Chapter 5 When She Was Around

I could hear Paul laughing behind me as we reached the parking lot.

"I would say you handled that well, Cassandra, but would I say that it's not Cass who easily gives autograph in the public nor dashed out of the room like she was chased by thugs," Paul said laughing at me. He put his hands on the dent of the car and leaned.

I was gasping for breath, catching my breath, my back bent while holding my knees when I looked at him.

Another screw-up again? I think it might be the first time he ever pointed out a flaw of me playing my sister role.

"If it wasn't so Cassandra can't-be-touched aura, why did you not drag me away?" I asked, glaring at him still hunched in my position.

Will I be running always away from people because of this? I swear I can win an Olympic dash by the time all of this is over, I thought.

"Well, I wanted to see how you react to that kind of reaction, " he said, his tone amused, and an endless laugh on his face.

Damn, Paul Daniels. This guy loves to screw around.

"I wonder what will Cass do when she's up again," I said sending him dagger looks.

"Don't worry, Cass. She loves me to pieces to forgive me for little pranks like this."

"Ahahahaha," I said faking my laugh. I straightened my posture and looked at him. "But, I don't love you too much for pulling off a stunt like that on me. What if one day people will doubt that I'm not the girl they're chasing after? It will ruin Cass' reputation."

"Don't worry about it, Cass. Just act as natural as you're comfortable. I'm always here to remind you if you're going to slip off the mask."

I looked at him dubiously.

"When you've just let me slip a not so Cass-like behavior? I highly doubt that, manager."

He walked towards me and tapped my shoulders lightly.

"Oh, come on. That was a fun experience, Cass. Just don't overdo it. Or you might end up making Cass more popular. I don't mind very much when that happens."

He winked at me.

"You idiot," I scoffed at him.

He rounded the front of the car and got in. I followed suit and later we were driving back to our next schedule.

It was already evening when I returned home. Mom wasn't around yet. Paul didn't stay long. He said it was Friday and because of that he'd rather go have fun throughout the night. I bid him goodbye once he dropped me at our front yard.

I was happy enough to be at home.

I've never fully lived yet a schedule so hectic I felt like I was going to drop every time I returned home. I always felt tired when I reached home that the only thing I felt thereafter was to get a rest.

I was climbing the stairs to my room when I recalled how all these things flipped my normally very regular almost-as-dull gray life.

Everything was normal then when Cass visited us for her vacation three months ago in the middle of May.

"Dad, can we go to Hopperhill when vacation starts?" I asked Dad while we were having an afternoon snack at home.

I just arrived from school still wearing my school uniform when I found him already at home. It was a rare sight. Normally, he returned home around 6 pm and it was only 4 pm as I checked the clock that hung on the wall.

"Yes, we can go, Cassie," Dad answered glancing at me before he continued eating, "once your school ends."

"Great!" I said, delighted. "I miss Babe and Piggy."

Dad only laughed upon hearing me mentioning those names.

Babe and Piggy are my pet pigs in Hopperhill. That's how we call our farmhouse. It's the place I love the most because it always reminds me of those happy days before mom and dad divorced. It's my happy place.

"By, the way, dad," I asked looking at him while forking the scrambled egg that he cooked, "why are you early today?"

Yep. Dad scrambles eggs despite his busy schedule at work. He cooks a mean omelet, too, which is my favorite food that he makes. We live inside a big modern house that he designed himself.

"Because we have to get Cass at the airport. She arrives at 5:30 pm today." He said while slicing the egg with his fork.

My eyes went round and widened with excitement.

"Cassie's coming home?" I asked, excitedly.

"Uh-hum," he said nodding at the same time.

"That's wonderful," I said, delightfully. "I thought she's coming next week."

"Well, your sister's lucky. She was allowed to come here earlier than scheduled so we're meeting her at the airport, Cassie, so you better change your uniform."

I immediately finished my food and rose from the chair, running to my bedroom. I changed into a pair of jeans, a blue t-shirt and wore my favorite dirty white hoodie, and of course, my pair of Converse shoes. Then, I went back down in the dining room where dad was still eating but this time his laptop was already in front of him.

I went to my reading nook in the living room, a sweet little corner that dad built for me because he knew I love reading books. I read all kinds of books but my favorites were mystery and horror books.

I took the Stephen King book from the shelf and continued to read where I have left it with my bookmark. Time flew passed because the next thing I knew dad was looking at me and calling my name.

"Cassie, drop your book for a while, we have to go and fetch Cass from the airport."

I marked the book and rose.

We walked out of the house and went to the garage and got in the car. He drove out of the yard and drove for half an hour until we arrived at the airport.

We waited at the receiving area and after ten minutes, I could already see Cass coming out of the hall. As usual, she was dressed fashionably like your typical Barbie doll. But instead of pink, Cass wore red, she loved red; so my sister sauntered into the area like it was her runway. Men and young men all stopped in their tracks while she passed but Cass was oblivious to them. She didn't give a care about them.

She approached us with a big smile on her face.

"Cassie!" Cassandra said excitedly as she wrapped her arms around me. She released me from her hug and looked at me wrinkling her nose. "Very dowdy, Cassidy."

She said while studying my appearance.

"I'm comfortable with it, Cass," I said to her.

"Well, whatever, Cassidy," she said, shrugging her shoulders at me and turning to hug dad.

"How are you, Cassandra?"

Dad asked with the biggest smile I have seen.

Dad is always happier when Cass is around. It must be because he is very proud to have a daughter for an actress, I sometimes thought. I embrace my sister as the stardom that she is, but as I grow older I realize it must be because dad can have us two together for a whole month at home that makes him a happier man. Cass is only ever around for a month and a half at home so he has to enjoy her stay.

"How's your mom?" he asked looking at her.

"Perfectly busy and healthy," she answered with a dull tone.

"Does she have any present for me?"

He asked with that smile that reached his eyes but I could say was but a sad smile.

We were still kids when mom and dad divorced so we didn't know what caused the divorce then. What I remembered was one day we were together, then the next, mom and Cass were packing their things and they were leaving for the United States.

"Very funny, dad," said Cassandra, dryly. "You know, mom doesn't bother much talking about you at home. The only time she will mention you are when I remind her that I'm coming home here and she will have that look that says she forgets that you still ever exist."

Dad's face turned passive.

"Do you think your mom still hates me?"

He asked, thoughtfully.

"More like, forgotten about you, I say," said Cass in her usual monotone voice.

Yep, that's how Cassandra talks when dad opens up about mom. I guess, it's because she's already so way used to it, how mom and dad are. We don't expect our parents to ever be together again. For the last ten years, since their separation? Only Cass ever bothered to visit us.

When Cass was younger, Dad would go to the States every June to pick her. He only ever stayed overnight at mom's home, then returned two days after he left, leaving me to his younger sister, Aunt Astoria. She's a neurologist who lives in London; so back then I stayed with her for a day before dad returned home. She's married and has two sons. Dad is three years older than her.

"That is so harsh, Cass," I said to her.

"Nope, just the truth, Cassie," said Cassandra in her dead tone frank voice.

Cass doesn't like to glaze her words, she's too frank. She sees the world as they are and doesn't expect them to be more anyway. The divorce had marred her way of seeing things. So, despite being an actress which makes her great, she's perfect at hiding her emotions but straightforward with her words.

I, on the other hand, am a bit more romantic in thinking. And Cass knows it but she just let me be. That's where our differences lie. She knows I harbor a slim hope of mom and dad of getting together again. Though she says when pigs fly.

"Alright, enough, girls," Dad said, sensing the tension in the air. "Let's go home. Then, you two can continue."

"We don't do drama, dad," I said to him as I carried one of Cass' bags that she was carrying as we walked our way back.

"Yeah, dad. We don't dramatize things, we talk them over."

Cass agreed.

"Whatever you say, girls." He said and then changed the topic of the conversation. "Cassidy wants to go to Hopperhill when her vacation starts. You up with that, Cass?"

"Sure, I have no problem with that, dad." She turned to me as we approached close to the car. "When's your vacation gonna start?"

"Three days from now," I replied as I watched dad put her luggage inside the trunk. "I still have to go to school for this week."

"I don't envy you," she said with a smirk. "I'm glad Mrs. Butterby allowed me to get an early vacation. She said it was okay, I aced the exams anyway."

"Good for you, Cass," I said to her.

And my sister is a genius. Like literally. She's always first in her class. And she's a whiz in Math. I'm her twin sister but we are so way opposite each other.

We both sat at the back of the car.

"Will one of you please sit in front, Cass, Cassie?" Dad asked suddenly.

"Why?" We asked in unison.

"Because you make me feel like your driver here while the two of you comfortably sit in the back." He said looking at us seated at the front.

"I'll do it."

Cass got out of the back seat fast and sat in front.

"Happy, dad?" She asked with sarcasm. "You should just hire a personal driver to drive you and use whenever."

"I'm not as rich as your mom to afford it." He said, reasonably.

"Stingy," said Cass, flipping through her phone. Then, she looked at him. "And mom doesn't have a chauffeur either."

That made Dad smile all along the drive back home.