My jaw dropped. I began to tremble. He didn't live in his apartment anymore?My God,he left? He left me without saying a word? No this was not possible. This couldn't be true. He could never have done this to me. Denise must have sensed what I was thinking. I felt so nauseous all of a sudden.
“Cassidy, maybe there is an explanation. Don't jump to conclusions,” she said trying to re-assure me.
“Why? Why are being this kind to me now?” I asked.
“Because I'm sorry. I know that this situation is my fault. If I had never come here, maybe you would still be together and happy. I'm sorry, I feel terrible I'm not a bad person and I feel guilty. I wanted to apologize," she stopped and grabbed my hand.
"Please forgive me. Tyler will not forgive me but at least you can do it, please,” she begged. I stared at her not knowing what to say. Then I nodded.
“OK, I'll forgive you.” And saying this I began to cry again.
“Thanks. Cassidy you seem so sad, are you OK?” she asked me gently.
I shook my head.“No, It's been an awful day. Everyone knows now that I had a relationship with my teacher and everyone is treating me like I am a really bad person and what is making matters worst is, that Tyler had not contacted me yet," I sobbed. "I don't know what happened to him. Where he is. I know nothing.”
Tears streamed down my face blurring my sight. I was feeling awful.
“I'm sorry. If you want I can try to call him but I doubt he will answer my call.”
“It's useless, his mobile is switched off. I'm beginning to think that he left me for good, maybe after all he didn't love me as much as he said.”
“No, he does loves you, give him some time.“ She said trying to comfort me.
“I hope so.”
“I have to go now Cassidy. I'm going back to my city.”
“OK, thanks Denise for telling me the truth and good luck. Do you know what you will be having?”
“Yes, a boy,” she said smiling. “Maybe he will help me to be a better person. Goodbye Cassidy.”
And saying this she stood up and left. I sat there, thinking about what she had told me. Thinking about Tyler when Lucy came near me.
“What did she want?” She asked.
“To tell me the truth,Tyler is not the father.”I replied.
“Oh, I told you,” she sighed.
“And she told me something else-” I paused to take a breath.
“What?”
"He left, his apartment is rented to someone else now. Lucy he left me. “ I blurted.
Lucy looked stunned and from her expression I knew she was thinking the same as me.
“No, Cas maybe he left for Glensville. He had to find an apartment there. Well if he's going to live there he doesn't need an other apartment here does he?” She said trying to reassure me.
“I don't know but he resigned only yesterday and he already gave up his apartment. I mean it looks like that he will never return back, he promised to talk to me before leaving me.”
“Then he will,” she said.
“I'm not sure.”
“Come on Cas, try to think positive, OK, let's go home now.”
She walked with me till I arrived home. When I went in my mum was there. I tried to look happy in front of her, but I knew I wasn't going to fool her.
“Are you going to tell me what's making you so sad?” She asked looking at me concerned.
“Nothing mum.”
“Please Cassidy, stop lying to me. I love you and I don't want to see you like this. You can't tell me it's nothing, come here,let's make a cup of tea and talk. I made a chocolate cake as well, your favourite.”
"I'm not hungry.”
“Cassidy please you will get sick if you don't eat anything. Have you eaten at school?”
I tried to think. I couldn't remember eating anything. Oh yes I had eaten an apple.
“Yeah. Don't worry,” I replied.
"Cassidy, have you broken with Ty? Is this the problem?” She asked, mum wasn't going to give up.
I couldn't resist anymore and I began to cry. She hugged me.
“Mum... I-”
“Listen honey. I know it feels like it's the end of the world right now, but it will pass and you'll fall in love again. You'll find someone better than him,” she said as she caressed my hair.
No one could be better that Tyler. I thought sadly. I just wanted him.
“No. Mum I won't.”
“Yes you will, listen there are other guys out there and you're a beautiful young lady. I'm sure there will be someone who won't make you cry this much, who will heal your wounds,” she insisted.
“No, no one can do that. I love him mum. I really do.”
“What happened? Why did you break up? Is there another girl?”
“No but he had to leave and I don't think I will see him again.” Just the thought of that made my stomach tighten, how could I live without him?
“Don't worry honey,life is full of surprises. You'll forget him or maybe he will be back someday who knows. Now stop crying and take a piece of this cake, it tastes fantastic.”
I smiled at her and took a piece of cake to make her happy although I didn't feel like. Then I went to my room and began to do my homework. I kept thinking about the whole situation and how I was going to face another day at school without him tomorrow. But I had and not only the following day. Three days had passed, it was Friday and Tyler hadn't contacted me yet. Five days passed from the last time I had seen him. Five days in which I didn't sleep, I rarely ate and couldn't stop crying. I had lost 3 kilos, my mother was worried that I could become an anorexic. I was sorry for her but I truly couldn't eat. That day I was rather emotional and felt really tired. I was so weak. Although the insults had diminished a little, they were still there and even the behavior of the teachers didn't change much. I was looking at Mr Bayne right now, who was trying to explain something to us, he had gazed at me twice and he seemed worried. The students weren't paying much attention to what he was saying and some were even making fun of him. He kept calm though. When the bell rang everyone got up to go away,I couldn't. I felt so weak that I couldn't move.
“Aren't you leaving?” He then asked looking at me.
I nodded. I had to leave but when I tried to stand up my legs gave way and I fell to the ground. Everything was blurred. I heard Mr Bayne panicking, he touched my face and looked at me asking me if I was OK. I wasn't and I was passing out. I closed my eyes.
When I opened them again I found myself on a bed. I looked around and I saw Mr Bayne standing up looking out the window. He turned to look at me and could see a smile of relief on his face.
“Oh Good you woke up, how are you feeling Cassidy?” He asked gently.
"What happened, how come I'm here?” I asked trying to remember.
“You fainted in my class and I brought you here?”
“You brought me?”
“Yes I carried you,” he said.
I looked at him he seemed so worried.
“What happened to you? Cassidy are you eating? You were light as a feather in my arms,” he said as he walked towards my bed.
“I.... no.. I’m not eating much. I can't,” I admitted.
“Because of Tyler?”
“Yes. I can't live without him. I just can't move on without knowing if he is OK or if he is thinking of me,” I said sadly. I felt tears prick my eyes.
Mr Bayne looked at me astonished.
“Are you saying that he didn't contact you these past few days?”
“No, five days and I don't know what happened to him. I'm so worried. I really don't know what to do. “ I burst into tears, I couldn't help it. He sat down on the edge of the bed.
“You can't go on like this Cassidy, you could have hurt yourself. You were lucky because you bumped your head against your bag and not against the chair or the table. You can't destroy yourself because of him.” His tone was gentle yet there was a hint of anger in it.
“But I love him, can'
t you get that? Do you know what it means to love a person so badly. Have you ever been in love Mr Bayne?” I shouted.
He looked sad all of a sudden..
“Yes Cassidy. I know what it means. I know what if feels like when you love somebody so much you can't even breathe. I've been there but that doesn't mean that I have to kill myself.”
I looked at him surprised.“Does she love you back?”
“Who?”
“This girl you love?”
“I don't know. I don't think so. I never told her,” he admitted.
“Why?”
“Because I'm afraid she will reject me and anyway she loves someone else.“ He said as he averted my gaze.
“Oh.. that's too bad. I'm sorry.” I didn't know what else to say.
“Don't be, that's life.”
“So if you know that she doesn't love you, why do you continue to love her?” I asked him then, I was curious.
“Hope, that's the last to die. I still hope someday she will look at me with different eyes. Well like you. You still hope there is a future for you and him, no.”
“Yes I do. But I can't continue like this. I have to know that he's OK at least. It doesn't matter if he doesn't want to talk to me. I have to know.”
He sighed and then stood up.“OK, I'll help you.”
“How?”
“I will tell Mr Daniels to contact his friend, the principle of Glensville and then I will tell you what he tells me, OK?”
“You would really do that?” I asked happily.
“Sure but you have to promise me that you'll eat something.”
“OK, thank you Mr Bayne.”
Saying that I got up and hugged him tight. I felt so happy, finally I would have some news. Mr Bayne hugged me back and then pulled back. He seemed so sad.
“Cassidy I have to go. I have another lesson soon, do you think you could stay alone. I'll come back to check on you later.”
“I'm fine really. I will eat my lunch and rest a little. But probably you will see me for history,” I said in a happy tone. In a second he had managed to change my mood.
“Good. See you later then.”
I ate my lunch as I had promised to Mr Bayne and rested. I hoped he would do what he had promised me and soon, maybe till History time he would have already spoken to Mr Daniels. History was my last lesson. I rested and slept for some time and when I woke up I found that it was time for my Maths lesson. I stood up feeling much better now and walked to my Maths class. I couldn't wait for the History lesson. When the bell rang I went hurriedly to my History class. When I entered the students were already there so I couldn't speak to Mr Bayne. I looked impatiently at my watch hoping the lesson will end soon. Mr Bayne glanced at me twice,he had a strange expression on his face which I couldn't understand. When the bell rang all the students went out. Mr Bayne was putting everything into his briefcase. I remained seated waiting for him to tell me something.
“Mr Bayne,” I began.
“Cassidy. I'm glad you feel better. I came to check on you and you were asleep,” he said .
“Yes. I do. Umm, did you ask Mr Daniels? You know to call-”
He looked at me for a second. He seemed to hesitate to answer.
“Yes I did,” he then said.
“And... did he call?” I asked impatiently.
“Yes.”
“And what did he tell him,is Tyler OK. Is he happy in the new school?” I asked again, I couldn't wait, why wasn't he telling me anything?
He didn't answer,instead he came near me,pulled a chair and sat down beside me.
“Cassidy. I don't know how I am going to tell you this,” he began. My heart missed a beat.
“Tell me what? Is he OK? He didn't have an accident or something did he?”
I was beginning to panic.
“No or at least I don't know. Cassidy,Tyler never went to Glensville. He is not there.”
I stared at him. “What do you mean?”My stomach twisted.
“That he must have gone somewhere else. He never went to meet the principal.”
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.“Then where is he? Where did he go?” I asked in a broken voice.
“Honestly. I don't know and I don't know how to help you. There isn't any way to contact him, you have to keep trying his mobile.”
"No, no this can't be true,” I cried.
“Maybe he's coming back,” he said trying to comfort me.
“No he isn't. He let his apartment to someone else. He left me, he left me Mr Bayne. Now I'm sure.”
And saying that I began to cry. Mr Bayne looked at me sadly. He seemed he wanted to hug me but didn't. Instead he was going to stand up but I didn't let him do that. I grabbed his arm and stopped him. He looked at me.
“Please, please hug me.”I begged.
“Cassidy.. I-”
“Please. I need your comfort right now, please.”
He came nearer to me and I buried my face in his chest and cried for about an hour, until I felt my eyes so swollen that I could hardly see. My head ached so much. I was still hugging Mr Bayne, he had remained there. We didn't talk to each other or anything, he just kept caressing my head. Tyler why have you done this to me? I still couldn't believe it, this was a night mare. Tyler where are you?
CHAPTER 44
I was still in his arms when my mobile rang. This brought me to reality. Mr Bayne pulled back and stood up. I took out my mobile, hoping it was him. My heart pounding as I looked at the screen but I was disappointed. It was Lucy.
“Hello Lucy.”
“Cassidy where the hell are you? I've been looking everywhere for you.”She said in a strange voice.
“I'm still at school,” I replied.
“What but the school finished an hour ago. What are you doing still there?” She asked suspiciously.
“Nothing. What happened? You seem so agitated?” I asked.
“I need to talk to you immediately, tell me where are you, I will come for you.” She said instead of replying.
“OK. I'm in the History Class but what happened?” I asked again nervously. I knew she was hiding something.
“What? In the History Class? What are you doing there? Are you with Mr Bayne?” She asked with a hint of anger in her voice.
“Yes.”
“Cassidy,what are doing there with him? You like Mr Bayne now?” She asked me somewhat irritated.
This comment got on my nerves,was she now also thinking that I was a slut?
“What the hell are you saying? Listen I had a bad day today. Can you please tell me what you want?” I said angrily.
“I will soon be at school,tell Mr Bayne goodbye and come out. It's very important,” she said and before I could say anything else she hung up.
Against All Odds Page 36