Cassie's oversized sweater was damp with tears from her fight with Jake, or as she labelled him "The mistake". It sounds mean but he is so needy with her, wants to be with her everyday but they just can't get on anymore. Despite her best efforts to communicate her feelings with him, she gets too anxious at the thought of confronting him. After all, he has been her covenant, a source of hope and her identity, for the past two years. Except, this last fight was different, Jake had changed so much and even his texts seemed odd.

Jake: Babe talk to me

Jake: Come on talk to me, that fight was dumb. You need to apoligise to me now or I'll get angry again. You know i love you x

Jake: your ignoring me aren't you? I didn't even do anything wtf, I'm coming over!

Cassie: No, I need space. Idk how i feel rn. 

Jake: Lame excuse, guess you'll have to see me soon xx
Those butterflies that used to engulf her at the mention of his name were diminished into ashes and his red flags were suddenly so clear to her, no wonder her friends tried telling her this before. She tried to ignore him, after all it was thanksgiving tomorrow and she deserved to have a good day even if it was without a boyfriend. 

California abruptly felt so claustrophobic as she had moved away from home to get her dream degree but now one of her best friends was leaving her and there was no family to fall back on. Thanksgiving had always been a significant family holiday for her since she can remember from 6 years old at her grandma's house with a warm hot chocolate and a cooked dinner laid Infront of her. 

Actually, one of her favorite childhood memories is her grandma teaching her how she seasoned the family turkey with the best spices at the local market. Sitting back on her bed, Cassie could dissociate from her spiraling mind for a moment and fixate on the recipe which had been written down for her on a little note which she was storing in her jeans pocket.

'1) Remember mama's best garlic and smother it everywhere, if you feel fancy try garlic oil
2) Don't be a vampire, add more
3) Add Parsley and enjoy, pretend its posh:)'

Taking a deep breath in, Cassie exhaled to relax a bit then tried to think positively about tomorrow because Jake was too much to handle for now. Finding herself absorbed in self pity about her situation, Cassie managed to untangle herself from the mess of intrusive thoughts consuming her head for a second and she had an idea.

"Hmmm, Friendsgiving sounds cool. I saw that trend on Insta last year!", she thought to herself and the event fascinated her. Maybe a chance to have her comfort meal with some new friends would be good for her(with some cheeky wine of course). With enough energy to pick up her phone, Cassie made an unforgettable decision. She phoned a group of girls she had bonded with at college and organized a party.

"Party at mine tomorrow for 5, bring food and wine" was the description to be specific. This would be an amazing way to take her mind off Jake's bullshit for a night.

Overnight, Cassie was overwhelmed by thoughts about Jake's golden brown eyes when she first met him 2 years ago. How he would hold her hands through her own personal hell and kiss her...

That is the past now, she had to remind herself. Uncontrollably, tears streamed down her face as she silently wept into her pillow until she eventually fell asleep. At least the alcohol could provide relief tomorrow, a temporary vacation from her heartbreak.

Bright and early at 8am, her alarm vibrated which pierced her ears. Groggily, Cassie reached over to turn it off then cleaned herself up and got dressed up to distract herself from Jake.

Choosing to wear a delicate black mini dress embedded with emerald green crystals, Cassie felt her self confidence increase drastically. There was an hour until all her friends would arrive so she scattered some garlic and parsley on a reduced supermarket turkey and threw it in the oven. Student life could be still be nice without him maybe, she thought. 

Time flew by and before she knew it, her phone was vibrating with notifications from her college friends, specifically members of the Stanford economic society which she loves attending for extracurricular reading outside her degree.

Knock Knock! 

Excited to escape her situation for a few hours, Cassie leaped to the door and upon opening it the four girls smiled at her and tried to hug her. They were called Jess, Maisie, Mia and Emma with Jess being the extroverted character that made socializing more bearable for everyone else. Everybody was their own character and it was the perfect blend for Cassie.

*Jess: party animal and loud, probably got ADHD
Maisie: Introverted and nerdy
Mia: Lowkey failing her classes but social animal, wont admit to her social anxiety
Emma: Shy but affectionate, kinda clingy but in a comforting way*


Embraced in a tight hug, Cassie squirmed a bit before gesturing for everyone to come inside. She had  already left a bottle of red wine on her coffee table so all of the girls jumped on the couch and poured drinks for themselves. This gave her time to grab the turkey out of the oven as everyone settled down a little, Emma needed it anyway like her.

Cassie can hear the comforting sound of glasses clashing and her favorite artist, Alanis Morrisette, has just started playing on her TV. Dancing to the rhythm of her favorite songs, she started to set the table and serve the food. Along with her grandma's special turkey she had quickly fried some vegetables for the side which she rationed out equally onto all 5 plates.

"SQUEEEK" echoed into the living room as Cassie moved the chairs in the dining room out, making everyone giggle. Like hungry cats desperate for food, the girls joined her with their wine glasses firmly engraved into their palms.

"So, Chef Cassie, what are you poisoning us with?", jokingly asked Jess.

"A family turkey recipe that NEVER fails and some tinned veggies from Walmart, enjoy guys!", proudly exclaimed Cassie with a smirk on her face. This made Maisie and Mia laugh slightly with Emma reaching her arm out to touch Cassie's shoulder.

"Thanks bae, but Jake wouldn't have deserved this either way. You know that, right?", said Emma gently with concern. She had always been sentimental which is partially why she earned the nickname as the "mother" of the group; Although she was majoring in economics she had decided to take on education as minor classes which she was growing a passion for through weekly work experience.

Uncomfortable with the thought of discussing her argument with Jake, Cassie shrugged off her concerns the poured herself a generous serving of wine. "Cheers to no asshole boys!", she shouted out to which all the girls toasted then ate their food.

There was a comfortable silence as they tucked into their food and sipped on their drinks. Time flew by and soon enough the dirty plates were piled up by Cassie's sink with a bottle of wine gone. With a more relaxed atmosphere, it was obvious that Mia had a slightly lower tolerance than the others with her spilling a story about how she cheated on a mid-term. Everyone just laughed and enjoyed each others company until they were rudely disrupted by a firm pounding on the front door.

Startled, the girls stared at each other in shock. Mia rolled her eyes and headed towards the door but as she approached, she could see a man's figure through glass. As she inched closer towards the door, she noticed Jake's signature emerald green eyes but he had seen her now. After alerting the girls of the unwanted visitor, a  more sober Jess came by the door and closed the living room door. The front door was creaked open slightly but with a sudden force it slammed open.

Jake had pushed the door fully open with his toned arms which he had built through his intensive gym routine and there was anger in his eyes. Like a lion hunting for prey, his fury was visible and intimidating. Is Cassie the prey? 

"Dude leave, Cassie has had enough of your crap!", exclaimed Jess confidently. She was going to stand up for her friend and after all, she was the most able out of all of them.

"Yeah, go!", harmonized Mia, unaware of the details of their fight now that she was on her fourth glass of wine. 

"I want to talk to Cassie. NOW.", snapped Jake in a sinister tone. He jammed his foot by the door in an effort to prevent it being slammed on his face, it was obvious they weren't going to be rational with him.

"NO!", shouted Jess as she managed to push him out the door and slam it within a matter of seconds. Mia snickered at his pathetic attempt to fight back and Jess joined in symphony, pleased that he was gone. It was thanksgiving and nobody was going to ruin their night.