They entered the small liquor store. The chill from the outside lingered in the entry way as they stomped off the excess snow that clung to their boots. Cassandra went to the tobacco side, while Terry went into the alcoholic side. The clerk eyed them carefully. Trying to see if they knew each other or not, but not dismissing the fact that they came in together. Her eyes looked like they were being very calculating and scrutinizing everyone that walked through her doors.
Cassandra crouched down in front of the display case of specialized cigarettes. The flavored ones. She was trying to decide between her beloved Djarum Blacks and a special blend from Camel. She finally decided on Izmir Stingers. After getting the suedo polite third degree from the clerk about her birth date, she bought her cigarettes. She than she slipped into the liquor side to give Terry her order and stepped out for a smoke.
The air was dry. It hurt to breathe as she packed her cigarettes.
‘He’s here.’ Cassandra turned.
“What did I tell you...” Her voice was terse. She was about to say something else when she noticed a figure walking away from the gas station across the street. The figure was covered by the darkness, like it was their personal lover, even as they strode into the light of the street corner as they waited to cross the street, she couldn’t see who it was, but she was pretty sure she recognized the walk. The door opened behind her as she was about to put the filter in her mouth.
“Oh good. You haven’t started yet.” It was Terry. “They want to card you.” Cassandra let out a laugh of frustration.
“Again?!”
They shuffled out of the Keg and Cassandra lit up her Daiquiri flavored cigarette. Her drag was long and deep,and exhaled it slowly.
“Seems like you needed that.” She gave him a small smirk.
“If I could fully express in words how bad my day has been, you would understand how badly I needed that.”
“How bad was it?”
“You would think I was crazy.”
“Well, I already do, so how is that going to changed anything?” She gave him a punch in the shoulder. He just giggled it off and threw his arms around her. “But you’re MY crazy person, and I love you for it!”
“I love you too, Terry. But this just might be a little out there for you.” She gave him an uncertain look.
“Try me?” She gave him a pained smile.
“I think I’m having audio hallucinations.”
“Like hearing voices?”
“Yeah.”
“Schizophrenia-like?”
“Wouldn’t know,” she replied huffily. “From my understanding the onset of that is in, like, the late single digits to early double. Not exclusively on their 21st birthday.” He considered her for a moment.
“I’ll look into that one..” She gave him a soft smile quietly thanking him for the thought.
When they got back to his dorm room, they cuddled a little to get the warmth back in their strained appendages. They were wrapped up snugly, watching the tiny 20” TV as his arms snaked around her waist pulling her closer. Cassandra liked it when they were close, it made her feel safe. He always had.
They had met on a whim through her last boyfriend. She had gone on a nature walk with Terry, Theo, and her boyfriend. Theo and her boyfriend had struck up a conversation that was slowly turning into an argument. Cassandra could sense that her boyfriend was losing the argument. She looked over back at Terry, who she was having a modest conversation with, and rolled her eyes. He gave her a questioning look as she started counting down with her fingers.
“Now,” she whispered. He looked at her.
“What?”
“His pitch changed. It changes when he starts losing and starts pulling shit out of his ass.” He listened again and a slow smile crossed his face.
From that point on they would give each other a knowing smile when they heard it. Their friendship bloomed very healthily from than on. She was able to talk with him when her boyfriend was too busy getting high in the middle of the woods or hanging out with his friends when they were suppose to be eating together. Terry made her feel wanted and a lot better about herself than her boyfriend ever did. She met many people through her boyfriend and who mutually wondered why the hell they were even hanging around him.
Cassandra was slowly falling for Terry. Probably because he gave her the kind of attention that she wanted and needed. By the time summer rolled around Cassandra had fallen completely out of love with her boyfriend of 4 years and slowly growing more attached to Terry’s company. During that summer, she bumped into Theo while she was on campus for a summer class, traded Terry and his number for a ride down to the Keg to buy some cigarettes.
“Hello,” Cassandra had asked the receiver tentatively.
“Hey.” The husky, clipped voice belonged to Terry.
“Hey,” she said shyly.
“Who’s this?” Her heart sank into the remainders of her stomach.
“You’re mean!” She squeaked into the phone.
“Cassandra?” Terry sounded almost confused and disbelieving.
“Yes,” she stated in a pouty tone. She could hear him smile on the other end while he searched for words to start a topic of discussion.
When word got out about Terry and Cassandra’s flirting became more apparent to the rest of their friends, they both got the individual inquisition squads of friends asking if they were going out. In return, they just gave them an uncertain smile and said, ”Ya’know...I don’t know.”
Author's Chapter Notes:
I don't know how to feel about this chapter....O_o
