The Pogues

Buried Memories

Cassie passed the ring as she hugged his small, bony body as people watched and seemed to melt at the two small children that clearly showed a stronger bond than most people had ever gotten to experience. And that's what they were to each other, their always.

As Cassie sat on the floor of her entrance, she gripped the ring tightly, "Always."

~~~

"JJ, stop!" Cassie squealed with a smile on her face as he ran around the tree to catch her. "You better run faster!" he grinned as his missing tooth gave him a slight lisp, which Cassie never let him forget. The brilliant sun was smiling upon the children as it blessed them with a glistening ray spread on the water with a slight cool breeze.

She started to laugh too hard, holding her stomach and trying to keep running, but her predicament gave the boy the advantage as he caught her and started to tickle her.

"John B! Help me!" John B ran over with a smirk and helped JJ, making Cassie try to crawl into a ball as her ribs ached of laughter and fun. "Stop! Stop it!" She cried as John B's father ran over and picked the boys up off of her. "Boys!" He faked a serious scolding as he then let out a billow of laughter and pointed the three kids at the water, "You guys ready for a ride?"

Cassie was nervous, it was one of her first times going on the water as she hesitated. JJ went to run with John B but walked back and put his hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry, I won't let you fall."

~~~

"Cassie, you know why we have to leave," her mom said as Cassie clung to her father's leg. She didn't want them to leave again.

"But everyone at school gets to have their parents, why can't I?"

Her mother sighed as she pulled out a necklace, "See this is like wearing us around your neck. And if we didn't love you, why would we buy this stuff for you? Just think about that when I'm gone."

Cassie awaited a kiss from her father but instead he pushed her off and gave a slight wave to then walk out the door with his suitcase, leaving his small daughter alone with the seaside.

But maybe she wasn't alone.

She heard a clang from the back of the house that made her jump out of her small green dress. She cautiously walked to the living room where she let herself breathe when she saw JJ on the floor. He had toppled over the side table after coming through the window. He stood up and gave a toothy grin as Cassie gave him a strange look, "Why are you here?"

He revealed his hand which held two peanut and butter sandwiches, "I thought you would be hungry." Cassie smiled for the first time that day, finally able to be herself in front of someone, finally able to find someone that she could cry about how her parents didn't want her.

So for some blissful moments, they sat in the dark of the living room eating sandwiches, for once, feeling like they could let go of their expectations.

~~~

Cassie was not happy. Her smirk had turned into a frown that seemed to be growing into a glare for the girl in front of her. Seventh grade was not easy when you were more rich than the other girls, more pretty than the other girls, and got more gifts than them. Rochelle Amarado was a mean, tall and lanky girl that wanted the best of the best.

Rochelle had wide eyes that could slim into lines when she was scowling and had wide lips that were tainted red. She wasn't a pretty girl, maybe she could be if she smiled once in awhile.

"Cassandra," she spat out, "Be a nice little friend and give me that necklace. That's what best friends are for, right?"

Cassie had been fighting her for so long, she didn't want to have to keep fighting with the other girls everyday.