"I hope you like Chinese" was the first thing Audrey had said to her when she walked downstairs and saw Audrey setting up tables with some noodles and Manchurian in it.
"Ofcourse" she lied. She was not a huge fan of Chinese but she did not despise it either and since she had consumed the lunch in the car she wasn't really hungry.
"Have a seat we have a lot to get to know about each other" Audrey said offering her a plate.
"How old are you?" Cassandra asked settling down.
"I am 27" Audrey answered.
"There is something I need to talk to you about Cassandra and I don't know if it is the right time or not but there are some things you need to know about me and I don't think the time is getting a ride any time soon" Audrey started.
"Of course Audrey but I would really appreciate if you could start calling me Cass or something" Cassandra smiled.
"I know you must be wondering why am I house looks like a mess right now and why was I sharing a room with a roommate. I got married to my husband when I was barely 19 and we were madly in love until he met with an accident when I was 24 and since then he is in coma. So he's not exactly dead but he is partially alive and to keep him on the life support, It cost a lot of money and that is the reason I have to work double shifts day and night just to pay for his medical bills and I am usually barely home, which means even though I have taken the responsibility of being your parent there will be instances when you will have to be your parent yourself" her aunt explained, Cassandra quietly nodded indicating for her aunt to continue.
"Also I was wanting to talk to you about your senior higher and your future education" Audrey proposed.
"Please go ahead" Cassandra mumbled.
"I don't want to worry you are anything but your parents have left a few thousand dollars in your name and I do not think that would be enough to suffice for your high school and your future education and considering my current economical conditions in my entire income goes into medical expenses so I wouldn't be able to handle your school applications and your high school expenses either." Audrey started.
"Are you proposing that I drop out of education" Cassandra asked suddenly horrified.
"WHAT? No absolutely not! Do you know of midland high?" Audrey asked.
"Yes! Who doesn't? That's the most freaking expensive school in California and it cost around $67,000 just for one year" Cassandra answered.
" well your parents might be having some influential contacts in that school which means that I have contacted them regarding your admission there but the condition is that you have to pass a scholarship test and if you score well they are willing to give you a hundred percent scholarship in the school, which means you can finish your high school from a really good and reputed school like the one you were in back in Springfield and till then you might as well earn a few thousand dollars and there are a few thousand dollars left by your parents and I might as well gather some for your further education" Audrey concluded.
"Okay? So what do you mean to say is that in this one month of vacation I am to study well for the scholarship test and to search for some part-time job so that I can start saving for my future education." Cassandra asked.
"I hate to do this to you but yes! I mean I will try my level best to save a few thousand dollars from my side for your future education but I have other responsibilities on my head too like paying the rent for this place and the medical expenses of my husband so I cannot take the burden of your high school expenses. I might as well save some money in an year but you will have to manage your high school expenses either by nailing the scholarship test or by getting admission into a cheaper school" Audrey answered.
"I get your situation Audrey! I will try my best to not be a burden on you. I am done with my dinner good night!" Cassandra mumbled before excusing herself from the dinner table.
That night when Cassandra went to bed she couldn't help but think of how drastically her life had changed. Only a week ago she could keep her finger on anything and that things would be horse and today she was struggling to make a few thousand dollars. A few thousand dollars was worth it costed her in a month and now she had to work hard to earn it.
Cassandra wasn't angry at Audrey, she couldn't be. The current financial situation Audrey was in, it was a miracle and her kindness that she was taking Cassandra in. Cassandra had seen a lot of students work part time at diners and cafes just to earn.
She wondered how hard it could be, Also remained the fact that Audrey had very politely mentioned that even though she had taken to be the responsibility of being a parent, Cassandra was much on herself than on her supposed parent.
She also had to start preparing for the scholarship examination because even though she was not a dumb student, she was definitely not such an exemplary student to nail the question paper set by midland high and get 100% scholarship and she definitely did not want to go to any cheap school which meant that there was only one option left that is to work her ass off in this one month to save money and also to nail the scholarship test.
She was glad that she had never been a brat like the rich girls in boys in Springfield high and avoided studies. That hard work of course was maybe going to make things a little easier for her but just a little.
*******
Cassandra walked inside the cafe within the kitchen and safely placed her purse in the locker as she put on the apron and walked out on the counter.
When Audrey told her that she is rarely home she wasn't lying, in last 15 days Cassandra had barely seen her. The woman really worked her ass off, even on the Sundays were mostly occupied in working and visiting her husband who barely batted an eyelash in her presence.
Sometimes it made no sense to Cassandra why Audrey would spend her only free time that is Sunday sitting in front of her husband and talking to him when she could clearly see that he neither looked in her direction nor replied. Cassandra sometimes even found herself wondering if investing so much money on him was worth it because the man had not woken up in the last three years and the chances of him waking up any time soon were negligible and yet Audrey was not even close to leaving a single penny of hope.
When Cassandra was caught off into thoughts like that she wondered about her parents, These days she was extremely busy she was either trying to earn and save or working hard for the scholarship test but when she finally went to bed or had a few seconds of silence, she wondered. She wondered about how drastically her life had changed she never thought she would have to work at a local diner just so that she could afford her on education and even though Audries unusual dedication to keep her husband on life support seemed weird to her she was pretty sure that her mother would have done the same if it were her father.
The nightmares were no less and every night she woke up sweating in her bed feeling like she was unable to breathe and yet there was no one she could talk to. Her pride wouldn't let her speak about her misery and the pain was unbearable.
"Cassandra" A voice hissed and she quickly looked up. It was the owner of the cafe looking at her annoyed because she had again drifted into her dream world while working and there were customers who were waiting for waiters.
"Sorry" she mumbled before rushing to the couple.
"What can I get you today sir and ma'am?" She asked politely. The girl was probably in her early 20s and so was the boy. Cassandra looked at them because that's what her job was but she did not look too much like she always did when she was analysing people because that could make her face the wrath of customers which meant they could be angry and she could lose her job and that's the last thing she wanted to happen.
"I will have a cheeseburger with a Diet Coke" the girl answered smiling at her.
"I will have a sandwich with a coffee" the boy answered without looking at her.
"Anything else! Sir and ma'am?" She asked.
"No" the girl answered shushing her off.
Cassandra didn't necessarily hate working at the cafe, Obviously there were customers who were mean to her and shouted at her but mostly it was a peaceful place to work and the pay was decent.
Cassandra then walked inside and gave the order to the chef and came back bringing water for the customers. The workers usually slow at this time of the day, Mid afternoon there were any barely customers in the cafe except for high schools students and some college students who came there to study.
Once the order was done she served it to the customers, The customers did not bother her after that, the two of them were happy chitchatting and eating their food and once they were done they paid the bill with a few dollars to her as a tip and left.
By this time even the owner usually got exhausted looking at the empty Cafe and he left it at her responsibility. The chef himself took some nap and Cassandra couldn't help herself as she opened her books again and started preparing for her test which was due in two weeks.
This was probably the only thing she did these days, She worked and when she did, not she studied. But she was glad that she was so busy because whenever she wasn't and she ended up thinking about her parents and then everything went downhill. she herself was pretty aware of the fact that she needed a doctor, a psychologist to be specific due to her dreams and everything she was facing and yet she knew that right now she was not in the financial condition to consult one.
She could not even think of telling about this to Audrey considering the fact that she was already working her ass of paying the medical bills of her husband, she did not want to burden her anymore.
On the lonely nights she missed how she could just lay in her mother's lap and talk to her father about her day. Life was so much simpler and happier when her parents were alive. Sometimes she couldn't help herself but despise her parents for what they had done, What worst would have happened if only they were alive. The financial depth would have been huge and the three of them would have to work really hard to paid back but at least she would have some sort of moral support, at least she would have some family.
Cassandra realise that even though she had open the books 20 minutes ago she hadn't read a single word and the chiming of the cafe reminded her that somebody had entered the cafe so she closed her books again and walked outside towards the table.
It was a single boy probably her age year, he had settled on the farthest corner of the Café looking at his phone.
"What can I get you?" She asked him, Her voice made him look up and when he did she couldn't help but he star stuck due to his blue eyes.
"Ahh" the boy cleared his throat smirking.
Cassandra looked away blushing and waiting for an answer.
"How much do you cost?" He smirked and Cassandra felt herself fuming up.
*******
"How much do you cost?" He smirked and Cassandra felt herself fuming up.
"I am not on the menu and definitely out of your budget SIR" She spat angrily.
"I don't think so love. There is nothing I can't afford" he smirked.
"Can I get you something that's on the menu sir?" She asked annoyed.
"A cappuccino" He answered.
The rest of the day passes in blur, Before Cassandra even knew it she was locking the cafe and leaving for the place that she currently regarded as home.
It was a 15 minutes walk but Cassandra didn't really mind it because it gave her some time to relax. The true fact was that she did not even get to mourn for her parents because since she shifted here the only thing she was focused on was earning and trying to be her own parent.
She sometimes wondered what would have happened if she would have never left for California with her aunt Audrey, there were multiple factors to consider and also remained the fact that she would have to stay with aunt Amelia, She was pretty sure that she would still have to work because she could not totally rely on aunt Amelia but it least she wouldn't have to be her own parent.
But the other thoughts in her head was that it was a good thing that she left Springfield the town did not feel like her home anymore if anything it reeked of betrayals that was thrown her way. She wanted to be mad at Amanda and Ethan for what they had done to her but her grief was too huge for them to be a part of it, She had lost such a huge part of herself that a cheating boyfriend and best friend did not even come close her destruction.
There was no doubt about the fact that she was disturbed and disheartened by what they had done. But apart from that she could not feel the amount of pain she was supposed to feel by what they had done to her. A part of her realise that maybe Amanda was never her best friend but only the girl who was by her side because she was rich and famous in the school and the reason Ethan was dating her was because she possessed the same popularity as him. he did not feel anything for her and she couldn't convince herself that she was in love with him even if there was a time when she loved him.
She had once heard a famous writer say that there was a very thin line between love and hate and she couldn't help but think that maybe poets and writers belonged to some another realm because their thoughts never really made much sense to her. She could not even think that love and hate could be divided by a single string those were to completely opposite emotions and there was no single person she could think of that she hated and loved at the same time until the tsunami crashed in her life and everything started to make sense.
She could not decide if she despised her parents a lot or loved them, she was so angry at them that sometimes she wanted to confront them only to realise that there was no way this could be done and that drove her crazy.
She wanted to shout at them demand for answers about why they decided to take such a drastic step they have always taught her that family came first even before your own self and that there was nothing you could not fight with your family by your side they had even gone to the lens of telling her the very morning that they were going to solve whatever problems they were facing together as a family and that they loved her, What were they even thinking when they thought that killing themselves was going to help her in any way, even if the debt was cleared, she was still a 16 year old left parent less and that was not a way of showing love to a loved one.
Cassandra mechanically walked towards the door pulling the key from the bag and opening the main door. This was her every day routine and maybe these 15 minutes were the only time apart from those sleepless nights covered with nightmares that she allowed herself to breathe and think about the tragic incident her life was now centred on.
Most of her day was occupied in working and saving money for her expenses and college because she knew once the school started it would get too hectic to work as much as she did right now. The rest part of a day consisted of working and preparing for the scholarship test that could get her into the school. She could not even help but laugh at the irony of the situation, the amount of money she earned right now in the month was the amount of money she got as a weekly allowance from her parents.
Money had never been a tough factor for her in the last 16 years, her parents provided her with every single thing she ever wanted. A month or two ago from this day she wouldn't have believed if somebody told her that she would be working at a local cafe tolerating idiotic guys hitting on her and customers scowling their daily frustrations on her just to earn this amount of money and yet she was here doing this which taught her one of the most important lesson of her life, just the way her father always liked to say that anything can happen.
Cassandra pushed the door open and walked straight towards her room dropping her stuff is on the table she was about to head to the bathroom to take a bath when she heard something.
There was a slight creaking of the floor board from the kitchen just below her room, The kitchen floor board was damaged but maybe Audrey did not have enough time or maybe it was the lack of money to invest into fixing it that it was still the same. since Audrey and Cassandra were the only ones who lived there, both of them were well aware of the creaking board of the kitchen and always avoided stepping on it in order to avoid the annoying voice and this was not the time Audrey would be home anyway which meant there was someone apart from Cassandra in the house and she was all alone.