When We Write the Stars

Chapter 13: Cassie

"In my opinion, the best thing you can do is find someone who loves you for exactly what you are. Good mood, bad mood, ugly, pretty, handsome, what have you." - Juno

     I'm crying in Hayden's arms. Uncontrollably. I didn't mean to start crying, we were just talking about relationships, and Steven came up and the tears came with it, and now I can't stop. And he's being sickeningly sweet about it, he's hugging me. And now I'm cursed with the knowledge that he gives really good hugs.

     This wasn't even supposed to be about me, we were talking about his ex. Then one thing led to another and now I'm crying about mine, when really I should be saying something nice to him after he shared all his ex-girlfriend drama.

     I try to collect myself, it takes a minute, but then I pull back a bit, "Thank you," I say, looking up at him completely unsure of what else to say, or do.

     "You can thank me, by coming to the game this weekend," he says, doing a complete 180 and going back into his usual cocky carefree self. I'm grateful for it, and I know he's doing it intentionally so we're not forced to acknowledge what just happened. Besides what's one more weird moment between us that we don't talk about?

     "Do you have a bathroom I can..." I ask, still awkward and nervous after what just happened.

     "Of course, we have a bathroom," he says, rolling his eyes mockingly, "what'd you think we peed out the window or something?"

     "Believe it or not I've never actually thought about how you pee. My world doesn't revolve around what is Hayden West doing."

     He shakes his head, "It'd be a lot more interesting if it did. Second door on the right."

     "Thank you," I mumble as I walk to the bathroom. I close the door and immediately look into the mirror. I look atrocious. My eyes are so red and you'd think I was high if it weren't for the tear marks on my face.

     I spend the next five minutes trying to make it look like I didn't completely break down crying before I head out of the bathroom to face Hayden again, somewhat scared, and a little excited about what might happen next. I mean he opened up to me about his past, and I opened up about mine. That's got to mean something. Right? I don't know what it means, or even what I want it to mean, but I know it's something.

     I step out of the bathroom, and in Hayden's place in the living room is one of his roommates, I'm almost positive this one is Teddy Coleman. A lot of the hockey guys look kind of similar, Hayden has darker hair and I know him, which sets him apart. One of their roommates, Gibbs is one of the only black guys on the team, he's easy to spot. But the other two, Teddy and Brandon look kind of similar. They both have the typical hockey guy mullet, the difference is one of them has more sandy-colored hair, and the other a darker brown. Which one is which though?

     I'm apparently not subtle at all in trying to figure out which one he is because he almost immediately says, "I'm Teddy by the way, I don't think West ever actually introduced us."

     "Nice to meet you," I say with a sort of awkward relief, "I'm Cassie."

     "I know," he replies, "So West had to go take care of something. It shouldn't take long though, he asked me to make sure you were okay while he was gone."

     "He asked you to babysit," I ask, somewhat appalled, but also not surprised considering I was a blubbering mess when he left.

     "He didn't say babysit, but yeah basically."

     "What was so important that he had to leave," I ask.

     "One of the sophomores on the team got pulled over, had a bunch of alcohol in the car, and got taken in. Decided our Captain was his one phone call."