Boyfriend Points

Zack

And you're spending all your time
In this wrong situation
And anytime you want it to stop
I know I can treat you better than he can
~Treat you Better, Shawn Mendes

I woke up immediately feeling like playing hooky and skipping school today.

Pretending to go and then circling back when my mum left for work wouldn't be too hard. Neither would telling her I was sick.

For a nurse, my mother chose to believe a lot of my health fibs. I knew it had started mostly after dad died.

It's hard to take up two roles in a home and I knew she always beat herself up for feeling like she wasn't doing her best.

I remembered my argument with Maya and then Cindy.

I could go the whole day without talking to Cindy but I knew I owed Maya an apology in the least for how I had talked to her.

I got up and hit the shower.

It's while I was in there that I heard my mum call out to me.

"Zack! Your friend from school is here!"

I furrowed my brows wondering if she meant Dean or Fred. But that was highly unlikely seeing as to how they lived on the other side of town and I was usually their ride.

"What friend?" I called back.

There was a pause.

"She says her name's Cassie!"

I wanted to roll my eyes into the back of my head.

What the hell was Cassandra Fitzgerald doing in my house?

She let out a huff holding in all the curses that wanted to escape.

"Be right down, ma!"

I dried myself off and headed to my room to get dressed before heading downstairs.

Cassie was seated pin straight on the stool by the small kitchen island listening to my mother talk about Lionel Richie as she sipped on something in a mug.

"Oh, I love his whole discovery. My mother still plays Can't Slow Down every Christmas and I am obsessed." she spoke.

"That's the best one!" My mother spoke in excitement. "A lot of people think it's Dancing on the Ceiling but Can't Slow Down is a classic."

"Timeless." Cassie spoke in agreement.

I felt all kinds of disturbed at the idea of our school Queen Bee and resident mean girl charming my mother.

I cleared my throat as I stepped in.

"Oh there he is." My mum spoke.

Cassie turned and gave me a friendly smile.

Fake. Obviously fake.

When did she greet me with anything other than a scowl.

"Uhm, morning mum." I spoke as I walked around the island grabbing a mug from the cupboard.

My eyes lingered on Cassie in suspicion.

"Zack, don't be rude. Say hi to your friend."

Friend was a strong word.

I fixed her with a stern look.

"Cassandra."

"Zachary." She spoke sweetly.

My mother, ever being the intuitive lady seemed to pick up on the tension.

She looked at me, a question in her eyes.