THE THIRTEENTH DAY - BOOK 1

One down

Cassie arrived Phoebe's house safely despite the emotional state in which she drove. She wiped away her tears with the sleeve of her shirt and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She had streaks of foundation run down her face, her mascara was smudged around her face was puffy. She managed to wipe off some mascara off her face but she gave up once she realized nothing she did could make her look any better. 

She got out of her car and turned Phoebe's door knob, her door was unlocked as it sometimes was, so she let herself in. As soon as she walked in she heard loud chatter, and she did not have to walk into Phoebe's living room to realize that all her friends were present, having a great time in her absence. Danny was the first person to turn around and notice her presence.

"Cass," he said, taken aback. She stood still and stared at the room full of her friends. She wiped her face even more because she was ashamed to let everyone see her in such a vulnerable state. Everyone's undivided attention was on Cassie, a mix of worry and confusion on their faces.

"Cassie? What's wrong," Phoebe asked and ran to Cassie. "you've been crying, why?" she asked concerned.

"Could we go  to your room please" she pleaded with her eyes. " I don't feel like talking with everyone here."

"I'll let them know what happened," Tucker said, everyone turned to him. "She cheated on my bro Tyler with that police dude and he dumped her," he said bluntly. 

"Tucker!" Phoebe scolded as she opened her eyes wide at him giving him a death glare. 

"It's true," Cassie confessed shyly. "How did you know" she asked Tucker.

"Tyler just text me," he said holding up his iPhone.

"Is he okay?"

"You should worry about your detective guy instead," he said.

"Cassie why would you do something like that?" Danny asked not being able to stifle the disappointment in his tone. He walked to where Cassie and Phoebe stood.

"Cass you're joking right? You're not a cheater, in fact you detest cheaters," Phoebe said.

"It was a mistake. I was emotional about our argument yesterday, he comforted me and I just kissed him without thinking," a tear trickled down her cheeks. 

"I am so disappoint in you Cassie, I feel like I don't even know you anymore," Phoebe said

"This case is changing you, and it's definitely not for the better," Danny added.

"I didn't come here to be judged by my best friends I came here for support," she defended.

"Oh so now you need their help, but it wasn't hard for you to say no when they asked you to drop the freaking case," Tucker spat out with his muscular hand folded under his chest. He was standing beside Phoebe now.

"Shut the hell up Tucker," Cassie said. Anger boiled in her and she was tempted to blurt out his own infidelity but she had her own problems she needed to deal with.

"Of course detective," he said sarcastically putting emphasis on the word detective. He rose his hands up in mock surrender as he stepped back a bit.

Phoebe opened her mouth to speak, but the sound of her phone ringing distracted her.

"Hello" she answered. "Oh Hi Mrs. Rivers," she greeted Matt's mother in a cheerful tone. Phoebe's expression suddenly changed, colour washed from her face and she looked like she was about to pass out."  She listened for a while and her facial expression grew more and more horrified.  "Oh my God, we'll be right there."