Remember Me

Just past 6 p.m., the Glenwood Heights High School soccer team finished their final practice for the big game on Friday. The team exited the field and waved bye to each other. Casey and her two friends made their way over to the bike rack. The girls talked about prom on Saturday and who was going with whom. Sabrina felt a jab in her arm from Jocelyn. Jocelyn pointed at their friend Casey, standing beside her bike in silence. “Hey, earth to Casey!!” Sabrina said, waving her hand in front of Casey’s face. “Huh? Oh, sorry, Rina. What were you asking?” Sabrina put her slim hands on her hips and tilted her head. Her long blonde ponytail fell to the side. “Casey, you have been spacing off all day today!” Jocelyn chimes in, “Yeah! What’s eating you, girl?” “My dad called me last night.” Sabrina’s blue eyes widen at the mention of my father. Jocelyn’s hair stood on the back of her African neck. They looked around as if the boogeyman was about to pop out of the bushes near their bicycles. They huddled closer towards Casey. Jocelyn spoke softly, “Yo, for real?” Sabrina leaned closer to Casey, “After all these years? Why?” Casey shook her head. She climbs on her bike. “I don’t know. He didn’t say much.” Her friends followed suit. They were getting on their bikes. Jocelyn said, “What did he want?” “He said he was sorry and wanted to know how I was doing.” Sabrina huffed, “After ten years, THAT’S what he had to say?!!!” “Yeah. It was bizarre.” Jocelyn said, shrugging, “Maybe he wants to make amends for you and your brother?” Sabrina scoffed, “Yeah, right. More like he is in trouble again and needs help.” Jocelyn slaps Sabrina on the shoulder and points to Casey’s sobered face. “Or maybe he wanted to make up with his soon-to-be eighteen-year-old daughter?!” Sabrina looked over at Casey, then smiled. “Of course. Jo is right, Cass, never mind what I was saying. Hey, how about we have fun?!” Casey looked at her two best friends and smiled. “Karaoke?” The two girls smiled and nodded. The three girls peddled over to the local Karaoke place. As they were peddling, they went by an old house. Jocelyn was getting a phone call from her mom. They climbed off their bikes. Sabrina and Casey looked through the gated face door that was over ten feet tall. The house was old and abandoned for twelve years. The roof looked like the shingles were almost completely gone. The wooded front porch was all rotted. Vines and weeds overgrew the place. Even the metal bars the girls were holding looked weak. Casey looked through the bars and said, “This place looks so creepy.” Sabrina nodded, “I heard that a family was murdered in that place. Kyle said that this place was cursed.” Casey laughed, “Kyle says a lot of stupid s**t. This place isn’t cursed. It’s just abandoned.” As Casey looked at the place, she said, “Though, I wouldn’t mind owning it.” “What?! Are you nuts?! There could be rats!!!” Sabrina said, walking backward. She screamed when Jocelyn poked her in the ribs. Casey and Jocelyn laughed. “Is everything alright with your mom, Jo?” Casey said as Sabrina smacked Jocelyn in the shoulder. Jocelyn laughed, rubbing her shoulder. She hugged Sabrina. “Sorry, Rina.” Sabrina smiled and played punched in Jocelyn’s stomach. “It’s cool, Jo. Seriously though, everything cool?” “Nope. Momma Bear is calling Baby Bear home. Papa Bear is on the prowl with Tacos. So, something big must be happening. Sorry, cubs, going to have to get a rain check.” Sabrina and Casey looked at each other. Jo’s dad was the sheriff of their town. He usually wanted Jo home if something terrible happened and would bring “comfort food.” “It’s cool, Jo. We’ll hang out tomorrow.” Casey smiled. “Let us know if it’s something big and juicy,” Sabrina said with a sly grin. “Yeah, you know it. Later, babes.” Jocelyn said, peddling off. Sabrina and Casey shrugged at each other. They resumed their journey to the Karaoke Café. The place was its usual emptiness. It was next to the gas station, a block from the police station. The owner there was Kyle, a good friend of the girls and the town’s legendary storyteller. He smiled when the girls came in. “Hey girls!! How was practice?” The girls nodded. Sabrina smiled and leaned over the counter. “Any new stories for us, O Great Master of Stories?!” Kyle was a college student. He inherited the Karaoke Café from his late uncle. When his uncle passed, Kyle moved back into our small town. He was in his first year of college when he heard the news about his uncle. He switched to online classes and would help the girls with homework from time to time. He became good friends with Sabrina through her father, a banker who helped set the place up for Kyle in the first place. Sabrina has a significant crush on Kyle. Casey smiled as she watched Kyle and Sabrina talk. Kyle smiled and said, “No new stories for today. However, I got some new tunes for you guys to try. Where’s Jo?” Casey spoke, “Papa bear called his cub home.” Sabrina laughed. “With big bear tacos!” They all laughed. Kyle handed the girls the key to their usual room number 13. “Here you go, I will order my favorite girls their favorite pizza and soda! Have fun!!” The girls thanked Kyle and went to their room. As they passed room ten, they heard an alluring voice sing. They couldn’t see through the frosted glass. But they did see the outline of someone tall and thin. The girls went into their room. Sabrina sat on the couch with her mouth hanging open. “Did you hear that voice?! It was so beautiful!!” “Yeah, I heard it! I never heard that song before. Anyway, what do you want to sing to?” Casey said, standing in front of the touchscreen music jukebox. “Oh yeah! I want to do a Lady Gaga one!” “Again? We did one last time. You must love her. What about Nikki Minaj?” Sabrina pouted at Casey. Casey sighed, “Okay, which Lady Gaga do you want?” Sabrina smiled and cheered. “Rain on Me!!” Casey smiled at her friend's enthusiasm. “Alright. Let’s do it!” The two girls laughed and sang for over an hour until a call was on the room’s phone. Sabrina answered it and smiled. She hung up and turned to Casey. “Food’s ready! I am going to grab it! I’ll be right back!!” Casey smiled and nodded. She watched her friend shut the door behind her. Then, Casey went on her phone. She saw new messages from her dad. He was asking how she was doing, so she replied. I am doing okay, Dad. How are you doing? He responded in an instant. I am fine, sweetie. I miss you and Roger so much. I was thinking about your mother too. How is she? Casey became furious. She and her little brother, Roger, live with Aunt Darla. They have been living with her for six years now. Her mother was placed in a sanitorium because her father was divorcing her!!! She has been there for six years!!! This is why Casey and her brother are living with Aunt Darla. How could he have forgotten that?! Casey threw her phone at the pillow on the other couch. Just then, Casey heard a voice in the doorway. “Hey. Are you okay?” Casey looked up, and a tall, skinny man was staring at her. He had tan skin and dark green eyes. His red hair was short but long enough to be pulled back in a ponytail. He wore a black buttoned-down polo shirt, grey skinny jeans, and a metal chain for a belt. He looked like they were the same age, yet she did not know who he was. He had a metal cross on a metal chain necklace. He had black studs all along his ears. Casey stared at him for a few minutes, then gasped at her rudeness. “I am so sorry, I was lost in thought. I am fine, thank you.” He leaned against the doorframe. “Got problems?” Casey smiled, “Yeah. What about you?” He shrugged. “Yeah. I needed a break. I was walking by and heard you crying. Here I am anyway.” Casey chuckled and pointed at her phone, “My dad pissed me off.” “Oh, gotcha. I hear that. I got parent issues, too.” Casey looked over at this strange man. “Forgive me if I come off rude, but who are you?” “Oh, right. Sorry.” He got off the doorframe and rubbed his neck. “I’m Cadence.” “Hi, I’m Casey. Would you like to share a pizza with me and my friend?” Just then, Sabrina cleared her throat behind Cadence. “Hi, I would be the friend. I’m Sabrina.” Cadence moved out of the way. “Nice to meet you. I want to hang out with you, Casey. But if my boss found out, I ditched him. I would be in deep shit.” Casey laughed. Sabrina stared in disbelief. They watched Cadence leave. “Who was that?!” Sabrina said. “He was the alluring voice in room ten.”