Page 70 of As the Rain Falls
“You too, Cass.”
I’m about to walk away, go home, and take a shower, but something in my chest twists as I watch her go.
I can’t tell what it is at first. If it’s the fact that she was so nice to me when I drove her to school the other day, that she might help me with Pepé after all, or if it’s the bruise on her face. But something doesn’t sit entirely right with me, and I just wish I could…
Maybe I’m overstepping.
Scratch that, I’mdefinitelyoverstepping.
I clearly don’t know her well enough. We’re friends, but we’re notcloseclose friends. But if anybody asks, I’m just being neighborly.It’s the right thing to do, isn’t it?
“Hey Cass?” I blurt out. Her hand freezes around the gates.“Don’t be a stranger, okay? I mean, I’m right next door. You can always ring my bell if you need anything.”
She tilts her head, shooting me an almost confused kind of look. Her voice comes out soft, “As long as I don’t mess with your stereo, right?”
“Right.” I nod, absentmindedly playing with Pepé‘s leash.
Cassandra bites her lips, hesitating to take another step. I almost expect her to say something, but she stays quiet.
It’s like neither of us wants to move.
I watch her linger for another second too long before she disappears inside. The door closes behind her, and everything should be okay now, but this burning sensation keeps pulsing in my chest, making me feel nauseous.
The more I think about it, something really doesn’t sit right with me, and I can’t shake the feeling that this isn’t the last time I’ll see a bruise on Cassandra Rivera, which is just—
It’s such a wild thought to have. So wild that I can’t believe that I’m even thinking about it in the first place.
Suddenly, I desperately want to press pause until I understand what this is about, this intuition that’s telling me to knock on her door again, but I can’t.
It’s a big house, I think to myself, finally heading home. Maybe not as big as mine, but my room and hers are on complete opposite ends. And if something were to happen, I wouldn’t hear a damn thing.
TEXT CHAINS BETWEEN FRIENDS: PART TWO
OCTOBER, 2016
Cassandra: do you want to hang out today?
Kayla: I have dance :(
I swear our group number is all fucked
Nobody but me knows how to count!!!
Alice will definitely take the win home this time
It makes me want to die just thinking about it
Cassandra: relax, its okay.next time i guess :D
***
Cassandra: im cleaning up the house
to welcome pépé
soooooo excited
Kayla: I can’t believe Beckett and you are like
