The Mistake

Oblivious

Nick

"They're not home again, are they?" She said as she climbed into the car. Her dainty hands clutched her teddy bear close to her chest. I wasn't sure what to say. Her dad and my mom would often leave for their business trips, and although I knew they didn't have much of a choice, they left Cassie on her own for days at a time, with only me and Alex to watch after her. I didn't mind, and sometimes a sitter would come, but Cassie needed her dad. It pissed me off to see the look on her face each time I picked her up from school because she knew her dad wasn't coming.

"They'll be back soon, kid." She turned to face the window. I looked at the road, checked the rearview mirror at her, then back. "You wanna hear a secret?" She shrugged, but her eyebrows shot up. "Never mind, I promised I wouldn't tell anyone about the surprise." Cassie gasped and shot up from her seat to grab my shoulder, her face lighting up at the word.

"No, please tell me, please! I can keep a secret, I promise!" She pleaded.

"Hey, hey, buckle up first." She did as commanded, putting her seatbelt on. "Okay, but you can't say a word or your dad will get mad at me."

"I prom- I pinky promise!" She corrected herself and put on a serious look on her face, wanting to seem more mature.

"Well, I wasn't supposed to say anything, but your dad told me the reason they left was to pick up a very special present for you. They wanted to order it here, but it's so special they only make it in Japan." Her eyes got big with wonder and excitement, and she smiled wide at me through the rearview mirror. I felt warm at the look; I couldn't remember a time when I was that innocent and oblivious. I guessed I had to mature a little earlier than most people. But seeing Cassie still have that was a relief.

"They went all the way there for my present?"

"Yeah, they told me they hated having to leave again, but they knew you'd love that present so much, so they went." I made a mental note to call them later to make sure they brought back the best damn present Cassie's ever seen. Or maybe I could order something off Amazon and tell them to pass it off as their present. With a fluttery sigh, she leaned back against her seat, unable to stop that hopeful, little smile on her face. I knew even the promise of a great present would never be enough to fill in for the presence of her dad, but it was at least something for her to look forward to.

She didn't stop smiling the whole way back.

***

I tugged the boxing gloves off as I finished my session and was in the middle of unwrapping my hands when I heard the front door open. I walked out of my room to see Alex and Cassie at the entrance. "Hey," I said, Alex was zipping up Cassie's sweater. Alex looked up at me and gave me a slight nod. "Where are you going?"

"I'm taking Cassie to get a burger from her favorite place, right kiddo?"

"I can take her on the way back from the movies." I promised Cassie I would take her to see some new animated movie she'd been dying to see. I'd told Ben and Jessie I'd go to the party, but Cassie seemed excited and I didn't feel like going out anyways.

"No. I'm taking her." Alex said in a hard voice that even caught Cassie off guard. She stood awkwardly looking between Alex and me. I narrowed my eyes at him. Alex's expression changed back to normal when he turned to Cassie and smiled. "Kiddo, wait for me in the car, alright? I'll be right there, I just need to get my wallet." Cassie looked at her shoes as she walked off, and I started going down the stairs, following him into the kitchen as he looked for the wallet, not looking at me.

"I thought you were going out tonight; I told you I'd take Cassie." I said once she was out of earshot.

"What, I have to ask your permission to take my sister for a burger?"

"What the hell's your problem?" He ignored me, opening drawers looking for his wallet. "Alex-"

"You're my fucking problem." He met my stare, tense.

"This bullshit again." I said under my breath.

"Look, I don't know what kind of shit you've been getting yourself into, but I'm not stupid. I know you got mixed up with some guys, probably your fucking drug-dealing friends from before. And you even somehow managed to drag Sam into this. But no way in hell I'm letting Cassie go out anywhere with you when you won't even tell me what's going on." He said, finding the wallet in a drawer and pocketing it.

"Alex, I would never put Cassie in danger-" he scoffed in my face as he walked past me. "Why don't you tell me what this is really about, huh?"

He turned at that, a sarcastic smile on his face. "Okay, enlighten me, Nick. What is this really about then? Maybe the fact that you're a fucking liar, you use people, and you never give a shit who gets hurt in the way." I've been called worse by many people, but to hear something like that from Alex was like a punch in the gut.

"This is about Sam. You're jealous because I've been spending time with her. You can't take that she might actually enjoy being with me, too. It's so fucking obvious." He outright laughed.

"See, that's what I'm talking about. What exactly are you doing with Sam? Just spending time with her until you get bored, then move on to some other girl in a week? Do you even give a shit about her? "

"I don't have to explain shit to you."

"-You're manipulating her, making her lie for you. You don't know how many guys' asses I've kicked because of what they've said about her. They say she's your slut of the month, that you're the shit because you're fucking the 'depressed' girl." My jaw tensed and my blood felt like it was on fire.

"Who said that?" I said through my teeth. I'll fucking kill them. That's not how it was with Sam at all.

"Everyone. So keep her out of your shitty life. You don't know what she's gone through."

"That's real cute, Sam's knight in shining armor, everybody; Alex Reed!" I spat out, unable to contain the bitter sarcasm etched in my voice.

"If you cared in the slightest bit about her, you'd just stay away from her. You ruin everything you fucking touch." He walked past me, I heard the door slam behind me. I stood there alone for a few seconds with a sour taste in my mouth.

"Fuck this shit," I muttered under my breath, snatched my jacket and car keys, and walked out of the house. I climbed into the car and drove to the party. I needed to get out of this house.

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