The Pain of Separation (On Hold)

Chapter 2

Cassie gripped the steering wheel hard, staring straight ahead and focussing entirely on what she was doing. Her mum sat in the passenger's seat, watching her every move. Cassie hated it when she did that. It made her nervous and it was harder to focus. She slowed down at the red light. And watched as it flashed green for those turned left. Not her. She was going straight ahead.

Cassie had insisted on driving. She needed the hours and she wasn't keen to get her P's. Brad had complained, saying that she would crash them, but Cassie wasn't letting anyone get in her way. She jumped in the driver's seat and gave her cousin no choice but to get in the back. He was now grumbling at her from his place and being shushed by her mum.

The light turned green and Cassie continued. She turned off the highway and into the shopping centre, raking the parking lot for a spot. As she drove along the isles, she didn't see a man backing out of a spot and she almost ran into him. The guy honked his horn loudly, rolling down the window. “Watch where you're going!”

“Sorry!” Cassie called. Brad was shaking with laughter and even her mum was grinning. “Shut up you two,” she growled, which just set Brad off even more.

She quickly found a parking spot and they all jumped out. Cassie grinned slyly at her mum, “So, shopping first?”

“Noooooo!” screamed Brad, his face turning desperate. Cassie laughed evilly and turned toward the entrance. Payback time.

Several purchases and many shops later, the girls finally agreed Brad's pleas for a break. They headed to a coffee shop and order drinks and muffins. When the food came, they all ate in silence for a few minutes. Cassie stuck her hands together and moved her pinkies. “Awkward turtle.” Brad snorted and Cassie's mum rolled her eyes and turned to Brad.

“So Brad, what do you like to do?”

Brad looked up from stuffing his mouth with muffin and stared at her for a moment. Then he swallowed, glanced at Cassie desperately and cleared his throat. “Er...”

Cassie sat back in her chair with a smug look on her face. This would be interesting.

“I like to watch TV?”

“What else?”

“Um, I don't know, hang out?”

Nancy sighed a big, frustrated, why-do-I-even-bother sigh, “What I'm asking Brad, is what you would like to do while you're here.”

Brad shrugged, “I don't know. What do you usually do here?”

“Well, school for Cassie of course and work for me,” she said, “but on weekends, we might go to a movie, or shop, or Cassie might go out with her friends, or we might just stay home. But sometimes we go to the pool or the a school fete. I want to know if you like doing those things.”

“I guess so”

Cassie rolled her eyes and took a nibble of her muffin. Brad wasn't making this easy for her mum and that annoyed her. After, all her mum did for him, letting him come stay, and offering to take him places, he wasn't being very helpful.

Suddenly, a phone went off and Nancy excused herself and walk out into the shopping centre, her phone pressed against her ear.

Cassie and Brad sat and drank their coffee for a minute before Brad spoke up.

“Where is your dad anyway?'

Cassie looked up at him and stared blankly. She wasn't ready answer that question yet. Not to him. She scrambled for something believable.

“He's away on business for his work.” She felt bad for lying to him and she wondered if he could tell. But he just nodded and looked back down at his lap. Then he looked up again.

“Isn't it funny how we've never met each others dads and yet they're brothers?” Cassie smiled, but then frowned when she saw the look on his face. He sighed.

“Well, werebrothers.”

“What do you mean, were brothers?”

He looked away for a moment, “My dad's dead. Cancer.”

She felt even worse now, knowing her cousin's secret and not telling him hers. She put her hand out and lay it over his on the table, giving to it a little squeeze. “I'm sorry. I can't believe I didn't know.”

He gave a bark of laughter, but it was bitter and mirrored pain. The same pain she felt. The same pain she released when she was on her own in the bathroom, crying for her daddy. At least hers wasn't dead.

“That's why I'm here. My mum wanted me to get away for a while. Well, that's what she said. I think she just wants to get rid of me.”

Cassie nodded sympathetically, trying to take it all in. She had never had a family member die. She couldn't imagine what it must be like. It was probably her pain, doubled.

That's when Nancy re-entered the shop and Cassie pulled her hand quickly off Brad's and put it back in her lap. She looked up and her mother and saw urgency in her face.

“I have to go into the office. Something's come up. I'll drop you guys off at home on the way. Sorry to break up the party.”

“It's ok,” Cassie replied, “I have homework.”

“And I have sleep.” Brad added and earned a dirty look from Cassie.

Before they knew it they were in the car and heading home. Nancy dropped then at the bottom of the driveway and sped off. They trudged up the driveway and into the house where Brad headed upstairs to “catch a few Z's” and Cassie grabbed her books and laptop to work on an English assignment.

She camped herself on the couch, but found that she couldn’t focus on her work. She kept thinking about holding Brad's hand. Why did she do that? He was jerk and stuck up. She settled on the answer that she felt sorry for him and guilty for not telling him the truth about her dad.

But deep down she knew that wasn't the only reason.

***

Hey everyone,

Now i bet your wondering what the deal is with Cassie's dad? MUWHAHAHA!!

Yeah... same as with ch. 1. spelling and grammar mistakes please!

FlyingLaama