Piece by Piece

"This is an egg free recipie"

Above photo I'm going to pretend is of Cassie and Matt👍
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Thunk

I walk away as the brownie hits the bottom of the trash can. Slamming my locker shut and pushing the heavy doors open, I walk out the door. After only talking a few steps a car honks behind me. I turn around to see my brothers bright red convertible pull up beside me.

"Get in loser, we're going to McDonald's," he says opening the passenger door.

I laugh and get in the car.

"Why are you here Matt?" I ask him throwing my bag in the backseat.

"I told you clump-nugget, we're going to McDonald's. How was school?" He asks turning up the radio.

"Weird," I say. "A new student came. He's already more popular than half the student body on his first day."

Matt laughs and looks over at me. I turn up the radio as Bad Girls by MKTO comes on. He rolls the windows down and starts singing as loud as he can. Joining him I forget about my day and just let go, happy to be with the one person who understands me most.

When the accident happened he was the only one of my family who understood that I didn't want things to go back to normal. I wanted things to be a new normal. So we embraced the change together. He would be there every second he possibly could. If I counted the number of times he would sneak in fast food and play bullshit with me it would be in the hundreds. My family consists of me, Matt, my sister Margaret, and my parents. No one got seriously injured other than me so all of my family have sort of have "survivors guilt". Dad especially. He was the one driving the car when it happened.

"You want the usual?" Matt asks me.

"No, just an ice coffee." I answer not in the mood to eat.

After he got his food we drive to Maggie's day care. We pull up to the bright pink building and get out of the car. I watch as Maggie runs to us in her rainbow jumper. She was born 6 months before the accident. They say it's a miracle she even lived. I can't imagine life without her. None of us can. The accident was supposed to tear us apart, but it only made a million times stronger.

20 minutes later Matt and I are baking a cake while Maggie is watching some fairy show.

"It says 4 eggs I think? Maybe?" Matt says with a confused look on his face.

I laugh and take the box from his hands knowing he's helpless.

"Matt, darling." I say teasingly.

"Yes, Cass baby?" He says amused.

"This is an egg free recipe," I say with a wavering smile. It takes all the strength I have to not fall on the floor with laughter. I guess I don't have much strength because before I know it I have tears rolling down my face in an unstoppable way. Through my laughter I can hear Matt walking around trying to continue the recipe grumbling to himself about how he hates his life.

Sometimes I thank The Lord more than I breathe that he kept me alive. It has been rough but these moments make every second worth it.

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I was just taking out the cake when I heard a car door slam.

"Daddy's home!" I yell putting the cake on the counter.

Maggie's bare feet stomp down the stairs and run into the kitchen and Matt's very manly slippered feet walk in from the living room.

"Why do I smell burning rubber in my home?" My dad asks putting his stuff down.

"You know a nice dad would say hm that cake you children made smells delicious." I say picking up Maggie and setting her on the counter.

"Yes but I don't feel the need to lie to my children." He says smirking.

"C'mon daddy-o, just try it. We worked really hard on it." Matt says pulling out the puppy eyes.

"Alright I'll have a little but if I die you are not getting any of your inheritance." He says eying the cake suspiciously.

I cut a piece of the cake and hand it to him. He takes one bite and immediately runs to the bathroom. Matt and I look at each as we listen to our fathers retching.

"Maybe we shouldn't eat the cake. He says pushing it over the edge of the counter into the trash can just as the bathroom door opens.

We all watch as dad walks out. He gives us one look, flips us off and then walks away. Waiting until he gets up the stairs the three of burst into a fit of laughter.

A few minutes we are cleaning up the stove when our mom walks in.

"Hey guys, where's your dad?" She asks looking around.

"Well," Matt says hesitantly. "Let's just say he got in a fight with a cake and lost. Badly."

She laughs at his wording and kisses my forehead just missing the scar below my hairline.

"Well I'm going to tell him I sold 3 houses today. Go do your homework Cass. I'll call you down for dinner." She says heading upstairs.

Mom works as a real estate agent and she's good. Like top three in state of California good. My dad is a college professor and he's good too. They've been married for 20 years.

"Well sis, do you need any help?" Matt asks with a grin.

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"So x to third power plus 2x would be x times 5." Matt says confident in his completely wrong answer.

"No you dummy it's 2x to the third power. How did you pass high school?" I ask throwing a pillow at him.

My phone dings with a notification. I look down to see I have a friend request. Justin Perry. I click the ignore button before looking back at Matt.

"Do you know a Justin Perry?" I ask him.

I watch as he looks up the paper with an intense face. He hides it quickly though.

"No why?" He says carefully.

"He's the new kid I was talking about and he just sent me a friend request." I say holding up my phone.

"Oh, well I don't him. Sorry." He says getting up from the floor and brushing his pants.

"It's fine." I say knowing he's lying.

"I'm going to go ask mom what we're having for dinner." I say getting off the floor as well.

I walk out the door and head down the hall. Just as I'm about to knock I hear my mom's voice. Even though I know it's wrong to eavesdrop I do it anyway.

"She was walking right down the street and I swear it was her. I can't believe Melissa's back. The nerve of her." I hear her say.

Melissa is my mom's old best friend. She moved right after the accident. Her and my mom got in a huge fight right before then and haven't talked since. Before they say anything else I walk in.

"Sorry to interrupt but what are we having for supper?" I ask trying to play off the fact that I heard their conversation.

"Probably just pizza." She answers.

"Okay, cool." I say turning to walk out.

I'm about to take a step when I turn back around.

"Do you guys know a Justin Perry?" I say leaning against the door.

My mother sends a panicked look to my father confirming my suspicions. Everyone in my family knows him except me. And they made sure of that fact.

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Hello guys💕
Sorry I didn't update for a while. School just ended though so I will be updating more often.
Thanks everyone😘

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