The Backyard

Chapter 1

Cassandra 

I looked out my balcony at the back of my house, just looking at the sunset, with the open field. People walking with their families, laughing, smiling,  my family can't even stand each other for a few hours.

 We all have been fighting with one another, my parents can't be in the same room. My sister and I have been fighting for days and she has been so distant so I tried talking to her but nothing. 

I really am all alone, except I'm lucky I have Rory and Lindsay.

Summer is almost over, and I will be off to school soon.

 I got a call from Lindsay saying she wants to meet up before school starts. We are going to be going off to high school soon, and she is excited. Me not so much. It's hard enough that my parents and sister can't stand each other. Just everything going on in my life, I can't deal with it, I can't think about it or I'll have another anxiety attack. I wake up each night not being able to sleep because I have bad nightmares, most nights I just cry myself to sleep when I'm at home. 

I can't believe I will be starting grade ten. I want to make it a big deal and scream and the top of my lungs, but no one would hear me. The only person there for me is Lindsay and Rory. 

I get in the car with Lindsay and Rory. All of us have been best friends since we were little. They are like the sisters I never had. Lindsay is a gorgeous blond with the classic blue eyes, and Rory is the opposite. She is a brunette with green eyes. I am a brunette with golden/hazel eyes.  My eyes change throughout the seasons. It's complicated and confusing. When I was born, they were blue, and now they are hazel/gold. I find it weird because my sister has brown eyes the same as my dad and my mom. So I don't know where the golden part comes from.

We went shopping, which took forever but I'm not complaining, it was so dark outside.  At 11:30, I was finally home. My parents were pissed, but honestly, I didn't have it in me to argue, so I went into my room and just closed the door, which pissed them off even more. The next week or so goes by, and all I can think about is how school is tomorrow. I've been freaking out, I know I have Lindsay and Rory, but we have different classes for almost everything, and I missed orientation, so I don't know my way around the school.

The day goes by  I wake up between five and six to get ready. I call Lindsay and Rory, and we get dressed together. I curl my hair and put some mascara and blush on. Lindsay goes full out with her hair and makeup. She's got the type of blond hair which you wish you had. She can pull off curls or straight hair. Honestly, it's infuriating, but she ends up going with curls today. Rory ends up straightens her hair. Rory's complexion is like a caramel skin tone, which she is blessed with, considering she has green eyes.  

It's now 7, and all of us are ready. We have a ritual that we all go to school together on the first day back or just every day in general, and since Lindsay can drive, we always go together. We got some iced coffee and donuts. They dropped me off. I looked at them once again before saying bye, since they were going to park.

Off to this new adventure, I guess. I went through the front door, and the first thing I noticed was there were a lot of hot guys there. I swear it's like I was dreaming or something. I got lost and tried to find my class. Great, first thing in the morning, I got social. All the backseats were taken. I wanted to cry. I had to pick the front seat in the right corner. I always hated the front of the class, I always liked the back because I could look at others but others couldn't look at me.

I was next to this girl who seemed as nervous as me. The teacher comes in and gives us the most boring introduction. Then she gets right to class. She told us she would give us 10 minutes to introduce ourselves and to talk.  I turned to the girl and started by saying, "hi, I'm Cassandra." She was dead silent for a second, and then she said her name was Emma. We started talking. It was going great.

 She was looking around the class and said, "Hey, you know that guy in the back corner, he is really hot but anyway, he was checking you out." I peak over and look in the back corner, and yes he is pretty fine.  

The minute he saw me looking at him, he looked away, from then I could not stop looking. There was something about him that seemed so familiar. 

The minute class was over. I went through my other three blocks, and then I called Lindsay to come to pick me up. We went to her place and talked for hours. We all were mesmerized by how many hot guys there were, but to be honest, idk if I was going to put myself out there this year. 

My mom called and told me to come home, but I just said to her that I would sleepover at Lindsay's place, and she was okay with it because her mom and my mom have known each other for the longest time ever. Me and Lindsay and Rory have been friends since the day we all were born. Our moms knew each other in university, so that's how we all are friends.

Anyway, since I didn't have a change of clothes, I just borrowed Lindsay. Rory didn't want to stay, so she left. Oh, I forgot to mention that Rory doesn't have any siblings. She is an only child, while Lindsay has a brother,  his name is Cole. He is the biggest jackass in the world. He is a player and plays football. If anyone had that description, that would be enough, so see what type of guy he is. He is always a dick to me and everyone else, except for his sister. To Lindsay sure, they fight but he protects her in a way that everyone does. I envy that, I hated how every day I was alone when I got home. I just wanted to say with Lindsay forever, even if I had to deal with cole.