when i turned 18

Medium Rare {Chapter 4}

Saturday morning, July 27th.

I woke up feeling refreshed, eager to invite Cassidy out to dinner. The memory of our sunset moment lingered in my mind; she looked stunning. It felt reminiscent of middle school days, obsessing over any girl who showed me attention.

Heading to the shower, I made sure to clean up thoroughly, you catch my drift. I washed my hair and body meticulously, aiming to smell fresh and look sharp.

This girl even got me starting a skincare routine. Moisturizer, creams, lotions—you name it! She has me absolutely down bad.

After cleaning up, I decided to spray on my favorite cologne, Versace Blue Jeans. Finally, I mustered up the courage to text her, "Hey, Cassidy. Do you wanna get dinner tn?"

I closed my phone and immediately went to make coffee and toast to distract myself, feeling anxious awaiting her reply.

As I was buttering my toast, I heard three dings in a row.
"hii andrew! i'd love to :)"
''youre paying tho"
"since u invited me, duh"

I was so happy. I was excited to dive into a possible new relationship. I was already crazy about this girl, and I couldn't truly grasp why.

As I was eating my breakfast, Camila came angrily downstairs. I chose to ignore her, because when is she not fucking angry?

Entering the kitchen, she poured herself coffee, shooting me a hostile glance for no apparent reason. Nevertheless, I refused to let her sour mood ruin my day. "Good morning to you too, Camila."

Taking a big sip of her coffee, I noticed her red, puffy eyes, indicating she had been crying. Catching my stare, she snapped, "Fuck off, Andrew."

I begin, apologizing, "Hey, I didn't mean t-"

Interrupting, she slammed her coffee mug onto the counter, her tone sharp, "Look, Andrew. Just because you've moved on from dad's death doesn't mean I HAVE. Not everyone can just dive into something or someone to forget everything."

Filled with frustration, I retorted, "You have no fucking right. I've mourned him, and I still do."

She glared at me with resentment before storming off in anger.

I sighed, thinking to myself, "It's always something with her." Nonetheless, I refused to let her negativity ruin my day.

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The date.

I picked up Cassidy at 7:00 PM from her apartment. While waiting, I replaced my car freshener and made sure everything looked clean for her arrival.

Wanting everything to be perfect for her, I took a deep breath and texted her to let her know I was here. She replied, saying she'd be down shortly.

During the wait, I sprayed a little more cologne and used hand sanitizer. The butterflies I felt for Cassidy were remarkable.

As Cassidy approached my car, she wore a light blue long-sleeved top, ruffled at the top, revealing a hint of cleavage. Paired with a black skirt of moderate length and black platform boots, she looked absolutely gorgeous. Her hair was braided into a bun, complemented by red lipstick. Meeting her halfway outside, I walked her to my car and even opened the door for her.

Once Cassidy was seated, I immediately noticed her scent— coconut and vanilla. Her skin looked clear and soft, making me want to kiss her right then and there. I held back.

As we both buckled our seatbelts, I pulled out of the driveway.

Cassidy smiles while staring at me, "Wow, Andrew! You clean up nice."