This is Me Trying ⭑ Rafe Cameron

twenty eight

TWENTY EIGHT
[28]
song: why didn't you stop me? by mitski

Cassie sat in the waiting room of the sheriff's department for a long time. She was told their boat would dock around six in the morning, but it wasn't until eight that she got to see them.

It'd been weird to be separated from them for so long, especially after they were all she had on that island. When they weren't right next to her, for a laugh, or for advice, she felt like she'd lost a large part of herself. Even only for a couple days.

Tapping her foot, and pulling at the seams of her cream knit sweater, she wondered how long it'd been since they'd had a meal, if they were fed on the boat ride over, and if she'd have time to make them all some sort of much needed comfort food.

She prayed that in all of the questions Shoupe asked them, that their answers lined up with hers. She prayed her brother didn't go into his usual unnecessary long tangents, where he gave up more information than necessary, and got himself caught in a lie. She prayed that nothing got led back to Singh, or back to her, or Rafe.

And then she heard her brother's voice, continuously arguing with Shoupe on why he didn't need to see a psychologist, and if he was forced to, if he was expected to pay for it. 

Cassie stood quickly, peaking her head around to see what was going on in the back, until the door opened, and JJ continued his argument.

"That's a valid question, right?" JJ prods. "Pope back me up here, if you're making me go—"

"No, the city will cover that, and I'm not making you, it's just a suggestion." Shoupe says, holding the door open, more than happy to get these kids out of his station.

"So, the city covers that, but they didn't cover my broken arm that I got after my bike dipped into a pothole on your road?" JJ continued, clueless to the fact that Cassie was in the waiting room.

Shoupe lets out a deep sigh, waiting for JJ to wrap it up before he gestured over to his sister.

"And it's still not filled, by the way—" JJ slowly turned to face whatever it was Shoupe was waiting for him to acknowledge, and it finally shut him up. "Oh my god." JJ got out, as he practically collapsed towards his sister.

Cassie's laugh came out as more as a sob, as he about knocked her over with the hug. She held onto him for a long while, staining the old t-shirt he wore with her tears.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Pope, Sarah, Kiara, and Cleo, and they came in next.

It felt like the first time any of them felt any relief. Like it was the first time Cassie felt she survived the island since being in Kildare.

"You guys smell so bad." Cassie laughs, wiping her tears and runny nose, pulling away from the hugs.

"Not all of us got the one day head-start on the showers." Kiara says, then pulls Cassie in for a hug of her own. "Where did they take you?" Kiara pulled away slightly, and spoke in a hushed voice.

The shift in tone hit harder than Kiara expected, but it was a question everyone seemed eager to get answers to. Answers Cassie couldn't really give them.

She inhales sharply, "I'll tell you everything later." She says, then nods, looks around and does a head count. "Where's John B?"