HAVE MERCY!!! ch.3 (Confusing Surprise or Surprising Confusion)

"Confusing Suprise or Surprising Confusion"

Cassie’s Present POV

We walked back to the house hand in hand. Tom is so adorable, I know he really cares about me, he’s just, acting really strange lately.. And now he’s quiet altogether. “Tom, what’s up, is something the matter?”

“Nope, it’s all good sunshine,” he smiled half-heartedly.

“If something was bothering you, you can tell me hon, you know that right?” I reassured him with a squeeze of his hand. I cannot figure him out. He’s so back and forth.. I don’t know if that even makes sense!! He drives me crazy.. and I don’t know why! I feel sometimes sick to my stomach around him..

We walked up to the house and right away were greeted by Brandon. “Hey, uhm,” he looked up at Tom, with a question in his eyes. Tom shook his head and looked down. Suddenly Brandon was more chipper, “Well, are we ready to go then?”

Michael jumped up behind Brandon. His eyes immediately darted to my hand, which was still holding Tom’s. His head looked down as quickly as it spotted my hand. Tom noticed his gesture and dropped my hand, giving me an awkward pat on the back. What is going on!?

I walked to the porch steps and sat down next to Nate. Nate gave me a notebook and a pencil.

“What’s this for?” I asked.

“You’re creative,” he smiled, “I know you’ll think of something. OH! And I want you to write letters, they’re way more personal then emails, I prefer them by far.”

“Thank you so so so so much! Nate, you’re the greatest!” I tackled him with a huge hug, he is so protective of me, and I would consider him my second brother.

“ I try,” he laughed, hugging me back.

I felt like crying again. This was the time for goodbyes. I hate goodbyes. I can’t bear to be away from these people, my family for more than a day, and now I’ll have to be away from them for a whole summer.

I’m really proud of them, don’t get me wrong. They’re going to be great on their tour! I’m so excited for them! (I promote them all over the place, including the many sites to which I am a member.)

Michael, he makes me smile without even trying. He is so silly, he loves to make me laugh, and he’s really good at it too. He also makes me feel safe, he’s really strong, and not to mention cute! I mean just look at those adorable curls!

Nate, of course I’ll miss my second brother. I’ll miss his advice. Yes, I’ll be on the phone with him for at least an hour ever day or two.. but its not the same as our heart-to-heart talks in person.. I’ll miss him so much.

Matt. Wow!! I’ll miss him so much!!! He’s the life of any party, and he’s such a helpful and caring person. He remembers everything I tell him, even just random comments. Last year for my birthday he got me everything I wanted, and I didn’t even tell him I wanted it. I asked him how he knew. He just smiled and answered, “I listen.”

Tom, he is one of the closest people to me out of the gang. I feel so comfortable with him. I mean, well, I feel comfortable with all of them, but I don’t really know.. Tom makes me feel so different. I’m comfortable around him with everything, I can be standing in front of him in my pj’s and without any makeup on.. And I know he won’t mind. In fact that has happened, and he commented me. In that state!!! He commented me on my beautiful eyes.. My eyes without the eyeliner that I cannot live without.. and he said they were beautiful. I just feel comfortable with him. He’s so sweet and caring. I love him. Just thinking of him makes me smile.

Brandon, I can’t even begin to describe how much I’ll miss my brother. The obnoxious early morning wake-up’s.. The songs he’d pin up on my door with a little note asking me for my opinion.. The random drives through the park, the random shopping trips.. Everything!!! I’ll probably cry the next mornings later to come this week, without him there to eat breakfast with me. Without him being there to steal all the marshmallows from my Lucky Charms, or the berries from my Captain Crunch.

After all the hugs, and my eyeliner streaked goodbyes. All the hair tousles and last minute errands for me to do for them. I made a mental note of each. They all piled into the van. This happened all so fast. My life was on fast-forward again.. and all I could do is watch. The out-of-body experience was just starting to overwhelm me again when they all waved out the windows, and Matt pressing his face up against it to make a piggy nose. I laughed through my tears, with a pathetic sob. They started to back out of the driveway, leaving me in the yard.

Then the van stopped. The passenger door opened, and Brandon jumped out. “What did you forget this time?” Nate called out to him from behind the wheel. Brandon disappeared into the house, it wasn’t until 5 minutes later he emerged with my black hellokitty bag in hand.

“Uhm,” I looked at him questioningly, “Brandon! That’s my bag!”

“You need another bag!?” Tom asked Brandon. He knew that he already had 5 in the back, which was 3 more than the rest of them had packed.

“Nope,” Brandon added, “But you do!” He grabbed my arm and pulled me in the van, slamming the door and telling Nate to step on it.