Ronnie

20

October 1, 1986. El Cerrito, California.
Cassie blinked her eyes open as the sunlight blinded her through the open curtains.
She turned on her right side. An empty spot consumed her bed.
Her arms pushed the air and legs stretched to the end of the bed.
A yawn escaped her mouth as she tunneled her way out of her comforter.
The door creaked open.
Kirk didn't notice. He snored away on the couch.
Cassie had a small smile on her face as she watched him rest.
The bathroom door closed and she squeezed toothpaste onto the brush.
She got thirty seconds into brushing her teeth before her mouth started to sweat.
She sat the toothbrush on the counter and got onto her knees.
Someone was throwing up; Kirk's brain awoke.
He wiped the sleep from his eyes and stood up.
The light from the bathroom was on.
Tap. Tap.
"You okay Cassie?"
She wiped her mouth and flushed the toilet. "Yes. I'm fine. You can go back to sleep, sorry."
"No. I need to wake up anyway."
The door opened. They stared at each other.
"I really think you should go to the doctor. This has been going on for three days."
"Its just stress, okay?"
"Okay," he sighed.
She pushed past him.
"Want a cup of coffee?" she asked from the kitchen.
He picked up his trash from the living room, "No thanks."
"Damn it," she said quietly.
Kirk turned to her after dumping the waste into the trash can.
"What is it?"
"The sink is clogging up again, like it used to."
"Let me see." Kirk took her place at the sink.
He looked into the drain, "Could you hand me a flash light?"
She came back seconds later, flashlight in hand.
"Thanks."
He looked intently into the hole.
"I don't see anything stuck inside here. Must be the pipe again."
She placed her hand over her forehead, "Shit."
"I can fix it. I have before."
"You're my guest, you don't need to be doing this."
"You didn't mind me doing it before," he said with a smile.
She gave him a pitty laugh, "Things are different now Kirk."

"Well. I still know how to fix it. Don't worry about it Cas."
"Thank you."
"Of course.
I'm gonna go get the tools. Are they in the same spot?"
She nodded.
Cassie sat at the kitchen table as she drank her coffee, watching Kirk underneath the sink.
"Remember the first time you tried to do this."
He could hear the smile on her face. Cassie told all of Kirk's friends this story when it happened. She loved it.

"How could I forget," he replied, struggling to get the pipe untightened.

"You opened the wrong pipe and got all of that nasty brown sludge on you," she said in a giggle.
Kirk smiled a smile Cassie couldn't see.
"But do you remember the rest of the story? You're forgetting the best part."
"Oh no. No I am not," she answered him, picking up her coffee mug.
"I recall standing up and giving you a big ole hug." The pipe opened, the insides of the drain poured into a pot.
"I got the nastiness allll over you. Then you started gaging." Kirk pulled himself and the pot out from the cabinet.
"That was the best part Cas."
"Whatever," she rolled her eyes, trying her hardest not to give him a smile.
Kirk tossed the sludge outside as Cassie sat trying to keep her mind on the trivial things in her life like broken pipes and not broken lives.

The phone began to ring; Kirk bounced to answer it but as he put his hand on the receiver he stopped.

"Sorry. Habit."

"No. Go ahead."

"Hello. Oh, hey... 

um yeah I guess I can. Can you not just tell me now? Okay okay chill out. Can Cas come? Okay, be there soon."

"James," Kirk explained emotionlessly. "He needs me over at the Mansion."

"Okay...

Can I ask why?"

"I'm not exactly sure. Something with Cliff."

Her stomach dropped; Kirk could tell.

"Sorry, I-," Cassie stopped him.

"There has been too much apologizing going on the past few days. There is nothing we can fix. No more apologizing. Nothing can fix this." Tears welled up in her eyes.

Kirk had nothing to add. It was true, nothing could fix this.

"I'll drive you over there. I need to get out of the house."

Kirk nodded and went out the door.

They drove silently to the Mansion.

Cassie started to get out of the car with Kirk.

"Hey, um. James said you couldn't come in. Sorry."

"What! 

Cliff was my friend just as much as he was any of yours."

"I know Cas. Please, let me go in alone. I can't argue with anyone right now and I know you can't either." 

She sighed and slid back into the car. 

Five minutes turned ten, ten to twenty.

She was dozed off when Kirk yanked the door open. Cassie jumped at the sound.

Kirk stared at nothing. Too many thoughts were brewing in his mind.

"So?"

"It will be on the seventh."

"It?"

"The funeral."