Hard to Hate You // Michael Langdon

Part XX - Halloween Ball

"You really said that to Langdon?" Mallory gasps.

Coco nods proudly as Gallant chuckles.  "She sure as hell did.  You should've seen his face.  That smug look faltered for a few seconds; it was absolutely priceless."

"I wish I would've seen it," Mallory shakes her head.

I quickly look around the sitting room.  "Why aren't Dinah or Andre here?" I ask.

Coco shrugs distastefully.  "They're probably getting ready for the Halloween Ball tonight or something."

"What are you going to dress up as?" Emily asks.

"Marie Antoinette," Coco answers smugly.

"What about you guys?" Emily asks me, Mallory, and Gallant.

"I'll just wear a mask or something," Gallant shrugs.  "I'm going to spend most of my time doing Coco's hair."

"I don't even know if Grays are allowed to dress up," Mallory shakes her head.  "Although I suppose that the whole concept of Grays shouldn't even be a thing..."

As soon as they heard about Venable's making up the rules about Grays, Coco moved Mallory into her room so she didn't have to share the group bunks with the Grays anymore.  They haven't seen Venable yet today, but I'm sure they'd attack her if given the chance.

"I'm so mad at that bitch," Coco grumbles, saying what we're all thinking.  "She'd better hope that I never see her again."

"Coco, you've been aggressive lately," I remark.  "First saying 'Fuck you' to Langdon, now threatening Venable."

"And what about it?"

I chuckle.  "I wish this side of you would've come out sooner."

......

As I'm walking back to my room, I hear items being thrown around in Venable's office.  I sense Venable's presence in the room, so I decide to go in and see what's happening.

As soon as I open the door, Venable looks up from her desk, pausing from throwing its contents across the room.  "Ms. Callistra, what are you doing in here?" she asks, her panic and anger evident in her voice.

"What is going on in here?  You seem as if you've lost something."  A smirk plays across my face, knowing damn well what she is searching for.

She narrows her eyes.  "Where the hell did you put my gun?"

"Your gun?" I question mockingly as if I don't have it hidden in my room right now.

She carefully steps over the papers laying on the floor as she makes her way towards me.  "Ms. Callistra, I have been careful to keep Ms. Mead from you, but I will not hesitate to-"

"Listen, Wilhemina," I begin as I close in on her.  She noticeably stiffens at my use of her first name.  "I like you - you're a feminist icon.  However, you have a very large problem at hand, one that you are entirely at fault for; your outpost is crumbling.  What little rules you have left are soon to be gone.  It's likely that your fellow inhabitants are going to kill you.  This is why you need the gun, correct?"

She pauses before letting out a long sigh.  "Yes."

I chuckle.  "You think that whatever stunt you have planned for the Halloween Ball is going to put an end to all this.  You see, I don't interfere with karma."

She stares at me coldly.  "My gun.  Now."

"No."

She glares at me, her voice taking on a threatening tone.  "And why the hell not?"