A Step in the Other Direction

~~Chapter 2~~

--Bowen's Point Of View--

Cass ate the rest of her sandwich in quite, listening to Saige and me bicker on and on. That's sibling love for ya. She would laugh every once in a while, but I noticed she was kinda quiet. That was not like her at all. 

My parents came into the room where we were eating and sat near the tv on the other side of the room. Saige quickly pulled on Cass to come upstairs with her. No better time to retreat to my room than now.

"Mom," I said, tapping her shoulder, "I'm going to my room."

"Alright," she said, and returned to her conversation with Cass's mom. 

I ran up the stairs, seeing Cass and Saige going into the room next to Saige's. She stayed in there more than her own room, mostly because it had a tv with Netflix on it. I closed my door, deciding to read the book that was due the next week. 

It was so boring! The grammar was off, the story line was horrific, and the characters lacked their name. Character. Was it even a book?

I had no choice but to read it, but I could hear fragments of the girls conversation from the other room. 

"Want to watch a movie?" I heard Saige ask. 

"What movie?" Cass replied. Saige went through a list that I could only partially hear, "Oh that one! I love that movie!" 

"Ok," Saige said, "Woodlawn it is."

Woodlawn, I loved that movie! All the players of a football team coming together and loving Jesus, who wouldn't love that?

I tried to listen from my bed, but I couldn't hear it. To bad I guess. I put the book down, no point in reading it right now. 

I just sat for about five minutes, until there was a knock on my door.

"Yea," I said, not getting up.

The door opened slightly to show Cass's face. 

"Hey. Sorry, I was going to ask if you want to watch a movie with Saige and me. We're watching Woodlawn." She smiled. 

I hesitated, "Yea, sure." I stood up and walked to the door, leaving my phone on the bed. I would grab it but...it's rude to text during a movie. Or at least in Cass's opinion it was. 

We had gone to see War Room with our church, and I had been in the seat two away from Cass. I had gotten on my phone, and was texting someone about a project. She gave me this really evil look, and I asked her, "What?"

"Don't text during a movie, that's rude." Her eyes had gotten this really fiery glint in them.

I had laughed and put my phone up, "Alright."

I gave a smile at the memory. Cass pushed the door open, showing Saige sitting in the floor right in front of the tv. 

"You already wear glasses, Saige," I said, "Don't mess your eyes up anymore."

She gave me a really annoyed look and I laughed.

The room didn't have much in it, only a book shelf, small couch, bunch of legos in the corner, and the tv next to the door. Saige sat in front of the couch on the floor and Cass sat on the left hand side. I sat next to her. 

Saige hit play on the movie. We all sat and watched, laughing a the funny parts.  

I noticed Cass kept getting this far off look in her eyes (not that I was staring at her or anything). 

"You ok," I asked when Saige got up to go pee.

"Uh huh," she said, her eyes not leaving the screen. 

"You don't seem like it." She turned from the tv, looking at me. 

"Bowen, I'm fine. I'm honestly just tired. I just haven't felt the best that last few days." 

I gave her a questioning look, "Are you sick again?" 

Her eyes widened slightly.

A long time ago, Cass had told me (well she had mostly been talking to Saige) about how when she was seven she was diagnosed with something the doctors couldn't put their finger on. They still hadn't. It was something that didn't have a name, and only about 1000 people all over the world had gotten it.  But it was new, so there wasn't any treatment. She said the pain was unbearable at times, and she began feeling sick constantly. She had surgeries and treatments done, but nothing helped her.

(MATURE THEMES) 

But she didn't tell Saige the entire story, her being to young to truly understand what had happened. She told me, one day that her family had come over. She felt like everything was over, so she decided it was going to be that way. 

One night, when her parents and gone to bed, she got her dads old pistol. She went outside and she looked up at the sky, wondering about how if there was a God up there, why was he letting this happen to her. She was ready to end it all. This was when she was almost 10, about to go to middle school. 

She told me that she had no idea what stopped her, but she couldn't make herself do it. She wanted to pull that trigger, the barrel of the gun resting on her temple, but she couldn't. 

I remember a single tear running down her cheek as she told me about that. I remember not being able to say anything, just being able to be shocked. She thought about...what??? 

I couldn't even picture it, she had always been so happy, save the first time I saw her at church. Her eyes resinated this hope that I had known for so long, and now she was saying that hope would have bene gone.

And then things started pulling together. The night she couldn't do it, was Saturday, the day before they first came to the church. 

(MATURE THEMES OVER)

She went on to say that she really hated coming at first, saying it was a waste. 

"I really shouldn't have said that," she had said, "I mean at first that's what I thought but..."

"You saw what really was happening," I finished. She looked up at me, nodding her head. 

"Everything was so different a year later. I could just fell the change. But the thing that really set it up for me, was that I went to that doctor, and he started wondering..." she laughed, "If I was diagnosed wrong. And he gave me the diagnosis!" Her laugh faded, but the small smile remained, "It was a miracle."

"It was God," I had said, and she looked me dead in the eye. 

"I still wonder how people are so certain," she said. 

"Because some of us know." I remember Saige coming back in.

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Heyooooo!!!!! How did you enjoy Chapter 2? I really hoped you liked it (and if you did please tell me in the comments!)!!! 

Next update will be next Friday, April 7th. 

And guys...I don't wanna sound like I'm begging but please vote, share, comment, or anything else and help me get this book out there! I appreciate it!!!!!!

Have a great week!!!