Will You Dance To This Beat?

Tom’s POV

You know, that night I saw Cassie at the club was a real eye opener for me. It showed me how much I missed her as a good friend, how much I didn’t know about her and how much she actually meant to me. I knew she was a friend, but I didn’t realise that being with Jessica had stretched that.

I like Jessica, I really do. She is really the best girlfriend a guy could have. She is gorgeous, she is kind, she likes to have a good time and is over all a nice person. I am so glad I met her, I am so glad she is mine. I mean, she is really, really great. She helped me out so much when my car broke down- which I have only just had fixed.

I don’t know why Jessica wouldn’t come to the club with me that night, she just didn’t want to. I had a good night though; I danced with Cass for a while after her big show. She was amazing then. I had no idea she danced. I had no idea she had that much confidence. I didn’t know anything about her it seemed. She was dancing so close to that guy it looked like they were a couple, I must have looked so stupid since he was gay. Her hair looked amazing that red colour.

After that night Cass and I were closer as friends again. We talked more and we saw each other out of work more. We made Wednesday afternoon, after her finishing college, our time to go to the cinema. We went every Wednesday to see a film. It was a good tradition to do it; well it lasted for a couple of months. Then it got really hectic for her and we stopped. It was fun while it lasted.

During work we chatted more. We actually used to muck about quite a lot. It was quite competitive actually. We had this game where we would see who could get the most tips in a night and serve the most tables and stupid stuff like that. It got us both raises, which I couldn’t complain about. We had fun at work; it was quite funny teasing her actually. I would mess up her hair or something, saying it looked better windswept and then she would glare at me and sort it out. We just laughed about it in the end and carried on with work.

We both had loads of people comment on us. How they thought we were a couple, or should be. They said we had ‘chemistry’ or ‘a connection’. I just laughed it off every time and said I had a girlfriend. The customers often let it go and laughed with me. Every time it would be mentioned, the next five minutes would be spent with me thinking about it and then thinking about Jessica and the thought would disappear.

Cass became really popular at work, especially after the hair cut she had. It looked amazing on her. All the guys working flirted with her constantly but she always laughed it off. She knew it was only harmless and it would pass eventually. She went through a stage of it being a purple colour but went back to red after. I don’t know why she dyed it purple but she did. It still looked nice though.

One day I came into work and Cass wasn’t there. I guessed she was just ill. She never misses work; she must be ill or something. I didn’t bother to ask anyone, there wasn’t much point. I went through work as usual, slightly bored. I went in the next day and she was not in either. Maybe she was really ill. I mean, it was the winter and people are known to get the flu and such. I continued with work as normal and was slightly bored yet again.

The next week she still was not back. This is odd. Maybe she is on holiday. That would be nice for her. She didn’t mention anything to me so it might not be that. Maybe she had mentioned it to me, if she didn’t I wasn’t listening. I missed work with Cass, she made it funny. She made it fun.

Meanwhile with Jess everything was amazing. We had been together six months and I couldn’t ask for anything more. She is the most amazing person alive; I really think I do love her. She is such a great person, and I really mean it. I love being with her, I treasure all the time I am with her. It is just, well great.

The next week Cassie still was not in. I needed to ask someone why. Three weeks is too long to be away for. I did this, I asked Ryan. Ryan told me where she was. She was in America. She had moved- to freaking America. To be exact, she had moved to LA. Her had had been offered a job there and she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to move to America. It was one of her plans, to move to America. She has done it, she has made it.

Why didn’t she tell me?

When Ryan told me I felt sick. I don’t know why, i just did. I can’t believe she has moved country and not told me. She must have moved ages ago, at least two weeks ago. I would have noticed if she had moved, her face book would have said something. Now that I think about it, she hasn’t posted in a while. It must be true. I checked it with others and they all agreed.

Cassie was gone.

I felt really sad when I found out. I mean really sad. I felt sick, I felt confused and I felt lonely. Cass was one of my best friends and she has just left. She didn’t tell me but she told everyone else. That is nice of her. I was annoyed at her, but couldn’t stay that way. This annoyed me.

I continued working as normal; maybe I was a little less happy than usual. It was boring without her. This time at least I had something to occupy my mind with, why did she leave without telling me? I continued working, chatting a bit to everyone else but nothing was the same. It was boring. It was like work before she came.

When I got home, my mother questioned it. I just said it was nothing, she didn’t believe me.

No matter how hard I tried I could not stress enough it was nothing. It was far from nothing really. I tried to look happy for everyone else, that didn’t work either.

When I saw Jessica, she asked about it. I said it was nothing and she didn’t believe me. I was happy enough, just not my usual happiness. She got it out of me. She found out I missed Cassie who left without telling me. She supported me and listened to me but she told me to forget about her. She said Cass was not worth knowing if she wouldn’t say goodbye. She was far from right. Cass was my best friend; she was so fun to be around. She was gorgeous, and kind, and generally a nice person. She was also pretty much a genius and extremely talented.

She was my best friend and she just left.

I week or so later she posted on Facebook. I looked at the post and she seemed pretty happy about being in America. Maybe it was just me who was missing her. I looked at her profile picture and it was her with her long red hair standing out LAX. She looked really happy and I was happy for her.

I missed her, that is all.

I decided to email her, ask her how she is and stuff. I asked her why she didn’t tell me she was moving. When I got the reply, I felt a tear come down my cheek, swerving in and out of the contours of my face. I wasn’t ready for that.

Hey Tom. I am good thanks, how are you? Have you been up to much?
Well, I don’t know exactly how to say this next bit. I wondered how long it would take for you to notice I was gone, a little game like the tips game lol. Well my dad told me and I couldn’t miss the opportunity, it was LA for god’s sake. When he told me he secured the job and everything I was so happy but we were moving the next week. I was thinking it through about how I could tell everyone so decided against it. I only told people I thought would want to know. I had no idea how to tell you, I didn’t want to. You would have found some way of making me stay or would have caused me to want to stay and making it harder to leave. I thought if I told the rest of work, keeping it from you, they could tell you when you asked where I was. It was easier on me and it was mean. Think of it as a goodbye game from me in a way; I am so sorry I couldn’t tell you face to face, I didn’t know how at all. America is amazing though, I love it here. I have quite a few friends already; I have a job and something else on the side. It isn’t anything big but it will do. You will love it here, believe me. How is it going with Jessica? Is it all good between you two? It was last time I checked, I hope you guys are still going strong. I really miss working with you, it isn’t the same really. I miss everyone at work too surprisingly, ha ha, I do wish I could come back sometimes. It is amazing here though.
I really miss you Tom, it is so weird not having someone make my hair ‘windswept’ :P ha ha. I hope you are well and stuff, hope to see you again someday. When I say I miss you, I really do mean I miss you. Love Cassie xxx

That email did get to me. I get what she meant now; I would try and make her stay. I hate losing people, she knew that. It was the easiest for her. I pushed my hair back and put my head down on my keyboard causing it to make a loud noise and make me jump.

I need to reply to the email.

I really miss Cassie.

I cannot believe she is gone. I have lost my best friend, well one of them. She was an amazing person though. Well she is an amazing person.

I really, really miss Cassie. I just want her back.

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One month later

I turned on the tele and MTV came on. It is obvious that my brother has been watching it. I was going up the channels, looking for Kerrang! When I saw someone in the music video that looked familiar. I saw bright red hair with a full fringe. It could be anyone; she probably doesn’t even have that hair cut anymore.

I couldn’t stop myself from watching the music video though. It was the video for a singer called Jamie Spings or something. I wasn’t too keen on the song myself, it was okay. It was about a girl on a night out with her friends and seeing one of her guy friends. I kept watching the video and the main dancer in the middle of the dance floor in this part of the video looked really familiar. I kept watching and paused it when it was on her face.

It was Cassie.

She had done well; she is in a freaking music video. Seeing her face, how she had changed slightly, living in America, made me want to see her again. Well good for her, she made it. She has an amazing life now.

I really do miss her.
I just want her back.