Snow in San Francisco? Well, weirder things have happened. And with the crazy weather and global warming, it doesn't seem all that extraordinary. For instance, I live in a hot, dry desert, and within the span of 24 hours we had received over 15 inches of snow. 15 inches! That was the most recorded for my city in decades. I'm just saying that the weather is, well, as unpredictable as the ocean. Please enjoy this chapter, and keep in mind that we can all do a little to save the planet~!
Chapter Ten: Forgive and Forget
Anastasia, Cassidy, and Aunt Phlegmenkoff stood rigidly, all of them forlornly awaiting the prisoners to be dragged into the interrogation room. Held in such suspense, they all jumped when the door creaked open and Detective Weinberg entered, followed by two burly, grimy men. Behind them a young, pretty, blonde female holding several manila folders slammed shut the heavy metal door and threw the folders on the steel desk. She shot a quick, almost inconspicuous wink at the three women behind the viewing glass, and then abruptly pivoted on her heel and faced the suspects. Placing the palms of her hands on the cold, steel table, she barked, "There's no way out of this. You two match up perfectly with our murder suspects. Just because I'm a woman doesn't mean I don't know how to throw the books at a couple of idiots like you two. I mean come on," she exclaimed dramatically, throwing her hands high in the air, "The guns found on you two, which were purchased in your names, match the slugs found in the Greenes." At this Anastasia winced, but she appreciated that the criminals were uneasy: They couldn't look the detective in the eye and they fidgeted and squirmed nervously in their seats. Even Lieutenant Weinberg was having difficulties remaining calm and appearing strait-laced. "There are a few ways to handle this," the woman detective continued. She took a deep breath and straightened her gray tailored suit. Suddenly she slammed her hands on the table and her icy blue eyes stared through the two burly morons. She spoke through her teeth, hissing every syllable. "You can confess. Or, you can be tried, convicted, sentenced to life, and rot away in prison. But you will never escape the truth."
Cassidy hardly contained herself, she wanted so badly to jump, pump her arm, and do a victory dance in celebration. Instead, she whistled, "That chick is good."
"That chick" is Detective Juliet O'Neill. She had met Anastasia, Ms. Phlegmenkoff, and Cassidy shortly after Mr. and Mrs. Greene were proclaimed dead at the hospital. She had stayed behind to examine the crime scene, so she was late in arriving at the hospital. But upon arrival she assured the three women that she would do whatever it took to bring in the enemy/enemies. Most of the time Lieutenant Weinberg dealt with the family, for he was O'Neill's superior and hence would be working more closely with the family. But on this present day of interrogation he had decided to let his new comrade battle it out with the men she had helped bring to justice.
One of the two grimy men tapped his fingers on his leg. The other's lips quivered. The quivering one was the first to break. "It was an accident."
"Emilio!" the other screamed hoarsely, slapping his partner alongside the back of the head.
Anastasia blanched and Cassidy hugged her friend tightly. Even Aunt Phlegmenkoff, thinking it was an embrace of celebration, joined in. The criminals had confessed.
In the interrogation room, Detective Juliet O'Neill straightened up once again—which caught the attention of the three embracing women—and they saw the faintest smirk was evident on her face.
"Dabney," Emilio spoke, "we can't hide this forever. They would have found out sooner or later."
Detective Juliet O'Neill hardly held back a chuckle as she glanced over at Weinberg. "Dabney?" she mouthed.
"Listen," Emilio pleaded, "They drove a car very similar to one we were tracking. We-"
"And by 'they' you mean the victims?" Lieutenant Weinberg questioned.
Emilio nodded slowly before continuing, "You see, we thought it—the car—belonged to a rival gang leader that we've been in competition with." At this, Juliet O'Neill pulled up her chair and began flipping through one of the manila folders. "You see, he was pushing us off our territory. So we started trackin' him. He lived in that residential area. He was the Average Joe, the inconspicuous type that nobody would suspect. He happened to drive a similar car. It was all a misunderstanding. Really."
By that time the other man had "headed" the table and refused to look up. Juliet sighed and closed the folder. "Thank you, Emilio. I'm sure the Cinco Gente love the SFPD knowing their general location." At the sudden realization that he had just betrayed his "brotherhood," Emilio cried out in despair. "I'm not done yet, so don't interrupt," Juliet snapped. "I can make it even. Who is this Average Joe, and of what gang is he?"
"Max Robespierre and he's of the Reign of Terror."
"I'm guessing that's either his gang name," Juliet commented dryly, sharing an annoyed look with Weinberg, "Or you just gave me a load of..."
Emilio snorted. "That's his gang name. I don't know his real name."
"It's Scotty Thornton," the other Cinco Gente member, Dabney, muttered.
Juliet nodded. "We're done here." Weinberg called for security. Within seconds the heavy metal door opened and the two cuffed gang members were hustled to their feet. "Book 'em," Juliet and Weinberg announced in unison. The murderers were led away, and the two comrades jubilantly high-fived each other.
Anastasia was still shell-shocked and was a gaping frozen sculpture when Detective O'Neill and Lieutenant Weinberg entered the observation room. Cassie finally allowed herself a victory dance. Forming a V with the fore and middle fingers of her left hand, she shouted, "Woooo! It's V-Day!"
Juliet laughed at Cassie's antics. "Well, it certainly feels that way for the good guys."
Aunt Phlegmenkoff sniffed, and wiping her eyes, she thanked O'Neill and Weinberg for their work. She even shook their hands. Cassie, of course, couldn't keep still and ended up shaking Weinberg's hand and hugging O'Neill. "You were just great out there!" she concluded.
But no gratitude was sweeter than that which they received from Anastasia. The girl, who had been quiet during the entire interrogation and celebration, stared at Weinberg and O'Neill for a few moments. She slowly stepped over to Weinberg and O'Neill. She then threw her arms around them in the biggest group hug she could. "I love you guys," she sobbed happily.
O~o~O~o~O
After making the arrest official, the girls were driven back to their dormitory. By this time it was about an hour before classes were due to start. The girls showered up and soon were ready to go. Cassie was first to be ready, for she was still on an adrenaline high. "Ana," she called as pulled on her tan jacket, "I'm gonna head on out. I would like to meet up with Crystal and chat before the day starts."
"Okay," Anastasia said half-heartedly after spitting into the sink. "I have to finish brushing my teeth."
"All right," Cassie replied as she wrapped her pink scarf around her neck. "If that's all you have left then I'll just wait."
Anastasia placed her toothbrush in the toothbrush jar and said dryly, "No, I don't want to keep you from Crystal. Besides, I have a splitting headache. I might take something for it before I leave."
Cassie thought she detected a bit of hostility in Anastasia's tone. She wondered if Ana could still be mad at her for the Ana + Crystal + Dimitri love triangle reference she hinted at that night. She considered apologizing, but just as quickly shrugged it off and closed the door behind her. Knowing Anastasia, it was best to keep a distance until Ana was willing to move on and talk about it.
O~o~O
"Hey Cass," Crystal greeted her new friend as they met up in the corridor.
"Hey you," Cassie replied as she gave Crystal a playful nudge.
"Where's Ana?" Crystal asked with a pop of her gum.
Cassie shrugged indifferently. "She has a really bad, nagging headache. I'm guessing it's a migraine. And you know how those are."
Crystal seemed to have already lost interest in her own question, for she was scrutinizing Cassidy in a critical matter. "You look terrible. What happened to you?" she asked as she picked at an out-of-place strand of hair. "Your hair deflated!"
Cassie's eyes darted nervously from Crystal to the linoleum floor. She fibbed, "Uh...well..I kinda pulled an all-nighter-"
"If you're gonna be a part of The Lions, you're gonna havta be lookin' your best 24/7, girl. Oh, that reminds me. We—The Lions—were thinking of changing our name to The Lions and the Lamb, due to the addition of a new member."
Who was this new member? Fatigue finally catching up with her, Cassie shot Crystal a quizzical glance, only to be met with a sly smile and a heartfelt wink. Cassie grinned in return. But the moment was shattered by the jarring bell signaling class time. "See you later," Cassie started to say.
"Cassie, come to my place afterwards. Me and my sibs needa get to know ya better. We're all gonna tell stories that reveal a bit about ourselves."
"Can't wait," Cassie replied as she waved goodbye.
Anastasia collapsed as soon as Cassidy had left. Falling onto the carpeted floor, she cupped her face in her hands. This was all just too much. How many problems was she expected to juggle at once? She had (1.) her parents' murders, (2.) her growing colorblindness, (3.) Weekends with Aunt Phlegmenkoff, (4.) Dimitri for her lab partner, and (5.) Crystal, who seemed to be stealing people away from her left-and-right. Yes, she was angry with Cassidy for suggesting a love triangle. "Especially since it's not true," she told herself in a willful misconception. Yet she was angriest with the fact that Cassie would be spending so much quality time without her; her best friend, her sister. And then an old saying that her father used to say flashed through her mind: The greater the struggle, the greater the reward.
"I hope," she thought. But the saying did raise her spirits some. She straightened up. Mr. Jingles ran over, and purring, lay in her lap. Stroking his head, she told herself, "Everything happens for a reason." Finding comfort and encouragement in the saying, she picked up Mr. Jingles and placed him on the bed. Hands on her hips, she asked rhetorically, "There's nothing like meditation, am I right?" Not waiting for an imaginary answer, she grabbed her old charcoal gray cabbie hat, navy blue scarf, fading brown trench coat and worn cayenne boots, and purposefully slammed the dorm door behind her.
Inside, Mr. Jingles rolled onto his side, meowed, and covered his eyes with his paw.
Cassie tapped her foot in the academy hallway. She then, for the 69th time that day, checked her watch. In two minutes, school would be officially out for the day. And Ana had never shown.
After a few unsuccessful calls to their dorm room and Anastasia's cellular phone, during the lunch break Cassidy fearfully alerted the headmaster, who also tried calling their dorm room. When that attempt failed, he tried Anastasia's cell phone, much to the dismay of Cassidy. "I tried that already!" she cried. Yet he tried anyway and was forced to leave a voice message. Before they could do anything else, though, Cassie's cell buzzed and Anastasia's number flashed on the screen. Flipping open the phone, she read aloud the following message:
Cassie, I'm fine. Plz tell Headmaster Jerkins that I didn't show bcuz I'm ill. My cell was off, so I didn't c the 11 missed calls & 9 txts. Sorry. :( I'll c u l8r, sweetie. -Ana Emelia G. }i{
Cassie sighed in relief.
"How are we to be certain this is credible?" Headmaster Jerkins asked, glancing over the rims of his frameless glasses at the beaming girl.
Cassie grinned. "She signed it 'Ana Emelia G.' I was just giving her a hard time about her middle name. And hardly anyone knows her middle name. She calls me 'sweetie,' and she also is, I believe, the only student in this entire college who addresses you as Headmaster Jerk-ins."
The golden-haired maiden smiled absentmindedly as she recalled the conversation from earlier that day. Her recollection was broken when the headmaster's door swung open and out strutted Crystal. "Hey," Crystal said, breaking into a smile, "you waited for me."
"Of course..." Cassie replied modestly, despite being a little astounded at the genuine surprise carrying in Crystal's voice. And then Cassie was struck with a thought. "What were you doing in the headmaster's office, Crystal?"
Crystal shook her head defiantly. "I was in there for nothin'." Silence. Cassie waited, but there wasn't even a single pop of gum to fill the awkward silence. Cassie rolled her eyes, realizing Crystal wasn't going to break. They continued down the hall, and as they walked through the doors, Crystal stamped her foot indignantly. "It's just not fair!" Cassie shot a surprised glance at Crystal. Sighing, the raven-haired, now gumless girl continued, "It happened in the gym."
Cassie patted Crystal on the back. "Save it for storytelling hour."
O~o~O~o~O
Crystal, Cassie, Amanda, Anna, and Jake all sat around a small, rectangle-shaped coffee table on the living room floor. "And now," Crystal said dramatically, rising to her knees. She lifted her glass skyward and proclaimed, "Cheers to our newest member Cassie! And to the renaming of our group to The Lions and the Lamb!"
"Woooo!" the rest chorused as they clinked their soda glasses together.
"And now," Crystal said, sinking back down, "time for us to tell about ourselves."
"Oh boy," Amanda said, leaning back on her elbows. "This is gonna be muy interesante."
Anna chuckled. "Sí, mí hermana."
Crystal shook her head. "Okay, first of all, avoid all Español. I have no idea what y'all are saying-"
"Then how do you know we were conversing in Spanish?" Amanda retorted.
"And secondly, I go first!" Crystal continued, completely ignoring her sister's smart-mouthed question. She then proceeded to sip her Diet Coke, all the while glancing mischievously at the rest of the group. "This happened today. Okay, so as you know, I was in the gym, and we were playing volleyball. Well, Shelley Gibson, the volleyball prodigy, was serving and striking all over the place-"
"Spiking," Jake chimed.
"Mmm?" Crystal responded, sipping her soda.
"It's spiking, not striking."
Crystal shrugged indifferently. "Whatev. Anyway, as I was saying, Shelley was being the superstar. And she was doing everything. So I was kind of, well, appearing to suck. And then she had the gall to turn to me and say, 'What's wrong, Crystal? Is it all a little over your head?' "
This siblings exchanged disgusted glances.
"So I'm not the brightest lightbulb," Crystal continued, "and I know that. But seriously, that was mean! She doesn't have to rub it in. I mean, I don't see her in local theatre or singing her heart out in front of hundreds-"
"Dozens," Jake corrected.
"Dozens of people."
"Yeah!" her sisters agreed in unison.
Crystal nodded. "I held control of my temper for a few more serves, but the longer I stared at the back of her perfectly platinum head, the madder I got. Finally it was my turn to serve, and, well..."
"Ooooh, you didn't!" Amanda exclaimed excitedly, pushing herself up in a more upright position.
Crystal nodded solemnly. "I served at her head. Bullseye. And. Ended up in Headmaster Jerk's office. He even took my gum away!"
Amanda shook her head and reached for her Sprite. "Typical." She gulped down a mouthful of soda and then said, "And of course all the boys go for that too-good-to-be-around-others and too-pretty-to-hang-out-with-common filth stereotypical girls. Which preludes-" She looked at Crystal. "jumpstarts-" She returned her gaze to the audience in general. "my short story."
Jake, being her older brother, looked a bit uncomfortable with Amanda's choice of story topic. On the other hand, Cassie's eyes glistened with interest, as did Crystal's.
Amanda sighed, tossed her brown chestnut hair over her shoulders, leaned back on her elbows, and began her story.
"This happened last year. So I was a high school sophomore. And I was best friends with Deirdre Lanson. At least I thought. She became a cheerleader. I stayed in the school's orchestra. Well, we were spending less and less time together, and all the while she was being brainwashed more and more. Her interests were changing. We tried to find a way to spend more time together, and we decided that the best way to do that was if I went shopping at the mall with Deirdre and her cronies. So I ceded and participated in their favorite activity. But they tried to tell me what to buy, how to act. I put on a show of appreciation, though I was feeling exactly the opposite, if you know what I mean. Anyway, Deirdre spied with her little eye a group of senior boys—they were at the food court. Deirdre wanted to go over and talk to them. I was a bit reluctant, mostly because Chad, my crush, was one of the boys. The girls said they would help me out, after finding that I was too shy to talk with him. So we all walked up, and Deirdre turned on the charm like that." Amanda snapped her fingers to emphasize her point. "Deirdre 'tried' to talk me up, but it just made me look like a total loser. You know, those little backhanded comments?"
"Mhmm," Anna muttered in agreement.
"You got that right, girl," Crystal voiced.
Amanda nodded. "By the end of the day she marched out of that mall on Chad's arm."
There was an audible gasp from Cassie. "I would never do that to Ana, and she would never do that to me... I can't even imagine..."
Amanda smiled. "I'm glad for you, Cassie.
"I confronted Deirdre that night, and her words will stick with me forever. Direct quote: 'Well, Amanda, I'm sorry you feel that way, but I can't help it that you're dull and boring and have no personality.' " There was a chorus of gasping from the rest of the group. "And I said..." Amanda hesitated and wiped her right eye, "and I said, 'Deirdre, I'm sorry you don't appreciate me for who I am. But no matter how hard you try, you are not going to change me. And Deirdre, I'm sorry for you; you have no character.' "
"Wooooo!" The rest of the group cheered. Crystal and Anna high-fived each other, and Cassie asked, "Then what happened?"
"She became Homecoming Queen and the most popular girl in the school. Chad had his stint with Dee Dee for one month before moving on to one of the cronies, and as for me, well..." Amanda smiled sheepishly, her hesitation holding everyone in suspense, "I stayed me."
"Good for you, girl!" Crystal exclaimed, giving her sister a monster hug. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"
Amanda blushed. "It's...it's embarrassing."
Crystal was about to retort when Annaleisa cleared her throat. "I have a story too, and it's gonna beat both of yours combined!"
"Oh really?" Crystal feigned a cynical tone.
"Yes, really," Anna replied smugly as she crossed her arms.
"Alright then, let's hear it," said Jake.
"Well, I love animals. Always have. Back when we lived in Napa-"
"You lived in Napa Valley?" Cassie exclaimed in disbelief.
"Yep. Six years ago; I was what, nine?" she asked, turning to her sisters.
"Yeah; I remember because I was eleven," Amanda recalled in a dreamy voice.
"So I was nine and obsessed with horses. Still am obsessed, actually. Well, one day, as we were driving to the supermarket, we were pulling out from our ranch and-"
"You had a ranch?"
"Sure, five acres worth; it was a rather small ranch, but..." Anna stopped, looking a bit irritated. "Cassie, if you keep interrupting I'm never gonna finish."
"My apologies."
"Where was I? Oh, pulling out, and alongside our road we found an unmarked pony. Ya see, ranchers mark the animals with symbols so that they can keep track and stuff. Anyways, this little fella was unmarked. Our father put out a notice to the local ranchers, but none of 'em claimed to be missin' a pony. And that's when I got the idea to keep it. After all, I always wanted one of my own. I asked our parents, and they said I could as long as I was responsible for its food, water, clean-up, and all that stuff. And, of course, if no one claimed her. I promised and crossed my heart.
"I named her Betsy. I took real good care of that girl. Washed it. Fed it. Rode it—you know a growing horse needs its exercise—and gosh darn believed Betsy was the greatest thing that happened to me.
"Then, one day a fella from outta town knocked on our front door asking if we had found an unmarked brown colt with a black mane and tail and a white diamond between the eyes. He was describing Betsy. My dad asked how Betsy got lost several miles away from her 'home' stable. The guy's story was that he had been visiting someone nearby, and he had taken Betsy with him. Apparently, she had gotten lost during the night—don't know why he didn't alert the person he was staying with—and seeing that he had not yet had the chance to mark the colt, well, it took him a while to find her. But those were the best three days of my life. No regrets.
"During the summer I'm free to visit her anytime I want—that is, anytime Mom and Dad drive over to Napa Valley. At least I'm not totally deprived of my sweet Betsy!"
"Wow," Cassie said, "you really seem to know how to look on the bright side of things."
Anna shrugged. "Eh, it's a gift."
Amanda gave her younger sister a noogie. "You silly gal. By the way, I don't recall you having a southern accent. Where did you pick that up so quickly, darlin'?"
Anna playfully pushed Amanda away. "I'll tell you when pigs sprout wings."
Amanda laughed. "With advances in genetic engineering, that's not all that far away!"
"All right girls, that's enough. Dearest Jake still has yet to share his personal story."
"Nice try, Crystal, but I have nothing to tell," he said coolly as he grabbed a handful of BBQ Fritos from the chip bowl.
"Yes you do. How about that time you almost blew up the school's chemistry lab?"
Jake raised a halting hand. "'Nough said." He leaned forward. "Cassie, here's all you need to know about me: I'm 19, I like girls, and music is my life."
Cassie laughed, "Good to know."
Jake nodded at her. "Your turn, Blondie."
Cassie settled back against the foot of the sofa and sighed before protesting, "There have been so many interesting personal revelations that I honestly can't pick one."
"Choose one that exposes a different side of yourself," Amanda suggested as she reached for the BBQ Fritos. "Perhaps one in which your life was significantly altered due to a choice hinging on a special relationship." Amanda was met with blank stares. After several moments of silence she challenged, "What? Do I not have the right to be insightful and philosophical sometimes?"
"I do have a story," Cassie whispered abruptly. All eyes pivoted toward the golden-haired beauty. "This happened back when I was your age, Anna.
"My father's brother, Uncle Joe, was getting married at his seaside house in Santa Barbara. There was extra space at his house, and he invited us to stay down there for the weekend. So I packed my things and headed down with the family. We arrived on the eve of the wedding.
"The wedding was fantastic, but to me the most breathtaking moments were spent standing on 'my' bedroom balcony, staring out at the aquamarine ocean." The recollection in Cassie's mind was vivid. Lost in reminiscing, she pulled her knees up close to her.
"It was approaching dusk, and after the reception, I went up to the balcony and stared out at the party below. I was enjoying the scene, watching people laughing and dancing. Among them I saw a boy, about 18, whom I didn't recognize. He was making his way toward the house. He must have sensed my inquisitive stare because, once clear of most of the party-goers, he stopped in this tracks and looked up at me. He smiled and waved and called, 'Hello!' I returned the small pleasantry. 'Won't you venture down or are you shy?' "
" 'I'm enjoying the gorgeous view," I called down to him.
He smiled. " 'What's your name?' "
" 'Cassidy,' " I said coyly.
"He repeated my name with a smile. I returned the smile, and then he turned back toward the party, evidentially forgetting his reason for heading toward the house in the first place."
Stuck in her reverie, Cassidy didn't realize that the eyes of her audience were filled with complete rapture and were intensely riveted upon her.
"Little did I know that I'd be seeing him later that evening, and that he'd be tossing pebbles at my window. I stepped onto the balcony and asked what he wanted. He gestured for me to go down to the beach. So I went back inside, slipped on my sneakers, and opened my bedroom door. I skipped down the stairs, and soon I could see his shaggy-haired head through the glass-paned doors. I joined him outside in the brisk, sea air, and we walked, and he told me his life story. Scott was the neighbor's son, and he worked odd jobs for my Uncle Joe. I told Scott that I'm Joe's niece. We got to talking about things—and we talked for what seemed hours. When we finally wandered back, I saw that the hallway light was on in my uncle's house. I didn't really give it a second thought until I opened the door and saw my father standing on the staircase, anxiously awaiting my return.
" 'Cassidy! That boy is a troublemaker,' " he shouted as he yanked me away from Scott. "'Believe me, I heard enough from the own boy's father earlier tonight! He almost cost one girl her life.'
"Scott had his share of juvenile run-ins with the law, I knew. Scott was honest enough to confide in me that. And the girl was his first girlfriend. He was driving her home and had a bad accident in which she landed in the hospital with three broken ribs," Cassidy explained.
"I was about to rejoin but before I had the chance Scott took my hand and whispered, 'Meet me in my yard's garden.' Then his fingers slipped from mine. Yet, despite his words, I glued my eyes to him, wishing him not to go.
"Once I received my scolding, was ordered never to see Scott again, and had learned that my squeaky bedroom door had given me away, I returned to my room. As I waited for Dad to quiet down in the adjoining room, I schemed up a way to get down to the garden. Cliché, yes. Practical, absolutely. I tied my sheets together, and then tied one end to the balcony banister. No longer hearing my parents discussing how to run my life, I realized they must have calmed down enough to consider sleeping. That's when I descended my rope of sheets and sneaked over to the garden.
"We kept quiet because we'd be dead if Dad knew.
"Soon it was approaching dawn. 'Scott, promise me that someday you'll take me somewhere we can be alone. I'll be waiting. Just...just say yes,' I begged.
" 'Don't be afraid, we'll make it out of this mess...somehow.' In the garden Scott had promised me that he'd someday come. He'd never forget me.
"The next day we left for San Fran." Cassie allowed herself a sigh, and her happy expression darkened. "I grew tired of waiting and wondering if he was ever coming around. But he never did, and I eventually gave up on him."
"He never called or anything?" Amanda asked, shocked.
"No. However, that experience made me stronger and has helped me learn not to trust people immediately after meeting them; I have to get to now them first."
Annaliesa pulled a Kleenex from the tissue box on the table and blew her nose. Jake had his face turned away. "Wow," Crystal muttered. "That was quite a story. And you said it was impossible to pick one to tell. Are all the other stories that movin'?"
Cassie faked a convincing laugh. "No, not all of them. But some are, yes." Cassie glanced down at her watch and gasped. "Crystal, it's 4:25! We need to head over to the dorms to work on the project."
"Oh yeah, about that," Crystal said, twirling a strand of her raven hair, "Can't make it. We're going out for Mom's b-day."
"I understand," Cassie replied, stretching her legs.
"Oh wait!" Crystal cried in a sudden sense of urgency. "I needa tell you guys something. It's BIG news and I wanted to save it for last. I just found out early today. Our friend, Jessie, is kinda in the music business; she's not big yet, but she's doing some small tours and stuff with another band—I forget the name—but anyways, she's one of the openers, and she pushed some buttons and got us a spot as the first opening act!" Crystal exclaimed all in one breath.
Nobody cared to correct Crystal and say that she meant "pulled some strings." Everybody squealed in delight. Anna almost hyperventilated. Nobody could believe the news.
"When you say big, you mean monstrous!" Anna shouted jubilantly as she jumped up and down, giving each sibling a huge hug.
Clearing her throat, Crystal announced, "This could be our big break! We'll be given a set of five songs. Oh! And the concert is going to be at the Great American Music Hall." Crystal turned her attention to Cassie. "It's next weekend. It's short notice, but we're lucky Jess was able to get us in at all. Do you think you can make it?"
For the first time in all of the celebration hullabaloo, Cassie fully realized the magnitude of the situation. She was a part of their band! She'd be performing in front of people! At the abrupt realization she began to sweat and put a hand to her forehead. "Gosh...I...yeah," she stammered in genuine shock.
"Great!" Crystal exclaimed as she slapped her friend on the back. "There's just one little catch to it."
Cassie was beginning to tremor uncontrollably. "What's that?"
"You proved to us you can sing; I mean, you got the voice of an angel. But how are you with instruments?"
"Uh," Cassie said shakily, trying to collect her thoughts, "I play piano, violin, and uh, piano violin, and my uncle taught me a bit of classical guitar, since he owned one. Yeah..."
"Um, okay. Brush up on guitar and learn these songs," Crystal instructed as she snatched a CD off the coffee table and handed the disc to the trembling girl. "And, in order to make your joining official official, you need to write us a piece."
Cassie glared at her incredulously. "What?"
"It's a rule we came up with a while ago," Amanda explained. "It ensures each member can do a bit of everything. Ya know, be a real musician."
"But what am I supposed to write about?" Cassie asked in sheer exasperation and fear.
"Anything. A place, a person, an experience. Something that has changed your life, inspired you. Anything goes, just as long as it comes from your heart."
"Yeah," Crystal chimed, "So just make sure you have our song by this Friday."
It was nearly six o'clock and dusk was approaching. Anastasia was to meet Dimitri at his dorm to continue work on their project an hour ago. But Anastasia had apparently performed a vanishing act. Thinking she was intentionally blowing him off, Dimitri stormed over to Dorm 517 and pounded on the door. A few seconds passed before the door creaked open, revealing a blonde mess in an off-white tee and pink pajama bottoms. Her hair was mussed and she grasped a pen and scribbled-on notepad in her right hand. "Where is she?" he demanded.
"Who? Ana?" Cassie asked in honest-to-goodness befuddlement.
He didn't seem to hear her. "I can't believe this," he fumed. "She blew off our project...again. Is she here?"
Alarmed, Cassie's voice escalated. "No, I thought she was with you."
"Well, where IS she?"
Cassie leaned up against the door frame. "She told me she was feeling ill..."
Before Dimitri could respond, she snapped her fingers. "I think I know where she is." Rushing to the coat closet, she called over her shoulder, "Grab your jacket."
A few minutes later...
Cassie, decked out in her tan jacket, pink scarf and pajama bottoms, and faux suede Bear Claw boots, locked her door. Turning toward Dorm 515, she saw Dimitri exiting his room. His heavy, black wool jacket covered his gray and red horizontal-striped sweater. He was sporting a gray, black, and white-checkered wool newsboy cap. "All I said was to get a jacket, not prepare for the Ice Age," Cassie said as he looked his door.
Turning, he said lightly, "I have not yet had the chance to go shopping. It gets cold in Russia." His expression returned to serious. "So where did she go?"
"Well," Cassie said, taking a step forward, "I can't be sure of anything. But my hunches are almost never wrong.
"Dimitri," she said quietly as they began down the hallway, "you need to know that she didn't disappear because of you, if that's what you were thinking. It's really because, well, she's been having personal issues that are really stressing her out right now. And, well, I kind of upset her and never apologized."
"What did you do?" he asked, his tone softened.
"Pushed her buttons to prove my point. I think there may be an underlying reason to her vulnerability to me right now, but I just can't place my finger on it.
"Now, where we're going is a place in Buena Vista Park in which she often sought refuge growing up. She calls it her 'Sacred Meditation Spot'. It's secluded. A real beauty too."
"Sounds intriguing."
"Trust me, it should be one of the world's Seven Wonders."
O~o~O
Twenty minutes later Cassidy was leading Dimitri through a small, forest-like park. Snow crunched beneath their feet with every step. Dimitri took in the scenery. The whole place was filled with trees and snow. The snow glistened, shining an iridescent blue. It was unusual. Snow was packed onto the bare trees' branches. And then there was the clearing. Not huge, but roomy. In the clearing there was a frozen-over pond, and it reflected a bluish sheen. It looked like a scene from a fairy tale; a place one only sees in pictures or in the mind's eye. It was surreal.
Rounding a cluster of skeleton trees, Cassidy stopped short. Approximately 16 yards in front of her was Anastasia, huddled and crying into her knees.
Dimitri spotted Cassie and snapped back into reality. Following her gaze, he caught sight of the girl huddled in a corner of the clearing. Immediately he ran to her aid. "Anya..." He knelt beside her.
Cassidy kept her distance, remaining in the shadows of the trees. She looked on in awe and wonder.
Dimitri removed his wool coat and wrapped it around Anastasia. As he was finishing wrapping her in the coat, she muttered, "Oh, Dimitri," and began to sob onto him.
"It's okay. I'm here."
Cassidy's eyes welled up at the display.
Finally Dimitri soothingly said, "Now come on, get up." He helped her to her feet and began to lead her away from the Sacred Meditation Spot. Approaching the shadows of where Cassie stood, Anastasia saw her friend. The two girls exchanged glances that left words unneeded, and together the three of them left the forest.
O~o~O
Cassie and Ana sat in their dorm room, Ana sipping her Starbucks venti pumpkin spice soy latte.
"I felt like Crystal was taking you away from me—which, mind you, I realized is silly. I'm sorry I overreacted," Anastasia confessed to her friend.
"You funny girl," Cassie laughed, pulling off her friend's shoes.
Anastasia sighed. "I thought meditating would help, but being alone out there...it just brought up memories and with everything else going on...you get the picture."
Cassie yanked off the second shoe. "When you hurt, I hurt. It's so good to see you back to your old self, Ana."
"I couldn't agree more," Ana proclaimed.
Cassie plunked herself on her bed only to be jumped upon by Mr. Jingles. "Silly cat!" she laughed.
But Ana saw something more in Cassie's smile. "Cassidy Vivianne Astrid, what art thou hiding from me?"
"Okay," Cassie said excitedly as she popped upright. "The band name was changed to The Lions and the Lamb—that's me!—and we're gonna be opening for some band this weekend!"
"No way!" Anastasia gasped, almost spilling her latte all over herself.
"Yes way!" Cassie clutched Mr. Jingles and squeezed so tightly he started to wheeze. She looked down and, seeing the squished cat, released her vice-like grip and the girls watched him dart into Anastasia's slipper. Laughing, Cassie continued, "I guess the Loewens have a friend who pulled some strings. She got us in and we'll be performing a five-song set!"
"Omigosh, Cassie, this is unbelievable!" Ana squealed, setting down her cup to give her friend a hug.
"And that's not all. I gotta write a song!" Cassie announced in an excited, yet scared, tone.
"Will your group be performing it?" Ana asked, shocked.
Cassie waved her hand dismissively. "No, of course not. They're not gonna want to play something of mine. It'll have too much emotion and not enough rock." Cassie laughed self-consciously.
Ana quizzically studied her friend. "Why do you have to write a song?"
Cassie grinned. "I'll tell ya all about it!"