Words Unspoken ✔️

Chapter 17: Not The Only One

I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord

And I've been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord

Can you feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord, oh Lord

Phil Collins-In The Air Tonight

Friday Morning

Cassie had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach as she sat between her parents and next to her siblings. The whole family was on the E train, on their way to their separate locations. Cheyenne had a class at ten o'clock at Hunter College, Cassie was going to a group support session at a community center close to the Queens Center Mall at Woodhaven Boulevard, and her parents and C.J. were going to the school for a conference to meet with the principal, Simone, and her parents regarding the altercation that occurred last Thursday between C.J. and Simone.

This was what Cassie feared the most. Sure, it was inevitable that this was bound to happen, but it was Cassie's parents' approach to resolve the situation that worried Cassie the most. She looked up to see her father's face, which had a blank expression. She didn't know whether to be nervous or not. Cassie then mentally shook away those thoughts. The only thing she was supposed to do at this time was to look forward to attending her support group session in order to get better, just let go of the fear, and let her parents deal with the situation. But it was hard to do with all the lingering thoughts. Cassie sighed to relieve the pain in her stomach. Like reading minds, her father took her hand and kissed it.

"Don't worry, hon," Austin whispered. "It's gonna be alright."

Cassie smiled weakly at her father while the train screeched to a halt at the Kew Gardens-Union Turnpike station. She felt her heart pound a mile a minute as she heard the announcement as more passengers filed inside the train car,

"E train to Manhattan, next stop Continental Avenue, Forest Hills, stand clear of the closing doors."

Cassie, C.J., and their parents would get off at the next stop, while Cheyenne would continue on her way into Manhattan. She took a deep breath, and repeated to herself mentally,

Everything's gonna be alright.

Just then Cassie's heart nearly shot out of her chest when she heard the train conductor announce the incoming stop. Cassie uneasily got up from her seat as her parents and C.J. did like so. They bid their goodbyes to Cheyenne as the train screeched to a halt in the station. They exited the train, but before they went their separate ways while the E train moved out of the station, Cassie, C.J., and their parents took this time to say their goodbyes for the day.

"Ok, Cass, you know where you're going right?" Austin asked.

"Mm-hmm, take the R or V to Woodhaven and it's a few blocks away," Cassie replied rather confidently.

"Alrighty, hon, you're gonna go to that therapy session, get better, and have fun, OK?" Angie said to Cassie, placing her hands on her shoulders to instill comfort.

"Ok, Mama."

Cassie then turned to her father. "Daddy, remember what we talked about," she told him.

"I know, baby girl, I won't walk away from that promise," Austin replied reassuringly.

"I'll make sure of it, Cass!" C.J. chimed in.

"Who the hell are you?" Austin snapped at C.J., putting an amused smile on Cassie's face. "I'm a grown ass man!"

"I'm more grown than you, babe," Angie joked, making Austin suck his teeth.