Cassandra and I finally make it to my house the same night, soaking wet.

She asks, “So this is where you live, Belly?”

And I answer her, embarrassed and freezing to death, “Y-Y-Y-Yeah. Th-Th-Th-This is where I live. I-I-I know it doesn’t look like much, but it-it really is my home.”

It isn’t exactly a golden castle. It’s a cheap two story house that resides in the outskirts of Heavenly. But still, it’s really cozy and I like it. It has two bedrooms, one living room, one kitchen, one bathroom, a back-and-front yard and one sappy kid living all alone in it. My home.

“C-C-Can-Can we go inside now, please?! I’m f-f-freezing! M-My-My keys. My keys should be in the front pocket.”

She’s wearing my shorts and sweatshirt after yanking them off of me at the beach, all the while I’m freezing my ass off, and wearing nothing but boxers. This-This really sucks balls. Three people saw me tonight in my boxers and then walked the other way!!! Why am I so embarrassing?!?! Cassandra’s clothes got taken away by the ocean current and she wouldn’t stop crying until I gave her mine. And although she promised to not look at me after I gave her my clothes, she of course occasionally stared at me and giggled whenever she looked down at my boxers, which only made my night worse than it already is.

Cassandra starts teasing me, “Oooh. I don’t knooow, Belly. I really like to take my time when opening doors. Especially doors who belong to a pervert! A-Achoo! Ugh, sniff. I’m really cold...”

You’re really cold?! “Cassandra, please, I beg you! I-I really don’t want my neighbors to see me in my boxers! Not again!”

She continues to tease me, “Oh, okay then. But you’re gonna have to do me one, little favor, Belly.”

I gulp, pondering what evil favor she is about to ask of me, “O-Okay, Cassandra, what is it?”

She then all of a sudden asks me in a gentle voice, “Will… will you let me stay over for the night?”

I couldn’t believe my ears. Is-Is she serious?? No she can't be. Has to be a joke. Thoughts of her staying over begin flooding into my mind. I wasn’t cold anymore. I had completely forgotten that I was half naked outside. All I could think about was if I heard Cassandra say what I think she said. I’ve-I’ve never had anyone sleep over before. Especially a GIRL!!! My heart starts to race, I don’t know whether I should say yes or no to the most beautiful girl in school asking if it’s okay for her to spend the night over at my place! How can I not say yes??? But HOW THE HELL CAN I SAY YES?!?! What about her parents?? Is this really okay?! I’m really not ready for this!! Cassandra watches me struggle with this internal dilemma and she can’t help but give a warm smile and sigh.

“Here, Belly.” She hands over my keys.

“Huh?”

Cassandra thinks to herself, I can see me staying here is too much for you, so I’ll just head… home. “I was only kidding, Belly! Hahaha, you should see the look on your face!”

She starts walking away, and I can’t help but feel like grabbing her hand and telling her to stay. But instead, all I say is this, “W-Wait, Cassandra! Y-Y-You’re still sick, and you’re soaking wet! At-At least let me get you some dry clothes first!”

Cassandra stops and turns around, giving me a broken smile, “It’s okay, Belly. Sniff. It’s my fault these clothes are wet in the first place. Sniff. I’ll dry them and give them to you tomorrow. That okay?”

No, it’s not okay! If you leave like that, then you’ll only get even sicker! “You-You sure?”

“Yeah.” She turns back around, facing away from me, “Goodnight, Belly. Sweet dreams.” And Cassandra begins walking away again.

“Yeah, goodnight, Cassandra.” Don’t… “See you tomorrow.” Grab her hand! Don’t… “And thanks again, like always, for helping me train today.” Don’t let her leave when she needs you, you idiot! Don't!! “Bye.”

I’m lying down in bed wearing my cozy pajamas, just hopped out of a warm shower, too, but I still couldn’t shake off the cold feeling I’ve been having all night. I lift up my phone and stare at it. I think about what happened at the beach, if that sudden attack really was Joshua or not… If that person who saved Cassandra really was me or not.

I whisper to myself, “You coward.”

In the end, I still couldn't save her. I couldn’t save her from whatever that was troubling her. I let her leave, soaking wet and cold, right in front of me. Why couldn’t I grab her hand? Why couldn’t I have done anything?!

I turn off the lights and go to sleep, crying like always. I’m sorry, Cassandra… I still haven’t changed one single bit. I’m still too weak. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry!” I’m sorry…

I drift off to sleep, and like clockwork, I wake up to see Cassandra standing there, watching the gorgeous sun set. Except, this time, things are a different. We weren't standing in the sky anymore, we were standing on some beach located in what appeared to be a tropical island--located in the middle of nowhere but here in my dreams.

I whisper, “Where… Where are we?”

Cassandra’s body flinches to the sound of my voice, and she turns around with a bright smile, “Belly! Uh-” But that smile immediately turns into a frown the moment she lays her eyes on me--on my pathetic--crying face.

She runs over to me, “B-Belly? Hey, what are you crying for this time? Are you okay?”

I look at her, hoping to smile but I just begin to overflow with tears. “Ack… Ugh...Sniff. I’m sorry, Cassandra. I failed you.”

Cassandra asks in a soft voice, “What do you mean, Belly?”

I tell her everything that happened tonight. How Cassandra and I were attacked at the beach today by some unknown force--and how that force was probably Joshua. But then I tell her how I almost gave up on everything--how I almost gave up on saving myself and Cassandra. How that has bothered me all night, and how I‘m not sure--how I’m still not sure if it was really me who saved Cassandra or not. But what was bothering me the most is…

“... That I gave up! Even though it was only for a few seconds, I gave up on trying to save you! I accepted death! And I don’t know why, but I couldn’t even bring myself to invite you into my house tonight because of all that--because of all that guilt I’m feeling inside… I’m so stupid. I really am stupid. But, I’m really, really sorry, Cassandra. hiccup.”

Cassandra looks at me as she sits there in front of me while all I do is cry and look down at the sand. But then she stands up and violently grabs the collar of my shirt from behind and starts dragging me towards the ocean.

Then she begins to yell at me, “Argh!! Geez!! You really never do shut up, huh, Belly?!?! Might as well kill you, huh?!?!”

As she drags me across the sand, the collar of my shirt starts to choke me, and I struggle to breathe, but I can't help but laugh a bit at this all of a sudden, “Ugh! Ach! Wait! Ack! Cassandra, what are you doing-haha?? Ugh! Are you seriously going to kill me-haha?!?!?! Oof!”

She smiles and assures me, “Hell yes I am!” And she activates her magic, Pounce, and her eyes begin to glow a bright-green color. “Now, buh-bye, Mr. Suicide!”

And just like tha, she magically lifts me up with ease, and then she throws me into the water.

As I fly mid air, I plead, “Waaaiit!! Cassandra, please, I beg you to please think about thi-Splash!”

Cassandra waited a few seconds, and I finally make it back to the surface. “Buhhh! Hah. Buhhh! Hah. Cough! Cough! Cassandra! Cough! You are so lucky this is all a dream-Cough!” I start swimming back.

Cassandra proudly giggles and yells back, “Yeah, but did you give up?! Did you accept death again?! Did you give up on trying to reach me--to ever see me again?!”

I stop swimming for a moment, and realized why she threw me into the water. I burst out laughing because of this, and say, “No! I didn’t give up!

She giggles and asks tells me, “I’m sorry! What was that?! I didn’t quite catch that!! Can you repeat it please?!”

I smile, breathe in, and close my eyes, and I say, “No! I didn’t give up on you Cassandra!! And I’m happy!! I’m happy that I didn’t give up because now you’re okay!!”

She answers, “Good! Now get your ass back over here already! I’m craving some bbq burgers!

I answer, “Okay! I’ll be right there!” and I swim back to shore. Completely ignoring the fact that this is all just a simple dream--a simple dream that snap me out of my problems.

I’m soaking wet again, and yet, this time I feel warm for some reason. Cassandra and I do a bbq as the sun sets in the distance, giving the sky a beautiful, orange color, as well as dyeing the clouds bright yellow, and making the ocean water shine with such a sparkly embrace. And as the two of us enjoy eating our bbq burgers, I wake up because of my stupid alarm clock again. And as I look at my alarm clock, I see that it’s Saturday, and that today is a new day. I got this.

Meanwhile, Cassandra is waking up in our middle school nurse’s office, hugging a pillow. As she lies there in bed quietly, she smiles warmly and whispers to herself, “Thank you for saving me, Belly!"