Disclaimer: Veronica Mars and all recognizable characters are the intellectual property of Rob Thomas.
Six:
He has never realized what a luxury it is to sleep in your own bed until that week he's spent cramped on his couch. He realizes now that it is a greater luxury to wake up with similar aches and the girl he loves cuddled up against him in his…their bed. He smiles knowing that it is only a short matter of time before Mac decides to completely move in with him, but then he sighs as he realizes he won't be the one helping her move out, carrying boxes of her things from her old room at her parents' house to the car. It will most likely be Dick handling that honor, because Cassidy doesn't think her parents will approve of him, not until after graduation at least. New identity or not, he still looks the same.
He runs his fingers up and down Mac's ribs, until his hand finally settles over the small bump, and he wonders how long it will take before he can feel it moving against his hand. He's growing more used to this idea, and he likes it. His hand is still over her swelling stomach when she begins to stretch against him.
His dark eyes are on her face as she yawns, and her eyes pop open. She is blushing as she realizes that they are completely naked and last night wasn't another one of her really nice dreams. She looks up at him shyly, and he finds that he's blushing too.
"Hi," she whispers.
"Hi," he breathes back, and then he is breathless as she leans up and kisses him softly.
When she pulls back a laugh is bubbling out of her, and he really loves waking up to the sound, he can wake up to that sound every morning for the rest of his life, even with the prospect of morning breath kisses.
He shifts and glances at the alarm clock on his bedside table, and can't believe that it's so late. Eleven-thirty on a school day. He shrugs, because with Mac all nice and warm in his arms he could really care less. She looks at the clock and shakes her head.
"Someone is really late for school," she chides him playfully.
He grins up at her and says, "And I blame you, but you're so much better than Mr. Carpenter's history quiz, and I can always make it up later. Right now I'm completely happy."
"Wow, you missing out on academia for me. When did I become such a bad influence?" she asks, her voice is light.
He shrugs. "Really, I don't mind as long as you aren't wearing any clothes."
"I can handle that for now," she says, and gasps when his hands find their way to her breasts. He dips his head to her chest, and runs his tongue along the sensitive skin between her breasts, and he's starting to get aroused again, when there is a knock on his bedroom door, and it's thrown open.
He makes a mad scramble for the sheets to cover him and Mac before he throws a death glare in the direction of his bedroom door. He is hardly surprised to find Dick standing there gawking, with his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open in shock.
"Dude, I like never wanted to walk in on my little brother pre or post coital. I so need Doctor Phil for this one."
"Do you even know what coital means?" Mac snaps.
"It's that happy you get during and after sex?" Dick supplies, unsure of himself as he scratches his head.
Cassidy rolls his eyes and Mac looks at him and says, "Remind me again why you gave him a key to the apartment." She then turns a glare on Dick and snaps, "And will you please stop gawking and go do what you're good at? Any other time you'd be playing video games."
"Believe me, right now I totally wish I was," Dick replies, and it doesn't look like he's planning on going anywhere.
"Dick, if you don't leave right now, I WILL kick your ass," Cassidy threatens, and Dick gives him that patented 'whatever' look before he closes the door and retreats to the safety of the living room and the therapy that the X-Box provides.
With Dick finally not standing in the doorway, Mac says dryly, "So that wasn't even the least bit awkward."
Cassidy sighs as he sits up and pulls on his boxers from the night before, and then tugs his shirt on over his head. "I'll do damage control with the asshole, you get the first shower, okay?"
"Sure, but if I use up all the hot water, not a word," she replies with a slight grin.
"Deal," he replies and then he slips out of the room.
She wraps the sheet around her as she gathers some clean clothes from her overnight bag. She looks around his room, her eyes settling on the dresser, and she wonders what it would be like to share the dresser with him, to move in officially since she's already practically living with him now. Those thoughts and others dance rampant through her head as she makes a dash for the bathroom, and soon she is under the warm spray of the shower, and the hot water eases some of the aches from the night before.
Dick has died four times in the last ten minutes, granted the first time was from shock at walking in on his little brother almost having sex with Ghost World, the last three times are because he can't concentrate on his game, and that isn't like him. Finally he hits the pause button, tosses the offending controller to the floor and looks up at Cassidy, who has been staring at him for at least five minutes now.
"What?" Dick snaps impatiently, because nothing and no one comes between him and an X-Box.
Cassidy plays with his collar nervously and runs his hands through his blue streaked hair before he finally speaks. "Look, I don't want you to use this as ammo against Cindy. We're just starting to get back to the way things were before, and I don't want you fucking it up."
"I know you're happy, bro, and I like seeing it, just not seeing the why of it. Shit, man, if anyone told me I'd ever walk in on you having sex I would have died laughing on the spot! That was like so unexpected. I mean I thought you were sleeping on the couch! And like, she's pregnant… Wait, is it hotter with a bun in the oven?" Dick asks.
Cassidy rubs his temples and shakes his head. "You are completely unbelievable, Dick."
Dick shrugs. "I'm just asking for like posterior purposes or something. Whatever, you don't have to worry about me ragging her for it, but you. Dude, I am so not ever letting you live it down."
"Thanks," he groans out, and then he's half-heartedly fighting off his older brother as Dick tackles him and starts in on the noogies.
When Dick finally lets him go, and settles back down on the couch with his controller, he eyes Cassidy pointedly. Cassidy sighs as Dick restarts the game and soon they are playing against each other, and Dick is grinning as he says, "I'm so going to kick your ass."
Cassidy just shrugs and then a huge smile crosses his face as he hits the triangle button, throws a massive punch and knocks Dick's head off. He shifts his gaze at Dick and is proud to see the slack jawed expression on his older brother's face.
Dick shakes away his bewilderment, looks at his brother for a moment, before his fingers are a blur on his controller as he starts in on a new life and in a menacing tone says, "I'm so getting you for that. It was a total cheap shot."
"Keep telling yourself that," Cassidy says, as he gets completely engrossed in the game with his brother.
Cassidy sighs as he looks down at his lunch tray. At least at Neptune the 09ers had the option of ordering out, here he is made to suffer. Some of the perks he really misses. He decides to eat what he recognizes, the tater tots. He smiles as he remembers how Mac used to complain about tater tots at Neptune. After a moment a somewhat short blonde boy, who's lanky and lean, with green highlights in his hair, joins him at his table.
He looks up and nods in acknowledgement at the boy, and he notices curiosity in the boy's hazel eyes. "So, Cass, man what happened to you yesterday, and when are we going to ever hang out after school? I mean I only see you during school, and then you're zooming out of the parking lot to who knows where. Leading some kind of double life or something?" he asks with a chuckle, and he's surprised at the serious expression in Cassidy's dark eyes.
"What if I am, Will?" Cass asks, and then he laughs it off. "I had something I had to do yesterday. I mostly spent the day with my girlfriend and my brother."
"Brother?" Will asks in confusion.
Cassidy shrugs and amends with, "Stepbrother. You know, Dick Casablancas."
"Uh, you do know it was his kid brother that blew up that Neptune bus and that plane, right?"
"Yeah, I know, believe me."
"So you miss school for a girlfriend you don't ever talk about and for a richie rich kid from the 09er zip? Spill."
"Her name is Cindy, and we're just getting back together. We kind of had a break up a few months ago, so we're… Okay we aren't taking things slow. She's practically living with me now. I'm trying to think of how to get her to move in with me officially, especially now that we're discussing what we're going to do with the spare room in the apartment, but Dick will have to be the one to help her get her stuff from her parents, because they wouldn't be all that happy to see me, even though they don't know yet."
"Know what?"
"That she's going to have a baby."
Will's eyes widen and he stares at Cassidy in awe. "You got a girl pregnant, and she's living with you?"
"It happens. She's amazing too, she's taking all of her classes electronically and she puts up with Dick all day while I'm at school, and I don't know, it's like the family I've always wanted. It's nice, and Dick isn't as bad as I thought he was."
"His name is Dick, I think that explains everything about him, and she's in college?" Will says.
Cassidy laughs. "Yeah, and well, if you want to meet them you can follow me home after school, and she goes to Hearst. I'd love to see someone kick Dick's ass at Mortal Kombat, and Cindy's been interested in meeting my new friend. I hope you don't mind veggies though, Cindy's a vegan."
"It's cool, so is my sister."
Their conversation takes a swing towards normal when Jack Abrams, the quarterback comes up to their table, and looks at the two of them before he bends down and gets in Cassidy's face. "Aww, how sweet, the new kid has himself a little boyfriend. Is he a keeper? That why you slam me into the lockers last week, to cop a feel or to defend your little bitch right here?"
"Excuse me?" Cassidy asks and slowly rises from the table.
"Oh come on, you know that's why he's always sitting by himself, well at least until you came along," Jack replies.
"What is your fucking problem? This school prides itself on being nothing like Neptune High, you even call it the Un-Neptune, and here you are trying to act like a damn 09er? What the hell gives you the right to judge him or anyone? There could be an 09er in this room right now and you wouldn't know it by looking at him," Cassidy replies.
Jack looks him up and down and sneers as he stands to his full height, towering half a foot above Cassidy. "Yeah, where?"
"My mom is Kendall Casablancas, that makes me one of them by association," Cassidy replies.
"You an 09er? It doesn't look like you shop at the Gap and American Eagle, but the SUV kinda has me wondering. So what are you doing here if you live in the prestigious 09er kingdom with all the other richies? Slumming it up, get kicked out of Neptune when you and your last boyfriend got caught?"
Cassidy wants to punch him, but a familiar voice cuts through the crowd growing around them, and he sees her shoving her way through the students and she has two plastic take out bags of Italian restaurant origin. He looks from Jack the jockstrap to Mac and smiles as he turns from the jackass and then wraps his arms around the girl, surprising her and most of the onlookers as he kisses her.
When he draws back she looks dazed and he's asking, "Cindy, what are you doing here?"
She shrugs. "I remembered how you were complaining about the food here yesterday so I thought I'd surprise you. Don't you have like twenty minutes left of lunch, and what's with the crowd? Did I miss something? And tell me quick, because I'm starving, and I left Dick home alone."
"You're worried about Dick?" Cassidy asks, forgetting about the people around him.
She rolls her eyes. "The phone rang and I thought he was going to throw it across the room when he got killed. You know how he gets when he's playing video games."
"Right," he replies and the crowd is mostly gone though there are still eyes on them as he and Mac take a seat at his table, and she looks up and meets the curious gaze of the blonde guy with green highlights sitting across from her.
"So this would be Cindy?" the guy asks.
She blushes as Cassidy nods and takes out the food. He goes through the bag and finds a plate of chicken Alfredo, and then he looks at the bag that she's going through, and notices two full plates in it. "Yes, this is Cindy, and God, did you order the entire vegetarian menu?"
"You're starting to sound like Dick," she says cooly and then she looks over at Will. "And you can call me Mac. Cass is the only one that calls me Cindy. And if you're hungry you can have some of mine if you don't mind a veggie diet. I ordered plenty to go around."
"And you missed me," Cassidy replies.
"Fine, you got me. I missed you, now what was that with the crowd and the jock?"
"It was kind of my fault," Will replies. "Hi, I'm Will Harpner, and I'm the token high school gay guy. I doubt Cass knew what he was getting into when he started talking to me. They labeled him as the second queer boy, but after that show you just put on, I doubt he'll keep the label for long, and congrats."
"Congrats?"
"On the baby," Will volunteers.
Cindy turns to Cassidy and says, "So you really do talk about me. Wow."
"I'm proud of having a family, and I love you, so what's not to talk about?"
"As long as you don't refer to it as a bun in the oven I could care less. You do realize that I'm going to kill Dick at some point, right? Oh and he drank my milk from the carton and then spit it out all over the fridge and the floor, and he left it for me to clean up!" Her nostrils flare at the memory.
"This fits in with my first impression of anyone being called Dick," Will offers up, and Cassidy shifts his gaze to the boy and says, "You're my friend, aren't you supposed to be on my side?"
"I've heard things about pregnant girls and violence and hormone driven rage. I choose the side that causes me the least bodily harm. You're on your own."
"I like him already," Mac replies with a grin as she begins to scarf down her eggplant lasagna.
Dick sighs as he dies once again. He turns off the X-box and flips through the channels on the television until he comes across cartoons. He shrugs, heads into the kitchen for some snackage, grabs a diet soda from the fridge and he's relieved to see that Cassidy remembered the Bar-B-Q potato chips. He really does not want to touch Mac's pretzels, because she's vicious when her food turns up missing.
He flops back onto the couch, sets his soda down on the coaster on the table next to the couch. Man, between Cassidy and I-tunes, as he's now calling Mac, his usual carefree ways are being called into check and God forbid he leave a cup ring on the table for fear of the world ending.
He opens the bag of chips and pops one in his mouth as something with the Grim Reaper, a bitchy girl, and a dumb boy comes on. He has to admit at least the Billy kid is carefree, and hassling the Reaper is kind of funny. Soon he's laughing, while he scarfs down the chips and swigs on the soda.
He looks up as the door opens and Mac walks in with Cassidy and some blonde kid with green highlights in his hair. They seem all happy go lucky, as they walk in and the blonde kid sort of stops short as he looks at Dick, and Dick is wondering who the hell the kid is.
"Hey, Dick, this is Will Harpner," Cassidy says by way of introduction. Dick gets up from his seat on the couch and looks the kid up and down as Mac goes by him and into kitchen to get drinks, and probably to eat her weight in pickles.
"You're bringing home Pan High jock itches, Dude, talk about slumming," Dick says.
Cassidy glares at him, and Will looks like he wants to make his way quickly to the nearest exit. "Dick, you could be nicer to my only friend at school. It's not like I would have had any friends at Neptune, all things considered."
"Wait, you chose Pan High?" Will asks and looks at Cassidy in surprise.
"Neptune was not an option. My mom would have killed me for considering it after all the trouble she's gone through for me lately, and believe me, she never lets me forget it."
"Kendall's still on your case?" Dick asks curiously.
"Isn't she always?" Cassidy replies, and then Mac steps out of the kitchen munching on a pickle, and Cassidy looks at Dick and asks, "Do you think you could do me a favor and go with Mac to pick up the rest of her stuff?"
"You mean I-tunes is moving in officially, and why can't you go? Seriously, do I look like the moving man to you?" Dick asks, and at Cassidy's pointed glare, he gets it. "Right, like they'll welcome me any more than they would you."
A few minutes later Dick and Mac are in Cassidy's SUV, headed toward the Mackenzie household. Awkward silence fills the car and finally Dick fumbles with the radio and something overtly peppy fills the car and Mac wonders when the torture will end, and with a groan she realizes that it is only beginning as they pull into her parent's driveway.
Mac wonders again why she agreed to Dick helping her get her things so that she could move in with Cassidy, and how exactly she's going to explain this to her parents. She's hardly been home for longer than an hour or two at a time since she's found herself staying with Cassidy, and now this makes it official that she's moving out and leaving the nest. Should she break it to her parents that she's pregnant? How would that news hit them, because they would know right away who the father is, and that would open up a can of worms that she really isn't ready to face with them at the moment. She's still working on facing them with him.
She opens the front door of the house, and her mother pops up out of the kitchen, a huge smile on her face, as she looks from Mac to the tall, blonde boy standing nervously behind her daughter.
"Cindy, it's nice of you to finally come home. How are things with that friend you're staying with? Veronica right?" she asks, her voice a little too peppy as she narrows her eyes on Dick.
"You told her you were staying with Ronnie?" Dick asks, and Mac shoves her elbow in his stomach.
Dick lets out an oof and her mother grows suspicious. "And who is your friend?"
"Mom, this is Dick Casablancas," Mac replies, and then she continues, "And we're here to get my things. It's about time I leave the nest. I mean I've been a depressed mess for the last few months and a fresh start and getting out of the house would be good for me."
"Honey, where will you stay? You've signed up to take your classes electronically so you won't be allowed to stay in student housing at Hearst, and did you say Casablancas?" her mother asks, and things are starting to click, as her mom's blue eyes widen and she stares at Dick. "He's not related to that boy you dated last year, the one that…"
Mac replies when her mother can't bring herself to continue, "Yes, he's Cassidy's older brother. He's a friend, Mom, and I have somewhere to stay, okay? When we're done packing up my things I'll give you the address and the phone number."
"Please tell me you aren't moving in with him. Cindy, that's hardly decent."
"If she's talking about decent, does she know about the other thing?" Dick asks.
"What other thing?" Mrs. Mackenzie says and narrows her eyes on her daughter.
"Nothing," Mac says and then she's saved as her little brother comes barreling down the stairs and is causing enough havoc to safely distract her mother for the time being.
Mac grabs Dick's hand and drags him upstairs and into her room. He looks around the room, somewhat surprised and impressed. "Wow, this looks kind of like Cass' room. So where do we start?"
"I really just need all of my clothes, and if you even think you're going to help me pack up my underwear you have another thing coming, mainly me hurting you. I also want to take a few books that I have that Cass doesn't, and then I have to pack up my computer stuff, and you will be very careful handling the boxes with my computer stuff, or I will destroy your X-box, got it?"
"Do not threaten the X-box," Dick says in a warning tone.
"Do not mishandle my computer and all of its various parts," Mac says with equal menace.
"How about you load up the boxes and I just carry them to the car?" Dick replies and falls back onto her bed, where he clasps his hands behind his head and watches as she shakes her head, rolls her eyes, and grumbles about his apparent uselessness and begins to pack up the various boxes around her room with her clothes and the things that she plans on taking with her.
It takes nearly two hours to get everything that she wants and she can't help rolling her eyes every five seconds as Dick has to make a comment almost as often. She is surprised when from out of nowhere Dick says, "You know, he's scared."
"What?"
"Cassidy, he's scared about you and the baby and what it all means. He's worried he won't measure up. I told him you must think so, since you know, you're with him again. I guess I'm just trying to say, don't hurt him. He's had it bad for a really long time, and you make him happy, and he hasn't been happy for as long as I can remember. Man, I'm not good at this kind of thing. I just don't want you hurting my kid brother. I know he's fucked up big time, but I know he's sorry about it."
"Dick, I get it, and I don't want to hurt him. Right after graduation and everything that happened that night, yes, I wanted to hurt him, really badly, because he hurt me and all of those things he did, but you're right, he's very sorry for what he did, and you don't have to worry. I love him, and I'm not saying it's always going to be easy, especially not now with a baby and how young we are, but I want to try. I want a family, and I want it to be with him, because I know he's that boy that I fell in love with," she says, and then she smiles as she asks, "And where is all this concern coming from anyway?"
"I've watched a lot of Oprah the past few months, and I'm his big brother. I should have been there for him, like when he was being… I just should have been more protective, I mean he's the only family I've got and I'm all he had until you, and I wasn't there for him. It's not like I didn't want to be, but he's my kid brother, and I had friends and a girlfriend, and it all seemed so much more important than looking after the quiet little dorky brother," he replies, and Mac notices how vulnerable he looks. She sits down next to him on her bed as he sits up, and she puts her arms across his shoulders and gives him a hug.
"You didn't know, Dick. No one knew, because he didn't want anyone to know. You have to let that go. He's forgiven you, and you're friends now, and you care about him, and he still loves you. You're his big brother," she says softly. "Think about it. He could have left Neptune and us behind, but he chose to stay, and he became your friend, and he's back in my life. He couldn't leave us behind. That counts for something."
"How come chicks have all the answers, I-tunes?"
Mac mentally groans at the new nickname. "I have the answers because I'm just smarter than you. Now, I'm packed up. We'll start with the computer stuff and load it first, and remember, BE CAREFUL."
"Right," he replies and her bedroom door opens as Dick pulls back from her slight embrace, and her mother gasps in the doorway.
Dick actually blushes when he gets to his feet, and Mrs. Mackenzie looks at Mac and asks her to step out in the hall for a moment. Mac joins her mother in the hall and her mother looks at her sharply, takes in a deep breath and says, "What are you doing, baby? I know it's been hard for you since graduation night when Cassidy died, but getting tied up with that boy. I've heard things in town, he drinks non-stop, sleeps around, and what if he turns out to be like Cassidy? Honey, do you have any idea what you are getting into?"
"Mom, I'm not seeing Dick. He's not replacing Cassidy. No one can. Look, it's time for me to leave home, and get out on my own. I'm ready for it, and it feels right. Just let it go and be happy for me," she says softly, a note of pleading in her voice.
"This would be different if you were moving in at the college dorms, or getting an apartment with Veronica. You only have that job you won't tell us anything about, and where are you moving, and who will be living with you? Where have you been staying for the last two weeks? Are you going to live alone?" Her mother's tone is demanding.
Mac sighs. "I need time to think before I give you all the details, okay?"
"What is there to think about Cindy?! Why can't you just tell me now? It shouldn't be complicated unless you don't want me to know. Are you moving in with Dick Casablancas? Just tell me now! And when did you even start seeing him?"
"MOM! For God sakes I'm not in a relationship with Dick! He's just been a friend to me lately, and he's been a really good friend. I'll be fine, just let me go. I'm leaving whether you want me to or not, and you aren't talking me out of this. It's for the best, I swear. I'll tell you once I get settled, can't that be enough for now?"
"After everything that happened that night when that boy jumped off the Neptuns Grand, no. It's not enough," her mother replies and then covers her mouth in an effort to hold back the tears.
"And this is why I have to leave," Mac states firmly, and then she's breaking down. She isn't even sure why she's crying. Is it because her mother reminds her of all the things she's learned about Cassidy, or reminds her of the time she's lost, or reminds her of how close she came to losing him?
The tears come hard and soon Mac is bent double, sobs tearing from her throat and almost choking her. Her mother moves forward and tries to put her arms around her daughter, but Mac shrinks away and then Dick steps out into the hallway, and Mac latches onto him like he's the last person in the world capable of keeping her anchored to the ground.
Dick is unsure of what to do, but he goes with instinct and wraps his arms around the trembling girl and holds her against him as she cries against his shirt. He turns his angry gaze to Mac's mom and says, "Look, she's happy with where she's going. Don't mess it up for her. She's been through a lot, and I-tunes…Mac is still going."
"You mean don't mess it up for you," Mrs. Mackenzie grinds out.
"This isn't about me, and so help me, if you bring up my brother, I don't care what Mac has to say, you won't get the address or the telephone number. She's my friend, if things don't work out, then yeah, she can crash at my house, it's way too big for just me anyway," Dick says, and then he looks down at Mac and continues softly, "Say the word and I'll carry you down to the car, load your shit up, and we'll go, and don't worry about the damn computer stuff, I'll be careful with it. Ready to go?"
Mac nods, and her mother realizes that there is no convincing her daughter otherwise. Mac is leaving, and she's leaving with Dick Casablancas. What's more surprising is that Dick actually seems to care about her.
Mrs. Mackenzie watches as Dick scoops up her daughter into his arms and then carries her out to the SUV in the driveway. He gets her settled in the passenger's seat, and a moment later he's taking the boxes of Mac's things out to the SUV. It takes him all of ten minutes to get the SUV loaded with Mac's things.
Once he puts the last box into the back of the Kia Sportage, he talks with Mac for a few moments, and then he returns to the house. He stops at the door and Mrs. Mackenzie goes to meet him. He doesn't say anything to her as he holds out a slip of paper to her. Mrs. Mackenzie looks down and sees the address for an apartment and a phone number. Dick turns around, and soon the SUV is growing smaller in the distance.
She looks down at the number in her hand, and decides to call it, just to see who picks it up on the other end.
Cassidy is busy copying Will's history notes while Will works on his calculus when the phone rings. He sighs and reaches for the phone. He hits the talk button, and says, "Hello."
"Who are you and why is my daughter moving in with you, or is she moving in with Dick Casablancas and you're just the cover?" comes the concerned voice of Mac's mother.
"Mrs. Mackenzie? Where are Dick and Mac right now?" he asks.
"I don't know! After he carried her to the car he loaded up her things, gave me this number and an address and then they left!" she shrieks into the phone.
"He had to carry her?" Cassidy asks weakly. "Was she all right, did she have a fainting spell?"
"Fainting spell? What are you talking about? She was upset and crying and he just picked her up and carried her. You know what, I'm going to the address she gave me and I'll let you explain exactly what's going on. My daughter has gone through enough with one Casablancas without getting her heart broken by another one. You better have some answers for me when I get there, and what is your name?" she snaps.
"Cassidy," he says, and winces as the woman's breath hitches on the other end. "Cassidy Banks."
"Well, Cassidy Banks, expect me soon, and I mean it when I say I want answers." She hangs up, and Cassidy groans as presses the end button on the phone and lets his hand drop to his side.
"Shit."
Will looks up. "Cass, is something wrong? What happened with Mac? Is she okay? Who was that?"
"It was Mac's mom. Something happened and Mac got upset while she was loading her stuff up. Dick had to carry her to the car, and her mom was less than thrilled to see Dick, because of graduation last year, and now her mom is coming here and Mac and I are probably well and truly fucked. Damn it, I never thought about what this would mean with her parents."
"So I take it they don't know?" Will asks the obvious.
Cassidy's sour expression is answer enough.
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