"We need to talk."
"Uh, what's up?" Michael asks nervously, sitting on the couch while Cassie sits on the coffee table across from him.
"I was told that I need to write more heart broke songs and I can't do that when you make me so gosh darn happy."
Michael furrows his brows then laughs loudly. "Say that again?"
"You heard me! I'm serious! I wanna write songs that people can scream and cry to when they get their hearts broke. I can't when I'm so happy with you."
"So you want to break up?"
"Not really but yeah. Just for like a couple days."
Michael snorts and stands. "Fine. But, if this is for real, I'm kickin' your butt." He leans down and kisses her forehead.
"So how do you want this to work?" He asks from the kitchen.
"I'll go home for a couple days to really focus on writing. It's gonna be hard but..."
"I still have some tour dates left, I'll be super busy. Maybe that'll work? I just don't want this to be a real break up because I love you so much."
"No, this isn't real. I don't think I'll be able to live without you anymore."
Michael sighs. "Okay. If you need to do this for your songs then I'm happy to help."
"Thank you." She kisses him sweetly. "C'mon." She takes him by the arm and leads him to the bedroom where she pushes him back on the bed with the biggest ornery smirk Michael has ever seen.
+++
"No, that's not good." Cassie huffs as she scratches out some words she just written. She huffs again as she calls Ernest, he always know what to write.
"What's up, Cassie Leigh?"
"I need your help." She sighs, leaning back on the porch swing. "I'm tryna right sad songs and I can't."
He chuckles. "Okay, uh, do you have any ideas started?"
"Yeah. I have a few random lines written but I can't branch off of 'em."
"Whatcha got?"
"...There's no tellin' what life could look like
If I woulda stayed gone the first time..."
Ernest hums back. "Interesting. What about this?"
"...If I wasn't leavin' you again
If I wasn't right back where I been
There's no tellin' what life could look like
If I woulda stayed gone the first time
But here I am, leavin' you again..."
"You're writing break up songs?" Ernest asks.
"Wanted to try it out." She replies, scribbling down everything they just came up with.
"You and Hardy okay?"
"Yeah, yeah. We're just spending time apart so I can write sad songs. I told him I can't write sad songs 'cause of how happy he makes me."
Ernest smiles at her words. "Well, good luck, kid. Let me know if you need anymore help."
"Kid!? I'm only two years younger than you!"
"Yeah, yeah." He snorts. "Talk to you later, Cassie Leigh."
"Okay, bye, Ern."
She hangs up and sighs.
Cassie's eyes scan across the field in front of her, the sun soaking into her skin. They're calling for a thunderstorm tomorrow.
Maybe that'll get the sadness flowing.
+++
"What is all the damn noise!?" Cassie scowls as she stumbles into the kitchen at five in the morning.
"Mornin' sunshine!" Justin says in an annoyingly cheerful tone.
"Hey, there she is!" Rooster adds.
Rooster?
"The hell is he doing here?"
"We work the same shifts for the next week so we ride in together."
She scowls again.
"Sorry, jeez." Justin mutters, earning a smack to the arm. "Why are you home, Cass?"
"Taking a break from Michael to write break up songs." She grumbles back, pouring herself a cup of coffee.
"You broke up with Michael?" Rooster asks, hope in his voice.
"Temporarily." She replies after taking a gulp from her mug.
He looks her over with a small smirk on his face then looks away.
"Ready, man?" Justin asks, pocketing his wallet as he picks up his keys.
Rooster follows, glancing over his shoulder at Cassie one more time before the door shuts behind him.
She needs to get some songs written so she can be back home with Michael.
+++
Cassie is losing her mind.
She hasn't seen or talked to Michael since she left four days ago. She hates that she's doing this but it needed to be done.
Rooster, Justin and Justin's girlfriend, Rae are at some little dive bar in town, letting loose since the boys have tomorrow off.
Justin and Rae are currently slow dancing to some song on the jukebox- yes, jukebox.
The original owners bought this place in the forties and the family members that took over have kept this place in pristine condition.
It's actually pretty cool.
Rooster glances at Cassie as she writes something down on a napkin then pockets it quickly.
"Hey."
Rooster raises his eyebrows in response.
"Do you think they'll ever get married?" She asks, nodding to her baby brother and the girl who is obviously the love of his life. "He's always been the runnin' around type. Maybe this girl locks him in."
"Maybe." Rooster stands. "You wanna dance?"
"What?"
"I said do you wanna dance?"
She glances between his face and his third beer. "I should get home. I gotta lotta work to do."
"Cassie." Rooster calls after her. "Cassie!" He stops her with a hand around her upper arm. "You're single, right?"
"No."
"But you said that you were taking a break from Michael."
"It's not a real break. It's just for the week."
"So for the rest of the week, you're single?"
"No."
Rooster suppresses an eye roll. "Just one dance?" Cassie sighs heavily as she takes his hand, letting him lead her out to the dance floor.
Rooster's hand grazes the small of her back, maybe even lower. He's seeing how far he can go before she corrects him. So far, he's gotten pretty far. Far enough to where a hand is dangerous low on her hip.
Cassie's quick to move his hand back up but Rooster has other plans.
He boldly grabs a handful of her ass and she immediately pushes him back and smacks him across his cheek. "Dude!?" She snaps, scoffing loudly as she makes a scene.
"What!?" Rooster shouts back, rubbing the reddening skin. "What's your problem?"
"Me? My problem!?" Justin stops dancing with Rae, ready to pull the protective brother card. "I told you that I have a boyfriend but you still made a goddamn move on me! You're- ugh! Fuck you." She pushes past everyone and down the street back to the house.
Justin smacks Rooster over the head. "The hell's the matter with you, man!?"
Rooster says nothing as he exits the bar as well, heading back to his house.
+++
"Hey, you okay?" Michael answers when he sees his girlfriend's name light up his phone screen. Luckily, he's off touring tonight.
"No." She sighs. "I'm not."
"Talk to me, Cass."
"I just miss you so much that it hurts."
He chuckles. "Man it's so good to hear your voice. I been startin' to think this was a real break up."
She forces a weak laugh out, tears in her eyes. "I miss you." She repeats, sitting on the edge of her bed. "So fucking much."
"I'll be in Tupelo on, uh, Friday, I think."
"I will be there." He grins. "I got like only two songs written. I should have more done but I don't."
"Then make stories up. You don't gotta write something based off real events all the time. I sure as hell don't. It's more fun if you make up a story instead of reliving the past."
Huh.
She never thought about it like that.
"Babe, I gotta go. I got an idea I can't loose."
"Okay, I will see you Friday."
"Okay." She hangs up and grabs her notebook, immediately scribbling does what Rooster might be feeling right now.
She's let go all of the anger she had toward him to write about his point of view and man, oh man, is this it.
+++
"Jack D, there's a seven on the label
Warm glass on the living room table
Phone face down, church up loud
Just tryna drown you out tonight but,
First sip I could feel you on my shoulder
The tennessee heat had me feelin' colder
Thought a drink would get you off my mind but
This bottle tastes like..."
Cassie grins to herself.
This is a good one and she knows just the guy to sing this.
Morgan Wallen.
+++
Leavin' You Again - Ashland Craft
865 - Morgan Wallen