"Would you like to dance?"
Cassidy's head shot up, disturbing her thoughts. The wedding had been a success. Both Andrew and Jen had been teary-eyed. Weddings were pure, unadulterated sap. There hadn't been a dry eye in the backyard. But Cass's tears were for another reason.
The cake had just been cut and Andrew and Jenna had been separated to be complimented by each group of friends. Though accolades of a flawless ceremony would make any bride and groom blush, the two hardly heard their friends. Each had a longing for another in their eyes. Cassidy had been hypnotized by that look. It seemed so unfamiliar.
Her gaze turned to Benjamin, standing in front of her confidently.
"Pardon me?"
"I asked you if you wanted to dance."
Cassidy looked away from the blue eyes she saw herself staring at and towards the ground, shaking her head.
"No….no thank you."
Hands in pocket, Benjamin nodded.
"Okay." He paused and decided to change his approach.
"Would you like to move senselessly in accordance to the rhythm of the music being presented at this formal occasion?"
Cassidy couldn't help but smile.
"I think you just put Webster's to shame." She stood up and took his offering hand. The two walked to the centre of the dance floor and began.
"Strange. Andrew never talked about you."
"Well, you know how it goes. If you don't have anything nice to say…" Benjamin relaxed as the girl laughed. "Benjamin Harris. I'd, uh, shake your hand, but I don't want to remove their position at the moment." He grinned and nodded towards his hands placement on the girl's waist.
"So let me do the honours." Cassidy took a step back from the dancing and shook the young man's hand. "Cassidy Adamson. Nice to meet you." She hesitated before resuming dancing with Benjamin.
"Cancer…" Ben said somberly.
"Excuse me?"
"You're a Cancer." Ben's tone had changed to that of a gentler one. "My mother was a Cancer."
"…Oh…I'm….sorry…"
Ben let out a small laugh. "Don't be. She's still alive."
"Oh….but…how did you know?"
Ben shrugged off the question and looked around at the guests gossiping, fretting, awing, eating. He looked down at his companion.
"Lactose intolerant?"
"What?"
"Not big on the cake?" Ben nodded to her seat at the table. Her piece of cake had been played with but hardly touched.
"Well, 1 out of 2 isn't bad, Sherlock. No…I…" Ben took a deep breath as he felt the girl's body stiffen. Cassidy looked to the ground. Why did this conversation feel so familiar? With anyone else, it would have been awkward and insulting, but this? The girl knew her limits, however. She wasn't about to expose past demons and disorders that seemed to be catching up with her. Especially today. Change of topic.
"So, how do you know Andrew?"
"We met at the same strip club." He laughed as the girl pulled away. "I'm joking. Work. We work at the same strip club."
Cassidy laughed.
"And everyone seems to think that's a joke." Ben chuckled and suddenly stopped dancing. A wave of nausea fell over him and he put his hands over his eyes.
"Benjamin? Are you alright?" Cassidy put her hand onto his shoulder but snatched it back as she suddenly felt a spark. Ben felt it too.
"Yeah…um…I think…I think I'm going to sit down…or at least…"
He saw it. He saw her. He saw the demons. And they were overwhelming.
The whole wedding had disappeared into darkness and cold. No voices could be heard. Except hers. The voice of her past, present and future.
The curse was coming back to him.
What he saw was a personal holocaust.
A little girl being contract to another. A child being tested with syringes and experimented until death seemed like the best option. A troubled pre- teen who wouldn't eat. A teenager who was killing herself over appearance.
A young woman being tortured to death.
When Benjamin came to, he was in a cold sweat. He looked around his surroundings. He was in a bedroom. A girl's bedroom, given the Ben Affleck and Matchbox 20 posters on the wall. A laptop on a desk. A cat's basket to the side.
Could it be—
The door opened and Cassidy stepped in carrying a glass of water and an Asprin. She gave weak smile and sat down at the side of the bed, turning the Tweety Bird lamp on.
"Hey," she said, offering the glass and the medicine. "How are you holding up?"
Benjamin couldn't respond. He couldn't even look at her. In just seconds, he had read her. He knew her past, and what would happen. A shiver of fear crossed his spine. He had invaded her privacy and for that alone, he was a monster. Ben shook his head, only taking to water and pill, not verbally responding.
"Andrew says you should stay the night."
Benjamin peered over to look at the time. 2:48 AM. He had been passed out for five hours.
"Well, not here, because, well, this is my room, so…" Cassidy gave a small smile. She looked at Benjamin, who's stare seemed like that of pity, of sorrow and of mourning. Her back went up.
"Or…you…" She shook her head. "Maybe, you should just stay here."
She stood up and walked to the door.
"Cassidy!" Benjamin burst out.
The girl turned, somewhat alarmed.
"Yes?"
He shook his head. He looked up to see that she had almost made her way out of the room.
"I just wanted to hear myself…say your name…." He lay his head down, not wondering if she had heard his statement.
Cassidy stood in the hall's darkness for a moment and closed the door.
She had.
Cassidy's head shot up, disturbing her thoughts. The wedding had been a success. Both Andrew and Jen had been teary-eyed. Weddings were pure, unadulterated sap. There hadn't been a dry eye in the backyard. But Cass's tears were for another reason.
The cake had just been cut and Andrew and Jenna had been separated to be complimented by each group of friends. Though accolades of a flawless ceremony would make any bride and groom blush, the two hardly heard their friends. Each had a longing for another in their eyes. Cassidy had been hypnotized by that look. It seemed so unfamiliar.
Her gaze turned to Benjamin, standing in front of her confidently.
"Pardon me?"
"I asked you if you wanted to dance."
Cassidy looked away from the blue eyes she saw herself staring at and towards the ground, shaking her head.
"No….no thank you."
Hands in pocket, Benjamin nodded.
"Okay." He paused and decided to change his approach.
"Would you like to move senselessly in accordance to the rhythm of the music being presented at this formal occasion?"
Cassidy couldn't help but smile.
"I think you just put Webster's to shame." She stood up and took his offering hand. The two walked to the centre of the dance floor and began.
"Strange. Andrew never talked about you."
"Well, you know how it goes. If you don't have anything nice to say…" Benjamin relaxed as the girl laughed. "Benjamin Harris. I'd, uh, shake your hand, but I don't want to remove their position at the moment." He grinned and nodded towards his hands placement on the girl's waist.
"So let me do the honours." Cassidy took a step back from the dancing and shook the young man's hand. "Cassidy Adamson. Nice to meet you." She hesitated before resuming dancing with Benjamin.
"Cancer…" Ben said somberly.
"Excuse me?"
"You're a Cancer." Ben's tone had changed to that of a gentler one. "My mother was a Cancer."
"…Oh…I'm….sorry…"
Ben let out a small laugh. "Don't be. She's still alive."
"Oh….but…how did you know?"
Ben shrugged off the question and looked around at the guests gossiping, fretting, awing, eating. He looked down at his companion.
"Lactose intolerant?"
"What?"
"Not big on the cake?" Ben nodded to her seat at the table. Her piece of cake had been played with but hardly touched.
"Well, 1 out of 2 isn't bad, Sherlock. No…I…" Ben took a deep breath as he felt the girl's body stiffen. Cassidy looked to the ground. Why did this conversation feel so familiar? With anyone else, it would have been awkward and insulting, but this? The girl knew her limits, however. She wasn't about to expose past demons and disorders that seemed to be catching up with her. Especially today. Change of topic.
"So, how do you know Andrew?"
"We met at the same strip club." He laughed as the girl pulled away. "I'm joking. Work. We work at the same strip club."
Cassidy laughed.
"And everyone seems to think that's a joke." Ben chuckled and suddenly stopped dancing. A wave of nausea fell over him and he put his hands over his eyes.
"Benjamin? Are you alright?" Cassidy put her hand onto his shoulder but snatched it back as she suddenly felt a spark. Ben felt it too.
"Yeah…um…I think…I think I'm going to sit down…or at least…"
He saw it. He saw her. He saw the demons. And they were overwhelming.
The whole wedding had disappeared into darkness and cold. No voices could be heard. Except hers. The voice of her past, present and future.
The curse was coming back to him.
What he saw was a personal holocaust.
A little girl being contract to another. A child being tested with syringes and experimented until death seemed like the best option. A troubled pre- teen who wouldn't eat. A teenager who was killing herself over appearance.
A young woman being tortured to death.
When Benjamin came to, he was in a cold sweat. He looked around his surroundings. He was in a bedroom. A girl's bedroom, given the Ben Affleck and Matchbox 20 posters on the wall. A laptop on a desk. A cat's basket to the side.
Could it be—
The door opened and Cassidy stepped in carrying a glass of water and an Asprin. She gave weak smile and sat down at the side of the bed, turning the Tweety Bird lamp on.
"Hey," she said, offering the glass and the medicine. "How are you holding up?"
Benjamin couldn't respond. He couldn't even look at her. In just seconds, he had read her. He knew her past, and what would happen. A shiver of fear crossed his spine. He had invaded her privacy and for that alone, he was a monster. Ben shook his head, only taking to water and pill, not verbally responding.
"Andrew says you should stay the night."
Benjamin peered over to look at the time. 2:48 AM. He had been passed out for five hours.
"Well, not here, because, well, this is my room, so…" Cassidy gave a small smile. She looked at Benjamin, who's stare seemed like that of pity, of sorrow and of mourning. Her back went up.
"Or…you…" She shook her head. "Maybe, you should just stay here."
She stood up and walked to the door.
"Cassidy!" Benjamin burst out.
The girl turned, somewhat alarmed.
"Yes?"
He shook his head. He looked up to see that she had almost made her way out of the room.
"I just wanted to hear myself…say your name…." He lay his head down, not wondering if she had heard his statement.
Cassidy stood in the hall's darkness for a moment and closed the door.
She had.