Messed Up

10 - Cassandra

By the time the cab had pulled up outside my apartment, daylight was breaking through the clouds. Cassandra followed me as I trundled over to my front door and shoved the rusty key in the lock. My entire apartment radiated a sort of sordid negligence, causing it to be a natural deterrent for cold callers and postmen. The old paint was peeling from the exterior walls, and there was even a bullet hole or two on the door. Not that I cared, obviously.

I shoved open the door, reveling in the inviting smell of cigarette smoke that seemed to constantly linger no matter how long I stayed away.

"So this is your place, huh?" Cassandra spoke up, her southern drawl carrying across the space between us.

I climbed up the wooden stairs to the room I spent the majority of my time in, picking up a fresh packet of cigarettes from my coffee table and lighting one up. Cassandra followed.

Her freaky eyes widened as she entered the room, she gazed at my old armchair, at my record player, at my impressive vinyl collection, and at my outdated TV. To my surprise, her staring wasn't followed up by a snarky comment, instead, she actually stayed silent.

I took my cigarette from between my teeth. "What?" I asked her, getting irritated with the silence.

Cassandra's eyes locked with mine.

"Your house is gross" she replied blankly.

My jaw tightened. "How is it gross?"

"There are cardboard boxes everywhere!" she sighed. "And cigarette ends all over the carpet. Do you have a vacuum cleaner?"

"What are you, my mom?" I replied through gritted teeth.

"It's no wonder you don't have a girlfriend" Cassandra smirked.

"If I wanted a girlfriend, I'd have one"

"Yeah, yeah" the blonde girl sighed. She made her way over to one of the sofas in the room and collapsed onto it, stretching and yawning before closing her eyes.

"Hey" I scowled. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Cassandra opened one eye. "I'm tired"

"I just saved your damn life, brat. I think you owe me some answers"

The freaky girl just responded to my request by closing her eye and sighing.

"That can wait till tomorrow" she yawned.

I decided not to pester her any further, besides, if she was sleeping it meant she couldn't annoy me any longer.

After a few minutes, Cassandra's breathing grew heavier and I knew she was asleep. I felt slightly uncomfortable for a while because she was sleeping and I wasn't tired in the slightest, but then I remembered it was my apartment and I could do whatever the fuck I wanted. I didn't owe her anything, why should I care if I woke her up?

I walked over to my record player and picked out a vinyl at random, collapsing into my armchair as 'Sleep on the floor' began to play. I pulled a cigarette from the packet and placed it between my teeth before lighting it up.

I sat there for a while, smoking, staring, losing track of time. I watched Cassandra as she slept soundly.

Her curly hair fell over her face slightly, her cocky smile and annoying attitude was nowhere to be found and all that remained was the shell of a pretty, innocent girl. Her lips were slightly dry, and her eyelashes fluttered every once in a while. A slight smile crept up onto my lips as I watched her, and I wondered what possibly could have happened to make her so messed up. I guess me and her were more alike than I thought we were.