The other sister

Chapter Eight.

Her phone ringing pulled Cassie out of her daze, she tossed aside the book she was reading and lifted her phone, glancing at the screen. It was Jared.

"Hello?"

"What are you doing?"

"Reading, why?"

"It's summer...don't be reading. You're such a damned nerd, get dressed we're going out."

"What? it's...." She glanced at her clock then rolled her eyes "Seven o'clock at night."

"It's summer vacation and Lucas is having a huge rager up in the hills,  his parents are....somewhere with his sick grandmother..or aunt...or something...I don't know. The point is it's going to be the hottest party this summer and we need to be there."

"What's this we stuff?"

"Okay, I need to be there and I need a DD so...can I pick you up in an hour?" He asked, his tone not leaving room to negotiate.

"What do you suggest I tell my parents?"

"I suggest you sneak out...you've done it before."He was right, she had snuck out her bedroom window on a few other occasions, usually because he was dragging her to a party. She would climb out her window and meet him at the end of the drive but it wasn't something she liked to make a habit of.

"I don't know...I kind of wanted to stay in tonight."

"Cas, you stay in every night. I'll pick you up tonight."

"Fine, what time?"

"Eleven, meet you down the block?"

"Yeah."

Whenever Cassie snuck out Jared always picked her up down the block so that her parents wouldn't know or hear his car. Her parents loved Jared and when he came out they had been some of the first people to openly accept him but they didn't approve of the parties he sometimes frequented or his taking Cassie with him.

"Who was on the phone?" Carly asked from Cassie's doorway.

"Jared, apparently there's a party tonight at Lucas' house."

"Yeah, I heard."

"You going?" Cassie asked.

"I don't know, high school parties aren't really my thing anymore," Carly said with a shrug.

"They're not mine either," Cassie pointed out.

"Yeah, but you can't let Jared go alone."Everyone in the family knew and understood how self-destructive Jared could be.

"You sure you don't want to tag along?" Cassie offered.

"Positive, thanks." Carly turned to leave and Cassie spoke.

"Carly?"

"Yeah?"

"What's going on with you lately? breaking up with Levi, the being gone all the time, no parties?"

"I'm fine, I promise."

"Are you in any kind of trouble?"

"No, It's nothing you need to worry about," Carly promised.

Cassie and Carly didn't always see eye to eye, they were opposites in a lot of ways but they had a bond and they never lied to each other, so Cassie had no choice but to believe her sister.

"Okay," She said softly.

"Go out, have some fun." Carly teased.

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You could hear the party well before you could see it and Cassie cringed as Jared crept closer in his car, it was a nice neighborhood with an impressive house but she knew the cops would inevitably show up.