The Smile Always Fades

6. Model In the Making

With every day that passed, Anna began fretting over Cassy more and more. She figured she would have heard about what happened from someone at school, but it was almost like no one knew or cared. Anna tried several times calling Cassy's phone, she even tried reaching Cassy's parents and her little sister, but no one seemed to be answering their phones. That detail in itself made Anna think of the worst possible situation that Cassy could have been in. Anna was so afraid of the truth, but she knew she'd never be happy unless the truth was revealed. "It's the truth that sets you free," her mom always said when she knew Anna or Jason had been lying about something, but Anna couldn't help but think that the truth hadn't set Cassy free when she found it; it had trapped her in.

If only I knew what happened, Anna thought to herself. Then maybe I could stop being so morbid and dramatic. She rolled over in her bed and hugged her stuffed lion close to her chest.

"Jason, this is my friend, Cassy, from school!"

"Hi," he mumbled.

"That's my brother, Jason," Anna clarified. "He's a junior at our school."

Anna could practically see the swoon in Cassy's eyes. "Oh, my god, Anna! I had no idea Jason Henry was your brother," she gawked. "I saw him the first day of school and practically fainted from his hotness!"

Anna rolled her eyes while Cassy giggled, and let a carefree smile play across her face. She knew that her older brother was a chick magnet and that a lot of girls at school drooled over him, but she also knew that if any of those girls knew him like Anna did, they'd turn the other direction and run for the hills.

"Do I look okay?!" Cassy fiddled with the bottom of her shirt and patted her hair down, letting her fingers sleek through the shiny ends. "I'm not usually like this but, I don't want to look like a caveman in front of him."

"You look fine." Anna laughed at how flustered her new friend was getting, being under the same roof as her obnoxious big brother and all. "My room is this way," Anna motioned to the end of the hall and led Cassy down to the room where she had spent her whole life living.

Anna woke up Saturday morning in a cold sweat. She had dreamt that she was in New York visiting Cassy. They were walking down to the 7-Eleven near the Steven's new condo. Suddenly a dirty, drunk thug jumped out from an alley. His face and clothes were covered in dirt and in his hand was a silver pistol. "Give me your money," he'd screamed at them.

Both of the girls froze from shear terror. "NOW," he bellowed. Cassy and Anna both reached into their pockets, they hadn't brought their purses with them.

"Don't do this," Cassy tried to reason with him. "We'll give you our money, just please put the gun down."

The man's hands started shaking. "Just be good little girls..." he cocked the gun. The sickening sound made Anna's stomach flip-flop and she felt like she needed to hurl. "...and give me your money," the man growled.

Anna turned to her right, holding her stomach and bending in half to vomit. "Don't move a muscle," he slurred while screaming in panic. "I'll kill you, I swear I will. Don't even think of taking out your phones."

"Please," Cassy pleaded. "Don't do this. We can work something out." Cassy took one step forward, Anna didn't know why, maybe to get closer to the man to show him she was friendly, but the moment she moved, the drunkard pulled the trigger. It was the sound of the pistol firing and Anna's screams for her friend that jolted her from her nightmare. She must have actually screamed out loud, because within seconds of her waking from the dream Jason was pushing through her doorway and asking if she was alright.