Chapter 25 What Happened To Cassie?
I nudge Beth, pointing towards cabin one. “That’s supposed to be hers. Let’s go check it now before they all leave for the day’s activities.”
She nods, and we set off to our new destination. We’ve been sitting on our front step watching to catch sight of Cassie either coming in or out of a cabin. She said she was from cabin one, but there has been zero movement from it. We walk across the main circle, reaching the door labeled ‘One’. Beth knocks on the door,
“Everyone decent?” We don’t get a response; instead, a few footsteps are heard, and the door opens.
It’s a boy. He opens the door wider upon seeing us. The cabin is full of boys. This is a boy’s only cabin. There is no way Cassie’s here or has ever been here.
“Can we help you?” The boy asks Beth and me as we scan the cabin's interior multiple times. This doesn’t make any sense.
“Uh, does Cassie stay here?”
The boy makes a confused, judgmental look. “We’ve never had a Cassie even come here, and this is a boy group. Meaning no girls are allowed here.” He confirms our thoughts out loud.
I look at Beth, and I’m sure my face matches the shock on hers.
“Ok, thank you, sorry for bothering you guys.” I end the conversation quickly, locking my arm with hers to lead us away from the cabin.
“You remember Cassie, right? You touched her, right?” She asks, slightly dazed.
“She’s not a ghost, Beth. I saw her too. I even held her hand before.”
“Maybe we both were drugged and hallucinated her together?” I shake my head, a chuckle busting through my attempt to take her seriously.
“We did not hallucinate that there has to be a perfectly reasonable explanation. She must’ve just told us the wrong cabin.” She straightens up, nodding to herself.
“You’re right, let's go find that counselor list Kai showed us before. Her name should be on it.” The fire has been lit inside of her.
“Wait up Bethy, we can’t just sneak into the counselor's lounge like that. Why don’t we just ask a counselor?”
She sighs dramatically, “What counselor is going to tell us?”
She’s not wrong there; it may seem weird and stalkery to ask about someone like that.
“I don’t know, actually. Maybe we should just ask around until we find one that talks.” I offer it as an option.
She gives me a look, raising a brow, “Orrr you could ask Kai.”
I roll my eyes, “No, I’m not involving him in our crap. I haven’t talked to him since rejecting him anyway.”
“That’s even more reason than you can clear the air!” She tries to reason.
“Beth, no, I don’t want to clear the air with him. I just want to avoid him the rest of the summer.” I don’t pay attention to Beth steering us in the direction of the big building, directly into Kai.
“I don’t know, maybe it’s fate cause here he is. Hello Kai!” She turns her attention to him, making us stop right in front of him.
He smiles at her, looking at me with a forced smile. “Hello, ladies, how can I help you?”
“We’re in need of locating a friend, but she told us the wrong cabin number. Can you help?” Beth asks, fluttering her eyelashes nicely.
“I don’t know if I should.” He eyes me.
“I’m sorry about how we left things, Kai, but we really need your help right now,” I finally speak.
He looks conflicted, but reaches into his fanny pack and pulls out a packet of paper.
“Okay, what’s her name?”
“Cassie. Thank you so much!!” Beth practically cheers.
He looks through the names, and it takes him a minute. Every time he gets further down the page, I start to feel the nerves creep back in. Maybe Beth was right; perhaps we hallucinated.
“I don’t see anyone by the name of Cassie.”
“What? Are you sure you didn’t miss her?”
He nods, “Yeah, I don’t think she goes here, guys.” He looks mildly concerned at our shocked faces.
“Can I talk to you real quick?” He asks me.
I glance at Beth, who’s practically nudging me forward. I should talk to him; it’s probably the right thing to do.
“Yeah, what’s up?” I ask, stepping away from Beth and off the path.
“So we’re done, correct?” I nod, feeling nervous at the direction this conversation is taking.
“Yeah, I figured that was understood by both of us.”
He nods, looking a little more annoyed. “Just for future knowledge, maybe make it clear to the guy you’re going on dates with, especially before you start dating someone else.”
How does he even know I’m dating someone else? He must see the question written all over my face.
“I heard it from your roommate, the mean ones, and even if I didn’t, you literally smell like a man right now, it’d be hard not know you’ve been with one.”
It doesn’t shock me that they tried to stir the pot with him as well. But I didn’t realize his soap still smelled so strongly on my skin and hair. It makes me happy, though in a weird way, that I smell enough like him; it makes it clear to Kai.
“I’m sorry I didn’t handle it the best, but we weren’t even officially dating.” I defend myself.
“Whatever makes you feel better, Anna, just know if I find out who that guy is, I’m not going to stay in the background; he and I will have words.”
This is so out of left field, I don’t even know what to say to his attack.
“Why would you and he have words? You and I are over; whoever I choose to see now is my choice, not yours.”
“Whatever. I just wanted to make that known.” He practically storms off.
I stare at the space where he was standing, shocked by what just occurred. I look back over at the path where Beth is standing, looking just as shocked as I am.
“What the fuck was that?” I ask Beth as I walk up to her.
“I think he’s still in love with you, or he’s just bored with being a camper. Maybe he’s trying to start a fight and get fired.”
“Maybe, all I know is he needs to wake up. But what the fuck about Cassie?”
She looks just as shocked as I feel.
Really, what is the deal with Cassie?