Cassandra

I went to pick up Eva like usual but I could barely focus on her because my mind was still spinning.

Surprisingly though, she was quieter than usual so we just walked in silence.

Mom was waiting for us on the stairs when we arrived home.

I immediately tensed up when I saw her.

She beamed up at us. "Hi girls! How was your day?"

I felt myself break out into a sweat. I hated lying and I was really bad at it. "Um... good." I stalled. I could barely even look at her when I said it.

I guess her maternal motherly instincts finally started to kick in because her smile turned into a frown and before I knew it, she was all over me, asking questions like 'what's wrong? Did you get hurt? Is someone bullying you? Do we have to contact the school? The police?'

'The police???' I thought. 'Over a little life drama? Definitely not!'

I shook her off of me gently and grabbed her shoulders so she would stop moving around and look at me.

Then, I gave her the most genuine and honest stare I could muster up and slowly said in a joking manner, "Mom, I'm fine."

I could tell she was examining my expression, trying to figure out if I was telling the truth or not.

So I put on the biggest fake smile possible and held my breath, praying she would fall for it.

After a couple of seconds, her expression softened and she said with a small smile "well if you're sure, honey."

I smiled back at her. "Of course I'm sure! Why wouldn't I be sure?" All the while ignoring the strange, sinking feeling in my stomach.

Mom chuckled "Ok." She turned her attention to Eva "how about you, munchkin? How was your day?"

Much to all of our surprise, instead of her face lighting up and her talking a mile a minute about her oh so marvellous day, like usual, she just shrugged and looked down at the floor.

Mom tried again, probably assuming she was tired or something. She put her hand on her hip and said in a playful tone "Absolutely nothing interesting happened to my Eva Kivetsky at school today?"

By now she would've gone back to acting like her old, normal self but instead, she just shook her head, still looking at the floor.

Now I really started to worry. What was wrong with Eva? She hadn't acted like this since... no that can't be it, she didn't act like this after the incident so it couldn't be the incident causing her sudden change in behaviour... right?

I could tell Mom must've suspected the same thing because she gave me a 'don't worry, I got this' look.

I swiftly nodded back at her to silently say that I understood.

"Ok then," Mom said in the same upbeat tune. "Cass probably has a ton of homework to get done so I'll let her go do her thing and we'll try and get through your work okay?"

This time Eva looked up at us.

Her eyes looked bloodshot like she had been crying and her expression resembled one of a 50-year-old-woman. I had never seen her like that.

It scared me.

"I don't have any homework today, I did it all at recess. Can I go to my room too?"

This time Mom gave me a concerned look that said "What happened?"

I just shrugged my shoulders because, in all honesty, I didn't have a clue.

"Hmm... ok sweetie, whatever you think is right." She finished in an understanding tone.

Mom didn't even get a thank you when Eva started trudging up the stairs.

When we finally heard her door click shut Mom looked at me and said out loud, "What was that?"

Which I responded to with "I do not know."

We stood there in silence for a couple of minutes, mom looking up at the stairs in deep thought, when I interrupted her and piped up with "should I still go up there to do my work or..."

That seemed to snap her out of whatever trance she was in and she exclaimed "Oh! Yeah, it's fine; go on."

"Ok," I said hesitantly.

I raced up the stairs like I usually did and closed my own bedroom door.

Then, I instantly threw my bag on the floor and flopped onto my bed.

I had a call to make.

I dialled Bella's number and let the phone ring.

It wasn't until the second buzz that Bella picked up.

"Hey girl, what's up, here to fill me in on the latest tea?" She asked, and I could hear her clasp hands together in anticipation through the phone. I grinned.

"You got it." I shot back. She squealed loudly and I moved the phone a little farther from my ear.

She really had to stop doing that.

"Okay, SPILL." She trilled happily. I smiled and began to talk.

"Well, I checked my locker, as usual, but there was no gift this time, only a note," I explained.

"He probably ran out of money." She said, and I could practically see her smirk through the screen. I chuckled.

"Yeah, you're probably right," I replied jokingly.

"Always have been, always will be." She said with sass. "Anyways, what'd the note say?" She questioned eagerly. I continued.

"The note said 'meet me behind the school if you wanna know who I really am.'"

"oooohhh" she sang. "He's being ominous! I like him already."

I rolled eyes jokingly at her teasing through the phone. "Ugh stop."

Bella giggled. "Ok, ok, I promise I won't interrupt anymore."

"Good." I said back. "Anyway like he says, I meet him behind the school and you won't believe who's waiting for me there."

She gasped dramatically and screamed through the phone, "WAS IT ANDREW????"

I shook my head at no one particularly. "Nope."

"Really?" she asked sounding really surprised "I was sure it was him though."

"Me too!" I replied. "It wasn't though. Keep guessing."

"Hmm... ok..." she paused to think before groaning "ugh was it Victoria playing a trick on you? I swear if it was I'm gonna..." I could practically see her clenched fists and gritting teeth through the phone.

"Whoa hold your horses B, it wasn't Victoria." I soothed in a calming tone.

"Seriously??" Bella exclaimed again. She must've really run out of ideas. "Well, who was it then?"

"You ready for this?" I said as dramatic as possible. I knew she'd be just as surprised as I was when I told her.

"Yes, I will die of suspense if you don't tell me!" I took in a huge breath then exhaled loudly.

"Ok, it was... James." I bit my lip and waited on her response but I heard nothing except her soft breathing. She was silent. The sound of the silence was deafening.

I was almost convinced the line had abruptly ended so I said into the speaker "Bella you still the-" but I was cut off by a newfound harshness that had slithered its way into her tone. "What. Happened. Next." She said icily, coldness clipping onto the edge of each word.

"Um..." I started, feeling a bit uneasy and shocked about how mean her voice was. Bella was never mean, especially to me. What could be up with her? "Well, he put roses on the ground and stuff and started being stuck up at first but then sat me down and told me he liked me. Then he asked me to be his girlfriend." I admitted with a queasy feeling in my stomach.

Bella was quiet again but I had learned my lesson from the last time she snapped at me so I didn't open my mouth and I let her absorb and understand the information for herself. I bit my lip and squeezed my eyes shut.

"Are you serious?" She asked through the phone and at this point, I wasn't even sure if she was ok or not. Obviously not. So I just replied with a truthful "yup" and waited again.

Suddenly Bella's voice got very shaky as if she was about to cry and she questioned me slowly "a-and what did you say back, Cassandra?"

"Bella," I told her, a bit confused. I could hear her suck in a breath.

"I said yes."

You could of heard a pin drop, and Bella stayed silent. I waited a moment before asking, "Bella, you stil-"

Beep-beep-beep.

The line went dead.

I stared at my phone in disbelief before setting it down softly on the mattress of my bed.

That was strange, even for Bella.

I tried calling her back but I had no luck.

'Maybe her phone died or something' I concluded.

I put my phone away and started on my homework but my mind kept drifting back to our last conversation.

She had started acting weird after I said that my secret admirer was James.

I wonder why.