Words Unspoken ✔️

Chapter 7: A Problem Child

Teachers dated me, my parents hated me

I was always in a fight, 'cause I can't do nothing right

P!nk- Don't Let Me Get Me

Cassie stared off into space as the train moved out of the Kew Gardens-Union Turnpike train station. Drew had his tattooed arm around her shoulders, so close that her head was laid on his chest, hearing his heartbeat. Not one word was spoken between them, which was odd on both their parts. Each of them would always have something lighthearted or funny to say to make each other laugh or smile. Now it was nothing but dead silence between them and even the whole train car was silent. All that was heard was the sounds of the train wheels moving across the tracks, and the creaking and shaking of the train car.

Cassie used this time to think about what had transpired this afternoon. She had never been assaulted before. She could still remember the self-gratified grins on their faces. Cassie had no idea how she would ever recover from this incident. She was also angry that it was Simone and Ashley that sent them after her. After her altercation with them, she could see the smirks and sheepish grins that they shared with one another. Cassie couldn't fathom the fact that someone would have so much hate for another human being like Simone and Ashley did for someone like Cassie. She didn't know what she ever did to them to have this vile hatred coming her way.

However, today showed a different side of Drew that she had never seen before. It was almost scary to watch Drew all out pummel her two attackers, straight up beating the holy hell out of both of them, so angry that he ended up speaking Spanish. Most importantly, Drew's actions today showed Cassie that she had someone who cared for her more than everything else other than her family. It was at that moment, that Cassie was in love with him. But what's so mind-boggling about this was how Drew could have any girl he wanted; with his good looks, his attitude, his well-built body, and his articulate, well-designed tattoo. Why would he get involved in this girl's troubled life?

"Cassie, this is our stop," Drew spoke up, as the train doors opened. Before Cassie knew it, she was at her stop.

"Oh, ok," Cassie replied, putting on her backpack, while Drew held onto her hand as they followed the midst of people outside the train and out of the train station, walking to the bus stop. They were waiting for the Q40 going towards South Jamaica when Drew finally broke the silence between them.

"Cassie, está bien, mijita?" he asked her.

"I'm fine, Drew," Cassie replied. "Just shaken."

Drew pulled her in a hug, Cassie accepting it. "I know," he whispered. "You felt so helpless, thinking no one would come for you when you screamed for help."

"You came for me, though."

"Of course. I had a gut feeling that it was you."

"It was because of Simone and Ashley."

Drew let go of Cassie and looked at her in shock. "What?" he exclaimed.

"Yeah, we uh... had an argument and I was about to bust a cap on Ashley's ass after putting my dad's name in her mouth calling him white trash, even going far to call me white trash," Cassie explained.

"But wait though," Drew cut in. "Isn't your mother black?"

"Yes, but that's irrelevant to them," Cassie replied, as they boarded the bus and swiped their MetroCards. "To think that just because my father's white, then I don't have any black in me, it's just a slap in the face."

"I know," Drew agreed. "So fucking stupid."

"And that's not even the worst part," Cassie continued. "They said that because I hang out with you, I have a fetish for white guys, and those two assholes they sent tried to change my mind."