New fic: Times Like These (1/?)
Title: Times Like These
Author: addictt24 (Addictt on fanfiction.net)
Pairing: Callie/Arizona
Rating: R to be safe.
Summary: AU-fic. What if Callie and Arizona met in high school? Multi-chaptered.
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or anything related to Grey’s Anatomy. That’s courtesy of Shonda Rimes and ABC. This fiction is not meant to make money or to be harmful in any way. It’s just pure for amusement.
I thought I did it, but livejournal is being a .... again with the lj-cut and what else. Grr!
Chapter 1 - Learning How To Smile
After wiping the tiny water drops off the mirror, Calliope Iphegenia Torres took a good look at herself. There were no blemishes on her skin for the first time in months. The sun in Florida apparently did have a positive effect on your skin, something she refused to believe, no matter how many times Aria told her. Her hair was still wet from the shower and she tied it down in a ponytail, while flashing herself a big smile. Four out of the fifteen years she spent in Nashville she had been wearing braces. Today was her fourth day living in Miami and yesterday she had finally gotten rid of them. It was strange smiling in the mirror without having to close her mouth, afraid there might be something stuck in the metal, something which had happened several times. Today was a new start.
At least, that's what her mother and sister kept telling her. A new high school, a new look, a new start. It was supposed to be a good thing, but Callie had her doubts. In Nashville, she had a little group of friends who understood her, knew her and knew where she came from. Just the fact that everything about Miami was new scared Callie. The beach, volleyball, surfers, sun-tanned and perky people...
"Callie! Hurry up! We have to go in fifteen minutes and I have to redo my make-up!" Aria said through the closed door.
Yes, Aria would fit in fine, Callie thought to herself. She looked at herself one last time before opening the door.
"Thank God," Aria mumbled, stepping into the bathroom.
Callie walked into her bedroom while brushing her teeth to look for something to wear. A few minutes later she was dressed in dark jeans and a sweat shirt and she entered the bathroom again to return her toothbrush. Aria looked at her outfit and walked up to her.
"Callie, sweetie, isn’t that a little bit warm to wear in Miami?"
"Aria, just because you’re older doesn’t make you my mother," Callie frowned her eyebrows. "Besides, this is comfortable."
It wasn’t like Callie was a geek or something. Yes, she liked science, she didn’t wear the most fashionable clothes and she wasn’t a social butterfly, but generally she was accepted by the crowd.
"I have told you this over and over again since you began developing curves. You have a nice body Callie, there’s nothing wrong with showing a little bit of skin here and there." At that, Callie rolled her eyes. "Come here, I picked out an outfit for you yesterday."
Together they walked over to Aria’s room. Callie looked at Aria’s cheering outfit and photos from Nashville High. "You really don’t have to do all this, you know? I can take care of myself."
"I know. But you’re a Torres, Callie. Nothing wrong with living up to our family name. You know how happy you’ll make Mom and Dad with dressing... nicely. And besides, without the braces and with your flawless skin nowadays, you might actually look really hot," Aria said to her with a wink.
Callie blushed a little since her sister didn’t give her compliments often. Aria probably wanted the best for her anyways.
"Here," Aria handed her sister a low cut dark blue T-shirt. "This might even work with the jeans you’re wearing." she said thoughtfully.
Callie quickly changed the sweat shirt for the T-shirt and looked in the mirror. It actually didn’t look that bad and she liked the color on herself. "So, are you going to try out for the cheering squad?"
"Of course. Now, about your hair-"
"No, Aria. My hair is fine. I still want to look like... me."
Aria shrugged. "Fine then."
Callie smiled awkwardly at her sister. "Thanks for the shirt though... should we go?"
As much as she would have wanted the day to go by in a blur, it didn’t. The first day at her new high school was going slow. Very slow. She had the same subjects as she had in Nashville; Biology, advanced Algebra, History, Literature and Economics among others. She had no idea what she wanted to pursue after high school, so Callie had chosen various subjects - a little bit of everything. It worked for her, she kept her grades up and wasn’t bored too much throughout the day.
At the principal’s office she met a girl called Andy with whom Callie shared most of her classes. Andy was called in for getting into a fight with her older brother at school. In English class, after introducing herself for the fourth time that day in front of a new class, Andy sat next to her.
"So, Callie, huh?" Andy said with a little smirk.
"Yep, that’s me," Callie returned a smile. "You must’ve heard that for about the third time today, I guess. You were also at the principal’s office, right?"
"Oh yeah, never mind that. Unfortunately I visit Mr. Greenwald pretty often... All of those times was entirely not due to anything I did though."
"Right," Callie laughed at her.
Throughout the class they talked a little bit more and at lunch Andy showed Callie around.
"End of the tour: the cafeteria. The second best place to be around here..." Andy told her while grabbing some lunch.
"The best place being?"
"The gym. Sports is a pretty big deal around here. Miami High is pretty much known for their exquisite softball-, basketball-, baseball-, football- and even cheer leading teams here in Florida."
Callie snickered. "My sister Aria is going to love that. She was a cheer captain at our previous school."
"Do you play anything?"
"No, not really. I wasn’t involved in sports in Nashville anyway. Are you?"
"Yep, softball. Maybe I can even persuade you into joining the team!" Andy exclaimed excitedly.
"Maybe," Callie answered politely. "We’ll see."
"Girls, how was the first day at school?" Carlos Torres asked his daughters at dinner that night.
Callie shrugged. "Fine, I guess. I met a girl named Andy, she seems pretty cool." Her mother smiled proudly at her daughter.
"I’m so glad you’re making new friends, mija. This school will be good for you."
"Our last school was good for me too," Callie mumbled while turning her food over on her plate.
"Stop being so negative all the time, Callie." Aria said to her little sister, obviously irritated. "School was great, mami y papi. I met a few girls from the cheerleading team already and next week are the second try-outs for this season! But as I was captain in Nashville, they said I had nothing to worry about."
"Of course not," Carlos said with shaking his head.
"So, is it okay I bring some of the girls over sometime this week? I would really like to know them better."
At that, Callie rolled her eyes.
"Callie, don’t roll your eyes at your sister," her mother said at a disapproving tone before answering to Aria. "That’s fine, Aria. As long as you don’t forget to bring Callie back as well. Oh, and Callie, if you want, you can bring your new friend any time you want too, of course."
"I’ll see. Thanks Mom."
"What’s wrong, mija? You look sad... I don’t like to see one of my girls sad," her father said, putting his fork down.
Callie shook her head and faked a smile. "It’s nothing, Dad. I know that you and Mom are happy here." Her father nodded.
"If there is anything I can do, just talk to me," he said before starting to eat again.
"I know, thank you, papi," she told her father.
That night she went to bed early. Frankly, all Callie wanted was today to be over. The first day at Miami High wasn’t as bad as she originally thought, but she missed her previous home. School itself wasn’t that different though. True, the people were more tan and more into sports than in Nashville, but other than that, the schools were very alike. At least the people were friendly and she seemed to be making a new friend. Tomorrow will even be better, she told herself before falling asleep.