krista asked Callie.

"That would be fine." Callie answered, and the two women went back to the school.