When everyone walked back over to the girls' house from Jonathan's house, Emalia stopped to get the mail. She looked through it, and noticed an envelope addressed to all of them. She opened it.
"Hey guys, we've been invited to a party in an hour, by an unknown sender. It's has the beach house's address but no name," Emalia said.
"It's probably from Brian and Mercedes," said Angel.
"I'll call them," said Kevin walking over to the phone. He dialed Brian and Mercedes' number. "They're not home."
"Well I think that we should go," Angel said.
"You would," said Nick. "I don't think I'm gonna go with you guys," he said.
"Still miss Cassandra, don't you?" Angel said, trying to sound sympathetic, but he hadn't answered her. Of course he missed her. She had left him again three days ago, and still hadn't returned yet, but he didn't care.
"Of course you do," he mumbled to himself.
"Well, suit yourself! We're leaving now. It starts in an hour, and it's going to take us an hour to get up there," said Emalia. Emalia, Kevin, Nicole, Jonathan, Angel, and Howie, walked out of the door and Nick went over to the guys' house.
An hour later at six thirty, it was already dark out and a thunderstorm had started forming in the sky. It was lightly raining out already and Nick was still sitting on the couch, still thinking about Cassandra, and all of the malicious things that he had said to her. But she deserved them, didn't she?
Cassandra dropped her bags inside her house.
"Hello?" she called. No answer. They must all be gone. She went into the living room and slumped down on the couch. The entire three days, especially the entire flight home, she had thought about Nick every second. About everyday that they had spent together. She especially thought about their honeymoon. Everything had been so perfect, until the real Cassandra had shown her, oh so beautiful colors.
Suddenly she heard a noise. "What is that?" she asked herself. "Hmm, it sounds like it's coming from outside." She went to the door and opened it, and looked around.
"What is that noise?" Nick asked himself and went over to the door. "It sounds like the smoke detectors coming from A.J. and Isabella's house. I should go," Nick said aloud, heading towards the house. He got to the front door. Thinking that it was locked, he went around the back of the house.
"It sounds like the smoke alarm at A.J. and Isabella's house. Oh, maybe I should go check before any neighbors complain," Cassandra said to herself. She ran out of her house and down the street to the house. The front door was unlocked so she went inside, and the smoke alarms were still going off. She didn't know what to do. Maybe she could call someone, or ask a neighbor. Turning around and she walked outside.
She stood outside as it started to rain. Slowly at first, a few raindrops collided with her body, but soon the cold droplets of water bombarded her as if to tell her to go back inside.
Her feet were planted in their spot on Isabella and A.J.'s front lawn as if the grass were growing around her feet like vines, planting her there until all of her pain was washed away with the rain and absorbed into the inviting soil. The cold rain seemed to cool down the heated anger within her.
The aroma of the rain smelled like piles of wood being burned in front of her, the non existent smoke seeping into her skin. The rain sounded like egg shells crashing against a glass house.
It was a dark and humid storm and the air was so thick that her lungs began to tingle at the amount of force it took for them to expand. This particular storm seemed to convey her every emotion at that point in time. The rain symbolizing her tears, the thunder symbolizing her silent cries of help from within, and the fast moving wind symbolizing the mad rage of the racing thoughts in her head.
Earlier this month, her and the love of her life had gotten into a fight. He was the only reason that she was still standing on this planet. She couldn't decide if all of her emotion were in vain, or if he really never would come back again to life the pain from her heart.
Was it necessary for her to let a single person clog the arteries of her heart? She thought that it was, but only for him. She felt that it was necessary to keep the memories of him in a chamber in her heart, lock them up tight, and throw away the key. Even if the intense memories made her blood race through the chamber at speeds as fast as the speed of light, she didn't care. She would continue to hold those memories so dear to her.
A bright streak of lightening flashed and echoed throughout her eyes. She had seen his silhouette when the lightening had flashed. Maybe the hurt and anger that she was feeling had blinded her senses to the reality of everything around her, but she had seen him.
He was standing in front of her in the pouring rain as if to tell her that the rain would wash away both of their pain together. The rain drops fell onto his light, golden blonde hair, sliding down the soft strands and darkening them with their entrancing powers, until his hair was a completely darker shade of blonde. A shade that could be uniquely his now, to own and to keep. Through the hypnotizing rain, they could sense each other's emotions like they could sense the changing of a season.
His eyes were like two oceans, engulfing her soul in the deepest, darkest of their waters. She lost her breath as she drown in his eyes, knowing that if she didn't turn back now, she never would. As if he were talking, the thunder crashed. It boomed and echosed through her ears like it was yelling, but there was also a hint of sadness and softness in its crash, a trait of his captured perfectly in the thunder. As if she were answering back, the lightening flashed in a great, white sheet, blanketing them both like a photographer taking their picture and capturing their souls.
As the rain began to cease, they knew that they would be all right as long as they were together. Not needing to say a word to each other, they both had a silent conversation, apologizing to each other. They were so connected, just like that sunset and the heavens. The sunset being bright and fiery, but easing off as it melted into the serene heavens, dulling out the flames and shaping them to perfectness just like an emery board filing a fingernail.
They started for the house, dripping wet from the rain that was their medicine. As he entwined his hand with hers, his touch felt like a soft rose pedal, and he was the rose that would continue to bloom inside her heart forever.
"What are you doing here?" he asked her finally, interrupting her thought patterns, and breaking the grip of their hands.
"I-I heard the smoke detectors over here, and I came to see what was going on. What are you doing here? I thought everyone else was gone."
"They are. I just didn't want to go with them."
"Oh," she said. They were both very uncomfortable around each other at this point in time.
"I don't wanna go check," Cassandra said, with fear in her voice.
"Good old, Cassandra. Afraid of everything, except hurting someone else. Fine, stay here, and I'll be right back," said Nick.
"Fine, but hurry up!" She watched Nick walk inside the house and disappear. She folded her arms and waited. She heard the smoke detectors turn off and saw Nick come back into the front door way. They both walked out of the house and closed the door. The rain had now fully ceased, but it was still dark and humid out.
"False alarm," he said. "Let's go-" He stopped when he heard the smoke alarms going off again.
"I thought you turned them off?" Cassandra asked him.
"I did!" he replied. This time, both of them went inside the house, and Nick turned them off.
"I'll go check upstairs," Cassandra offered. She slowly walked upstairs. She got to the top of the stairs and stopped. She was too scared to go on. "Um, nothing wrong up here," she said and flew back down the stairs. "Let's go Nick." Before they could even reach the front door, the smoke detectors went off again. "Nick, what's going on?"
"I dunno," he shrugged. He went and turned them off again.
"Well they do have an attic and basement-"
"The attic!" Nick said.
Nick and Cassandra went upstairs and stopped in the hallway. Nick pulled down the ladder to the attic and slowly climbed it. Cassandra waited in the hallway and heard Nick walking about her in the attic.
"Nick, come on!"
"All right, all right!" he said. Nick came back down the latter and pushed it back up into the ceiling. "There's nothing up there. I think it's electrical. I have to check the kitchen-"
"I am not going in the kitchen!"
"I didn't ask you to. Then you check the bedrooms, and I'll check the kitchen. It'll be faster." Cassandra reluctantly agreed and watched Nick go down the stairs. She went into one of the rooms and convinced herself that she was looking around. Just then, she heard a crash downstairs.
"Nick," she thought. She ran out of the room, flew down the stairs, and into the kitchen. She saw a knife sitting alone on the counter. "Oh God." She turned around and stared into the living room. She saw a pair of feet sticking out off the end of the couch. When she realized that they were Nick's, she screamed.
"So I take it that you got our phantom invitation!" said Brian as the group walked into his house.
"Yes we did!" said Emalia. "Mercedes, where's Charity?"
"She's off with the babysitter so we can all have fun tonight!" said Mercedes. "And Nicole, Jonathan, if you're lucky, maybe we'll let you drink!"
"Gee, could we?" Nicole said sarcastically. They all laughed and went to sit down in the living room.
"So where's Nick?" Brian asked.
"He said that he just didn't want to come," Emalia said.
"But I think that it still has to do with Cassandra," Angel added.
"Well, he would have been a party pooper anyway," Brian said.
"So what's with the party?" Kevin asked.
"It's just a get together for all of us to talk and....." said Brian.
"And?" questioned Howie.
"To drink!" finished Brian and they all laughed. "It's been awhile since we've done anything really spontaneous since the baby was born."
"Well, don't worry about that!" said Angel. "I know how to party!"
"We know!" said Brian. "That's why we invited you!"
Cassandra stopped screaming and got closer and around to the front of the couch.
"Boo!" Nick yelled jumping up. She screamed again and clasped her hands over her mouth.
"I hate you!" Nick stopped smiling, thinking that she may mean it. "Don't you ever do that again!" Nick started laughing but stopped when she slapped him on the arm.
"Oh come on Cassie," he said and pulled her down onto his lap. He kissed her neck a couple of times.
She pushed him off of her, and jumped up. "Nick, what kind of drugs are you on?" she asked him confused. "You hate me remember?" He stood up. "I'm the stupid bitch remember? I'm the-"
"Cassandra, shut up," he said wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her hard. "I've been thinking a lot these couple of weeks. Every second, I thought about you and what I would do if you ever came back. Most of the seconds I knew that I would slap you with divorce papers, but the other times, I just didn't know. I do love you still, but you hurt me awfully deep."
"Nick, come on. Let's go," she said uncomfortably. "Can we finish this conversation somewhere else?" She stopped when she heard the smoke detectors going off again.
"Damn it!" Nick said.
"What's going on? Nick, I'm scared," Cassandra said.
"Well, I figure there's one place we haven't checked yet, and that's the basement."
"Nick, I'm going to forget that you just said that."
"Come on Cassie, real quick. Or you can stay up here?"
"No, no. I'll come with you. I-I'm not s-scared."
"Come on," he said seriously and grabbed her hand. They opened the basement door. Cassandra clenched her hands in Nick's shirt and followed him as they descended the dark stairway.
"This is one of those basements that has the lights with strings hanging from the ceiling."
"Well, start looking for one," said Nick. Cassandra and Nick reached the bottom of the stairs, and separated. Cassandra walked slowly through the dark basement and around a corner. She could hear her heart beating extremely loud. "Uh, Cassandra-" she heard Nick say. "We need to get out of here right now and call the fire department."
"But why?" she turned around and headed in the direction of his voice.
"Because there's a fire, but there's one problem." She reached him and saw what he was looking at. "The fire's on the stairs."
"Oh God, we have to get out of here!" she said.
"Quick, start looking for a door!" The two of them frantically groped the walls in the dark.
"You know, we never saw the bodies of Isabella or Lucy after-"
"Are you saying that you want to?" Nick asked.
"No but-Nick! I found a string!"
"Pull on it!" Cassandra pulled on it and heard a click and a thud. A single, dim light went on and when she looked down to see what that thud was, she saw Lucy's head. Cassandra started to hyperventilate, and screamed. "What? Oh my-" Not thinking, Cassandra grabbed Nick and buried her head in his chest.
"Oh my God, oh my God-" she kept repeating. Nick tightened his hold around her and started to back up. He felt his back hit the wall and saw he was in a corner. The light was so dim, they could barely see.
"Cassandra, there's no other door out of here," said Nick. "Wait, a window. Maybe I can break it." He found a chair and threw it at the small window. Not even a crack. He stood the chair up and stood on it. He tapped on the window, then looked over at Cassandra.
"This party had been great you guys! Too bad Nick and Cassandra couldn't be here," Angel said.
"I want to propose a toast!" Emalia said. Everyone raised their wine glasses. "To Isabella and A.J. May they find eternity together, and to everyone else that had died." They all touched their glasses together.
"One more thing," said Angel, and they all raised their glasses. "To Nick and Cassandra's sex life!" They all laughed and touched their glasses together, again. Brian put down his wine glass on the driveway, and lifted Mercedes onto his back.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"We're going for a car ride!" said Brian.
"What?" she said and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Hold on! This is my fantasy car ride!" Everyone laughed and watched as Brian took off around the back of the house.
"I think we should go," Kevin said to Emalia.
"Oh, what are you talking about Kevvy Wevvy?" Emalia replied.
"You're drunk Emalia, Sweetie."
"Oh, no baby. I don't think so."
"Okay then. Stand right there." Kevin took seven steps away from her. "Now walk to me in a straight line." Emalia shrugged and took one step towards Kevin. That first step was fine, but her second stop was off to the side, and her third step was even worse. Kevin shook his head and walked over to Emalia. He put his hands on her shoulders and steadied her before she fell over.
"See Honey? I told you so!" Kevin only agreed with her. Just then he saw Brian running from the side of the house and start to stagger. Then he dropped to the ground dropping Mercedes also.
"What's wrong?" Mercedes asked him.
"We have a flat tire!" he pouted.
"Oh, well then let me pump it back up again," Mercedes said pressing her lips to his and kissing him hard. When she pulled away Brian looked at her then jumped up. He flung her on his back again.
"All better! Let's go!" he said and he started to run around the driveway.
"Hey I've got an idea!" said Angel to Brian. "How about you and Mercedes join me and Howie as fantasy car ride buddies?"
"That sounds like a good idea!" said Brian. "We have plenty of alcohol to celebrate with!" They all laughed.
Angel and Howie started to walk down the driveway until they reached Brian and Mercedes. Mercedes turned to Howie.
"Do you Howie, take this woman to be your drunkfully bonded fantasy car ride buddy? Do you promise to always change her oil, drive her gently everyday, and fill her tires when they go flat?"
"I do," said Howie. Brian turned to Angel.
"And do you Angel, take this man to be your drunkfully bonded fantasy car ride buddy? Do you promise to always change his oil, drive him gently everyday, and fill his tires when they go flat?"
"I do," said Angel. Then Mercedes and Brian finished in unison.
"We now pronounce you fantasy car ride buddies." Brian turned to Howie.
"You may now take your new buddy on your first drive!" They all laughed as Angel jumped onto Howie's back and he took off around the back of the house.
Nick got down off of the chair.
"Baby it's plastic. I can't break it."
"Oh God!" Cassandra yelled and started to cry. Nick ran back over to her and grabbed her. Both of them forgetting what they had been through. The light began to lose even more of its light, and was now almost completely dark.
"Hello?" they heard someone call from upstairs.
"Yes! Down here!" Cassandra yelled. "Call the fire department now! There's a fire down here!"
"Okay!" They heard feet run out of the house.
"Oh God Nick. I'm sorry." The fire was spreading, and was now seven feet away from them. Nick and Cassandra slid down the wall and dropped to the ground in each other's arms. They both started to cough, the smoke was getting thicker by the second.
"We're going to be okay," Nick said pulling her tighter.
She turned his face to hers. "I love you so much, and there's no place I'd rather die than in your arms, even if you do hate me," she said.
He grabbed her shoulders. "Don't you talk like that! I-I don't hate you."
"What?"
"I'm sorry too. He would have found her eventually anyway, and it wasn't your fault. It was John's."
"Nick I don't think that you mean it. I just want to die in this fire so I don't have to face you ever again-"
"I am not going to let anything happen to you! You are still my wife! Listen, there are the fire trucks now, we're going to be fine-"
"No, we're not. They aren't going to make it in time. Look how close the fire is! I'm going to die just like my sister did in this very house-" She stopped and heard a whoosh. She saw Lucy's head go up in flames. "Oh God, Nick. I will always love you. Eternity-"
"I told you not to talk like that! Promise me something."
"Nick-"
"Cassandra, look at me! Promise me that you'll hold on, promise me that you will survive. Everything that's happened, Isabella, A.J., Lucy, Adrian-James, Kimberly, with all of them dying, that couldn't even compare to the amount of pain that I would suffer if I lost you. You're all that I have left. Promise me!"
Cassandra's eyes were filled with tears and they were streaming down her face.
"Cassandra-"
"I promise!" She leaned her head down on his shoulder, and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Nick, I can't breathe, seriously. I can't breathe."
"You made a promise to me."
"And I'll try to keep it."
"No, you are going to keep it," Nick stated. "For me."
"You know that I would do anything for you."
"I love you."
"I love you, too," she said before going limp in his arms.
"Cassandra? Cassandra!" He softly kissed her lips and he felt faint. How could he have even thought about divorcing her? Giving up the one thing that he held so dear to him in this world? His one reason for living? He tried so hard to hold on to his consciousness, but he lost the battle. He, too, went limp and they both crashed over onto the concrete floor.