chapter seven

cadillac red

STEPHANIE, TAMMY AND Natalie were already at her house, waiting in various cars, before Cassandra got back. She plastered on a haughty smile, carefully rolled into the covered garage and parked. She led the girls up to her room, Natalie turned on the radio and makeup bags, dresses and shoes all immediately came out. Cassandra pulled out the magazine that she had discreetly stolen from the back of Eddie's van. It was rumpled now and some of the writing had become illegible, but she found the guitar she was looking for. She quickly tossed it into the top drawer of her bedside table and sat back on her bed, pulling out Vogue to let her nails completely dry.

Tammy and Natalie danced around her room as Stephanie applied blush in the mirror and they chatted about grades, boys and their futures.

"You know, Cassandra, you should really try a perm," Stephanie said as she stared at her reflection. "I've gotten twice as many boys since I got mine."

"Thanks for the advice, Steph," Cassandra replied sarcastically as she turned a page. "No offense, but I really don't think I need boy advice from you."

"Well Steve—"

"I think the perm looks just swell, Steph," Natalie interrupted with an innocent smile.

"Did you just use the word 'swell'?" Tammy snorted as she looked at Natalie. "Gag me with a spoon. You sound like my grandfather."

"Hey! Vintage is coming back!"

"Maybe in your house, but we only look to the future in mine. We're almost ten years away from a new millennium. Can't be looking back at old shit!"

Cassandra kicked herself off of the bed and walked over to her vanity, sitting down and pulling out her makeup. She put on dark mascara and eyeshadow and didn't skimp on a dark pink blush. The girls were getting into their dresses and two pieces by the time she moved on to her red lipstick—the matching shade to her nails.

She had Tammy zip up her dress and she smoothed it over in the mirror and slipped on black stiletto kitten heels. Her dress was black with large red figures of leaves, almost making it look like a red dress. It was strapless, tight at the top until her hips where it puffed out in large ruffles—ending mid thigh. The girls all gave her a fountain of compliments as she preened once more in the mirror and then exited the room. The diamonds that hung from her ears glinted as she walked down the stairs carefully. As she descended, she heard the phone ring, but her father didn't pick it up. She walked over and picked it up and heard a laugh on the other end.

"Hello?" A voice said.

"Who is this?" Cassandra asked as she placed her hand on her hip.

"Oh good, it's you." The voice sounded. "It's Dani. Wanted to say 'Happy Birthday'—" her voice wandered as Cassandra heard many voices in the background "—anyway. How are you spending it?"

"I'm just about to head to my party—"

"God that's right I forgot about those—"

"Yeah well you never came, so I can imagine you would."

"Woah, everything okay?" Cassandra rolled her eyes and she wanted to scoff.

"It's my 18th birthday. My life is perfect." She knew that the phone line would rid any tone of sarcasm in her voice.

"Right, well I have to go—" Cassandra heard more voices in the background, calling Dani "—oh and can you tell dad that I can't come down for Halloween because I have a thing."

"Sure thing, Dani. I'll tell him after he braids my hair and we watch MTV and drink hot chocolate together."

Dani chuckled on the other end. "Guess I deserved that. I'll tell him. Have fun tonight—" her voice was lost again as she laughed at something someone said "—but not too much fun. Not ready to become an aunt yet."

"Yeah like I'll ever have children."

"It's like your destiny, Phoebe. You're going to marry one of those no brain jocks, he'll get a job as a lawyer or something, you'll have two kids, the house, the picket fence and the money. You're the cheer captain, you were literally made for this."

Cassandra froze on the other side of the line. Because Dani was right. Except there was one complication in that plan—one that Dani would hopefully never know about. And he was on the wrong side of the tracks. "Well, Holden, we'll have to see won't we. I still have college and right now I have to go."

"Bye! Have fun!" The line cut before Cassandra could say anything back and she placed the phone back on the wall and turned around to face her friends—all looking at her with amused expressions.

"Who's Holden?" Natalie asked with a teasing smile. "Don't tell me Billy's bored you already."

"It's no one," Cassandra grumbled as she trudged forward.

"Well then I guess Billy would love to know about this mysterious Holden, wouldn't he, girls?" Stephanie asked, making the other girls grin and nod. "After all—"

"Holden's my sister." All of the girls furrowed their eyebrows. "We're Phoebe and Holden like from The Catcher in the Rye. It's her favorite book."

"That makes so much sense," Tammy snorted.

"Really thought it would be something more nerdy though," Stephanie remarked. "Anyway, let's go."

Cassandra rolled her eyes and stepped out into the night air. The girls piled into their cars, Tammy riding with Natalie and set off towards the diner. They all set their radios to the same station and drove one after the other. People admired Cassandra as she navigated the streets of Hawkins until she heard the music coming from the diner.

There were a few people already there, so she parked and walked up to the diner. Soon enough, it seemed as if the entire teenage population of the town was shoved inside the diner—giving their parents a night of relief. Alcohol made girls slip on the floors and Steve's hair was covered in glitter and confetti. Cassandra couldn't hear herself think as she shoved her way through the crowd, clutching her cup and receiving "thank you"'s from everyone she passed. People pulled her to the side to talk with her and she obliged but would always pull away.

However, as she was making her way to Stephanie, an arm grabbed her and spun her around. She faced the dark eyes and long hair of Billy, who was holding two cups. "Made this for you, think you might like it." She eyed the cup carefully, making him take a drink from both to prove his truthful intentions. "Come on, Saint Cassandra, you can choose the cup if you want."

She rolled her eyes and grabbed one, taking a swig and immediately started coughing. "What is this? Rubbing alcohol? Jesus, Billy."

"It's a little strong, but a tough girl like you can take it, can't you?" His eyes bored into her as she looked down at the cup. The people around them were starting to listen, so she shrugged and took another sip, resisting the urge to cringe as she did.

Eventually, she finished the drink that Billy had given her—something with a fruity juice like pineapple and she felt a little dizzy. She stumbled through the crowd and was friendly with people she wouldn't normally speak to—regaling them with stories and laughing at almost anything. The world spun and the stars were so incredibly bright as she stumbled out of the diner. The cool air hit her, almost knocking her back with how cold it was as she felt hands around her.

"Let's get you some water." Everything came into clearer focus as she turned to face Natalie. "Cassandra, let's get you some water."

"Why doesn't Steve like me?" The question hung in the air between the two girls as Cassandra regretted asking it, but she was too intoxicated to notice. "I'm perfect. Why doesn't he like me?"

"Because he's stupid and a boy."

"Yeah but Billy's stupid and a boy and he still likes me."

"Cassandra—" Natalie's voice was weak "—it's different with him. You know that. You've always known that."

"I suppose." Cassandra's voice was quiet. "I guess it's Nancy's mom that makes him like her so much over me."

"What?" Natalie let out a chuckle as she looked at Cassandra curiously.

"Nancy really likes her mom and her mom really likes her. They get their nails done together, you know." Cassandra looked up at the stars, her head completely tilted back. But she didn't need to say more in order for Natalie to understand. She didn't know what happened in the Clark house, Cassandra had made a point to never talk about her family. But her mother had died and that did enough talking for Natalie Morris.

"Come on," Natalie said quietly as she tried to gently lead Cassandra back into the diner. It had been a while since she'd been this drunk and Natalie had forgotten how much she loved to stare at the stars.

"You know your mom isn't your fault," Cassandra mumbled as her eyes softened. "I really really really need you to know that."

Natalie froze as she realized what Cassandra was referring to. "I know, Cassandra." The first time that Cassandra and Natalie had ever had a sleepover was at Natalie's house. Normally, they would go to Stephanie's because her house was the biggest out of those willing to host, but Stephanie was out of town and Tammy had a family dinner. Natalie's father brought pizza when he came home from work, helped them set up a movie and left them alone, but when her mom entered the room, she always had a drink in her hand that was significantly more alcohol than tonic. "Let's get you some water."

"Okay."

It took forty nine minutes and a cold towel on her neck for Cassandra to become almost completely sober. Her and Natalie were in the middle of the room, but untouchable as they spun each other around to the music blaring. Eventually, Stephanie yelled for everyone to shut up and they all gathered around her—Tammy, Natalie and Billy the closest to her as Stephanie walked towards her, the cake with eighteen lit candles sitting in both of her hands. Everyone sang the classic song as she beamed, cameras flashing. She squeezed her eyes shut and thought about her wish. It was nearly the same one that she'd made the year before, but with a little tweak. She blew out her candles, giggling as she missed a few, and smiled as everyone cheered for her. The music started up again and everyone dove into the large cake, taking lopsided slices and sharing with friends. The party became more reckless with the addition of sugar to the alcohol and Cassandra stepped outside, just in time to see Natalie and Tammy leave at the same time—Natalie with a boy in her car and Tammy in another boy's car.

She looked back to see Billy doing his usual thing with the basketball boys: arm wrestling, chugging beer and displaying their muscles. She rolled her eyes, jumped into her car and drove down the familiar route. She didn't have to be as careful—anyone who would care was at the party, but she still kept a watchful eye. She pulled into her usual place behind the trailer and walked up, but she didn't hear his guitar playing, which was odd. A part of her had begun to look forward to the various melodies he tried to figure out before she came, even if it was terribly out of tune. She walked over, her kitten heels sinking in the ground a little as she did, lifted up the cushion on the couch and pulled out the spare key, turned the lock, replaced the key and entered the trailer.

"Eddie?" she called out as she clutched her hanging car keys in her hand. She walked forward slowly when she heard noise from behind his room's closed door. Quickly, Eddie stumbled out, closing the door quickly behind him. His hair was slightly disheveled, his t-shirt was slightly askew and there was a red mark on his neck, but the lighting was dim, so she couldn't quite make out what it was.

"You're here early," he breathed out as he stood in front of the door. He couldn't quite see her, she was almost completely in the dark, but he knew her voice and he knew her perfume by heart. He looked down and straightened his shirt. "I thought you'd be here much later, I mean."

"Party got kind of rowdy," she said slowly as she eyed him. "Is this a bad time?"

"No, no, of course not," he said breathlessly as he looked at her. "Well, yes, but also no."

"'Yes, but also no'." She furrowed her eyebrows.

"Exactly." He plastered a grin on his face.

She looked down at the floor and studied it. "Is there someone here?" She tried to sound casual, but her face betrayed her. "I mean I don't care . . . just tell me if there's someone—"

"There is someone here," he blurted out, but he caught himself, "but not like that. It's not exactly—"

But Cassandra's attention was taken by noise from behind his bedroom door and the sound of thumping on the floor. "Like if there's someone else, you can just tell me—"

"It's not someone else—" There's only you. "Fuck . . . uh . . . I was trying to get a bow on her before you came over, but she has a mind of her own. Kind of like you, so it's funny that she's now yours . . ." He chuckled to himself.

"Okay what the fuck is going on." She crossed her arms over her chest. She stepped forward, into the light, as Eddie turned and opened his bedroom door. At first there was nothing, but then a little blur came out, making Cassandra whip her head towards the couch. With its ears back sat a little black cat. It was barely a kitten, a little ball of fur, and its tail was puffed. "Oh gosh." She stepped forward slightly, making the cat hiss and back up, so she lowered herself to the ground and held out her hand for the cat to sniff, but it only swiped at her. She disappeared once more into the dark kitchen and came back with a little tin of sardines. She opened it, gulped, took one out and placed it on her palm. The kitten started to sniff the air and slowly it moved towards her. She stayed still as she let the little cat nibble the sardine and take her in. After giving the cat a second one, she slowly started to pet her, making a small purr fill the air—much, seemingly, to the cat's dismay. She stood up and washed off her hand, leaving the tin for the cat to continue to feast on and came back with a small slice of cheese in her palm. Carefully, she lifted the now empty sardine tin off of the couch and slowly moved her hand under the cat's belly and lifted her up. Her little teeth nipped at Cassandra's skin, making her frown, but it didn't deter her.

Eddie finally saw the hours of Cassandra's hard work as she stepped into the light, the kitten pressed to her body and happily chewing on the cheese.

"Shit, Cass, you look incredible." His eyes were wide as he looked at her. It wasn't a usual look for her—she mostly stuck to the conventional colors, so the display of red and black—colors that he normally wore struck him.

"Oh, thank you," she mumbled as she stared at the cat endearingly. "Does she have a name?"

"Ozzy is always in the running for me, but I thought you should choose since she's now yours."

She looked up at him, her eyes shining. "She's mine?" Her voice was quiet as she spoke.

"Yeah," he said softly as he walked towards her and stopped just in front of her, reaching forward to give the kitten a scratch under the chin. She kept her eyes on the cat for a few more moments, but then looked up at him. The strange feeling filled her stomach again as the felt him, her and the cat. They could've almost been a little family if it wasn't for the elephant in the room. "Happy Birthday, Cass." She pressed the kitten to her chest, leaned up and captured his lips with hers. He tenderly leaned in as his hands found the sides of her face and she smiled slightly. When they pulled away, she sighed and thought that she'd never had a more perfect kiss.

"Thank you," she said softly as she felt the kitten yawn, baring its teeth and start to purr at her warmth. She gazed down at the slumbering kitten. "How about Stevie? For Stevie Nicks and Steve Harris?" Slowly, she found a blanket and placed her on the couch, surrounded in the soft fabric.

"How do you know about Steve Harris?" Eddie snorted as he watched her.

"It's not as if you have a poster of him on your wall," she replied sarcastically. She turned back around with a raised eyebrow.

"Fair enough," Eddie muttered as he looked down. He felt himself transport back a year as he looked back up at her timidly. She was radiant in her dress and it desperately reminded him of who she was, but more importantly of who he was. Guys like him didn't get girls like her in any sense. But then she smiled at him, her eyes crinkling at the sides the way that they did and he plastered one on. They fell into an awkward silence as Eddie shifted on his feet and Cassandra focused on the sleeping cat ever so often. Eventually, it had gotten to a point where Eddie felt like he was going to burst, so he stepped forward. "I'm just going to kiss you, alright? So we can get back to how we normally do things."

Cassandra froze at his words as her mind started to reel, but once his lips met hers, every thought she had melted away. She moaned slightly into the kiss, making Eddie snake his arms around her waist and pull her closer into his chest. But she pulled away. "Not in front of the little one."

"It's a cat." His voice was a deadpan.

Cassandra only gave him a look, making him roll his eyes, tug her hand and pull her into his bedroom, making sure to close the door. He slammed her against the door, his insecurities bubbling to the surface as he kissed her roughly. She groaned at the impact and he pulled away, crazed. But then he looked at her once more in her dress that probably cost more than his trailer, her makeup that he knew took much longer than it should've and her freshly curled hair and he remember that this wasn't about him. It never was from the start. He leaned in again and Cassandra braced for impact, but was met with a gentle kiss. His hands cradled her face as she felt her body fall into complete shock. She'd been kissed by many boys and many more times by Eddie Munson, but never had she felt a kiss like this. Their first kiss that fated late August night was passionate and intense and each kiss thereafter followed along the same string, but this one felt different. This one didn't feel like butterflies, it felt like throwing away her future.

When he pulled away, he pulled her lips with him until they finally disconnected and his were slightly painted with her smudged red lipstick. She lifted a finger and slowly tried to wipe the lipstick off, making her smile. "You don't think I look pretty like this?" He scoffed and smiled as he looked down at her. The dry ice that he'd tried to board himself up with melted with each word and slid down his heart, chilling him, excitedly, to the bone. She managed to get a lot of it off as he dipped down and pressed a kiss to her next, making her suck in a breath. One hand went to her back and unzipped her dress. He kept his lips on her neck as he tugged it down her body, freeing her breasts and revealing her red lacy underwear.

He pulled away from her neck and leaned in, his breath fanning her face and their lips so nearly touching. "Making it easy for me, huh?" His lips curled up, but he kept his mouth open. She smiled meekly and looked up at him through her fluttering eyelashes. She tried to lean up to meet their lips, but he pulled away slightly. "Ah ah ah." His voice was soft. "Eager, are we?" He didn't give her a chance to respond as he captured her lips with his own once more in a breathtaking, earth-shattering kiss. He pushed against her softly until he pulled away completely and stood back, taking in her body. She shifted a little under his gaze, wrapping her arms around her stomach out of habit, but he reached forward and pried them off. "I'm enjoying my view." He slid his hands from around her wrists to her hips as he fell to his knees and looked up at her.

He kept his eyes on her as he pressed a kiss to her warm stomach and then on the mole right above her core, making her suck in a breath. He then leaned down slowly and she watched, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth as he moved her underwear to the side and slowly and carefully licked a stripe from her entrance to her clit, making her moan. He smile against her and pressed a kiss to her clit as he attached his mouth to it, sucking and swirling his tongue. She whimpered and tangled her hands in his thick hair, making him groan. Soft moans tumbled from her lips as he continued to suck and moving farther down—his tongue teasing her entrance, making her gasp—before moving back up. Slowly, he entered one then two fingers into her and started to pump, making her moan loudly. There was only one ring on this hand—his little circular ring on his ring finger—and it pressed right up against her, the cool metal making her shiver. Her grip on his hair tightened as her teeth sank even farther into her lip and she started to arch her back. He wanted to go slow, but he knew she would need him to go a little faster, so his fingers picked up pace, making her moan loudly.

"Fuck . . . Eddie," she mumbled as she felt the pressure in her build. This motivated him to curl his fingers and pick up the pace significantly. She whimpered and her nails dug into his scalp, making him smirk against her. The pressure kept on building as she could hear his fingers going in and out of her. She didn't know how long had past as her brain fell completely apart and she felt tears prick in her eyes. "Fucking . . . Eddie I'm close . . . I'm close . . . I'm going to cum . . . Oh my god."

He pulled away from her clit, his thumb reaching up to rub it ferociously and he smiled up at her closed eyes and her head against the door. "Fucking look at me." She whimpered and slowly forced her head down, her eyes nearly rolling to the back of her head as she looked at him. "You're doing so well. You're being such a good girl." She moaned and nodded as she strained to keep looking at him. He could feel her initially start to clench around him. "You want to cum, sweetheart?" She nodded ferociously as her legs started to wobble. "You want to cum, Cass?" Her airy nickname tumbling from his lips sent her over the edge as she yelled his name and leaned her head against the door. A sob tumbled from her lips as his fingers kept pumping inside of her as she rode her high. He eventually pulled out after she cried out and stood up, admiring his fingers proudly and sticking them into his mouth, sucking them off. She whimpered as she watched him and braced herself against his door.

He took her wrist, gently led her over to his bed and sat her down on the edge in front of him. He pulled his Motley Crüe shirt off and crawled over her, grabbing her chin and making her lips meet his briefly. Too briefly for Cassandra's taste. He undid his belt as he dipped down and kissed her neck once more, sucking on her soft skin as he traveled down, making sure to leave marks. He had his pants and underwear fully off by the time he reached her collar bone and had left a mark. He pulled away to admired his emerging work—who needed the night sky when he had a constellation right in front of him?

"Still okay?" She nodded and he smiled, capturing her lips. "We're going to go nice and slow." She furrowed her eyebrows, normally used to the roughly nature in which he handled her, as he gingerly helped her sit up and turned her to face the wall. He came up and sat right behind her, his chest to her back, their warmth connecting in the otherwise cool room. He gingerly kissed her shoulder as his hands came around and roamed her body. Over her stomach, her sides, her breasts. He caressed her thighs and flirted with her pooling core. She whimpered as she laid her head back on his shoulder. He pulled one hand up and placed it around her throat, pulling her head up to meet his lips. The kiss was slow and sultry as his fingers found her bud and started to circle around it, making her squirm. He kept his other hand wrapped around her neck, keeping her lips on his as the circling became much more ferocious. She pulled away from him, choking herself lightly on his hand and moaned.

"I th-thought you said nice . . . and slow."

"I lied."

His fingers tightened around her throat a little as his pace picked up even more and she clawed at the bedsheets. He slowed down when he could tell she was starting to build, making her whimper. Once more, he slowly circled her clit, leaving her heaving. She could only think about him as the pace picked up. How much she wanted him inside of her. How much she wanted him to cum inside of her. How good it would feel to have it shooting inside of her. She couldn't think of anything other than how warm he felt, how his fingers moved and how his lips felt against her neck. Her breathing picked up as she moaned softly against him, whispering his name in the undertones. But, once more, he slowed down when she was getting close.

"Eddie," she whimpered as she clenched her legs, trying to build herself up and over the edge, in vain. Eddie only pressed her legs apart and kissed her neck, as calm as ever. "Inside me, please."

"I'm not finished here, sweetheart."

"It's what I want. I want you inside you. I need you inside me."

He grinned and stuck two fingers inside of her once more. "Like this?" His voice teased her as he slowly pumped them in and out. She wanted to move around and get it over with, but his hand was securely around her throat. He kissed her neck once more as she whimpered. "I guess it is your birthday."

He carefully turned her around and slid her underwear down her legs as he laid her down, he was looming over her. He leaned down and kissed her neck, his pre-cum dripping. He reached over and tore the condom open and rolled it on himself, but his mouth was on hers before she could suggest otherwise. He slowly teased her entrance, but chuckled and pushed into her. She gasped and he let her adjust. Slowly he started to pump into her, increasing his speed as he went along. His thumb found her clit and started rubbing it voraciously. She gripped at the sheets below her, her knuckles turning white. Prayers to a god she didn't believe kept slipping from her lips as Eddie damned all that was holy within her.

Her core was already sensitive from before, so tears pricked at the edges of her eyes as he slammed into her—the pressure building as she made a turn to whispering to the only god she could see in the moment. "Eddie, please."

He groaned as he felt his tip filling up, bulging against the condom and her slowly tightening walls. He lick his thumb and brought it back down again, rubbing aggressively once more, making her gasp and for her nails to almost break against the sheets. Her fingers hurt, so she pried them off and immediately latched onto his back—making long red marks down it, making him groan in a mix of pleasure and pain. "Just like that, sweetheart. Make me remember."

"God, I'm so close." She didn't have to tell him. He groaned and his eyes nearly rolled to the back of his head as her walls started to squeeze him.

"You're doing so so well. You're being such a good girl for me."

"Eddie please cum . . ."

"I'm going to don't worry, sweetheart."

"Eddie cum ins—" But she was left breathless and she was sent crashing over the edge and then all at once, a guttural moan came tumbling from her lips over the cliff with her.

He groaned and she felt his back muscles tense as he came shortly after her. His pace slowed as he kissed her shoulder, his sweaty forehead making contact as he dragged himself up. He was panting as he looked down at her, still inside. He shifted his weight and pulled out of her, making her groan quietly and let out a rippling breath. He pulled the condom off and tossed it into the trash next to his bed. He leaned forward and kissed her lips before collapsing next to her.

His breathing slowed and he gained clarity once more—her fog clearly slightly from his mind. "What where you saying?"

"Oh—" she chuckled a little, her cheeks dusting in embarrassment "—I was going to ask you to cum in me."

He became immediately alert as he sat up. "What?"

"Yeah." She cringed and closed her eyes as she sank into his mattress even more.

"Well we can go again." The excitement was evident in his voice. She opened her eyes to see an feverish grin on his face.

"Maybe another time," she mumbled with a laugh.

He collapsed next to her again and looked over at her, moving a few strands of hair out of her face. "I'm going to hold you to that."

"Alright, sparky." She chuckled and gained her bearings. Her head was slightly dizzy as she sat up too quickly. "I should probably get home."

"You sure?"

"Yeah." She looked down and found her underwear, slowly slipping it on. She walked out of his room to the bathroom, her legs still a little gelatinous. He looked up at his ceiling, the remnants of the glow in the dark stars that he had as a kid still glowing ever so slightly. He heard the toilet flush as he ran a hand over his face and tried to think about something, anything. Instead, he just watched her as she walked back in and shimmied into her tight dress. He threw on a pair of boxers that he used as sleep shorts and came up behind her. Her breath hitched as she moved her hair to the side and she felt his fingers curl around the zipper and slowly drag it up. Little electric sparks shot as the zipper moved up and then eventually stopped and she missed his orbit when he pulled away.

She turned around and he was looking at his feet. "You really did look beautiful tonight, Cass." The sincerity in his voice made her cheeks dust pink. "You sure you don't want to stay over?" He looked up at her.

"Can't," she said softly. "It's become a dangerous guilty pleasure. The longer I'm here or the longer you're at my place, the more people can talk."

He chuckled darkly. "A dangerous guilty pleasure for your dangerous guilty pleasure?" She merely shrugged. "Well do you want anything to eat before you leave?"

"I'll be alright. And I'll eat in the morning, promise." He nodded and followed her as she turned to walk out. She stopped by the couch and smiled at the sleeping kitten. She walked over and gingerly picked her up, cradling the yawning being in the crook of her arm. He watched as she rounded around the trailer and he heard her turn the ignition on in her car. He stayed by the doorframe as he watched her drive out of the sleepy trailer park—her headlights the only thing lighting up the night.

She drove in a daze through the town, the kitten in her lap, unsure if the party was still going on—drinking her money and toasting to her absence. As she approached her house, she slowed her car when she saw another one in the driveway. She slowly parked, cradled Stevie once more and got out, eyes searching everywhere. As she walked towards the door, the man from the other night exited. He froze when he saw her and nodded to someone just behind the door. Her stomach sank as her mind reeled, but she saw her father's face peak out from behind it. He said something quietly to the man, who retreated to his car, only giving her a nod before driving off. She stared at her father in the doorframe, frozen, before coming to her senses as the breeze hit her.

She walked forward, fixing her hair and slightly smudged makeup. She cleared her throat before speaking; "Dani can't make it home for Halloween."

"Yes, she phoned and told me." He cleared his own throat as she approached and handed her a neat box with a pink bow on top. "This is for you."

She gingerly took the box and gave him an odd look as he looked at her expectantly. She carefully undid the bow and opened the box. Her body went cold when she did. And she looked up at him with alarmed eyes.

"Dad—" Her voice was barely a whisper.

"To keep you safe." His eyes bored into her. "If you want to spend anymore money, you will keep it with you at all times."

"Dad, I can't just take this into school with me." Her voice was weak as she looked at him.

"Keep it near you then." His tone was finite before he turned and walked away, but he stopped before the stairs and slightly turned his head to the side. "I hope you like the pink."

She didn't know how to respond, so she merely watched him as he deliberately walked up the stairs and back into his office. She closed and locked the door behind her all at once and ran up to her room. She threw the box on her chair, the pink gun sliding out from its former home slightly. She placed Stevie on her bed gingerly and ran into closet, feeling dirty in her clothes. She quickly changed out of them and into a pajama set. She wiped off her make up, brushed her teeth and crawled into bed, her night light shining. She tried to not think about her father's present to her as the darkness crept, tiptoed all around her, closing in slowly, slowly. But a yawn and a few footsteps towards her dispelled of it as she was reminded of her nightlight once more. Little Stevie crawled up the length of the bed and settled on the pillow next to Cassandra's head, purring softly as she fell back into slumber. Cassandra filled with the light of Eddie's bedroom as her eyes drifted closed.