Hunter's Chance

t w o

Cass is rummaging through my makeup bag when I walk into my bedroom.

"You're home early." She says pulling out the black eyeliner. "Are you coming to the party tonight? Trevor will be there." 

I instantly roll my eyes and when I look over at her, she's wiggling her eyebrows at me through the reflection of the full length mirror. 

"I have to work tonight," I replied, tossing my bag on my bed. "And besides, I already told you that the Trevor thing is never going to happen."

"Rae," she starts turning her body towards me. "Why do you have to be like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like you." She huffs as she tries to draw a precise line on her eyelid.

"Here," I say, reaching for the pencil. "Let me do it."

I take it, tilting her head back just slightly as I press the pencil to her lash line. I feel better this way, much more in control.

"Cassidy Thomas if you don't hold still, I'm going to end up poking you in the eye."

"Just give him a chance," she says pleading with me. "He really is such a nice guy."

"Nice and boring." I say, sitting back to examine my work." I mean seriously Cass he's quite literally the complete opposite of every other guy I've ever dated."

"That's the point," she starts, leaning into the mirror as she runs mascara over her eyelashes. "He's the perfect amount of change."

I huffed. 

So I'm stubborn, and slightly picky when it comes to guys, was that really so bad? Cassidy knew this. She's been my roommate for the last two years and my best friend since we were six years old. I still remember the day that she showed up on my doorstep. I was listening to Mazzy Star's Fade Into You when her wide eyes, big bow, and light-up-when-you-stomp shoes came walking up our front steps.

"Can I listen?" Was the first thing she ever said to me. I remember thinking then as I eyed her up and down, that she was going to be a challenge. I wasn't wrong but I wasn't necessarily right either. It's only a constant reminder of how different we are now that we live together off campus in our little brick house. NAU is perfect for us. Just out of her mothers reach but close enough that I can visit home on the weekends.

"I went to a party last night." I blurt out, changing the subject.

"A party? In Prescott?" She says the name of our hometown like it's last years fashion, you know, so 2017. "Anything worth reporting?" She asks and sits down on my bed.

"Not a damn thing, well apart from the fact that I found Conner passed out." I respond looking at her through the reflection of the mirror just as I go to apply my mascara. It's a natural habit that my head is tilted back and my mouth is wide open as I try to, what the mascara packaging promises, lengthen and thicken my eyelashes. "I pretty much had to scrape him off the couch." I add.

"No way!" She throws her head back laughing. "I'm surprised he made it home alive!"

"I wanted to kill him, I really did. I was already dealing with my mom." I say in almost a whisper.

She's not laughing anymore and I know it must have been the mention of my mom. Cass has been there through all of the ups and downs my family has faced over the years. When I glance up to look at her, she's bent over fidgeting with the radio until the sound of our childhood song comes on and in full-fled Cassidy Thomas form, this immediately replaces my thoughts. She takes my hands in hers and brings me to my feet as we sway to the beat of the song. I look over to Cass and silently thank the stronger forces in life for bringing us together. She's my only constant.