I take back what I said

Cass didn’t know how long she sat there.

The guitar still rested in her lap, but her fingers had stopped moving a while ago. The silence in the room felt heavier than before.

She stared at the wall blankly.

Her phone lay beside her on the bed.

The call had ended minutes ago, but Harold’s voice still echoed in her mind.

“Take care of Mom and Raymond for me.”

Cass swallowed.

A soft knock broke the silence.

“Cass?”

Raymond.

She puffed her cheek in annoyamceand refused to answer.

"Cass, I know you are there"

"Go away, I don't want to see your ugly face"

Raymond gasped dramatically as he walked in.

"Do you know how many people would kill for this looks??" He said with a smug smile.

Cass rolled her eyes at him and asked with puffy eyes. "Why are you here??"

Raymond sighed when he saw her face. He sat quietly beside her and said.

"Cass, I know you love Dad, and I really wish things would go back to how things were but right now, that doesn't seem to be possible. Let's take things one step at a time, okay?”

Cass stared down at the guitar in her lap. Her fingers brushed lightly across the strings, creating a soft sound that faded almost immediately.

“That’s easy for you to say,” she muttered.

Raymond leaned back slightly on the bed. “No, it’s not.”

Cass looked at him. Raymond rarely admitted things like that.

“I miss him too, you know,” he continued quietly. “He wasn’t always like this.”

Cass felt her throat tighten. Images from years ago flashed through her mind.

Her dad teaching her how to ride a bike.

The three of them laughing at the dinner table.

Harold clapping proudly the first time she played the guitar for him.

“He’s still that person,” Cass said stubbornly.

Raymond didn’t argue. Instead, he looked at the guitar.

“You’ve been playing again?”

Cass shrugged.“It helps.”

Raymond nodded. “Yeah… I figured.”

Silence settled between them again. But this time it wasn’t as heavy.

Raymond suddenly clapped his hands together once and stood up.

“Alright.”

Cass frowned. “Alright what?”

“I came here for two reasons.”

Cass raised an eyebrow. “And they are??”

He held up one finger. “Number one: to stop you from drowning in sadness up here.”

Cass scoffed. “I’m not drowning in sadness.”

Raymond gestured toward her face. “You’ve been crying so much your eyes look like tomatoes.”

Cass grabbed a pillow and threw it at him. “Get out.”

Raymond laughed and caught it easily. “And number two,” he continued, “Mom made dinner.”

Class groaned. “I’m not hungry.”

Raymond placed the pillow back on the bed. “You haven’t eaten since lunch.”

“I’m fine.”

“You say that now,” he said, walking toward the door, “but in two hours you’ll be downstairs raiding the fridge like a raccoon.”

Cass glared at him. “I do not raid the fridge like a raccoon.”

Raymond smirked. “You absolutely do.”

Cass tried to hold back a smile but failed.

Raymond noticed immediately. “See? There it is.”

“What?”

“A smile.”

Cass rolled her eyes and stood up. “Don’t make a big deal out of it.”

“Too late,” Raymond said cheerfully. “I already am.”

Cass carefully placed her guitar back against the wall.

For a moment she looked at it, then at her room. Everything suddenly felt temporary.

Raymond noticed her expression. “We’ll be okay, Cass,” he said quietly.

She didn’t answer. Instead, she grabbed her hoodie from the chair.

“Come on,” Raymond said, opening the door. “Before Mom comes up here and drags you down herself.”

Cass rolled her eyes at him “Fine.”

As she walked past him, Raymond ruffled her hair.

“Hey!” She smacked his arm. “Stop doing that!”

Raymond laughed as they walked toward the stairs.

But before they went down, Cass stopped.

“Ray?”

He looked back at her. “Yeah?”

“…Thanks.”

Raymond’s expression softened for a moment. Then he shrugged casually.

“It's okay, I know I am too awesome.”

Cass scoffed and said "I take back what I said.

Raymond laughed and they went down together, heading downstairs.

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