After All These Years

"Hey do you guys have any reeds left for alto saxophones?" Cassandra looked up and met the eyes of a young teenager wearing a saxophone around her neck.

"Oh yeah, we do, want me to show you where?" Cassandra asked.

"Yes please! Mine is all worn out, and i have a concert tomorrow. Ugh, high school band sucks, i can't wait to get out." said the girl.

"Oh, no, just you wait, life is much harder outside of high school. You'll be begging to go back once you're out." Cassandra said smiling. The girl looked at her, shocked. Cassandra picked the reeds and made the girl choose.

"Really, i don't want to imagine anything harder than high school. Thank you, by the way." said the girl.

"No prob hun, it's my job! You're the only customer i've had all day!" Cass said ringing up the girl. She paid and walked out.

Cass couldn't help but feel a little lonely, there were hardly and customers around lately. She decided to text Mark and see how he was doing.

Boo! I'm bored and lonely, what're you doing?

It had been two days since they last saw each other. Her phone buzzed and she excitedly picked it up.

New Message from Marky boy! her phone showed her. She opened it and read the message

Same! It's dry at work today, no one is here for me to flirt with! How are you, love?

Cassandra rolled her eyes at her best friend. Whata man whore. she thought to herself. She missed his presence. Two days was just too long.

Come see me when you can, i miss you oh so much. she replied.

Another buzz, she checked. Tell me the time and i'll be there bubz. I miss you Cassiekins. I need my daily dose of cute.

She texted him the time she got out of work, surprisingly it was the same time as him. They decided to meet up at her house right after work. Cassie had only one hour left for work, time was going to go by so slowly.

*

"Matt, what are you talking about?! Talk to me!" Val said as she banged on the door. Matt was in the studio trying to write his music and drown out the liar he once knew as the love of his life. Val was crying. She knew she fucked up, she loved Matt just as much as he loved her. She didn't know why she did it. She was lonely when he was on tour. She met this knew guy that gave her the attention she craved. She was happy when she was with him, but she was happy with Matt too.

What the fuck do i do? she thought to herself. She decided to call her sister Michelle. This would be the first time her sister would be hearing of this type of news. Her sister picked up. "Mich, i really fucked up, i don't know what to do anymore! He won't let me in to talk to him!" Val cried.

"What? What's happening?" Michelle asked.

"Matt. He locked himself in the studio. He shut me out, Michelle, i fucked up! I can't fix it anymore." Val said.

"What did you do Val?" Michelle asked.

"I cheated. And i'm in love with them both! I don't know what to do!" Val said feeling herself sob even harder.

~

Matt could hear her from inside the room. He didn't want to hear her cry, but he knew they were over, they were both just prolonging the inevitable. He felt bad but he was hurt too. He never cheated on Val, though he had many opportunities, he was always faithful. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. She was in love with both of them. No, fuck that he though. If she was in love with me and loved me, she wouldn't have done that no matter how bad it was for her. His heart grew cold at that moment. He decided to block her out even further.

~

"Val, how could you do that to Matt! He was always good to you and you know that. I can't believe this right now, what do you want me to say? That it's okay and you're gonna get back together? No. I won't sugar coat your selfishness. You let Matt go. He can-" Michelle was cut of by Val's cry.

"No! I can't i love him!" She argued.

"Yes, you already did! If you loved him as much as you said, you would have never even thought of doing that to him. You should be ashamed of yourself. Val, i am your sister, i will always take your side for anything but this. You know what the right thing to do is. You chose the second guy the day you cheated. Let Matt go. He deserves better." Michelle said and then hung up. Val slumped on to the floor and cried. She had a lot to think about now.

She got up and wiped her tears. "Matt, I am so sorry. I know you don't want me here right now. I'll leave. I will talk to you later okay, I'm so sorry." she said as she got up and took her keys, a couple of clothes and her bag. She drove away and went to the only place she knew she could go. His house.
*
Matt couldn’t concentrate on his music. He felt like shit. He called up Jimmy.

“Dude, get me the fuck out of this house. I can’t be here right now.” Matt said frustratedly.

“Woah man, what happened? Want me to come pick you up with the guys or something?” Jimmy asked. He had never heard Matt sound like this before.

“Yeah, man. I don’t wanna drive. I just wanna get fucked up.” Matt said.

Thirty minutes later, the guys showed up at Matt’s door. He walked out the door, not even looking back. Matt got into the car and they already knew the place they were going. The bar.
The car was silent, no one knowing what happened, just wondering. Jimmy told them that Matt sounded distraught and eager to leave. “Val cheated.”

The guys didn’t know what to say. They were quiet.

Finally, Jimmy spoke up. “Man, I’m sorry. I know you did all you could. What’s gonna happen now?”

“I don’t even know. She left to who knows where. She was talking to Michelle, I don’t know what she said. I don’t even care. I knew she was fucking someone behind my back, I thought maybe she would stop; she never did. She said she’s in love with us both. Fuck that man. If she loved me, she wouldn’t have done it.” Matt said getting angrier.

“Don’t worry man, you deserve better. Val will see that she fucked up and it’ll be too late. She’ll get her karma.” Zacky said.

As they got closer to the bar, Matt was eager to get shit faced.