Precious Peices

Chapter 2

   Peter looked exactly as he had the day he had left town a year ago, six months after Pipers death. He had hugged me ķissed my head and told me to "Be good Cass. Be happy." He had said it like I had a choice on the matter, and like he was somehow any happier than I was. But I knew him like the  back of my hand, and I knew he was dying inside just like I was. Even across the diner I saw the necklace matching mine that held his baby sister. Bile in my throat threatened to make me lose everything I had just eaten. He hadn't seen me yet, and luckily a different waitress than Molly ushered him and the two friends he was with off in the opposite direction of me.
   Realizing this was my time to make a run for it before he seen me, I quickly regained a composure and bolted to the door. My legs had never walked so fast as they did as I took the trek back to my dorm. What was he doing here? He was supposed to be in New York, going to art school. Jamesmith didn't even have an art program. His appearance only made me question my decision to come here even more.
   For a moment I contemplated texting my mom, telling her to get in her car and drive the hour trip to come get me. To take me away from this place full of sadness. But the urge to be here once again won as I arrived at the door of the dorms. Piper would never forgive me if I left.
   Piper.
   Was that what, or who, was guiding me here? Was she, in whatever afterlife there was, still watching out for me somehow? I shook the silky thought away as I took the stairs to my third floor room. A bustle at the end of the hallway in front of my door got my attention.
   A tall redhead stood talking to a man with the same pale complextion and vivid hair as her. "Daaaad, go. I'm going to be fine. Its already late and you have like a four hour drive. Heather is going to be so pissed." She said in frustration.
    "I could stay, help you unpack? I mean someone has to take all these boxes, look your roommate has some too she may need help with." He fought her. She chuckled and  went to hug him.
   "Daddy. Go home. My roommate isn't going to want a 45 year old man in our dorm at nearly midnight. She's probably had a long day too." She said squeezing him. "I love you." Finally, the man relaxed from his tensed position.
   "Okay, but call me tomorrow. And the day after that. Everyday. For the rest of your adult life. Call me." He said softly as I stopped a few feet away from him. He glanced up at my appearance. "Oh, hey! Are you Janie's roommate? Room 309?"
   Plastering on a smile I nodded. "Hi, I'm Cass." I reached out to shake his hand and he did, shaking so hard I thought he'd rip my arm from its socket before finally letting go. The girl, Janie, looked back and forth between us with an absolutely horrified expression. It almost made me want to laugh as seemed like she was waiting for him to donor say something utterly humiliating.
    "I'm Mr. Kent. Mark, I mean Mark. You can call me Mark. I mean we are all adults here, huh?" He laughed awkwardly and the girl buried her face in one of her hands. I did my best to give her and 'it's okay look as she looked back up, defeated.
   "Nice to meet you Mr. Kent. If you guys would please excuse me. I am absolutely exhausted, I'm going to get ready for bed." I chuckled and moved around then into the open door. Janies side of the room was full of boxes now and I wanted to groan.
   So much for my solitude.
   After a few moments and a few more words exchanged between Janie and her father, he was off and she was shutting the door. Falling against it with a groan, "oh thank God. Freedom. I can breath. Is this what oxygen taste like. I swear my dad stays so stuck up my ass he has been taking it all for the last eight teen years." Now this did make me chuckle as I grabbed some pajamas out of the provided dresser. "I am so sorry about him. He's just such a sweet man. Too sweet. Cavity sweet. God, thankfully I didn't tell him about my cavity. He never would have let me come, convinced I would die of an terrible infection."
   I couldn't help but smile when I looked up at her. "It's totally fine. I get it. To be honest I was afraid my mom was going to lock me in my room to prevent me from leaving home." She laughed and flopped down to sit on her bed
   "Oh my God, same. I basically ran out the front door before he could get to the deadbolt." Nodding I moved toward the bathroom as she stood back up to open one of her boxes. "Gosh, I'm exhausted. You thunk with all of the planning my father did he would have marked which box had my sheets in it atleast."
   "Um, I'm going to change real quick and then I can come back and help you look if you want." I offered. I didn't wait for a reply as I shut myself into the bathroom attached to our room and took a deep breath. Truly I was tired. Coming here. Seeing Peter. Having a roommate that clearly loved to talk and was beyond cheerful. It was alot. Making quick work of changing into the grey camisole and black shorts I brushed my hair into a ponytail and headed back to help with her search.
   Luckily by the time I arrived she was smoothing her purple duvet over her twin sized bed. "You have such good taste! Your side is so pretty. I suck at stuff like that. I think I brought two Green Day posters as decoration. Oh, and a lamp." She pointed to the mettalic desk lamp sitting on her side table. Once again she made me chuckle, just the looknon her face as she pointed at her plain lamp.
   "This was all my mom. She's an interior designer. She lives for stuff like this." I stated and moved to pull my covers down as she searched another box, coming up with a t-shirt and sweats.
   "That's so cool. My step mother is a demon, she lives for stuff like eating children and stealing peoplea happiness." She snorted and headed to the bathroom. She didn't shut the door and continued to talk to me. "So what are you majoring in?" She asked, out of sight.
   "Uhm, journalism." I slid into bed and flipped off my lamp just as she came out and did the same on her side only leaving her light on. She clapped her hands together.
   "Oh that's so great! Me too. Maybe we will have some classes together. I don't think anyone else I know came here." She said. "My first class is at 9, Mr. Ross, you?"
   "Ah, I have it at 8. Lucky. I would give anything for that one more hour of sleep tomorrow." I yawned getting comfortable. She laughed and flipped her light off, I heard her adjusting in her bed. "Well, goodnight!"
   Laying in the dark silence gave me a chance to once again go over the day, but mostly just flashes of Peter. He was smiling and laughing with his friends, he looked happy. Of course he was happy. It had been a year and a half. People get over stuff. So why couldn't I? Why did it still feel like part of me had gone with Piper? Dread filled me of the thought of running into him, of talking to him. Looking at him.
   Once upon a time Piper, him and I had been inseparable, even though he was a year older than us. Then highschool came and he made friends with other guys, but always made time for us when we were home or on family vacations.
   I made a mental note to fo my best to avoid him as I fell asleep. It was a big school. Maybe I could go a whole year without happening to run into him. Just maybe.

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   Thanks for continuing is my story. If you enjoyed please like and follow!

       -Jenae