Chapter One: Judgemental Returns

Being cooped up in a vacant room seemed to take a toll on Cassidy. The only thing she could focus on was the harsh electric lights beating down on her brunette head. The slow hum of the AC was the second thing she observed, its mechanics sounding like a cat's purr as it blew gusts of cool air at the back of her neck.

It wasn't normal for an interrogation room to have such facilities, but they had made an exception for her. After all, she was the victim and their only lead.

"Ms Cassidy Carlone, you've been quite popular around here for the past month. The newspapers seem to come up with a new 'headline-worthy name for you each day."

She knew this tactic, two men before him had used a phrase akin to the one he had, all to draw a reaction. One task, accompanying many others, they couldn't seem to accomplish.

"Let's start from the top, shall we, where were you that night?"

It was the same cycle of questioning over and over.

Every five minutes a new officer came into the room to interrogate and pick apart her answers, only to leave in baffled silence.

She didn't blame them, Cassidy had been gone for nearly a month, yet all the information she provided led them to pick her assailant from a sea of hundreds. It was like finding a needle in a haystack with a pirate's hook, and her lack of cooperation didn't help either.

"I've told you that several times, on my way home, and it was afternoon-" the officer opened his mouth to form a question or a snide remark, but Cassidy didn't wait for either of those, "-now onto his appearance."

She paused, allowing him the benefit of doubt before continuing.

"All I remember about him is his light brown hair, a set of hickory eyes, a wrist tattoo that your sketch artist drew an hour prior to this conversation, and several bandanas covering the rest of his face."

Cassidy thought the police around Lonam was pretty bad, but she hadn't anticipated all of them to be this useless.

It had been a week. A week since she was found on the roadside, a week since her mother's tears of wain stopped flowing, and a week since her first visit to the station, yet they had no leads.

Hoping for a change in pace was like pouring water in a broken vase; useless and disappointing.

It's your fault, you're useless, you can't get anything right. You can't even remember his face!

The voice's sudden appearance made her frown deepen as she waited for a reply.

Stop it!

A closed jaw and a slammed door were enough to confirm her original thoughts, but also snapped her out of her mental argument. Cassidy dejectedly returned to her book, her gaze set on the words but mind flitting to the breathing exercises and meditation her mother taught her.

Over the past week, Edith Carlone had attempted everything to get the old Cassidy back; family game nights, therapy, bittersweet conversations, even baking sessions that they used to love. While Edith was a loving middle-aged British psychiatrist, none of her tactics seemed to work as the usually jovial brunette teen faded into nothing but a shell of herself.

Cassidy presumed her mother and sister were simply glad she hadn't given up skating; the only hobby the teen had taken up which didn't involve late Antonin Carlone.

The tall Italian man had been very close to his youngest daughter and spent most of his free time going hiking or running with Cassidy. Alas, being a daddy's girl had its consequences, especially when the person she was most attached to brutally passed away in front of her.

That was another thing that plagued her mind; her father's murder.

It was bad enough that she blamed herself for his death, but witnessing it had broken Cassidy more than her kidnapping ever could. Antonin didn't deserve the fate he was condemned to, yet she couldn't do much except move on or fight through it.

Unfortunately, she had given up fighting.

Cassidy knew her mother and sister were disappointed at her lack of conviction, yet the brunette couldn't face the tantalizing traumas of her past, and simply required a break.

She hoped starting school would provide her with such a thing, yet at the back of her mind Cassidy's pessimistic mentality couldn't help but eat away at the glimmers of hope. Would her peers be considerate of her past, or would they simply avoid her like the plague?

Of course, they will, you're the new freakshow.

The voice's return made her sigh as Cassidy abandoned her book, attempting to get rid of the voice.

That voice had been haunting Cassidy ever since her father's death, yet she didn't have the nerve to mention it to her family, much less her therapist. People already pondered what mental illnesses she was undergoing, she didn't need auditory hallucinations added to the list.

Tantalizing minutes of silence passed with a snail's pace before frantic footsteps rushed towards the room, immediately making the brunette think of yet another policeman.

What she hadn't expected was to see a girl wearing a casual pair of jeans and a band t-shirt bang open the door and kneel over to catch her breath.

Vivid blonde hair was tossed over her shoulder as the intruder finally met Cassidy's sapphire gaze, pausing to mutter one simple statement.

"We've caught him."

That one phrase sparked a quick flame of interest and hope in her as Cassidy picked up her book and glanced expectantly at the now straightened up girl.

"Aero Henderson, he was a boy in your school, used to throw death threats around like Santa giving gifts on Christmas. They want you to watch the interrogation process."

A ghost of a smile slipped through her harsh demeanour as Cassidy allowed the girl to drag her through the large station, with the blonde chattering on about several different topics as she attempted to quell the butterflies in her stomach.

"Cass, hon, we're here."

Her mother's voice made the brunette groan as she jolted up from her laid back position, glancing at the dreaded building looming behind Edith's car.

Lonam High had never looked more intimidating as Cassidy gazed at the black iron gates and beige building.

The four-story institute had never drawn any negative emotions from the skater, yet she couldn't help but frown as Edith fetched her bag from the back seat.

"If you want, you don't have to go today. I'll tell the principal you need more time."

While she appreciated her mother's sentiment, Cassidy couldn't continue evading school like it was the plague.

After her return she took two days to grieve, letting out all her anger, guilt and sadness during those forty-eight hours. Cassidy chose to then throw herself into schoolwork, requesting that the school provide her with the syllabus and assignments via email as she physically healed.

Needless to say, Edith hadn't been very happy with her daughter's decisions but respected them nonetheless. Cassidy presumed her mother was too busy healing to mull over her coping mechanisms, and that was good enough for her to carry on.

Drowning herself in schoolwork and catching up on the due tests had been efficient, and over the past week Cassidy had not only completed the third-semester exams but also caught up on the extra credit assignments and practical exams.

That didn't leave out much to do, and a lot of her pending work was to be submitted in person, which was why it was crucial to attend school.

"It's only one more day, right?"

Edith nodded at her youngest child, smiling sympathetically as she reached out and caressed Cassidy's palm.

"Then the weekend and we'll leave right after school finishes on Monday."

It was reassuring to only attend for two days, yet she couldn't quell the storm of butterflies in her abdomen as Cassidy exited the car, lightly muttering a goodbye.

The air seemed different.

Cassidy was used to feeling an air of entitlement as she walked through the school, her high scores and student body position making school seem like a joyful ride. Currently, it seemed akin to a car crash; terrible yet intriguing.

She was unsure how her peers would treat her, but that didn't matter much. Cassidy was used to judgement from people. Judgement for her parent's high-paying occupations, judgement for her 'ideal student and perfect child' aura, and most importantly, judgement for her evidently bright future. The only difference was this time they wouldn't be judging her, but her past.

What she was truly afraid of happened to be her friends' opinions.

The brunette teen hadn't made several friends during her first year of high school, but her two best friends were enough for her. Tanya Wadhwani was her closest friend, a 5''3 brunette, Indian girl with chocolate brown eyes and golden skin.

She ran the after school science club, her mind being sharp enough to constantly rival Cassidy. Their playful school competitions were what made the two girls close to each other, but their similarities stopped at that.

While Cassidy preferred the outdoors and tended to skate most places, Tanya loved curling up with a new book or painting. The Indian girl had an affinity for poetry and art, thus didn't do a lot of physical exercises compared to the British-Italian's physically demanding habits.

Usually, Cassidy wasn't one to converse with her competitors, but after a debate competition where Tanya was compared to a mouse by their teammates, the blue-eyed brunette couldn't help but defend the short artist and thus formed a peculiar friendship.

They weren't the type to meet every weekend, yet they were close enough for Cassidy to feel a certain amount of remorse at leaving her only friend.

Tanya had not only been there with Cassidy through everything but had also been the only one to visit her at the hospital. Their other friend, Gabriella Diaz, had forgotten about Cassidy after a week of her kidnapping.

It was peculiar, yet Cassidy didn't blame her, aware that Gabriella wasn't the type of friend to wait around for Cassidy to get back on her feet.

"Cass!"

She couldn't help but wince as Tanya yelled at her from across the parking lot. While the latter quickly jogged towards the tall brunette with an excited smile strewn across her face, Cassidy couldn't help but worriedly gaze around them to ensure no one heard Tanya.

Alas, the damage was done as several pairs of eyes flickered towards her, some portraying empathy while others chose to sneer and whisper.

It was peculiar how some people tend to blame the victim for the situation they went through, rather than thinking of the assailant who ruined the victim's life. But Cassidy was used to their peculiar judgement, thus her only reaction was to scoff as she placed her mask perfectly in place, acting nonchalant as Tanya finally reached the school's gate.

"I missed you!"

Cassidy wasn't prepared for the hug that followed her greeting, but still accepted it as Tanya briefly wrapped her arms around the taller girl's waist. When she pulled away, the Indian artist finally caught onto the stares and whispers, turning back to her friend with an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry-"

"It's alright."

She didn't let her friend complete the apology as Cassidy walked into the school, making sure to keep in pace with Tanya as she initiated a conversation.

"How was your week?"

One thing Cassidy loved about her friend was her habit to constantly ramble about everything. For a person like Cassidy, who didn't talk much, it was ideal for Tanya to constantly run her mouth. While it was an awful practice, the brunette tended to think of other topics and situations while her friend rambled, the brief moments allowing Cassidy to think with a certain amount of clarity.

Currently, her mind was stuck on the gazes she received.

Cassidy had to admit one thing, her peers were very subtle with their reactions. Most of them didn't do much, simply showcasing a flicker of emotion as she passed by. Everyone seemed to hold the same look, one of disappointment and curiosity; as if they were looking for the exaggerated headline stories the newspapers printed every day.

Deep breath, in and out.

Her mother's words seemed to echo in her mind as Cassidy attempted to quell her nerves, subconsciously certain that she was overanalysing the people around her.

Nothing seemed to work as she stuttered to a stop, waiting for Tanya to fetch something from her locker. The skater nodded and muttered an interested 'really' as Tanya continued speaking, so absorbed in her words she didn't notice Cassidy's mental breakdown.

I told you they wouldn't accept you, you're just a freakshow.

The voice couldn't have chosen a worse moment to make an appearance as Cassidy began to panic, her blue gaze constantly flickering between the people around her.

Ever the persistent one, she refused to break under the pressure, attempting to quell her nerves by focusing on Tanya. She nearly succeeded in calming down but spotted a hooded figure in the corner of the hallway right when Tanya's voice began to be audible.

Hickory eyes had never looked creepier as Cassidy sucked in a deep breath, prepared to scream and run as far away from the school as possible.

"Hey, Cass, you good?"

The brunette skater mentally thanked Tanya for her perfect timing, the scream dulling down into a dry cough as Cassidy turned back to meet her friend's chocolate brown eyes. She simply nodded at Tanya, quickly flashing a fake smile as the artist retrieved her last book and closed the locker.

"Come on, we're going to be late for Math."

The threat of being late to a class seemed to divert Tanya's attention as she nodded towards Cassidy and walked down the corridor, waiting for the blue-eyed brunette to follow.

As the first bell of the day rang, Cassidy couldn't help but feel relieved that everyone's attention was diverted from her, the threatening whispers and judgemental stares changing into nonchalant conversations as everyone rushed to their classes.

Tanya also seemed to be relieved as she quickly pulled the blue-eyed skater along to Math class, muttering kind words and reassuring promises of the day being great. Cassidy didn't hear much of her friend's words, too focused on the cycle of thoughts running through her mind.

She no longer cared if she would be leaving behind her only friend, Cassidy couldn't wait to leave Lonam City and move far away.

Missing Tanya wouldn't be as hard as the constant judgement she had to face, and at that moment all Cassidy wished for was a new start.

Regardless of what the future held.