Scars To Your Beautiful : A Modern Beauty and the Beast retelling ✔

34. More than you think

The once bright sun dipped lower in the sky, embracing the amber and pink glow of the evening in open arms, as the dusky hues in the waning light slowly drew closer. Callie paced around her room, still deciding on what to wear for Viola's party.

She groaned when she put on a simple  powder blue dress, scooped with a halter-strap neckline and pleated bell sheath.  How could she possibly wear a dress that she had worn to a wedding? Well, she didn't have a choice. She didn't have anything else that looked this good. If there was one word to describe her regular clothes, it would be "boring". Yep, her clothes were boring. Since she always wore uniform to school everyday, Callie didn't realize how every other thing she owned, sucked.

Groaning again, she resisted the urge to call Viola and give an excuse not to come. The ringing of her phone distracted Callie from her little dilemma. A small smile tore through her lips when she saw Naomi's name popping up on the screen. "Hey Nae, why are you calling? It's not time for the party yet?"

Naomi's mellow feminine voice rang through her ears. "I'm calling to make sure you don't bail on me tonight." Callie's lips tipped up. Naomi knew her so well. "I know you hate parties and all that, but Viola's gonna kill us if we don't go."

"I know. I know. I'm just glad you agreed to come. I almost thought you'd refuse."

Callie could picture Naomi giving a shrug as she spoke. "I was going to. I really can't stand how condescending Viola is, but I'm hoping she's doing this to be nice. It'll also be a bonus if she doesn't revert back to her old self."

Naomi's response sparked a bit of curiosity in her. "You know, I never got to ask. Did something happen in the past with Viola? I've always wondered why you couldn't stand her, even more than I do."

Naomi's soft chuckle tingled her earlobe. "What? Are you expecting to hear a story about Viola stealing an old boyfriend of mine? Honestly, there's no story to it. She's just full of bullshit and I can't stand people like that."

Callie made a disappointed "oh". She was expecting to hear something risque or a scandalous story filled with revenge and heartbreak. But knowing Naomi, it makes sense that she didn't like Viola because of her behavior. Naomi was too apathetic for petty drama. "Don't forget to call me at least five minutes before you get to my house, so that I can—"

A loud shattering crash from downstairs put Callie on high alert. The piercing sound was loud enough for Naomi to hear. "What was that?"

Staggering fear overwhelmed Callie and she quickly retorted. "We'll talk later. I've got to go."

Callie hung up and darted out of the room. Ava popped out of hers. "What was that sound?"

"Stay back inside. I'll check it out." Ava obeyed her sister's words, without question.

She sighed to herself. Callie already had an idea who it was. She rushed down the stairs, and the closer she got, the louder Abe's swears blared. 

He threw out another "God dammit" and Callie entered the kitchen, completely shocked to see broken shards of one of mom's favorite mugs.
Red-orange color of the persimmon ceramic mug shattered in small fractions and its sharp edges glistened in the light.

Abe reached out to pick the pieces when Callie leaned closer. "Let me help you."

"No." His voice raised slightly. "I want to do this on my own. I need to do this on my own."

Callie's face softened when she saw the distraught look in Abe's brown eyes. "What happened, Dad?"

Abe plunged deeper into the pain burning him on the inside. His voice, sullen and raw. "I just wanted to get a damn cup of tea and it just fell from my hand. It's not my fault."