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The news of Cassie Howard asking Maddy Perez on a date had to be one of the most shocking turn of events in the history of East Highland. Even bigger than Rue Bennett catching feelings for Lexi Howard. Even bigger than Jules Vaughn and Elliot being a thing.
Apparently, when she asked her, a sophomore was nearby and heard the whole thing go down. Not to mention Jules squealing the words, “Cassie asked you out!” To Maddy on their way out of that party.
Everybody thought the blonde was crazy, everybody thought Maddy was doing this to humiliate her, everybody came up with absurd theories. But only the two of them knew the truth. The insane truth that Cassie really has feelings for Maddy.
The insane truth that Lexi was still wrapping her head around while Rue and Cassie tried taming the blonde’s hair after she had gone from fixing her mother’s car.
“Cassie, you fucking stink and it’s 6:00!” Rue huffs, covering her nose while she tries not to gag when she touches the sweat lingering on the blonde’s scalp. She knew she really shouldn’t be one to talk, considering that she literally didn't shower that often when she was high but, you know, being sober makes you realize your friends stink.
Her face scrunches up when the taller girl tries to comb her hand through her tangled hair, wincing when she tugs harshly with the brush, “Let me shower, then!” She frowns, not wanting Maddy to think she’s some slob while Rue pushes her off the chair, “Be quick!”
Cassie was quick to head to the bathroom, leaving the younger Howard and their childhood friend in the room. The latter falling on the couch in the middle of the shared bedroom while muttering “My god…” under her breath.
Lexi was still in a daze about this whole thing, not sure how all this happened while she stared at the polaroid pictures of the two—which now she realizes, didn’t look platonic at all—hanging on her sister’s dresser.
“Cassie and Maddy? Holy shit?” She murmurs and she knew she really shouldn’t be surprised considering that now that she’s thinking hard about it, that choreography they did back in ninth grade wasn’t exactly heterosexual, but, you know. It’s always a surprise when you find out your gay sister and her gay best friend have a thing for each other!
“Lex, it’s been like 12 hours, how are you still not processing this?” Rue’s laugh interrupted her thoughts, shaking her head while she stared at the lanky girl draped across the seat, “How did I not realize sooner?”
In all honesty, she didn’t know if Lexi was acting stupid or anything because, “Your sister literally crashed into a wall once looking at her.” She tells her and the shorter brunette frowns, “I didn’t know that!”
“I was high most of the time and I noticed!” Another laugh and another frown, “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I thought you knew!” She giggles and from inside the bathroom, Cassie grunts, rolling her eyes while she shut the water off, “I can hear you!”
“Shut up and start getting the grease off, Howard!” Rue yells and the blonde huffs. Really, she would’ve went out butt naked and smacked Rue Bennett on the face.
From a few blocks down, Jules Vaughn opens the door to Madeleine Perez’ bedroom and gets hit by the sight of the brunette sitting in heaps of her clothes, a pout etched on her face while she stares up at her and their other friend.
“Oh, wow.” The blonde doesn’t fail to say, staring at her when the smaller girl rolls her eyes, filing through the clothes like she was some sort of rodent burrowing in the dirt. “Shut the fuck up.” She mumbles and the girl gasps while Kat snickers closely behind her, “I just got here!”
“I don’t know what to wear!” Was her wailing response and Kat could only laugh, watching the girl in slight pity while she tried to pick out an outfit for her, “So you took all the stuff out your closet?”
“I’m fucking panicking here.” Maddy wasn’t one to be nervous, and as she says that, she says it in a calm manner even though inside, she was freaking out. Like that one Spongebob episode where his mind is on fire.
Her longest friend gave her a reassuring smile while Jules joined her in the pile of clothes, “It’s Cassie. You can wear a trash bag and she’d think you’re the prettiest girl in the world.” She smiles and Maddy shakes her head, “That’s not true.”
I mean, of course Cassie would say that. She likes her. And every time she saw Maddy, the girl was at her peak.
Sensing her doubts, Jules sighs, raising a cute top while she squints her eyes, “Didn’t you show up in her house looking like a fucking raccoon once and she called you gorgeous?” She asks and she knew she had somewhat succeeded in making the girl realize Kat was right when she stands up, “Ugh. Decide for me, I’m taking a shower.”
They watch as her small frame disappears behind the wall, none of them speaking until they can hear the door lock and the shower to turn on. Kat was the first to speak, reaching for some shirts she would think would work, “Damn, Maddy and Cassie?”
“It’s insane.” Jules mumbles, grabbing a dress and adding it onto the ‘good’ pile while folding the rest neatly, shoving them back into their friend’s closet. Kat laughs, shaking her head, “No shit.”
“I always knew. She wasn’t subtle—I mean, she stared and stared and…” The blonde remembers the way Cassie would stare, the way she would literally gawk at their friend and watch her. Kat knew that, but with the opposite, “Maddy gave her heart eyes. Always. Even since we were kids.”
Not really around during those times, Jules perks up, unable to stop herself from smiling at the thought of young Maddy and Cassie being unknowingly in love, “Really?” She chuckles and Kat grins, “Yeah. Nate got in the picture both times when they were about to get together.”
Both of their faces sour at the mention of his name, especially Jules, I mean, given their history and all, “Well let’s just hope they last after this.”
When seven o’clock hits, Cassie was already at the front door of the Perez household. She knew Kat and Jules were there—the former’s car parked right on the side was already a dead giveaway—and she wanted to make an impression on them too.
Her hair was now smoothed down, her face had makeup instead of literal grease and sweat, her shirt was firmly tucked on her trousers with the first two buttons, well, unbuttoned. She didn’t wear heels, she knew Maddy hated it when Cassie, who was already taller than her, got even taller, so she opted for sneakers.
She also had her sleeves rolled up, and, okay, does she look like your common lesbian sterotype? Yes. But does she make it work? Yes.
Three knocks landed on the wooden door and she shoved her hand deep inside one of the pockets of her coat, the other clutching the bouquet of flowers she had gotten on the way here. From the inside, Kat and Jules fight for the spot to open the door with Sonia Perez watching them amusedly.
The Perez matriarch heard about Cassie asking her daughter out and she really couldn’t say she was surprised. Nothing about Maddy and Cassie were straight. What surprised her more was the fact that it took them this long to figure it out.
Speaking of Maddy, she was nervously holding on to the railings of the stairs, heading down slowly while Kat opened the door to a nervous Cassie, giving two of her friends and the mother of her date a lopsided smile.
“Uh, hi! Is… Is Maddy ready?” It was adorable how nervous she was, her voice squeakier and somehow whinier than it actually is. Staring at each other, Jules and Kat decide to fuck with her, you know, for fun.
“What are your intentions with Maddy?” Jules asks seriously, crossing her arms over her chest while she glared at the shorter blonde. Cassie blinks, tilting her head while she looked up at her, “What?”
“You heard her, Howard.” Kat adds and Sonia laughs from behind them, patting their backs before leaving, “Looks like my daughter’s in good hands. Go easy on her, girls.”
It wasn’t until then that it clicked in Cassie’s head that they were threatening her, clearing her throat and straightening herself before she replied, “I—uh, I want to take her out on a date? Have fun with her?”
“Where are you going?” Kat asks and she shrugs in retaliation, “Why should I tell you?”
“Because what if you’re actually gonna kill her?” That just makes her want to laugh. I mean, okay, maybe Cassie is capable of murder but there’s no way in hell she’s dating Maddy for that. She’s dating Maddy for a multitude of reasons—not murder. If she wants to kill someone, she’ll be masked and in front of the Jacobs household with a molotov.
“I’m not—fine. I’m taking her to that drive-in theater.” She lies through her teeth, that was not her plan at all, but she didn’t want the two, and maybe Rue and Lexi who are also clueless to her plans, to stalk them or something.
Jules was nodding, her body relaxing a bit while she stared at her friend, “What else are you gonna do?”
“Get ice cream, maybe, I don’t know.” Okay, that was actually on the list. She knew Maddy had a sweet tooth and she knew she liked the cold and—“Stop harassing my date, please?”
Her blue eyes settle from their two friends to the girl walking towards them, her hair up in a braid while she wears a pink top, as well as a black skirt that stops mid-thigh. It was very her in a sense that if she had her back turned, Cassie would still know it was Maddy.
Speaking of Cassie, her heart had probably stopped working while she stared at her unabashedly, her jaw hanging open while Maddy made her way in between Jules and Kat.
A silent “Woah.” goes past her lips and she was lucky enough to catch the way the brunette’s cheeks become pink, chewing on her lip nervously while she looked at her feet. “Thanks…” She whispers and it was so different from the usual confident Maddy that Jules had to check whether or not she was okay.
Maddy has her heart ringing in her ears and her hands shaking. That’s how much Cassie has an effect on her. And, okay, usually, she’s calm and collected around Cassie but after certain things were, uh, confessed, all the pent up feelings they had to repress were now out in the open. No more facades to hide in. Whatever they’re feeling, it’s out in the open.
Awkwardly, the blonde suddenly remembers that she was holding flowers, handing it to Maddy with a small smile, “Uh, oh, these are for you!” She grins and the cheerleader's eyes could only light up at the sight of the flowers—they were her favorites.
“You didn’t have to.” She tells her while she graciously accepts them, lifting it up to her nose to smell them when Cassie shuffles her feet, “I know you like lilies.” She shrugs and the way Maddy whispered “You remember.” makes her smile, “Why would I forget?”
It was so obvious that they forgot Jules and Kat were there, only remembering when the latter clears her throat and Maddy has to hand them the flowers to probably be put in a vase, “Anyway… I’ll be home by twelve. Tell my mom.”
Turning to her date before any of her friends could respond with a much earlier time, she extends her hand, “Shall we?”
Cassie looks at her hand before nodding, intertwining their fingers together like they usually did, and a sigh of relief escapes her lips when Maddy’s hand fits with hers like it was a missing puzzle piece, “We shall.”
It wasn’t until they were out of earshot and Cassie was opening the door for her when Maddy paused, looking up at the blonde with her head tilted to the side, “Are you really taking me to the theater?”
“There’s no theater, Mads.” She replies with a small smile. Usually, if a guy takes her on a date and they pull shit like this, there was a chance Maddy would’ve ran away, but this was Cassie. Cassie is different. Cassie is safe. “Then where are you taking me?”
“Do you trust me?” The question holds a lot of weight and she has enough reasons to say no. But instead, she nods her head, getting in the car, “I do.”
So, with that, Cassie drives. And as far as it was, as darker as the road got, Maddy still trusted her. And thank god she wore those chunky sneakers instead of heels because what the fuck is this terrain?
“I’m getting more convinced that you want to kill me.” She grunts, holding onto Cassie’s arm while she keeps her gaze on the ground, careful not to step on any shit or rocks that would cause her to slip. Cassie laughs, shaking her head, “I’m not gonna kill you, Mads.”
“That’s exactly what a killer would say.” Her huff tickles the blonde’s neck and she giggles, shaking her head while they reach a much smoother path, “We’re almost there.” She promised and the shorter girl could only nod, still gripping the girl’s arm.
When Cassie spots the tree, as well as the picnic dinner she had set up by the tree, she grins, nudging Maddy lightly, “Surprise.”
At first she had no idea what the hell Cassie was on until she spotted it. I mean, okay, she could’ve chosen any tree but she chose this one. This… The same tree they wrote their initials on back in ninth grade, the same tree they… “What—oh.”
Her expression was unreadable at first and the blonde wondered if she didn’t like it, anxious as she stared at Maddy looking at the spot. For a minute they stood there, not uttering a single word until Maddy squeals and wraps her arms around the blonde.
“Woah!” She laughs, nearly stumbling back on the floor while she hesitantly wrapped her arms around the smaller girl, letting her bury her head on her chest while she giggled—god was that music to her ears—shaking her head with a grin. “You’re fucking insane.”
“For finding a spot that I know you’d like?” The question makes her pull away, rolling her eyes playfully before skipping over to the blanket, taking a seat and leaning against the trunk, “I love this.”
“You love waffles too, right? And you prefer white wine?” Taking a seat beside her while she pulls her coat off, Maddy grins, “You know me so well.”
And then just like that they slip back into their usual routine. The gossips, the unfruitful discussions, the stupid things they talk about, joking around… Only difference is, it felt much more real, much more lighter knowing that they can sit here and not pretend that they aren’t head over heels for each other.
“You’re kidding!” Maddy giggles halfway into her second glass of wine, the blonde shakes her head, scrunching her nose while she shoves the strawberry in her mouth, “Nope. I’m not. I went here every day.”
The idea was so absurd in her head that the other girl could only muster up a “Why?” while she shrugs, “I guess, while you were glaring at me in the halls, I needed a spot where I could pretend everything was still okay, and that I wasn’t Nate’s toy.”
Well that turned dark quick. Maddy rolls her eyes at the mention of his name while Cassie shudders, regretting eating the strawberry she just had, especially when Maddy says “He’s a fucking ass.” and she bursts out laughing.
“Sucks at sex, too.” She adds, and she was starting to think that the moon had to be ashamed of itself because the way Maddy beams at her was even brighter than the moon itself. “Don’t even get me started.”
A beat of silence passes, their giggles occupying the space before she gives her a sincere smile, reaching for her hand, “I really missed you, Mads.”
Nothing could compare to the feeling of having her hold her hand back, smiling at her while she scoots closer, leaning her head against the taller girl’s shoulder, “I missed you too.” She whispers and before she could stop herself, Cassie clears her throat, “So, why’d you say yes?” “What do you mean?”
“To me. To this date. Like, I knew I liked you, but did you ever like me before?” It was a genuine question, she really didn’t get it because Maddy never showed any signs of interest. The brunette chuckles, her cheeks suddenly red in embarrassment, “Sophomore year, you dated a girl in our class.”
“Yeah, I remember her. Jade?” Her eyebrows were furrowed, not sure where she was going with this until Maddy sighs, “Remember the time I ran you over?”
Oh, she remembers that. She was so snappy that day and she just assumed Nate did something. “I wouldn’t say ran me over, tapped me, maybe.”
“Well I was going for her. And I wanted to run her over because I was jealous.” Her admission makes Cassie freeze, looking at her like she’s grown another head. Okay, maybe Maddy was interested and she was just an idiot. “Jealous?”
A huff bubbles up in Maddy’s throat, suddenly swirling her drink while she stared at it like it was the most interesting thing in the world, “I hated you two. She was a whiny fucking bitch that clung to you like a leech and I thought I was just pissed because of her voice but…”
“But?” Cassie stops, “I realized that I was so mad because I wanted to be her.”
Oh.
Maddy felt ashamed and embarrassed and—“I wanted to be the one clinging on to you like that. I wanted to be the one on your lap while you told me how pretty I looked.”
At that, Cassie didn’t know if she was hearing things right, pinching herself and even going as far as stealing Maddy’s glass to drink from, making sure everything was real. Really? Madeleine Perez, wanting to be someone else?
She was suddenly pulling her close, not stopping until the girl was on her lap and she was stroking her hair, “What are you doing?” Maddy giggles, looking up at her confused, “You look pretty tonight.”
If she wasn’t blushing before, she was definitely blushing now, shoving the girl’s face away, “Fuck you, I always look pretty.” She murmurs, ignoring the fact that her cheeks were burning red while Cassie grins, “Of course you do.”
“I hate you, Cassie.” That was a lie, in fact, she loved her, and Cassie knew that, “I hate you too, Maddy.”
They stay in that position for a while, just Maddy pressed up against the blonde’s chest, hearing her heartbeat that it luls her, calms her down and makes her forget that she literally has to make a report on Shakespeare the following Monday.
Staring at her watch, Cassie sighs, “We should go. It’s eleven thirty.” She whispers, even though moving was the last thing she wanted to do. The brunette frowns, nodding her head, “We probably should.”
Packing up was quick, and so was going back to the car. Halfway through, Cassie takes her coat to give to Maddy and suddenly she thinks she’s been transported in one of those books or movies where the dreamiest guy, or in this case, girl, takes her on a date.
“Aren’t you cold?” She asks for the seventh time and Cassie waves her off, opening the door for her yet again, “I’ll be fine.” She shrugs, closing the door behind Maddy once she was inside.
“You’re cute, you know?” The brunette tells her once they were on the road and she tilts her head, laughing quietly, “Why? Because I gave you my coat?” She asks and Maddy sinks further into said coat, it was bigger than her, and it felt and smelled like Cassie.
“No, not just that, for this entire night.” A content sigh comes from her and the skater hums, “What do you mean?”
“You took me to a place that meant something to the both of us, you had my favorite food and drinks ready, you got me my favorite flowers. And don’t even get me started on the other stuff.” It honestly was the first time Maddy felt like she was on an actual date. Like she was in a movie, or a dream, and she was with the person that she wanted.
Confused, the blonde furrowed her eyebrows, the soft music accompanying them while she stopped at a light, “What other stuff?” She asks and Maddy turns the music up, “I know you made a playlist of my favorite songs.”
“So what? It’s no big deal.” Her head was ducked slightly, a bit embarrassed that Maddy had caught on with those things she said and did. She didn’t want to look so desperate, but Maddy doesn’t see it as desperation, “It’s a big deal to me.”
Cassie doesn’t speak after that, shooting her a smile instead while she lets her hand reach for Maddy’s, holding it the entire ride back.
“Let me walk you to your door.” She murmurs, rushing out to open Maddy’s door and the girl nods, leaning against her while they walk back to the house, the coat still around the cheerleader’s frame, “I had fun tonight, Cassie.”
“I’m happy you had fun.” She grins and it makes Maddy weak in the knees, having to clutch one of the pillars by the door, “So, I’ll see you soon?” She squeaks and the older Howard nods, “Monday? I’ll pick you up?”
The suggestion makes her excited for school—which was fucking weird, “I’d love that.”
“And then maybe we can grab dinner, then?” Cassie’s voice was small, as if she was a small child asking her mother if she could play with her iPad again while there were guests in the house. Maddy smirks, raising an eyebrow, “Second date? Why not?”
Like a weight was lifted off her, Cassie nods, wringing her hands together while she backed away, “Okay. Uh, goodnight, Maddy.” She waves and the brunette nods, “Goodnight, Cass.”
Halfway down the steps, though, Maddy stops her, “Hey, Cass?” She calls out, making her turn around with a smile, “Yeah?”
It all happened so quickly. Maddy’s small frame reached towards her with a smile, wrapping her arms around her neck before pressing her lips firmly against the blonde’s.
The fact that Maddy was kissing her didn’t click until four seconds in, gasping quietly before snaking her own arms around the girl’s waist, kissing her with all her might and all her thoughts suddenly thrown out of her mind.
When the books said there were fireworks when the main protagonist kisses their love interest, she thought that was bullshit. Because she’s kissed so many people before and none of them could ever compare to the way Maddy was kissing her right now.
Her heart was constricted, but also so free, her stomach was in knots it hurt but in the best way possible. And Maddy, as for her, she also felt the same, maybe even more while her mind raced a mile a minute.
Due to their height difference, she had to stand on her toes and she disliked that, taking a step back and up one of the steps on the stairs to reach her better, smiling into the kiss when she heard Cassie giggle about it.
Really, if they could, they would’ve been there all night but with the lack of oxygen, Maddy pulls away first breathlessly, her arms still around Cassie’s neck while the blonde looked at her with this dazed look on her face.
“See you monday.” She says quietly, so smoothly like her heart wasn’t racing that it’s a second away from jumping out her chest. Cassie nods, grinning like an idiot when Maddy pulled away.
“See you monday.”
Yeah, for the first time in their lives, both Maddy and Cassie looked forward to going to school.
The universe really can't keep them apart even if it tried.