Teachers dated me, my parents hated me
I was always in a fight, 'cause I can't do nothing right
P!nk- Don't Let Me Get Me
Cassie stared off into space as the train moved out of the Kew Gardens-Union Turnpike train station. Drew had his tattooed arm around her shoulders, so close that her head was laid on his chest, hearing his heartbeat. Not one word was spoken between them, which was odd on both their parts. Each of them would always have something lighthearted or funny to say to make each other laugh or smile. Now it was nothing but dead silence between them and even the whole train car was silent. All that was heard was the sounds of the train wheels moving across the tracks, and the creaking and shaking of the train car.
Cassie used this time to think about what had transpired this afternoon. She had never been assaulted before. She could still remember the self-gratified grins on their faces. Cassie had no idea how she would ever recover from this incident. She was also angry that it was Simone and Ashley that sent them after her. After her altercation with them, she could see the smirks and sheepish grins that they shared with one another. Cassie couldn't fathom the fact that someone would have so much hate for another human being like Simone and Ashley did for someone like Cassie. She didn't know what she ever did to them to have this vile hatred coming her way.
However, today showed a different side of Drew that she had never seen before. It was almost scary to watch Drew all out pummel her two attackers, straight up beating the holy hell out of both of them, so angry that he ended up speaking Spanish. Most importantly, Drew's actions today showed Cassie that she had someone who cared for her more than everything else other than her family. It was at that moment, that Cassie was in love with him. But what's so mind-boggling about this was how Drew could have any girl he wanted; with his good looks, his attitude, his well-built body, and his articulate, well-designed tattoo. Why would he get involved in this girl's troubled life?
"Cassie, this is our stop," Drew spoke up, as the train doors opened. Before Cassie knew it, she was at her stop.
"Oh, ok," Cassie replied, putting on her backpack, while Drew held onto her hand as they followed the midst of people outside the train and out of the train station, walking to the bus stop. They were waiting for the Q40 going towards South Jamaica when Drew finally broke the silence between them.
"Cassie, está bien, mijita?" he asked her.
"I'm fine, Drew," Cassie replied. "Just shaken."
Drew pulled her in a hug, Cassie accepting it. "I know," he whispered. "You felt so helpless, thinking no one would come for you when you screamed for help."
"You came for me, though."
"Of course. I had a gut feeling that it was you."
"It was because of Simone and Ashley."
Drew let go of Cassie and looked at her in shock. "What?" he exclaimed.
"Yeah, we uh... had an argument and I was about to bust a cap on Ashley's ass after putting my dad's name in her mouth calling him white trash, even going far to call me white trash," Cassie explained.
"But wait though," Drew cut in. "Isn't your mother black?"
"Yes, but that's irrelevant to them," Cassie replied, as they boarded the bus and swiped their MetroCards. "To think that just because my father's white, then I don't have any black in me, it's just a slap in the face."
"I know," Drew agreed. "So fucking stupid."
"And that's not even the worst part," Cassie continued. "They said that because I hang out with you, I have a fetish for white guys, and those two assholes they sent tried to change my mind."
"Oh, Jesus Christ," Drew muttered under his breath. "They lucky they weren't men, I'd punch the shit out of both of them."
"Wishful thinking, huh," Cassie replied. "But I'm really glad you came for me, though."
"Of course, mijita," Drew whispered a reply. "I wanna make sure nothing happens to you on my watch."
Cassie smiled and leaned in his embrace.
"But with that being said, Cassie," Drew started. "I think you need to tell your parents about what happened."
Cassie shook her head. "I can't, Drew," she replied.
"But why, though?" Drew asked, with a hint of frustration. "They have a right to know what's wrong with their child!"
"Drew, you don't understand," Cassie protested, sitting up and looking at Drew. "They do have a right to know what's going on with me, I know that! It's just that..." Cassie started.
"What?"
"Do you remember when my dad was still angry over Cheyenne's breakup with her ex?"
"Yeah, he almost broke my hand over that."
"That night prior to when you came over the house, you should have seen him," Cassie said. "He cursed the ex's whole family out and threatened them while my mom tried to calm him down," she explained. "And God forbid if I looked my parents in the eye and told them that two boys literally tried to rape me in the bathroom, and on top of that I've been bullied for two and a half years!"
"Your daddy's gonna burn down the entire five boroughs," Drew replied, nodding his head in understanding. "But Cassie, this has been happening to you for too long. You can't just bottle all this shit up inside you. There's gotta be a trusted adult that you could talk to, someone who could put an end to this."
"I know," Cassie replied sadly. "I wanna tell them so badly so that they can help me. They've been through so much these past few months, I mean, my dad's been a plumber at the same company since like 1979, right after high school, and now he's on the chopping block of getting laid off along with many others, because a bigger company is making plans to buy the company that he works at," Cassie explained sadly. "And my mom's a doctor at Mount Sinai, and her floor's under investigation 'cause someone didn't do their job right. I don't wanna be a burden on them."
"Oh, man, I feel sorry for them," Drew sighed. "Can you at least tell C.J. or Cheyenne?"
"C.J.'s his daddy's son," Cassie replied. "Cheyenne, I don't know."
"Well, then try to talk to someone, though, 'cause I hate seeing you like this."
Cassie smiled at him softly. "You do care for me, don't you?"
"Of course," Drew whispered, his thumb stroking her cheek.
Cassie felt the blood rush to her cheeks as Drew's eyes grew softer. Cassie's breath hitched as Drew inched closer to Cassie. Cassie's eyes were half-lidded, as their lips were a hairbreadth away from each other... until the bus driver slammed on the brakes, making Cassie, Drew, and all the passengers on the bus jolt forward. Cassie felt Drew's arm around her waist, keeping her steady.
"Damn kids running in front of traffic," one passenger hissed.
Cassie and Drew looked at each other and burst into giggles. For the first time, Cassie felt a bit better after today's events. After a long bus ride due to traffic, the pair then reached home and then got busy studying for the trig midterm. As soon as it got dark, it was time for Drew to go home. The pair then shared a long hug, like they weren't going to see each other for a while. After they broke apart, Drew gave Cassie a kiss on the top of her head, almost making Cassie melt.
After Cassie showered and changed into her pajamas, she sat in the living room, watching "Wheel of Fortune" on Channel 7, trying desperately to clear her mind from what happened today. She heard the front door of the house open and close. Her mother, Angie Phillips, came in the room with a stack of mail in her hand.
"Hey, Cassie," Angie greeted breathlessly.
"Hi, Mom," Cassie greeted back. "Cheyenne got the leftovers cooking on the stove as you told her so don't kill her."
"Oh, good. How's school today?"
Cassie then felt a sharp pain in her stomach at her mother's question. "The same," she lied. "You know where Dad might be? It's a quarter to eight."
Angie then smirked her "where you've been" look. "Baby, he had a job upstate, he won't be home until at least ten."
"Oh, yeah," Cassie replied, doing a facepalm, remembering her father leaving the house before dawn.
"Alrighty, I'll be in the kitchen if you need me," Angie said, walking out of the living room towards the kitchen.
"Ok, Mom," Cassie called back.
Cassie was engrossed in the latest episode of "Grey's Anatomy" when her heart nearly shot out of her when she heard her mother yell out,
"Cassandra!"
"Yes, Mom?" Cassie called back meekly.
"Get in here now!"
Cassie unsteadily walked over to the kitchen to be met by Angie's scowling face, while C.J. bowed his head as he was finishing his dinner.
"Read this for me," Angie said, shoving a letter towards Cassie.
Cassie took the letter from her mother's hands, and read its contents. Her eyes widened as she realized that it was a note home from the school, stating concerns that some of her grades were not in good standing. Cassie then remembered her trig teacher telling her that a note will be sent home to her parents.
"Care to tell me what is the meaning of this?" Angie asked icily.
"It's my trigonometry class," Cassie replied softly. "I'm not doing too well."
"And why would that be the case?"
"It's just too hard, Mom!"
"Aw, stop lying to yourself!" Angie spat out. "You were slacking off and you know it!"
"No, I'm not, Mom," Cassie argued, her voice breaking as she fought back tears.
"So then why the hell is the school sending a note to my goddamn house, telling me you not in good standing academically?!" Angie yelled. "Why are you such a problem child!"
"Mom, Cassie's telling the truth," C.J. spoke up in her defense, while tears streamed down Cassie's face. "Trig's hard for everyone including myself, I bet everyone in the eleventh grade got notes like that."
"Oh, ho!" Angie exclaimed. "Says the boy who comes home at half-past eleven every single Monday and Friday night from Rashawn's house watching WWF after I told you that there will be no wrestling in this house because you watched grown people buck ass naked in bed having sex in the middle of the ring!" she rambled. "Not to mention the woman with that dragon tattoo on her shoulder got no self-esteem, no shame! And she ugly as sin!"
"It's WWE," C.J. mumbled under his breath.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing, Mom."
"Right, now when I'm speaking to your sister, you shut the hell up, 'cause you're no better."
C.J. hung his head down in shame.
"You are an intelligent girl, Cassandra," Angie said to Cassie. "You need to adjust your attitude, or your future will be at stake! There's no fucking excuse for this shit!" she shouted, throwing the letter down on the table angrily.
"Yes, ma'am," Cassie choked out, through her tears.
"Now get out of my sight, you're making my blood pressure go up."
Cassie wheeled around and went out of the kitchen towards the living room. She turned off the TV, and headed upstairs to her room, only to be met by Cheyenne watching the rest of "Grey's Anatomy".
"Cassie, you alright?" Cheyenne asked. "I heard Mom yelling her head off at you."
"I'm fine, I just need to study more for my test tomorrow," Cassie replied, taking her textbook out.
"Oh, you need help?"
"No, no, Cheyenne, I'm Ok, just enjoy the show," Cassie replied, smiling forcefully.
"Alright, if you say so."
Cassie took out her phone to have good lighting, but once she turned on her phone, she saw thirteen messages on her phone from two different numbers. Once she saw them, she felt her entire body turning numb.
U Fuckin Bitch, you got them expelled
We're gonna get u 2mmr bitch
I hope you fucking die in your sleep
Cassie immediately felt sick. She ran to the bathroom and vomited everything she ate for dinner. She flushed the toilet and sat on the floor crying her eyes out. There was no way out for her.