Though Cal had talked about being locked in in a joking tone, they genuinely appreciated Aria’s gesture. They smiled.
“I’m also adjusting to speaking English with everyone. My accent might sound a bit off at times,” they added. But a change of scenery — Aria had a point. It was as if they’d walked into an entirely different world. Not only because they’re overseas, but the atmosphere of the academy was so unlike anything they were used to. “You understand, though. Are you from here? America, I mean.” The way she spoke sounded like genuine understanding, they couldn’t help but wonder if she’d experienced the same thing as Cal.
But her comment on families caught their attention. “Interesting” was an understatement. They were exhausting. Awful. Chaotic. You’d think Cal would be ecstatic to be far away from them. They nodded in response, sighing. Could she possibly relate?
As the two prepared to leave, Calypso checked their seat in case they’d left something. Once they were sure, they turned to Aria and began to walk towards the exit. "Oh, that would be a nightmare. You’d think being locked in together would make people angry, not… Ugh, they chuckled. Hearing Aria express interest in world problems rather than romance made Cal light up. Another thing they had in common. “I agree with you there. It’s much more fulfilling!”
She seemed like such an interesting person. Cal could hear the passion behind her cause and desire to make a difference. It was as if she were reading their mind. The more she spoke, the more Cal found themself admiring her and the enthusiasm she carried. “Again, you read my mind. I swear, most people just don’t care. So it’s refreshing to hear you say that.” They couldn’t help but wonder just what inspired her to take this path. Because for Cal, it wasn’t exactly a happy story, and neither for many other rebellious and outspoken people. Yet they couldn’t dare pry. She’d been so patient and understanding with them, they could wait a while to ask. “We all see how awful the world is, right? So why isn’t anyone doing anything, is what I’m always asking myself.”
But though they didn’t want to admit it, they found themself a bit confused at what Aria said next. There were so many unusual English words, they had to stop and process what she was trying to say. “Right, yes.” After a pause, they added, “All those things are so important, I agree. But, I guess, I never really thought I could make a change? I’m just… Some kid.” And as they listened to her, they began to wonder if it was really worth it to try. Because Cal has mostly focused on issues they can influence directly. Bullied friends, unfair teachers or parents. Problems where they knew their voice would be heard, whether it affected anything or not. “Does it change anything?”
“And, I’ll admit, honestly, I don’t think I’ve thought about that issue much. But now that you mention it…” they sighed. As much as media served as escapism, there was no doubt a lot of stories where Cal was reminded of the things they couldn’t change. Because a fantasy story might’ve distracted from an argument, but nothing truly took their mind off the fact that they were an outcast. Though they were closeted with almost everyone and hadn’t directly experienced discrimination, it still hurt to see it happen to others. And though they tried to appear unaffected, it mattered how not one protagonist shared their identity. “Yeah, actually.”
// 
Chloe winking back caught Adrian a bit off guard, but he responded with a smile.
“Well nice to meet you to Adrian and sorry that you have to live with this idiot right here," she remarked.
“Oh, poor me indeed,” he chuckled, looking at Lorenzo. “On a serious note though, he’s not that bad,” he added.
But once she mentioned being his best friend and ex at once, Adrian began to realize just who he was speaking to. The girl who Lorenzo used to date, but broke up with because she cheated. The audacity for her to show up at the same academy. But they were best friends, somehow, so Adrian couldn’t fully judge. He looked at Lorenzo in confusion, hoping he’d give a little more context.
“We have known each other for a long time. Kind of grew up together," he said to Chloe. Well, that only cleared up a tiny bit.
When Chloe agreed to be in their video, Adrian replied, “Yeah, no problems here,” Adrian shrugged. Yeah right. “Well, it isn’t up to me anyway. He’s filming,” he pointed to Lorenzo. “And for a drink, hmm… You like bars?”
As he spoke, he moved over to the camera his roommate was holding. “Well, shall we start now?” He looked at the screen, before adjusting it a bit higher. The lighting looked better at that angle.
idk what’s going tbh
