Burn Out (ONC 2021) ✔

Chapter 2.5

1st April 1995

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My sweet Cassie, you're the first person I remember in the morning, and thoughts of you drive me to sleep at night. I wish you could be happy forever and I'd do anything to see all your dreams come true.

💘 James

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Cassie did not deserve James' love and she knew it. She'd mentioned it a million times to him, but it only earned her more affection and more cheesy love notes hidden in her locker.

James was perfect, almost too perfect that beside him, she felt a right to love and be loved, something she'd never felt before.

She sat up on her bunk bed and let her legs dangle in the air as she folded the note carefully and stuck it with the others in a folder under her pillow.

"Cassie." She heard the familiar voice beckon her and footsteps, as the door was swung open almost too loud that it had awoken the other three occupants of the room.

"Good morning, Mrs. Miller," She greeted the large-sized woman that had made a way through the door with a brilliant smile, extending her hands to give her the mobile phone.

"Good morning. You have a phone call from James," she said and all three of her foster sisters had sat up immediately with their ears pricked up.

Cassie hated that there was nothing like privacy or boundaries in the house that she lived in.

She begrudgingly took the phone and brought it to her ears, rolling her eyes at Mrs. Miller who'd made no attempt to get the cue that she was supposed to leave.

"Oops." The woman placed her hands on her mouth, before turning to leave.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Cassie."

That was not the voice of James.

"Who is this?"

"Forgotten about me so soon?"

She sighed deeply, wishing she had or could. But she could not deny the fact that she recognized this voice. It had lived rent-free in her head for the last two weeks.

"Logan?"

"Sure." She could perceive the irritating smile in his voice. It made her nervous and angry. 

"Why would you call me?"

"You asked me to get your number if I am smart, and I am smart," he replied.

Of course, he was. James would not let her hear the last of it of how he'd gotten a scholarship to one of the best private schools which would offer him an express ticket to Harvard.

"I was joking." She knew that she'd gone a little too far teasing him, but she felt like he needed to be taught a lesson.

However, unlike other guys that turned into a stuttering mess when she feigned interest in them, Logan had so finely maintained his calm demeanor. If she said it didn't intrigue her, she'd be a liar. 

"I think you were flirting with me," he said.

"I was not."

She glanced around to see that all three pairs of her foster sister's eyes were on her and then she jumped off the bunk, ignoring the ladder which was a much safer option, and hurried out into the bathroom, the only place that could offer what she needed — privacy.