Everything Has Changed (Completed)

now - chapter sixteen

My mother was always up before eight; she always said that she felt like she was wasting the day if she slept any longer. By now I had a fresh batch of tears in my eyes threatening to spill over, but they never did. I decided that maybe I should go up and check on her.

My feet padded up the stairs silently as I listened for any signs that my mother was already awake. When I got to her door, I paused to see if I could hear anything, but I was met with only silence. My hands pushed open the door as I peaked my head in. My mother's form was lying on the middle of the bed, slightly curled on her side. I walked further into the room.

"Mom?" I whispered, not wanting to wake her if she was still asleep. But with the way her body tensed when she heard my voice, she was wide awake.

"Mom?" I said again, a little louder, walking a little closer. Once I was next to the bed, I reached out and lightly placed my hand on her covered side.

She flinched away, and I pulled my hand back quickly. My mother rolled onto her side until she was facing me.

I almost let out a sob when I saw her face. Her eyes were bloodshot and there were dried tear streaks down her cheeks. Her hair was messy and falling out of its bun, some of the strands sticking to her face.

"Mom, it's okay," I said, trying to soothe her, but the look she gave me broke me

Her eyes narrowed as she glared at me. "It's not okay," she said sternly. "He is gone, and there's nothing I can do."

"He's not-" I started, but she was quick to interrupt me

"He is!" She yelled, and I flinched back. "He's gone, Cassiopeia. He's gone, and he's never coming back." Her eyes went soft again. "You look so much like him."

The tears that had been welling up in my eyes spilled over, running down my cheeks to my neck, but I did nothing to stop them.

My mother looked like she was going to start crying again before her gaze turned hard, harder than I had ever seen it before.

"Get out."

My eyes met hers and I started stuttering, bewildered

"I said get out!" She yelled, and I let out a sob as I stumbled back towards the door.

Her eyes never left mine as I quickly left her room, running down the stairs and almost falling multiple times.

I quickly opened the door, closing it behind me.

And I ran.

I sprinted down the driveway and down the road, running towards nowhere and everywhere and nothing and everything. The wind was cold on my bare legs, but I didn't care.

Too many thoughts ran through my head. Thoughts of my mom, who I needed to be strong for when she was weak, but who I could never rely on when I was weak. Thoughts of Luke and how scared I was of what I felt for him. Thoughts of stupid fricking Lindsay and whoever she was. Thoughts of my dad and how he, he-

Sobs fell from my lips, loud ugly ones. I could feel the tears streaming down my cheeks. Tears clouded my eyes so much that I couldn't see the ground below me, so I couldn't see the crack in the road that my shoe would catch on.

My foot caught on the asphalt and I fell. My palms slammed into the ground, my knees scraping. My arms shook too much to hold me up and I pressed my forehead onto the ground, letting everything out, screaming.

After what felt like forever, I heard something.

"Cassie? Cass, is that you?"

My head peaked up. I blinked away the tears in my eyes before I finally saw him in front of me.