The Last Blue Rose// Reggie Mantle (1)

Chapter Twenty-Three

After about a day of crying, eating chocolate ice cream, and screaming into her pillow, Caia finally decided it was time to rejoin the world of people. So she called Betty and Veronica, her two closest girl friends, and bravely invited them to her house.

She was still huddled up in her nest of blankets when they arrived. Veronica and Betty entered Caia's room and immediately caught sight of the small girl who was practically swallowed in blankets.

Veronica gasped. "Oh my god. No offense, Caia, but you look like hell." She set her purse on Caia's desk and joined Caia on the bed. She stole a blanket from the top of Caia's pile and covered up with it. Betty, who followed close behind did the same.

"Yeah I know." Caia replied. "I haven't felt the urge to get out of bed."

Betty smiled. "That's why were here. To get you out of bed, and out of this Reggie slump."

Caia cringed as she heard his name. She brought her hands up and covered her ears. "Please don't say his name. I never want to talk about that bastard ever again." Veronica looked to Betty.

"At least we know she doesn't want to get back with him," she exclaimed.

Caia stayed silent for a moment. "I didn't say that." Veronica's eyes widened. She grabbed Caia's shoulders and shook her back at forth.

"No!" She yelled. She stopped shaking Caia. "I'm not going to let you do that to yourself."

Betty, being a little more gentle than Veronica, carefully peeled Veronica's hands off her friend. She then turned Caia towards her. "What Veronica is trying to say is that Reggie cheated on you. And if he did it once, he'll probably do it again."

Caia sighed and crawled over Betty's legs to get off the bed. "Yeah, yeah, I know. It's just so hard. I thought he liked me!" She slapped her hands on her legs to exaggerate her point. She crossed her arms. "He made me happy."

Veronica stood up from the bed. "Girl, you don't need Reggie to make you happy."

Betty nodded. "You've got your friends. Like me, Veronica, and Kevin. Even Archie and Jughead."

Caia shrugged. "I guess you're right. Still, I want to do something," She explained. "Reggie made me sad, so I have to get him back for myself to feel better. He's not just going to cheat and get away with it."

Veronica smiled deviously. "No, darling, he's not. And I have a plan."

*

Per Veronica's plan, Caia got dressed the next morning in something she would have never even considered wearing before. And she was a little skeptical.

"Are you sure about this?" She questioned into her phone, staring at Veronica's face. She had video chatted her to make sure she looked okay.

Veronica nodded. "Of course, Caia. You look amazing."

Caia bit the inside of her cheek as she looked up and down at her reflection in the mirror. She was wearing a white off the shoulder crop top, a balck pencil skirt with slits in the sides, White and gold wedges, and various pieces of jewelry including a choker and gold hoops. Her hair was perfectly curled with the use of a curling iron and not her natural flow.

"Okay," She finally relented. "Guess I'm going to school dressed like a sophisticated hooker."

Caia replayed Veronica's advice in her head as she neared the main doors of the school. Confidence. Confidence is key, she had said. If Caia walked with her head held high, she would look like a full on queen. And in the process, she would make Reggie severely jealous.