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Chapter 8


"I am so proud of you Jude," Casey tinked her glass cup filled to the brim with a delicious malt shake, right up against Jude's chocolate one, her giddy best friend was generous with her statements, "you really are a grown up, standing up for the people you love! A little lady ready to marry," she teased her mother's stupid saying, the same from years ago when Mrs. Whitney had caught Conner kneeling to tie his football cleat in front of a sweaty aggravated Jude. She remembered her pretty pink cheeks swelling red while he proceeded to try to marry her with the beautiful diamond ring that did not belong to them, while she was still wearing her stinky soccer uniform, wiping her forehead against her no longer white sleeves, "do you remember when he brought out mom's old wedding ring right before his CIF game-"

"How could I forget," Jude said dryly, not wanting to relive it, "your mom has tiny fingers," Conner had the hardest time playing husband to be when Jude's un-feminine thick fingers try to fit in the delicate ones of his mother, "he made a fool of the both of us."

"He sure did," Casey smiled to herself, no judgment in her eyes, "This is so much more satisfying than that, I love when you get all awkward, your face is so funny," she said jumping her excited butt on her red bulbous booth seats.

Jude scowled, "I don't make faces."

"Oh yes you do, pissy face. It used to scare me, but now I like it," Casey said letting the whole company of Debbie's Diner in on their conversation, it looked like all Forks was out for breakfast this gloomy clouded day, she drained away her energetic passion with a sigh, "it reminds me of the old days."

She was so full of it, "You were too young for the old days."

"I still remember," Casey sat before her like a ball of pure sunlight, a content smirk growing on her lips, "I am so proud that you finally confronted him," she said once again, kicking Jude under the table, "I can't wait till you actually get Leah or your Mom to open up, if you can get Harry to-"

"Okay, okay," Jude moved her legs away, no longer amused with her, "Okay we get it, you don't have to make a big deal about my future conversations with my estranged family."

"Not so much estranged," she disagreed, "And he actually talked to you," she repeated louder as if she still couldn't believe it, pretending like this is the first time she heard it, "your Dad actually talked to you," no longer making it a secret to the breakfast munching customers easily in hearing distance of her shameless antics, "My god, Jude, this calls for a celebration!"

"I don't know why we're celebrating," Jude felt like a rain cloud followed her here, "I didn't even get to talk to anyone, but my Dad," she did not remember her mother or Leah coming to speak to her, only a stony faced Harry, not giving her anything to work with, "and he was the one that came to the store to speak to me, not the other way around, so I don't think it is worth repeating my bravery of talking to him instead of ignoring him when he came to me."

"Semantics," Casey knocked her knee against Jude's, "don't let that get to you, you still confronted your demons!"

Demons. A fabled Cold One could have given Jude a little more heat, possibly suck her dry in the process, but still, it would mean he was addressing her, Jude pleaded, "please don't tell anyone," she would hate that, "I didn't enjoy doing it, causing even more drama, and now I don't think he's ever going to talk to me again about why I came back, or even open up enough for me to even make peace with him," for the past week after talking to her father, Jude had been depressed, sullen in her repetitive schedule at Mark's Mart, only daring to go to the Downtown early morning or late in the night.

Only going at the times she couldn't be terrorizing her mother, as Jude's father had carefully put it.

"Wow, who replaced the old Jude with this?" Casey didn't see the reason to mope, finding her story at the least a bit entertaining, "Did you punch anyone?" Jude gave her a look that made Casey outright laugh, "I would not have wanted to be there for that conversation," she whistled, catching Jude's upset face, "or maybe I should have been there, at least to get you out of this funk, you obviously got nothing off your chest. If you did, there would have been a fight," she was the only one that found Harry's insults as funny, "come on, you can tell me, was there just a little fight?"

"No, there wasn't," Jude was done with her playfulness, "drop it Casey."

"Fine, be a sore butt," Casey piped up when Jude wouldn't continue, "What did Billy say while your Dad was talking mess to you? He seems like the reasonable one out of all the Elders."

"He is," Jude let herself smile, "he let my dad talk, not really butting it, but he was understanding afterwards," she remembered his soft authority very fondly, "honestly Billy was amazing throughout the whole thing, maybe I should give him a gift or something, he deserves it after putting up with our family drama," Jude confessed, letting the memories roll over her, "after that day, he has been the closest thing to a father-," no that wasn't right, no one could replace her father, "no, he is more like a good friend, the one true friend I can count on since I have been back-"

Casey looked upset with that statement, jealous even, "-Hey, what have I been this whole time?"

"Well, except you Casey," but that was a given, "you've always been here, you're my best friend," Jude dismissed it when Casey flashed her an agreeing smile, "I just never expected it coming from Billy, did you expect it to turn out like this?"

"Never," she got a giggle from her as she bit on her straw, denting it beyond repair, "I was ready for them to kick you out of La Push the moment you came back," Casey giggled louder as Jude blanched, "it didn't happen, it didn't happen," as if that made it better, "besides, what is he up to right now? What is your Billy friend doing today? Maybe we can pay him a visit," was her grand idea to raise Jude's spirits.

"He's just," Jude sighed, upset with it all, going back into her overwhelmed rain cloud self, "he's too busy right now for people to visit," Jude told her that Billy was ignoring her friendly calls the week leading up to this point. His excuse, he had to stay home and help Jacob, whom had supposedly gone down with- Mono?

"Isn't that a kissing disease," Casey scrunched up her lips, "oh Jacob, let me kiss you Jacob, please I love you!"

"Shut-up," Jude pushed Casey playful lips away, looking around to see no one really paying them attention, they knew Casey's excitable nature, nothing was new about it, "stop it Casey, I do not have a crush on him."

"Good, don't be like those girls," Casey took her spoon and dug it into her strawberry malt, talking with her mouth full of the pink dessert, "or else you get sick with Mono too."

"You're disgusting," Jude didn't mean it, and Casey winked as they continued their drawn out breakfast in one of the booths at Debbie's Diner, enjoying this Friday in February Jude had decided take off. Not only did Casey take the day off too, but she was her trusty driver to get here. Jude needed this day of vacation, a break from La Push. Old Quil was being unbearable at Mark's Mart, his tyranny being even more rude than usual.

Of course, Casey would be on her team, she had a vendetta against the racist asshole Elder, "He told you what?"

Jude repeated Old Quil's warning words, more like a threat, "That if I didn't sweep up all the extra rooms upstairs, he was going to have to fire me, and have someone else move in there, as if anyone wants to sleep where a guy died a few months ago."

"True, talk about creepy. You know what I think? I think, Old Quil is just a scared old man," she sounded so sure, "and he hides being afraid of the upstairs by putting you to work where he would rather not have anything to do with. I mean out of everyone, he knew Old Marks better than anyone, it is only natural that he is scared to see his best-bud lurking up there," Casey agreed with herself while Jude didn't really believe it, Old Quil was too old to be afraid of things like spirits, it was all just an act, probably to mess with her about her past experiences with ghosts, seeing things that were actually not there, the way Billy put it.

Casey asked, "when are they cleaning Old Marks stuff out? Didn't he have family to pick up all his junk?"

Jude nodded, "they are coming next week to get his stuff from the Makah Rez, Old Quil is renting a dumpster during that day, and whatever they don't take, I am throwing away," good riddance, Jude thought, maybe then she could find the space to actually buy something of her own, rather than having to look at someone else's stuff still there, "so Old Quil is going to pay me to get rid of all the trash and his things, hopefully Billy calls me back and I can have one of Sam's boys come and help me."

"Sam?" that perked Casey up, "Sam Uley, like Leah's Sam?"

Jude and Casey shared a hateful look with one another, they knew that story, her Forks insider leaned forward, "I thought I told you Sam broke up with your sister, why would you want anything to do with him?"

"I don't," gritted Jude through her teeth, "but there is no getting rid of him, he is Emily's Sam now," Jude didn't feel like gossiping about her baby sister, and the reason why their closest cousin had stolen the love of Leah's life, but she did, telling Casey about what Aunt Joy had confirmed over bagels and coffee.

"That sucks," Casey pitied her little sister, "no wonder she is so pissy."

"Yup," Jude pushed her chocolate malt shake away, "honestly having to see his boys everywhere, and knowing Billy is fine with whatever youth group Sam is running in La Push… something just feels off about it, you know, they seem… so much older than high-school kids, too mature, too mean-looking," she explained to Casey that Sam's guys were the same ones they saw talking to the flirting girls, and that they were in fact the same age as them, all in high-school, possibly even younger than Casey.

"This just gets better and better, what are they feeding those boys? Steroids?" Casey shook her head looking out the window at the end of their table, the rain dripping down, "you could always work in Forks," was Casey's advice, "move in with me and my mom, we have an extra room."

That was never going to work, "Your mom wouldn't want me at her house, come on Casey, be serious for once."

Casey smiled wider, that scared Jude, "She already said yes!"

"She did?"

The idea rolled in her mind, bursting with joy, "She did! She said I come live with you guys," and Jude felt guilty for even thinking it, being tempted, because at least Old Quil had given her a place to stay, very close to her alright paying job, a place, rent-free, where not one person was there to question, scold, or judge her in that bleak upstairs room, only Old Mark, but his unseen ghost didn't count.

"Of course you can move in with us, my mom is hardly at home, and it gets lonely when I am the only one there-"

"No Casey," Jude touched her jade amulet once again, "I can't leave La Push Casey, it wouldn't be right."

"Fine, I'll let it go, stay in your creepy house, but don't come crying- wait, where did you get that from again," Casey finally noticed the necklace Jude had been wearing since Jordan and had turned one year old, and the necklace that was not meant to be seen since it was usually kept under her shirt, to avoid a conversation very much like this one.

"Oh this little thing," she deflected the importance of it, Jude showed off the shiny green of the jade stone, hanging on a leather loop and necklace, "A Spirit Healer in New Mexico gave it to me."

"It's cute," Casey made a motion with a hand to give it to her, "hand it over, I want to see how it looks on me," Jude clenched her fist over it, as if taking it off would be the death of them both.

"Um…" Jude calmed herself from acting like a psycho, "Yeah, that's not going to happen."

Jude's phone rang, startling them both, and then their faces brightened at the New Mexico number, this was about the time of the day that Susan called her and let her talk to Jordan, Jude smiled into the receiver, "Hello?"

His high pitched voice screamed in her ear, "Momma!?"

"Hi Jordan," Casey turned into mush before her, just like Jude did when she heard her son speak, "how is your day going?"

"Mommy, Mommy, Gamma plays too," he was eating breakfast, Jude could hear Jordan playing with his favorite spoon, "we are watching a movie!"

"You're watching a movie? What is it about baby," Jude cooed into the phone, smiling at Casey that leaned on her arms as she proceeded to baby talk for a few minutes until Jordan got distracted by something his Gampa was doing.

"That's the longest he spoke to you," Susan sounded surprised as she put herself on speaker phone, Jude did the same so both Casey and Jude could hear Jordan singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star in the background, "how are you girls doing?"

"Doing good," Jude nodded, "I told Casey about what happened with my Dad."

"I told you girls," said Susan who huffed like she was trying to lift something, by the sound of of cups beings scrapped against one another, she was doing the dishes, "if you guys feel like coming back, you are more than welcome, this is your home Jude, however long you want it to be. You don't need to be around people that are poisonous and not even allowing you to speak from the heart-"

"Susan, please," Jude had to stop her right there, before she upset Casey, Casey never liked when people tempted her with returning back so far to New Mexico, while she was trying to play the devil's advocate and get them to move to Washington.

"You know," Casey was in that very state of mind, "you can move up here Susan, the weather in Washington is nice during the Spring, and I found a house just in your price range."

"Nice try Casey," Jude grinned knowingly at her, "but, they love where they live, right Susan?"

Susan laughed over the line, "That's right Jude, this is home, we already have-" she huffed, clicking her tongue, "I am going to have to call you back, this little guy needs a shower," it sounded like she scared him, because little Jordan squealed and then giggled endlessly, both Casey and Jude shared a smile.

That sounded like a problem in a need of a fix, "Sure Sue, thank you for all of this! Have a good one!"

Jude hanged up, and Casey gave her a funny look.

"What?"

"You called her Sue."

"I did not," Jude became defensive, "I called her Susan, I always call her Susan," Jude did, she never wanted to mix her up with the mother that bore her into this world and Susan Greene, even if their names were very similar to each other.

"You did! You did, I just heard you, you're so busted," Casey leaned back in her seat, "just confess, you miss your mom!"

"Well come on Casey," that was not a secret, Jude had never hidden that truth, "Of course I miss my mother, I never stopped," Jude mumbled, aggravated with Casey's bugging ways, "what do you think I am doing here, playing a game with them? I miss Seth, Leah, my mom, hell, even my dad, I want them to see that I am not a piece of shit anymore. That I have changed."

"We know that. Doesn't that count for anything? Don't I count for anything," Casey tapped her nose, "if they don't see it, then they are stupid."

"If only everyone could think like you do Casey," Jude was honestly surprised the Forks Senior destined to fly to Washington State had stuck around for this long, anyone with two brain cells would never wasted breath on the chick that broke up with your older brother.

"You can only wish," Casey grinned, savoring the compliment, "hey, guess what, I wanted to tell you that we are starting soccer season again, it starts next week? Would you like to come out?"

"What?" Jude found herself smiling, the rush of the game, spectators, and fresh mowed grass heavy on the mind, "I could do that? I can come out to Forks?"

"Sure you can, we always need more coaches," she told her in earnest, "we practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays," Casey said just as excited as Jude was feeling, "I wasn't sure you wanted to do it, it's been forever since I've seen you play."

"Of course I want to, this is what I need, just wait," Jude giggled with her, "you won't be able to get rid of me now."

"Good," Casey looked pleased with herself, until a police officer walked over to them, his badge gleaming, hits black boots slapping against the Diner's tiles, and his dark brown mustache trimmed perfectly, as he came to stop before their table.

It was as if their careless conversation as hauled over the burning coals. Their Diner conversations had always been like this, no ceremony but to vent about tedious abstracts of their live, a chatting crescendo of their changed circumstances, and all of her mindless brisk chatter came to a dead stop as Jude looked up at Charlie Swan's dark brown eyes, his curious eyes were alright with something akin to wonder, "Jude? Is that you?"

"Oh shit," Casey raised her hands playfully, not relinquishing her unabashed humor, as if they had been caught in the act of something deviant, "what did you do Jude? They haven't caught you yet here, we didn't do anything officer, it was all her idea-"

Jude for once ignored her, "Hello Charlie, yeah it's me," there was a young woman trailing behind him, her attention stolen to the younger, shorter, and prettier version of Charlie, but equally pale as she no doubt inherited from him, as if they both had refused to be in the sun, not entirely impossible for people that lived in Forks, "is this your daughter Charlie?"

The Chief of Police turned to introduce Isabella, Bella, whom was very pretty in her casual dress. Pretty in a soft around the edges and brown doe-eyed type of way, and she was not even wearing makeup on her clear snow white face. She looked like the kind of person you would trust to babysit your kid, but not want to pressure to play soccer because she would break under the stress. Doll-like. Jude could see why Jacob had fallen for her, "it's nice to meet you Bella."

"Nice," she said softly while Jude shook Bella's soft hand with her scarred and calloused one.

Good awkward Old Charlie, not giving Bella a chance to answer, jumped into his friendly charade, "how are things on the Rez."

"Good," Jude shrugged, "can't complain."

Charlie nodded, deep in thought, "I heard your Dad's not doing so good," his face dropped as Jude's calm expression changed to sadness, "I'm sorry to hear that Jude, Harry was the only one I could get a hold of since Billy has given me the cold shoulder, he wanted me to know, and" he implied, "if you need anything from us, we are here for you guys," and Jude felt panic go over her body at his unknowingly said words.

All she heard, all she could think was, "My dad's not," the words didn't process, "he's not doing good? He's sick?"

"You didn't know," Charlie blushed for some reason, "I just assumed that he talked to you about his heart problem-"

Jude's eyebrows rose, "He has a heart problem," Jude felt even worse now, why had she never asked, why had she never suspected?

Casey spoke up for her malfunctioning mouth, "Jude's not really on speaking terms with her parents," she shrugged, "you understand, it's difficult or her to talk about it."

"Thanks Casey," Jude grumbled, "but I can speak for myself."

Casey fussed, "Don't look at me like I was the one that told you," she held her hands up again as Jude frowned deeply at her, "just letting him now before he says anything else that freaks you out."

"I'm sorry Jude," Charlie got a call, "I have to take this," retreating from the awkwardness to take the token of escape, "Bella," he nudged his head to his silent and watching daughter, "you girls can keep her company for a sec for me?" Like she was a kid instead of an already grown adult.

The immediate scowl on Bella's face was laughable, Casey and Jude both had to hold back their smirks, and nodded for his poor daughter's sake.

"Thanks girls," said Charlie in a rush, and stepped out to talk, obviously a busy man.

Bella Swan stood there, awkwardly blushing.

She reminded her so much of Charlie, like father like daughter it would seem, "Bella," Jude felt the need to break the glacier that stood between them, "why don't you sit next to me, I know all about Dad's embarrassing you in front of strangers, mine is the worst," she patted right next to her and the girl sat down, Jude gave Casey a warning look, as if she would pounce on her the moment she sat down.

Casey did not listen, taking advantage of the superstar Bella Swan, "so is it true that you are dating Jacob Black? I was talking to Jessica about it and she told me-"

"Casey," Jude groaned, "shut-up," she sighed as Casey did so, looking over at the very shy Bella, whom was red as a tomato, "I'm sorry about my friend, she lacks the part of her brain that tells her to stop talking-"

"Hey!"

Jude ignored Casey's grumbles like a professional, "so how are you enjoying Forks Bella, I only came a month ago, and honestly everything looks so different now."

Bella's thinly plucked eyebrows came together, "You've been gone," those were the first words that left her naturally cherry red lips, "Charlie never told me-"

"He wouldn't have talked about me, I was not surprised my own dad didn't tell yours that I was back in town," Jude smirked with Casey, "If it's not obvious, I am kind of the black sheep of the Clearwater clan, like Casey was just telling me, she is surprised that the Council even let me back into La Push, let me have a place to stay. Runaway girls are not really let back," Jude nodded as Bella's eyes widened in awareness to what type of person she was sitting next to, "but you already knew that, didn't you Bella?"

"No, I never heard it," Bella shook her head disagreeing, her strawberry scented lotion overtook the table, it made Jude sneeze, "no one ever tells me anything," she fumbled with the words, "I don't know what's happening in La Push, Billy won't even answer my Dad anymore."

"He's busy man that Billy Black," Casey tries, like she knew anything about it, "he won't even make time for Jude, and everyone knows he loves her like a daughter."

Jude had to roll her eyes at that comment, "that is what Billy has Rachel and Rebecca for. He doesn't need me. He does fine with just Jacob."

"Jacob," that brought Bella into the conversation, "you know Jacob?"

"Who doesn't," Casey pulled the same line, the one she had said when Jude asked about the girl asking the question, "he is the most popular boy on the Rez, right Jude? Didn't you see him flirting with all the girls from tribal school, even gave one of them a big smooch-" she winked at a pissed off Jude, unabashed from stirring the pot, openly enjoying that Bella looked as if someone shot her puppy.

"Don't listen to a thing Casey says," Jude bit her lip at her best friend, a threat for later, "she is just trying to rile you up, we don't know Jacob, I just know his Dad, and from what I see he behaves himself? Why?" Jude said cautiously, trying not to push her father away, "Did he go AWOL like Billy?"

Bella opened up a little too easily, desperate, she had a presence of deep sadness as she rubbed her chest, saying, "he told me to wait until he called me, he didn't call me back after that," she rubbed her chest harder, "when Charlie called Billy," she grabbed her shirt, "he said that Jake couldn't come to the phone, I heard him right there talking, and he couldn't take the extra steps just to tell me himself."

Casey had a word for that, "What an asshole-"

"Casey," Jude saw the way it made Bella flinch, "right now is not the time, but she is right Bella," there was no better way to put it, "guys can be jerks sometimes, even when their trying to do the right thing."

"Jake's not a jerk," she corrected Jude, leaning back in her seat, "that just isn't him, it never was him, I know there is something wrong happening, with Sam's gang-"

"Gang?" that was the first time Jude heard it termed that way, "no Sam isn't a gang leader, he is starting a youth group, he works with the patrol and security for La Push," it made her laugh just thinking of it, "he doesn't have the balls for starting a gang. Sam's more," how should Jude portray the asshole that dropped her baby sister, "a patronizing fool that only follows the rules, I doubt Jacob would ever follow a tool like him."

Casey laughed too, she agreed with any put down for Sam. Jude had taught her well.

Bella didn't agree with them, she was silent, even turned more troubled as she looked only at the table, rubbing her hand where she already had scratched marks.

The marks disturbed her, and Jude remembered the eighteen year old story, of what Bella had lived through, and for once saw how devastated love could make someone, and how Jacob was doing what the Cullen guy must have done before him. This was genuine hurt, suffering at it's finest.

"Bella?" Jude had to ask, "you're still suspicious of Sam?"

"Yes," Bella was so certain, "Jake said the other guys in his class were scared of him," it sounded all wrong, but the look in Bella's eyes, it meant Jake must had told her this in honesty, "that they started following Sam out of nowhere, and forgot everyone else. They stopped being his friends at school, and just stayed in their own gang. It scared Jake," she repeated, for once the worry in her voice was no longer funny.

Casey leaned over, and Bella flinched as her best friend attempted to rub the grieving girl's shaking hands, "I'm sorry your going through this Bella, and I hope Jake comes back to you, that he sees how much you love him." That was nice of Casey, these brief moments of kindness is why she had stuck around with Casey Baby, even if they had a strained bickering relationship, at least she could be kind when the opportunity showed itself.

Bella didn't take the act of kindness in the right way, not comfortable with Casey's exuberant behavior, "I don't feel like that," she took her hand away from Casey, putting her quivering hands in her lap under the table, "I don't love him, well," Bella blushed, it was so easy with a complexion like hers, "not like that."

"Oh," Jude felt something warm come to her heart at that revelation, "so he isn't interested in you like that, you guys are just friends," Jude thought she could no longer be surprised after hearing her story, and once again she found herself wrong with Bella, "Billy made it seem like you both were something more-"

"He does," Bella whispered, "Jake does feel that way for me, but I- I can't let him-"

"Oh my god," Casey shook her head sadly, "your still stuck on Edward! You can't move on from him!"

That is when the poor traumatized girl shot up, and raced from the booth at the declaration of her old flame, the Diner's glass entrance doors vibrating with the big push she made her hurried escape, "what did I say," Casey shrugged as if she had not just traumatized someone, "she is obviously still hung on him," and without a second thought Jude leaned over to bonk Casey on her big ass head.

"Hey, what was that for!"

"You are a horrible person, you didn't have to say those things," Jude watched the way Bella got into the passenger side of her father's police cruiser, ducking down, and pulling her hood over her head, "you just had to go and mention him, didn't you? You saw how she was acting with just talking about Jacob, how shy she is, and you go and scare her off!"

"I was just stating the obvious," Casey growled, "it's been months since she stopped dating Edward Cullen, honestly this is a wake up call, I hate how everyone at school walks around eggshells when she is around, like saying the Cullens existed is killing her-"

Jude screamed, "This isn't about you!"

The Diner was deathly quiet, the waitress stood in front of their booth, hands on her hips, and Jude sighed loudly, "I'm sorry, here," she gave her the total, and a gracious tip to go with it, she actually liked coming here, "I will take her out," she took Casey by the arm, and back to her Jeep parked outside.

Jude was serious, "I want to go home Casey, I'm tired," and she did not want to see the police cruiser from the side of her vision, no doubt Bella was crying her eyes out inside, and the moment the Chief of Police saw his daughter, he would know, know what they did.

As they were driving back to La Push, the air wiping past their faces, and Jude thankful for once it wasn't raining, Casey spoke over the roar of the engine, "why do you care about her anyways, why would it bother you?"

"It wasn't nice."

Casey was not convinced, "Did you want to hear more about what she thought of Sam Uley's gang?"

Jude whipped her hair from her face, "No, that's ridiculous."

Casey's eyes lighted up, "Then you wanted to hear about Jacob?"

That was the most absurd of them all, and yet Jude had been pushing, pushing Bella for everything she knew about Jacob Black.

That was so unlike her, the cunning, she had tried to make her open up,and that made no sense to Jude.

"I didn't," yes, she did. Jude wanted to know more about him, sure Jacob was no different from the over-sexualized young high schoolers, the dark and mysterious impression they had made on her the week before, and still, that was not reason enough for to go to these lengths…

Jude made up something stupid, "she looked sad, didn't you see it."

"That's how Bella always looks," Casey brushed it off.

"Exactly," Jude rubbed her lips, "think of looking like that all the time, having to feel like shit for people disappointing you, people not thinking you are worth the trouble," her families faces, her father, her mother, Leah, and even a smiling Seth flashed before her misty grey eyes, "it makes our lives look pretty good, right?"

For once, Casey Whitney didn't have anything to say.