Chapter Forty Eight- Progression

I had been putting off going to ask for my job back. To me there wasn't a point of doing anything anymore. I didn't even leave the confidence of my home for the next week.

Though I knew that I had to get my job back. How else would I pay the bills? I didn't want to go out into public though. I didn't want to face the world. I felt embarrassed, how I fell for an actor who ended up ripping me to shreds. This feeling was ridiculous. I shouldn't feel that way. No one knew about the fight. It's not like it was broad cast for the world to see, but I couldn't fight away the fear that some how they knew. That I would be judged.

I finally did drag myself back to the clinic though. I hated every minute of being out in publics' eye. It felt like everyone was staring at me. They weren't, I was just paranoid, but still.

I had luck on my side. One of my old co workers, who loved me, quickly called up my uncle almost right after I asked for the job back. Of course my uncle loved me and gave me back the job.

I ended up staying and starting to work that day because they were short on employees. Which I guess was good, for the past two weeks all I have done is sit around my apartment moping.

Sarah, the co worker, was working with me today. She was close to her thirty's with dark brown hair that waved down her chest, and she had beautiful gleaming brown eyes. She really was beautiful in all, and smart, very smart. I would consider her as one of my friends. Not a person I would poor my heart out too, but frankly she is the only one I would be able to poor my heart out too.

Taylor and Danielle would not answer my calls, so eventually I stopped trying. Emma sometimes would call, but calling isn't the same and even then those phone calls got farther and farther apart. She was busy though. I knew that, and I knew that it was just going to get even worse because they were leaving to film for Deathly Hallows within the next week.

"So why did you want your job back?" Sarah asked slouching her perfect frame in one of the desk chairs.

I fiddled with the arm rest on my chair. "I broke up with Tom"

She shot up straight, causing the chair to creak, leaning in "Why? What happened?"

"It's a long story...point is I have nothing but this job now"

"That has to sting" She answered leaning back into the chair.

I shrugged. Of course it stung. Why wouldn't it sting? It stung like a freakin bitch...but the stinging started becoming bearable.

After work I drove to the little convenient store that was by my apartment. I had been here quite a few times for one thing. Candy canes.

Anything Peppermint. It reminded me of Tom. Which is horrible I shouldn't torture myself with peppermint, but I do. The peppermint doesn't smell exactly like him of course, but it was the closest thing, and it comforted me.

I had become on a first name bases with the cashier. He was an old washed up man, in his late forties. He was nice; we had a few conversations.

When I got home I checked my mail. I had a few bills and a....package.

My face scrutinized as I walked to my apartment, opening and closing the door behind me, staring at the package. I read the address, and re read the address. It said that it came from the house....their house...his house.

I must have spent an hour staring at it, wondering what this little package held for me. When I did rip it open a letter fell out before I saw what it possessed.

I picked the letter up and read it.

'Dear Cassiebear

Emma, Rupert, and I wanted to give this to you personally, but well were a little occupied at the moment so we are sending it to you.

We Miss You!

Dan'

What would they want to give me personally? I reached into the package and almost screamed at what I saw. It was Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince DVD.

I started jumping up and down, as I ran to my television about to put it in. Then suddenly I stopped. I couldn't watch this. I couldn't watch...Tom. I just couldn't, all the progress I had made would be demolished.

I sat on my knees in front of the blank television deciphering whether or not I should torture myself or not, when someone knocked on my door.

Who would knock on my door? I walked over to it, secretly hoping that it would be Tom and that everything would go back to normal, but when the door opened the figure was only Alec.

I was confused "Why are you here?"

"What I can't drop in on my friend?" He asked fake pouting.

"Your Tom's friend" I stated, hating the burning sensation that ripped through my throat.

"Oh contrar my beautiful, when you became Tom's you got me as a friend...it's a package deal" He shrugged letting himself into my house.

"Nice to know" I answered bitterly closing the door behind him.

He sat down on my couch. "So how is my butterfly?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Butterfly?" I shook my head, still confused with this situation "Where did you come from?"

"Well you see my mummy and daddy were very much in love and-"

"Ew! Really Alec?" I said cutting him off.

He laughed "Do you really want to know where I came from?"

I crossed my arms over my chest "Yes that would be nice...and why you are here"

"Well I just came from Tom's and I came here to check up on you since no one else will"

Ouch. That hurt.

"Well I'm fine, you can go" I said gesturing to the door.

He pouted "Are you not happy to see me?"

"Not exactly"

He looked offended "That hurts Cas, and you're not fine"

"Yeah I really am" I said matter-of-factly walking into the kitchen.

He rolled his eyes "Well that's horrible, because you see Tom is far from fine"

I stopped walking and turned back to the annoying person sitting on my couch. "What do you mean?"

Alec smirked and flung some of his brown hair to the side. "He is horrible, he is just mad all the time...mad at you actually. He doesn't like talking to anyone, and don't even get me started on his room..."

I started breathing in and out faster than ever. I didn't want to hear this. I didn't want to hear that he was mad at me. I shouldn't care. I don't care...but then why does this hurt so much.

"Hey, hey I didn't mean to make you cry" Alec said sincerely.

"Get out!" I screamed at him, through the raking sobs.

He frowned, but left. I slammed the door behind him and put the movie in. Wrapped in blankets, I pressed play, and held candy canes close to my heart.

-Third Person-

"This is ridiculous" Emma sighed.

She and Dan were sitting on the couch. Dan, who was flipping through channels, turned the television off and sighed as well. "There is nothing we can do about it"

"He needs to get his head on straight, and go apologize" Emma said with venom.

"Well he is convinced that it's her fault, he blames her for breaking his heart...so consequently he hates her"

Emma rolled her eyes.

Rupert, who had been out of town this entire time, burst through the door staring at Emma and Dan.

"Where the hell is he?!" He shouted.

"Upstairs" They both sighed in unison.

Rupert stomped up the stairs. He was pissed off at Tom. Now that Dan, Emma, and Rupert knew about the whole thing with Will, what Tom did was worse than before. Rupert had always thought of Cassie as a sister. It might not have shown...at all, but that's what he felt.

He slammed open the door. Tom was lying on the bed frozen, starring at the ceiling.

"You son of a bitch" Rupert spat.

Tom's eyes crinkled and his jaw tightened as he looked up "Excuse me?"

"Why do you have to be such a fucking dick?!" He shouted at him.

"What the hell?" Tom said shaking his head angrily. He wanted to be left alone, if it hadn't been obvious.

"Why did you do that? Why did you throw all of that shit back in Cassie's face? Huh?!"

Tom shot straight up when Cassie's name escaped from Rupert's lips. "She isn't committed" he hissed.

"And since when have you ever been committed? Any other girl that you have ever had, you've only ever had for two months at the most"

"They are all the same" Tom said lying back down, trying to drown out Rupert's voice.

Rupert was shocked at what he just heard "What happened to 'She is so different, that's one of the things I love about her, and she is so open. She gets me to open up'. Do you remember telling me that when Dan went to get her, of the very day we met her?"

Tom didn't respond. He tried to pretend that he didn't hear anything.

Rupert sighed "Fine you lay around here doing nothing all you want, but don't say that this is her fault." He growled and walked back down to Dan and Emma who hadn't moved.

Rupert slouched into the recliner, rubbing his head.

"You're the first one who has yelled at him" Dan said

"He needs to be yelled at" Rupert hissed.

"We leave in two days, how could he ever get better by then?" Emma asked looking up from her lap.

"Well let's just say that it's a good thing that he doesn't have to look happy to play Draco" Dan said