PSYCHO 《 stranger things 》

-1.3 jealously sucks

chapter thirteen!

CASSIE HATED THE WAY THAT SHE FELT. Ever since Dustin had left for summer camp, Cassie wanted to rip her brain out of her head and stomp on it for the way that she was thinking. She was... worried? It was a new feeling to the blonde. She was worried that Dustin would get hurt, or that people would be mean to him, or that he just wouldn't have a good time. She missed the boy, that was for certain. She wished she could call him. Or just walk her ass all the way down there to see him, as she had told Max. Max responded with telling her that she was in love, earning a book to be thrown at her head.

Cassie was not in love. She didn't do that. She didn't even know what love meant. Cassie liked Dustin, sure, but she wasn't in love. She was certain of it, more certain than she was of most things.They'd only known each other for around ten months or so, and that wasn't long enough for her to fall in love with him. They still weren't officially dating, despite almost always being together and kissing a lot. Dustin seemed to be more than willing to wait for Cassie to be ready for that step, and Cassie adored Dustin for that. She didn't even know why she didn't want to take that final step. Something just didn't feel right.

Cassie couldn't think of loving Dustin, and every time she did, someone else came to mind as well. El. And while Cassie pushed aside the tiny crush on El that she used to have because of Dustin, as well as Mike, Cassie couldn't help but find herself thinking of the girl. But Cassie knew that Dustin liked her just as much as she liked him, which is why she was with him, and not pinning after El.

Today was the day that Dustin was set to return, and Cassie was trying her hardest to downplay her excitement. She'd spent the night prior with the Byers', having had fallen asleep on their couch after a long day of hanging out with Will and Frankie. The plan was for everyone to meet up at Dustin's house and surprise the boy when he returned home. The idea was Cassie's, and everyone was more than thrilled to agree. Cassie had been biking with Will and Frankie to Dustin's house when she started to voice her concerns.

"Guys, what if Dustin got a girlfriend while he was at camp?" she asked, almost abruptly. Frankie and Will shared a look, laughing loudly at the idea. Cassie huffed, a small pout on her face. "It's a serious question. We never put a label on us, and he was at a camp full of smart people and he could have found someone who isn't dumber than a fuckin' box of rocks."

Frankie frowned. After spending much time with Cassie over the past few months, the boy had grown to adore the girl he called his best friend. It pained him to see how often and casually she spoke down about herself. She called it being self-aware but he thought that the way she saw herself was horrible and inaccurate. Cassie could be smart. He'd seen it with his own two eyes. She loved to read, despite not being able to pass English class with anything more than a C-.  She could do math like a genius. Math was the only class she could pass effortlessly if she actually did her work. He hated the way she called herself dumb and referred to herself as an annoying bitch. The saddest part is that she truly saw herself that way. "You're not dumb, Cas."

"Yeah, I call bullshit," she retorted quickly. Frankie rolled his eyes.

"Dustin didn't find anyone else," assured Will. Cassie looked away from the road, peering back over at the boy. Cassie felt the need to protect him, like a little brother. Will noticed her look and continued. "He's obsessed with you. A month apart isn't going to change that. It didn't before and it certainly won't now. I promise."

Cassie's face fell momentarily at the mention of her absence in January. She still felt horrible about it, and she probably always would. "That is even more reason for him to find someone else. Someone who won't just disappear. Someone who wouldn't mind being called his girlfriend."