CLING

Tommy looked up from his work at the nagging pop-up that kept chiming through his music. He'd been able to avoid it so far, the looking to see what it could be, because his head was in the library book he'd checked out in order to complete his paper. But now it was staring him in the face, another breathless message from his girlfriend that he should probably answer.

He hated having to reassure her. He'd dated in high school and earlier in his college career without this problem. He once went missing for a week, heading into the mountains with Chuckie, Phil, Lil, and Kimi to spend time in a cabin owned by Kimi's boyfriend, and his girlfriend at the time, who stayed behind for her own exams, could care less. She kissed him when he got back and clung to him as if she didn't want him to leave.

Cassandra was different. Cassandra needed you to hold her hand at all times, to tell her you were there for her, no matter what the moment. He once went on a dinner date with her when he had to go to the restroom. When he returned maybe five minutes later, at the most, she was frantically texting him, his phone sitting across from her buzzing away, which only seemed to upset her more. A family trip for a few days for a funeral? She had panic attacks every time he didn't answer his phone. She never told him why, and he'd tried to decipher her messages for clues, but none were there.

WHERE R U?!

The notification burned his eyes as he read it. It was eleven-thirty. What if he was asleep? What if he'd gone out to take a friend home? He was RA this term, so what if something came up with a resident? There were many reasons why he couldn't respond, but if he didn't send her a message soon, she'd be at the door. Security was already onto her, so Tommy did not want that.

Tommy sighed as he pulled up the IM she'd sent him and prepared to type, "Trying desperately to finish a research paper. Can't talk. See u tomorrow."

Tommy hit send, but he knew it wasn't enough, and it never would be enough. Cassandra was beautiful, intelligent, and like a goddess, but he couldn't deal with this anymore. She was too clingy, and Tommy almost didn't want to know why anymore. He wanted it to stop, but he knew there was really only one way to do that.

Cassandra was sitting on the edge of her seat, her fruit smoothie mostly empty. Where was he? Tommy said he'd meet her at eight, and while it was only seven-fifty, shouldn't he be here by now? She sipped her drink almost in a frenzy, her eyes darting around the quad. Where was he?

When Tommy appeared, she resist going up to him. He was in the same clothes from yesterday and had deep bags under his eyes. Her mind instantly went to doubts, and she needed to smell him to help erase some of them. If he was with a girl, she'd smell her. She'd always been good at that, once she figured out that trick. She needed to know, so as soon as he was near, she got up and pulled him towards her table.

"Cassandra, I need coffee. I was up all night finishing my paper. Just…stop and let me go," Tommy groaned, ripping his arm from her grip.

"We need to talk!" Cassandra countered, pouting as she pointed to the chair.

Tommy sighed, "You're right, we do need to talk. You're acting ridiculous! I had a paper to do, and I told you that, but you're still acting crazy. I can't do this anymore. If you're not going to believe me, and if you're going to harass me and rip me around in public, then I'm done," he said firmly, rubbing where she'd gripped.

"You just don't get it, do you?" she called angrily as he walked towards the coffee line.

Tommy turned around, his face desperate, "That's exactly the problem, but you don't get it either. I don't care why you do it anymore. I just want to be left alone. Now I'm going to get coffee. If you want to keep talking to me, whatever, but I need caffeine, then I need to deliver this by nine to my professor."

"Who is she?" Cassandra asked passionately, rushing to grab her purse and keep pace with him. He didn't answer right away, so she asked again, "Who is she?!"

"Who is who? What the heck are you talking about?"

"Admit it. There wasn't just a paper. Who is she? Does she work with the English Depart? Come on, spill. Wait, I bet it's another RA! That's it! It has to be!"

Tommy sighed and spoke slowly, "I. was. writing. my. research. paper. There. is. no. other. anyone."

"You're lying!" Cassandra cried out, shaking her head, "I don't believe you! Why else wouldn't you change clothes?"

"Because I was up all night and could care less what I look like right now! Look, if that's what you think, that I'd date you for four months and just randomly sleep with someone else, then I really misjudged you. Other guys might play that game, but what's the point? I graduate this semester. I'm looking to build my life, hopefully my social life too. I can't be with you if that's where your mind goes. Now please, just leave me alone if that's all you have to discuss," Tommy said, reaching the café that sold terrible coffee, but it would at least get him through his appointment with his professor.

Cassandra pouted again, but she didn't argue. She just went back across the quad, heading nowhere in particular. Tommy hated it, but he was glad to see her go. Any girl with problems like that was no girl for him.

"We need to talk, Tommy Pickles!"

He knew who it was as the phone was ringing. He knew who she was, but he just had to answer, just had to walk right into this phone call.

Lins was Cassandra's roommate since freshman year and overall BFF. She and Cassandra were inseparable, and there were plenty of double dates in their history. Tommy had no idea who all Cassandra was with before him, but for Lins, it was one guy, Peter, that she'd met the summer after high school. He went to a community college for a few years and now worked at a computer repair shop nearby. He was the only one allowed to call her by her real name, Lindsey, and Tommy respected that. He wished Cassandra was more like Lins, now that he thought about it, so they could both be more like Lins and Rick, but Tommy knew it just wasn't meant to be.

Tommy sighed, "I don't think we have anything to talk about. I'm done, okay? I can't keep sustaining a paranoid girlfriend because I have too much to do. You're not going to convince me to take her back and keep dealing, okay? I can't even pull an all-nighter writing a paper without her going off on me. And she bruised my arm. If people saw that bruise I'd have to report her."

"You wouldn't report her and you know it," Lins scoffed.

"You're right," Tommy admitted, "but I don't have to protect her. I'm done, remember? Were you listening?"

"Of course I was listening. You're done, and I get that, okay? I'm not calling for her. She told me what happened and went off to class, and I'm okay with that. But you need to know why she is the way she is before you blame her for this behavior," Lins said firmly.

"Probably some scumbag, I'm sure," Tommy said, sighing heavily, "Please don't make this long. And it's not going to win me back. I don't have time to deal with her. And make it quick. I have an RA meeting in thirty minutes and I'm in charge of the punch."

"It's quick and easy. You know Skateboard Kid, that guy with all the girls? Well that's just his night persona. During the day he's Dave Barber, and Cassandra fell hard for him sophomore year. They dated, and she had no idea who he really was and that there were several more just like her on the side. By the time she found out, she was a broken girl. She'd tried to convince herself nothing was going on for so long that it didn't matter anymore. In her mind there was something going on, because that was the truth, and she can't escape that mindset."

"I get that, I really do. My best friend, Lil, had a similar problem. She's still paranoid, but she got help. Maybe Cassandra should get help," Tommy suggested, "for her sake. I do care about her, okay? I just…I've got too much to deal with right now."

"I understand that, and I almost didn't call you, if you could believe that, but I had to. You needed to know. As soon as you graduate, you're finding a job, right? Well so is she, and I think you should job hunt together, as friends, then see what you can do. I'll do my part. I'm not going into school counselling for nothing," Lins smiled.

Tommy said he'd think about it, but he hated the idea. He wanted to care about Cassandra and be there for her, but he doubted graduation would change anything. He'd have to find a job, get a place to live, and all these other adult things. A clingy girlfriend with paranoia issues didn't fit into that picture, whether she was seeking help or not.

The apartment wasn't his idea. Lins and Rick got a three-bedroom apartment and used great haggling techniques, working separately, to rope them all into living together. Tommy took the smallest bedroom that overlooked the blank side of the next building, while Lins and Rick got the master and Cassandra the other bedroom, which was slightly bigger than Tommy's and overlooked the front parking lot.

Job hunting was a nightmare, and so far, Cassandra didn't seem to be cured. She'd been seeing a counsellor, according to Lins, but they weren't getting anywhere, at least not yet. Tommy tried keeping his distance, only talking to the others when necessary, and so far it was working. They were just a group of friends living together, and because of Cassandra's lack of progress, he was okay with that. He wanted a girlfriend, someone to be close with again, but he was content without one as long as she was like her. Tommy got that she was broken, and he now blamed Skateboard Kid completely for her brokeness, but he couldn't trap himself because of someone else's mistakes.

The movie "date" was a surprise. Cassandra was the only one there when Tommy arrived because Lins and Rick cancelled last minute because they'd been called in, as they had both recently started retail jobs at the local mall. Tommy knew instantly it was a ploy, but he went along with it. It was a good movie that he didn't want to miss because of drama with his ex.

In the darkened theatre, they fell into old habits, holding hands and sharing a large Coke. The popcorn bowl was in her lap and disappeared before the first few scenes was over. It felt so familiar, and Tommy realized he did miss her, everything about her, except that one vital part, the leash and the nagging texts begging to know where he was at all times.

As they left the theatre, he felt sadder than he had at any point in their breakup. At first he was angry, even sick, a feeling that continued as they continued to cross paths those last days of school. He quit thinking of her, his thoughts growing numb, when this contact stopped, and a stabbing pain came back when he first saw her in Lins' apartment living room sipping a smoothie with Rick behind her. Now he was sad, empty almost, and he wished, almost, they could make things work.

"Wanna get some pizza? I'm still hungry," Cassandra said, leading Tommy towards a by-the-slice pizzeria up the road. They walked that way without talking, only speaking to order their slices (two meat lovers for him, one cheese with mushrooms for her). They took a seat outside, taking in the chilled night air.

After a few more minutes of silence, Cassandra put down her slice and wiped her fingers and mouth on a napkin. She looked up to him, "I know why you broke up with me, and I don't know what Lins has told you, but I'm trying. I'm learning how to cope, but…my therapist wants me to try again, for real life practice. I know how you felt then, overwhelmed by finals, but we're done with college now. Can we try a trial period of sorts while we try to find work? No obligation, just trying to get me ready again?" she asked.

Tommy didn't know what to say, but he didn't know how it could hurt. He could point it out to her, she told him, and keep a journal to share with her therapist about her progress. It would be more objective than romatic, she assured him, and Tommy decided he could be okay with that.

They were back on, for now.

The new house was quaint. That was the only word his mother had for it, even though Tommy knew she was proud. It took him a year, but he finally found a job in his field that he could live with. He found a small house once the money started coming in, and while it needed some serious work, he was proud to call it his.

As his mother tried to get the kitchen ready, Cassandra brought up a large box with Tommy and put it in one of the two upstairs bedrooms. The master bedroom on the bottom floor needed too much work, and besides, they weren't ready to share a room yet. Share a house, yes. Throw an engagement party and start a wedding wishes scrapbook, yes. But a shared room, not quite.

Cassandra was working through her issues. She found it hard to trust, and Tommy found it hard to be tracked. There were setbacks, such as when he caught her turning on location trackers on his devices or the night she found him parked outside his job when he had to pull a sudden double (despite texting her to assure her that's exactly what he was doing at work so late). It was a task to keep her where she needed to be mentally, but getting back together made Tommy realized that he did care about this crazy, crazy girl, and he couldn't blame her for how she felt.

He could, however, blame Skateboard Kid, and Tommy got his revenge. He only found the new job in his field because he had no choice but to look. Why? Skateboard Kid came in with two different girls spread across the room, and not only did Tommy let the girls know, but he decked Skateboard Kid in front of everyone. The manager, of course, saw, and he was banned from the establishment completely for his behavior, despite the applause from those who figured out what was going on.

Now he was starting an adult life free of baggage, but he knew it wouldn't be easy. Cassandra realized she needed correcting, and Lins could only provide so much. She and Rick were married now and expecting their first child, which meant they wouldn't have time to sort Cassandra's problems anymore. But like everyone else, they cared for her and weren't afraid to set her straight. Cassandra was happy to have them in her life, but she was more happy that Tommy decided to try again. That redo set them in the right direction, and she expected a long, happy life with him if she could just keep from screwing it up.

Theme 94: Research Paper, Theme 270: Blame

A/N: Themes from my Infinite Theme List Challenge. It's on my profile if you're interested. Just let me know if you decide to attempt them so I can check out your work.

Just a random one-shot here. Hope you guys liked it.