the places you have come to fear the most -- 5/?
Evan grins and shakes his head, expression turning solemn as he squeezes Cappie’s shoulder. “Look, we both know what Casey Cartwright can do to a guy..." greek. post-end of the world. part five.
Ashleigh turns, eyes bounding upward as she spins in her computer chair. “Rebecca, you’re really starting to freak me out,” she insists, arching an eyebrow inquisitively.
Rebecca looks downward, eyes grazing the carpet. “Yeah...sorry...” she begins, stepping inside the room.
Ashleigh softens. “What’s wrong?” she asks, folding her hands into her lap. “It’s like you’ve been trying to tell me something...”
Rebecca flashes a nervous grin then sits down on Ashleigh’s bed. “Well, um, yeah,” she begins. “And I would have told you sooner, but I wasn’t sure how to approach you about this.”
Ashleigh straightens her back, misplaced anxiety tugging at her throat. “Tell me what?” she asks firmly.
She watches as Rebecca picks at her jeans, nails digging into the rough fabric.
“Rebecca,” she remarks, suddenly worried. “What is it?”
Rebecca clears her throat, obviously nervous. She looks up at Ashleigh timidly, a sure sign that something is terribly wrong. Ashleigh can’t help but push.
“Just say it.”
Rebecca nods, turning her head to the side. “So I...well, at the End of the World party, I kind of made out with this guy.”
“And now you’re not sure if you’re really straight or not?” Ashleigh teases, knowing Rebecca hasn’t revealed all of the information yet.
She doesn’t respond. “There was this guy, Vick at the tailgate party who I sort of hooked up with. Well, during the End of the World party, I went upstairs to use Cappie’s bathroom since the one downstairs was disgusting.” She pauses, tucking her dark hair behind her ear. “Anyway, when I came out, there was this guy in front of me, and I couldn’t really see him clearly because it was dark. But he looked like Vick and when he leaned in to kiss me, I assumed it was Vick. But...”
“It wasn’t?” Ashleigh guesses, growing a bit bored with their banter.
“No, no it wasn’t,” Rebecca sighs. “We made our way down the stairs and then when I saw him clearly it was...well it was Fisher.”
Ashleigh stares in amazement at Rebecca. She’s not certain if this is Rebecca’s idea of a joke or sisterhood prank or what she’s trying to pull. She’s only sure that Fisher would never kiss Rebecca, but Rebecca would certainly kiss Fisher.
“I...we...well, when I saw it was him, I pulled away and he gave me this strange look. I was so surprised, and like I said, it had been really dark, so I said, Oh my god, did you think I was Ashleigh? And he just grinned and tried to kiss me again.” Her voice trails off as her eyes skirt up to Ashleigh’s, waiting.
Ashleigh gawks at her for a moment. “Is this the part where I’m supposed to start laughing?”
Rebecca tenses. “Only if you found something humorous about what I just told you.”
“You are joking right?”
Rebecca shakes her head slowly. “I wish I were...I...”
“You kissed my boyfriend?” Ashleigh snaps.
“No! Well, yes, but...Ash, I didn’t mean to...that’s why I’m here! That’s why I...”
“If you didn’t mean to kiss him and it was such an accident, then why did you wait a week to tell me?” Ashleigh remarks angrily.
Rebecca stands up quickly, eyeing Ashleigh cautiously. “This is going to sound stupid, but I wanted him...Fisher...I wanted to give him a chance to come to you. I told him I was going to tell you and I wanted to give him a chance to come clean first. I mean, maybe he was just drunk or maybe he....”
“Or maybe you’re making all of this up,” Ashleigh suggests bitterly. “Admit it, you hate that I’m happy and you aren’t.”
“Wait a minute...”
“No, you’re just mad because I got Fisher and you didn’t,” Ashleigh remarks, crossing her arms firmly. “And you were being nice to me all week long in the hope that I’d believe your ridiculous tale so that I’d break up with Fisher and you could...”
“Ashleigh! Why would I lie about this?”
“It’s not like you haven’t before,” Ashleigh snaps.
“I’m not...I wouldn’t...I just thought you should know, because...”
“Get out Rebecca,” Ashleigh spits, eyes blazing. “I don’t know why Casey was dumb enough to beg Tegan to let you stay in this sorority, but I think you’ll find that I’m not as forgiving as Casey is.”
She stands fiercely, hip cocked to one side, mouth still hanging open from her trail of words, eyes widened and threatening to tear. Rebecca turns without another word and disappears down the hallway, heels clinking as she storms off.
It takes a moment before her breathing begins to stagger and she catches herself from teetering off balance, hands digging into the wood of her desk, head bent down between her arms in an effort to maintain her composure.
Because if she were to be completely honest with herself, she would admit that she believes Rebecca, that she wants to believe Rebecca, that Fisher did cheat on her, and that he hasn’t come clean.
But she can’t bring herself to form any of these thoughts or even to cry, because wouldn’t that be an admittance of knowing the truth in itself? Instead, she climbs back to her feet and clenches her jaw. Hating Rebecca comes too easily, much more easily than the idea of hating Fisher.
“Chambers!” Cappie calls, jogging to catch up with him.
Evan pauses, ending his conversation with a girl Cappie’s never seen before and turns to face him. “Hey,” Evan replies, sounding a bit hesitant. “Uh, you know we’re in public, right?”
Cappie waves his hand in the air as if to say, it doesn’t matter. “I have a uh...problem and the guys in the house, well, they’re not much for relationship advice. And there’s Rusty who’s probably the only Kappa Tau to ever be in a healthy relationship, but...”
“But you can’t talk to him because discussing your feelings for is older sister is a little too uncomfortable for you?” Evan suggest.
Cappie rolls his eyes. “I never said this was about Casey.”
“It’s always about Casey. That’s why you came to see me,” Evan remarks. “Plus, you didn’t deny that it was about her.”
Cappie sighs. “You gonna help or are you just going to gloat the entire time?”
Evan smirks. “A little bit of both.”
Cappie nods. “Least you’re honest.”
“So what did she do this time?”
Cappie laughs, because someone the idea of summing up everything that happened seems impossible. There’s the studying together and the tailgate party and the float and their fights and the End of the World party and Max and Rusty and-
“She broke up with Max,” he says quickly. He’ll keep it short and simple.
“So what, now you think she wants you back?” Evan laughs. It’s a good-intentioned joke, but it still stings of old jealousy and rivalry.
Cappie rolls his eyes. “Perhaps I should clarify. Casey broke up with Max for me.”
Evan blinks back surprise. “Seriously?”
“Uh, yeah,” Cappie mutters, biting back a bit of sarcasm.
Evan nods, soaking in the new information. “Huh,” he replies, pursing his lips. “Well, what’s the problem?”
“The problem is that this is Casey and I don’t know what to do.”
“What do you want to do?”
Cappie shrugs. “I’m not sure. I mean, I’m not over her. I know that much. Hell, the bartenders at Dobler’s know that much. But, nothing’s changed. We’re older, questionably wiser, but still the same people we were before.”
“That’s not entirely true,” Evan remarks. “I mean, you didn’t neglect Rebecca the way you did Casey when you two dated.”
“I didn’t neglect...” Cappie begins. “Wait, how do you know anything about how I treated Rebecca?” he asks skeptically.
Evan shrugs. “She uh...we’ve been talking.”
There’s a joke in his head about Evan picking up his sloppy seconds, but he doesn’t dare utter it. Strangely enough, he really wants Evan’s opinion on this.
“Well that’s, uh, gross,” Cappie manages.
Evan chuckles. “It’s not a big deal, Cap. I was just trying to prove the point that you have grown up since freshman year and Casey’s changed a lot too. Maybe it could work.”
“You think?”
“Maybe.”
“So you think I should go for it,” Cappie deduces.
Evan furrows his brow. “What? No. I didn’t say that.”
Cappie falters. “But you...are you messing with me Chambers?”
Evan grins and shakes his head, expression turning solemn as he squeezes Cappie’s shoulder. “Look, we both know what Casey Cartwright can do to a guy. Yeah, she’s awesome and there’s never going to be anyone else like her, but come on Cap. You know how it felt to lose her once. Do you really want to go through that again?"
Cappie sighs, pausing for a moment. “I told Spitter not to be afraid to take risks with girls. And here I am afraid to make a decision about Casey.”
Evan rolls his eyes. “Risks are good. And hey, taking some risks with girls are very good if you get what I’m saying.”
Cappie grins.
“But taking Casey back? It just sounds like a death sentence. I mean, the way I figure it is Casey only wants what she can’t have.”
Cappie nods. “But,” he protests. “Like you said, she’s grown up a lot.”
Evan sighs. “Look, maybe I’m not the best person to be talking to about this. When it comes to Casey, I can’t really be objective.”
Cappie nods, holding his hand up to wave to Evan as he disappears farther down the street.
Who can? he thinks.
“Uh, Rust,” Jordan laughs, pushing him off of her.
“Sorry was I...” he begins, smiling awkwardly at her.
She grins, rolling her eyes. “You were beginning to cut off my circulation.”
Rusty smirks, hugging her again, this time more gently. “Sorry,” he apologizes. “I just feel like such an idiot.”
She shoots him a curious look. “Just don’t do it again,” she remarks.
Rusty shakes his head frantically as he kisses her. “I won’t,” he promises.
“Cause honestly, the thought of your sister’s relationship affecting ours,” she whispers. “Well, it’s kind of unsettling.”
Rusty nods, eyes wide. “Tell me about it.”
Jordan smiles coyly. “Well, I guess you’re off the hook then. I mean, you did pay for dinner and the movie.”
“Oh, this is just the beginning,” Rusty insists. “Tomorrow we can go to that french restaurant you like and then I was thinking that Friday...”
“Rust,” Jordan says cautiously. “You don’t have to buy my love,” she teases.
“I just feel so bad,” he admits.
“Well stop,” she says, kissing him again. “We’re fine. I promise.”
“Okay,” he agrees, letting go of her hand reluctantly. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
She smiles as she waves at him before disappearing up the walkway of the ZBZ house.
Rusty grins the entire way back to his apartment complex.
His key’s barely in the lock when Dale flings the door open, staring wildly at him.
“Dude, your big brother is freaking me out,” Dale hisses, stepping out into the hallway. “He shows up here with no shirt and a missing shoe and he’s muttering about fate and Evan.”
“What?” Rusty remarks, baffled.
“That’s what I’m saying!” Dale replies loudly. “He’s talking about guys and fate Russ!”
Rusty rolls his eyes. “Cappie is not gay.”
“Look I don’t know what Cappie is, but I’m going to Sheila’s because he is freaking me out!”
Rusty chuckles slightly as he slips inside of his apartment, shutting the door behind him. “Nice shirt,” he jokes, thrown by the sight of Cappie in Dale’s ABSTINENCE- the sexiest choice of all tee-shirt.
Cappie eyes the shirt strangely, obviously drunk. “I thought it was ironic.”
Rusty laughs. “Yeah, uh, sure it is, Cap.”
“Do you believe in fate?”
“Cap, you believe in fate,” Rusty reminds him. “Remember? Karmic synergy? Everything will work itself out if you just...”
“It’s all crap,” Cappie remarks, hiccupping slightly. “Made it up to make myself feel better.”
“I don’t know Cap,” Rusty says gently. “I believe in it.”
Cappie narrows his eyes. “You do?”
“Yeah. I mean, I told Jordan how I felt when she was dating Andy and she chose me,” Rusty explains.
Cappie nods a bit too zealously. “Yeah, yeah,” he agrees. “Kind of like how I told Casey how I felt and then she broke up with Max.”
Rusty pauses. “Kind of,” he begins. “But uh...”
“But I was an idiot and turned her down,” Cappie nods.
Rusty stands frozen. “I uh, I don’t know.”
“You think I should try to get over her? ‘Cause that’s what Evan seems to think.”
“Evan? When did you...”
“Or should I try to get her back?” Cappie asks. “I don’t know what to do Rust.”
Rusty sighs, sitting down next to him. “Well for starters, you need to stop asking other people what you should be doing. Only you know what you want, Cap. No one can answer that, especially Evan.”
“Hmm,” Cappie mumbles. “Can I tell you a secret, Spitter?”
“Maybe,” Rusty replies, a little warily.
“Evan Chambers isn’t the two-timing jerk I made him out to be. We’re kind of friends.”
Rusty nods slowly. “Uh, that’s nice.”
“Yeah,” Cappie says, smiling.
“Cap, what are you doing here?” Rusty asks. “Not that I mind, but...”
Cappie shrugs, eyes skirting across the floor. “Beav and Wade keep trying to cheer me up back at the house. It’s nice and all, but there’s only so many times I can handle a game of spin-the-bottle before feeling nauseous.”
Rusty’s eyes widen. “You play spin-the-bottle with Wade and Beaver?!” he remarks incredulously.
Cappie stares at Rusty, perplexed. “Yeah, you know, you spin the bottle and whoever it points to has to drink it, which is always funny because you know, it’s all shook up.”
“Oh,” Rusty replies, exhaling. “That spin-the-bottle.”
Cappie nods. “Why what were you thinking?”
“Uh, nothing...”
“Now as I was saying, I love a good game of spin-the-bottle, but since we’re out of beer and can’t buy any until the restrictions are up, chugging bottles of milk and orange juice, well, it’s really getting me sick.”
“Understandable,” Rusty replies.
“So I went to Dobler’s for a few minutes...”
“A few minutes?” Rusty questions dubiously.
Cappie grins sheepishly. “Okay,” he admits. “For a few hours.”
“Sounds more like it.”
“And when I left Dobler’s I realized for the first time in a long time that I had nowhere to go.”
Rusty hesitates, not used to Cappie being so vulnerable. “Everything okay, Cap?” he asks at last, sitting down across from him.
Cappie hangs his head, looking up slowly at Rusty. “I guess I thought that I was making the right decision at the time...that she would wake up and realize she didn’t really want me.”
Rusty shifts his weight awkwardly. “And now you think you made the wrong decision?”
Cappie sighs. “I miss her. I never expected to miss her so much. When I told her we couldn’t be friends, I thought...I thought I was doing what was best for her. I figured she’d stay with Max, graduate, get married, and just be happy.”
Rusty shoots Cappie a small smile. “But she didn’t stay with Max. Casey’s a people pleaser. She likes to make everyone happy. That’s probably why it took her so long to end things with Max. As long as you were her friend, she was fine dating Max, even if she wasn’t exactly happy. But once you told her you couldn’t be just her friend, she knew she had to make a choice. It just took her a while to figure out how she felt.”
“Try three years,” Cappie mutters.
Rusty rolls his eyes quickly. “Casey’s always been sure about her future. She’s always known what she wanted to do and exactly what kind of person she wanted to be. And after breaking up with Evan, she realized that everything she thought she wanted wasn’t as great as it seemed. She’s in the process of reevaluating her life and figuring out exactly who she is. You can’t really blame her for not being sure about you.”
“I’ve always been sure about her,” Cappie replies quickly, a realization Rusty’s always suspected but never heard him utter out loud. “I’ve never doubted it,” he adds.
“Well,” Rusty begins, hands reaching into his pockets. “She’s sure now. Isn’t that enough?”
“Hey,” Casey replies softly, tiptoeing into her and Ashleigh’s room. “I uh, well, Rebecca just told me.”
She watches as the lump under layers of blankets moves slightly, then falls still again.
Casey approaches Ashleigh’s bed quietly. “Talk to me Ash. I want to help.”
“There’s nothing you can do,” Ashleigh mutters quickly, sticking her head out of the blankets. “Just leave me alone Case.”
“I can’t,” she begins softly. “Not until I at least try to talk to you.”
“Okay, well you tried, now go.”
“Ash,” Casey begins cautiously. “Rebecca feels terrible about this. You have to believe that she didn’t know...”
“Seriously Casey?” Ashleigh remarks bitterly. “She sleeps with Evan and I’m supposed to hate her. She dates Cappie and I’m supposed to think she’s a bitch. Then she befriends Frannie and I’m supposed to go along with your schemes to bring both of them down. But she kisses my boyfriend and the rules change? I’m just supposed to forgive her?”
Casey sighs, sitting down on the edge of Ashleigh’s bed. “I didn’t say it was fair, but...” She stops, deciding to change the subject slightly. “Have you talked to Fisher?”
“Don’t want to.”
“You have to.”
“I know Case, I just don’t want to right now, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Look, if this was you and Cappie, how would you feel?”
“Betrayed,” Casey starts. “Horrified, hurt, stupid. I’d feel a million different things Ash, and it’s okay for you to be upset and angry, even at Rebecca right now, because what happened sucks.”
“It does.”
“I just don’t want you to shut Rebecca out forever,” Casey adds, standing up. “You were the one who convinced me to give her a chance and you were right about her. She means well. And she never meant for you to get hurt here. You have to know that.”
“I don’t want to give her another chance,” Ashleigh insists. “And I don’t have to.”
“You’re right,” Casey begins softly. “You don’t have to. It’s entirely up to you. And I don’t mean to get all preachy on you, but relationships are complicated. Yes, Fisher cheated on you and yes you have every right to be pissed about that. But with Rebecca, well...it’s just not always that simple.”
Ashleigh spins away, back turning towards Casey. “Well for me it is.”
Casey sighs. “So you’re going to cut her out, just like that?”
There’s a pause and Casey purses her lips, retreating back to the door.
“Yeah,” Ashleigh adds quietly as Casey starts to shut the door. “Just like that.”
Ashleigh turns, eyes bounding upward as she spins in her computer chair. “Rebecca, you’re really starting to freak me out,” she insists, arching an eyebrow inquisitively.
Rebecca looks downward, eyes grazing the carpet. “Yeah...sorry...” she begins, stepping inside the room.
Ashleigh softens. “What’s wrong?” she asks, folding her hands into her lap. “It’s like you’ve been trying to tell me something...”
Rebecca flashes a nervous grin then sits down on Ashleigh’s bed. “Well, um, yeah,” she begins. “And I would have told you sooner, but I wasn’t sure how to approach you about this.”
Ashleigh straightens her back, misplaced anxiety tugging at her throat. “Tell me what?” she asks firmly.
She watches as Rebecca picks at her jeans, nails digging into the rough fabric.
“Rebecca,” she remarks, suddenly worried. “What is it?”
Rebecca clears her throat, obviously nervous. She looks up at Ashleigh timidly, a sure sign that something is terribly wrong. Ashleigh can’t help but push.
“Just say it.”
Rebecca nods, turning her head to the side. “So I...well, at the End of the World party, I kind of made out with this guy.”
“And now you’re not sure if you’re really straight or not?” Ashleigh teases, knowing Rebecca hasn’t revealed all of the information yet.
She doesn’t respond. “There was this guy, Vick at the tailgate party who I sort of hooked up with. Well, during the End of the World party, I went upstairs to use Cappie’s bathroom since the one downstairs was disgusting.” She pauses, tucking her dark hair behind her ear. “Anyway, when I came out, there was this guy in front of me, and I couldn’t really see him clearly because it was dark. But he looked like Vick and when he leaned in to kiss me, I assumed it was Vick. But...”
“It wasn’t?” Ashleigh guesses, growing a bit bored with their banter.
“No, no it wasn’t,” Rebecca sighs. “We made our way down the stairs and then when I saw him clearly it was...well it was Fisher.”
Ashleigh stares in amazement at Rebecca. She’s not certain if this is Rebecca’s idea of a joke or sisterhood prank or what she’s trying to pull. She’s only sure that Fisher would never kiss Rebecca, but Rebecca would certainly kiss Fisher.
“I...we...well, when I saw it was him, I pulled away and he gave me this strange look. I was so surprised, and like I said, it had been really dark, so I said, Oh my god, did you think I was Ashleigh? And he just grinned and tried to kiss me again.” Her voice trails off as her eyes skirt up to Ashleigh’s, waiting.
Ashleigh gawks at her for a moment. “Is this the part where I’m supposed to start laughing?”
Rebecca tenses. “Only if you found something humorous about what I just told you.”
“You are joking right?”
Rebecca shakes her head slowly. “I wish I were...I...”
“You kissed my boyfriend?” Ashleigh snaps.
“No! Well, yes, but...Ash, I didn’t mean to...that’s why I’m here! That’s why I...”
“If you didn’t mean to kiss him and it was such an accident, then why did you wait a week to tell me?” Ashleigh remarks angrily.
Rebecca stands up quickly, eyeing Ashleigh cautiously. “This is going to sound stupid, but I wanted him...Fisher...I wanted to give him a chance to come to you. I told him I was going to tell you and I wanted to give him a chance to come clean first. I mean, maybe he was just drunk or maybe he....”
“Or maybe you’re making all of this up,” Ashleigh suggests bitterly. “Admit it, you hate that I’m happy and you aren’t.”
“Wait a minute...”
“No, you’re just mad because I got Fisher and you didn’t,” Ashleigh remarks, crossing her arms firmly. “And you were being nice to me all week long in the hope that I’d believe your ridiculous tale so that I’d break up with Fisher and you could...”
“Ashleigh! Why would I lie about this?”
“It’s not like you haven’t before,” Ashleigh snaps.
“I’m not...I wouldn’t...I just thought you should know, because...”
“Get out Rebecca,” Ashleigh spits, eyes blazing. “I don’t know why Casey was dumb enough to beg Tegan to let you stay in this sorority, but I think you’ll find that I’m not as forgiving as Casey is.”
She stands fiercely, hip cocked to one side, mouth still hanging open from her trail of words, eyes widened and threatening to tear. Rebecca turns without another word and disappears down the hallway, heels clinking as she storms off.
It takes a moment before her breathing begins to stagger and she catches herself from teetering off balance, hands digging into the wood of her desk, head bent down between her arms in an effort to maintain her composure.
Because if she were to be completely honest with herself, she would admit that she believes Rebecca, that she wants to believe Rebecca, that Fisher did cheat on her, and that he hasn’t come clean.
But she can’t bring herself to form any of these thoughts or even to cry, because wouldn’t that be an admittance of knowing the truth in itself? Instead, she climbs back to her feet and clenches her jaw. Hating Rebecca comes too easily, much more easily than the idea of hating Fisher.
“Chambers!” Cappie calls, jogging to catch up with him.
Evan pauses, ending his conversation with a girl Cappie’s never seen before and turns to face him. “Hey,” Evan replies, sounding a bit hesitant. “Uh, you know we’re in public, right?”
Cappie waves his hand in the air as if to say, it doesn’t matter. “I have a uh...problem and the guys in the house, well, they’re not much for relationship advice. And there’s Rusty who’s probably the only Kappa Tau to ever be in a healthy relationship, but...”
“But you can’t talk to him because discussing your feelings for is older sister is a little too uncomfortable for you?” Evan suggest.
Cappie rolls his eyes. “I never said this was about Casey.”
“It’s always about Casey. That’s why you came to see me,” Evan remarks. “Plus, you didn’t deny that it was about her.”
Cappie sighs. “You gonna help or are you just going to gloat the entire time?”
Evan smirks. “A little bit of both.”
Cappie nods. “Least you’re honest.”
“So what did she do this time?”
Cappie laughs, because someone the idea of summing up everything that happened seems impossible. There’s the studying together and the tailgate party and the float and their fights and the End of the World party and Max and Rusty and-
“She broke up with Max,” he says quickly. He’ll keep it short and simple.
“So what, now you think she wants you back?” Evan laughs. It’s a good-intentioned joke, but it still stings of old jealousy and rivalry.
Cappie rolls his eyes. “Perhaps I should clarify. Casey broke up with Max for me.”
Evan blinks back surprise. “Seriously?”
“Uh, yeah,” Cappie mutters, biting back a bit of sarcasm.
Evan nods, soaking in the new information. “Huh,” he replies, pursing his lips. “Well, what’s the problem?”
“The problem is that this is Casey and I don’t know what to do.”
“What do you want to do?”
Cappie shrugs. “I’m not sure. I mean, I’m not over her. I know that much. Hell, the bartenders at Dobler’s know that much. But, nothing’s changed. We’re older, questionably wiser, but still the same people we were before.”
“That’s not entirely true,” Evan remarks. “I mean, you didn’t neglect Rebecca the way you did Casey when you two dated.”
“I didn’t neglect...” Cappie begins. “Wait, how do you know anything about how I treated Rebecca?” he asks skeptically.
Evan shrugs. “She uh...we’ve been talking.”
There’s a joke in his head about Evan picking up his sloppy seconds, but he doesn’t dare utter it. Strangely enough, he really wants Evan’s opinion on this.
“Well that’s, uh, gross,” Cappie manages.
Evan chuckles. “It’s not a big deal, Cap. I was just trying to prove the point that you have grown up since freshman year and Casey’s changed a lot too. Maybe it could work.”
“You think?”
“Maybe.”
“So you think I should go for it,” Cappie deduces.
Evan furrows his brow. “What? No. I didn’t say that.”
Cappie falters. “But you...are you messing with me Chambers?”
Evan grins and shakes his head, expression turning solemn as he squeezes Cappie’s shoulder. “Look, we both know what Casey Cartwright can do to a guy. Yeah, she’s awesome and there’s never going to be anyone else like her, but come on Cap. You know how it felt to lose her once. Do you really want to go through that again?"
Cappie sighs, pausing for a moment. “I told Spitter not to be afraid to take risks with girls. And here I am afraid to make a decision about Casey.”
Evan rolls his eyes. “Risks are good. And hey, taking some risks with girls are very good if you get what I’m saying.”
Cappie grins.
“But taking Casey back? It just sounds like a death sentence. I mean, the way I figure it is Casey only wants what she can’t have.”
Cappie nods. “But,” he protests. “Like you said, she’s grown up a lot.”
Evan sighs. “Look, maybe I’m not the best person to be talking to about this. When it comes to Casey, I can’t really be objective.”
Cappie nods, holding his hand up to wave to Evan as he disappears farther down the street.
Who can? he thinks.
“Uh, Rust,” Jordan laughs, pushing him off of her.
“Sorry was I...” he begins, smiling awkwardly at her.
She grins, rolling her eyes. “You were beginning to cut off my circulation.”
Rusty smirks, hugging her again, this time more gently. “Sorry,” he apologizes. “I just feel like such an idiot.”
She shoots him a curious look. “Just don’t do it again,” she remarks.
Rusty shakes his head frantically as he kisses her. “I won’t,” he promises.
“Cause honestly, the thought of your sister’s relationship affecting ours,” she whispers. “Well, it’s kind of unsettling.”
Rusty nods, eyes wide. “Tell me about it.”
Jordan smiles coyly. “Well, I guess you’re off the hook then. I mean, you did pay for dinner and the movie.”
“Oh, this is just the beginning,” Rusty insists. “Tomorrow we can go to that french restaurant you like and then I was thinking that Friday...”
“Rust,” Jordan says cautiously. “You don’t have to buy my love,” she teases.
“I just feel so bad,” he admits.
“Well stop,” she says, kissing him again. “We’re fine. I promise.”
“Okay,” he agrees, letting go of her hand reluctantly. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
She smiles as she waves at him before disappearing up the walkway of the ZBZ house.
Rusty grins the entire way back to his apartment complex.
His key’s barely in the lock when Dale flings the door open, staring wildly at him.
“Dude, your big brother is freaking me out,” Dale hisses, stepping out into the hallway. “He shows up here with no shirt and a missing shoe and he’s muttering about fate and Evan.”
“What?” Rusty remarks, baffled.
“That’s what I’m saying!” Dale replies loudly. “He’s talking about guys and fate Russ!”
Rusty rolls his eyes. “Cappie is not gay.”
“Look I don’t know what Cappie is, but I’m going to Sheila’s because he is freaking me out!”
Rusty chuckles slightly as he slips inside of his apartment, shutting the door behind him. “Nice shirt,” he jokes, thrown by the sight of Cappie in Dale’s ABSTINENCE- the sexiest choice of all tee-shirt.
Cappie eyes the shirt strangely, obviously drunk. “I thought it was ironic.”
Rusty laughs. “Yeah, uh, sure it is, Cap.”
“Do you believe in fate?”
“Cap, you believe in fate,” Rusty reminds him. “Remember? Karmic synergy? Everything will work itself out if you just...”
“It’s all crap,” Cappie remarks, hiccupping slightly. “Made it up to make myself feel better.”
“I don’t know Cap,” Rusty says gently. “I believe in it.”
Cappie narrows his eyes. “You do?”
“Yeah. I mean, I told Jordan how I felt when she was dating Andy and she chose me,” Rusty explains.
Cappie nods a bit too zealously. “Yeah, yeah,” he agrees. “Kind of like how I told Casey how I felt and then she broke up with Max.”
Rusty pauses. “Kind of,” he begins. “But uh...”
“But I was an idiot and turned her down,” Cappie nods.
Rusty stands frozen. “I uh, I don’t know.”
“You think I should try to get over her? ‘Cause that’s what Evan seems to think.”
“Evan? When did you...”
“Or should I try to get her back?” Cappie asks. “I don’t know what to do Rust.”
Rusty sighs, sitting down next to him. “Well for starters, you need to stop asking other people what you should be doing. Only you know what you want, Cap. No one can answer that, especially Evan.”
“Hmm,” Cappie mumbles. “Can I tell you a secret, Spitter?”
“Maybe,” Rusty replies, a little warily.
“Evan Chambers isn’t the two-timing jerk I made him out to be. We’re kind of friends.”
Rusty nods slowly. “Uh, that’s nice.”
“Yeah,” Cappie says, smiling.
“Cap, what are you doing here?” Rusty asks. “Not that I mind, but...”
Cappie shrugs, eyes skirting across the floor. “Beav and Wade keep trying to cheer me up back at the house. It’s nice and all, but there’s only so many times I can handle a game of spin-the-bottle before feeling nauseous.”
Rusty’s eyes widen. “You play spin-the-bottle with Wade and Beaver?!” he remarks incredulously.
Cappie stares at Rusty, perplexed. “Yeah, you know, you spin the bottle and whoever it points to has to drink it, which is always funny because you know, it’s all shook up.”
“Oh,” Rusty replies, exhaling. “That spin-the-bottle.”
Cappie nods. “Why what were you thinking?”
“Uh, nothing...”
“Now as I was saying, I love a good game of spin-the-bottle, but since we’re out of beer and can’t buy any until the restrictions are up, chugging bottles of milk and orange juice, well, it’s really getting me sick.”
“Understandable,” Rusty replies.
“So I went to Dobler’s for a few minutes...”
“A few minutes?” Rusty questions dubiously.
Cappie grins sheepishly. “Okay,” he admits. “For a few hours.”
“Sounds more like it.”
“And when I left Dobler’s I realized for the first time in a long time that I had nowhere to go.”
Rusty hesitates, not used to Cappie being so vulnerable. “Everything okay, Cap?” he asks at last, sitting down across from him.
Cappie hangs his head, looking up slowly at Rusty. “I guess I thought that I was making the right decision at the time...that she would wake up and realize she didn’t really want me.”
Rusty shifts his weight awkwardly. “And now you think you made the wrong decision?”
Cappie sighs. “I miss her. I never expected to miss her so much. When I told her we couldn’t be friends, I thought...I thought I was doing what was best for her. I figured she’d stay with Max, graduate, get married, and just be happy.”
Rusty shoots Cappie a small smile. “But she didn’t stay with Max. Casey’s a people pleaser. She likes to make everyone happy. That’s probably why it took her so long to end things with Max. As long as you were her friend, she was fine dating Max, even if she wasn’t exactly happy. But once you told her you couldn’t be just her friend, she knew she had to make a choice. It just took her a while to figure out how she felt.”
“Try three years,” Cappie mutters.
Rusty rolls his eyes quickly. “Casey’s always been sure about her future. She’s always known what she wanted to do and exactly what kind of person she wanted to be. And after breaking up with Evan, she realized that everything she thought she wanted wasn’t as great as it seemed. She’s in the process of reevaluating her life and figuring out exactly who she is. You can’t really blame her for not being sure about you.”
“I’ve always been sure about her,” Cappie replies quickly, a realization Rusty’s always suspected but never heard him utter out loud. “I’ve never doubted it,” he adds.
“Well,” Rusty begins, hands reaching into his pockets. “She’s sure now. Isn’t that enough?”
“Hey,” Casey replies softly, tiptoeing into her and Ashleigh’s room. “I uh, well, Rebecca just told me.”
She watches as the lump under layers of blankets moves slightly, then falls still again.
Casey approaches Ashleigh’s bed quietly. “Talk to me Ash. I want to help.”
“There’s nothing you can do,” Ashleigh mutters quickly, sticking her head out of the blankets. “Just leave me alone Case.”
“I can’t,” she begins softly. “Not until I at least try to talk to you.”
“Okay, well you tried, now go.”
“Ash,” Casey begins cautiously. “Rebecca feels terrible about this. You have to believe that she didn’t know...”
“Seriously Casey?” Ashleigh remarks bitterly. “She sleeps with Evan and I’m supposed to hate her. She dates Cappie and I’m supposed to think she’s a bitch. Then she befriends Frannie and I’m supposed to go along with your schemes to bring both of them down. But she kisses my boyfriend and the rules change? I’m just supposed to forgive her?”
Casey sighs, sitting down on the edge of Ashleigh’s bed. “I didn’t say it was fair, but...” She stops, deciding to change the subject slightly. “Have you talked to Fisher?”
“Don’t want to.”
“You have to.”
“I know Case, I just don’t want to right now, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Look, if this was you and Cappie, how would you feel?”
“Betrayed,” Casey starts. “Horrified, hurt, stupid. I’d feel a million different things Ash, and it’s okay for you to be upset and angry, even at Rebecca right now, because what happened sucks.”
“It does.”
“I just don’t want you to shut Rebecca out forever,” Casey adds, standing up. “You were the one who convinced me to give her a chance and you were right about her. She means well. And she never meant for you to get hurt here. You have to know that.”
“I don’t want to give her another chance,” Ashleigh insists. “And I don’t have to.”
“You’re right,” Casey begins softly. “You don’t have to. It’s entirely up to you. And I don’t mean to get all preachy on you, but relationships are complicated. Yes, Fisher cheated on you and yes you have every right to be pissed about that. But with Rebecca, well...it’s just not always that simple.”
Ashleigh spins away, back turning towards Casey. “Well for me it is.”
Casey sighs. “So you’re going to cut her out, just like that?”
There’s a pause and Casey purses her lips, retreating back to the door.
“Yeah,” Ashleigh adds quietly as Casey starts to shut the door. “Just like that.”