Greek:
Chapter 9.
Casey jerked her head up as the door to her bedroom swung open. She quickly dropped the picture she was holding into the open shoebox at her feet, covering it with the lid.
"Have you ever heard of knocking?"
Rebecca stood in the doorway; her eyebrows rose high on her forehead. Casey sat on her bed, covered up to the waist in her quilt, leaning over an old Steve Madden shoebox. Rebecca looked down at her watch. Casey Cartwright was sitting in bed in her pajamas at 2:30 in the afternoon, an odd occurrence in it self. What made it even more unusual was the fact her eyes were watery and her face was splotchy. Someone was taking a trip down memory lane. Casey must have noticed that Rebecca was eyeing the box because she suddenly picked it up and dropped it on the floor and out of sight.
"What do you want Rebecca?" Casey asked, her voice slightly shaky.
"I just came to congratulate you."
"On what?"
Rebecca paused before answering. On winning, of course. It figures that that nerdy little voyeur would be standing outside the Omega Chi house as she was coming out this morning. She almost thought that it was a scary dream and that any moment she would wake up, nestled in Cappie's arms. But she realized it wasn't a dream when he came waddling up to her, holding up what looked like a pair of Cappie's pants. He had demanded to know what had happened last night. His eyes were cold and accusing, so different from Cappie's gentle pool of blue light. She had opened her mouth to tell him to go to hell but nothing came out. What could she say? Her and Cappie were over and it was his fault. No, it was really Casey's fault. She had always been like a wall between them and now she had won. Instead of answering, Rebecca had walked around Rusty and tried not to listen as he shouted after her. If you don't tell Cappie by tonight then I will, he had said.
"Your brother is a stalker," Rebecca said presently as if it was the most natural thing in the world for her to say.
"You busted into my room to congratulate me on the fact that my brother is a stalker?" When Rebecca didn't answer Casey leaned over and grabbed a manila envelope off of her nightstand. "Look, Rebecca, I've got a lot of work to do and"
"Ryan Prince is here to see you. He's waiting downstairs."
Rebecca watched as color rose into Casey's face. She looked nervous about something.
"Tell him…tell him I'm sorry, I can't come down and I'll call him in a bit. I'm not dressed and I'm not feeling well."
Casey threw herself back against her pillows after Rebecca closed the door. She was acting even more crazy than usual but Casey had too much on her mind to worry about Rebecca Logan's varying levels of insanity. A few moments later the door creaked open and Ryan's hesitant voice called her name.
"Ryan?" Casey said, rubbing her hands over her eyes and smoothing down her hair. Thank God I brushed my teeth!
"Hey. Rebecca said I could come up."
"Yeah, I'll bet she did. What's up?"
Ryan closed the door and moved to stand next to Casey's bed. "Nothing. I just came to see how you were. You seemed pretty freaked out last night."
"I know," she sighed. "I'm sorry, I've just got so much on my mind right now."
"Yeah, I can see that, it's the middle of the afternoon and you're still lying around in your pj's."
"Haven't you ever just wanted to stay in bed all day, wrapped up in your covers, and forget everything for a while?"
"Sure I have but I don't actually do it. I've got responsibilities and no one else is going to do my job for me."
Casey frowned a little as she let this sink in. He reminded her of Evan and his no time like the present attitude. In the beginning of their relationship she would try to make him spend the day with her in bed, just lounging around and doing nothing. He had been appalled by the idea of course and by the end she hardly ever slept late. In fact she couldn't remember the last time she had stayed in bed past 10 am.
"Plus," Ryan said, shaking Casey from her thoughts. "The Casey Cartwright I know isn't afraid to meet her problems head on."
"You really think so?"
"No, I know so. Now come on, tell me what the problem is."
Casey looked up at him. He was smiling and his eyes held the kind of loving truth that just made you feel like you could do impossible things. Casey knew it wouldn't hurt to let Ryan help her out at least with one problem. As for the other, she would just bury it with all of the other things from the past in that old shoebox underneath her bed. At least for now.
"Ok," Casey said smiling. She scooted herself over, giving Ryan space to sit down, and emptied the contents of the manila envelope she had been holding.
"That appointment that Evan made me is tomorrow. I wasn't going to go but I was reminded in a round about way that I'm serious about my future and my career. If I seriously want to be a lawyer I should do this."
"Okay, so what's the problem?"
"Well, I basically told Evan to go to hell and now I'm letting him help me? What does that say?"
"Casey, this is a really good opportunity for you and sometimes you just have to hold your nose and take it. It doesn't have to mean anything if you don't want it to."
Casey realized that he was right of course. To let her pride get the better of her and ruin her chances of getting into a really good law school would be stupid.
"You're right."
"Was that all you were worried about?" Ryan asked, touching her hand.
"No. Tomorrow Dr. Roosevelt is going to ask me what kind of law I want to study and I'll have no idea what to say. There are so many different kinds and I'm just so confused."
Ryan smiled and kicked off his Italian leather shoes. He sat back in the bed, pulling Casey with him, and reached forward grabbing one of the pamphlets.
"Then we'll figure it out together."
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
Rusty sat biting a fingernail on his left hand as everyone cheered. After a light cleaning up of cups, garbage, and empty bottles the guys gathered around the T.V. for a Yankees vs. Red Socks game. Rusty didn't particularly care for sports but he always tried to look like he enjoyed it. Today he had too much on his mind to enjoy anything much less make an effort.
He kept stealing sideways glances at Cappie. His big brother didn't sad, angry, or affected in anyway. He guessed that Rebecca still hadn't told him.
"What's wrong Spitter?" Cappie asked as he noticed Rusty watching him.
"What? Nothing." Rusty replied as he brought his eyes back to the screen.
"Bull shit. You've been sitting there stiffer than a Tri Pi's nipple."
Everyone except Rusty cheered again as the Yankees scored a run.
"Have you talked to Rebecca yet?" Rusty asked cautiously.
"Nooo. I sent her a text message this morning but I figured that I'd just let her calm down a bit before I actually call her."
Rusty's stomach knotted. He had told Rebecca that if she didn't tell Cappie he would. He really didn't want to do it but he couldn't let him go on not knowing what kind of person Rebecca really was. It was still early but Rusty had a feeling that Rebecca wasn't going to call or show up to tell him herself and all the waiting was making Rusty sick.
"Cap, I need to talk to you about something."
"Ah ha! I knew something was bothering you. Go ahead tell me. Is it a girl?"
Rusty shook his head. "Can we go outside or something?"
Cappie looked at the T.V. and then back at Rusty. Apparently something about Rusty helped Cappie with his decision and he got up, leading the way outside.
Rusty sat down next to Cappie on the porch steps and took a deep breath, drawing the warm air into his lungs.
"So what is it that's got you so upset?" Cappie asked
"Look I don't know how to say this, so I'm just say it." Rusty started as he looked at his feet on the step below him. "I saw Rebecca coming out of the Omega Chi house this morning. She was still wearing the same dress and Evan was closing the door and…"
"Wait. My Rebecca?"
"Yeah, she was wearing the same dress that she had on at the party and it was 6 in the morning."
"Are you saying she was with Evan?" Cappie asked, a new tightness to his voice.
"Yes. Look Cap, I'm really sorry but"
"Don't." Cappie interrupted as he stood up and went to pace back and forth on the porch. "I'm really disappointed with you Rusty."
"What?" Rusty also stood, his back facing the street.
"I know you want me to date Casey but making something up about Rebecca isn't going to get me to do that."
Rusty's eyes widened and panic filled him. "No Cappie that's not…"
"I knew this morning that you didn't agree with my decision to be with Rebecca but I didn't think that you'd make things up just to hurt me. And you couldn't be more imaginative? Evan? Come on Rusty."
"I'm not lying!" He said loudly. "Rebecca slept with Evan last night. I saw her come out of the Omega Chi house at 6:30 this morning looking guilty and Evan was behind her shutting the door, wearing only sweats. No shirt."
"What are you saying about me?" A voice from behind Rusty asked, making his stomach drop.
Rebecca stormed up the steps. "How dare you! I would never cheat on Cappie. Yes, I slept with Evan once but I didn't know he was with Casey and you've hated me ever since."
Rusty watched horrified as she turned her gaze towards Cappie. Her eyes turned soft and her voice became low and vulnerable. "You don't believe him, do you Cappie? I care about you and I would never. I'm sorry about our fight. I really am."
Cappie stepped forward as tears began coming down Rebecca's face and he pulled her into his chest, wrapping his arms around her.
"Of course not." Cappie said into her hair before addressing Rusty in a terse voice. "Go back to your dorm Rusty. We'll talk about this later."
Cappie turned and led Rebecca into the house. As they went threw the door she looked over her shoulder at Rusty and flashed him a smile. Bitch, should be an actor, Rusty thought as Cappie slammed the door shut.
