Don't Scream (Complete)

Chapter 23

Cassidy Hoskins 

Cassidy's night was nothing short of miraculous. What she'd been longing for had finally come true.

She'd been standing by the punch bowl. Jack's house wasn't as grand as hers or Iona's. There was the living room, with the couches cleared to the sides for a dance floor. In the kitchen was where Cassidy and the punch bowl were. Out in the backyard, a large circle of students had formed, either to play video-games on the large gaming system that Jack had set up outside or to play a mega version of Truth or Dare. 

Still, the party was going well and the decor sufficed. Sylvia had disappeared ten minutes into the party - off for a makeout session with Jack from which she had yet to surface from. Cassidy - bored, but pleased to know Iona hadn't shown up at the party - was standing by the punch bowl, leaning against a kitchen counter as she browsed through Twitter on her iPhone, a plastic cup of a tasteless beverage Jack was passing off as punch sitting on the marble counter next to her. 

Then, it happened. What would come to be known as the best and worst thing ever to happen to Cassidy walked right into the room. 

"Hey!" 

Cassidy felt her insides clench up as she stared up at the epitome of robustness standing before her. 

It was Scott. 

He was dressed in a checkered, unbuttoned t-shirt with a black tank top inside, a pair of baggy dark-blue jeans and scruffy but stylish blue sneakers. Cassidy couldn't respond. 

Cassidy checked her own outfit subconsciously, setting her phone down and trying to rearrange her facial features into what would hopefully be a riveting smile. "Hi, Scott." 

He nodded. For some reason, he looked uncertain, but snapped out of it and walked towards Cassidy. "You're Cassidy, right?" 

Cassidy nodded so fast that her hair flew into her mouth. She spat it out and slapped herself mentally. She was made of more steel than this, damn it! She'd been trying to court Scott for ages and now that he was here, she was determined not to let him get the better of her. A mix of happiness at Scott's arrival and anger at how long it took him to notice her spurred her on to her next sentence. 

"Why didn't you accept my Friend Request on Facebook?" 

That was the most basic question on Cassidy's mind right now. Scott's brow furrowed into one of questioning. He whipped out his own iPhone, looked down it and seemed to scroll through something. 

"Oh! You're right, I didn't accept your request! Funny. I must've missed it. You know how school is, Cassidy. Stress made me miss the little things," he said awkwardly. 

Cassidy's heart almost melted at his awkwardness but she reminded herself of another matter. "But then why did you accept Sylvia's friend request?" 

"Who?" 

"Sylvia. My friend. We sent our requests at about the same time...I think." 

"I honestly don't know why I neglected to accept your friend request but not Sylvia's, Cassidy. Think about it though. Does it matter now?" Scott asked. 

He held up his phone for Cassidy to see. "There. Friend Request Accepted!" 

Cassidy broke into a grin. "So, did you come here just to talk to me?" 

She half-expected Scott to jibe at her and say something like "no, I came here to get some punch". In fact, she was counting on him saying something like that so she could continue to flirt with him. But, to her surprise... 

"Yes." 

"Hmm?" 

"I came here to talk to you." 

Cassidy's eyes widened. 

"I'm not that socially senseless, Cassidy. I know you've been subconsciously flirting and vying for my attention for the whole of the last school semester and I also know I've been kind of giving you the cold shoulder. Thing is, I...ah...was going through a rough patch in my romantic life at the time so I put thoughts like that out of my mind at the moment. But I'm here now." 

Something inside Cassidy's mind, a voice, told her that this was too good to be true. Was it a prank? Perhaps Iona had put Scott up to this to ridicule her? Or maybe Sylvia had to persuade Scott to do this and it was not a decision he made of his own free will? 

"Are you serious?" 

"Of course I'm serious, Cassidy. Why wouldn't I be?" 

Scott almost seemed impatient now. 

"I don't know...this just feels a little weird. Almost a little too sudden-" 

Before she could question any further, Scott's lips were on hers and she submitted herself to the blissful ignorance, letting her lips trace his and her arms explore his back. 

She knew that while Jack's kitchen wasn't exactly considered a public place, there were still dozens of people milling around the house and there was no reason why one of them couldn't walk in here to get some punch and catch them kissing in the act. 

But then again, it wasn't as if there was anything wrong with any of this. Jack and Sylvia were making out. So were Cassidy and Scott. And no doubt plenty of other couples in the house. 

Couples? Was that what she wanted to be with Scott? To be a couple? Jack and Sylvia were happy as a couple. Would she be happy with Scott? 

Ah. Screw it. This is high school, Cassidy thought. Looks like my efforts finally paid off. I finally have the boy of my dreams in my hands. Cassidy didn't break away from Scott and instead relished the fact that he was here at all. She clasped her hands with his and gripped them to ground herself to reality as she sunk deeper and deeper into the joy of her embrace with the guy she'd had her eye on since the first day of school itself.