CASSIE'S POV
"We're here," Hazel said as she stopped the car outside my home. "Thank you, Hazel," I smiled, wanting to recreate our kiss from last time. I looked at her once before getting out of the car. "Bye," I said, but she left quickly without saying goodbye.
I rang the doorbell, and the door flung open. "Cassie!" my mom pulled me into a tight hug. "Where were you all night? You got us so worried!" she scolded, holding me even tighter. "I told you we went to a fair," I lied to my parents since they would never say yes to a party.
"Are you sure?" my mom pulled away, eyeing me suspiciously. "Uh," I hesitated before replying, "CAS!" Jessie came running from the stairs and hugged me. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I left you alone last night," she apologized. "No, Jessie, it's okay. I'm okay!" I reassured her. "Where were you? Why wouldn't you answer our calls?" my mom asked.
"Uh, I was at a friend's place," I replied, trying to keep it vague. "Whose?" Jessie asked, confused, expecting me to say Millie. "Um, a classmate, you know," I answered, rubbing the back of my neck. "Cassie, where did you go after the party?" my mom asked, her voice now stern. Wait, did she just say party? I looked at Jessie, who nodded.
"I was worried, I had to, I'm sorry," she said, looking at her feet. "Secondly, who even dresses like that for a fair?" my mom scolded, eyeing me. "Mom, I'm sorry. I really wanted to go—" "You're grounded," she declared, interrupting me, "for a week."
"Mom, listen, no, I was at Hazel's place—" "Two weeks." "What the hell, I'm sorry! Don't do this!" I protested, looking at my furious mom. "Okay, that's what you want, Cassie. Three weeks, no friends, no devices. You go to school; well, I drop you off and pick you up from now on." "What? No—" "Do you want this for a month?" she asked. I stomped my feet and ran towards my bedroom. "What did I do to get grounded for three freaking weeks?"
Sitting on my bed, attempting to tackle trigonometry, I reached a point of frustration. "Argh, screw this," I muttered, tossing a crumpled ball of paper across my room. It felt like a hopeless situation. I collapsed onto my bed, covering my face with my palms, and let out a defeated sigh.
Seeking solace, I walked over to my window and gazed at the sky. It looked remarkably beautiful, and a thought crossed my mind—I wondered if she was looking out her window too. Feeling a sudden need for a change of pace, I rushed to my closet, fumbling through the contents. It took a while, but I finally located a pack of cigarettes and a lighter.
A small smile formed on my face as I retrieved them. I walked back to the window, and with a certain familiarity, I slipped out of my room and onto the roof. I had done this many times before. As for smoking, well, sometimes it provided a momentary escape.
Smoking was never something I was fond of until Joshua had suggested I give it a try. Surprisingly, it did feel different, but it wasn't something I engaged in regularly. Tonight, I found myself on the roof, gazing at the stars as I took a drag.
"I really do love her," I mused aloud, the words lingering in the night air. Staring at the vast expanse above, There's something so different about her—something comforting, something irresistibly attractive. It's a feeling that might just anchor me, preventing me from ever moving on. I genuinely love her, I thought my gaze drifting down to my feet as I felt the depth of my emotions.
"Cass, you were at Hazel's place?" Millie questioned, her voice filled with curiosity. "She was," Jessie added. My mind was elsewhere until Millie waved her hand in front of my face, bringing me back to reality. "Are you there?" she asked. "Yeah, yeah, I was at Hazel's place. I was a bit drunk," I replied.
"You were drunk?" Millie asked in disbelief. "I know, I didn't want to," I explained. "Then why would you?" Jessie inquired. "You were all alone, Cassie, and drunk. Thank God Hazel found you in that crowd," she added. I nodded in agreement. "It was weird," I continued.
"What was weird?" both my friends asked simultaneously. "Everything. First, she kisses every inch of me in the bathroom, and then she goes around dancing with some girl," I shared as we walked towards our next class. "What?" Millie asked, trying to process what I had just said. "WHAT THE FUCK?" Jessie exclaimed. "what?" Millie asked, and all I could do was nod.
"She can't just do that to you," Millie whispered, her voice tinged with concern. I could feel her eyes searching mine for any sign of distress. "I know, Millie. It's just... confusing," I replied softly, my thoughts swirling in a tumult of emotions. "But why would she?" Jessie interjected, her brows furrowed in disbelief. "I wish I knew," I sighed, feeling a weight settle in the pit of my stomach. "We'll figure it out, Cass," Millie assured me, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Yeah dont stress out about this" Jessie added.
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heyyyyyyyyy ;) its been loooong<3
