GIRLS LIKE GIRLS

chapter sixteen.

"she had been new to our school. her name was hayley, and she had to be the sweetest girl i had ever met. i was her first friend because she didn't know me then, and she hadn't heard any rumors. i was still closeted at that time, though." the brunette began, staring up at her ceiling. "one night she came over, and we played truth or dare. she dared me to kiss her, so i did it. it felt so natural. so we dated, we broke up because of a fight we got into, and she joined the popular girls. she told them i was gay, but left out the part about her being gay, too. everyone started bullying me, word spread around, and suddenly my mom had found out."

"oh." bev paused, and cass could tell she was upset. the redhead didn't say anything else as she intertwined their pinkies, and it felt much better than holding hands. it felt more natural, and more them.

so they held pinkies until they fell asleep that night, the light from the movie still flickering on cassandras bedroom walls.

"AUNT NAT! I'M HOME!" CASS CALLED out, composing herself smoothly. she couldn't let her aunt know what she had saw. she believed natalie frayser would think she was sick in the head.

[just like her mother did.]

"hey, cass! where you been?" natalie called from the kitchen, and cass followed her aunts voice.

"went to the quarry with the losers, then to bens house." she answered, opening the fridge and pulling out a bottle of water and an apple.

"we're going out to dinner tonight, so don't fill yourself up." her aunt smiled at her and winked as she spoke, and cass lowered her eyebrows.

"whats the occasion?"

"well i can't be here to celebrate it tomorrow, i have to work overtime at the hospital." her aunt explained, and cass shook her head, still confused. "you seriously don't remember?"

"did i forget dannys birthday? no, that was in january. did i forget yours or uncle daves birthday?"

"no, honey. it seems you've forgotten your own."

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU." THE nurse ended her song, and cassandra could only smile softly. it was a year earlier, and cass was sitting in a hospital room, awaiting her parents arrival.

"thank you, izzy." cass spoke, rubbing at the bags under her eyes. she felt extremely drained, and her usually full, smooth lips were chapped and pale.

"anytime, sweetie." her nurse smiled and handed her the cupcake without a candle, given fire was seen as a hazard to her and the patients around her. the nurse exited the room, leaving the brunette alone.

cassandra slowly peeled back the wrapper and licked the frosting, savoring the rare taste of something sweet. they rarely allowed sugary things here. said it 'made it harder to focus on getting better.'

cass sat alone for a while longer before the voice of her mother was heard in the hallway.

"'make sure you don't say anything that could make her focus on anything besides getting over her sickness." she heard her mother remind her father. her father remained silent, like always. her parents entered the room, her nurse trailing behind them, although she quickly left after making sure the frayser couple made it to their daughters room.

"hi sweetie!" her mother exclaimed 'happily'. cass fought back an eye-roll and hugged her mother, then her father. "we've missed you so much."

"i've missed you guys too. why don't you visit me that much anymore?" her father was about to speak but her mother cut him off.

"well we're just so busy, cassandra. we can't always be here. don't be so selfish." cass nodded and looked down, running her fingers over her white scars.

"i don't feel sick, mother." cass whispered, and her mothers head snapped up.

"what did you say?"

"lilly-" her father started, but he was quickly cut off.

"no, jason!" her mother exclaimed, turning back towards cass. "what. did. you. say."

"i-i said i don't feel sick!"

"being gay is a sickness. thats why you're here. its bad enough people know you're in a mental hospital, but i swear if you don't get better i'll kill you! you got that?" cass could only nod, and choked back her tears.

"and clean up this room. its a mess. what do i always say about messes?"

"a messy space is a messy life, and my life isn't messy." her daughter responded, sounding awfully like a robot.

meanwhile cassandras nurse izzy sat outside the hospital room the entire time, listening to the way the mother had threatened her patient, and the father had sat back and allowed it. the blonde haired girl could tell it wasn't the first threat, and she had her suspicions about the mother since the first day she locked her daughter in here saying she had 'severe depression that needed to be treated immediately.' then said it was because her daughter was gay. the nurse clicked off her microphone that had recorded everything headed to the front desk immediately.

izzy had been disgusted by mrs frayser. if her daughter was sick because she liked girls, then hell, izzy should have to be quarantined. the nurse slammed the tape on her bosses desk and shook her head.

"i told you something was off about cassandra fraysers parents, and i have proof." she explained. her boss nodded and played it, eyes widening at the harsh words spoken. once it ended the man shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"call the police immediately, and get that girl a better room. i think shes going to be here for a while." he paused and looked up at the blonde woman standing in front of him. "i have a feeling there are a lot of court trials in store for us."

•••

this was all over the place lol but here more of cass' crazy mom