My oc Callisto's picture is on photobucket, just go to my profile, the link is there. She's super cool, just check her out, please!

"Callisto!"

I looked up from my canvas, glaring at Jennifer, before turning back to my painting, adding my black to the background, "Sup?"

"Sup? Sup!?" Here we go again. "How can you say 'Sup?' as if nothing's happened at all?"

"Because nothing has happened Jen." I mumbled.

"Ryan asked you out, and you said no!" Jennifer ranted, "How do you turn down a guy like that!? I mean, he's totally hot, he's unbelievably charming, and-"

"He's a douche." I finished, washing the acrylic paint off my fan brush and taking out a smaller brush, coating it in midnight blue.

"He is not!" Jennifer gasped, "Every girl in school wants to date him! And may I remind you that your last relationship ended four months ago? You need to get back on the horse girl, and as your best friend-"

"Morgan is my best friend." I sighed, splattering the blue paint against the black.

"Morgan isn't the one helping you right now!"

"She's helping me by keeping her nose out of my love life." I stressed, "Look, I've only dated one guy before, and to be honest, yeah, it was a nice feeling-"

"Don't you want that again?"

"But. The first few dates were totally awkward, meeting his family was awkward, the break up was awkward, and I'm never going through that again." I snapped, "I've made my decision, no more boys. I'm completely and totally abstinent. No more dating, no more kissing, and no more frenching."

She stared at me, before squealing in glee, "Ee! You frenched him!?"

I rinsed that brush off as well, "Yeah. A few times."

"Why didn't you ever tell me!? Stepping stone! I needed to help you through it!"

"Because something like that is private." I growled, "And I'm not so proud about where I did it."

She paused, "Where?"

I paused, staring at the black canvas with random blue splatters, "It's… missing something."

Jennifer shook me, "Come on girl, where did you French him?"

I shook her hand off, "In a church! Okay? I know, I know, I'm going to hell for that one."

Jennifer smiled, "Well, looks like Callisto just turned into Callist-ho!"

"Oh, ha, ha, freaking ha." I said, rolling my eyes, "Now listen, I've got more things to worry about other than starting a new relationship, when I sucked at my last one. I'm just not good at being a girlfriend, okay? I mean, I forgot his birthday! I could never feel comfortable around him. What I had with Jason was fun, but it's never happening again. Now are you going to help me with my real problem or not?"

Jennifer huffed, "Alright, what's your so called problem."

I gestured to my painting, "Something's missing, help me figure it out."

She finally stepped around, looking at my painting, "Huh, an abstract?"

"I'm not sure." I mumbled, "It could just be a dramatic background, or maybe I messed up completely with what I was supposed to draw. Help me out here."

Jennifer never really shared my passion for art, but she had raw talent. Something I had as well, but the difference is, I used mine, molded it, and tempered it into the greatest artistic sense that this high school has ever seen. I had more artistic talent than our art teacher, which is why I take my art courses at the community college.

Jennifer had never been interested in my kind of art, she said it was to messy. She was a fashionista, and a really good one. She had a way of wearing clothes that made everything look good. She could wear spots with plaid and it would look cool.

Jennifer snapped her fingers, "I've got it! It needs to have an observer, in the scene."

I looked at the painting as well, "Someone watching the blue streaks?"

She nodded, "Yeah, but I don't know who."

I frowned, "Not who, what."

I grabbed a detail brush, dipping it in midnight blue, and outlined the head of a crow in the corner, angling it so it watched the blue streaks against the blackness. I used grey on the beak, and then dabbed a white oval for the eyes. I waited for it to dry, and then used yellow for the iris, drawing a black pupil like a human eye.

Jennifer nodded, "Yeah, that's perfect!"

She picked up my sketch book, flipping through it, "So what have you been working on?"

"You shouldn't look at those." I warned, "They're depressing, for you."

She scowled at a pencil sketch of a butterfly with a torn wing, and turned the page to see a portrait I had done of a hobo who lived on my street corner, sometimes. I paid him thirty dollars to pose for me. Pretty sure he spent it at a liquor store, but I didn't really care.

She turned the next page, a little boy with a bloody nose and a big black eye. "Callisto! Why are you so… emo!?"

I looked down at my clothes, denim jeans with the cuffs rolled up to right above my ankles, and a black t-shirt that said NEW YORK CITY in white letters with neon paint splattered all over it. I had down the neon paint myself. I shrugged, "I don't feel emo."

She rolled her eyes, "Wear a skirt one day, will you!? Or some really cute cut offs, or skinny jeans. Yes! Skinny jeans, pink ones! With some cute rhinestones on the back pocket-"

"NEVER!" I shouted defiantly, packing my art supplies away as me and Jennifer headed back into the hallway.

She rolled her eyes, "My wisdom falls upon deaf ears, such is the price of my knowledge. Seriously, I know that drawing something deep is healthy every now and then, but this much depression, it's not good for you. You need to try to appeal to the upbeat population."

I shook my head, grabbing my painting, "No, Jennifer, I don't. We've always preached to different crowds. You're all about the popularity, and me, I give the forgotten a second glance."

She paused, "That would make a really poetic title."

"Thanks." I mumbled. "You still don't really get it-'

She gasped, "Oh my God, Ryan is coming, hide!"

I frowned, "Why? I turned him down politely, he shouldn't be-"

"Hey Jennifer." Ryan said, walking up to her.

She blushed, "Uh, hi…"

Ryan smiled at her, "Look, my weekend just opened up, and I've got reservations at this great pizza joint, for two. Wanna come?"

Jennifer paused, looking at me, "Uh-"

"Say yes." I ordered, "You've been crushing on him since grade school."

She turned beet red, "Callisto!"

Ryan laughed, "Hey, I'm flattered. So, a date?"

Jennifer nodded, "Uh, yeah, I guess so."

"Pick you up on Friday, at eight." Ryan walked away.

Jennifer stood frozen for a moment, before launching into action, "I have so much to plan for! I mean, should I wear a hat, or not hat? Err, no hat. A scarf then? Or maybe a big necklace… I don't know!"

I rolled my eyes for what seemed to be the umpteenth time that day. Honestly, I've been friends with Jennifer since kindergarten, and I love her to death, but I have no idea what her mental issues extend to. She's the prettiest girl in school, her long, blonde, wavy hair and warm brown eyes rope guys in easily. She shouldn't have to worry about her looks. Much less what she'll wear to a date. She could wear a moldy flower sack and look fabulous.

Of course, she wouldn't wear a flower sack. She's probably show up in a pretty dress, with leggings, and a jacket and she bought in totally different stores, but on her, they would look like they were made to fit.

I would never wear anything like that. On all the dates I ever went on, with the only boyfriend I ever had, I just wore jeans and a t-shirt. Sometimes a jacket, or a hat, but never anything more.

Suddenly Jennifer grabbed my arm, "Callisto?"

I looked over my shoulder, "Hmm?"

She was still holding my sketchbook, looking at a picture drawn only with black and grey oil pastels, of a dark place. Stone passages and arches lined the background, a maze of endless darkness. In the corner stood one figure, the only thing that was pure black. He was staring straight at me through the picture.

I took the book from Jennifer, slapping it shut, "Gotta go Jenny, see ya Monday!"

I took off as fast as I could, barley paying attention to her farewell. I remember that picture, and the nightmares so well. Jennifer shouldn't have to see my demons.

No one needed to see Pitch Black.