Cassie (Book #1 of the "Cassie" Series)

Introduction

December 25, Sunday, 11:10pm

It felt like home. Sitting on his kitchen floor, my head on his shoulder, his strong arm around me pulling me close to his body. I wanted this for so long, before I even knew how much I wanted it, but I never knew it would feel as good as it does. I never knew I could feel this connected to another human being. I guess life has a funny way of taking you by surprise, if you asked me four months ago if I thought I'd be with him, wrapped in his arms like I am, I would have said you were fucking crazy. But nothing has felt more right than this.

"Merry Christmas." he said, looking deep into my eyes. God, he has amazing eyes. They really draw you in, once you make eye contact with him it's nearly impossible to break it, you'd never want to break it either. I smiled and leaned in, kissing him. I stroked his face, feeling his rough stubble against my hand.

"Merry Christmas." I said, my head resting against his. I nestled against him, his arms still holding on to the back of my red dress and keeping me warm against him. As he held me I looked up to the kitchen wall, admiring the picture of us together next to the calendar, noticing how perfectly we fit in the borders of the red wooden frame. As I laid next to him, I knew this was the best Christmas I could ever have wished for.

...

Shit. I'm getting ahead of myself, huh. Alright, I'll start with an introduction to me and all the people I'm gonna tell you about, so errrr, welcome, I guess? I'm Cassie Langer, I'm seventeen, and I'm an aspiring fashion designer doing my senior year at Crestville High in some town in the middle of bumfuck nowhere. I won't bore you with the long-winded description of what I look like, this isn't My Immortal and my name isn't Ebony Dark'ness Dementia Raven Way. Blonde hair, pink highlights, green eyes, 5'6, that's all you need to know. 

So what you just read above is where my life is right now, and I'm not gonna lie, it was a weird road to get there and a road I didn't ever think I'd take. I had everything meticulously planned out for the year ahead and thought I had it all figured out, but life really can throw you some big ass curveballs. I went from being the girl no one ever took a second glance at, to the girl that everyone suddenly seemed to know the name of. Only I'm still yet to determine whether that's a good thing or a bad thing. 

I think to fully explain everything I need to rewind it, say, to the start of September.

I can't complain about my life. I'm not gonna give some bullshit about how my life sucks or how TERRIBLE everything is going for me. I live a comfortable lifestyle, I'm not exactly Kylie Jenner nor would I want to be, but I never really wanted for anything. I'm close to my Mom and my twin sister Hope is one of my best friends. My parents are split but I'm still close to my Dad and his family: my step-mom Andrea, my little half-brother Logan, and older step-sister Shenice.

There are some incredible people in my life that I wouldn't want to imagine being without. Chad and Naya have been my closest friends beside Hope since third grade. Twins weren't exactly common in elementary school so Hope and I spent most of our time together, believing that since we had such a strong bond as sisters we'd never need any other friends. Then the Hills twins moved to town from Tampa, and we'd finally met people like us. Since then we've all hung out as a group of four, from elementary school to middle school and now in our senior year of high school, and I'm praying to the heavens above we'll still be together in college. Naya's the Latina lesbian firecracker, who has always been there to depend on whether it's for a laugh, a cry, advice, or back-up against a bitch. Chad's the... well, I don't wanna say bad boy, but... yeah, bad boy fits the bill on that one. Don't leave your girlfriend alone with Chad Hills, he'll work his charm with those green eyes of his and before you know it, your girlfriend is now Chad's girlfriend. For about a week until he gets bored. He's got a reputation for being a dick, and I mean, yes, he is. But I know him better than most of this school does, and deep down he's got an amazing heart and he cares for our group and his family. He also gives amazing hugs, gentle but firm, and big arms.

As I previously mentioned, Hope is my twin sister. I still can't quite believe I shared the same womb with this absolute hurricane of a girl. Hope is the Langer twin that actually knows how to party, socialize, and be with other people. For identical twins, we couldn't be more different, except for the face and body shape we're two very different people. My hair is long and blonde with light pink highlights, her hair is cut short and dyed bright red. I can't sing a note to save my life, Hope fronts her own BAND. I like to stay quiet and out of large crowds, Hope usually finds herself in the middle of large crowds. Naya likes to say that Hope is the lively side of me, the side of me that actually shows enthusiasm. It's a common complaint around almost anyone that isn't in my immediate circle that I'm too apathetic, and I might come across as a bitch because of that. That's fair, I had all the enthusiasm beat out of me in middle school by Azealia Mitchell and her coven of witches, Brianna Robertson and Gabriella Xavier. If I come across as a bitch, let them think I'm a bitch, I have a guard up for a reason. 

Ryan Park is my weak spot, possibly the only person outside of my inner circle that I'm actually ever happy to see. He's the star quarterback, and as much as no one would ever believe it, we actually used to get along really well. We'd hang out outside in middle school, when the drama with Azealia was happening he'd try and make sure I was alright, and I really found myself falling for him. Then sometime between middle school and high school, it was as if a shift happened. Puberty hit Ryan like a fucking semi-truck, and he went from being that one athletic kid that everyone knew but didn't pay attention to, to almost being treated like some kind of king by the rest of the student body. He'd gotten taller and buffer, and suddenly the things I noticed like I thought no one else did, such as his captivating hazel eyes, his brown hair, or his cute crooked smile, became the things EVERYONE noticed and loved about him. Naturally, with this newfound popularity, I was tossed aside into the trash like bad gas station sushi.

I still fancy Ryan Park, I mean, how could you not? He was the only one of the jock boys that wasn't a total asshole. I've barely interacted with him in years, but all I've heard is how sweet and kind he is. And whenever I see that crooked smile, my heart flutters like nothing else. In a perfect world, things would still be like they were in middle school. But nope, I'm still lost in the crowd, and he's been flaunting Brianna on his arm as his girlfriend for at least two years, bleugh.

The run-up to that amazing yet unexpected Christmas night was full of drama (not just my drama, thank God), twists, turns, love, romance, tears, fears, and cheers. And it all took place in just under four months.

So, let's recap. Buckle up, kids.

And did I just dedicate an entire page to describing everybody I know? Yes. Maybe I am Ebony Dark'ness Dementia Raven Way after all.