Every Rose Has It's Thorns

While Cassie was busy distributing the animals their respective meds, Rachel observed a CD from the stack she had found lying near the stereo. She cocked an eyebrow as she read the name.

"Cassie...This wasn't here a few days ago, was it?" She said, a slight frown on her face. But, loosing her confusion, her face took on the look of a mischievous child as she took a moment to gaze at the front cover of it. Her grin grew further when as she said, "I had no idea you were a teenybopper." Cassie's face flushed pink but luckily she was faced towards the wire birdcages. She closed the last bottle of pills and replaced it back among the other prescriptions.

"I wouldn't say that exactly. My mom bought it for me last week, and all outta nowhere she goes off on this speech about how I need to be interested in things other people my age are. She has this weird idea that the stuff I listen to is making me depressed or something," she told her friend, shrugging her small shoulders as she washed her hands.

Rachel nodded in sympathy, and inspected the other music that was lying out. Her light blue eyes widened. "Hmm...Well, I for one happen to think you're choice of music happens to be very positive. I mean, if you really think about it NIN could practically be the Osmond Brothers. Fiona Apple could maybe be Marie. Oh!" She said, lifting up another jewel case and squinting at the title. "And I'm positive from the names of these songs that Mr. Rogers must be Outkast's number one fan," she finished. (A/N: ::sings:: don't you think I'm so sexaayy I'm just so fresh so clean.....) Cassie pursed her lips together, shaking her head as she lightly dried her hands, then stepped out of her old work overalls.

"I get it, Rach. But those are all just stereotypes. Just because they might seem a little...intimidating doesn't mean their music is bad. Really," she said at Rachel's smirk. Rachel sighed and looked down to inspect her nails.

"Hey, I like them too. But my mom monitors literally everything that goes through the door. She can sense a parental advisory label from a mile away. It's like she's a freaking' metal detector or something." Cassie smiled and finally sat down to join her. She slipped off her boots and replaced them with regular shoes.

"Well, that's life I guess. And No Strings Attached isn't all that bad, actually," she admitted.

"Don't your sisters like that kind of thing?"

Rachel took out the CD and popped it into the player, then pushed the "Shuffle" button.

"You're talking about stereotypes? Listen, yesterday I was talking to Marco about what I should get Jordan for her birthday. I know, I know, dumb idea," she said to Cassie's skeptical look. "But we were both at the mall and you and Jake were...well...who knows where." Cassie blushed fiercely.

"Shuddup!"

"Anyway," Rachel said with a coy grin, "he suggested I get her a game for her Playstation, which is cool. So we walk around until we find this place that sells video game software and magazines and stuff, and I pick up NFL Blitz 2000, because I know how long Jordan had wanted it. Then Marco walks over and asks what I got, and as soon as he sees it he starts LAUGHING at me and says 'Yeah right! Jordan is a GIRL remember?' As if I were stupid or something!!!" By this time Rachel was standing up and bright red in the face.

So that's why he had that black eye on Monday, Cassie mused to herself silently.

"Well, I'm sure he didn't mean to insult you. That's just how he is."

"That doesn't excuse it. And that's not the only time I've heard Marco or even other guys say stuff like that. You remember that time with the movies?" Rachel replied, pushing her blond hair away from her face. Cassie's facial expression changed from mild to high interest. Suddenly she remembered the time her, Jake, Tobias and Rachel had rented a couple of movies. (Rachel and Cassie had wanted to see American Beauty; Tobias and Jake both preferred Gladiator.) They'd agreed to watch both movies if they could see Gladiator first, since it was longer. The girls agreed, and put up with nearly 3 hours of blood spilling and bone crunching. As if they didn't get enough of that in real life. When they had finally popped American Beauty in the VCR, both males had found rather lame excuses to why they had to leave. Rachel and Cassie ended up watching the movie alone.

The anger made its way back into their faces with the shared memory. Cassie soon stood up as well.

"You know, you're right Rachel! That was so wrong of them to make us watch what they chose and then bail when we finally got to the one we wanted to see!" she said vehemently.

"Mm-hmm, and I can't believe we actually let them get away with it." Rachel added.

"The things love can do to you," Cassie sighed. The other girl nodded in agreement and frowned slightly.

"Amen to that."

"To what?" Marco interrupted, walking into the barn with Jake, Tobias, and Ax with a bag of Cheetos in his hands.

"That all males are chauvinist pigs," Rachel answered him. Ax stared at her blankly.

"I was not aware that males were of different species than females, much less "chauvinists". How strange." Tobias patted him on the back and whispered in his ear.

"We're not. That's just what girls like to say when a guy pisses them off."

Rachel frowned. Since when had sweet Tobias gotten so blockheaded? Before she had a chance to contradict what he had just said Jake grimaced and said, "Aw, Cassie, what is that on the radio. It sounds like...uh...like...."

"I believe the word is crap," Ax spoke up. Tobias nodded and Marco gave him a discreet high five.

"Can you please turn it off?" Jake asked, giving Cassie an adorable yet conniving puppy dog face. Why does he have to be so cute when he does that, she thought. He smiled when she reluctantly turned off "Space Cowboy."

"Thanks, Cassie. That's much better. "

Cassie and Rachel exchanged looks. This was not going to work.