Lemme clear some things up.

I know many of you think Cassie is conceited and self centered. She is always like "I am Cassandra Evans" etc etc. Cassie/Sandy is all ALONE! There is NO ONE there for her. NO ONE to talk to! She is all to herself. She kind of mentors herself and tries to make herself feel better by saying that. I know for a fact many of us sometimes do that. Its a psychological thing. 

Happy reading.

Chapter 12: Community Bonfire

I was a zombie in the morning. I skipped my morning jog again. Petrina made me pancakes for breakfast, but I refused to eat.

Cate told me that her friends were giving her a ride, so I needn't bother waiting for her.

Probably the only good thing that happened.

My first period class was Literature which I loathed going to. Interpreting what old people wrote and got famous for was a complete waste of time.

I sat in the back of the class, and tried to fall asleep. Julian wasn't there to bug me. He was skipping for all I knew.

"Evans."

No one sat close to me except for Julian. Since he wasn't there, it was someone else trying to bother me. I looked up to find Lucas Crowell. He sat in the seat directly next to mine.

"What the hell, Crowell? Go away," I said annoyed. It was torture enough to sit next to him in Math, not Literature either.

"No can do. Ms. Spruance moved my seat here," he shrugged.

I looked at the teacher with dismay. She had always been my least favorite teacher.

We spent the class period just understanding the play for the activity for the next class.

¤》¤《¤

"Hey Evans, wanna go to the bonfire with me tonight?" Lucas asked as we packed up our bookbags. There were only five minutes left of class.

"What bonfire?"

"The community bonfire. Well, my parents are helping put it altogether. It's from six till ten," he elaborated.

"On a Monday?" I asked.

"Yeah. Because my parents are leaving on tuesday for a business trip, so the community people were fine with having it tonight," Lucas explained.

"Cool" was my best response.

"So, do you wanna go?" he nudged me.

"No." He really thought I was going to go with him. I was going stay home and sleep. Routine life all the way.

"Killjoy. It's gonna be fun," he insisted.

"Lucas, does it look like I even wanna be in your presence? No. So, leave me alone," I snapped.

The bell rang overhead. Without another look at him, I walked out of the class.

It was going to be a long day.

¤》¤《¤

"No."

"Please, Cassie!"

"No means no, Julian," I said sharply.

Julian had called me once I got home from school. He was home with a small cold. Petrina would force me to go to school even if I was dying. Life wasn't fair. And now, he wanted me to go to the bonfire with him tonight. Good thing he was on the phone with me or I would have thrown something at him.

"Oh come on, Cassie," he said in a pleading tone.

"Julian, I am not going to the bonfire," I said sternly. I wasn't the one to socialize with other people.

"Give me three good reasons, and I'll leave you alone."

"Excuse me? Why don't you give me three good reasons why I should go?" I demanded.

"You really do make life difficult, Cassie," said Julian on the phone, "But anyways, I have one solid reason why you should. The reason is . . . I have a surprise for you."

"No," I replied without hesitation. I absolutely despised surprises. They were never good. Surprises were delayed information.

"What? Why?" he said surprised by my answer.

"Julian," I sighed as I sat down on my bed. "You were there with me, yesterday. I really want to be left alone to myself."

I hated being in this state but maybe honesty would get Julian off my back. The fight with Mom and Dad never left my mind. I had waited so long to get so many things off my chest. It was a relief to tell them off, yet I wished I'd never bothered. 

"Cassie, I understand that, but staying all alone isn't getting you anywhere," he said in a gentle tone.

"I've survived this long, Julian. I'm pretty sure I can live alone longer," I replied.

"You're coming with me, tonight. I am not going to let you sit and miss out," he said firmly. " Give me a chance, Cassie. Trust me on this," he added when I didn't say anything.

I sighed and thought about it. What was the worst thing that could happen? Nothing really seeing as it was a community event. And Pennsylvania (US state on the east coast) was a safe place to be, so nothing like an extreme crime could occur.

"Fine," I mumbled.

"Fantastic."

"But I am only staying for a little bit," I warned.

"Sure," he replied quickly. "I'll pick you up at six! I can finally drive!"

"Oh boy," I mumbled.

"See you later," said the foreigner.

"Bye," I said and hung up.

I looked at my phone. It was four.

I still had time for an afternoon nap.

¤》¤《¤

I stood in front of the small campground that was full of people in coats. It was freezing cold and windy. I felt smart enough to put on a hat and warm boots along with my coat. Heat escaped most from feet and head. If only I had brought some gloves as well. Hopefully, the bonfire would be set soon.  I stood in the cold waiting for the person who brought me.

It was taking him forever to find a parking spot.

"Ready to go?" I looked to my side where Julian stood with a bright smile.

Oh so happy.

I put my hands in my pocket and shook my head. "I was born re--oh forget that. I don't want to go," I said sniffling already.

"Relax. I heard they have other activities before the bonfire. Just for fun," he said sniffling as well.

Julian didn't wait for my response and stalked off.

Groaning, I followed behind. 

We went to the area where a couple of people had started a fire. Everyone crowded around there. Little kids, parents, grandparents, and everyone was there. Julian sat down on a log, and nodded for me to sit down. I obliged quickly. I needed to be close to the warmth of the fire.

"Oh my, Cassandra Evans, good to see you, again," someone said.

I turned to find Joseph Crowell. He was sitting on a chair. I looked around to find all the older people sitting on chairs.

Lucky.

"Hi," I said for the sake of politeness.

"How are you doing? And how is your family?" he asked with a kind smile.

I gave him a forced smile and replied, "Great."

"Good, good. And how is that grandfather of yours doing? I haven't seen him in a long while," he stated.

I took my time responding. "He is on vacation with grandma somewhere. Last month, they were in Ireland. I'm not sure if they are still there," I answered.

My grandparents were on a Europe tour. They wanted to visit every single European country before their death. Bunch of weirdos. Didn't take me with them.

"Oh that's great. I remember him telling me one time how he wanted to visit Europe one day. Dream come true for him," Joseph Crowell smiled. I nodded in agreement. "How are your parents doing?"

"Good," I replied. 'Good' was always the best answer. My parents were doing good business wise. So much for telling people the truth.

"Are they here, today?" he asked looking around.

"No, they're in New York, I think. Business," I answered looking at the fire ahead of me. I wasn't in the mood to talk about my parents. Joseph Crowell wasn't much associated with the Crowell business, so he didn't know a lot. My parents would never be here in February.

"Oh alright. Too bad they missed this community bonfire. Maybe the next time," he said in an encouraging tone.

I nodded and replied, "Maybe." Never.

Someone called his name. He got up and left after giving me a small smile. Crowells smiled way too much. I was glad to be left alone.

"Cassie?" Julian said to my other side.

"Yeah?" I said looking up at him.

"Why is Lucas glaring at you?" he asked in a low tone. I looked around to find Lucas sitting directly across from me. He was indeed glaring . . . but at Julian.

I thought of all the potential reasons. "I think it's because I said no to him."

"No?"

"Yeah. He asked me to come to the bonfire with him, and I said no," I shrugged.

"Why didn't you tell me that before?" Julian asked in an outraged expression.

"It doesn't matter," I waved it off. Julian just shook his head.

Lucas was still glaring at us. I frowned back at him. He was acting like a creep. When he saw my expression, he looked away. Some girl sat next to him chatting his ear off. He turned to her and said something. They got into a conversation and Lucas never looked at Julian and I again.

Weird.

A short, plump woman came up with a tray of lots of cups.

"Hot chocolate everyone!" she said excitedly.

More than half of the people sitting got up and ran to her. I didn't blame them. We were all freezing even with the fire near us.

"Whoa, whoa, everyone, sit down," the same woman said with wide eyes. She didn't see that coming. "There is hot chocolate for everyone. Sit and wait as I pass it out," she ordered.

Everyone obliged and sat back down.

We received the hot drink fairly quickly. I used the cup to heat up my hands.

"Alright, guys and gals, we will make s'mores at eight. Right now, just hang around, talk to people, and we have some games for the little kids. I need everyone between five and fifteen to come join me," the hot-chocolate-giving lady said clapping her hands.

The kids left and it got really quiet. Only a few of us almost-adults sat around the fire talking quietly. Julian started telling me something about how he really found Americans "a bit strange." People were strange everywhere.

As we sat there, another woman came and joined us. She had a mystical look about her as she sat down on an empty log. Her hair was jet black hanging down to the ground. She wore a long, black dress that covered her feet. I saw a shining tattoo on her neck of a swan or a duck. She looked emaciated with her skinny body. A crystal clear, oval shaped pendant rested in between her clavicle.

"Hello everyone," she said in a calm, soothing voice, "I am Lydia Peters."

"Cool," Lucas said.

There were a couple of snickers.

"Ah, I see you're bored, Mr. Crowell. I am sure that you're unaware of who I am," she said in a gentle tone that gave me goose gumps. But then again, it could have just been the cold weather too.

"I'm sure everyone is unaware of you are," I spoke up.

Her striking green eyes met mine, instantly. I was a bit taken back. "Cassandra Evans. Well, well, well, Evans and Crowells at the same place at the same time," she said looking between Lucas and I, "But to answer your question, I'm a seer; a psychic."

Lucas and his group of friends burst out laughing. I just shook my head and sipped the hot chocolate.

"Dude, she is a psycho," someone said loudly and everyone on the other side of the fire laughed again. I mean, yeah, I didn't believe in psychics either but no need to act like a bunch of hyenas.

"Mr. Connor Winston, you can insult me all you must, but I know deep down how much believe in us. Didn't you go to a psychic last wednesday at seven pm asking about some girl you wanted to date and if you will ever get together with her?" Lydia said with a satisfied smile as Connor fell dead silent. Everyone looked at him, and he simply stared at the psychic in surprise.

"Anyone can find out that information by a bit of research," I stated.

Lydia turned her gaze to me. "Agreed, Sandy or do you prefer Cassie?"

I stared back at her. "I don't care." Lucas and Piper were probably the only people who I knew, knew about Julian calling me "Cassie." But then again, people can stalk people.

"Very well, then. I'll stick with Sandy since you'd rather just the boy call 'Cassie,'" she said, smiling at Julian. My face fell at her accusation. So untrue! I didn't care about the nickname. Julian had a neutral expression. "Child, not everything can be researched about. Take yourself for example. I know so much about you, and I truly do feel for you. You're too . . . alone, Sandy . . .too alone." 

She stared at the ground sadly shaking her head.

I narrowed my eyes at her as she kept mumbling, "Too alone." Suddenly, she picked up her head and look at Lucas. "Don't you dare do that, Crowell," she said in an angry expression.

Everyone looked at Lucas who was just sitting there looking confused.

"Do what?" he asked baffled.

"You know very well what I am talking about," she snapped at him. Her striking green eyes were narrowed at Lucas. "You think you have everything sorted out but you don't. Truth be told, actions have consequences, and Lucas, your actions will have regretful consequences. Don't you follow through it," she hissed at him.

Everyone was simply staring between Lucas and Lydia. Lucas seemed uneasy while Lydia looked ready to tear him apart. I wondered what she was talking about. Was Lucas doing something wrong? Regretful consequences.

"I know what I am doing," he said quietly. I scrutinized at him. Something was up, but it wasn't my business.

"I can't even be in your presence, Lucas. Hurting someone is a terrible deed especially when it's intentional," she spat and stood up.

"Hey, I'm just--" Lucas started, but Lydia raised her hand for him to stop.

"You will regret it. That's all I have to say for you," she said calmly.

She stalked off just like that. Weirdo.

"What was she talking about, Lucas?" Julian asked before anyone else could.

"Oh, it's nothing really. Women can be so dramatic," Lucas muttered, his eyes still following Lydia.

"But she said you were intentionally going to hurt someone," I pointed out.

"No, I'm not," he said with his lips pursed. "It's nothing," he said rolling his eyes.

It wasn't my business. Lucas's little secret was hidden with him, apparently. Soon, everything went back to how it was before the psychic came to us.

"Everyone! Gather around here!" The short, hot-chocolate-giving, lady from before called us. She stood about ten feet away with a couple of other people.

We got up and joined her side. I checked the time. It had been an hour already. I could probably leave soon.

"Alright, we're all here. As you can see, it's really cold, so we've decided that it's time for some dancing!" the lady announced excitedly.

She didn't receive many agreement responses.

"Julian, I think I should leave," I said uncomfortable. I wasn't going to dance. Someone put on some upbeat song. Slowly, people went around the bonfire and started dancing.

He looked at me and shook his head. "Not yet. We're dancing," he said excitedly.

"We? Oh no--" Julian didn't wait for my response and tugged me along.

The song changed to some country-square-dance kind of music. I stood there awkwardly between dancing couples. Julian grabbed me and started moving around. My hands rested on his shoulders while he put his around my waist. I was forced to join the idiocy of others.

"Oh come on, Cassie, smile!" Julian insisted as he made us go the right and then to the left.

I frowned at him. But he gave me a wide grin, and then grabbed my hand and spun me around. I was taken by surprise.

"Doing great, guys and gals! Now, change partners whenever I yell, 'switch,'" some guy said in a microphone.

I couldn't see him. People were dancing around me laughing and smiling for some reason. I mean, how could they find this jumping around worth laughing or smiling?

"Switch!"

Everyone moved around. I panicked a little bit as seeing Julian was the only person I knew and he moved. He gave me a look that said I would be fine as he partnered with someone.

"Hey Evans!" A hand rested on my waist and the other took mine. I looked up to find a known face smiling at me.

"Oh it's you, Crowell," I said with a disappointed.

He raised an eyebrow at me as he pulled me along. We were dancing by the bonfire with a bunch of other couples. It was actually not that terrible. What am I saying?

"Were you expecting someone else?" he asked with an amused look.

"Anyone except you," I replied. He grinned widely and twirled me.

Before I could utter a single word, he twirled me again.

"Crowell, stop it!" I said before he could twirl me again.

"Nah, you're fun to mess with. Never thought I would live to see the day Sandy Evans danced in public," he smirked and pulled me along with him to the right. 

Ignoring him, I tried to take deep breaths.  I was getting a little out of breath from the dancing. Jumping around and flinging my arms in weird directions wasn't my cup of tea.

I looked up at Lucas who gave me an amused smile.

"What?" I asked.

"I took your breath away. Literally," he smirked.

"I hate you," I told him rolling my eyes.

"Really? I couldn't tell," he said sarcastically, and then suddenly, tugged me close to him.

I looked up at him in surprise at the closeness. "What the hell?"

"What?" he asked innocently as he tugged me along side to side.

"Ever heard of personal space," I said trying to put some distance between us. I didn't like it when people got in my personal bubble. It was . . . too close.

"Nope. This is your punishment for saying no to me today," he said pulling me even closer.

Something was definitely wrong with him. 

"Lucas--"

"Switch!"

Lucas gave out a frustrated sigh and glared at the announcer. I had never been so happy to hear one word. My happiness disappeared immediately as a different person took me. Lucas left me, and I was joined by Tyler.

Tyler from math. The guy who had asked for my number and I told him to back off.

He gave me a surprised look but took my hands nonetheless. A strong scent of alcohol hit me. The boy was under the influence.

"Hey, Sandy," he said with a goofy smile. I needed to get away as soon as possible.

"Hi, um . . . I'm really exhausted. I think I need a drink of water," I said dropping my hands.

He tightened his grip on my hands and tugged me along. I might've danced with him if only he was in his right mind and didn't stink of alcohol. I swear these teenagers got drunk anywhere. 

"D--dance with me," he said, his words slurring.

"No," I said and froze on my spot. I pulled my hands away with great force. He tried to take my hands again and dance, but I moved away. I wasn't an idiot. I knew how and when to get away from idiots.

Moving off to the side, I looked for Julian. I was done and needed to get home.

"Evans, wanna dance again?" I looked behind to find Lucas standing alone.

"No," I replied and made my way again.

Julian had to be here somewhere. The foreigner was probably dancing around with every single girl. He did claim to be single.

"Who are you looking for?" Lucas asked following behind.

"Your cousin," I muttered distracted.

"Cassie!" I looked to my left where my name was called. Julian stood waving his hand at me, calling me over. It took me a while to reach him because people didn't know how to give others some room.

Julian was talking to somebody. Something stuck to the bottom of my shoe. It was gum. Gross.

"Hey Julian, I need to get home, soon. What's your surprise thing?" I said trying to get the thing that was on my shoe off.

"Sandy!"

I froze. Slowly, I looked up. The voice was familiar. Very familiar. A little too familiar. It was a voice that belonged to the people I had talked to yesterday on Skype.

"Mom?" I paled.

"Surprise," Julian grinned.

Idiot.

Both of my parents stood in front of me giving me wide smiles.

I backed up. "No, no," I shook my head. I was probably being delusional.

"Sandy," Dad said taking a step forward.

This was definitely real. Julian gave me a worried look.

"No," I shook my head backing up farther. My back hit something solid. I turned to find Lucas staring between my parents and I.

I moved away from him. My parents called my name again. Shaking my head, I ran.

I needed to get away. They couldn't be here. That was ridiculous. Mom and Dad only showed up at Christmas, and it was only February. I ran without looking where I was going. I knew they were going to chase me down. Too bad I had gotten a ride from Julian. My car sat at home, all alone in the garage.

I heard my name being called as I changed directions. Instead of going towards the road, I ran away towards the forest. I could probably just hide a couples of steps in, not all the way, and avoid everybody.

Running behind a tree, I took deep breaths. I wasn't scared of the dark, but the weird chirping noises at night sometimes were really disturbing.

I caught my breath and peeked from behind. Julian and my parents were at a distance in the parking lot. They looked around and behind cars. I went back behind the tree and tried to think. The cold weather and my parents' presence was making it hard for me to make sense out of everything.

After a couple of minutes, I peeked again and found no one.

Sighing, I relaxed. Mom and Dad probably went to look somewhere else. I could walk home now. Even if it would take me an hour.

Rubbing my cheeks from the cold, I got out of hiding.

"Well, well, well, who do we have here?"

Partially alarmed at the strange voice, I stepped back.

Tyler and three other guys with beer bottles sat on the ground, drunk. They looked like hell. Messy hair, sweaty faces, half open eyes, and a strong smell of beer.

Tyler was the one to stand up. He gave me a wide, ugly grin as he took a couple of steps in my direction.

If only he knew who I was.

Cassandra Evans wasn't the one to get easily intimidated.

Tyler tried to grab me. I gave him a tight slap to the face. He deserved it. His hand immediately covered the hurt cheek.

"Ow," he mumbled rubbing it. The rest of the guys stood up staring between Tyler and I. One of them looked outraged that I raised a hand at Tyler.

Tyler and his group started walking in my direction, ready to take revenge.

As tough as I was, I couldn't take on four guys who were way taller than me. I picked a fight with the wrong sort as seeing there was no one else in the parking lot to help me out.

I did the first thing that came in my mind.

Run.

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Omg there is this one scene I am itching write. Its in the next chapter!!!! I am like so excited for it. Hint hint: it involved Sandy and __________. Fill in the blank. First person to get it will get a dedication. (Unless you already got a dedication, then it will be the second person).

Alright, anyone agree with Cassie's decision to run away? Or did you guys want her to fight the 4 tall guys? (If you prefer the latter option, we need to talk).

Ooh and did you guys like Julian's surprise?

Aw and Sandy missed the s'mores! I have only eaten s'mores once before! What about you guys?

Anywho,

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