Lifetime Guarantee ➪ Josh Dylan

sixteen

This morning is dreaded by almost sixty percent of the people living in the apartment. It takes an extra two hours for Cas to get out of bed; the smell of pancakes finally luring the girl out of her dwelling. She tiptoes into the kitchen, not at all prepared for whatever life is about to toss her way.

"Morning, Cas," Alexa smiles. "Long time, no see," the girl jokes. Cassie shrugs and takes a seat across from Jess, next to Alexa.

"How much sleep did you get...if you slept at all," Jess jokes, earning a giggle from Alexa.

"I'm right here," Jeremy announces as he flips a pancake.

"Let's just stop talking about it! Good? Good." Cas declares, placing her head into the palms of her hands. "Wait," she quickly picks her head back up. "How do you know?" She looks between the three actors in the room.

"Hugh told us earlier before he left," Jess takes a sip of her orange juice.

"You've got to be kidding me," Cas responds, her mouth gaping open.

"Hugh told you what?" Jeremy interrupts, turning his back to the stove to face his sister.

"That things got steamy between Skinner and Cassie right here," Alexa jokes, taking a bite of his pancake as she speaks. Jeremy stares down his sister, a look of confusion and anger mixed across his face.

"It was a mistake!" Cas shouts before her brother can say anything.

"Meet me on the balcony right now," Jeremy sternly orders her, watching as she stumbled out of her chair and rapidly paced to the deck. He follows closely behind, slamming the backdoor behind him. "What the hell did you do?" He shoots her with that unforgiving glare once again.

"Jeremy, it was an accident!" She shouts, allowing a whine to escape as well.

"How the fuck did this happen on accident?" He crosses his arms and leans back on the railing.

"Ugh! I was drunk and confused," she rubs her face, looking out at the sun-lit tide.

"So you spontaneously decided to hook up with Hugh?! I thought you guys were talking about a random local that you met at the bar or something!"

"I can't even explain," she cries to her brother.

"You better try to right now."

"Jeremy, enough of this. The only way you'd even be able to understand the extent of this was if you were in my position." She whimpers, choking up as her brother continues to scowl at her.

"What's that supposed to mean, Cassandra?" He questions, raising his eyebrow and leaning in towards her.

"It's just," she inhales deeply. "I have so much on my plate, both literally and mentally. It's a lot to handle, and sometimes I do stuff that I'm not proud of, okay?" Tears well into her eyes as she looks back at her brother, who's features immediately soften.

"Cassie," he starts, reaching out for her.

"Forget it. Just be mad at me like you always seem to be. Treat me like the disappointment that I am, Jeremy," she cries, brushing past her brother and marching into the apartment. Going straight to her bedroom, Alexa and Jess notice her fret and instantly follow her. Jeremy sits on the balcony, running the entire encounter with his sister through head as he pinches the bridge of his nose.

"Can we come in?" Alexa quietly requests, followed by soft knocking.

"Yup," the distraught girl inside responds, a sniffle following it. Jess and Alexa saunter in, slowly shutting the door behind them.

"Babe", Jess coos, sitting next to her on the bed, Alexa quickly grabbing a box of tissues and handing them to the girl. "What did Jeremy say to you?" Cas shakes her head, not wanting to get into details at the moment. Alexa and Jess look at each other and then shoot Cas a sympathetic look.

"How about this," Jess states. "Alexa and I have to work this afternoon and tomorrow morning, but you should swing by the shoot tomorrow and we can grab lunch?" She rubs the crying girl's arm.

"We can even check out the little shops around the town," Alexa adds, smiling. Cas looks up to the two.

"I'd love that, but what about Lily?"

"Honestly, she's only going to be around the house a few times a day because she has so much to film," Jess replies. "We'll hang out with her when she's available." Cassie nods.

"Thank you, guys," she rises up and hugs the two girls, almost suffocating them.

"Of course, girl!" Jess responds, patting her on the back.

The two exit the room, leaving Cas alone to her own thoughts. She thinks of how lucky she is to have the friends that she does, until ideas of Josh infiltrate her mind once again. Letting out a heavy sigh, the begins to doze off, holding onto all happy memories of Josh Dylan.