Cremated Chains.

Chapter Sixteen: Can't Catch a Break.

"And then we went onto the rollercoaster, and during the second round of the ride, we kissed."

Valerie's fond smile as she retold the story was cut off by Raina's loud squeal, causing Cassidy to share a look with the storyteller. People all across the coffee shop glanced their way, some sending them dirty looks while others opted for bemused smiles as Valerie profusely apologized for the disturbance, sending a timid smile at the waitress glancing their way.

"Keep it up and you'll get us kicked out."

A group of girls beside the trio laughed at Raina's outburst, drowning out Cassidy's hastily formed chastises.

"Oh hush, my best friends getting together is a good enough reason to be happy."

Valerie smiled, deciding to indulge in the topic she had been mulling over for quite some time.

"About that-"

This diverted Raina and Cassidy's attention to their third friend, their little spar being cut off.

"I'm not quite sure whether being with someone is such a good idea. I mean, sure I know Tim and he's a great guy, but I can't help but feel awkward going out with someone I've known for a year."

Raina smiled at this, reaching for her friend's hand.

"Then don't."

At this, the three friends laughed, expecting some sort of sentimental speech rather than a simple reply.

Cassidy chose to let her eyes linger over the cafe, allowing Raina and Valerie to discuss topics they were familiar with.

Throughout the past three weeks, there were many moments when the blue-eyed brunette would be excluded from her friends' conversations, their topics of interest being recollections of past experiences or talks regarding people she was unfamiliar with.

Cassidy didn't mind, she understood they were more familiar with each other than her, and they would require a few more months of friendship from her to form a bond strong enough for her to be allowed to indulge in secrets, stories of their past, and nonsense gossip with them.

However, sometimes, when she would let her feet trail a little slower, and her gait lessen to a leisurely prowl as her friends walked ahead, Cassidy would reminisce on her own group of friends.

People like Gabriella, the fiery dancer with a knack for literature, or Tanya, who had always stuck by her. She had to admit she felt bad about not contacting them after moving to St Briston, but Cassidy couldn't help but have the urge to cut off everything to do with Lonam City, including her old friends.

However, at times like these Cassidy missed her past friends and wished she hadn't cut off everybody to forget about that city and the memories clung to it.

But it was necessary, for her sake; mentally and physically.

Glazed over eyes passed over the homely brown flooring and beige walls, the colourful posters promoting new products and exuberant outfits catching her eye. Her gaze scanned the showcase filled to the brim with baked goodies, finally tapping into the heavenly scents surrounding Cassidy's lithe form.

Whether it be freshly ground coffee with a side of deep-fried doughnuts or soft, chocolaty brownies and mouth-watering cakes, Angel Bakery was the place to go if you required good food and good company.

Each table was set up with a menu card as a plastic sheet holder covered in motivational quotes. The cream table cloths and dark chairs pleasantly contrasted against one another, much like the dark blue and striking white of their uniforms.

With a glance at her phone, Cassidy was promptly made aware of the delay in their schedule and wavering tardiness threatening to swallow them if they chose to remain at their current location.

"Guys-" once again the young brunette cut off a burst of friendly banter transpiring between her friends, gathering her supplies and queuing them to follow along.

"If we stay any longer we'll be late for Biology. You know how Mrs Benz gets."

At this each girl nodded, well aware of their teacher's reprimanding behaviour from prior experiences with the squat, toad-like lady.

"I need to offer my prayers!"

Raina's proclamation evoked a series of giggles from the gaggle of girls, drawing an exasperated retort from Raina as they packed up each other's belongings while Valerie approached the cash counter to settle their bill. When all was done and each of them made sure they possessed the belongings they arrived with (along with a few extra treats) they headed out the store, a bustling city awaiting them.

Cars raced past the green stop sign, the blaring neon light blinking to alert them for their impending cessation to their destination. Whilst the group of friends tapped their toes and softly conversed amongst themselves, a crisp surge descended onto their backs, making them aware of the new group of people exiting the cafe.

A flash of lights and change in colour allowed the trio to continue their walk back towards their school, having only ten minutes to spare before the end of lunch. Students were allowed off-campus for the breaks as long as they only travelled to and from the bakery and fast food shops right across Briston High.

"When do you think you'll be done with your English project, Cass?"

Cassidy quickly glanced to and fro her friends and the road, replying curtly.

"I know what I'm going to write for the conclusion, I just need to get it over with. So probably in two days, maybe even three."

At this Valerie's face was painted in a deep shade of shock, her hair flapping onto her shoulder to aid her green eyes in scrutinizing her friend.

"You're kidding!"

"Of course she's not, Val. I already finished my assignment last weekend. You do realize you have to get it done by Thursday."

At this the blonde girl's eyes narrowed, her gaze switching from one friend to the other.

"Next Thursday, right?"

Cassidy and Raina let out a laugh, the tinkling sounds alerting their friend to her unfortunate misunderstanding.

"Oh, you guys have got to help me! I can't possibly get it done in time, I have half the body and the conclusion remaining."

Raina frowned, her lack of availability evident.

"Sorry Val, I'm not allowed to go out for the remainder of this month. I already asked too much from my parents by attending your get together and the carnival."

The Hawaiin's eager gaze switched from the innocent Arab to the British-Italian onto her other side, awaiting an assertive response.

"I can't either, Alex wouldn't allow me to leave the house so much, especially all of a sudden."

A groan and a hefty claim of traitorous behaviour strummed out of Valerie's mouth as they reached the school, each of them picking up their languid pace.

"How about we video call instead? That way Raina and I can help you while having an excuse to ensure you don't cheat off of us."

A cheeky grin and faux offended look were sent Cassidy's way as the blonde looped her arms around the two brunettes, a thankful response at the tip of her tongue. However, their topics were diverted as Raina quickly glanced up from something from her phone.

"Tim called Val, he said the court trials won't let up until five o'clock so he's definitely not showing up to school today."

Cassidy's eyebrows furrowed at her claims, questioning the reason behind the trials as Valerie apologized for her delay in informing the brunette girls.

"You didn't hear? His dad was sent to rehab and they're deciding where Tim and Aurora will go now. That's why he had to skip."

At this Cassidy smiled, happy for her friend's relief from his toxic father. Apparently, the Duponts had been going through a lot after their mother's passing, and their father turning to alcohol didn't help matters.

The girls simultaneously talked and waltzed towards the school's front gates, walking in and greeting Ms Linda, the receptionist, while mulling over their friend's predicament.

Blue eyes dilated in pity as Cassidy pondered over what he had to go through, the brunette skater had been well aware of Timothy's unfortunate circumstances after his mother's passing, but she hadn't been aware of the severity of the situation.

Nevertheless, she bid her friends goodbye as they each split ways when they reached the main corridor. Raina rushed off to offer her prayers, and Valerie had a meeting with the sports captain regarding her duties, which left Cassidy to walk down the hallway and towards the corridor clad in lockers all by herself, the pale blue and green lockers stacked three at a time finally seeming familiar.

They hadn't been graced with the full-length pink lockers the year eleven and twelve students used, the teachers presuming the medium-sized rectangles were enough for a year ten student, but Cassidy was happy with what they had.

As her blue eyes traced the lockers, her pupil widened as it zeroed in on the green one adorned with 'good vibes only' and red heart-shaped stickers. The reason for her surprise was quite simple: the locker hanging open with a boy skimming through its contents happened to be hers.

With a start Cassidy gasped as Cameron's familiar face popped out from the metal contraption, his skinny arms following as the boy trekked down the hallway and out of sight.

What was he doing?

The question was followed by a series of profuse accusations, each being deflated by a nonchalant 'he must've returned' followed by an insignificant object. Sharp clicks echoed around the sparsely populated corridor as Cassidy strolled towards her locker, an olive hand spinning in the combination.

Everything seemed in place, and the teenager's mind settled into a state of euphoria and tranquillity, but that was before she glimpsed the familiar black and white notebook at the back of her locker.

"Boo!"

Cassidy jumped up in surprise, whirling around with her hand clutching her homework journal to be greeted by Cameron's cheeky grin and comically arched hands.

"Don't do that!"

Regardless of the exclamation, the two friends laughed, her shocked expression changing into an easy grin as Cassidy turned back towards her locker, flipping open her backpack to reach for her textbook.

"Where did you find my notebook? I've been searching for it everywhere!"

The brunette noticed Cameron leaning onto the lockers beside her through her peripheral vision, sending him an expectant look while she awaited an answer.

"You forgot it yesterday during the assembly, I would've texted you that I had the notebook if you provided me with your phone number."

Her bashful smile was emphasized by the slam of her locker as Cassidy moved towards the greater part of the hallway, Cameron following right after. It was true she had refrained from providing him with her phone number, but she had done so for every other person in their group too, choosing to instead communicate with them through i********:.

"In my defence, you could have asked Val or Raina for my i********: details."

The curly-haired brunette pouted at this, picking up his pace to walk right beside her.

"I don't have i********:, I deleted my account."

Cassidy simply smiled at him kindly, promising to provide some sort of contact details as they continued their trek to the Biology classroom. Or more specifically, the classroom with an impolite, snappy teacher.

A content groan echoed around the white and brown bedroom, eradicating the reign of silence that had settled upon Cassidy's bedroom for the greater part of the past two hours.

The peculiar sound was followed by a series of pops and cracks as the brunette proprietor twisted numerous ways, releasing her back from its stiff position caused by her lack of movement as Cassidy typed away on her laptop, only pausing to hydrate and munch on a snack.

However, the arduous task had paid off as her gaze lingered over the complete body and conclusion of her assignment currently sifting out of the printer, the sight of neat pages adorned with perfectly typed words making her smile broaden.

"Finally!"

The cry was followed by a happy whoop as she swiftly played some music, humming along to the upbeat rhythm as she reached for the clear blue bottle beside her lamp, swallowing down big gulps of water.

Her jovial mood continued as Cassidy packed away her supplies, safely placing the freshly printed sheets of paper into her clear folder dedicated to homework.

When all was done, Cassidy reached for the white and black notebook dedicated to important school functions, announcements and due dates for homework and projects.

She paid the monochrome cover no heed as olive fingers sifted through full pages, finally stopping at the partially blank page dedicated to the English assignment.

The skater had presumed she would take the greater part of two days to complete the assignment, but she had underestimated her dedication and skill for the task, choosing to spend hours in the soft yet stiff chair to complete her homework and get it over with.

A satisfied smile coated her face as Cassidy quickly scribbled a 'done' beside the due date, adding the location to her homework alongside the note.

She was ready to return the book to its previous location, but an envelope slipping out of the back cover ceased her motions. The envelope looked awfully familiar as her blue eyes settled upon it, noticing the familiar patterns around its border.

With trembling hands Cassidy held the envelope, her eyes glazing over with unshed tears. The sudden melancholy was due to the note's location rather than the paper itself, for only one person held that notebook after her.

Shock and anguish ran through her system as her brain lagged in processing the information splayed out before her. Cassidy's mind raced from one idea to the next, each thought echoing phrases akin to its predecessor. She attempted to convince herself that her mind was racing to conclusions, but failed miserably.

One thing was certain, Cassidy hadn't possessed any notes when the book was with her, and only Cameron had the journal after that.

She could attempt to convince herself otherwise, to forget about the little incident repeating in her mind like a broken record, but in the end, wishes were wishes, and the sour reality couldn't be omitted. Tears brimmed her eyes as she yanked the slip of paper closer to her form, reading over the words.

You shouldn't have ignored our advice,

The consequences won't be nice.

Can you save him in time,

Or will his body be riddled with water and grime?

Her mind hadn't quite moved on from its new discoveries, causing her to push the note's contents to the back of her head as she contemplated the betrayal.

Cameron was the helper, how is that possible?

The logical part of her mind argued the brunette couldn't have been the blonde in the car the day she was kidn*pped, but her paranoid mind came up with excuses of hair dye and wigs, each seeming more probable than the last. A minute passed before she realized the severity of her situation.

Or more specifically, Timothy's impending doom.

A sigh escaped her parted lips as she read over the note once again, her brain reminiscing on the place the note referred to and her revelation to it.

The chilly autumn air sprayed Cassidy's hair out the window as she sang along to the pop song on the radio, a smile coating her face as she gazed at Raina before once again admiring the landscape around them. Cameron had promised they would reach the carnival and return home in time, yet the oath didn't stop him from leading her to a rivulet a little ways from the park.

However, she didn't mind, taking pleasure in the little detours in their journey. When the tires slowed and gradually ceased their motion, Cassidy glanced at the forest beside her, hesitance running through her form. The last time she had stepped into a forest, Cassidy had been kidn*pped, and even though she was close to her friends, she wouldn't go into a forest. Regardless of their good motives.

"Come on Cass, it's fine."

"No it's-" She cut herself off, sighing and turning away.

There weren't a lot of ways she could convince them to let her be in the car, but Cassidy felt weirdly comfortable in revealing a part of her past to Raina and Cameron.

"Look, something happened after my father's death."

Her two friends paused at the statement, looking at one another before looking back at Cassidy with small smiles and encouraging nods.

"I was kidn*pped from a forest, and I refuse to walk in one. I know you have good intentions but-"

"What if I drive inside?"

Raina furrowed her eyebrows at Cameron's suggestion, choosing to state the obvious.

"Your car won't fit."

At this, Cameron pouted, choosing to behave akin to a child as he requested for them to tag along by foot. After a series of skilful tactics, Cassidy's answer remained the same, prompting him to instead drive around to the back of the natural reserve, allowing her a view to the rivulet.

"Wow."

The spectacle wasn't much and would've been overlooked by any passer-by, but Cassidy was quite a nature freak and loved to gaze at such sights.

"Valerie and I would host capture the flag games over here last year, causing Raina and Timothy to come out here and participate with us."

He shifted the gear before completely looking at them, Cameron's undivided attention allowing him to avidly gaze at his friends as he spoke.

"Every time Valerie and Raina would hide their flag somewhere around here, and Timothy would try to find it by searching in each tree trunk. Somehow they were smart enough to hide it in a place we couldn't find even while knowing the general area."

Cassidy turned to Raina, curious as to what the hiding spot was.

"We would hide it underwater!"

She laughed at this, smiling as she fondly gazed at the water body.

"How is that possible?"

"We would take the flag and stuff it into that log over there-" Raina pinpointed a log halfway underwater, one that was perfect for a hiding spot, "-and we would ring out the flag before getting it to them at the end so they wouldn't have a clue to its location."

Cassidy smiled at this, complimenting her friend's wits. All was quiet as they gazed at the natural reserve, soaking in the chirping birds and dashing squirrels, the majestic trees and folded vines. Finally, Cameron broke the silence with a dejected sigh.

"Timothy was the one to introduce us to this spot. After his mom died, none of us wanted to come here anymore. And his dad started drinking to cope with her death, making our memories of this place bittersweet."

Cassidy stayed silent as Cameron revealed Timothy's past, frowning as she realized she wasn't the only one in their group who had lost a parent.

"It's alright I know a-"

A slam woke her up from the memory, making Cassidy's eyes return from the glazed stupor and turn towards the window on the other end of her room.

Blue eyes zeroed in on Alexandra's form clutching car keys and her phone as she exited the house. For a moment she didn't notice her younger sister, but as Alex glanced at her from the front door of the Cadillac, a questioning gaze was sent her way, one that Cassidy shrugged off and replied to with a fake smile.

Initially, she presumed the note indicated something would happen to Cameron, but it seemed Timothy was more connected to that place. With his family's court trials taking place, Cassidy presumed her kidnapper would find a way to make everything seem normal.

A quick prayer was sent up to her god as Cassidy prayed for him to be safe, unaware of his current condition or the menaces he was facing.

Her mind was made up as she walked around her room, reaching for a fresh set of clothes and hurriedly slipping them on before racing out her room door, her phone clutched in her right palm.

Cassidy wouldn't let another person get hurt because of her.