September 23rd, Sunday - Casey Silpetti
The girls all sleep in, until around 10 when Kale, Aiden and Sandy come into the pool house carrying breakfast on trays. “Wake up sleepyheads,” Sandy calls. The girls all stir on the bed, Cadence bolting upright, Casey and Roni taking their time to sit up. The guys all set the trays down in the kitchen area. “So, what are you kids doing today?” Sandy asks.
Veronica climbs out of the bed and goes over to her dad, giving him a kiss on the cheek. “Well, we’ll probably eat this breakfast you brought, get dressed and figure out something else to do,” she says smiling.
“Ah, my cheeky daughter…wait, you’re not Bianca…what happened? Anyway, eat up, I’ll see you all later,” Sandy says on his way back to the house.
Aiden and Kale fill their plates to overflowing while Cadence and Casey get out of bed and join them all in the kitchen. The girls fill plates and everyone heads in to sit on the couch, chairs and floor to eat. Smudge heads straight to Veronica, hoping for treats.
“So, we’re all going with Casey to see Faust today…anything else on the agenda?” Kale asks.
“I need to talk to Harmony about all this, and ummm…probably pack up my stuff.”
“You’re gonna move in?” Veronica practically squeals with excitement.
“I don’t think I have much choice unless I leave town,” Casey answers. “And I already stuck around once when given that choice, I’d hate to run now. Your dad won’t represent me unless I move in. He said he’d find someone else to help if I didn’t stay here…but I’m not sure I’d trust anyone else.”
“You know you don’t have to decide right now, Case, right?” Aiden says, putting his hand on her thigh.
“I’ve been thinking about it all night. I kept waking up. Unless Faust has some other option for me…this is what I need to do.” They all finish eating while chatting about school and people at school, with everyone going back for seconds.
“OK, I’m supposed to be at Faust’s at 1, and I have a couple things I need to do before that,” Cadence says. “How ‘bout we all meet at my place at 12:30 and then head over?”
Everyone agrees and Aiden says, “Come on Case, Cade, get dressed and I’ll take you home.” Veronica heads inside to change while Casey and Cadence take turns in the bathroom and cleaning up the leftovers in the kitchen. Kale and Aiden clean up the bedding and leftover snacks from the main room of the pool house.
Veronica comes back out and grabs the breakfast remains. “You guys ready?” They nod and grab their things, heading back through the house to leave. “Cade, is it ok if I come with you?”
Cadence’s cheeks turn a little pink as she nod yes, “Yeah, that’s fine.”
Kale heads off on his own while Aiden drops Veronica and Cadence at her place and takes Casey to Harmony’s. “Hey, why don’t you go home and get some clean clothes? I’ll talk to Harmony and you can just pick me back up later. Sound good?”
“Are you sure Case? I can go in with you.”
“No. I need to talk to Harmony alone.” She leans over and kisses him. “I’ll see you later.” Casey hops out of the Xterra and grabs her things from the back, waving at Aiden as she steps inside. She heads up to her room and drops her things off before going to Harmony’s. She knocks softly, but doesn’t hear anything. She knocks a little louder, and when there’s no response, she goes in anyway. Harmony is nowhere to be seen. “Crap!” Casey heads back to her room, texting Harm on the way to see where she is. “I’m home…where are you?”
She gets a quick reply, “Just pulling in. Don’t tell the Rents I didn’t stay at mini-Kane’s.”
“No prob. Come to my room when you’re done with whatever.” Casey puts her dirty clothes in the hamper and starts getting her clean clothes out of the dresser and onto her bed. After about 15 minutes, Harmony comes in from the bathroom, looking fresh.
“What’s up?” She looks around, noticing the clothes on the bed. “Case, are you going somewhere?”
“Sit down.” Casey stops with the clothes and sits at the head of the bed with Harmony. “I have to move out, Harm. I wish I could just stay here, but…I can’t. So, you know Mr. Carlin was talking to me when you got there yesterday, right?” Harmony nods, so Casey continues. “He said that my foster parents stopped cashing the checks and reported me missing. There’s a college fund set up for me…he thinks from my dad, but he doesn’t know… They’re trying to get that money.” Casey wipes at the tears in her eyes that spring up every time she thinks about having to move back to her foster parent’s house. She sniffles and keeps going as Harmony puts her arm around Casey’s shoulders. “They’re trying to say I’m incompetent and Mr. Carlin says I might have to go back and live with them, but he said he’ll take my case and fight it…”
“That’s awesome Case! He’ll keep you safe and out of that house.”
“I hope so. But, he’ll only take the case if I move into their house. So…I don’t really have a choice. I’m sorry, Harm.”
“Don’t be sorry,” Harmony gives her a big hug. “You moving out sucks, but if it’s moving in with the Carlin-Kane’s or moving back to the foster parents…I’m glad this is where you’re going.”
They sit there quietly for a minute before Harmony breaks the silence. “So, when do you have to go?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t told Mr. Carlin yet, but I’m sure he’ll want me to move in as soon as I can. Hey, do you care if I leave these boxes from my camera and stuff here? I’ll put ‘em in the back of the closet, they won’t be in the way or anything. I just don’t feel like dragging them to a new place when the only reason I’m keeping them is in case I have to give the gear back or something breaks.”
“No problem, Case. You know, I kinda liked having you here. I’ll miss you.”
“I’ll miss you too…but hey, at least we’ll still see each other at school and stuff.”
“Harm, um, we’re going to Faust’s place to see about finding my mom. I’m hoping she’ll tell me who my dad is so I can figure out who set up the fund. You wanna come with?”
“Hell yeah! Let’s go!”
Casey laughs at her enthusiasm. “We’re meeting at Cade’s at 12:30 and Aiden’s picking me up here. We don’t have to leave right now.”
“Ok…ummm…who’s Faust?”
“Sorry, I forgot you don’t know about him. Remember all that Cloak & Dagger stuff from when Roni got kidnapped?”
“Yeah.”
“I met him then. He gave me that lens that was on your doorstep for my birthday. He knows my mom, and he’s…he’s got some special talents and connections.”
“Cool. So is he kinda spooky?”
“A little. He has this crow that sits there and stares at you. It’s creepy. Hey, is your dad here? I want to thank him for letting me stay and tell him I’ll be moving out soon.”
“Nope, I only saw the step-monster’s car. He probably got called in for some ‘emergency,’” she says with air-quotes. Harmony stays sitting at the head of the bed while Casey finishes getting the rest of her clothes from the dresser and closet. They hear a car pull in and a moment later Casey gets a text from Aiden saying he’s there. They each grab a jacket and Casey brings her camera bag and they head out.
Aiden opens the door for them and Harmony climbs in back. They head out to Cadence’s, making small talk the whole way. They follow Kale the last couple of blocks and all get out of their cars at the same time that Cadence and Veronica come out of the house. They can hear Cadence making more “be safe” promises to her mother.
Cadence and Veronica ride over to Faust’s with Kale, while Casey and Harmony stay with Aiden. They find parking spots about a block away and walk to Faust’s building. Cadence knocks and his door swings open. They all go in, those who’ve never been there looking around nervously.
The crow caws loudly, stepping forward with its head tilted as it looks at Cadence. The sudden sound in such a spooky room causes both Kale and Veronica to jump. Veronica backs instinctively against Cadence, who wraps an arm around her comfortingly, her hand resting on Roni’s hip.
Casey can feel Aiden step close up behind her, his hand resting against the small of her back. He knows how Faust affects her, and his protectiveness is a sweet gesture. And one she might need soon.
Faust walks in, stopping abruptly as he notices the crowd in his building. His eyes darken as they slide across those here, until he looks silently furious by the time he finishes. Casey takes an involuntary step back in fear as he turns his glare to her, his aura filling the room with the silent static of a thousand lightning bolts waiting to strike.
Cadence steps in front of Casey, even as she feels Aiden tense against her. “I invited them,” she declares quietly, taking the brunt of his glare without wilting. Casey feels a small pang of awe at the other girl’s backbone, it’s like she’s made out of steel or something.
“Why did you invite them? I do not do parlor tricks! I don’t babysit! I don’t need this many children underfoot!” He steps closer to her, his finger poking viciously into her chest. “I thought you wanted something from me, but obviously you just want to piss me off!”
“They came for me…we both invited them,” Casey says at the same time as Veronica steps up quickly, a thunderstorm brewing in her eyes. “Hey, we came here because Cadence and Casey need your help, and we’re their friends. So we’re here too!” Her voice cracks a little as his glare turns on her, but she stands close behind Cadence, glaring back over her shoulder at him.
Casey waits for the explosion that must be coming, in response to Roni’s use of the word ‘help.’ But she’s surprised when it doesn’t come, not only that but Faust backs down somewhat, something about Roni making him nervous.
He looks over at the group, and sighs. “Sit, all of you! And you,” he points at Kale, who turns pale. “One word of me or any of this-“he motions around at the room,” in anything you write, and you’ll never write again! Understand me?” He waits until Kale nods nervously, and turns to walk back towards where the small kitchen is. As he does, he snorts, “Mobster!” Kale turns sheet white.
Aiden sits on the corner of the sofa, pulling Casey down into his lap. Harmony sits next to them and Kale next to her. Roni and Cadence share the loveseat next to them, leaving the chair for Faust as he returns, a mug of steaming tea in his hand.
He sits across from them, not asking if anyone else would like anything, sipping his tea. He turns his eyes to Casey. “I know why Cadence is here, but what can I now do for you, Casey? Is it something you can speak of in front of your… friends?”
“I need to find my mom. You said you know her and I…I need to talk to her.”
“And if she doesn’t want you to know where she is?”
“You said things aren’t what they seem with her, right?” Faust barely nods and Casey continues. “There’s a fund set up for me for college. Roni’s dad thinks my father set it up and I always assumed that since I didn’t know who he was either he didn’t care about me or didn’t know I existed, I’d like that explained by my mom. But, even if he didn’t set up the fund, I’m guessing my mom knows who did, and I need to talk to whoever that is. My foster parents finally reported me missing and they’re trying to have me declared incompetent so they can get the money. I need to talk to my mom. Do you know where she is and will you tell me how to find her?”
“I cannot tell you where to find her. Not without speaking to her and knowing her wishes first. It might take a while for me to speak to her, Casey, let me warn you about that first. I’ll try my best, and I should be able to in the next day or so, but I can make no promises.”
“If she wants to talk to you about it, I’ll work out a meeting between you.” He hesitates, and then adds, “I don’t think she knows about the fund. There’s a chance she does, but I’m not sure. Anything else?” he asks.
“Do you know who my father is?”
His mood darkens and he throws his hands up, almost spilling his tea. “What is this? Now I’m purveyor of public records? Do I look like a library or a courthouse? Maybe I should go get a crystal ball or a Ouija board or something, and I can answer all of your questions for you!”
He shoots Casey a look that asks if she has any more questions.
“No more questions from me right now,” she answers.
Finished with Casey, Faust turns all of his attention to Cadence, who stiffens under his glare. It’s easy to tell that he’s still not happy with her, though he’s at least keeping a civil tongue. Roni has her hand resting on Cadence’s, silently lending support and trying to give the Red Eye to Faust, but she’s not too good at looking scary.
“Well Cadence, now we come to you.” He leans forward in his seat. “Will you be responsible for all of your friends here, in what they may learn if we continue? Or shall we retire downstairs?”
She sets her jaw, and answers quietly. “No, I won’t endanger them. As long as they are safe up here, I’ll go downstairs with you.” Roni squeezes her hand, looking worried. Cadence turns and smiles at her, “I’ll be ok tiger, honest. I’ll only be gone a minute.”
Faust stands, and points at Casey. “You too.” Aiden’s arm tightens protectively around her, but she stands. She looks at him, giving him a nod and silently repeating Cadence.
Faust gives one last glare at the rest of them, and then leads Casey and Cadence downstairs to a room that Casey remembers all too well, all things considered. However, today there is a table in the center of the room, with a chair on either side. He grabs a third chair from against the wall, and sets it down next to one of the others.
All three of them sit. On the table between them is a deck of well worn cards, and a very old, battered leather bound book kept closed with an elastic band. A book mark peeks out of the top of it.
He picks up the book and tosses it down in front of Cadence. “The spell you need is marked. You have to be the one to cast it, which means you’ll need to find a way to power it. It’s not a small spell, and your… talents… won’t help you much in casting it. You’ll need to find yourself power, like Casey has.”
He turns to her as he says her name. “So how did it feel, using your power? I’m impressed you were able to heal yourself with no training. But you have to remember to be careful about when and what you do. Did you feel how the power went through you?”
Casey stares open-mouthed at him. “H..how did you know? I didn’t tell you yet…”
“You are – linked to me. How did it feel to use your power?”
“It… it felt like Aiden, somehow.” She wishes she had the words to describe what she felt, what she’s thinking.
Faust just nods. “It was probably power you pulled from him. I told you, people that are close to you, they give you power and you give them power in return. The stronger your feelings – and that includes hate, by the way, not just friendship or love – the stronger the power.
Casey interrupts, “Does it hurt them to have me pull power from other people?”
“No, no it doesn’t… hurt them. Normal people would never even be able to tell that you did it. But… you’re taking possibilities from them. Take too much, they might get sick. They might have bad luck for a while. Get greedy, and the universe will notice, and your relationship will hurt. It also depends on how close you are with them, take too much from a stranger, and bad things can happen. From a lover, even if you take a lot at one time, nothing might happen. Just don’t keep drawing that much. Moderation, unless it’s an emergency.
“There are ways to draw that power consciously. The act of an agreement, whether a verbal or handshake on a bargain, is one way. It’s the weakest way, but it gives you power to use that one time. A relationship; however, is like a battery. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.
“The more intimate the contact with that person, the more you can draw from them. Companionship is weak, a kiss is good, sex the best. But be careful with how much you draw, or karma can lead to friction. You’ll instinctively get a feel for this, Casey, as you progress.” He closes his eyes dreamily, as though he can smell something tasty.
“You have a reservoir of energy, Aiden’s and Cadence’s, Veronica’s and Harmony’s. Aiden’s is the most familiar to you, the easiest to use.” He opens his eyes. “But you’ll start to understand how this works. And then maybe you can help out Cadence, because she doesn’t have your talents, but will have to mimic them if she wants to cast that ritual to make her safe.”
“So people that hate me give me power, like the mayor…and this girl at school?”
“A girl at school? That would explain that… I did feel power tainted by anger stored in you. Yes, in a way she gives you power, ironic, isn’t it? Laithe, now he is a different story. He’s skilled enough that even if he did hate you, you aren’t strong enough to gain a benefit of that. But he also doesn’t hate you. He’s just… noticed you, for lack of a better word.”
“What do I need to do to train it…to know how it works?”
“Let me ask you this first. How did you know you could heal yourself?”
She looks over at Cadence before answering. “I didn’t. I just guessed. Veronica made my foot better when May stepped on it at the dance, and I thought that if she could do that, then maybe I could too. I just kept thinking and saying that I was OK and then there was like…a whoosh or something and it was mostly better. It still hurt a little to touch, but the stitches were gone, the hair grew back and the nausea went away.”
“You’ll get better with it. Training comes with using the power. Being shown how it works. There are some books that can help you.”
“Can I choose who I pull power from? Do they have to be near me?”
“Yes, once you practice you will be able to do it at will. You’re instinctually drawing on strong sources at the moment, which is why you don’t have the reservoir of power to do anything strong at the moment. And yes, they have to be near you unless you have a very strong connection to them, and even then you would generally need something of theirs to create a connection.”
He turns back to Cadence and points at the book. “There is another spell in there, marked with the green mark. It will allow you to pull energy from others, as Casey does naturally. It’s that energy that you’ll have to use to cast your ritual.”
He turns back to Casey. “That book is yours when Cadence is done with it. There are some spells in there that you might find useful. Just remember, some spells anyone can do, if they have access to it. So guard that book well.”
He turns back to Cadence, reaches over and picks up the cards. “And now, since we’re all in this little war together, and for now on the same side, I want to read you your cards.” He looks at Casey. “I can’t do this for you. The nature of our power makes seeing our futures impossible. Hers will be hard enough to read, since you and Veronica will be causing so much interference, but we’ll see what we see.”
He turns to Cadence, his hands shuffling the cards effortlessly. He sets them down for her to cut them. “This is the Oracle of the Four Seasons. It’s meant to clarify important matters surrounding a present situation..”
He puts four cards down in front of her, all face down, in a line straight across. He taps the first, on her left. “This is Winter, the far past, a time of resolution.” He flips the card over, showing an Egyptian king sitting on a throne, cartouches inscribed on the wall behind him. Above in scrollwork is the title ‘The King,’ and below in more scrollwork is ‘Authority And Diplomacy.’
He looks up at Cadence. “I don’t think we need to go over what this card could symbolize, do we?” She shakes her head, a quick no, her eyes never leaving the card.
He taps the next in line. “This is Autumn, your favorite time, I think? It is the recent past, a time of reflection.” She glances up quickly at that, her lips compressed into a thin line. He flips it over, and her eyes cut down to take in the card. It is a mask, the top inscribed ‘The Harlequin’ and the bottom ‘True Feelings Are Masked.’
“Like The King, The Harlequin is a Royal Court card. They can symbolize actual people, or may reveal dispositions or actions that should be taken. “The Harlequin here is an actor whose true feelings are masked in order to gain acceptance. Sometimes The Harlequin is the fool, the prankster who seeks attention. Other times the mask hides sadness, loneliness, or a broken heart.”
Cadence lips twitch, and Casey can see her eyes under her glasses start to glisten. She nods to Faust, obviously putting something to his words.
He taps the next. “Summer. A time of action, the immediate future.” He flips the card, and Casey can see the startled reaction he tries to hide as he looks at it himself. The card is a simple motif of blue stars surrounding one central one. Above it ‘The Stars,’ and below is ‘A Long Journey Brings Rewards.’
He almost chuckles, pausing a long moment before speaking, his eyes drilling deep into Cadence’s. “This is a card from the suite of Elements. They represent those various forces of nature that surround us, influence us, and empower us. The Stars normally represent that of possibilities, for that is what Stars are. It can be taken to symbolize a voyage, in some circles. It is your dream becoming reality, the possible becoming concrete.” He hesitates, seemingly wanting to say more, but instead reaching down to tap the final card.
“Spring, a time of growth, the distant future.” He flips it over, and Cadence gasps quietly. It is an Egyptian queen staring straight out of the card, her arms crossed and cartouches surrounding her. Above is ‘The Queen’ and below is ‘Love and Prosperity.’
“Not the Queen you’re expecting. This is a dominant female who is supportive, respected, refined. One who is emotionally confident, and nurturing. The card also represents love, prosperity, and fertility. Certainly the antithesis of Grandmother Wolf, is she not? She might be your destiny…” He lets his sentence drift off, and Cadence sits staring at the card for a long moment.
Casey sits there confused, not able to make sense of all that Faust just said about the cards. Cadence finally speaks a she stands up, “Thank you.”
“And the payment you promised?” he asks lightly.
She reaches into her bag, and pulls out a silk cloth wrapped around something. She unwraps the racquetball sized crystal sphere, holding it delicately on top of her fingertips. She moves her hand fluidly, and the ball rolls across the back of her hand and into her palm, and she hands it over to him.
He takes it gently. “Thank you. Is that all for today?” Faust asks, looking from Cadence to Casey.
Casey nods and stands to go back upstairs. Cadence doesn’t move. “The mayor pulled his guards from watching Veronica after Casey was awakened, is that why or would he have another reason? He supposedly told her parents something had happened and she didn’t need them anymore…”
He frowns severely. “No, it didn’t have to do with that. He cast a ritual of protection on her, so that it would be more difficult for anyone else to hurt her. It would let him know if she were in danger as well. He doesn’t want anyone else to get to her.”
“Can he do that without her knowing?” Casey asks.
“If he has something of hers, he can. It’s like a voodoo doll works. That’s dangerous, very dangerous for her if he has something he can cast through.”
They start upstairs but Casey stops suddenly, turning around to face Faust, “Did you get the chance to find out what happened with me and Harmony and Shelly at the club?”
“Oh, I had forgotten about that. Yes, I found out. It seems that Shelly’s sire is in town. Her sire worships Chaos, and loves to mess with her progeny’s minds. She drugged Shelly without her knowing it, to see what would happen. She seemed very upset it happened. By the way, I haven’t told her that you know about her.”
“Am I not supposed to know about her?”
He pauses, and they stand there for a moment. She almost waits for another outburst from him, but it never comes. “She’s not a threat to me; in fact she’s been a lot of help to me in the past. But I’m not you; you have to make those decisions for yourself. And if you decide that she is a threat to you, it would be much more helpful to you if she thought you didn’t know about her… talents.
“You have a lot of decisions like that, that you’ll all have to make. Choosing your friends, and your enemies, is quite possibly the most important choices you’ll have to make.” He grins suddenly. “Plus, she thinks the two of you are cute, and I didn’t want to embarrass her more by letting her know that she basically ruffied the two of you.”
They walk into the main room and see the rest of the group on the couch, talking softly. Cadence says brightly, “Ready to go?” Harmony, Kale, Veronica and Aiden stand up with Harmony and Kale heading toward the door. Veronica takes Cadence’s hand, giving her an “Are you ok?” look with her eyes. Aiden takes Casey’s hand and they all four follow Harmony and Kale to the door.
Just as they’re about to leave Faust says, “Casey.” She stops and turns around and he continues. “Come by after school this week. We’ll work on training.” He finishes and disappears into the kitchen as they head down to their cars.
They all huddle on the sidewalk next to Aiden’s SUV. “What do y’all wanna do now?” Harmony asks.
Everybody kind of shuffles their feet, not really saying anything until Veronica speaks up. “Let’s go to a movie! We never made it to one on Labor Day, cuz..well, you know.”
Everyone agrees and Harmony pulls up the movie listings on her phone. They decide to see the newest big comedy movie, even though it’s been out for a couple weeks, and all pile into the cars to head over to the theater, Harmony calling and inviting Christian on the way and Cadence texting her mom to tell her where she’s going now.
They meet Christian at the theater and all get their tickets and go in to find seats. Even though it’s getting crowded, they’re able to find seats all together and sit in a row. Christian and Harmony sit on the end with Veronica and Cadence next to them. Kale sits next to Cadence, then Casey, then Aiden.
Aiden and Kale both turn to Casey, and at the same time say, “Do you want anything from the snack bar?” Kale turns a bit red and looks down at his shoes.
Before Casey can answer, Cadence stands up. “I’m gonna get some popcorn and drinks for me and Roni, anybody else want something?” Christian stands up to go with and so do Aiden and Kale, who both look at Casey to see what she wants.
She looks back and forth between them, “Ummm, I can share some popcorn and I’d like a drink…diet whatever.”
Aiden says, “OK, be back in a few.” He gives Kale the evil eye and leans over to kiss Casey. Kale turns even more red and follows them down to the concession stand to get his own snacks.
Once they’re gone, Harmony turns in her seat toward Casey and very loudly says, “Wow…awk-ward! I can’t believe you’re in a lu-uve triangle, Case.”
Casey makes “be quiet” motions with her hands and answers in a softer voice, “It’s not a love triangle.”
“Then what is it?” Harmony asks. Veronica’s head is bouncing back and forth, following the conversation like a tennis match. Plus the people in front and behind them have grown suddenly quiet as they listen. “Aiden’s into you and so is Kale. That’s two points of the triangle, and you’re the third. Love triangle.”
“Well…it’s…”
Veronica interrupts, “I think she’s right, Case. It sounds like a love triangle.”
“But…don’t…I mean, don’t you all have to be in love…or someone needs to be in love with someone…I mean, you know for it to work, I mean, to be a love triangle?”
“Fine,” Harmony says, her voice still loud, “it’s just a lust triangle. Does that make you feel better?”
“Not really, Harm, but thanks for making the whole theater aware that I’m in a weird position for the entire movie.”
“You’ll be fine, Casey,” Veronica says. The girls chit-chat until everyone come back with snacks. They all get settled and get their drinks in holders as the previews start.
Kale leans over and whispers to Casey, “I got some Twizzlers if you want any…just uh, let me know.”
“Thanks,” she answers as Aiden glares at Kale and moves Casey’s drink to her outside cup holder and puts up the arm rest between them, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her towards him. She gives Kale an “I’m sorry” look, and doesn’t quite relax into Aiden.
They all laugh their way through the movie until the end. Harmony excuses herself from the group and leaves with Christian, his arm around her waist as they walk out of the theater. There’s a bit of awkward silence, as Aiden possessively keeps his arm around Casey. Finally she breaks the silence, “Hey Roni, what’s your home number? I should probably tell your dad I’ll be staying with you…”
“Really!?! We’ll have so much fun Case! It’s 555-0912. I wonder what room he’ll have you sleep in…hopefully the one next to mine.” Veronica keeps talking to the group as Casey steps away to a quieter hallway, Aiden staying with her.
Casey dials and asks for Mr. Carlin. “Hi, uh, Mr. Carlin, it’s Casey, Roni’s friend.”
«Good to hear from you Casey. I’m assuming you’re calling because you’ve thought about my offer and made your decision.»
“Um, yeah. Is it still ok if I move in? I don’t want to be in the way or anything, but I think I’m gonna need your help with all this.”
«Of course it’s ok. I wouldn’t have offered if it wasn’t. I can help you move your things, whenever you’re ready.»
Casey laughs. “It’s ok. I got most of it packed up this morning. I didn’t know when you’d want me to move, so I was getting ready…and um, I’m sure Aiden can help me bring everything over. Just, uh, let me know when you want me to move in.”
«If you want to bring everything over tonight you can, but it needs to be sometime this week, Casey.»
“Ok…ummm…I guess I’ll have Aiden help me bring my stuff over tonight. You’re sure that’s ok?”
«That’s perfect, Casey. I’ll get your room ready. See you tonight.»
“Thanks Mr. Carlin.”
«Casey?»
“Uh, yeah?”
«Call me Sandy. Mr. Carlin is a little too formal, especially if you’re going to be living here.»
“Oh…uh, ok, Sandy. I guess I’ll see you later. Bye.”
«Goodbye Casey. See you tonight.»
She hangs up and Aiden says, “What’s the plan?”
“Um, I’m gonna move tonight. Can you help me bring everything over from Harmony’s?”
He kisses her forehead, “Of course sweetheart. We should probably go before it gets too late then.” They meet up with the rest of the group and fill them in on the plan. Kale offers to take Veronica and Cadence home while Aiden goes with Casey. The girls all hug and Casey looks awkwardly at Kale before Aiden takes her hand and pulls her away and out to his car.
They get inside and he almost blows up. “What is up with you and Kale? And don’t say nothing, because it’s not nothing!”
“Aiden, it’s not nothing on his part, but it is nothing on my part. He’s a nice guy and he has a crush on me. I think he’d be a good friend but that’s…”
“Well you’re not doing anything to discourage him! You sat next to him! You didn’t tell him I’d get your snacks! You were going to hug him goodbye, weren’t you?” Aiden yells at her from the driver’s seat, reaching over and grabbing her arm, shaking Casey as he yells.
She tries to pull back, but doesn’t have any room to move. “Aiden! Stop it! You’re scaring me! I didn’t do anything!” She starts crying, talking through the tears. “He just asked if I wanted anything to eat. I don’t know how he ended up next to me…he was on the other side of Veronica, but they must’ve shuffled. I didn’t know what to do when we left; you were being all weird and possessive.” She shakes her arm, trying to pull it from his grip. “Will you please let go of me?”
Aiden looks down at his hand, releasing his grip on Casey quickly. He sees the tears on her cheeks, “I’m so sorry Casey. I didn’t mean to…I’ve never…I…” he trails off as Casey rubs the red marks on her arm where he was grabbing it, noting that it’s already starting to bruise. “I don’t know what came over me. I just…I’m sorry.” He leans forward to wipe the tears from her cheeks and she jerks away. He drops his hand and sits in his seat, unsure what to do.
Casey sniffles. “Will you please take me to Harmony’s?” She faces forward and buckles up, ignoring him as best she can. After a moment, Aiden starts the SUV and drives off. They ride in silence, but Casey can feel the hurt and confusion emanating from him. They get to Harmony’s and go inside, still without speaking. She quickly changes into a long sleeved shirt to cover the marks on her arm. Aiden sits in her desk chair as she finishes packing, putting all her clothes in a garbage bag along with her stuffed bunny from the carnival. Everything else goes in her backpack, laptop bag and camera bag, except her fish, who’s in his bowl. She gives Aiden the garbage bag and the fish. “Can you take these out? I think Harm’s dad is here, I just want to talk to him for a minute. I’ll be right out.”
He takes them, but doesn’t go anywhere. “I’m really sorry Casey. I don’t know what happened. I didn’t mean to hurt you…”
“I know…but you did. Please, just take those out to the car. I’ll be out in a minute.” Casey grabs her backpack, laptop bag, and camera bag and double checks the room to make sure she has everything. She turns off the light and goes to find Harmony’s dad. She thanks him for letting her stay, and tells him some things have come up with her foster parents so she’ll be staying at the Carlin-Kane’s while Sandy handles her case. Then she heads out to Aiden’s SUV and puts her bags in back before climbing in. Again they ride in silence to the Carlin-Kane house, and once they’re through security Aiden helps her bring everything in.
Sandy greets them at the door. “Here, come in. Set everything down here and I’ll help you get another load.” He starts out toward the SUV.
“Ummm…Mr…uh, Sandy. This is it.”
“Oh,” he looks a little stunned, but clears the expression from his face quickly, replacing it with a smile. “All right then, let me show you to your room.” He tries to take the camera bag from her, but she doesn’t let him.
They get to her room and the second they’re inside, Veronica comes bouncing in, giving Casey a big hug, almost making her drop her camera bag. “I’m so glad you’re staying here Case! My room’s just down the hall. I’m gonna go take a quick shower, but I’ll come back when I’m done. Then you can get settled.” She bounces out of the room, almost as quickly as she came in.
Sandy laughs. “She is a force to be reckoned with. Get unpacked, get settled. I’ll come back up in a little bit. Make yourself at home Casey.”
Casey sets down her bags and puts Lobster on the desk. She grabs the garbage bag and sets it on the bed to start unpacking. Aiden comes over to help, but she stops what she’s doing and turns to him. “Thanks for helping me bring everything over, but I think you need to go now.”
“I’m sorry Case.”
“I know…I just need time away from you right now.” Her hand goes to the spot on her arm where he had grabbed her without her thinking about it. She lightly rubs it through her shirt. “I just…I need you to leave.” He steps forward to kiss her goodbye, but she steps back. “Just…just go Aiden.” He looks hurt, and stands there for a minute, just looking at her. Finally he turns and leaves. Casey stands there a minute longer before going about putting her clothes in the dresser and closet. Her dirty clothes going into the hamper.
She’s just about to get her laptop and books out so she can work on homework when there’s a knock on the door. Nothing happens for a moment and Casey finally says, “Come in.”
Sandy walks in and sits on the edge of the bed, patting a spot next to him for Casey to sit down. She does so, but reluctantly. “I know this is odd for you Casey, but our house is now your home. Feel free to eat whatever you want, swim, work out, hang out – whenever you want. Madison doesn’t like us to watch a lot of television, so we don’t usually have it on, but feel free to watch if you’d like.” Casey nods and Sandy keeps going. “We do have a few rules that you’ll need to follow. Ok?” She nods again, and again, Sandy continues. “No boys allowed after 10pm. No boys in your room if no one else is present. Curfew for all is 10pm on school nights. On non-school nights, Veronica’s curfew is 11pm, Bianca’s is midnight. Your curfew is also midnight. I don’t care how late you stay up each night, but you must be ready to leave for school each day at 7:15.” Again, he waits for her to nod in understanding and then continues. “Also, due to Madison’s position, anyone that’s coming over needs to be on the secret service list. They will have a background check done and need to be cleared. Unfortunately, there’s not much I can do about that one. That’s pretty much it. Think you can follow them?”
“Yes. And, thank you…for taking my case…and for letting me stay here.”
“It’s not a problem Casey. We’re glad to have you. Madison will be back tomorrow afternoon, so we’ll all have dinner together.” He stands and heads out, turning around before he’s out the door. “Also, I know you’re very into photography and we have an extra room in the basement. If you let me know what you need, we’ll get it set up as a dark room for you.”
Casey stares at him open-mouthed. “Uh…I can’t ask you to do that…all that equipment…it’s too expensive. I uh, I just use the one at school.”
“You didn’t ask me to do it Casey. Plus, I’ve always been kind of a photo buff…maybe you can teach me.” He doesn’t give her a chance to answer, just leaves the room, quietly shutting the door behind him.
Casey gets her computer set up and is just about to pull out her math book when Veronica comes blowing back into the room, Smudge following. Roni plops on the bed and Smudge rubs up against Casey’s ankles until she picks him up and pets him. “Watcha doin Case?”
“I thought I’d do some homework…you know, since we have school tomorrow.” Casey says lightly. “Is your dad always this cool to your friends?”
“Mostly, but I think you’re special. He has a soft spot for people that really need help but are too strong to ask for it.”
Veronica and Casey chatter for a little bit, Smudge finding Lobster and stalking him through the bowl, until Casey finally says, “Hey Roni…I hate to kick you out, but this day has been so weird. I just need to get my bearings and I do need to finish up my homework. Do you care?”
“Nah, I’ve got a little bit of homework to finish too.” She gives Casey a big hug and picks up Smudge from the desk. “I’ll see ya in the morning.”
Casey feeds Lobster, finishes her homework, and checks her email before changing and going to bed. She gets a quick “Good night sweetheart!” text from Aiden, but doesn’t reply, setting the alarm on her phone before falling asleep.
