The next few weeks at NYU were more than a little hectic for students; what with assignments being handed in, presentations being completed, and final exams needing plenty of attention. Many were stressed as they tried to finish their last assignments and study as much as possible, causing them to neglect their social lives in the process.
But once final exams were complete, that meant that the semester was complete once and for all. It wasn't until mid-December when this became reality, leaving students with a few weeks to relax before the next semester began. Some headed home immediately, while others had to wait a day or so before they could finally go home for winter break.
Cassie happened to fall into the latter category; and fortunately for her, her friends also did. As a result, DeShawn, Felipe, and Isaac had decided to throw a party the Saturday after everyone had completed their respective exams. They held it at their house and invited Lexi, Nikita, Cassie, and Mariana. They also invited some friends from their programs to come as well. Cassie had been shocked that she'd been invited in the first place, though only for a moment.
I must've been was only invited because they thought I'd throw a fit if I wasn't, she thought.
She and Mariana arrived at the party late that night to a crowded house of students and alcoholic drinks as loud music blared from the living room. It was a scene they were getting quite familiar with.
"We've seen this before," Cassie remarked with a smirk.
"Sometimes I think we party too much," Mariana confessed. "But considering it's the end of the semester, I'll ignore that thought for tonight."
Cassie laughed. "Good idea. I'm just gonna enjoy myself, no matter what."
"Please don't make a scene."
"I won't."
Mariana narrowed her eyes, unconvinced. But she spotted a familiar face in the entryway of the living room and dismissed any worries she had about her best friend.
"I'm gonna go talk to DeShawn. I hope you don't mind."
"Nah, it's fine. Go have fun. I'll see you later, girl."
After Mariana sauntered off to chat with DeShawn, Cassie slowly made her way into the living room. She stayed by the sidelines at first to survey the scene wordlessly. Students danced and chatted with one another with no stress of school dampening their moods for the time being. Cassie was about to go to the bathroom to fix her hair when she passed a couch occupied with the last two people she wanted to see.
Lexi and Isaac sat close to one another while talking amongst themselves— about what, Cassie couldn't hear. Lexi's hands were in her lap, but Isaac had an arm around her shoulders. They were smiling as they carried on chatting away.
Why do they have to act so happy together? Why can't I be in Lexi's place instead? She doesn't deserve him, Cassie mused.
She suddenly paused her unpleasant thoughts to collect herself. She had sworn to Mariana only minutes ago that she wasn't going to make a scene tonight. She really wanted to keep the promise she'd made to her best friend. But seeing her ex-boyfriend so happy with another girl— and with the girl that she hated most, no less— hurt just as much as the first time it'd happened. Her heart raced and her head began to spin while she tried to figure out her next move. As time went on, she found her rage about the situation bubbling up inside of her.
I need to let him know what he's missing, she thought.
Just as she began to decide whether or not to approach the pair, Isaac got up from his seat and began walking away. Cassie hustled over to stop him, putting one hand on his chest in a firm manner to keep him from leaving.
"What?"
"Isaac, don't do this."
"If this is about Lexi, then don't bother," Isaac snapped.
Cassie ignored his request. "Look, you're making a big mistake."
"No, I'm not."
"Uh, yeah, you are. She's not good enough for you!"
"Oh, shut up. I don't wanna hear it. I'm sick of you fucking around with my love life. Don't you have anything better to do?"
"Well... There is one thing, I guess."
Isaac frowned with confusion. "Oh, yeah? And what would that be?"
Cassie grabbed his face and kissed him as hard as she could. His lips still tasted the same as they did back when they'd been together, making her miss him more than she had in a long time. But before she could go any further, Isaac suddenly ripped her off his body.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" he screamed. His voice was almost louder than the music playing in the living room. "SERIOUSLY, WHAT THE FUCK, CASSIE?!?!"
Initially, Cassie seemed conflicted by what she'd done. But she soon smirked triumphantly. "Lexi's just gonna have to deal, won't she?"
She looked past Isaac and watched Lexi— who'd had a clear shot of what just happened— flee from the couch. Cassie silently hoped that her rival was crying while thinking that Isaac had changed his mind about her.
But Isaac wasn't having it. He had also spotted Lexi leave, and that made him seethe with rage. He gave Cassie a death glare.
"You're a fucking bitch. I hate you so much."
He shook his head before running off to look for Lexi. Meanwhile, Cassie was left standing there in a bewildered state. She'd failed to persuade him to be with her and had pissed him off in the process yet again. A few nearby party-goers gave her dirty looks for what she had done.
So much for not making a scene tonight, she thought before running off to the bathroom to collect herself.
***
It didn't take long for Isaac to find Lexi after she'd fled the living room. He found her sitting outside on the seat in the cold. She had her coat on and appeared to be deep in thought. He presumed that she was contemplating whether to stay or leave after witnessing what she'd seen. He sat beside her, but she didn't even look in his direction.
"Lexi, please let me explain," Isaac began. "As I was leaving to grab a drink, Cassie ran up and stopped me. I tried to get to fuck off, but she refused to listen, as usual. She said I was making a mistake, and I disagreed with her. I asked her if she had anything better to do, and she said yes. I asked what that would be, and that's when she kissed me. I pushed her away and yelled at her for what she did if that makes you feel any better."
Isaac waited for Lexi to reply, but she didn't. She did look at him, which allowed him to see just how hurt she was. He placed a hand on her leg with hesitation in case she wanted to be alone. But she didn't stop him; instead, she placed her hand on top of his.
"I feel awful," Isaac added.
"No, don't," Lexi piped up. "It's not like you asked for it. I know you didn't ask for Cassie to kiss you— from what I saw, it looked like she made the first move. I'm just upset that she did it 'cause she knows that we're dating now. It didn't hurt when she kissed you a few months ago, back when we were just friends. But that's upsetting to me."
"I don't blame you at all for feeling that way," Isaac said. He paused as his hand moved to her shoulder. "You know, I'm really glad that we're going out. I hope you know that."
"Really?"
"Yes, really. You've made me a happier person."
Lexi finally grinned. "I'm glad to hear that. And I'm also glad that we're dating now, too."
"So, are we okay?"
"Well... Yeah, if it's about the Cassie bullshit. But...we can't just date anymore. It's not enough."
Isaac frowned. "What are saying?"
Lexi seemed to freeze out of nowhere. She covered her mouth with her hands and looked straight ahead. It appeared that she was trying to avoid eye contact with him again.
"Is everything alright, Lexi? Please tell me what's on your mind."
"No, I've said too much."
"Seriously, what's wrong?"
Lexi finally looked back at Isaac with wide eyes. She seemed to carefully weigh her two options— come clean or continue hiding her true feelings. But she calmed down so she could speak again.
"Will you be my boyfriend?"
Isaac felt the wind get knocked out of him in a second. Out of anything Lexi could've said, that had been one of the very few that he hadn't thought of. He tried to comprehend what had just been revealed while Lexi carried on talking.
"Look, I'm sorry to have startled you by springing this on you out of nowhere. But...I really, really like you. I know you weren't looking to get into a relationship, especially since you were just in one less than a year ago. Truthfully, I wasn't looking for a relationship when we started dating, too. I haven't had a boyfriend in so long— we're talking years here. I didn't mean to make things awkward between us, and I understand if you say—"
"Yes."
The interruption shut Lexi up and left her more wide-eyed than before. Isaac smirked before leaning in and kissing her lips in a gentle manner. She seemed to relax into the kiss a moment later, much to his relief. They broke apart to exchange shocked yet content smiles. Lexi even hugged him tightly, making Isaac chuckle.
"I'm sorry for rambling," she said, "but I was so scared to ask you that. I really thought I was gonna freak you out."
"I know. I'm so happy you asked, though, 'cause I was scared of freaking you out," Isaac chuckled.
Lexi laughed. "We're quite a pair, that's for sure. So...we can be exclusive now?"
"Absolutely. Now, do you wanna return to the party or no?"
"Yeah, I do. But before we do that..."
Isaac's smile widened as Lexi leaned in and kissed his lips. They stayed there for a few moments before eventually going back to the party to enjoy what was left of their night.