"Isn't it a nice day out?" Her smile broke the happy meter, and she looked so blissful Peter began to wonder if drugs were involved.
He looked up at the sky, overcast with snow clouds; it was grey outside–a very non-nice, bleak day. How she found it pleasant was beyond him… "I think it looks more dreary, today…"
She looked at him and smiled. "Everyday can be pleasant if you look at it the right way; for instance, with the weather like this, I don't have to worry about getting a sunburn–there's too many clouds. And the way the world looks grey makes people pop out! You can see life much more easier on days like this."
He smiled, cheeks flushing pink. "You're right…"
She laughed and looked down at Cocoa. "Anyway, I'm glad you went out of your way to help me understand a simple poem. I can be a bit slow sometimes. I think I get stupidity from my dad, or at least that's what my mother would say." She laughed.
"I don't think you're stupid… I think there's more to you than you let on…"
She looked over to see him staring at the ground, his face bright red. A sad smile crossed her face and she looked away.
"Is it that obvious?"
"Would you say you're happy? …You don't have to lie to me… I won't think less of you…"
"I am, but I'm not. It's like…"
She stopped in mid-stride and looked at the ground, searching for words. He stopped and looked at her, a mildly curious look on his face. She huffed and threw a hand in the air.
"I'm very happy, but it's like it covers things up, even for me. I don't dwell on pain much. I lose myself in music and fairytales, instead… I guess what I mean is…it's a sad kind of happiness…" She laughed. "Although you probably think I'm some kind of moron with small problems that aren't worth suffering over."
"…Is that really what you think all Goths think like? I don't think that at all… Even it it's over something small and insignificant…pain is still pain… I mean…my friends might think that of you…but I don't…"
She looked at him smiled. "Thank you… I'm sorry if I offended you… We should probably get back."
When they got back, her parents' cars were in the driveway. "They're early…" She looked up and said the F-word. "Craig's probably got a suspension this time… I don't think…" She winced and looked at him. "Could you come over tomorrow instead?"
"Why not now?"
"My parents get mad and make a racket. I've learned to tune it out, but you might get distracted…"
He looked slightly frightened. "N-No… I–I won't get distracted… I just want to…" He trailed off, his cheeks turning pink.
She looked at him, delightfully curious. "Just what?"
"I…I just want to try and see if we can get anything done…"
She laughed. "Alright, but you're kind of digging your own grave, here…"
He smiled a little and she walked to the backyard to let the dogs off their leashes. They immediately began to bark, but she ignored them and left them jumping at the sliding back door in a frenzy.
She sighed and walked to the front door after closing the gate; he followed her. As she opened the door, muffled voices turned to shouts and screams as the tense quiet became shattered by the chaos within.
"What were you thinking, Craig!? You're turning into your father and I won't–"
"What's wrong with how I am!? I've got character!"
"You're a violent bastard and your son is turning out to be just like you!"
"Well, it's nice to see where he gets his bitchy whining from, Nicole!"
"Don't you ever call me a bitch in front of my own children, Thomas."
Peter flinched a little and Cassie patted his shoulder, turning to look at her brother on the couch. He looked worn out. Her parents exchanged the finger and Craig returned it behind their backs as he sneered.
Cassie's voice was not quite loud; it was more like a weak cry. "Mom… Could I take a friend to my room to study?" However, her voice was lost to their bickering.
"Why are you yelling at me, Nicole!? This is about your son!"
"My son!? He's just as much mine as he is yours!!"
"The kid still hasn't said why he beat up the Cummings boy! Maybe he had a good reason! Didja ever think of that, or did you decide to just go flying off the handle because you could!?"
"That's just it, Thomas! There's never a good reason for resorting to violence! Do you realize what he did!?"
"M-Mom…? …Dad…?"
"Yes I do, Nicole! He nearly killed the boy! I personally think that little bat freak deserved it, too! Gave him a taste of what he practically lusts after! He was due for a severe wake-up call!" This earned her father a smirk from Craig that went unnoticed, and he continued to rant. "Did you know there's more of them!? He runs around with a gang! Our son beat up a drug-crazed gang member! I say he deserves a medal!"
"What did you say!? The Cummings boy is only fourteen, Thomas! It was completely unprovoked and he didn't deserve it!"
Before Craig's father could retort, her brother stood up. "It was provoked, Mom! I have the fucking letter he gave to me to prove it!"
She wheeled on him. "Don't use that language in this house, mister!"
He just gave an exasperated whine. "Will you just look at what he drew!? He drew himself making out with Cassie! He drew him turning her into one of them! He's already told me he wants up her skirt! He's a sick, selfish fuckhead, Mom!"
His mother looked at the crumpled piece of paper and glared. "Well, Craig, he's obviously trying to provoke you! You shouldn't respond to kids like him! Besides, your sister can take care of herself. She's got the good part of your father in her; she's resourceful."
Craig sighed and fell back into the couch. "That's where you don't get it, Mom. You completely ignored her when she didn't want to go to school in the second grade. You didn't even ask her why. She gets enough shit at school from the kids she knows. She doesn't need anymore from the kids she's never even heard of…"
His face tightened and he stood up again, suddenly zealous. "And you know why I'm beating them up!? Because I'm doing your fucking jobs in the only way I know how! None of you actually talk to her! You aren't being her parents! You guys still need to–"
"Craig…"
He blinked and halted at the sound of his name from exasperated, sad lips. Three pairs of eyes suddenly snapped to Cassie, suddenly aware of her presence. His face softened when he noticed the sad look on her face.
She just sighed and gave him the finger. "I brought Peter over today to help me study. He's really shy, so I'd appreciate if you didn't scare him off. Please stop fighting while he's here."
With that, she grabbed the younger boy's hand and dragged him up the steps and into her room. Once there, she slammed the door behind them and threw herself onto her bed, giving an aggravated groan.
After only a few minutes of sitting in her desk chair, Peter noticed she was staring at the floor on the opposite side of the room. Her eyes were misty, as if she were about to start crying.
"C-Cassandra?"
Her voice was soft and sad. "My name is Cassie. My parents named me Cassie, and it's not short for anything…"
He just stared at her until she finally turned and looked at him, smiling sadly.
"Thorne doesn't mean it, right? About making me one of you?"
"I think…he was just trying to irritate Craig. He thinks you're too…girly for his tastes and would prefer you to not join us, actually.
The smile on her face brightened. "Do you think I'm girly…?"
His face turned bright red and he looked away. "T-T-To a point… You're not sickeningly girly…b-b-but you d-do have a girlish charm…"
She smiled. "I'm glad… In the second grade I was made fun of for being so boyish. All the girls said my parents messed up and made a girl instead of a boy…"
"I know. I saw it… I skipped first grade and kids made fun of me for it… I sometimes wanted to talk to you, but I never worked up the courage…" He blushed even more. "I…I actually liked you for a long time…"
She blinked, eyes curious. "Do you still like me?"
"Cassie!"
Her head snapped up and she groaned as her daydream ended. "What is it, Mom!?" She flipped off the door, not really caring at this moment for dinner.
"Don't just act like nothing happened! Come out here and talk about it!"
Peter had walked off when she said he should come back the next day, so she was all alone in the midst of her parents screaming at each other and at her brother.
They were shouting–all of them–yelling and yelling and yelling. Oh, it was making her head pound. It wasn't even intelligent enough of an argument–just harsh words and noise, noise, noise. Loud, blaring noise that kept pounding into her ears, but that was normal for this household. They yelled–their family was one big scream, really.
But that wasn't the problem–she could hear them, hear what they were shouting. They were yelling at Craig, Crag was yelling at them about her. Finally everything was about her and the Goth kids, how they were evil little children intent on making her join their cult.
That was Peter they were calling evil…kind, gentle, shy Peter. She could feel the tears forming, feel them sliding down her cheek, feel them dripping from her chin. Craig was the first to notice her sobs; instead of softening he shouted at his own selfishness and kicked over a vase by the door before attempting to comfort her.
The second his hands went to her cheeks, she pushed them away. "Get the hell away from me! You don't get it, do you!? You're just… Just shut up about them! You don't know how they're like and they haven't done anything to deserve you all talking about them like that! They sound nice; Peter's nice and I don't know why you're being such an asshole about him or his friends! I hate you, Craig! I really hate you! You can just go to hell for all I care!"
She sobbed and ran up the stairs, locking herself in her room.
"Cassie! Cassie!! Come out here, young lady!!!"
Even now she could feel the tears running down her cheeks. She wanted it to go away. She wanted everything to go away. She didn't want to face reality; she didn't want to have her parents staring at her with those angry looks.
"Mom… It's okay… Yelling at her won't help anything…"
"But she–"
"She's only eleven. Besides, I can't blame her. She has every right to hate me. I was being a major asshole."
"Ah, Craig… You… Well, I suppose you're right…but please, please stop acting like a parent. You don't have to act anymore because we'll handle it."
He scoffed a little. "Will you? Will you really? Are you capable of being parents?"
She started pacing down the steps. "You might as well stay up in your room with no dinner if you're going to give me that attitude, you little shit. Your father and I will punish you more severely later. Just go to your room and think about why we don't want you talking to us like that."
Cassie sniffled as more tears started flowing down her cheeks. She heard her mother yelling at her husband about what their son just said to her and how he raised him to be a total dickhead, and she figured it was now or never to make amends with her brother.
She jumped up and threw open the door.
"I didn't mean it! I don't hate you…"
Craig blinked at her, looking surprised and slightly relieved. She sniffled, her voice growing more high-pitched and desperate. "Y-You know I didn't mean it, r-right??"
He smiled and wrapped his arms around her. "I know you didn't sis. Don't cry anymore, okay? I'll stop being an asshole as long as you stop crying…"