“I feel so sleepy…” Cassandra says as Zayn nods his head.
“Me too. Jeez, I’m never underestimating you ever again in bed. Where’d you learn to do.. that?” He asks sleepily, she replies sleepily.
“Learn what…?”
“Nevermind.” Removing his boxers, he fetches a few tissues to clean her stomach up as he directly rejected her offer to lick it clean herself.
“You’re a crazy girl, Cassie. You have school tomorrow as well.”
“Yeah, right. As if I care.” Chuckling at her response, he holds her curvy little body to his chest as he kisses her forehead.
“Thank you for your life.” He says with pure gratitude.
“Thank you for being born again too. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Says Cassandra as she holds his hand to her chest and sleeps.
The next day, after the ‘acid rain’ had stopped after midnight, Cassandra leaves to school as Ravine and Alex stayed at home.
Cassandra was said that she would hear a good news by the end of the day from them.
She couldn’t wait till the end of the day.
As she went to the academy for her high school, she sees people looking at her with mixed gazes. She ignores them. She’s been through thick and thin and she’s learned how to not give a fuck to anyone as her experience in three different timelines suggested.
“Oh my God, is it true?”
The young lady walks past a loud group of girls, she enters her classroom.
“Cassandra…” her friends approach the girl.
“Are you connected to the Johnsons somehow?”
“The Johnsons?” She tries to act foolish.
“Yeah. They… they were doing something around your house. It’s all over the place.” Hana says, showing the article to Cassandra.
“Well, I’ll be damned. My mom is gonna whoop my ass.”
“That aside… what were the Johnsons doing on your rooftop?” Cassandra listens to their questions as she reads the half-true article written on the virtual newspaper.
“Well, um… it’s a surprise. I’m sure the news will be out this week.” Says Cassandra.
“Also,” a boy classmate of hers squeezes himself through the crowd as a smiling Cassandra turns towards him.
“Wait, your mother’s name is Ravine D’Angelo? The one and only D’Angelo of the fashion industry?”
“Um… yeah.” Cassandra confirms unsurely.
“Oh my God, it’s really her… she has the surname.” Cassandra sees the athletic girl pull her by the ID card that hung from her neck.
“Well, yeah. I’m my mother’s daughter.”
“Why didn’t you introduce yourself like that to the class!? Damn, Cassandra. Your mom is a badass! I love her so much!”
Apparently, Ravine D’Angelo had become a renowned fashion designer of the Classic Times, a magazine edition.
They didn’t know that Ravine was a student of the greatest Fashion legend of the past; Krille DeVuil.
Aka… The TriBaroness.
As Cassandra reveals that part as well, her classroom turned into a huge mess with people yelling and gasping and hooting in surprise.
“Dammit Cassie! Will you be my friend?”
“Are we talking like this because my mom was a student of the TriBaroness?”
“O-of course not! I mean-” the queen bee contestant from their class was pushed aside as Hana takes Cassandra’s hand.
“They are dumb fucks who want fame from you, Cassandra. Do you wanna join our ‘cool group’? It’s gonna be fun.”
“Cool group, my ass. Say, Cassie. We can be best friends-”
“You’re acting like a pick-me girl, Rachel. Back off. She’s our friend now.” Cassandra chuckles as her hand was in Hana’s.
On that day, Cassandra had discovered the meaning of true friendship from the people around herself.
They were as good as best friends within a short period of time. A few classes of togetherness between Hana and Cassandra were proof of their undeniable chemistry.
As the day ended, Hana and her group of four friends along with Cassandra insist on dropping Cassandra back to her house.
“Yeah right. My mom is gonna-”
“Whoop your ass. We know that. We just wanna meet her, at least once in our lifetime, Cassandra!”
“Ain’t happening in this life time. Bye, idiots!” Waving at her friends, Cassandra departs from the campus as she skips towards the black car stationed below the tree.
She enters the car to see Ronan and Christopher behind her.
Ronan had a guilty expression as Christopher looked at Cassandra with shock and surprise.
“What is it?” Zayn says as the question comes from the girl.
“The deal was called off.” Zayn says, seated behind the steering wheel.
“What!?” Her voice cracks in anger as Ronan instinctively protected his head.
“You two… are dating?” Christopher asks as Cassandra menacingly turns around.
“Who told you that?” Christopher was shaken with her expression as well. He felt intimidated and belittled under her strong gaze.
“R-Ronan accidentally yelled it in front of me-!” Christopher flinches when the girl demonically climbs over the seat to bang a few fists on Ronan’s head to teach him a lesson.
“Ahh!! I’ve had enough shots on my head for today! Not you too! My head’s gonna split open-”
“I’ll split it open right now!” Cassandra yells as the car turns into a little chaotic space for her anger.
“Now, now. It’s only Christopher who knows about it.”
“And you’re shameless to say that. Dude, he’s double your age, I mean… how…?” Christopher asks as he gets no explanation. Only a few stuttered words as they couldn’t come up with a mutual, well tailored lie together.
“Well… I don’t wanna judge anyone. You two look like you’ve been in love for too long.”
“N-no, absolutely not. We only met each other and started dating-”
“-The same day.”
“Shut up, or I’m gonna knock your head again!”
“Shut up, Ronan!”
All the four travel back to Cassandra’s house where Ravine and Alex were left home alone, by themselves.
Cassandra and the others hear the soft shuffling of feet and a female’s rough voice singing.
Cassandra widens her eyes.
It was the couple’s favorite song back in 2023.
[FLASHBACK…/All hail Elvis Presley!/]
“Wise men say
Only fools rush in
But I can’t help falling in love with you
Shall I stay?
Would it be a sin
If I can’t help falling in love with you?”
Ravine twirls elegantly under his arm.
Alex takes over the precious rhyme, singing as she danced along with him.
“Like a river flows
Surely to the sea
Darling, so it goes
Some things are meant to be.”
Alex holds her waist as she leans backwards. Her gorgeous hair flows with her movements. Alex felt as though he was falling in love with her, all over again. She looked so flawless, her dance was graceful like a prideful peacock under the rain.
She takes over the next lyric as her smooth, silken voice sang,
“Take my hand
Take my whole life, too…”
And the two bow down like a princess and a prince, in courtesy.
Ending the dance with the lyrics and a kiss,
“For I can’t help falling in love with you~”
[FLASHBACK ENDS….]
Alex and Ravine were couple goals back in the days. She was the most beautiful person in Cassandra’s eyes, even more so in Alex’s.
“Look at them…” Cassandra leaned against the doorframe, peeping into the kitchen where they were singing and dancing like in the past.
“They’re perfect for each other.” Zayn says with his eyes filled with stars for them.
They looked really good with each other.
And they don’t casually say,
That age is just a number.