HATE- THE MOTHER OF LOVE

the better side of me

              **one month later**

         Cassie

"I'm leaving grandma, see you later," I shout while picking up my keys from the counter. I hear a shout of "be back by 1.00" as I close the front door on my way out. There's a party over at Kelly's and I wouldn't miss it for the world. I start up the car, put Shawn's album on shuffle, and turn the volume to max. Then I pull out of the driveway

I know you're wondering if it's the same me who has only one friend, and is weirder than most humans. Yep, that's me right here. But I tend to change personalities when I come over to my granny's. I tend to leave all the weirdness, and baggy clothes back at my parents' place. Why?

I guess being here brings out the confidence in me that I otherwise hide back home. This place is full of something special, and even though I might not know what it is, I know it is there, shining upon me.
Whereas I have only one friend back at home, I have tons of them here. So I'm never quite lonely. I also tend to be more brave and open-minded here.

It's already been some weeks and I feel great, though I know this means I will be sadder when the time comes for me to leave. I can see the house from a distance, well it would be hard to miss with all the lights decorating the exterior. I turn off my music as I drive around in the parking lot, looking for an empty place to park my car. I finally locate one, at the farthest end, next to a shiny Lamborghini (I didn't know there's anybody who would own this type of car around here. Like for heaven's sake, with the type of weather we experience this time of the year, how do they even manage to maintain it?)

I step out of my car gingerly, narrowly avoiding the puddles of water that are present thanks to last night's rains, and make my way to the front door. The music is blaring and I can hear the voices of the many people (mostly my age and a little older) as they chatter happily. I locate my friend Cleo, standing on the doorway talking to some tall guy, that she's probably just met. As I reach the doorway, she notices me and practically throws herself at me, while squealing thus causing people around to turn and stare at us. I don't care though, am here to have fun, so I hug her back.

When she pulls away from me (which feels like eternities later) she's wearing that look on her face that she usually does when she's about to divulge the latest gossip to me. "I've got something to tell you and you're so gonna be jealous," She says with that flattering tone of hers. "Oh really, I don't remember the last time I got jealous coz of anything you said" I reply with fake disinterest and she rolls her eyes. She then gestures for me to follow her, and heads inside the house. I look at the guy she was talking to before I came and give him an apologetic look. Then I follow her. I greet some familiar people while squeezing in between others as I try to get to her

"Hey," I say when I finally reach her side "you do realize that you've just left some guy by himself alone out there, right?" I try to put on the most serious face I can muster "wasn't going to bed him, you know my type: and he definitely isn't" She replies while trying really hard to look bothered, but failing and causing us both to giggle like idiots. "He'll find someone else though, there's lots of pretty girls" She says as we reach the kitchen.

"Food was what you came to show me?" I ask while raising an eyebrow. "Course not dummy, this is because I know you're starving. What I wanted to brag to you about, is a he" She says while adding snacks to two plates. I roll my eyes at her back. Of course she wanted to brag about a boy. Not surprised at all.
She turns and hands me a plate then we move out together as more people pile in. At this point I'm glad she chose to bring me here first. I really hate having to squeeze and maybe push people to reach for food.

I follow her as she strolls in the main room, where there are people doing all sorts of things. She goes all the way to the farthest end and plops down on a chair. I take a drink from one of the trays been passed around and I join her. "So, enlighten me on why this boy's so special and what makes him different from the rest," I ask as I bite into a biscuit. She puts her plate down and clasps her hand together. Looks like I'm in for a long description. She reminds of Kimberly most of the times.

"To start off, he's not a boy. He's a man. I mean, not in an old kind of way, but you definitely can't classify him as a boy" I roll my eyes "I'm for real. He has this dangerous look about him, looks he doesn't want to be bothered. Some girls even tried to ask him to dance, but he never even glanced at them"  "Soo, I'm guessing I should be jealous at this point?"

She rolls her eyes at me "don't worry sweetheart,you will be when you see him" She says in that "duuh" tone. Yep. Definitely reminds of Kim. "Ooh" I reply as I turn my attention back to the snacks on my plate. "Where is he anyway?" I ask as I take a sip of the sour tasting champagne "ooh he already left, said he needed to go coz he had an early morning" She replies nonchalantly. "And am guessing you forgot to mention he part where he talked to you, only" I ask her "oh yeah, that. He talked to me. Didn't divulge a lot about himself though" She replies and I roll my eyes at her again.

Why would this guy talk to her only? Or maybe he's the kind to give you all his attention, that's why he was ignoring the rest of the population here? I mentally shrug my shoulders as Cleo pulls me up. Dancing time