A/N: How do I say this maturely? I am so so so so so so so so so so so sorry for not updating. What can I say… writer's block! I hope this chapter is okay. Thank you all so much for waiting. I love you guys.

How couldn't I have seen it?

Cassandra's unforgettable young face had stuck with me through the ages, just until I needed to remember it. When I looked at her now, in what seemed to be slow-motion, I could still make out those scarlet lips with that Shirley Temple pout, the unbelievably thick brown hair, and the same enchanting, but no longer haunted, blue eyes. And then I turned to face Mario, but he was different- someone I no longer knew. His own captivating ocean eyes had melted at the sight of her and become useless puddles, taken hostage by that smile of hers. I froze. Maybe that's why Mario had never seen me- because whenever I talked to him, I became a useless blob.

"Mario," I practically shouted, "Time to go."

Mario continued to stare after her. Her gaze didn't falter, either. Eventually, I jerked his arm roughly.

"Ow!" he rubbed his arm, "Eppie!"

"Sorry," I said, and I was.

Once he was recovered, Mario looked back as if to see Cass again.

"Who was that?" he asked, mesmerized.

I felt tears forming in my eyes. "I don't know," I lied.

"She was so…"

"Pretty?" I finished, "Entrancing? Perfect? Unbelievable…?"

"All of the above," he remarked, still looking behind him, not noticing the glare of contempt I wore so desperately.

We got onto the bus again. Mario seemed to be in a daze. I was in tears. They silently rolled down my face; I didn't make a sound. He didn't notice. I wasn't surprised. I knew what this kind of love was like.

It was raining again. It was the kind of rain that could morph your mood; putting the cynical into deep depression and the optimistic into a wet wonderland. I felt cynical today as I stepped off the bus. Mario gave a distracted wave as his only response to my departure. After I left, I saw him pull out a notebook and begin scribbling. The bus splashed water on me as it pulled away, making everything seem more dismal, if that were possible.

Hazel and Gavin were running around the apartment building when I got there. They both stopped to look at me, as I was once again soaking wet. After a moment, Gavin burst out laughing, and soon Hazel joined him.

"Thanks, thanks," I said sarcastically, moving past them to my bedroom. As soon as I shut the door, I heard them start running again.

"Stop running; you'll upset the neighbors downstairs!" I shouted. They didn't listen.

It didn't take long for more tears to start falling, and this time, I didn't hold back.

It was a long night full of crying and then imagination and make-believe; once again just pretending he was mine. But in the end, wishing and imagining didn't get me anywhere. I was still by myself, crying.

I didn't sleep, and at about 4 in the morning I realized that I wasn't going to and groggily flopped out of bed. I wondered what I was going to do until the rest of the world woke up, but it didn't take me long to think of something. I grabbed my jacket, which was the only thing that I had taken off since the afternoon, and crept out of the apartment building.

I was careful not to wake my brother or sister, who had both conked out on the couch in front of some cartoon. My mother was less likely to wake up, as she had probably only come home about an hour before. And my father… well, I didn't know where he was, so it probably didn't matter. I took a key and dropped it into my jeans pocket, and finally slipped out the door, out of the building, and onto the dark, shiny wet street.

It was so cold, but I was used to it. There was always a rainy season in Georgetown. I skipped quietly along the walk, feeling the breeze upon my cheeks. Soon the rain started up again, and I spun around in it, catching it on my tongue, drowning in its unpredictable sweetness. I became someone I didn't know, someone who didn't think about boys she could never attain or family problems she could never fix. I lost Eppie in that rainfall. I turned into someone different, someone worthy. Maybe even someone that Mario could love. And I began to sing. I didn't even know what song it was, but I never wanted it to end.

Eventually, I reached my destination. Even in the dark, I could make it out. Mario's house, on the quiet little cul-de-sac a mile away from my apartment building. Without realizing what I was doing, I lay down in front of it, letting my cheeks freeze on the cold concrete, wanting to lie in front of his house forever.

Then I saw a light.

I sprung up quickly. What if his dad or mom saw me out here? "Mario, honey, who's the freaky little girl lying in front of the house?"

The light was from the room I knew as the study. Mario's father was a literature professor and his mother was an ethobotanist, and they both spent a lot of time in it. I ducked hurriedly behind one of Mario's mother's perfect bushes and watched the light. Before long, someone… opened the window?

It was raining, but someone had thrust the window open and stuck their head out. I squinted to see who. And then I realized that it was, in fact, Mario himself. I gaped, and, before I lost him, dashed to the front of the house to wave at him.

"Mario!"

He looked down and saw me, clearly as surprised to see me as I was to see him.

"Eppie! What on earth…?"

I laughed, but Mario made a hushing gesture, and then another for me to… come up.

My heart skipped a beat as I took hold of the tallest tree in the yard and began to climb. A verse repeated itself in my mind… the things we do for love. It wasn't really for love. Mario just wanted to know what the hell I was doing here. But I climbed anyway as if he'd asked me to marry him, and finally I was able to slip slyly onto the roof and into the window.

Mario closed it soon after my squishy sneakers entered the house.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, "What are you even doing up?"

I opened my mouth to say something, but realized I couldn't really explain, "I… uh… I'm an insomniac, you see, Mario. And I… well, couldn't sleep."

Mario nodded, wanting me to go on.

"So, I… uh… took a walk. And I saw your window open. And… here we are."

He put a hand to his head, "You're something else, Eppie. You are."

I kind of giggled and tousled his hair, "Why, thank you."

He laughed, "Stop teasing."

I noticed the spread-out papers on his desk, "So… why are you up?"

"Oh," he nodded toward the desk, "I'm writing… something."

"About what?" I wanted to seem intelligent and interested.

"About… that girl."

"Oh." I wanted to tell him. I had to. "Listen, Mario, I know who she is."

Mario's face lit up like Christmas. It broke my heart, "Who?"

"Her name is… Cass. And she's in my science class."

"Cass…" he repeated it to himself, practically dancing, "Cass, Cass, Cass." He turned to me, "You know that… goddess?"
I nodded quickly, eager to impress, "We're practically friends. I could give her a letter from you, if you like."

Mario's mouth fell open, "Really?"

I nodded again.

"Eppie… thank you! Thank you so…" he suddenly hugged me and kissed my cheek.

My heart flew for a second, "I love you…"

"What?" he pulled away.

I felt my face get hot, "I mean… I love you when you're like this, Mario! So romantic!" I giggled and ruffled his hair again.

Mario laughed, but then looked out the window, "Ep, it's sunrise… you should get home, don't you think?"
"Oh!" I looked outside, "Yeah… I guess!"

He gave me one last hug. I practically screamed with joy as I climbed out of the window and danced home.