The Howard household wasn't exactly known for its calm, composed environment, but tonight, Suze Howard was hitting new levels of outrage. As Cassie descended the stairs, the sound of her mother's furious footsteps echoed through the house like a drumbeat of impending doom.
"CASSANDRA MARIE HOWARD!" Suze bellowed, her voice carrying enough weight to make the family dog retreat into another room. "WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THIS NONSENSE I'M HEARING ABOUT YOU RUNNING SOME KIND OF TROLL ACCOUNT?"
Cassie winced at the full use of her name and tiptoed into the living room. Suze stood in the center of the room, her arms crossed, one hand gripping a half-empty wine glass, the other clutching her phone. Lexi sat nearby, clearly trying to look busy with her homework but failing miserably to hide her smirk.
"Mom, I can explain—" Cassie started, but Suze wasn't having it.
"Oh, I cannot wait to hear this explanation," Suze said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "What exactly were you thinking? Actually, no—were you thinking at all?"
"I didn't mean for it to get this big!" Cassie exclaimed, throwing her hands up defensively.
Suze stepped closer, waving her phone in Cassie's face. "Maddy Perez just posted this for the entire world to see! Do you have any idea how embarrassing this is? For you? For me?"
"It's not like I tagged you, Mom!" Cassie blurted out, instantly regretting it.
Suze's eyes narrowed. "Oh, so you think this is funny? Do you think Principal Lodge is laughing right now? Because I guarantee you he's already drafting another email about what a disaster my daughter is!"
Cassie groaned, her face turning bright red. "Mom, it's not that serious. Everyone trolls people online! It's just… modern communication!"
Suze's jaw dropped, her voice rising an octave. "Oh, is that what this is? Modern communication? Making burner accounts to insult people and getting caught because you're too incompetent to log out of your real account first?"
Lexi snorted, earning a glare from Cassie.
"This is so unfair," Cassie muttered, crossing her arms. "Maddy started it! She's been tormenting me for weeks, and no one ever says anything to her!"
"Oh, you want to blame Maddy for this?" Suze said, gesturing wildly. "How about we take some accountability for once in our lives, Cassandra?"
"I am taking accountability!" Cassie shot back. "I'm just saying she's not innocent either!"
Suze let out a frustrated groan, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I'm going to lose my mind. I really am."
"Too late," Lexi muttered under her breath.
"Lexi!" Suze snapped, turning her frustration toward her other daughter. "Do you have anything constructive to add, or are you just here for the peanut gallery?"
"I'm just here for the show," Lexi replied with a shrug.
"Great," Suze said, downing the rest of her wine. "Just great."
Cassie stood there awkwardly, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "Can I go now?"
Suze glared at her. "Oh no, missy. You're not going anywhere. You're grounded for the next month. No phone, no parties, no—"
"You already said that!" Cassie interrupted, her voice rising.
"Well, now I'm saying it again," Suze snapped. "Because clearly, it didn't sink in the first time."
Cassie groaned loudly, throwing her head back. "I can't believe this. This is all Maddy's fault, and I'm the one getting punished!"
"You're not getting punished for what Maddy did," Suze said through gritted teeth. "You're getting punished for being reckless and, frankly, embarrassing. Now, go upstairs before I completely lose it."
Cassie stormed up the stairs, her face flushed with anger. She slammed her bedroom door shut and let out a blood-curdling scream, throwing herself onto her bed. She screamed again, louder this time, her frustration echoing through the walls.
Next door, the Wilsons were trying to enjoy a quiet evening in their living room when they heard the commotion. Mrs. Wilson peered out the window, frowning. "Is that the Howard girl again?"
Mr. Wilson sighed, putting down his crossword puzzle. "Probably. Should we…?"
"I'm calling the police," Mrs. Wilson said, already dialing. "This is the third time this month. Enough is enough."
Fifteen minutes later, two police officers knocked on the Howard family's front door. Suze opened it, her face pale with embarrassment as the officers explained the noise complaint.
"I am so sorry about this," Suze said, forcing a tight smile. "I promise, it won't happen again."
Upstairs, Cassie peeked out of her bedroom, her curiosity piqued. The officers noticed her immediately.
"Miss, are you the source of the noise?" one officer asked, his tone stern.
Cassie hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah, I guess."
"Do you want to explain what's going on?" the other officer asked.
Cassie's face turned red. "It's just… Maddy started it."
The officers exchanged a glance, their serious expressions cracking into faint smiles.
"Who's Maddy?" the first officer asked, trying to suppress a laugh.
"She's my nemesis," Cassie said earnestly. "She's been ruining my life for weeks, and no one ever does anything about it!"
The second officer chuckled, shaking his head. "Look, kid, I don't think this is exactly a police matter."
"But she—" Cassie started, only for the first officer to cut her off.
"Here's the deal," he said, his tone firm but kind. "Keep the noise down, or we'll have to come back. And trust me, you don't want that."
Cassie nodded, her cheeks burning with humiliation. "Okay. Sorry."
The officers tipped their hats to Suze, who looked ready to melt into the floor, and left. As the door closed, Suze turned to Cassie, her hands on her hips.
"Grounded doesn't even begin to cover it," she said, her voice low and furious. "You're going to wish you'd never been born."
Cassie groaned, trudging back up the stairs and slamming her door again. She flopped onto her bed, staring at the ceiling.
"Maddy's gonna pay for this," she muttered to herself.
But deep down, even Cassie knew she was in way over her head.
