The Kooks

Pogues 4 Life

Cassie loved working. 

Work was the one place where Cassie did not have to worry about the whispers or the drama, not worry about everybody trying to grab her attention, where she could just interact with other people like nothing happened. 

Every morning, whether it was in JJ's bed or her own, she stood by the mirror and looked at herself. There was a moment where it was only her and her reflection, the most intense feeling she would have each day. She would then take a deep breathe and whisper to herself, "My name is Cassandra Laurent. I am thankful and I am calm. I trust the path of life. I can be happy."

She would then get ready for the day and drive to work, which was conveniently at Kiara's father's restaurant. 

She took checks and served food, chatted with customers, and rang numbers, anything that she was asked to do. 

She loved this restaurant. The setting was quiet and subdued even with the bustling conversation at every table. She loved serving other people and having small conversations with people she had never met. The customers loved her. 

Today, she had stayed late. 

She was in a small red crop top with denim shorts, something comfortable and temperature appropriate. 

Summer had practically ended and Cassie did not want to think about the school day coming up in a few days. School was the home of classmates that passed her looks and whispered about how their best friend had tragically died. All of it was pity from the Pogues and judgement from the Kooks. Cassie didn't fit anywhere in the Outer Banks. 

The lights were dim and the setting was a romantic family feeling that ran through the room. The air was light and a breeze swept through the outdoor eating deck into the main room, letting the dense air brush off of Cassie in an instant. 

She always finished her day doing math, calculating the profits and sorting through all of the checks. Mike was a good boss to her. He loved her presence at the restaurant, it brought a different side of the Outer Banks to the people sitting in the restaurant. It was refreshing. 

He took even more of a liking to her when he figured out that Cassie was a math whiz. She never explored her mathematics options, however found herself able to do calculations easily and loved math because of its stability. She loved that there was a right and wrong answer, not too much of a foggy gray area. 

Once she finished, she made her way into the kitchen and grabbed the container marked with her name. "Thanks Rob! Bye Mike! I'll see you guys tomorrow!" 

She yelled to the back where Mike and Rob, their brilliant chef, cooked food. They turned and smiled, waving goodbye as she walked back out to her car in a surprisingly good mood. She hadn't had one of those in awhile. 

She started up her car and drove over to JJ's house, which was clean, thanks to Cassie, and empty, thanks to the police picking up JJ's dad. 

She walked inside and threw her keys onto the counter, placing the food out for the two of them before wandering into their room. She found JJ lying in his bed, his hair tousled and his body still constricted by the country club clothes where he worked as a waiter. 

She laid on the bed next to him, turning onto her side and brushing his hair out of his face. He stirred. 

"Mmm... Cassie," he mumbled, slowly waking up and coming to his senses. She smiled and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. He immediately smiled. 

She humorously kissed him a few more times, pecking his lips and cheeks before pulling him off the bed and over to the kitchen, sitting him down and getting him some water.