-1December 24th 2007
Cassie Blake (age 12)
The doorbell rang. I rushed to answer it, my dogs yapping around my ankles. Bella stood there. She was different since I'd last seen her. She wasn't a kid anymore. She was a proper teenager. She even had proper boobs!
"Hey Bells!" I said, hugging her.
"Cassie!" she shrieked "oh my god, it's been so long!"
"Two years"
"Yeah. You've grown a lot"
"You too. Loving the figure" I said. She blushed and I laughed "Come on. I'll take you to your room"
"Same one as always right?"
"Yeah" I led her upstairs to our old bedroom. It was still exactly the same as when we were little (faded pink butterfly wallpaper) because mum said we didn't have the cash to repaint it. The only difference was my new bedding. well, it wasn't actually new. I'd just got hold of some white sheets and tie-dyed them.
"Nice" Bella commented.
"I got bored. Plus I spilt some stuff on my old ones"
"Your mum noticed yet?"
"No!" I scoffed "That would mean she'd have to enter my bedroom" we both laughed. Scarlett tried to jump onto the bed, missed and knocked over Bella's suitcase. She pretended to limp around for a bit before I threw a chew toy at her.
Bella flopped onto the bed and I lay next to her.
"So, you surviving?" she asked, seriously.
"Well…I'm doing okay. I actually got something to tell you"
"What?"
"I'm leaving" she bolted upright.
"What do you mean, you're leaving?" I sat up as well.
"I'm going to look for my dad"
"You don't know where he is! You don't even know his name Cassie!"
"I know he's American"
"How do you know that?"
"Mum got drunk the other night and blurted out about her brief 'romance' with a gorgeous American doctor. I figure it's my dad"
"But America is huge! You'll never find him without a picture or an address or something!"
"I'll find him"
"No. Your life is here! Promise me you won't go looking for him!" I looked away but she grabbed my cheek. "promise me Cassie"
"No!" I said.
December 26th 2007
Bella Swan (age 15)
All Christmas day I'd watched Cassie for any indication that she would leave but she was acting normal. When we went to bed that night she seemed perfectly happy.
Then I woke up in the middle of the night and she was gone. I immediately rushed to wake Aunt Rachel but she wouldn't move. I rang the police and they promised to find her. I paced anxiously as I watched the snow fall outside. It was freezing. She'd die if she was stuck out there too long. Her warm clothes were still in her bedroom. She was going to freeze.
Cassie Blake
I curled up in the snowdrift. Cold, tired and alone. I'd been walking for ages. Now my clothes were soaked, I was freezing and shivering. In the distance, blue lights were flashing. I heard voices calling my name, lights shining in my eyes.
Warm arms cradled me, carrying me away.
Bella Swan
The police returned, carrying Cassie. She was okay, just cold. I thanked them and put her in a warm bath, fully clothed.
"Why did you do it Cassie?" I asked.
"I just wanted to find him" she whispered.
"You don't need a father, you have a family"
"No I don't. my mum wishes I didn't exist. Aunt Renee ran off so she wouldn't have to look after me anymore"
"That's not true. Besides, they don't matter. You have me. I'll always look after you"