In the morning when Cassandra woke up, she turned around and Nick wasn't there anymore. I don't get it, she thought. But he said that he'd prove it. She wrapped the covers around her and sat up and something dangled down from her neck. As soon as she reached up, she knew exactly what it was. She remembered what Nick had said to her: When you wake up tomorrow, your heart will be back with you once again. And it was. Her diamond heart necklace was around her neck.
Nick walked into the room like nothing was wrong and nothing had changed. "Hey, Sweetie," he said.
"Nick?" Cassandra said. "Nick? Nick, oh my God, I can hear you again!"
"Well, then talk to me!"
"It feels so weird to be talking to thin air."
"You'll get used to it. I'm used to talking to you like this."
"So? At least you can see me. I don't want to get used to it. I want you with me. I want to touch you again. Hell, I want to see you again like last night! It was real."
"I know it was. We'll be together again, I promise you that. I swear."
"Nick, do something."
"I wish I could, you know that." He put his hand on her face.
Cassandra felt a tingling on the side of her face and knew that Nick was there. Suddenly, she heard those voices in her head again.
Cassandra, wake up. Please, wake up!
She shook her head to get them out but they kept going.
"Honey," Nick said. "What's wrong?"
"Nick, are you telling me to wake up? Stop it."
"I'm not doing anything."
"Come on, it's not funny anymore!"
Cassandra, please! Wake up!
"Nick!"
"It's not me! What are you talking about?"
Cassandra didn't answer and suddenly the voices faded.
"Honey-"
"Nothing," Cassandra said. "It's nothing. I'm fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. It's still early. I want to go back to bed."
"Okay. Can I join you?"
"Of course." Cassandra climbed into her bed and Nick followed her. He wrapped his arms around her and she had the sense to herself that Nick had his arms around her.
Later on that day, Mercedes heard the doorbell ring and she ran to answer it. She flung open the door and was surprised to see who it was. "Bethany!"
"Oh Mercedes, I'm so sorry!" Bethany said and gave her friend a tight hug. "I can't believe it about Nick and..." She stopped when she saw Cassandra. "...and Cassandra," she finished.
"Hello, Bethany."
"Cassandra? I thought you were dead!" She ran and hugged Cassandra.
"Uh, yeah. Nice to see you, too."
"Oh guys, we have so much to catch up on! But, may I use your phone first?"
"Sure," said Mercedes. "The portable is on the kitchen table."
"Thanks." Bethany walked into the kitchen and turned on the phone. Making sure that no one was around, she dialed a number.
"Hello?"
"It's me," Bethany said. "She's still alive."
Curious as to what was so important, Cassandra crept closer to the kitchen. She knew that she shouldn't, but she figured that no harm could come from it.
"What do you mean you knew she was alive?" she heard Bethany say. "What are you going to do about it?...No! I did not fail you! I did exactly what you told me to, what we planned...Austin failed you. And that bitch Kimberly failed you. I did what I was supposed to...What about Julie?...Yeah, maybe it was her fault!...Yes, Julie's fault...Listen I can't talk about this now. Not here. I'll meet up with you later." She turned the phone off.
"Everything okay?" Cassandra asked walking into the kitchen.
"Huh? Oh, great!" Bethany said and slung her arm around Cassandra's shoulder. "Come on. We have a lot to talk about." Cassandra rolled her eyes and walked along with Bethany into the living room, joining Mercedes. "So Cassandra, how is it that you're...alive?"
"Well-"
"Bethany!" Mercedes said.
"I dunno," Cassandra said. "I shouldn't be."
You got that right, Bethany thought, but smiled. "Oh, Honey, don't say that."
"Whatever."
"I don't think that we should talk about this now," Mercedes said.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Bethany said.
"No, no, it's all right," Cassandra said. "I don't mind talking about why I'm alive and my reasons why I shouldn't be." She stood up. "Excuse me," she said and walked out of the room and into the kitchen. Mercedes and Bethany exchanged glances.
"I need some fresh air," Bethany said. "I'm gonna take a walk. Do you mind?"
"No, go ahead," Mercedes said.
Hearing this from the kitchen, Cassandra whispered, "Nick? Are you here?"
"Yes," Nick replied. "I-"
"Follow her. Please. Follow her."
Nick nodded and followed Bethany as she walked outside and started down the street. "Why did Cassie want me to follow you-" He stopped and understood as soon as he saw the house that they were walking into.
"Anyone home?" Bethany called.
"Bethany?" Nick asked. "Isn't this Bobby's house?"
"Yeah?" Bobby called back. "Oh, hey, Bethany. What are you doing here?"
"She's alive."
"Yes. I know. You just called me."
"And how do you feel about this?"
"I dunno. Kinda bad, I guess."
"You guess? She is still alive!"
"Yes, I know that the plan was for both of them to die, but don't you see? She's even more miserable now that that loser husband of hers is dead!"
"Well, maybe." They fell silent.
"Bethany and Bobby," Nick said. "I should have known."
"Maybe she just didn't set the whole house on fire," Bethany suggested.
"Bethany," Bobby said, "she did fine. He is dead."
"Well now that she is still alive, are you going to try to win her back?"
"Who?" Nick asked.
"I don't know," Bobby said. "She's so depressed, still, over the loss of that husband of hers."
"Do you still have feelings for her?"
"Of course I do. I've always had feelings for her. Sometimes they were stronger than others, but they've always been there."
"Yeah, right," Nick said. "You love her so you kill her. Really."
"Excuse me for a second," Bethany said and walked into the kitchen. Bobby sat down in the living room on the couch.
"I have to get back home," Nick said. "But what am I going to tell Cassie? I can't tell her about any of this! She would freak! I know what she does when she freaks, and I don't have any evidence for her to freak with, so I should just make up something clever. But I can't! Shit." Nick turned around and headed quickly back home.
Nobody can ever know, Bobby thought. Nobody can ever know what I'm planning; what my heart is planning.
"Let's make lunch together, dear," Brian said to Mercedes in the kitchen.
"What should we make?" Mercedes asked.
"I don't know."
"Then why did you suggest it?"
"Because I'm hungry."
"Then we'll make sandwiches," Mercedes suggested.
"Sandwiches? Sandwiches? What do you mean, sandwiches? Sandwiches are yucky."
"Then what do you want?"
"I don't know."
"Then I'm not going to make anything-"
"Macaroni and cheese! I want macaroni and cheese! Please! Hey that rhymes."
"Very good, Honey. Is that what you want?"
"Yes! Please give me the extra cheese."
"Um, okay." Mercedes walked away towards the stove to find some macaroni and cheese while Brian sat down at the kitchen table and waited.
That night, Cassandra sat down on the couch and stared at the blank television screen. Nick sat down next to her. He had to try something. "Cassandra?"
"Nick? I can hear you again."
"Good, you're going to be hearing a lot more from me."
"What do you mean?"
"Just trust me when I talk to you. It's me."
"How come I can't hear you all of the time?"
"Because it takes a lot of emotion and concentration and I'm usually not thinking that much."
Cassandra laughed. "Nothing's changed," she joked. "So what happened with Bethany?"
"Huh?"
"Where did she go? What did you find out?"
"Oh, I didn't find out much. She just went for a walk." Nick hated himself for saying this but knew it was the only thing that he could do until he got some proof.
"Oh," she said disappointed. "Are you sitting next to me? On my right?"
"Yes..."
"I can feel it. So how is it being dead?"
Nick was a little startled. "It's terrible. I can't be with you."
"You're with me now."
"But not like I want to be. I'm just now getting control over your dreams."
"So Nicole was right?"
"Yeah. She was."
"So where have you been all this time?" Cassandra asked, shifting around.
"Around you. I've been around you 24/7. I'm your angel, Honey. All you have to do is call on me and I'll be there. I'm getting stronger and I can protect you."
"Like always. I just wish I could be with you right now."
"You'd have to kill yourself," Nick said definitely.
"So?"
"Don't think like that!"
"Whatever. What time is it?"
"I think it's ten thirty."
"Well I'm going to bed."
"Okay. Let's go."
They walked upstairs to her room and she walked into her closet to change. While she was in there, Nick was having thoughts about going into her dreams and he couldn't shake the feelings about what he wanted to do. "I couldn't."
"Couldn't what?" she asked walking out of her closet.
"Oh nothing. Goodnight, Sweetie."
Cassandra smiled and climbed into her bed. Nick leaned down and gently kissed her lips. "Nick," she said sleepily. "I felt that."
Emalia walked into Kevin's room silently. She saw him reading a book so she decided to sneak up on him. She crept up close to him and screamed: "Boo!"
Kevin jumped and his book went flying out of his hands. "Oh my God!" When he saw Emalia laughing, he started laughing, too. "Damn it, Emalia! You scared me half to death!"
"That was the plan!"
"What are you trying to get rid of me or something?" Kevin laughed but Emalia stopped laughing. "What? What's wrong?"
"Uh...um, nothing. I just want to be with you, that's all."
"And just think, in a matter of time, we'll be husband and wife."
"I-I can't wait," Emalia said and forced a smile. If we make it that long, she thought.
"I love you, Emalia," he said, getting serious. He pulled her close to him and placed his lips on hers.
"I love you, too," she managed to say.
Kevin withdrew the covers of his bed and helped her underneath them. As they laid there together in each other's arms, Kevin stroked her face and they talked about their wedding plans. "Have you decided on a maid of honor or brides maids yet? I know that you've already decided on the color tux for us men-"
"Oh don't start with that again! You look great in white!"
"I do not! That's why I wanted the black ones!"
"But-"
"Everyone else got black tuxes!" Kevin whined.
"Like who?"
"At Mercedes and Brian's wedding, and...and Isabella and...A.J...and-"
"And?"
"Nick and Cassandra's."
Cassandra, Emalia thought. "Honey, let's not think about it. Let's just focus on our wedding and how perfect it will be."
"How can anything be more perfect than the perfect couple's wedding."
"Who?"
"Nick and Cassandra, of course!"
What is he talking about? "They were far from perfect!"
"No, they weren't. And they're wedding was even more perfect."
"They were about to get a divorce!"
"So? Just seeing them together made all of that non-existant. They were just meant to be together."
Uh, hello? "What about us, Kevvy?"
"We were also meant to be together."
"Are you saying that we're not perfect?" Because we're better than they were.
"Yes we are perfect, in our own way. But our love hasn't gotten nearly to the level that they had."
Emalia was furious. "How can you say that? Are you saying that you don't love me? We're so much older than they are."
"No! No, Honey, I love you very much. Age has nothing to do with it. They just had...intensity."
"Yes, had. They had. They are no more. We are together. I don't want to talk about them anymore."
"Please, Honey, calm down. We're only having a discussion."
Yeah, about the one person that is bent on destroying me. "I'm sorry, Honey."
Kevin wrapped his arms tightly around her. "Let's not talk anymore."