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THE SOUND of an alarm blaring echoed through cassie’s room, piercing the early morning silence. she stirred in bed, her body sinking deeper into the dark red silk sheets, as if trying to escape the intrusive noise. her hand brushed across the luxurious fabric, fingers tracing its smoothness, but even the comforting embrace of the sheets couldn’t drown out the persistent ringing from her phone.
it wasn’t until her mother’s voice called out her name from downstairs that cassie let out a groan, finally opening her eyes. she stretched languidly, her arm extending behind her to silence the alarm with a practiced swipe. her gaze drifted to her phone screen, scanning over the notifications. there was only one that caught her attention—a text from missy, a classmate. it was a simple question, asking if cassie would be at school for the first day back. with a slight sigh, cassie sent a thumbs-up emoji in reply before turning off her phone and setting it back on the bedside table.
after mustering the willpower to leave the warmth of her bed, cassie headed for a quick shower. the water cascaded down, washing away the remnants of sleep. she made sure to shampoo her hair, the fragrant lather filling the small bathroom. though summer was ending, the australian heat still lingered, and cassie had no intention of letting the weather get the better of her. she stepped out of the shower feeling refreshed, the cool air hitting her damp skin as she wrapped herself in a towel.
with her hair finally dry, cassie stood before her wardrobe, her eyes lazily scanning through the rows of clothes. she bit her bottom lip in thought, weighing her options before settling on an outfit that matched her mood—a black pleated skirt paired with an off-the-shoulder plain black shirt. the dark tones of the fabric contrasted against her pale skin, a look she was all too familiar with. after getting dressed, she grabbed her essentials—her bag, cigarettes, and phone—and laced up her black platform boots. she let her hair fall naturally, deciding that she had already spent enough time perfecting her makeup. a sharp black cat-eye, eyeliner smudged in her waterline, voluminous lashes, and a dark nude lipstick completed her look. even though she didn’t socialize much at school, cassie still took pride in her appearance.
"okay, mum! i’m off!" cassie called out, her voice carrying through the house as she stood by the open front door. she waited for her mother’s response before smiling faintly and stepping outside. as expected, a group of three guys were already making their way down her street. "excuse me," she mumbled as she slid past them, keeping her head down. she knew their names—spider, ant, and dusty. they were well-known at hartlee high, often considered the heartthrobs of the school. cassie made it a point to steer clear of them, except for the occasional party where she would linger on the outskirts, avoiding too much interaction.
as she walked past them, she could hear the low murmur of their voices. "what’s her name again? cassidy? cassandra?" one of them asked, confusion evident in his tone. "no, no, i think it’s casia..." another replied, just as uncertain.
