In the Melancholy Moonlight, Part 5: Dark Matter

Chapter 264: Love Will Be Around (August 1972)

CASS:

"I'm heading to Leah's house!" I called.

"Wait, I want to come!" Bradley piped up, running out of his room. "Can I, Mom, can I?"

"You know it's not polite to invite yourself, Bradley," Mom replied without looking up from the dishes she was washing, "but if Mrs. Vessey says it's okay, then yes. You'll ask, won't you, Cassidy?"

"Of course," I said, her use of my full first name getting under my skin yet again. At school, I was Cass, just Cass, but at home, I was Cassidy, once-perfect daughter who'd gone and ruined it all by being magic. Not that anyone other than my parents and my maternal grandparents knew I was magic — my parents had forbidden me from telling anyone else, and my grandparents knew better than to say anything for fear of my parents automatically blaming me if anyone else found out — but everyone knew I must have done something awful to warrant my parents sending me off to a boarding school in Scotland for ten months of the year. "I'm sure Jeremiah would love to play with you, Bradley, if he's back from summer camp."

"He should be! It's the first of August! Which means my birthday is tomorrow!" Bradley exclaimed.

I grinned at him. "Yeah, it is. I can't believe you're finally hitting double digits, baby brother."

"I'm turning eleven, thank you very much!" Bradley said, sticking his tongue out at me.

I pretended to wipe a tear from my eye. "They grow up so fast."

"Stop teasing him and go already!" Mom snapped.

"I'll be back," I said hurriedly, shooting an apologetic look at Bradley, who I could tell hadn't minded the teasing.

With that, I ducked out the front door, embarrassment and irritation making my face burn even hotter than the 120° Southern California summer afternoon heat.

We'd always teased each other, before. Bradley was my best friend, and we teased each other constantly, always knowing when to stop before we hurt each other's feelings. We'd gotten along swimmingly, and when I got back from school, the two of us carried on as if I'd never really left. I had been so worried that I would come back to find that my magic had divided us and taken my best friend from me, but it was Mom and Dad who kept trying to drive a wedge between us. Whereas in the past they'd enjoyed it when we teased each other and encouraged us to banter, every time I tried to tease Bradley, even though it was always light-hearted and never contained any ill will towards him, I was told to stop. Bradley was allowed to tease me all he wanted, but the second I fought back, I got in trouble. I didn't hold it against Bradley, and he didn't hold it against me, but I'd started walking on eggshells around him whenever Mom in particular was around, just in case.

Leah and Jeremiah lived just around the corner, so I made my way to their house in just a couple of minutes. Sure enough, Jeremiah was back from summer camp and eager to see Bradley. I hurried back home to pick him up, then the two of us set out once again to the Vesseys' house.

"I didn't hurt your feelings, did I?" I asked immediately.

Bradley shook his head. "No, not at all. Mom was just being Mom."

"I'm sorry she's been so strange since I got back," I said. "Dad too."

"It's not your fault. They didn't miss you much, but..."

"Careful," I teased. "I think you almost said you missed me."

"Not at all," he replied in a tone that suggested that he had, in fact, missed me very much.

I elbowed him lightly. "I missed you too. I didn't miss listening to you squawk away on saxophone, though, I think my ears are still bleeding from listening to you practice this morning."