Tragic Affair

CASS'S POV
I was in Manhattan, smoking a cigarette outside a diner. It hasn’t been a real fancy life, being a runaway and all. I stole enough money from my mom and dad to get by though. It’s been four months, I have a job at a raw restaurant as a waitress. It’s actually been a pretty awesome four months. The cigarette hung between my lips, while I searched for the phone in my pocket and called my new friend Jasey. We were roommates, in a sketchy apartment. We were both runaways; heavy smokers, light drinkers, and all alone in life. But who really cares.

I was from Jersey, born and raised. I needed an out and the cheapest bus to a distant enough location was New York City. I was living in The Bronx but spending all my time in Manhattan. It was more fun, each person was like a character for a story. Sometimes I would just find a nice spot and sit down and draw little characters that I saw walking down the street, sometimes talking on the phone, sometimes riding a bike without a helmet, sometimes just a hot guy (come on).

Now I was just smoking, watching the smoke disappear into the air. It was entertaining. Until I heard a voice I never wanted to hear again. A Jersey accent, self absorbed and obnoxious. I’ve been trying to rid of mine for the past four months and it’s been practically replaced with a tougher New York voice. The voice was that of my terrible mother. She wasn’t physically abusive, she could have been much worse, but she was just everything I hate in a person and I couldn’t stand living with her a moment longer.

“Robbie, I found her!” My eyes widened. Robbie was my dad. It was my mom talking. They came up from Jersey and found me. I stumped out my cigarette. “Cass! It’s your mom! They said you were kidnapped!” Kidnapped. I laughed. The whole realization that I got caught dawned upon me and I ran fast in the other direction. But the smoking killed my lungs and I remembered my mom’s newfound interest was cross fit and going to the gym so she caught up. “You weren’t kidnapped, were you Cass? You ran away, you fuck up. I knew it. Robbie, get over here.”

And then hell came loose, Jasey came up beside me, smoking a joint. “You must be the parents. God damnit, Cass really hates you bitches.” And that is how I got dragged into my parents Hummer, driving the short drive back to hell- I mean Jersey. And the comments were pretty much unbearable.

“Cass Lee Woodley, why did you run off to New York? You do realize you’re a damn minor too and you reek of cigarettes. God save my sinful child.” My mom wasn’t even religious, she was just mean.

“No one’s saving me, Miranda.” I said smirking at my fake blonde mother. Plastic boobs, liposuction, fake tan, highlighted hair, skinny jeans and a pink tank top. She was an old hag Barbie.

“You shut your mouth, Cass.” My dad said. He was no better than aged Barbie. He was about 20 lbs overweight, greying hair, in a suit.

“Gladly.” I took another cigarette out of my pocket and started smoking in the car. My parents, at this time, were just happy I’d shut up and let me smoke in peace.

“Cass, you are going back to school tomorrow. You’re only a month behind since you left over the summer break so I’m sure you just missed a little bit. I’m sure you’ve been used to drinking and smoking all day, but you’re going to tone down all this terrible behaviour. You had some freedom and some trust, now it’s completely gone. Curfew is 10. You break it and I’ll snap your neck. Am I making myself clear?” Miranda threatened.

“Yes.” I snapped.

“Good.” The rest of the drive passed in silence. Once we got home, I got out of the car and walked back into the house. When I ran away, all I had was some money and smokes so there was nothing I really left back in New York except some clothes which Jasey will probably take.
Honestly, back in my old comfortable bed, I felt true comfort and immediately passed out.

The next morning, I was being woken up at 7:00 to go shower and get ready for school. My little sister Lainey was the one doing the waking. She was 13, and a total nerd. “Mom said you were back but I couldn’t believe it. Cass, you look skinny. Cass, I brought you a muffin. Cass, you smell like smoke, go shower.” I groaned, took the muffin and fake smiled at Lainey, the cue for her to fuck off. I ate a bite, it tasted too sweet and I tossed the rest out the window.

I walked off to the bathroom and stripped. The shower was luxury compared to what I had gotten used to. It was a rain shower, nice and hot, unlike the lukewarm crap I had back in NY. There were little things I missed about this place but what I loved about New York was freedom, which I’ve never had here.

After my shower, I put on some clothes, a black tank top and tight, torn and faded skinny jeans. I sprayed my long, black hair with some hairspray and didn’t even start with makeup. I instead, searched for my computer and opened it up, finding my email and sending two needed emails.

To: Jasey
Name: Back in goddamn jersey
Jasey!
I’m back home. Take all my stuff cause I won’t be back in the big apple for a while now. I left a bag of coke under the bed, you can have that too. Tell everyone I love them, or don’t haha. I’m stuck in rich-land so you can email me now!
-Cass (the fuckup)

To Brixton
Name: ...
Brix.
Guess who’s back?
-Anon

A second later, Brixton replied.

To Cass.
Name: WHATTTT
No fucking way!!!!!!!!!!
Go to school right now, i'm there.
You better come or i’m calling Miranda and telling her everything.
-B

Brixton was so energetic. Kinda regret ditching her but I wanted to wander, travel. I mean, I didn’t get far but it was the thought that counts, right?

I placed a cigarette between my lips and headed out the door, ignoring my parents yelling to tell her not to smoke in the house. I lit the cigarette the second I was outside, walking quickly the 6 minutes it took to get to the nearest high school, my old high school. Pennybrook High. There was a girl standing there. She had pastel pink hair and was sufficiently overweight. No way that was Brixton. Well people can change in four months....clearly.

“CASS!” She screamed, giving me a huge hug. “You’re really back. You got really skinny, and pale, and you dyed your hair black. And you got a nose ring! Awesome.” Brixton said. And very quickly, there was a crowd around us.

“Oh my god, are you Cass Lee Woodley?”

“I heard she was kidnapped.”

“I heard she ran away with her drug dealing boyfriend.”

“I heard she killed someone and was escaping.”

“I heard her parents found out about her eating disorder and she ran away.”

“I remember Cass, she was such a whore.”

“Cass! Remember me! We were going to fuck before you disappeared.” I actually looked to see who said it and saw one of my other friends. He’d changed too. He used to be cool, kind of grunge, like me. Now he was wearing a football jacket. Name was Peter. “You were kind of a slut, Cassie, come on.” I gave him piercing looks.

“WHORE! WHORE!” I heard the chants, and did the dumbest thing. I punched Peter in the face. Tough, football player.

“You like to play it rough? Cass, I’m down with that.” He said, starting to kiss my neck. I tried to push him away but he was too strong now.

I saw Brixton reach in to help me and this blonde girl, someone I didn’t know said. “Brixton, you’re cool now. Associating with druggie whores like that girl is a one way ticket out of this clique. You know that. Now come with us and walk away. We need to go puke in the washroom, get skinny.” I wanted her dead. What did she do to my sweet friend? Brixton walked away, and I returned to trying to get Andrew off of me.

“Hey! Don’t touch her.” And a guy punched Peter and he actually winced and let go. He was alternative looking (a relief), red kinda long hair, wearing a white button down and a black tie.

“You’re the new kid right, Cass?” He said. “I’m the art teacher, Mr. Way. But you can just call me Gerard.” I almost had a heart attack. He was a teacher and he just punched a student. “Don’t worry, they won’t get me in trouble. I’m stopping bullying. Punching is kind of an instinct.” He kind of walked me off to the side.

“Look, um there’s no appropriate way for me to say this but that dick kind of ruined your shirt.” Gerard said. I looked down and was kind of shocked. Peter had torn my shit and my bra was pretty much fully showing.

“Shit.” I said, crossing my arms to cover my boobs.

“I think I have a tee shirt in my office, c’mon.”

Notes

What do you guys think?

-Anna