cassie
i walk downstairs because of a huge slam, which i assume was the front door. i scan for any evidence of anyone beaten up, but all i see are emma and nick looking dumbfounded by the counter.
"where's brandon?" i ask. i realize he's missing from this equation.
emma frowns and shakes her head. "he left."
frustrated, i sigh. "this boy has been running around everywhere this morning."
first to go get hot chocolate out of nowhere, and now he vanished into thin air right after he came downstairs.
nick looks at me sadly. "cassie," he says, "he stormed out."
my head still doesn't grasp what's going on. all i know is that brandon has now disappeared twice this morning, and i feel like i'm missing out on one big joke.
"i don't understand." i say flatly.
emma gives nick a sideways look, as if she's debating on telling me what's going on, which would be greatly appreciated.
"should we let brandon tell her?" she asks him.
my eyes widen, now concerned at brandon's two disappearances. "what is going on? everyone has been acting so weird this morning."
i fumble for my phone in my pocket. i need to call him. i need to ask him what on earth everyone is so bent out of shape about. i knew something was wrong ever since i first woke up and nick wasn't being himself.
"don't call him, cassie," nick says. "he's really upset right now."
nick only makes me even more anguished. "so he won't want to talk to me? i'm his girlfriend."
god, i could throw my phone across the room with how worked up i've become in the past few minutes.
all i want are some answers to the questions that won't stop forming in my head. every second a new, more scary thought threatens to take over.
why is brandon so upset and why is everyone acting so awkward and why does no one bother to tell me? is brandon trying to hide something?
"i'll tell her..." nick murmurs.
i raise my brows, waiting expectantly.
"well, you see," he starts. "his parents got into a really large argument."
emma looks at nick blankly.
"and he was a jerk to me last night because of it.. hence why i was so upset," he continues. "and then i pissed him off just now. so he left."
"yeah." emma says, adding in her two cents as she nods her head.
my mind feels like it's full of static. why couldn't he just tell me? part of my mind tells me that this is absolutely not what is going on, but the other part wants to stop with the questions and the confusion.
i decide to drop it and let it go. these fuckwads are too crazy for me this early in the morning.
"alright then," i say. "can i have another cup of coffee?"
emma
when nick tells me he slept with kayla my heart drops to the pit of my stomach. my first concern is brandon, and then cassie immediately comes into mind. i would have no idea what to do if i were placed in either of their shoes.
and then the shit disturber lies right through his teeth to cassie, making me feel like part of the crime as i help to cover him up. i feel guilty for not being flat out honest in the first place but i understand where nick is coming from. it's a lot to tell two people so close to him that he:
