Nothing But Dust In The Shadows

Alex

“Alex.” Cassie called as she reached the bottom of the stairs with two small rucksacks twenty minutes later.

“Yeah?” Alex stood up from the couch and headed into the hallway.

“What am I going to do with Max?” She questioned, looking down at the young dog that was gazing up at her with huge, adorable, confused eyes, “Jason’s not going to be back for another two days and my mom is allergic to dogs,”

He scratched his head thoughtfully and looked down at Max, “Um, I don’t know- Can you give him to one of your sisters or your brother?”

“They all live really far away and Jason won’t go and get him,” Cassie leaned down and stroked the dog’s head gently, “I can’t go and leave him for two days until Jason gets back,” She spoke thoughtfully, “I’ll take him next door and see if they’ll take care of him for a bit. Um... Could you throw these in the car while I go?”

“Sure,” He nodded, reaching out to take the two bags she was holding out for him. He almost laughed at the slight blush that tinted her cheeks as their fingers brushed against each other’s during the bag exchange. She sent him a small smile before heading out of the front.

Alex put both bags in one hand and followed her outside, being careful not to let Max out, as he got the car keys out of his pocket. He put her bags into the back of the car beside his own then glanced over at the brunette that was talking to her elderly next door neighbour.

A second or two later, Cassie returned to her home and Alex sent her an expectant look as his eyebrows rose. He was leaning against the car with his arms folded across his chest.

“She said she’ll look after him until Jason gets back,” Cassie answered his unasked question.

“Cool,”

“I just have to get some food and stuff and take him over then we can go,” She added.

“Do you need any help?” He offered.

She shook her head, “I’m fine, thanks,”

Five minutes later, Cassie walked over to next door with Max and a few of his things that Alex had to help with.

“He’s only going over there for two days, Cassie,” Alex laughed as he juggled with a soft dog’s bed, three cans of dog food and two rather large chew toys.

“I know but he’s going to need all this stuff,” Cassie replied, holding Max’s lead tightly with one hand and his food and water bowls with the other.

“Does he really need the chew toys?” He countered as he quirked an eyebrow.

“They’re his favourites,” She sent him a look that showed how much she cared about the animal and was reluctant to leave him and Alex was sympathetic for her.

He smiled at her, “Alright then,”

Cassie knocked on the front door and waited for an answer before eventually handing the lighter of Max’s things over to her neighbour and placing the bed inside.

“So, where are you headed off to?” The lady asked with a small smile.

Cassie glanced back at Alex before shrugging, “I’m not sure- Just anywhere but here, I guess,”

“Well, have a good time, I’ll take care of Max and I’m sure my son won’t mind walking him,” She replied.

“Thank you very much for this- I’ll make sure Jason gets him when he comes back,” The brunette kneeled down in front of the dog whose tail wagged slightly, “See you soon, Maxi,” She murmured to him, cuddling him briefly and petting his head, “Be good,”

Alex smiled to himself as he saw how much Cassie actually loved her dog. He empathised.

Cassie handed the lead over to her neighbour and thanked her one last time before turning to head back to her house.

“Cassie?” Alex reached out as he followed behind her and gently touched her arm to get her attention.

“Yeah?” She replied meekly, glancing over her shoulder for a brief second.

He caught up to her so he could see her face, “Are you alright with leaving him?” She nodded vaguely, “Are you sure?”

She tucked some hair behind her ear and looked over at him, “I’m sure. I know we can’t take him with us or anything. I’m just going to miss him is all,” She shrugged, “He’s kind of like my best friend, you know?”

He sent her something of a smile and nodded, “Yeah. I’d say you can call him but I don’t think that would work,” He joked.

Cassie laughed and took her keys, phone and bag from the corner of the hallway where she’d carelessly discarded them the previous night.

“Let’s go then,” She perked up slightly then she frowned as Alex looked unsure, “What?” She asked curiously.

“Are you one hundred percent certain that you want to do this?” He questioned.

Cassie nodded sternly, “Yeah,”

“You’re absolutely positive?”

“Completely,” She replied, “Why?”

“I’m just checking. I don’t want to get excited about this trip if we get halfway down the street and you change your mind,”

She shook her head, “I won’t, I promise. Let’s go,”

“Okay- Do you think you should tell someone that you’re leaving? Like, your mom or someone?” He began.

She sent him an odd look with a furrowed brow before shaking her head profusely, “If I do that then they’ll just convince me to stay,”

“I think you should tell someone where you’re going just so they know. Your mom and dad will freak out. Could you not even leave a note for Jason, just so he doesn’t think you’re dead?” He joked.

“I’m sure it wouldn’t matter either way for him,” She responded sharply.

“Don’t say that Cassie,” He frowned, “Here, I’ll write him a note for you,”

“What?” Her head retracted slightly as a confused frown was sent his way.

“Do you have a pen and paper? I want to write your dickhead of a fiancé a note,” He repeated slower and more pronounced.

Cassie looked at him unsurely before disappearing into the study for a second and returning with a block of Post-It notes and a marker pen. She handed them over and Alex thanked her.

He tapped the marker pen against his chin in thought before scrawling down his note on the Post-It and wandering to the mirror at the end of the hall that was opposite the door. He stuck the note to the reflective glass and turned back to her with a grin.

“Let’s go,” He said before heading towards the door.

Cassie’s eyes followed him as he walked past her. She looked over at the mirror and read Alex’s words.

To Jackass,

Screw you. I’ve gone and I don’t know when I’m coming back.

Cassie
P.S. Max is next door.

A small laugh escaped her lips and she shook her head before following Alex outside. She figured Alex had pretty much left Jason a note describing what she was thinking but would never have the nerve to say.

She locked up the front door and headed over to the car which she’d noticed was rather nice, “Oh, wow, nice car,”

“Thanks,” Alex smiled, “I hired it out especially for our trip,”

“I thought we didn’t know how long we were leaving for- How long have you hired it for?” She frowned, sliding into the passenger side.

“When I say ‘hired it’, I mean I gave a friend two hundred bucks and said I’d give him fifty for every month I took after next month,” Alex replied getting into the car.

“We’re going for months?” Cassie’s eyebrows knotted together slightly, unsure whether she liked the sound of that or not.

“Just to cover my back. I don’t want to take a car from him and not compensate him if I have it longer than I thought I would,” He shrugged.

“Oh right,” Her expression softened.

“I promised you that you could come home whenever you wanted to Cassie- I’m going to stick to that, okay?”

She nodded, “Alright. Let’s go,” She said as she pulled her seatbelt around her.

“Okay, before we leave I’d just like to inform you of the rules of road tripping,” He announced very formally.

Cassie’s eyebrow immediately quirked, “The rules of road tripping?”

“Yes. Rule number one- There shall be no mention of fiancés, ex or otherwise, as they do put such a downer on life in general,” He began, “Rule number one, sub-section A- If mention of fiancés, ex or otherwise, is absolutely one-hundred percent necessary then they shall not be referred to by their name but by an alternative such as ‘dickhead’, ‘bastard’ or ‘fuck-face’,”

She snorted with laughter before interjecting, “Alex, I don’t swear,”

His formal accent was dropped, his eyebrow rose and he smirked somewhat teasingly, “Really?”

She nodded, “Yeah,”

“Not ever?” He questioned, receiving a head-shake in reply, “Not even when you stub your toe or something scares you?”

She chuckled, “No, not ever,”

He eyed her face slightly and then shrugged, “Fair enough- Then ‘idiot’ or ‘tool’ will do,” He smiled.

“Alright, any other rules I should know about or is that it?” She asked with a hint of an amused smile.

“Rule number two- There shall be no frowning or crying but plenty of smiling and laughing. If you’re seen frowning or upset at any point then I have the right to tickle you until you cry with laughter,”

“I’m not ticklish,” She countered the corners of her lips twitching playfully.

Alex rolled his eyes, “Fine then, I’m allowed to use any means possible to make you laugh,”

She couldn’t help but grin, “Alright. Anything else?”

He shrugged, “I’ll come up with some more rules if I need to,”

“You could just use that against me to make me do whatever you want,”

“What’s your point?” He responded with a playful tone in his voice.

“That I should be able to make rules up if I need to as well,” She decided. She couldn’t help but notice Alex kept eyeing her face and body sceptically as though he was sizing her up, trying to work her out. She didn’t like people trying to read her like that and she shifted uncomfortably under his stare.

Alex noticed her uneasiness and kept his eyes firmly on hers to try to lessen it, “Okay, I guess that’s cool,” He agreed, “Let’s go then,” He finalised, bringing the engine to life with the turn of a key.

Cassie smiled to herself at the powerful roar of the car. When she imagined running away, she never imagined doing it in such a powerful car. It gave her reassurance that she’d be out of Baltimore before she could say ‘let’s get out of here’. Her mind then wandered to what could have possibly started their conversation the previous night that ensued in this adventure. Then she wondered what else she’d gotten up to under inebriation and remembered Alex’s earlier statement about her being ‘very loving’ with people.

Then a thought popped into her head and she leaned her elbow on the edge of the door, bringing her thumb to her mouth so she could chew on her nail.

“Thinking about anything interesting?” He mused, taking a sideways glance at her thoughtful face before returning his eyes to the road.

Cassie’s eyes looked over before she turned her head to face him and shook it, “Not really,”

He sent her a questioning glance before he left it at that.

A few seconds later, the thought was eating away at her and she had to ask, “Alex?” She began meekly.

“Yeah?”

“You know the way you said I was hugging and being really loving and stuff with everyone last night?”

An amused smile came to Alex’s lips at the memory, “Yeah,” He nodded.

“Did um... Did we...” She trailed off and coughed awkwardly, “Did anything, you know, happen between us last night?” A small blush tainted her cheeks.

The serious look on his face made her nervous.

“You don’t remember anything at all?” He frowned.

“Absolutely nothing,” She replied, swallowing hard at his response.

He snorted with laughter, “I mean, I know I’m not exactly a God in the sack but, Jeez, I didn’t think I was bad enough to forget,”

Cassie’s eyes bulged, “What?!” She exclaimed, “W-we... We did...”

Alex looked at her, eyeing her reaction carefully.

“We had...” Her voice diminished to a secretive whisper, “Sex?” She was ashamed of the subject at hand as well as flabbergasted.

He laughed at her awkwardness before shaking his head, “No. No we didn’t but God that was funny,”

She let out a sigh of relief, “So we didn’t?”

He shook his head again, “No I was kidding,” That amused smile was still prominent on his lips.

“You almost gave me a heart attack,” She threw out her hand and slapped his arm.

“It was pretty funny though. You should’ve seen your face- It looked like your eyes were going to pop out of your head,” He laughed.

“Shut up,” She chuckled, blushing slightly, “You scared me,”

“The thought of sleeping with me scares you?” His eyebrow rose lightly, “Way to bitch-slap my ego,”

“Oh no, I didn’t mean it like that! I mean I’m sure you’re lovely in bed. I mean... Not like I’ve thought about it or that I’ll ever find out what you’re like or anything,” She rambled with an awkward chuckle, “Shut up Cassie,” She sang to herself.

Alex looked at her in bewilderment before ruffling his fingers through his mop of hair, “Wow you really are insanely different sober,”

“I’m awkward and nervous and my foot is never out of my mouth- You'll have to get used to it,” She responded.

“Just relax,” He advised, “That’s the only difference apart from the alcohol- You were really loosened up last night,”

“I’ll try,”

“So, would you like to go somewhere in particular or do you want to just get to the state line and get ultimately lost,” Alex asked as he turned a corner.

“Let’s make sure we have enough gas then get completely lost,” She decided.

He smiled at her, “That sounds like a plan,” He agreed before switching on the radio.

“Hey, Alex?” Cassie spoke up again after a minute or two.

“Yeah?”

“Thank you,” She said genuinely.

“What for?” He frowned confusedly.

“Everything really,”

He looked over at her, sending her a beaming smile and an innocent wink, “That’s what friends are for,” He shrugged, placing a hand on her knee, briefly squeezing it, before returning his hand to the wheel.

Cassie smiled to herself. She was happy that she finally had a friend.

And something told her Alex wasn’t going to screw her over like everyone else had done in her life.

At that moment, she was sat in the passenger seat of some stranger’s car heading out of the state to get completely and utterly lost with him and, oddly, she’d never felt calmer or safer in her life.

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'I'll Follow You Where You're Leading, To The First Sweet Taste of Freedom'

Gloriana