Cassie had not gotten any sleep that night.
She alternated mourning the loss of Maddy's friendship with severe anxiety at the thought of facing her at school on Monday.
She also could not stop thinking about Nate and the fact she had not heard from him all night. Although she would never admit this out loud, a small part of her feared her lover had gotten what he wanted and tossed her to the side.
But he couldn't do that to her.
Wouldn't.
Right?
Morning came and so did the disapproving glances Lexi had been giving from the night before.
"I can't believe you would this to Maddy." She would mutter walking past her.
Then there was her mother, who was fully ignoring her. At that moment, she wasn't sure if she preferred the judgement or being inexistent.
Despite Cassie's hardest attempts to convince her mother and sister of a lack of wrongdoing on her end, the two were nowhere near shipping Cassie and Nate.
Nate was Maddy's ex boyfriend, Cassie would argue. Technically, she no longer had a claim on him.
Plus the fact they were completely wrong for one another. He and Cassie made much more sense.
"It's the principle, Cassie." Her mother had rebutted.
As she sat watching her show, trying to ignore Cassie crying or arguing with Lexi, she reflected long and hard on her role as parent.
She slowly began to connect the dots between Cassie's recent behaviour and the events that unfolded over the last few weeks.
And although she would never admit this to Cassie, Suze felt sad for her lost little girl. A beautiful girl, so desperate for a male's love that she would fall precisely for someone she could not have. Someone she should not want.
A part of her wished she could tell her daughter to forget all about him, some High School boy ready to destroy her life for his pleasure. A part of her feared she would lose her daughter completely to Nate Jacobs, as this Cassie, the one that betrayed Maddy, would not fear leaving her family behind for his affections. A hidden part of her, one too afraid to even contemplate this, wished for a romantic end to her daughter's high school drama. But she knew the Nate Jacobs' of the world only brought ruin and heartache.
Nate, Mr Big Guy, with his broad shoulders and nice house. Nate, who had her daughter under his thumb. Nate, who would probably discard her the moment he left for his fancy Ivy League college.
And she would be more broken than before. More alone than ever.
Or even worse, pregnant with his child. Something Suze dreaded completely. Something Suze would not put past Cassie to do on purpose, just to be tied to him in every way.
But she sat there watching Millionaire Matchmaker rather than reasoning with Cassie.
And then she sat at her dining table and watched her daughter carry two small suitcases down the stairs.
She sat there and watched her walk out the door.
And then into Nate's car.
And then drive off without looking back.
Gone.
You made me leave my happy home. You took my love, and now you've gone since I fell for you.