-Carter's POV-
Pete and I were driving down the streets, me in the driver seat because I knew the way to my dad's house and he didn't. It wasn't too far away from the Stumps' house. In high school, I'd walk from there to my house almost every day after school.
"So, now that you know my background, what about yours?" Pete attempted to spark a conversation.
I glanced over at him briefly before returning my attention to the road. "What do you mean?"
"The sob story you said I didn't want to hear."
I chuckled nervously, "You still want to hear it?"
"Of course, why wouldn't I?"
"I don't know," I looked over at him quickly and saw he was waiting for me. I heaved a sigh and began, "Well, my mom died when I was young. I was in eighth grade. It was hard, dealing with her loss. But my dad...he changed after she died. He...he started drinking, leaving all hours of the night, he might've even been doing drugs for all I know. He never did anything to my sister or me, he just...he wasn't the dad he should've been." Silence presided over the car. I cleared my throat before continuing, "Ever since I left for California, I just...I haven't talked to him. I talked to my sister because she was in fifth grade when we moved and still lives with him because she's still in school, but not him."
"I'm so sorry, Carter," Pete remarked softly.
I shrugged my shoulders, "It's not your fault. I mean, if it wasn't for him, I probably wouldn't have left and started my music career. He just...he would always say I was wasting my time, singing that is. He was never proud of me. Never." My throat felt like it was closing up. "I hated him for that. And I still do. That's why I didn't, and still don't, want to visit him," I looked over at the Fall Out Boy member, "But I guess it's too late to turn back, right?"
He gave me a sympathetic smile.
The two of us pulled into the driveway of my old house within the next few minutes. It wasn't anything like Cassidy and Patrick's house. It was a one story house and the neighborhood might've been more crowded than theirs. We got out of the car and walked up the steps of the porch that were slowly rotting away. I approached the door, Pete right behind me. I knocked three times and took a step back.
We stood out there for about a minute before the door cracked open. I could see an eye above the chain door guard in the darkness behind the door. The person standing behind the door undid the lock and opened the door fully. It was my sister. Scarlet. She squealed in delight and pulled me into a hug. "What are you doing here, Carter?" She asked as she stepped out the embrace.
"I'm here to visit dad, actually. See how he's doing," I answered.
She tilted her head to the side and asked, "Who's this?"
I looked over my shoulder and then back at her, "You mean Pete?"
"Pete," A smirk grew on her face and she pushed me to the side, stepping forward and hugging Pete. "It's so nice to meet you, Pete." A confused look crossed his face before her hugged her back. I rolled my eyes and walked inside.
"Dad?" I called, walking into the living room and seeing no one in there. I spun around and walked into the dining room. No one. Kitchen. No one. I walked into the bedroom hallway and called "Dad?" once again. I opened his bedroom door and found him sitting at his desk, on a laptop. He looked over his shoulder at me over his glasses.
"Carter?"
"Yup, in the flesh," I stepped into the room, "How have you been?"
He took his glasses off and got up out of the rolling chair, "I...I've been good." He looked a lot better than I last remembered. He was smiling. He didn't have bags under his eyes. His hair didn't look so gray and greasy. The smell of alcohol he carried with him everywhere was no longer there. He might've even lost a little weight.
I forced a smile on my face, "That's good."
"Yeah, your sister actually helped me get better. She said it wasn't healthy for me, sulking around all the time and drinking and leaving the house all hours of the night." I nodded my head. He sighed and took a step closer to me, "I want to apologize for how I was back then, Carter. I know it was the reason you left and it...it wasn't right."
"You're damn right it wasn't!" I shouted at him, all my anger being released at that very moment. I couldn't hold it back anymore. I just couldn't, "I had to take care of Scarlet by myself because you were a drunken slob who couldn't even remember he had kids! You had me worried sick twenty-four seven! Do you know how hard it was for me?"
"Carter, I'm-"
"No," I cut him off, "No, I don't want you pity apology. I was only fourteen years old, Dad. Fourteen years old. Losing Mom was hard for me too. But you didn't see me giving up on life! Even if I wanted to, I didn't have the choice because I had to step in and do the job you couldn't do!"
He hung his head, keeping his mouth shut.
I gulped before saying, "Do you know how much I hate you for what you did to me?"
"Carter..." He tried to interject.
I shook my head, holding back the tears that wanted to stream down my cheeks, "No. Don't even try. This was a bad idea...me coming here..." I turned around and before leaving said, "I'm probably not going to come back for a while, dad, so I just want you to know that I'm happy you're doing better now that I left," And with that, I walked out.
"Carter! That's not-" He called after me. But I ignored him and continued out into the front hallway, where, in the living room, I saw Scarlet on the couch with Pete, sitting extremely closing to him and running her finger up and down his arm. Pete seemed very uncomfortable.
"I'm ready to go, Pete," I announced, wiping one tear that dared to fall from my eye away.
"Thank god," He said, getting himself up off the couch and rushing to my side. He leaned in and whispered, "She was really starting to creep me out."
"Come back soon, guys, okay?" Scarlet called out to us, "Especially you, Pete!"
I gave her a half-smile before walking out of the house with Pete by my side. I closed the door behind me and walked over to the car I had driven here. I hopped in the driver's side and Pete in the passenger's. We buckled our seat belts and were on our way back to the house.
"So, how'd it go?" He asked me.
"I-I don't want to talk about it," I mumbled under my breath, keeping my eyes on the road.
-Connor's POV-
I sat at a table for two in the restaurant that Cassidy had brought me to once before, tapping my foot nervously. I checked my phone - I had been sitting here for nearly an hour, waiting for her. I set it back down on the table just as the waitress walked up and asked, "Sir, are you ready to order or are you still waiting?"
"Still waiting," I answered her with a smile. She nodded her head and walked away.
I heaved a sigh and picked up my phone, texting Cassidy.
Today 12:06p.m. Me: Cassidy, where are you?
I sent the message and once again set my phone down on the table. I folded my hands on the table and tried to calm myself down. She's probably just a little nervous. She's not standing you up. Cassidy wouldn't do something like that.
Right then, one of the doors to the cafe opened. I looked up and saw the recognizable blonde hair, Ray Ban aviator sunglasses she always liked to wear, and dark red lipstick. She was wearing a short-sleeve white sundress with a thin brown belt that cinched the dress around her waist. She approached the podium, took off the sunglasses to reveal her beautiful blue eyes, and said something to the waiter. The waiter turned back and pointed to me. My posture straightened. She nodded her head in understanding and walked over to the table I was sitting at.
I stood up, a smile growing on my face, "Hi, Cassidy."
She grinned back, "Hey, Connor."
She sat down and I mirrored her. I chuckled nervously, "I thought for a second there you were going to stand me up."
She blushed, "You know I wouldn't do something like that." She picked up her menu and began to scan it. I did the same thing.
I swallowed hard before saying, "So...I bet you weren't expecting this, were you?"
"Not all, Connor, not all..." Cassidy replied, not even looking up at me.
I bit my lip before setting my menu down and blurting out, "Cassidy, it wasn't right. What I did to you." She glanced up from her menu. "I can't tell you how sorry I am."
She shook her head and looked back down at her menu, "You can say sorry all you want, Connor, but I'm not taking you back."
I covered my face with my hands, disappointed, ran them down my face and asked, "Care to tell me why?"
"Because, even though now you quit your YouTube gig, I...I'm still working on my music career. The same thing is going to happen that happened last time. I just know it. And I just don't want something like that happening again!"
Before I could respond to her, the waitress returned and said, "I see your other guest has arrived. May I get you two something to drink?"
"Two waters, please," I said. She nodded her head and walked away.
"Cassidy," I placed my hand over hers, "I love you. So much. And if I have to wait for you to come home from whatever you're doing, I'll wait. It won't be a problem. Just...please...give me another chance."
She hung her head and slipped her hand out from under mine and placed it in her lap, "Connor, I-"
"Please," I begged.
Cassidy slowly looked up at me and that's when I noticed that tears had started to form in her eyes. "Connor, I just...I have a lot to think about right now."
"It's been more than a year, Cass!"
"I-I know."
"Then why can't you just put what happened in the past, in the past?" I asked her softly. No response. I heaved a sigh and said, "I don't know what else to do. I've done everything. I quit what was tearing us apart, I came all the way here to tell you I love you, I...I just don't know what else to do to make you forgive me!"
"I forgave you, Connor," She murmured, "I forgave you the first time you showed up at my place after our break up. But I...I don't want to take you back." She shook her head, "I just don't want to go through the same shit twice."
"At least give me a chance," I begged, "That's all I ask. If something does happen like what happened before, then fine, I'll stop."
"You'll stop?"
"Yes. I'll stop bugging you. For good. Just give me one more chance. Come back home."