DAMAGED

chapter8 ☪

•••
Kassie's POV

Everyone was either dancing or drinking. I began thinking about my decision to come here, and how it had somehow been influenced by jealousy. I admit it. I got jealous.
I decided to leave after saying hi to my friends, but I had a feeling that with the huge crowd, I'd spend the whole night looking around for them.
I examined my surroundings. The floor was already dirty with empty cups, spilled drinks, and food. There were neon balloons placed at every corner. The loud music seemed to get my heart beating along.
"Cromwell," I heard Zack say from behind me. I turned around slowly, trying to avoid the flashback that consisted of Zack kissing another girl.
"Ashford," I replied, rolling my eyes in annoyance. He seemed to be blind to this gesture, because he kept talking as if nothing had happened.
"You look...Different. I'm guessing you outgrew the long-sleeves?" He scanned me from head to toe. I crossed my arms. "I can wear what I want to wear."
He laughed. "I'm not saying anything, it's just...Damn."
I exhaled sharply, looking at the ground.
"Want something to drink?" He asked before adding, "Oh, wait. Nevermind. You're too good to be drinking."
I frowned at him. "I can be bad," I said.
He burst out laughing. "Right. Nice to see you around, Kassie."
I gulped as he left. He's still the same guy he was when he cheated. I walked past the food table and to the cooler that stored the drinks. I opened the top, looking at the bottles of beer.
Maybe one isn't - Wait. No. I'm not even old enough.
"Kassie Marie," My friend Phineas said casually while eating some spicy chips. I smiled at him before looking hesitantly at the cooler once more.
"The water's being kept in the other cooler, ya know." He pointed at the cooler on the other side. "I know." I muttered under my breath.
"Oh. You-You're actually going to-" He stammered.
"Why doesn't anyone believe I can drink if I want to?" I snapped.
He looked at me with a perplexed expression.
I scoffed and took out a small bottle.
After I carefully opened it, I took a tiny sip. The taste was very bittersweet, and it stung my throat with its burning, yet soothing effect.
I ignored Phineas' bewildered looks as I took a much bigger gulp. "Kassie, don't overdo it." He warned.
I glared at him. "What, you think I can't take it?"
His eyes widened as I drank the whole thing nonstop, trying not to throw up. I wiped my mouth with my arm just as Zack came up to me. "Maybe I was wrong," he said, crossing his arms. "Maybe you can be a badass."
"I can if I want to, but I'm not going to." I replied, holding on to the table as casually as possible so nobody would notice my dizziness.
"Just think about that, Kay." He chuckled, using his old nickname for me.
I sighed as he grabbed a drink from the cooler and left.
"Kassie, are you sure you're okay?" Phineas asked.
"Never better," I lied.
"Really?" He looked at me unbelievingly.
"Yeah. Why?" I giggled uncomfortably.
"Your death grip is killing the table." He laughed, and I let go of the table immediately, taking a deep breath. "I'm fine," I breathed.
"Okay." He smiled at me before leaving. I pressed my palm to my forehead, trying to calm the headache I had.
I went out to the backyard, ignoring the salty taste in my mouth. I said hi to some girls before sneaking into a corner and throwing up all the bad stuff out of my system.
"She's not yours to mess with." Wolfie's voice echoed somewhere in the distance.
"She isn't yours either," Zack retorted.
My head was spinning, but I managed to listen.
"Don't you see the problems she's had to deal with? You can't just burst in and add to her list." Wolfie growled.
I got the feeling that her list of problems was actually mine.
"I can if I want to. Why do you care anyways? You're always screwing different girls, so I doubt it matters." Zack grumbled.
Wolfie sighed.
"I care because she's my angel."

~~~

"Oh, poor sweetie! Are you alright? First time drinking?" A light blonde-haired girl asked me, helping me let go of the fence I'd been holding on to for support. "I'll ask Beatrice if she has a spare room for you."
I nodded drowsily as the girl called Beatrice.
"I'm Alexandra, by the way. Feel free to call me Alex." She introduced herself kindly.
"Kassie," I slurred, "My name's Kassie."
Beatrice came over to us and looked at me. "What happened?"
Alex began talking to her and explaining the situation while I looked at the people that were diving into the lit-up pool.
Beatrice seemed to understand my dilemma and helped Alex take me inside and upstairs.
"Look, this room isn't being used." Beatrice pointed out before opening the door. I thanked both of them for helping me and tried to curl up on the flimsy mattress once they'd left, but it was no use. The room was freezing, and I'd forgotten to bring my sweater.
I was finally slipping halfway into unconsciousness when I heard the door open and slam shut. "What?" I groaned, opening my eyes.
"I don't believe it. Kassie Cromwell ended up in a bed before I did at a party." Wolfie spoke jokingly while faking a shocked expression, making me throw my pillow at him. "Go away. You woke me up."
"That's nice." He said, not really caring.
I sat up, making me feel lightheaded. "What do you want? Recommendations on which girl to do, or directions to the nearest available room?"
"I'm fine with this girl and this room, actually, but thank you very much for the kind offer." He sat down on the bed next to me, and I swear I saw his eyes drift off to my lips for a second before looking back at me.
"I thought I had to stay away from you." I whispered.
"I said you had to stay away from me, but I never said I had to stay away from you." He spoke every word softly, his impeccable dark blue eyes gazing at mine the whole time.
"You confuse me." I mumbled, trying to get my thoughts straight.
I tried to remember the conversation I heard between him and Zack, but my memories were all mixed and blurred.
"Puzzles are confusing, but once you figure it out, it can get pretty easy." He smiled at me, but I heard the sadness behind his words.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
He looked at the ground. "Forget about it."
"You can trust me. I won't-I won't say anything." I promised him.
"You won't understand, Kas. Forget it."
"Wolfie, I-"
"Kassie." He warned.
I bit my lip and stayed quiet.
"You know, I'm finding it much more difficult than I thought." He mused.
I looked at him.
"Not talking to you. You're the first person I've told that didn't freak out or feel sorry for me." He continued, making my cheeks light pink.
"And that. You turn different shades of color at everything I tell you. It's pretty interesting, to be honest."
I felt my cheeks turn darker, making him laugh quietly.
"Since my sister, you're the first person that I've...been able to..." He took a deep breath, not ending his sentence.
I didn't say anything.
"Do you want me to tell you what I meant?" He asked after a while of silence. I looked at him and nodded carefully.
"I used to be confused. I was always wondering why my parents are the way they are...Until I did some research. I figured out that my parents didn't exactly have the best life, you know? My dad got forcedly sent to a boarding school in Pittsburgh when he was 5. He didn't like it, so he dropped out at the age of fifteen. My mom's parents didn't have any money, so she went to Europe at age thirteen to work as an 'entertainment dancer.' And you know what the saddest part is? Both of them ended up living in strangers' homes, being abused and forced to do things all the time. My father got sent to Europe once to get some paperwork for the people he lived with. He was already...Brainwashed, I guess... He met my mom one night, and, well, she began to expect my sister at the age of fifteen. They decided to come back here to Pennsylvania and start fresh. However, they were angry. Their lives were ruined, so they decided to treat us how they were treated."
I gulped and looked at him, shivering from the cold.
"It got pretty easy to understand why they treated us badly. It also gives me all the more reason to not hurt them back, even though I could." He sighed.
I bit my lip before hugging him carefully. As usual, he stiffened for a few seconds before calming himself. "You should get some sleep, angel." He murmured.
"Stay with me." I said quietly.
Wolfie hesitated before agreeing.
"Nice outfit, by the way." He teased. I smiled weakly, trying to forget about the cold.
"You're shaking, Kassie." His eyes locked with mine. I shrugged.
He pulled off his shirt cautiously and slid it over me.
"You don't have to-" I began, but he shushed me. I curled up once more, grateful for the warmth spreading over me. I felt him laying down next to me.
"Kas?" He whispered.
I turned to look at him and he pressed his lips against mine.
"I forgot to say goodnight, baby."