Tom's Recapped POV

I quietly whispered in Cassie's ear, "Sunshine," she jumped and tossed in her sleep-like she were having a nightmare. "It's okay, there's nothing to be afraid of; I'm here." She sighed calmly in her sleep, then her eyes fluttered open. She turned to see me, and she smiled. When she blinked tears rolled down her eyes, and soon they wouldn't stop.

Why, Sunshine?

Tom's Present POV

I looked into Cassie's eyes, becoming blurry from the tears; I wiped each cheek with my thumb. "Cassie," I hushed her, "It's okay." I pulled her close to me, she rested her head on my shoulder, and I rubbed her back. I pulled her away to look at her. Why is she crying!? I panicked in my mind, struggling for the answer of what to do. Everyone was in the gas station yet.. Should I call someone for help?

I brushed the bangs from her eyes and asked with the fear very evident in my voice, "Why is my sunshine crying?" She threw her arms around me and held me tighter, as if she were genuinely afraid. She was even shaking a little. She mumbled into my shoulder, but I couldn't make out a word. I rubbed her back reassuringly and asked again.

She turned her head away from me, while it was still resting on my shoulder. She said, "I was afraid that you would leave me."

WHAT!?

"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.

Cassie’s recapped POV:

“Tom, it’s oka—” I started to say, but he cut me off.

“It’s not okay! Stop saying it’s okay!”

My phone buzzed.. and buzzed.. and buzzed. It was the only noise in the silence. Tom dropped my hands and looked at my pocket which lit up with the light of my phone. “You better answer that,” he said and then walked a couple feet away and traced circles in the gravel of the alleyway with his shoes.

 "I ♥ Cassie"

Tom's Present POV:

I didn't know if Cassie was actually that naive.. Through all these years you think that she would have noticed by now.. Any normal person would have.. But that’s why I liked her. Cassie wasn’t normal, she was different, and we all reminded her of that regularly. She would only reply, “Well, being normal is so overrated! Where’s the fun in that?”

I looked over at her, she was chatting away on her cell phone. Her red hair seemed really bright in the sunlight; she was gorgeous. It’s a miracle how she doesn’t have a boyfriend.. I’m way out of my league I guess.. And the internal argument began again…

I traced miscellaneous words and shapes into the gravel. I don’t know how long I had been doing that, and I don’t know how long Cassie had been off the phone, but she just stood there, watching me. Her face looked intrigued, or puzzled, she looked at me like that more than any other expression. She looked as if she were trying to figure me out.

Everyone else knows how I feel about Cassie, but before we left I wanted to tell her how I felt. I just wanted to get it out of my system. I know that she doesn’t like me back, so I thought that by doing it now, well I can get over her faster.. She can reject me, and we can be done, and by the next time I see her, well hopefully she would have forgotten about the whole incident. I won’t see her much this summer, as opposed to seeing her everyday like I normally do. The guys all advised against me telling her. Brandon said that he didn’t want his sister to get hurt, he’s the only one who thinks that Cassie may like me back. And well.. Brandon is afraid that if I tell Cassie now, and it turns out she does like me back, then I’ll leave.. and it would break her heart.

I don’t want to break Cassie’s heart. I know for a fact that she doesn’t feel the same about me. I love her, and I just want her to know that. Even if she doesn’t feel the same, I will, and I think I always will.

“Cassie,” I loved saying her name. It gave me a major case of the butterflies.

“Yeah Tom?” she bit her lower lip and looked up to me, tilting her head to the side.

“Uhmmm..,” After all the times I had rehearsed this scene in my head! All the countless times of running the lines I’d say! All the responses she could deliver!!!! If only I could ask… “Who was on the phone?” I am such a coward..

“Oh, it was Brandon, he was just wondering where we had wandered off to,” she added quietly, “He sounded rather worried.” This is to be expected of him.. He knows what I was planning to do.. if only I could do it though.

I tried to come up with something quick, to bring it back to that moment! It was a one time chance.. And it was ruined, “Brandon can be such a worrier,” I tried to smile, but I felt sullen, and tired..

“Yeah,” she half smiled, and looked very thoughtful, “he is isn’t he?” She stared at the ground, and at the words I had traced, looking confused.

I glanced down, and read what I had thoughtlessly traced with my foot. I could have died… I didn’t want to see her face, and I didn’t want to know her reaction. My face felt hot and then I faced my fear and looked at her.

She was still looking at the ground, but she didn’t look confused, in fact, she was smiling. The first real smile I had seen from her that day. She shook her head then looked up at me. Oh, here it comes..

“Tom,” she started, I could already feel that my face was red, “You’re really something you know that?”

That was all?! That was all she had to say to that!?!!?! Well, at least it wasn’t bad, but..

I smiled shyly and replied, “Not yet.”

“What do you mean?” she asked with a puzzled look.

CRAP! I didn’t mean to reply with that…I wanted to so desperately say something.. ANYTHING! I was searching for something romantic, or something to tell her how I felt with few words, but powerful words. I reached to the back of my brain, and angrily, I mentally kicked myself for lack of response. Now I had been standing there for what seems like ages. I should have said something like, ‘I’m not something yet, but I’ll make something out of myself, and I would like you to be a part of that with me.’ But, as I have said, I am a coward.

I cleared my throat, “Uh, never mind,” yes, I am a pathetic loser, “Let’s go back, Brandon is probably about to call the police.”

I turned back to head to the house, but Cassie caught my wrist. She intertwined her fingers in mine and I felt shocked. She must’ve seen it on my face, because she giggled, and kissed my cheek. “I heart you too Tom.”

If only she knew...