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IN THE PARKING lot neighboring the high school, Cassie began to laugh with Jessica Davis. She was pretty sure Jessica was drunk, but Cassie didn't want to end the first good conversation they were having, even if it was barely a conversation.
"So I handed her a stick of gum, and was like 'here for some encourage-mint," Jessica laughed profusely.
Cassie only laughed along with her, because, yes, it was funny, but also the way Jessica said it in the alcohol phase she was in this morning. She worried about her, but she knew Jessica was smart enough to realize alcohol wasn't the way to go. Yet another friend she used to be close with, she found in the distance. Spotting his bleached blonde hair and navy blue cardigan, Alex was seen walking in a slow fashioned pace. His face read no emotion, and he was carrying his backpack with the one strap on his shoulder like he couldn't care less.
"I'll catch up with you later, Jess," Cassie told her and when she caught up with Alex, she started to walk beside him, "hey stranger."
Alex turned his head a little towards her and then began facing forward like he had been doing before. It didn't confuse Cassie much, because she knew she had separated from most of her friends recently, including Alex. Their after school picnic table meet-ups— gone, their homework copying for calculus— gone.
"I'm sorry I haven't been paying attention to you lately, I—"
"Been caught up with the tapes? You're not the only one who got the tapes, Cassie. Those tapes are affecting everyone whose listened to them, not just you," Alex replied harshly, and suddenly stopped walking, "just because you might be hurting doesn't mean the others around you aren't hurting. I needed someone— and I still do, but you've failed to see that."
Before Cassie could respond, the rim of a jeep almost ran into the two of them. Alex was already in a bad mood, someone almost running into him was only going to make things worse. It had seemed he was getting easily irritated this morning.
"The fuck! People are trying to walk here!" Alex shouted angrily.
The two people in the front only laughed like schoolgirls. Cassie glared at Montgomery De La Cruz, and more surprisingly shot the same glance towards Justin. They were acting childish, and now that she knew Alex was going through something, she didn't think they should mess around with him. Regardless what state or mood he was in, they shouldn't mess with him at all.
Alex dropped his backpack to the side, "the fuck is your problem?" He asked as he approached Montgomery's side of the vehicle.
"Dude, Alex, chill. It's all good," Montgomery replied, smirking.
"Oh, it's all good?" Alex repeated in a mocking tone.
Cassie drifted over next to Alex, and lightly pushed him away from the jeep, "why don't we calm down? Alex, let's go to homeroom."
"No, someone needs to teach him a lesson, Cassie," Alex commented, and stepped forward, "you think you can run people over like everyone else at this fucking school?"
"Get your boyfriend away from my car," chastised Montgomery as he exchanged a look with Cassie. She could tell he was getting annoyed.
Justin stopped laughing, and waited for Cassie to deny it. When she didn't, he began looking annoyed just as the guy in the seat next to him.
"I'll get away from your car if I want. You don't control the people at this school," Alex continued, his anger rising.
"You're tripping, man," Montgomery said as he was about to keep driving.
"Get out of the car," Alex finally said after seconds of silence.
"What?" Cassie and Montgomery questioned in sync.
What did Alex think he was going to do? If Montgomery stepped out of the car, it was like he was accepting an invitation to get punched, but although Cassie didn't know the post-tapes Alex, she didn't think he would fight him.
When Montgomery dropped the smirk, and gave him a questioning look, Alex only became more furious, "get out of the car! I'm gonna kick your fucking ass! Get out! Get out!"
As the two who previously occupied the seats of the Jeep got out, Justin decided to finally put his two cents in, "Alex, calm the fuck down."
"You calm down! I am calm!" Alex screamed, the anger bubbling inside him like a volcano, "man, I'm so fucking calm!"
Cassie walked the small amount towards Alex, "you're not calm, let's take this somewhere else before you start a fist fight."
"He wouldn't," Montgomery added briskly.
Defeating his claim, Alex shoved Montgomery into the front of his jeep to his surprise. When he recovered, he spun around and swung his fist into Alex's mouth sending him onto his knees. Touching the blood in the corner of his mouth, Alex glanced carelessly at it.
"Alex, you're better than this—"
"Stay out of this, Cassie," Montgomery snapped.
Out of focus, he didn't notice Alex charging towards him. On the cement they began to roll around, each of them taking turns being on the ground. It was when Montgomery had Alex in a chokehold when Cassie couldn't watch anymore. A set of arms pulled her away, and helped her exit the crowd. There was nothing she could do to stop Montgomery, and Justin didn't care either.
Zach shook his head, "he can take care of himself though."
"I know he can, but—"
"You can check up on him later, when the school finds out, they'll break up the fight," he replied knowingly.
Pulling her into his side, Zach accompanied Cassie to homeroom. The walk was filled with silence, and the realization that hit Cassie: she was oblivious to those around her, especially the ones who she used to be the closest with. How would she even start to gain their trust back? It was a question that didn't make her feel at ease, and although she thought things with Justin had been going right last night, he was nowhere in sight.
