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Callie races to now embrace a shocked Willow and smiles ear to ear, “I hope that’s not true because it looks like my deepest, darkest fantasy has come true.”
Sam, now rejoining the group as it has become quite apparent she has nothing to fear from Callie, nudges Raven and giggles, “I love this girl.”
Callie releases Willow and returns to Raven’s side. Placing a reassuring arm around her shoulders, Callie makes eye contact with each of the women before her, women she is certain she will now love forever, and asks, “Well, what next? What can I do to help?”
Their eyes shift back and forth between one another, completely lost in their options or lack of.
Emily, still white as a sheet and looking somewhere between terrified and relieved, squeaks out softly, “Is he really dead?”
Raven nods her head in acknowledgment. Emily’s eyes widen even more in sheer disbelief. Callie’s heart aches for her. Callie has had time to process the things he did to her. She has healed her body and processed the loss of how he made her feel when things were good. His havoc is still new and fresh for Emily. The pain of the mental acrobatics he puts you through is immense on its own. Coupled with the physical pain he doles out and now his death before her eyes, Callie can only imagine that sinks you to depths you didn’t think possible. All the ladies seem to make this connection at once and huddle around Emily.
They stand in a group hug and Callie squeezes Emily’s hand in hers, “Whatever we need to do to make this right and keep everyone here safe, I will do whatever you need from me. I am all the way in.”
Raven watches her friends in this embrace and smiles at their colors. Their bright, unwavering glow looks like sunshine and is without a doubt love, undying and true. The completely selfless kind. The glow is warming, even in the midst of this chaos.
After a few moments, though, Raven senses a tension seeping into the brilliant white tendrils embracing them. The new feeling is yellow. She traces the new glow to her sister’s nervous face. She and Willow have a sort of non-verbal way of communicating, but before Raven can decode the incoming message, Sam breaks the silence, unable to be serious for another second.
“So… where we ditching this skewered shish-kebab?”
There is an audible groan from the whole group at the terrible joke and they all disperse from the hug, the moment intentionally sabotaged.
Sam gives a vague shrug of the shoulders, “What?” she asks, genuinely unsure why they don’t like her quip.
Raven takes the pressure off of Sam, speaking up, “My vote is still going to the police.”
“No way,” come the cries of everyone else in the group in unison. They are all at least in agreement against Raven.
She rolls her eyes at the dissent, “It’s the only logical answer. No one gets away with murder anymore.”
Emily speaks now, stronger and certain, “This wasn’t a murder.” She seems to be coming around to Team Glad He’s Dead.
Sam cackles, “It’s a freaking public service.”
Callie nods in agreement, “Amen, sister.”
“I really love this girl,” Sam concludes, staring adoringly at Callie.
Raven holds her fingers to her temples, overwhelmed by all their erratic colors now flying at her, “It’s sure going to look like a murder when they find his body stashed away somewhere with a hook jacked in his throat.”
Willow steps up now, “No. No, they’re right, Raven. After everything that happened today, the cops will never believe a self-defense plea. We’re all going to look guilty as sin.”
Raven throws her hands in the air, exacerbated, “What else is there to do then?!”
Callie shakes her head violently, “We are absolutely not going to let you be punished for the mess he got us all into. No fucking way.”
“What she said,” Emily gestures towards Callie.
“Uh, guys,” Sam chimes in, “Why are we not acknowledging the obvious right answer?” The others stare at her blankly until she continues, “I know bringing him back is off the table, but there has to be a way for Willow and Raven to magic us right out of this.”
The air thickens with that yellowed tension again. Emily shushes Sam. Willow gasps. Sam blushes and ducks her head at her own slip in front of a stranger. Only Raven and Callie are still composed. Raven senses a sort of openness in Callie’s eyes. They stare at one another and Raven knows that this is the moment. It is now or never. This will really decide if Callie is one of them.
Taking a deep breath to steady herself and find focus, Raven puts all her energy into the tips of her fingers and points them towards a mum covered in buds just feet from where they stand. Using only her mind and her ability to manipulate nature, Raven plucks a bud from its stalk and floats it across the crisp fall air in front of Callie. Raven motions for Callie to put out her hand and the bud gently lays itself in her palm. From its perch here, the tiny bud suddenly bursts open, revealing the beautiful yellow flower within. A gentle puff of pollen escapes its center and floats in the air before Callie’s face. The tiny particles drift into the shape of a heart and then burst like a firework, sending dull sparkles into the air.
“Nature’s confetti,” Raven whispers with a smile.
Sam and Emily stare on in shock as their always shy friend so openly exposes herself. Willow watches in horror, terrified of what this outsider will do with their family secret. Raven holds her breath, waiting for Callie to react.
“Did you do that?” Callie asks Raven, eyes glowing with awe.
