Right to Choose

I’d never, ever seen her as anything else. Until that day. I don’t even know what triggered it. Maybe it was because I hadn’t slept over in a while, I hadn’t seen her looking like… that. It was almost like she’d grown and changed overnight, without me watching. But she couldn’t have, because she was wearing the same top she had on six months ago, and it fit the same. It was me who changed.

***

October 18th, 2010

Cass slowly trudged her way across the oval towards the school. She had a baggy hoodie on over her torso, almost entirely hiding the shorts she was wearing rolled up to an almost indecent length. The hood was up over her head, her face obscured by the folds of material and a curtain of light brown choppy hair. Her backpack was slung over one shoulder, hanging uselessly down by her knees due to the length of the straps.

She kicked her shoes once against the fence bordering the edge of the school to get rid of any excess grass from her soles before making her way across the courtyard by memory alone, her mind elsewhere.

No other students were around, it was half past nine in the morning, everyone was in class. It should have been an uneventful walk, that is until Cass suddenly collided with a body standing in front of her. The woman she knocked stumbled forwards a few steps, turning around once she regained her footing, her hand resting on her belt.

Glancing up, Cass did a double take at the pale blue shirt and blonde hair tied in a stern bun under a navy cap.

“Cass?” The woman inquired, letting go of her belt and reaching out to flip Cass’s hood back.

“Morning Evans,” Cass forced a smile that looked more like a grimace, “to what do I owe this pleasure?”

“The school was broken into overnight,” the officer glanced down at Cass, “know anything about it?”

“Hey, don’t look at me! I was home all night!” Cass grumbled, heading towards her locker, Evans falling into step beside her.

“We’ll be here all day regardless, but one of your teachers did name you as a possible suspect,”

“You’re kidding, right? Based on what!?”

“You’ve been arrested twice for breaking and entering so far this year, Cass,” Evans sighed, looking at the young girl.

“Oh what a load of bullshit! Who told you it was me? It was Reegan, wasn’t it? Fucking asshole,” Cass slammed her locker shut, turning around to face Evans.

“He was one person who named you, yes. I’m sorry, Cass, but since you’re here, you’re going to have to come to the principal’s office with me for questioning.

“This is absolute bullshit,” Cass was still fuming as she stormed into the front office of the school, Evans following close behind.

“Cassandra, watch your language or I’ll have to give you internal,”

“I’ll have to give you internal,” Cass mimicked, “whatever, asshole,” she kicked the desk as she slumped down in the only free chair in the office, finally looking up into the unamused eyes of her school principal and his deputy, Mr Reegan. Beside her, Evans stifled a laugh, turning serious as her partner entered the room behind her.

“You’re facing expulsion, Cassandra. If you had over the keys now, we won’t press charges,” Reegan started, looking down at the pissed off teenager.

“I don’t have your precious keys, dumbass,”

“Miss Williams, where were you last night?” The male officer next to Evans asked her, trying to keep the conversation civil.

“Uh, let me think. Oh, right, at home, where else?” Cass was openly scowling now, not at all amused by the situation.

“Can anyone verify that?” The officer asked again as Reegan cut over him.

“Was that before or after you damaged school property Cassandra?”

“How about during, because I didn’t fucking do it, asshole,” Cass growled at Reegan.

“Lying will only get you into more trouble. You’ve been arrested twice for the same crime this year, there’s no point pretending it wasn’t you,” Reegan looked at the officers smugly, as if he had solved the case on his own.

“It wasn’t fucking me!” Cass clenched her fists, raising up off her seat slightly before being shoved back down by Evans.

“Miss Williams, please calm yourself. There were a number of windows broken and many surfaces throughout the school vandalised. Do you have any idea who could have done it?”

“Would’ve have a clue, but it wasn’t me,” Cass calmed down slightly, fidgeting just enough to get Evans to release her shoulders.

“One wall was painted, with the words ‘the freaks come around’ and another with ‘it’s a hole in the wall’, do you know what that means?”

“Doesn’t everyone? They’re song lyrics. It’s big on the radio, by some trashy whore,” Cass looked at the male officer, astounded that he didn’t know current music.

“See, she knows! Only a guilty person would know! She did this, I know it!” Reegan screeched, pointing an accusing finger at Cass.

“Oh will you shut up? I don’t vandalise shit, moron, I steal food because my mum doesn’t –“ Cass cut herself off quickly.

“Doesn’t what?” Evans prodded gently, trying to get the rest of the sentence.

“I don’t have to explain myself to any of you. It wasn’t me. I was at home for fuck’s sake. Check my Facebook, it says where I was. Check my phone records, it’ll show you that I was on the phone to Alexis for an hour. It wasn’t fucking me,” Cass growled, storming out of the office, making sure to knock into Reegan on her way out, despite the pain it sent coursing through her shoulder.

~~

“Hey! Cass, wait up!” Alexis called out across the quadrangle, slightly out of breath as she ran towards Cass.

“What’s up buttercup?” Cass asked Alexis, sitting down on a low entertaining wall.

“I wanted to ask you that actually. Rumour has it that you got called in for questioning about the break in last night. Is it true?” Alexis asked, sitting down next to Cass, looking towards the staircase at the end of the quadrangle where a group of seniors were messing around with a stereo of some sort.

“You don’t seriously think I did it, do you? I was on the phone to you half the night!”

“Cass, babe, calm down, I know you didn’t do it! I meant was it true that you got questioned,” Alexis reached out and rested her hand over Cass’s, trying to calm her down, “I know you wouldn’t break into the school. You’re reckless, not stupid.”

“Gee, thanks, Lex, you’re so k-“ the rest of Cass’s sentence was cut out as the loud notes of a Ke$ha song boomed out of the emergency sound system, the seniors at the front of the quad breaking into some form of flash mob dance routine.

“What are they doing?” Alexis asked absently, turning her head to watch the group.

“I think we’re about to find out who broke into the school last night,” Cass grumbled, “Lex?” she turned around, only to find an empty space next to her, the girl who was there now standing under the balcony with the rest of the students.

“What the…” was all Cass got out as the group of seniors started singing about glitter on the floor, just in time for hundreds of balloons filled with glitter exploded over the school, covering every exposed surface, including a now very pissed off Cass.

“Oh Cass!” Alexis bit her lip to keep from laughing as she approached her sparkling best friend once the irritating dust had settled over the school and the flash mob had broken up, running from the teachers coming after them.

“Shut the fuck up,” Cass grumbled, pulling her hoodie up over her head and tossing it down, shaking her head to try and get some of the glitter out of her hair.

“Here, let me help you – holy shit, Cass, what happened to your shoulder!?” Alexis couldn’t help but stare at the dark purple bruising around the edge of Cass’s shoulder, mixed with the nasty yellow and green of older bruises and what appeared to be minor swelling.

“Nothing,” Cass scowled, turning her body slightly to try and hide the injury from view, not that it did much good given the thin tank top she wore.

“Cass, tell me,” Alexis demanded sternly even as she pulled her own jacket off, “and put this on, since you clearly don’t want anyone else to see.”

“I fell down the stairs at home last night, okay?” Cass winced as she shrugged on the jacket, glancing over at Alexis. Her thanks died on her lips though as she took in the sight in front of her, admiring the way Alexis’ shirt hung, noticing the hints of cleavage that the neckline offered.

“Be more careful, Cass,” Alexis sighed, gently hugging her best friend.

“Huh? Oh, yeah, sure thing, Lex,” Cass shook her head, pulling away, confused and embarrassed about the way she just blatantly checked out her very female friend.

“Wait a second, Cass, you don’t have stairs…” Alexis turned around to look at Cass, only seeing her retreating back half way across the quad, “Cass!”

“Sorry, got to run, talk later, love you!” Cass called back over her shoulder as she quickly escaped the school.