Cassidy's POV:

My eyes leaped open when I heard a loud crash downstairs in my living room, followed by my mother screaming, "GET OUT!"

Then I heard loud footsteps, and the door slammed. My mom was still yelling and throwing things even though my dad had already left. I got out of my bed and walked down the stairs slowly, so my mother couldn't hear me.

She did anyways. "Who's that on the stairs?" I saw her make her way to the railing and look up at me.

"Cassidy, what are you doing up?" she asked, trying to hide her anger. I didn't say anything, just stood there.

"Well?" I asked you what a question. Am I gonna get an answer?" she said, pushing the limits a little bit.

I shook my head quickly. "Um, I just had to go to the bathroom." I turned on my heel and ran back down the hallway and into my room.

As soon as I closed the door and walked over to my bed, my phone buzzed.

New message from Chad the screen said. Ah, my best friend. He must have heard what happened from next door.

Is everything OK? I saw your dad storm out. Do you want me to come over?

I smiled at how sweet he always was. It's what, 2 am, and he's willing to give up his nice summer sleep to comfort me, like he always does.

Only if you feel like it…I don't want to mess with your summer sleeping(:

There was a ladder laid up against my house outside one of my bedroom windows, leading all the way up past it and to the 3rd story, so he would climb until he reached my window, and tap on it 3 times. That was our signal, and it's been our signal for a long time.

I heard him tap 3 times, and then quickly opened the window and closed it before my mom could hear anything. She didn't know about Chad's late night break-ins.

"Hey, you ok?" He asked, as he walked over to my bed and sat down.

"Yes. I'm ok."

Chad and I met a while back, in the 3rd grade. We were outside for recess, and this group of girls who were "all that" back then were picking on me. So Chad, the guy they all happened to think was cute, stormed over and told them to leave me alone. We've been friends ever since.

He's really the only friend I have. Sometimes, he invites me out with his friends and we all go to the movies or go play a game of basketball on the weekends. Basically, I don't get along with an of the girls in our neighborhood, or at out school.

They always talk about me behind my back, and wonder why Chad hangs out with me. Chad is the "hot jock" of our high school, but he's not a mean jock, he gets along with everyone. All the girls love him, but none of them know anything personal about him like I do.

Like, his favorite color is orange, he likes to draw, and he's really not interested in having a girlfriend, although he gets at least five secret love notes shoved in his locker every day. He always lets me read them, and always says how dumb struck the girls in our school are.

He has black hair that swoops around his head, blue eyes, and tan skin. He's about four inches taller than I am, and has an awesome smile. He's always smiling. It was his personal trademark. The thing everyone knew him for was being the quarterback on our high school's football team.

"What happened?" he asked, laying back and closing his eyes.

I walked over to my bed and lay down next to him. "I don't know. I just woke up to a loud crash, and my mom screamed at my dad and told him to get out. Then he left."

"I guess they just got into a heated argument." He replied, looking over at me. He sat up.

"Cassidy, you look really tired. You should really get some sleep. I'll stay here with you."

"Well, where are you going to sleep?" I whispered, afraid my mother would hear and come up to my room.

"Where I always sleep when I break in here late at night. With you."

My face heated up, even though I've known him for a while, he still gives me butterflies sometimes.

Whenever he comes over late at night like this, he did sleep in my bed, but no one ever knew anything about it except for us. It was our little secret. Sometimes, if he was having a tough day, I would sneak over to his house at night, and we'd sleep in his bed.

It was just something we did. We never thought anything of it.

"Alright."

He got up and tucked me into one side of my bed like a little baby, and then walked around to the other side and got under the covers next to me.

"Goodnight Cassidy. See you in the morning."

"It's already the morning." I said, smirking. He totally hated it when I acted like a smart ass.

"Oh shut up! Then I'll see you later this morning, alright?"

I laughed and said, "Yeah, alright. Goodnight."

I closed my eyes, and tried my best to fall asleep. I guess Chad could feel how tense I was, so he rolled over and wrapped his arms around me.

"Everything will be fine Cassidy. It always is. He'll be back tomorrow. He always is."

I nodded and placed my hands over his. They felt warm and comforting, just what I needed. He always new how to make me feel better.

I released the tension in my shoulders and just lay there, trying to make myself tired. I was growing more tired and tired by the second.

"I hope so." I thought to myself. Then I drifted off to sleep.