By the time they turned to leave, the buses were already long gone. It would be a long wait before the next city bus would be around heading in that direction, so Cassie and Kendra decided to just walk back to her house rather than sit and wait. Kendra was glad to be moving, as the walking at least kept her somewhat warm. Her goose-down jacket was certainly warm enough, but her exposed legs left her in a state of abject misery. Despite the temptation, Cassie held off from poking fun at her friend. She herself had been caught in the cold enough times to think better of any teasing.
"This sucks," Kendra said, teeth chattering.
"Don't worry," Cassie replied. "It's only a few more blocks."
"Next time I decide to wear a skirt in winter, slap me." Cassie only smiled in reply.
Her smile faded when they crossed onto the next block and she saw that shiny red Corvette still parked where it had been that morning. She was just about to tell Kendra so they could cross the street opposite when she saw something else that froze her in her tracks.
"What is it?" Kendra asked.
"It's Sammy," Cassie replied, pointing.
Kendra's gaze followed toward where she was pointing until she saw him. Standing a few feet from the corvette, wearing a leather jacket he couldn't possibly afford, talking and laughing in a group of a half dozen men easily five or more years his senior.
"What's he doing hanging out with them?" Kendra asked quietly.
Cassie shook her head. "I don't know."
"Let's just go," Kendra said, a hint of worry in her voice. She tugged down again on her skirt. "We can figure it out after he comes back home."
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Cassie reluctantly agreed. The pair moved again to cross the intersection when Cassie, out of the corner of her eye, saw Sammy raise a white joint to his mouth and inhale. He coughed slightly, smiling, as the other men around him cheered, slapping him on the back.
Not even really aware of having made the choice, Cassie crossed back to the other side of the block and was walking quickly toward the group.
"Cass?" Kendra called out. "Cassie?" She lingered a few moments before following, staying a few steps behind.
Cassie didn't even break stride, shouldering her way past a man easily a foot taller than she and walking straight up to Sammy. Ignoring his shocked protests, she grabbed the front of his shirt and dragged him down the alley. They moved past a dumpster and a wooden phone booth before she stopped and shoved him against the brick wall.
"What do you think you're doing?" Cassie demanded.
"It's- none of your business," Sammy replied, stammering.
"The hell it's not! What do you think Dad would say if he saw this?"
"Like I care what he thinks! He's probably had a dozen beers by now," Sammy shouted. He lifted the smoldering joint, still in his hand, to his lips. Cassie slapped it out of his hand.
"Fine. You don't care what Dad thinks. But what do you think Mom would say?"
Sammy grew very still. "Mom's gone, Cass."
"Doko ni zan'nen desu, Satoshi!" Cassie shouted. "Okasan wa osoraku tengoku ni suru yo ni fumeiyo na kodo wo mi te nai te iru!"
"Mama wa shin de iru!" Sammy shouted back. "Naze kanojo wa ima nani wo kangae te iru mondai desu ka?"
Cassie slapped him hard across the face. There was a long silence as Sammy lifted a hand to his face, rubbing his cheek as his expression moved from surprise to anger. "Get out of my way," he said finally. He grabbed her by the shoulder and pushed her aside as he moved to rejoin his new friends. Cassie didn't try to stop him. The group, apparantly bored now that the drama of the sibling fight had subsided, collected Sammy and they all began walking down the sidewalk toward who-knows-where. Sammy didn't once look back.
"Are you okay?" Kendra asked, rejoining Cassie in the alleyway.
Cassie sniffed, wiping budding tears from her eyes. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. It's just...I've never seen him like that before."
"I know," Kendra said sympathically. "He's a good guy, I'm sure he'll come around."
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Cassie replied, still looking down the empty alley.
Kendra clapped her on the back. "Come on," she said brightly. "We still have a party to get to, don't we?"
Cassie smiled a little, letting Kendra guide her out of the alley and back onto the sidewalk towards home.
* * *
It wasn't that much longer before the pair finally made it back to Cassie's house. Her dad was already home, Cassie could see. His truck, spattered with dents and rust, was parked crookedly on the curb in front of the front door. The sun was already starting to go down, but Cassie didn't see any lights turned on inside. But when she walked up the stairs to the door, she saw the television's flickering lights through the side window. She peeked through the window and saw her dad in the recliner. Shifting colors reflected off several empty bottles on the end table beside him.
Cassie turned to Kendra, putting a finger to her lips while she fished her keys from her pocket. Kendra nodded, and Cassie slowly turned both keys, first in the deadbolt, and then in the knob itself. She turned the knob and slowly opened the door, ushering Kendra inside before slipping in herself and gently closing it behind her. Cassie thought that she need not have bothered. The tv was showing blaring replays on the sports channel, while Kyle himself was sunk deep in his chair, snoring loudly.
They both headed down the hall and into Cassie's room. Cassie closed the door and turned on the lights while Kendra flopped onto the bed. Cassie turned to look at her.
"Comfy?" she asked.
"Very," Kendra replied brightly, taking hold of a pillow and hugging it to her chest like a favorite stuffed animal.
Cassie unclipped the barette from her hair and swept the stray bangs out of her eyes. "So what time is the party supposed to start, anyway? I don't think Zach ever said."
"From what I heard, his brother's been home all day with friends of his, so there are people there already, but they aren't really expecting a big crowd for another hour or two, so we've got time."
Cassie leaned her schoolbag against the wall next to Kendra's. "Time for what?"
"To get you ready, remember? My best friend's having her first big party; she should be looking special."
"Special how?" Cassie asked dubiously.
Kendra stood up from the bed and directed Cassie to the mirror hanging by her closet. "Think of it like getting ready for the ball. Your prince is waiting. I'm your much younger, much hotter fairy godmother and you're my poor homely Cinderella."
"Gee, thanks," Cassie muttered.
"Don't worry about it. By the time I'm done, you'll be turning heads the minute you walk through the door."
"I can't wait," she said flatly. Cassie had long past having second thoughts about going. She was past third, fourth, and fifth thoughts. But every time she thought about backing out, Zach's face floated into her mind, smiling at her with those piercing eyes, and her hesitation melted.
Kendra threw open the closet and started sorting through Cassie's wardrobe. With practiced ease, she whipped hangers of shirts and blouses from the rod and held each one against Cassie's front, judging the effects of color and texture. Several times she took two or three, holding one out in front while draping others around Cassie's neck to judge different layers, mixing and matching to see what would work best. She settled on a half dozen "finalists" for Cassie to try on. While she did so, Kendra rummaged through the closet for other articles, stopping only to evaluate her selections and suggest different combinations. After a few minutes, she decided that the black pants Cassie already had on would work just fine. Cassie, pliant as a barbie doll, pulled clothes on and off until she felt dizzy. Kendra carefully inspected a soft black tanktop and pale pink button-up shirt for long moments before reaching out and undoing herself all the buttons that Cassie had done. She tugged the tails of the pink shirt out from under Cassie's waistband and tied the two front ends in a knot across her midsection. Kendra stepped back, regarded Cassie for a moment, and stepped in again, this time undoing the buttons on the long sleeves and rolling them up halfway Cassie's forearms. She stepped back again and regarded Cassie, this time smiling with approval.
Kendra returned to the closet, returning moments later with the only three belts Cassie owned. She decided on a white one with gold clasp that she said would help set off the pink overshirt. Cassie asked if she really had to wear the shirt tied up like it was. Kendra replied that Cassie wasn't exactly gifted in the chestal region and that this was the best way to draw attention to that region other than stuffing rolled-up socks into Cassie's bra. Kendra asked her if she wanted to pad her bra a little, taking a pair of socks from the closet shelf and holding them to Cassie's chest as if measuring the effect it would have. Cassie, frowning, said no, to which Kendra replied then yes, you do have to wear your shirt like that.
Going through the closet again, Kendra bemoaned Cassie's lack of lacy underwear, to which Cassie protested that what she had on was perfectly fine and there was no way anybody was going to see them anyway. Kendra smiled and said nothing, which to Cassie said volumes. Cassie punched her in the shoulder and Kendra burst out laughing.
Satisfied that Cassie's wardrobe was in order, Kendra fished into her schoolbag and pulled out a travel-size can of hair spray and a brush. She sat Cassie down on the floor in front of the mirror and sat herself on the bed behind her, combing through Cassie's hair and spraying occasionally until her front bangs swept gracefully across her forehead and, more importantly for Cassie, stayed out of her eyes.
Reaching again into her schoolbag, Kendra produced a small kit of makeup. Cassie started to protest, saying she didn't want to look like a clown, but Kendra reassured her, telling her it was only a little bit. She spent just a couple minutes using an eyelash brush and then put down just a hint of blush across Cassie's cheeks.
Finally, Kendra sampled Cassie's small selection of perfume from her bedside table. She opened each bottle and sniffed each in turn, at last settling on Cassie's favorite, a store brand that smelled like both blueberries and freshly-mown grass. She dabbed her fingertip and touched Cassie's neck beneath both ears. She hooked open Cassie's tanktop and started to apply perfume to her chest before Cassie smacked her hand away and punched her in the shoulder twice. Kendra laughed again.
"There!" Kendra exclaimed, stepping back to admire her handiwork. "Not too bad if I say so myself."
"So I'm your masterpiece, then?" Cassie asked, twisting and turning to examine herself in the mirror.
"Well, it might have been easier if I had a better canvas, but I'll take what I can get," Kendra replied, stepping behind her and putting her hands on her shoulders. "Relax. You look great."
"That's what I'm afraid of," Cassie said quietly.
Kendra frowned. "Why do you say that?"
Cassie shook her head. "I don't know. It's just...I mean, Zach asking me out? I've never even talked to him before and now he wants to go out with me? I don't get it."
"Oh, I get it." Kendra wrapped her arms in a hug around Cassie's chest. "I know exactly what the problem is."
"What?"
"This is the first time you've ever had a gorgeous guy think that you're gorgeous in return. And you don't know what to do with it," Kendra whispered in her ear. "Just take a deep breath and calm down. I'll be right there next to you, remember?"
"Yeah, until any of a half dozen guys show up and you leave me all by myself."
"Cassie," Kendra said seriously, turning her around to face her. "You're my best friend. I would never do that to you. You know that, right?"
"I know," Cassie replied, wrapping her arms around Kendra's waist. "I'm just nervous."
"I understand," Kendra said, rubbing her back. "But it's a party, not a warzone. There's nothing to be worried about. If you don't have fun, we'll just leave and we'll watch some movies at my house, okay?"
"Okay." Cassie smiled slightly.
"Okay!" Kendra leaned in and kissed her forehead. "We better get going," she said, looking at the clock. "We don't want to be too late when we get there."
Cassie turned off the lights as they both headed back into the hallway. In the living room, Kyle hadn't seemed to have moved one bit. Cassie thought about waking him to tell him where she was heading, but figured that it probably wasn't worth the hassle. She scribbled out a note telling him she was spending the night at Kendra's and left it on the kitchen table. Dutiful daughter duties complete, she and Kendra headed out.
"Have you ever been up by where they live before?" Cassie asked.
"A couple times," Kendra said. "They don't live too far from my house, actually. Same bus route and everything."
"Well, at least there's that," Cassie replied, relieved that at least she wouldn't be wandering too far into some unknown neighborhood.
* * *
They were lucky enough to arrive at the bus stop just as the one they needed pulled in. The rest of the trip went smoothly and it wasn't long before they arrived. It was a suburban neighborhood on a hilltop overlooking most of the city's major districts. Most of the houses were fairly large and two stories tall, though being within the city limits meant that the yards were pressed closer together than Cassie would have guessed. But they were yards, though, with actual grass and landscaping, much more impressive than the fifteen foot cube Cassie called a back yard. Tall evergreen trees lined the sidewalks on both sides of the road. Kendra knew where they were headed, so Cassie let her take the lead. It was only a few blocks before she heard the distinctive rhythmic thumping of a stereo somewhere nearby.
Even among all the similar houses on the block, their destination was easy to find. At least a dozen cars spilled out to line both sides of the street. As they approached, Cassie could see see a number of people on the front lawn. Despite the chill, a group of people were playing basketball in the driveway with a hoop mounted above the garage. She could see a good-sized crowd through the windows on both stories.
"You okay?" Kendra asked as they neared the front walkway.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Cassie nodded.
"All right, then," Kendra declared. "Let's go meet the locals."
They walked up the stairs to the front porch and approached the door. Cassie was about to knock when Kendra moved past her and walked right in. Looking back at Cassie's shocked face, Kendra simply shrugged and gestured for her to come inside. Cassie did so, though she made sure to close the door securely behind her.
Inside, the party was already in full swing. The sound system that could be heard even outside was much more distinctive up close, pumping out pop rock music from a band Cassie had heard of, but never paid attention to. There were at least two dozen people in the living room alone, most of them standing in groups talking to each other, and at least two couples on the couches making out, oblivious to the world around them. Several people she recognized from school, though many others, whom Cassie assumed to be Steve's friends, looked much older than high school age. In the kitchen, several large pizza boxes, many already halfway empty, lined the counters, along with a stack of paper plates and cups. On the dining table sat several large bottles of soda, along with a large bowl of punch. On top of that, Cassie could make out the sizzle of a barbeque being ran outside the kitchen in the back yard. Through the kitchen window, she could see many more people in the yard. A volleyball net and ping pong table had been set up, and both had full games already in progress.
Nobody really seemed to take notice of them, though a couple people from school smiled and nodded at them, mostly at Kendra. Cassie looked around, suddenly unsure what to do with herself.
"Oooh, look. Nom-noms," Kendra said in an exaggerated childlike voice, pointing toward the pizza. "Let's go get some before they run out."
The pizza didn't look even close to running out, but Cassie went along with Kendra anyway. All she'd had to eat today was a pop tart and half a sandwich, and the thought of pizza sounded great. She scooped up two slices onto a plate and poured herself some soda while Kendra took a napkin and tucked one corner into her blouse with mock dignity.
"Cassie!" a male voice called out.
Cassie quickly swallowed the bite of pizza she had just taken, nearly choking in surprise. Zach Franklin came in from the back yard through the kitchen door. He had changed into khaki pants and a tight black sweater, though he was still wearing the bandana she had seen him wearing earlier.
"I'm glad you could make it," Zach said, stopping in front of her. "You too, Kendra. Did you both find the place okay?"
"Yeah, just fine," Kendra replied. "I live just a few blocks from here, so I helped show Cassie where it was."
"Great. I'm really glad to see you," Zach said, his eyes lingering on Cassie.
"Me too. I mean, I'm glad to see you, too," stammered Cassie, her cheeks suddenly flushing red.
"Oh, yeah, I couldn't get her to be quiet about how excited she was about 'Zach' this and 'Zach' that," Kendra drawled.
"Kendra!" Cassie hissed, slapping her arm with the back of her hand, suddenly embarrassed.
Zach laughed slightly. "Well, you found the food okay. Let's see. There's music playing, obviously. You probably saw the guys playing basketball out front. My brother's cooking chicken on the barbeque, if you want some." He gestured outside, where a man in his mid twenties dressed in a long-sleeved shirt and baseball cap was busy with sauce brush and spatula. "And we're playing volleyball and beer pong out back, if you want to join in."
"Beer pong?" Cassie asked.
"Well, mainly for my brother and his friends," Zach explained. "For the rest of us, it's mostly root beer pong."
"Okay," Cassie said. "Just as well. I'm not really much of a drinker."
"Yeah, you don't really strike me as the drinking type," Zach replied, smiling to make it clear he didn't see that as a bad thing. "So, wanna head outside?"
"Sure," Cassie nodded.
All three of them pulled up chairs on the outdoor patio and started talking. Zach asked what Cassie wanted to study when she graduated. She told him that she'd thought of medical school, but wasn't completely certain. But she did want to travel and help people and that seemed like a good way to go about it. When she asked him, he replied that he'd been asked by a few different colleges to study with them under a football scholarship. His parents were helping him sort through the different programs to figure out which was the best deal. When she asked if he wanted to play professionally, he laughed and said it'd be great if he were that good, but he doubted it.
"So where did your brother come back from?" Cassie asked. "Has he been away a long time?"
"About six months or so," Zach replied. "He's in an archaeology doctorate program and he's been on an excavation in Egypt. He said they found some really interesting artifacts from a lost dynasty or something."
"Like what?"
Zach waved a hand dismissively. "I'm not really sure. A bunch of statues and figurines and some weird hieroglyphic tablets. He brought a couple things back with him to show us. They looked pretty cool, but that's not really my thing."
"Isn't that against the rules?" Cassie asked. "Bringing back stuff like that for personal use?"
"He said it wasn't that big a deal. He's going back to school in a couple weeks and he said he'd take them all back with him. He just wanted to show us in person what he'd been working on."
Kendra, for the most part, stayed out of the conversation. A few times someone sat down next to her and started chatting. She replied back friendly enough and with her usual saucy humor, but the guys all ended up moving on when she made it clear that she wasn't budging from her seat for "somewhere more private" until her friend was good and ready. Luckily, by then the wind had died down and there were a couple of outdoor heaters mounted nearby, so she was in a good mood.
At one point, a game of volleyball had finished wrapping up. The losing team took their defeat with good humor and scattered to find other things to do while the winners stood by waiting for the next group of challengers. Zach asked if Cassie and Kendra wanted to play a round and they, with a few others, quickly found themselves on the lawn for a game.
Cassie had never been that good at volleyball when playing at school. Her height usually made it hard to get up on the net to set up shots. But she didn't mind playing just for fun. The game itself passed by fairly quickly and stayed mostly even. When it was Cassie's turn to serve, Zach stood close behind her, holding her wrist with one hand and moving her arm with the other to line up her shot. The closeness of him made her skin tingle and she just barely made the ball over the net, where it was quickly returned back by the other team for a point. He did the same thing with Kendra, but Cassie didn't mind. He was just being friendly and flirtatious, and his piercing eyes didn't linger long from her own. Soon after, they had lost and moved off the lawn for the next team to try their luck. Kendra moved up next to Cassie.
"Oh god, you are so lucky," she squealed quietly, an enormous grin on her face.
Cassie smiled back. "Yeah, he's great, isn't he?"
"Yeah," Cassie agreed. Zach came up behind them and both girls turned to face him.
"You played pretty good," Zach said.
"Thanks. You, too," Cassie replied shyly.
"Yeah. We'll get them next time."
Zach had a look of righteous determination on his face, though his lower lip quivered with restrained mirth. Cassie and Kendra looked at each other and burst out laughing, along with Zach. Finally, they recovered, wiping tears from their eyes.
"So," Zach said, suddenly looking a bit nervous. "It's getting a bit cold out. Did you want to come inside and we can talk someplace a bit quieter?
"Umm," Cassie trailed off. She looked at Kendra, a sudden mix of excitement and fear on her face.
"Uh, yeah," Kendra jumped in, covering for Cassie's indecision. "I told Cassie that I'd stick with her in case something happened."
Zach nodded. "I see." He looked at Cassie. "Did you want to stick with Kendra, then?"
Cassie froze in place, her heart pounding. She could still feel her skin tingle where he'd touched her during the game, and all she could think of was how incredible the rest of her could feel if she let him. His piercing eyes stared down into her own and he became her whole world.
But...she came here with Kendra for a reason, and this was it. She could have left her alone plenty of times before, but she stuck with her like the best friend she was. It would be wrong to leave her now.
Slowly, almost imperceptably, Cassie nodded her head.
If Zach was disappointed, his face didn't show it. "I get it," he said. He thought for a moment before speaking again. "How about if Kendra came up with us? Would it be okay then?"
"I don't-" Kendra began. Zach reached out and caressed her cheek. She leaned into his hand, almost seeming to melt on the spot. "I-"
"I don't want to make anyone feel uncomfortable," Zach said. "I just want to have some privacy with Cassie. To get to know her better. And if she wants a chaperone to make her feel better, then everyone's happy, right?"
Kendra looked up into his piercing eyes. Her mouth worked, but no words came out. "Yeah," she finally said. "Yeah, I guess that's okay."
Zach's face broke into a wide grin. "Great. Let's go in, then." He took each of their hands in his own and ushered them inside.
* * *
The party had mostly died down by that point. Most of the younger guests with curfews had already left, and the stereo had been turned down quite a ways to avoid disturbing the neighbors. Zach ushered the girls upstairs and led them into a large bedroom at the end of the hall. There were several football posters lining the walls. A desk was placed in one corner of the room. A small lamp sat on top and was already turned on, giving a soft amber glow. Zach closed the door softly behind him and left the bedroom lights turned off. He sat Cassie down on the edge of the bed and sat down next to her.
"Go ahead and sit over there, if you want," he said, gesturing toward the swivel chair at the desk.
"Okay," Kendra replied quietly. She sat down in the chair and turned to face the bed, but did not move.
"So," Zach said, smiling. "Here we are."
"Yeah," Cassie replied after a moment. After the chill outside, the bedroom seemed almost stifling. She could feel the heat off Zach's body, sitting so close, radiating off him in waves.
"It's really hot in here," Cassie finally said, looking to fill the silence.
"Yeah. All the heat in the house ends up here for some reason," Zach replied. "Does it bother you?"
"N-no, I'm fine," Cassie stammered. She berated herself for her nervousness. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She wiped her palms on her jeans.
"Are you nervous?" Zach asked, leaning toward her
Cassie cast about for something clever to say but finally settled on the truth.
"Just a bit," she admitted.
"Don't be," he whispered, and then his lips were on hers. She hesitated, confused, for just a moment, before her lips pressed back just as urgently. He put his hands to her shoulders and eased her back on to the bed. The mattress was so soft her eyes drifted shut. She felt her hands wrap around his neck and pull him closer. She could feel his hands around her arms and sides. Everywhere he touched, there was a sharp tingling sensation, like a feather wrapped in nettles. The heat in the room was overwhelming. He was so close, now, lying right next to her, his hands roaming across her skin. Her head felt wrapped in cotton. She couldn't put two words together and she moved on instinct as she pulled Zach's sweater off over his head in one swift motion. Except...
"Kendra!" she gasped, panting.
"She's fine," Zach replied, flashing her a reassuring smile. "I'll be with her soon. You're the one I'm taking care of right now."
"Okay," Cassie said, unable to conjure anything more substantive. Her hands pulled his lips against hers and she surrendered again to that sharp pleasure. She felt his hands undo the knot across her chest and pull loose the pale pink shirt that Kendra picked out for-
"Kendra," she gasped again through his kisses.
"She's fine," Zach replied softly into her mouth. "Don't be scared. I'll take care of everything."
Cassie's eyes were closed again. She felt dizzy. She could feel the room spinning around her. She clutched Zach tightly, the only thing keeping her from flying away. His touch was the only thing that made sense. She felt him pull her tanktop over her head, heard the soft fabric landing on the floor. She felt her bra come free of her chest and heard the sound of it, too, hitting the ground some distance away. She could hear some denial, some dim protest within herself, but it seemed like a miragle in the swirling heat. She felt his hands on her, roaming across her, and the feel of his breath on her torso was like a cool breeze on a summer's day. She heard herself moan at the sensation.
As if across a great distance, she could hear the soft jingle of her belt coming free, the zipper of her jeans being pulled loose. Good. They were too tight, too constricting, too hot to be worn while lying in the desert with the furnace of Zach's body pressed close against her. Her last remaining garments were pulled loose and at that moment she had never felt more free. She could again feel that protest, that echoing discord, but paid it no mind. All there was, was right here and now. She felt his thighs press inside her own, felt his hand caress her warm softness like a bolt of lightning. She could feel tears running down her face.
She again felt that sound of denial inside herself, but there was almost no part of her left of her to listen. It did not vanish, though. It grew. And when it spoke, it was no longer in her own voice but one she heard just hours ago. It told her to stay out of trouble. To use her head. To keep her eyes open.
Cassie opened her eyes.
She saw Zach looming over her. His hands continued to roam across her body, sending that sharp thrill racing through her that made her want to close her eyes and drink it in. She bit her lip at the sensation but kept her eyes open. Her head lolled to one side and she saw Kendra. She was still sitting in that chair, looking back at her with almost empty disinterest. As if what she was seeing didn't register.
She pulled her head back toward Zach. She noticed with dim curiosity that he was naked, same as she. Her eyes wandered downward, past his torso. Her brain idly recalled that she had never seen a guy naked before. Vague images of photos from school floated across her vision. A wave of dizziness threatened to pull her under. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to shake her head before, squinting them open again. What she saw and what she remembered were very different. It was dark purple, almost black against his abdomen. It was knotted through with veins and folds of skin. It was covered in a glossy sheen, and far larger than she would have expected. It struck her dimly as faintly sinister.
Her gaze wandered back to Zach's face. He still had a smile, which grew when her eyes met his. Those piercing eyes seemed to grow larger, encompassing her entire field of vision. She couldn't make herself look away. She didn't want to look away. His head pulled back, though, and for a brief moment she could see his face again. See that smile. She kept her eyes on that smile. There was something there, something different. There was no warmth, there. No compassion. It wasn't a smile meant for her, but for himself. A smile of victory. He was still wearing his bandana. He was naked and still wearing his bandana. She felt his hips move and felt him, larger than she expected and faintly sinister, pressed against her softness. She felt a bolt of lightning race up her spine, followed by a twinge of caution. She again heard that voice inside her. Keep your eyes open. Use your head. He was naked and still wearing his bandana. She felt a stern pressure against her softness. It felt cold, larger than she expected, and faintly sinister. A smile of victory. Still wearing his bandana.
Slowly, as if in a dream, she saw her hand drift up to his bandana. She saw her wrist flick and move, but her fingers couldn't quite grab hold. She saw him lick his lips as he moved again and heard that voice of caution. She felt its urgency, as if it were screaming at her from a mile away and she knew there was no time left. With one last try, she saw one finger hook the side of the bandana's knot and limply drag it from his head.
She saw the same black mark she remembered finding earlier, but so much more. There was no bruise, but a growth. A tumor. Black and green veins raced from it across Zach's forehead and as she watched, they pulsed in time to some unknown rhythm. She saw his face, his smile of victory plunged into shock, those piercing eyes widened in disbelief. Inside her, a thought struggled to surface, fighting its way through the dizziness and heat that engulfed her.
This was not normal. This was not natural.
Cassie's eyes widened. She gasped. The room around her flooded back into focus and, like a bucket of ice water was thrown on her, the furnace heat was gone and she could think again.
She looked up at Zach and didn't see him. Looking through his eyes was something else.
Cassie screamed, thrusting an awkward fist straight into the black growth on Zach's forehead. It connected, from barely a foot away and with a glancing shot, but Zach yelled, rolling away from Cassie and clutching his head in agony.
Kendra started. She blinked rapidly, looking around her as if seeing the room for the first time. Her mouth dropped in shock as she saw Cassie, naked as the day she was born, rolling off the bed and racing toward her.
"Kendra!" Cassie exclaimed, rushing into her arms as Kendra stood from the chair. Kendra's arms wrapped around her, holding her tight against her as Cassie burst into tears.
"Cassie? Oh god, Cassie! What's going on?" Kendra almost yelled.
"He- he was trying- he was a- oh god, I don't know!" Cassie sobbed.
"It'll be okay, Cass. Let's get out of here!" Kendra turned Cassie toward the door and, putting her arms around her shoulders, marched her toward it. They were a couple steps away when Cassie shrieked. Zach's hand wrapped around her ankle and, with one hand, pulled her off her feet, dragging her across the carpet toward him.
"Let go of her!" Kendra screamed. She threw a punch that landed solidly against Zach's nose. Cassie heard the cartilage snap, but he didn't even flinch. From his knees, he thrust out a hand, shoving Kendra in the abdomen and sending her crashing against the wall. She climbed quickly climbed to her feet, but stumbled in a daze.
"No!" Cassie screamed. "Get off of me!"
She struggled, trying to wriggle free. She kicked at his groin, but if anything landed, it didn't show on his face. His hands were like iron manacles, locking her wrists painfully on the ground behind her head. He slapped her hard across the face. Blackness crept at the edges of her vision as she tasted blood in her mouth. His legs forced her knees open wide as he again descended upon her. She tried to squirm backward, but he took both her wrists in one hand and slapped her again with his free palm. Her body went limp and all fight left her. All she could do was watch with half-lidded eyes.
"We must mate! We must have young! We must breed!" Zach hissed at Cassie in a deep, gutteral voice.
"Breed with this!" Cassie heard Kendra shout. Kendra had picked up a large, heavy trophy from the desk, and brought it down on Zach's head. It broke into several pieces but he barely seemed to notice.
"His forehead," Cassie gasped out. "Hit him in the forehead!"
Kendra looked and saw the black growth resting there. Zach looked up just in time for Kendra to retrieve a piece of trophy and send it slamming into his skull. Blood spurt out from the blow and he went limp, collapsing like a stringless puppet.
Kendra fell to her knees, rolling Zach's dead weight off of her friend before hugging her again.
"Cass, are you okay? Can you hear me?" Kendra asked, shaking her somewhat.
Cassie nodded weakly. Her vision was still swimming and Kendra's voice seemed to come from underwater, but she was feeling more steady by the second. She tried to sit up, but almost immediately fell back down. Kendra leaned over and put her hands beneath her arms to help her. A few moments later, Cassie was back on her feet, woozy but upright.
"Come on," Kendra urged. "Let's get you dressed and then we'll leave, okay?"
Cassie nodded, looking down at Zach, just to make sure he wasn't moving. Kendra sat her down on the bed and quickly retrieved Cassie's scattered clothing, helping her tug it on. The tanktop went on inside out and putting on the bra and overshirt was a waste of time. Kendra pulled Cassie to her feet and dragged her out of the room at a dead sprint.
* * *
Author's Notes: I'm really having a lot of fun writing Cassie and Kendra. They have very different personalities and seem like they would run in different social circles, but when they're together it just seems like they fit together perfectly. It makes writing dialogue for them seem very natural.