Changes

Chapter Six: Learning to Look Up

Chapter Six: Learning to look up

   Cassidy wakes up like he does every morning to the sound of his alarm clock beeping to his right on his bed stand. He groans quietly as he recalls what today is. "Cassie! You decent?" Scarlet asks from just outside his room. "Ugh! I'm never letting you talk me into drinking on a school night again. You devil woman!" Cass groans with his hands over his face before sitting up onto the edge of his bed just as Scarlet enters the room. She looks over his disheveled appearance with a smirk before throwing a clean shirt at him. "You're twenty three years old. Stop acting like a child! Now hurry up and get dressed before you make me late for my orientation to women's studies." Scarlet says. Cassidy pulls on his white button up shirt before standing up and giving his roommate a quizzical look. "Really? You're taking women's studies this year? Is this another ruse to get laid?" Cassie questions Scarlet with a suspicious look. She rolls her eyes with a smile while turning to leave the room. "I'll meet you in the car Mr. Art major." Scarlet says while leaving the room. Cassidy sighs once he hears the door close before reaching under his mattress and pulling out his old notebook. He then opens it to the picture he drew of Dennis the first day they met. He runs his nimble fingers over Dennis' face while letting out a quieter much longer sigh. "I still..." Cass whispers before being interrupted by Scarlet as she honks the horn just out front. Cass closes his old journal with a grimace before putting it away and buttoning up his shirt. He then finishes getting ready and gets into Scarlet's yellow 2000 beetle Volkswagen, accidentally bumping his head on the way in because the car is much smaller than himself. "Hey, be careful. I don't want you to hurt Sarah Paulson." Scarlet grumbles while pulling off of the curb outside of their apartment. Cass crosses his arms while staring out of the window as he complains internally about how ridiculous it is that Scarlet has named her car after her celebrity crush. He wonders what kind of person actually names their car anyways. After a twenty minute car ride, they finally make it to the University of Kansas where today they'll begin their third year.

   Cassidy barely gives Scarlet a chance to park before practically jumping out of the car and dashing through the schoolyard as he spots his little brother Kurt, who's just now about to start his first year in college. Cas and Kurt run toward one another before hugging. "Hey Cassie!" Kurt says while pulling away. "Hey. I thought Michael was supposed to drop you off at the apartment like two days ago? What happened?" Cassie questions, "Sorry man. I meant to call, but I've just been so busy. I got into town and stopped in at this café for some coffee, right. And you wouldn't believe who I ran into, but I think I'm gonna crash with them for a while." Kurt says giddily. Cassie tilts his head while squinting at his younger brother. "Who'd you run into?" "Well apparently they just moved back to Kansas a few months ago because they agreed that Kansas is the closest thing they've ever had to a home." Kurt goes on until Cassie interrupts him. "Kurt. Who are you talking about?" Cassidy questions as his heart feels like it could stop at any moment. "Well, turn around and see for yourself. They're here." Kurt says with a wide smile. Cass slowly turns around and fervidly looks over the parking lot full of students getting out of their cars and walking toward the school before stopping as one particular vehicle catches his eye. Cassidy watches with wide eyes as Finn Manchester gets out of the passenger seat of his father's old black 1967 Chevrolet Impala before closing the door and beginning to walk toward the school. A tall, bulky, young man then gets out of the driver's side of the Impala, and shouts something out toward Finn before glancing briefly at Cass. Cassidy's jaw falls open as their eyes meet and he begins to feel dizzy just before everything goes black. "Everyone just give him some space." Cassidy hears the deep, stern voice of a man as he feels a warm hand against the back of his neck. Cass opens his eyes to see Dennis just above him cradling his head and looking at him intently. "Ah. There he is." Scarlet says with a relieved look standing above them next to Kurt and Finn. "What's he doing?" "Oh, Dennis is an Emergency Medical Technician." Finn says with a smile. "Sir. Are you okay?" Dennis asks Cassie. He nods slowly while looking up at Dennis with wide eyes. Dennis smiles at him. "Okay. Good." Dennis says just above a whisper before helping him to his feet. Dennis then pats Cassie's back as Cass continues looking at him with a star struck expression. "Boy. You've gotten so tall!" Scarlet says earning Dennis' attention. He turns to her and looks at her with a curious expression. "Scarlet?" Dennis says with a smile. She smiles back with teary eyes before pulling him into a hug. "Wow. Look at you..." Dennis says just before the beeper attached to his jeans goes off. "What's that?" "I'm sorry Scar. It was nice seeing you, but I've gotta get to work." Dennis says while backing away before stopping for a moment to look at Cassie. He points to him. "Someone should probably get him out of the sun before he faints again." Dennis says. Cassidy raises his brow at Dennis while opening his mouth to speak and putting his pointer finger up in front of him. Dennis furrows his brow at him before winking and turning to walk away. Scarlet and Cass share a look before turning their attention to Dennis again. "Wait Dennis!" Scarlet says. "Sorry. I'm gonna be late. Love ya Finnie. Have a good first day!" Dennis shouts while sprinting back to his car before getting in and driving away. "Bye D!" Finn shouts while waving at the Impala. "That's weird. I don't think he recognized you." Kurt says. "He's probably just tired." Finn says quietly as his smile fades. "Well it probably didn't help that you didn't say anything. What the hell is wrong with you?" Kurt questions his brother. "Yeah. Seriously. You've waited 8 years for this." Scarlet says before smacking Cassie's arm. "We all have. What a waste of time." Kurt grumbles as he and Finn begin to walk away. Cass sighs. "I can't believe that was Dennis. He's so-so..." Cassie says before trailing off earning everyone's attention. "Butch?" Finn suggests. "Bulky?" Kurt suggests. "Gorgeous." Scarlet says with a slight smile and a knowing look. Cassie gives them all a look. "I was gonna say tall, but yes. All of those things as well." Cassidy says with a look as he thinks of Dennis that makes it blatant that he's still enamored of the young man after all these years. "Yeah. Hell. He's taller than you Cassie." Kurt says pointedly, earning an annoyed look from his older brother and a giggle from Finn. "Shouldn't you two be getting to class?" Cassidy questions with an annoyed look. "Where did Dennis rush off to anyway?" Scarlet asks. "Oh, he had to go to work." Finn replies. "Right. No. We heard that part, but where does he work? Also, shouldn't he be going to college to be like whatever geniuses go to college to be?" Cassie questions. "Well actually, he did go to medical school, but he dropped out after I graduated about six months ago..." Finn replies before Cassidy interrupts him while taking a step toward him. "Why?" Cassidy asks. "Well, it's actually a little complicated. Ya see..." Finn goes to explain before Scarlet interrupts him. "Finn, you don't need to explain. It's okay. Cassie is just being a little too nosey for his own good right now." Scarlet says before nudging Cassidy with a scolding look. He shrugs his shoulders at her. "Oh no. It's okay. I don't mind talking about it actually. Ya see, after everything happened with dad taking off for good, Dennis got emancipated and convinced a judge in Florida to let him keep me in his custody. He ended up getting a lot of attention for it in the end and got offered a bunch of scholarships after he graduated and we actually moved to Massachusetts where he studied to become a doctor for about three years. Everything was just great, until I graduated that is. So get this, we didn't have a lot of money, and unlike Dennis, I didn't get offered any fancy scholarships for being a heroic citizen. So Dennis decided to drop out and pay my way through college himself by working as an E.M.T and a mechanic. Plus a few other part time jobs just to pay the bills." Finn explains. "Wow." Scarlet and Cassidy say simultaneously. Finn laughs nervously for a moment. "I guess when I say it out loud. It sounds a lot more heroic. Huh? Well I'll catch ya later guys. Dennis will literally kill me if I'm not to class on time." Finn says before leaving to the school. Scarlet and Cassie begin walking toward the school as well. "Who would've figured Dennis Manchester would grow up to be such a hero. Jeez. I mean, he's just like Batman or Superman or something." Kurt says. "I expected nothing less." Scarlet proclaims in a joyous tone with a prideful look. "What about you Cassie?" Kurt asks, but he doesn't say anything. Scarlet and Kurt look over at Cassidy to see that he's staring off into space with a loving look in his eyes clearly thinking of Dennis. "I wonder if he's ever stopped thinking about him." "Oh trust me. He hasn't. He still has his old journal he used to write in back when they met." Scarlet says in a hushed tone. "I was talking about Dennis. Wait. Really?" Kurt questions giddily. "He keeps it under his pillow." Scarlet giggles. "I do not!" Cassie grumbles. "Oh look who came back to earth finally!" Kurt says as they enter the building.