The Oracle

Chapter 5

''Cassie! Your friend is here!" Cassandra was staying at her father's house this weekend. Her parents had been divorced for four years now, and it was only just starting to become normal. She loved her father and she would always stand up for him when people would accuse him of abusing her.

"Are you sure it's not-" Cassie walked to the doorway to see Justin. He was looking at the pictures on the wall. The particular photo of Cassie's yearbook picture. Was he always this tall? She wondered. Then again, it had been a few weeks since she saw him. "You're out of hospital!" It was only when Justin felt Cassie's arms around him, did he realise she had seen him.

"Yeah, they released me yesterday." His voice was muffled in between all the arms and clothes. Justin was quite overwhelmed. He would always be the first to admit that he was an awkward person. He was confident once he got to know a person, but new people were always a challenge for him. So he found Cassie's embrace a bit awkward as her Dad was not breaking contact from down the hall. Her dad could be an intimidating man if he wanted to be. But at a first glance, there was nothing to be afraid of. Mr Newton was a short, stubby, middle aged man with receding white hair. But the stare he was giving Justin was not to be welcomed.

Justin reluctantly let go of Cassie and smiled at her, The same shy smile. Cassie's mind was boggling. She had so many things to ask him and a new thought entered as fast as one had left. "Umm, we can talk in my room."

As Justin entered Cassie's room, his eyes darted from one place to another. He felt like the walls were closing in. No wonder she can deal with all the people at school. Cassie's room... was not spacious. To say it was small was an understatement. The fact that it was small wasn't the problem though. It was the clutter. Her bed was right in the center of her room and was surrounded by paintings on the walls. Cassie didn't leave one spare inch of wall to see. Her bedside table had a petite lamp and many different books stacked upon each other.

"I know it's a bit overwhelming... But I like the different things to see. It keeps things different and fresh."

Justin nodded, admiring the drawing of a girl above her head. "Well, people say that one can tell a lot from someone's room."

"Exactly." Cassie moved her jumper out of the way and sat on her bed. "People would say I'm going through my 'angsty teenage stage of my life' with all the art, but what's wrong with trying to discover who I am?"

Justin tore his eyes away from the walls and focused on Cassie. "You do realise... that you sound like a hippie?" He smirked, sitting beside her.

Cassie's smile formed into a laugh. "All I need is a flower crown and to draw out my sentences like this." Cassie gave an example. "But at least I know I'm a hippie and embrace it. Most people don't find out who they are until they're adults. Some, not even then."

"That's true. But you have your whole life ahead of you."

Cassandra's eyes wandered down. "Speaking of life. Have you finished Slaughterhouse-five?"

"Indeed I have."

"Did you like it?" Cassie said, almost swallowing her words.

"Take a breath, Cassie." Justin chuckled.

"It's just... You're the only person who bothered to read it."

"That's cause I wanted to find another piece of the Cassandra puzzle."

Cassie forced herself not to look at him. "Well I hope it was worth it."

Justin noticed her avoiding eye contact. "I mean, I liked it," Cassie's eyes wandered back to him. "I just don't see what it has to do with you."

"We wouldn't want to spoil everything, now would we?"