HYPNOTIZED We are terrible for each other, and, yes we are a disaster. But tell me your heart doesn't race for a hurricane or a burning building. I'd rather die terrified than live forever.
It wasn't. The whole week sucked. No one spoke a single word to her all week, not even Ponyboy, who she had pegged as a decent guy in the beginning. Even the teachers seemed distant with her, even though she was always prompt with her homework and always polite. Even to the insufferable Mr. Jones. She had attempted to re vamp her wardrobe to fit in with the crowd, by still no one noticed her. Some people were rude, giving her looks of disgust that confused her.
"Cassy, can we have an adventure?" Susan asked, smiling brightly. Her school week had gone way better then Cassandra's had.
Cassandra didn't respond and kept walking towards --it killed her to think this-- their new home. Now, on the doorstep of the house, Cassandra reached inside her purse and pulled out her key, she turned the lock and opened the door, a little surprised to find the house empty. Their mum was talking about finding work to keep the family afloat but Cassandra didn't think that she would have found work this quick.
"Hey, Suzy, what do you want as a snack?"
"Grilled cheese!!" Susan grinned happily, she was going though a grill-cheese-only phase.
" I should guessed," Cassandra grinned, pulling out a frying pan from the cupboard and rifling around in the fridge for the butter and cheese slices. Susan contributed by getting out the bread.
In 15 minutes the grilled cheese had been made, devoured, and the dishes had been cleaned up. Cassandra looked at the clock and fidgeted, she was to bored to watch T.V. and without knowing anyone in Tulsa, picking up the phone and gossiping for hours was out of the question.
"Suzy? You want to go for a little walk? Maybe find out where the town centre is?" Cassandra suggested
"Yea, sure!" Susan grinned, jumping up from her position on the couch and grabbing a sweater from the back of a chair in the kitchen. Cassandra smiled, help up one finger and rushed upstairs, changing into some jeans and a blouse, swishing on some mascara and grabbing a sweater of her own. She met up with Susan at the front door, they walked outside, Cassandra taking care to lock the door.
"Are we going to have an adventure?" Susan asked with wide-eyes
"Sure we are" Cassandra answered, unaware of when Susan's adventure phase had begun, but wishing it was one of those 2 week things her sister was known for.
"Oh good!" Susan replied, skipping happily ahead.
The sisters walked in comfortable silence, Susan humming happily. The neighbourhood didn't prove to be exciting, just rows of worn-down houses similar to their own. Upon walking a little further, despite Susan's complaints of thirst, they discovered a small convenience store. The once working neon lights burnt out and the posters covering the walls were tattered and yellowing. The sisters walked inside, Susan immediately going over to the chocolate bar sections, her earlier complaints of thirst entirely forgotten. Cassandra was more interested in the teenager looking at magazines. Instantly the boy gave Cassandra the vibe of mistrust, and she vividly remembered the big chain of convenience store robberies in California. Going over the Susan made her feel safer, and being out of the boys line of vision calmed her entirely. She studied the boy from a distance, taking in his sharp, elfin features and his bleached white blonde hair. He was clad in a dirty white t shirt and blue jeans, a cigarette was placed behind his ear. Cassandra shook herself, convincing herself that her earlier mistrust was from the cold way the rest of Tulsa's younger generation had treated her this week. Cassandra couldn't help being faintly attracted to the blonde stranger, she placed it immediately and smiled. The stranger looked like the mysterious, sexy bad boy in all the cheesy movies Angela and herself loved to watch. Her smile grew wider as she was reminded of a quote that Angela loved to recite, 'We are terrible for each other, and, yes we are a disaster. But tell me your heart doesn't race for a hurricane or a burning building. I'd rather die terrified than live forever."
"Cassy? Did you hear me?" Susan asked
"Oh, what? Sorry Suzy, you want to repeat that?"
"I said," Susan said annoyed "Can I have a coke and chocolate bar?"
"Susan…"
"Pleaaaaaaase?" The earlier trace of annoyance disappeared, a hopeful look replacing it.
"No, you can have a coke, though" Cassandra answered and the sound of the exit bell and the disappearance of the boy disappointed her. Oh well, she thought briskly not as though anything would have happened. He didn't even notice you. Cassandra knew she was pretty, her curly red hair a natural blessing and in her opinion her best feature. Her eyes were maybe a little big for her face, and her forehead was small and short in comparison, her nose was small and button like and her mouth average size.. Cassandra was often told she had a killer smile, the braces she suffered through all of junior high obviously a good thing in the long run and the coat of foundation mostly hid the pock marks, a tell tale signs of adolescent acne. Armed with a good cleanser she was usual breakout free. She took a look at the rows of chocolate bars and it took all of her willpower not to be tempted into having one.
"Cassyyyyyyyyy pleaaaaaaaassssse" Susan whined again, used to getting her own way. Sometimes it was easier just to give in.
"No, Susan and that's enough." Noting the look on Susan's defiant face, Cassandra shrugged "Take it or leave it"
"Fine! I'll have a coke" Susan sighed defeated. Cassandra searched through her purse, pulled out the correct amount of money and handed it to her eager younger sister, who promptly grabbed a coke and went to pay.
"I'll be outside, Susie, hurry up please." Cassandra called from the door, the call of the chocolate no longer tolerable. She exited the store and stood outside, facing the parking lot. Cassandra turned sharply, hearing a shuffling behind her. Noticing the blonde boy that held her attention, leaning casually against the wall of the store. Cassandra gave a tentative smile, trying to be friendly. The boy didn't return it, instead he snorted in disgust.
" Fucking Soc" The boy narrowed his eyes, provoking her
"Excuse me?" Cassandra finally found her voice and was shocked at the boys obvious hostility.
"You heard me" came the reply, a lungful of smoke was blown towards her and Cassandra wrinkled her nose in distaste "Think your above me, bitch?"
"What are you talking about?" Cassandra asked, getting a little exasperated. She looked inside store's glass door and was dismayed to find the attraction of chocolate had a hold on Susan.
"Smilin' at me like I'm worth your fuckin' time" Cassandra picked up on the bitter note in his voice "Tryin' to be funny? Gunna go and laugh with those socy assholes later?"
"Really, I don't know what your talking about!" Cassandra answered, a note of anger in her own voice "I don't know any 'socs!'"
"I'm sure," the boy sneered "You sure look a fuckin lot like that bunch."
Cassandra looked down at her clothes, and put a hand to her head, wondering if her clothing choices had ruined another potential friendship. She couldn't believe such a trivial thing like clothing mattered so much to these people.
"Oh god, truly. I mean I'm here for two weeks and you can't give me a break?!" Cassandra looked up at the sky " two weeks" she muttered again in distaste.
"This is a fuckin' joke. Fuckin' socs, can't leave us the fuck alone. Your in greaser territory, honey" the boy leered "I can do whatever the hell I want with you, aint no one out here willin' to save you "
Cassandra felt the same shiver of fear run up her back, the one she had when she first set eyes on him. Suddenly this little chat seemed like it was going to get dangerous. She wished she could get back in the store, grab Susan and get to the safety of their house. The boy noticed her fleeting glances at the store door and positioned himself in front of it, grinning like a chessy cat.
"You made a big fuckin' mistake messing with Dallas Winston" Dallas grinned meanly, waiting for the prick of terror at the mention of his name. It bugged him that she staying looking confused.
"Look," Cassandra whispered, "I didn't mean to offend you, I don't know how I did-- what I could have possibly done" she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down, knowing that this was no time for her sarcasm to show up "but I'm sorry, truly. Can we just forget about this? I'll get my sister and you'll never see me again."
"I never forget" Dallas emphasized his words " But maybe we can patch things up, y'know. You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours." he pretended to be interested in his cigarette.
"Yes, yes" Cassandra breathed a sigh or relief, "That sounds like a good idea"
"Doesn't it?" Dallas smiled again and Cassandra felt goosebumps on her arms, instantly aware that the smile help no warmth or understanding, only bitterness. She could tell he was playing nice and remembered the Shakespearean quote that Mrs. Drake, the grade 11 English teacher, back in California was overly fond of 'Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under 't.' Dallas was playing this act to the tee. Before Dallas could say anything Cassandra beat him to it.
"Look, I have no idea who you are, all I want is to go to my crappy little home! All I want is to be back in California! I wish to god that my dad hadn't been screwing over all of his clients and taking their money! I wish I stayed an Angela's!" Cassandra couldn't help it, tears were overflowing, she hastily wiped them away. She wrapped her ringlets around her fingers and wept, saying softly "Why did this have to happen? How could he have been so.. so stupid? And greedy? We were fine in California, I was fine at middle class! Ohhhh." Cassandra moaned, she couldn't help herself, she screamed out " I just want to go back"
Dallas stood still, rubbing the back of his neck. It embarrassed him when girls cried and this one in front of him with her fiery red ringlets and raccoon eyes didn't seem like she was gunna stop anytime soon.
"You really aint a soc?" Dallas asked against his better judgement
Cassandra turned to glare, exploding at the bewildered greaser in front of her "I-am-not-a-SOC! I don't even know what that is!! I just moved here against my will and I'm treated like THIS!" her anger exploded and all of the harsh feelings today had left her with was coming out, whether she wanted them to or not " I'm ignored if I wear a simple skirt and tank top and if I try and be a little more conservative I'm harassed on the street!! What is wrong with this place?!"
"Cassandra?" came the meek voice of her younger sister "I heard yelling, what's going on?"
The familiar face of her little sister calmed Cassandra and she blushed at her angry outburst on an exact stranger, she took Susan's hand and quickly made her way across the street, leaving Dallas to stare after her.
"Fuckin' broads crazy" Dally mumbled to himself, lighting up another cigarette and inhaling deeply.