Euphoria [GirlxGirl]

Chapter 6

EVANGELINE

"Shit," I muttered as she ran away. "Damn. Damn. Damn," I muttered, smacking my forehead repeatedly. I didn't mean to kiss her, and I didn't mean to deepen the kiss either! It just happened I don't know what came over me!

"Found you!"

Startled, I spun around to find Fabian smiling smugly at me. "Game's over." He declared as Cassandra and Gregory emerged from the bushes. Probably seeing my distraught expression Fabian frowned at me, "What's with the face? We can play another round if you want." My mouth opened and closed slowly but I couldn't recite what my mind was encouraging me to say. Instead, I shook my head and shakily got up. "I- I should be getting back," I mumbled meeting Fabian's gaze. "I had fun, thanks," I added as I tried to walk past them. Cassandra caught my wrist and looked at me with a dull expression. Slowly her eyes began to narrow and she suddenly dragged me along saying, "I'll make sure she gets home safe guys."

Fabian waved to us a little disappointedly and I politely smiled back and mouthed a goodbye. Cassandra's hand released my wrist and laced her fingers with mine, falling into step beside me.

"So," she began quietly. "Can we talk like friends now?"

I stared at our joined hands, seemingly unable to draw my next breath. Cassandra noticed my discomfort immediately and hesitantly released my hand. Taking a deep breath I kept my eyes forward.

"I'm not ready to be friends again. Not just yet."

I could already imagine the distraught expression on her face, and it clawed at my conscience causing my jaw to tighten.

"But I will try," I said finally, glancing at her against my better judgment.

She tried to look let down, but I could see the hope in her eyes. Hope that I was warming up to her again, that I was close to forgiving her. The truth was, I still wasn't ready, simply seeing her aggravated me. After a few minutes of silence I contemplated my next words. I had decided to make it clear that I hadn't forgotten.

"How's Lesley?"

She didn't reply for some time as we approached the bus stop. Turning to me she smiled. A smile that I despised, and not because it was hers but because it was a smile of pity.

"He's fine, thank you."

"No problem," I muttered, deciding to pry. "What's it been, two years? You guys are okay, I assume?"

Again the smile.

"It's been two and a half years, that's right. We're okay. I'm starting to like him better, he's a really sweet guy."

I smiled stiffly and with no qualms delivered a low blow, "Yeah, I would hope so. It would suck if the prize you chose ended up disappointing you."

Cassandra stared at me and for a long period of time there was silence. I'd know her long enough to know that she was hurt. Cassandra was never quite unless she was severely wounded and what I had just said was like taking a shotgun to the chest. Her mouth would open and close but no audible words were spoken. The bus slowly came to a stop near me and I looked to her as passengers boarded.

"Goodbye," I muttered before boarding the bus, not once looking back at the stunned brunette.

Dad was in a better mood when I got home, he apologized for earlier and asked about my day, as per usual. My dad wasn't a bad man; he was just stressed a lot of the time. He used to be better at controlling it, but now he was more prone to snapping. He was a lawyer, by day and a drunk by night. Except for on Sundays because that was family night. My dad was a little below average height and I bore almost no resemblance to him, I had gotten my genes from my mother. Sometimes I wish I hadn't, it wasn't too convenient for me.

My father was holding a very spiteful grudge against my mother for walking out on us. My mother and father met in high school and simply kept in touch with each other. One day they kinda just arranged to have drinks and ended up dating throughout his first four years of college. My mother became pregnant with me during her third semester of college and since my father was busy pursuing his career she was often alone. When she gave birth they finally loved in together and a few years later, after my father had successfully become a lawyer, they tied the knot. I was about ten or eleven when my mother divorced my father and took off with another man. I wasn't one of those kids who was super distressed by their parents' divorce. I didn't mind, really. But I did feel bad for my dad, and I was hurt that my mother declined custody. With every year that passed, he became worse. He was drunk very often and had even done some bad thing, but I didn't resent my dad. I never said a mean word about him because the older I got, the more I understood.

Today was Saturday but he was completely sober, giving me his undivided attention as I vaguely described my day. The moment I mentioned Cassandra his eyebrows shot halfway up his forehead.

"Oh yeah?" He said stroking his thick, brown, beard. "How was that?"

"Awful," I admitted.

He nodded knowingly, his azure eyes trying to assess further before flicking back to the television screen. How to get away with murder was on and my father absolutely loved that show because it reminded him of "The good ol' days." During a trident gum commercial break my phone buzzed in my back pocket and I retired it only to see a message from an unknown number saying: Sorry about today.

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[A/N]
This was well overdue wasn't it? Pardon.