I Hate My Brother (editing!)

36.

Cassandra's POV

Freedom.

I walk out of the lecture hall after a tedious three-hour psych class. Man, the air conditioner in there was making it hard to breathe. I needed fresh air so badly.

Besides, it's finally the weekends! How can anyone not get excited about returning back to their bed after a hectic week? I know I'm most looking forward to take a good twelve-hour sleep tonight.

And then, my phone vibrated. It's funny. Setting your phone on silent is supposed to, well, make it silent. But my phone always makes the most obnoxious vibration sounds.

Bzzz. Bzzz.

I hear it, loud and clear, even though it's stuffed deep in my backpack.

I dig it out with one hand, surprised and relieved at the same time to see Kelsey appear on my caller ID. This woman has been sketchy for the entire week and even MIA-ed on me again last night. Usually when it happens, we would automatically associate it to her period days; but then I recall that just a week ago, she already did the whole I-can't-function-for-a-few-days phase.

There's definitely things she isn't telling me.

"Where on earth were you today?" I say as soon as I answer her call. I couldn't find her at lunch today and it was frustrating to say the least. She didn't even reply to any of my damn texts!

"Hi," she responds meekly. "Will you do me a favour, Cass?"

"Depends. If it involves me committing a crime, then no."

"It's nothing illegal," I can already picturing her rolling her eyes. "Please?"

"Did you run out of tampons? Need a pad? Leaked your clothes and need a change? Just so you know, service charge applies for every trip I make."

"No, Cassandra." I hear her sigh. "I need you to take a cab over and come get me. I'll pay you for the cab fare."

"What?" I splutter. "Where the hell are you?" I halt my footsteps and find myself standing like a statue in a crowded hallway. One stranger bumps into me from the back when I abruptly slam my footbrakes. This fucker must really not drive. He clearly doesn't know of a safety distance. "What's even going on?"

"Cassandra. I'll tell you when you get here, okay? You're out of class already, yeah?"

"Um, yes. But wait, I don't have to prepare bail money, do I? Because frankly, I don't think what I have in my-"

She cuts me off. "God, no. It's all good. They just won't let me leave without someone to pick me up."

"You know, this still doesn't sounds assuring, right? Who isn't letting you go? Should I be worried?" A couple of thoughts comes into mind. Did she steal something? Bullied a child? Ran into a dog? Why would any of those situations require me to go pick her up? Heck, I would've thought I would be the last person anyone would call for a ride. I don't even have a driver's license for god's sake!

"Nothing to worry about. I'll text you the address in a sec. And Cass?" She pauses.

"Yeah?"

"Don't tell anyone about this. Come alone."

I didn't want to interrogate her over the phone, and I trust her anyway. We have been hanging around too much for me to know she wouldn't want to sell me to an organ harvester. Although a million questions still swim around in my head about how weird this favour of hers is.

I contemplated to call up Carson to give me a lift, but then Kelsey's request of me keeping mum made me rethink. I quickly jog back to my dorm room to put down my backpack and switch my valuables into a light crossbody bag. I then book a cab to the address she sent me, which only consisted of a street name without block number.