When Sparks Fly (in editing)

Chapter 12

Cassie

"CASSIE!" My dad screams as he enters the house. Alyssa shrieks and falls off the bar stool while I flinch. My dad never screams like that unless he's really really pissed. Last time he did that was when he found out I got into detention for sassing the teachers back in Virginia.

"Can I bail on helping you?" Alyssa asks, half joking and half serious.

"Nope. You're staying."

My dad storms into the kitchen, his face red from anger. He sees Alyssa next to me and only gets angrier. "Get your friend out." He demands. I shake my head. "Cassie, tell your friend to leave. Now!"

"No. She stays."

"No. She leaves."

I sigh and turn to Alyssa. "I'll be fine. We've gotten into worse fights."

Alyssa frowns at me. "No, I told you I would help." I silently shake my head and she gets the meaning. She can't help. "Okay. Call me later. Drew will also want to know." Alyssa whispers the last part, knowing how my dad feels about Drew at the moment.

As soon as she's gone, I turn to my dad. "I know what you're gonna say. I was stupid, a brat, and never should have skipped school. I'm sorry okay? There was just no way I could go to school today after what happened."

"You couldn't go?! Cassie I get that we fought but school comes first."

"It wasn't just our fight!" I yell, losing it slightly and my voice cracking at the end. My dad was angry I yelled but he heard my voice crack too.

"Then what was it?" I stay silent. "Cassie, I know I'm not around often and that I work a lot, but you need to tell me. Imagine my surprise when I get a call that my daughter showed up to none of her classes and was seen running out of the school on the cameras. I panicked. You have never done something like this before."

"I get it, dad, but trust me. I had to skip."

"Why?" He asks, desperation filling his voice.

"The school knows dad." His brows knit together. "They know about mom." Tears start to flood my eyes as I continue speaking. "Somehow it got out. Everyone was talking about me and how mom left. They were pointing and whispering."

The tears came and started streaming down my face. My dad sighed and hugged me tightly. I sobbed into his shirt, gripping it as the memories came back. I wanted to scream. Why was I still crying? I already cried, but I couldn't stop. Why couldn't I get over it?

"Cassie..." He whispers, rubbing my back. I could hear his voice break as he spoke. He was crying too. "I'm so sorry baby. I'm so sorry." He let go of me and reached to wipe the tears that were still coming. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I couldn't. You're always at work and we were in a fight and I didn't think you would understand."

"Cassie, you are my first priority. Not work, not anything. You. I know this has been hard. It sucks, but I'm always here. I thought you knew that."

I sniff and wipe my knows with the back of my sleeve. " I do, but you've always avoided this topic. You never talk about her and you always have something going on. And you wanted me to try to like it here and I have, but I thought you would be disappointed."

My dad laughs, but it is lacking in humor. "Cassandra Blake, I will never ever be disappointed or angry if you aren't happy in a new place. That happens. Yes I wanted you to try here but only because I won't be moving from here for a long time. I wanted you to have good memories some place that weren't just ripped away."