Cassie gasped and as she opened her eyes her purse dropped to the ground. She looked up at Nick and couldn't help the tears that came to her eyes. "Nothings wrong really." she tried to sound cheerful as she leaned down to pick up her purse. Standing up right she avoided his eyes. 'How can you tell someone your sorry for hurting them as bad as I hurt him?' She thought to herself and sat the purse on top of Adam's car. Without thinking of the consequences she wrapped her arms around him and leaned her head against his shoulder. "I'm so sorry Nick, I really am. I just never... I... I'm sorry." She released him and stepping back grabbed her purse. With tears streaming down her face she ran back into Adam's house and straight into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. 'I'll never be able to fix what I've done to him... never.' She thought sadly and wondered if he hated her more now than ever.

Nick didn't know what to do. He went to return the embrace but just as quickly Cassie pulled away from him. He watched as she ran back into Adam's house. Nick was more confused than ever. What did he do now? He started to walk away, to his own house, when something caught his eye. There on the ground, something must have fell out of Cassie's purse. Nick leaned down to get it. Silly girl dropped her compact. He started to toss it into her front seat but stopped. Little Miss Cassie wasn't planning on applying some powder. Nick couldn't stop his eyes from widening. "Oral Contraceptives?" He read off the front.

She couldn't... She wouldn't... Not with Adam... Not so soon... Nick clutched the compact in his hands and walked up the path to Adam's house.

Adam looked up with a smile as he heard the front door open. But his smile quickly faded as Cassie streaked by, tears steaming down her face. "Cassie!?" He exclaimed, jumping to his feet. He followed her to the bathroom, and after a quick jiggle of the knob
proved it was locked, Adam knocked softly. "Cassie, what happened?"

He heard the doorbell ring, and looked towards the front door. He took a step towards it, but stopped. Whoever was there could wait. "Cassie, are you alright?"

Cassie opened her purse and searched for a tissue but she came up empty handed. Suddenly it hit her, her pills weren't in there. 'Oh no they must have fallen out when I dropped my purse. Oh no....' Suddenly dismay swept through her like wild fire. 'Nick's out there with my compact... maybe he won't notice.' The thought hadn't even left her mind when the doorbell rang. She heard Adam's muffled voice asking her if she was ok. 'I can't deal with this right now... I really can't. Nick's going to think that I was going... oh god... this is bad. I'm not even ready for 'that' yet.' She cursed herself silently and wiped away her tears. A plan was formulating in her mind. 'I'll just tell Adam that I dropped something at his car and that was probably Nick out there with it. I'll ask him for a few moments alone with Nick. Tell him that I'm just curious about what he did at Faye's.
Yeah that's it.'

She hated to lie to Adam but this situation could get awkward really fast, more so than it already was. Opening the door she gave Adam a dazzling smile. "Um Adam... I dropped something outside. Sorry I was in a rush to get in but I well... you know how girls act around that time of the month right?" She heard the doorbell ring again and gave
Adam her most innocent look. "That's probably Nick, I had seen him coming up the street before I had to... hurry to the bathroom. He's probably got my compact, and you know I can't go around with a shiny nose right?" Not waiting for Adam to reply she walked to the door and opened it to reveal a very curious, somewhat irate looking Nick. "Be right back Adam. I need to ask Nick something." She tossed over her shoulder and closed the door. *I'll be right back in. I want to get the dirt on what happened at Faye's. Don't interrupt. He might not talk in front of you.* She sent to Adam in her mind and hoped above all hope that he wouldn't interrupt.

Taking Nick's hand she half dragged him to the end of the drive. When she saw the compact in his hand she paled. "Nick I can explain. I've been keeping those in my purse since I moved from my house to Diana's after my grandmother passed away. They're a prescription you know. To regulate." 'Oh this is not going to be easy.' she thought sadly
and babbled on. "I know it seems. Well." She trailed off. 'I can't take this.' Her mind screamed at her to run, her common sense told her that either Nick or Adam, or probably would go after her. "It's just not what it seems." Her eyes were beginning to spill over with newfound tears. Turning away from him and the house she took in a jagged breath. 'Why am I defending myself to Nick? I'm with Adam now.' But she knew why, Nick's opinion of her still mattered to her.

Adam stared at the door after Cassie had shut it basically in his face. He felt anger starting to brew deep inside. "There is no reason to be jealous, Conant." He said to himself. He decided to let Cassie go. He picked up the glasses and the rest of the popcorn and headed towards the kitchen. "She loves you, there isn't any denying that." 'Then why did she just burst past you to talk to her ex-boyfriend who rang the bell at your house?' He put the glasses in the sink and started back towards the door. His hand only inches from the knob he stopped and sighed. "You can trust her Adam, quit being an idiot." He stepped back and sat down on the couch.

Outside however, Nick was somewhat taken aback. "I wasn't asking for an explanation." He told Cassie, his voice cold and distant. "I just thought it would be better if I gave them to you, rather than leaving them there for someone else to find." He should have
stopped then, but something dark inside pushed him on. "You know, like Diana." He stepped around in front of her and held it out, his hand palm up. "Here. Best hurry back to Adam, it's not polite to keep a man waiting." He turned on his heel and started to walk
away. Damn it, Nick, you're such an asshole. "Cassie," he said turning back around. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. You don't have to explain your self to me. We're not pretending to have a relationship anymore."

Cassie looked Nick straight in the eyes and surprisingly felt anger building up inside her. "I never pretended to have a relationship with you. I cared for you, still do but you knew what you were getting into trying to have a relationship with me." She couldn't help the coldness in her voice. How dare Nick try to say that she had been pretending to have a relationship with him! "I might be considered a dreamer sometimes but I've never faked anything like my feelings for someone." Shoving the pills back in her purse she tossed her hair over her shoulder. "But you're right though, I don't have to explain anything to you or anyone else for that matter."
She turned her back on him and started to head back to the front door but stopped, glancing at him over her shoulder. "I guess Faye's party wasn't as 'great' as you expected. Well if you'll excuse me Adam's waiting for me." Walking up to the door she jerked it open and resisted the urge to slam it. For some reason his anger at her had made her angry at him. Tossing her purse on to a table in the entryway she walked into the living room. Suppressing the urge to scream she instead gave Adam a smile. "Seems like the party was too dull for him, so he's going home. Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long. Now where were we?" Dropping down beside him on the couch she stretched out, laying her head on his lap. Just seeing Adam had calmed her down immensely.
Adam shrugged, and mindlessly began running his fingers through her hair, and drawing little designs with the tips on her forehead. "That's funny, most men get more than they bargain for with Faye." Should I ask her? Adam thought, What that was really all about?
Then he remembered what Cassie said about it being that time of the month. Better just leave it at that. "You want me to pick you up for school tomorrow?" He asked instead, changing the subject. "We're gonna get a lot of looks, it might be better if we brave them
together."
Nick watched Cassie storm off, and bit down the retort he wanted to rip off at her. That wouldn't be very nice. He ran his fingers through his short brown hair and closed his eyes for a brief second. Would someone just shoot him now? He walked to his house and went straight to his room. He slammed the door behind him and fell backwards on his bed. He didn't really know what he was getting into. Who would have thought
Cassie and Conant would have been 'spiritually connected'?

~*~*~*~

"Sounds like a plan." Chris said, finishing his soda in one gulp. "And unlike Nick, we come prepared." He said gesturing to his and Doug's cut off jean shorts. They both hung slightly past their knees, fringed at the end. Their only difference was that Chris had on
a loose white t-shirt and his hair back in a ponytail, and Doug wore a black tank top and his hair flowed loosely.

"Three chicks in bikini's and no other men in sight." Doug teased, his eyes cast towards the roof. "I think we've died and gone to heaven."

Chris laughed and flipped the television off. "We'll meet you out side." He started towards the sliding glass French doors that led to the beach. "That is unless you girls need some help..." he let his sentence trail off suggestively wiggling his eyebrows
at all three.

Deborah nodded, waving slightly back at Nick as he left Faye's. At least he had SEEMED to have a good time. Maybe talking with Faye helped. She hoped so. Then, Deb chose to look towards Suzan, and said, "Let's go get suited up."

As Deborah was going to go where Faye had gestured where the suits were, she turned around and saw Chris and Doug fooling around with Suzan. Deb smirked, and shook her head. Those two would be such fun as dad's if they reigned themselves in a little bit. She saw Faye grab a towel and head out to the beach, but hopefully Faye wouldn't' get into the water before anyone else got there. As much as they'd been in new Salem all their lives, the water was still dangerous.

Deborah chose a black swimsuit, very sleek (and slimming), and it had these little gold sparkles on it as well. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her waist, and, looking back into the living room said, "Meet you guys out there, huh?"

Chris headed out before his brother. He tested the water's temperature with an accurate thermometer. His big toe. Just right, slightly cool, but it always was no matter what time of the year. He slipped his shoes off his feet, and pulled his shirt over his head. He
dropped it on the shoes, and stepped into the small waves lapping at the edge of the beach.

Doug waited until his brother was out of earshot before turning to Suzan. Deborah had gone off to change, and he didn't' see Faye too close. "Do you want me to carry your towel or anything?' He asked, tripping over the words slightly.

Suzan was tempted to tell him where exactly he could stick the towel but thought better of it. Doug was being unusually nice to her and especially after the slap on the rear it was refreshing. Giving him a smile she said, "Sure you can take the towel out there for me. I'll meet you outside after I get changed." She ran up to Faye's room and changed quickly into a sparkling emerald green two-piece. She figured there was no need for sunscreen seeing as how the sun had set and she hurried down stairs and out Faye's back door. She looked as the rest made their way to the beach. 'Pity Nick hadn't stayed, oh well.' Making her way to the water she stuck her toes in and shivered. 'Oh this is going to be cold.' She tossed a smile to Doug and Chris. "Seems to be a little chilly boys, maybe I'll just stay on shore." She rubbed her arms furiously in attempt to get rid of the goose bumps. 'Where's Laurel and her little concoction when you needed it.' The wine had warmed her up a bit but not nearly good enough to just go out into the freezing water.

"Stop it, stop it, stop it!!!" Nick yelled at his ceiling and to himself. Enough of wallowing in his own self-pity. He stood up and quickly stripped off his clothes. Pulling on a pair of black swimming trunks, and grabbing a towel, he went down stairs and
out the back door. He started down the beach to Faye's.