Let It Be [Part 2] (Rewrite) (The Cassandra Project)
Unstuck thanks to friends who let me ramble in chats and emails. *hugs to those who know who they are*
“HOW COULD YOU!?”
The shriek knocked Cassie out of a sound sleep. She tried to cover her head with her pillow and tried to go back to sleep but Joshua crawled in beside her.
“What do you want?” she yawned. “Go away! I've a hard enough time trying to sleep with that racket going on-”
“Shush!” He yanked her pillow away and tucked it under his own head. “Listen!”
“How could I do what?” a male voice said.
“You KNOW!” said a very teary female.
“Marty and Halley,” Joshua whispered.
“Joy.” Cassie rolled over and covered her head.
He poked her. “Just pay attention, will you?”
“I don't belong to you!” He growled. “You've made it clear you don't want to have anything to do with me! We're just friends, remember?”
“Maybe... maybe I was wrong...” Halley started crying. “I love you!”
“Oh, dear LORD, who writes this stuff?” Cassie yanked back her pillow. “Trite, utter trite. This is worse than a soap opera.”
“What's wrong with you?” Joshua tried to steal it back.
She didn't respond right away. Cassie sat up and stared at her hands. “Sometimes you can't change fate. Sometimes the bastards win.” She let go of the pillow and crawled out of the tent.
Joshua followed her, rubbing his face and yawning. “Where'd they go?”
She pointed to a nearby tent. “Didn't you know such verbal trash ends in nudity? We have more serious things to deal with.”
“Like the lack of coffee.” He tried to hide his yawn.
“Not a bad idea. C'mon, let's grab some liquid sunshine.”
Cassie bullied him into putting on shoes and practically dragged him down the hill to the coffee shop tent. The remnants of the drum circle had gathered there to share a cup of something hot before stumbling to their beds. Some recognized Cassie and smiled a greeting. She managed a frozen smile in return.
Joshua settled on a bench near a cluster centered on a woman in a sarong. “It was amazing!” she gushed. “I mean, really! I channeled Aphrodite! He even called me by that name and said he had never been with a more beautiful woman!”
Cassie arrived in time to elbow him in the ribs so he would stop staring and handed him a cup. “It's not very good but it's hot.” She tried not to grin. “What?”
“They... that woman...” he whispered. “She said she channeled Aphrodite! But SHE'S here so how-?”
Cassie sipped the coffee to hide her smile. “Calli can't meddle with the gods but she can influence man. How was the fruit game?”
He sniffed his cup. “Boring, really. I've come to the conclusion it's more for people who had trouble talking to the opposite sex.”
“You lack imagination.” Cassie rolled her eyes. “I should've given you pointers.”
He watched the last few drummers and dancers move away. “What is the point of this again? Why come out here into the woods?”
“You told me it was to reconnect, remember?” She climbed on the table. “Get back to your roots and stuff.”
“When did it become a party?” He tried to sip his coffee. “Ugh! Do they wash their socks in it?”
“I saw a pair of panties in the pot. I think it's to give it body.” She shoved him with her foot. “How did we switch moods? You were happy until we came out the tent.”
He sighed and forced a smile. “Alright, troublemaker. Let's go see the fruits of our labors.”
She toasted him. “THAT'S the spirit! I bet Eris is fit to be tied.” She cackled. “Lets go watch!”
The dark haired woman on stage moved gracefully across the stage, her hands and body sending a message that only the clever could understand and the skilled could appreciate. She shook her hips, causing the coin belt to jingle and the males in the audience to melt. Her hair floated along behind her as she spun in place.
She paused, her arms tracing patterns in the air in concert with her hips and flowing into an undulation that didn't seem quite human.
Cassie and Joshua sat among the crowd gathered in front of the stage. “Show off,” she muttered under her breath. He nudged her.
Halley sat down with them, smiling a bit too wide. “Hi!”
“Greetings and salutations.” Cassie never took her eyes from the stage.
“Everything okay?” Joshua feigned innocence. “We heard someone yelling.”
Halley blushed. “Uh, everything's just fine. Perfect, in fact. Marty proposed. I said yes.”
Cassie turned and hugged her fiercely. “Good luck. I'm very happy for you.” She let go, attention back on the dancer.
“That's great!” Joshua squeezed her hand. “I'm happy for you guys.”
There was a warning rumble then the bottom fell out of the sky, dumping water on them. People ran for cover but a few actually danced in the rain. The dancer came off the stage and slipped off the stairs in a spectacular belly flop that ended in a mud puddle.
“The Fairest of the Fair, indeed!” came from out of nowhere.
The dancer, digging clumps of mud from her coin top, glared around her. “Who said that?” she yelled.
A willowy blonde woman came form one of the vendor's tents, holding aloft a golden apple with distinctive symbols on it. “I did.”
“You don't deserve that, mortal,” the dancer snarled.
“Think so?” She grinned. “Not what he said...”
The dancer lunged for the woman with a growl as the woman dove to one side, only to have the dancer catch a handful of her hair and drag her into the rain. Mud flew as the two rolled in the deepening puddles, bits of clothing trailing behind them much to the amusement of the men watching.
“I always loved a good mud wrestling match.” Joshua sighed as the dancer's top slipped.
“Don't we all?” Cassie grinned. “I got five on the dancer.”
The dancer flung the woman away and snatched the apple from the ground, completely unaware that her top was buried somewhere near her feet. The men stared, waiting for the rain to begin washing away the mud.
“Every wonder what happens when a goddess' slip shows?” Cassie whispered. “If I were you, I'd close my eyes or look away.”
He did as she said, aware of the sighs around him and giggled at the dancer's horrified screech.
They packed up their tents the next morning in relative silence broken only by the occasional giggle. Eris stomped into the peace and folded her arms. “Cassandra, I demand an explanation!”
“Hm?” She blinked. “You, O Goddess of Chaos, demand an explanation? Thought you grooved on randomness. You want order? THAT'S funny.” She gestured to the collapsed tent. “Why not be useful and help me fold this?”
Eris grumbled and moved over to grab the edge of the tent. “Everyone's pissed at me.”
“Aren't you used to it?” They folded the tent together, smoothing the wrinkles as they went.
“Well, yeah, but-”
“CASSANDRA!”
The new voice made them wince. Joshua hid as the dancer stomped through camp, her costume traded for jeans and a tank top. “CASSANDRA!” she hollered. “Get your ASS out here!”
Eris closed her eyes. “Good luck, kid.”
“Danke schon, Loki.” Cassie tried to look innocent and went out to greet the dancer with a smile. “Aphrodite! Hi, to wha-”
Her words were lost as the goddess of love and beauty sealed her mouth closed with her own. Cassie drowned in a warm sea of bliss, coming up for air for a moment before diving back for another taste. Aphrodite caught her before she hit the ground. “Thanks.”
“Huh? What?” Cassie tried to focus her eyes.
Aphrodite just grinned. “My tent's still pitched if you'd like details.” She kissed Cassie on the cheek and left with a wave.
“What just happened?” Joshua asked, tent poles forgotten in his hands.
“Not sure...” Cassie's grin became lopsided. “See ya in a few hours...”
Eris dropped the tent and gently shoved Cassie. “You're welcome!”
Joshua sighed and went back to packing. “Gods!” he muttered.
“HOW COULD YOU!?”
The shriek knocked Cassie out of a sound sleep. She tried to cover her head with her pillow and tried to go back to sleep but Joshua crawled in beside her.
“What do you want?” she yawned. “Go away! I've a hard enough time trying to sleep with that racket going on-”
“Shush!” He yanked her pillow away and tucked it under his own head. “Listen!”
“How could I do what?” a male voice said.
“You KNOW!” said a very teary female.
“Marty and Halley,” Joshua whispered.
“Joy.” Cassie rolled over and covered her head.
He poked her. “Just pay attention, will you?”
“I don't belong to you!” He growled. “You've made it clear you don't want to have anything to do with me! We're just friends, remember?”
“Maybe... maybe I was wrong...” Halley started crying. “I love you!”
“Oh, dear LORD, who writes this stuff?” Cassie yanked back her pillow. “Trite, utter trite. This is worse than a soap opera.”
“What's wrong with you?” Joshua tried to steal it back.
She didn't respond right away. Cassie sat up and stared at her hands. “Sometimes you can't change fate. Sometimes the bastards win.” She let go of the pillow and crawled out of the tent.
Joshua followed her, rubbing his face and yawning. “Where'd they go?”
She pointed to a nearby tent. “Didn't you know such verbal trash ends in nudity? We have more serious things to deal with.”
“Like the lack of coffee.” He tried to hide his yawn.
“Not a bad idea. C'mon, let's grab some liquid sunshine.”
Cassie bullied him into putting on shoes and practically dragged him down the hill to the coffee shop tent. The remnants of the drum circle had gathered there to share a cup of something hot before stumbling to their beds. Some recognized Cassie and smiled a greeting. She managed a frozen smile in return.
Joshua settled on a bench near a cluster centered on a woman in a sarong. “It was amazing!” she gushed. “I mean, really! I channeled Aphrodite! He even called me by that name and said he had never been with a more beautiful woman!”
Cassie arrived in time to elbow him in the ribs so he would stop staring and handed him a cup. “It's not very good but it's hot.” She tried not to grin. “What?”
“They... that woman...” he whispered. “She said she channeled Aphrodite! But SHE'S here so how-?”
Cassie sipped the coffee to hide her smile. “Calli can't meddle with the gods but she can influence man. How was the fruit game?”
He sniffed his cup. “Boring, really. I've come to the conclusion it's more for people who had trouble talking to the opposite sex.”
“You lack imagination.” Cassie rolled her eyes. “I should've given you pointers.”
He watched the last few drummers and dancers move away. “What is the point of this again? Why come out here into the woods?”
“You told me it was to reconnect, remember?” She climbed on the table. “Get back to your roots and stuff.”
“When did it become a party?” He tried to sip his coffee. “Ugh! Do they wash their socks in it?”
“I saw a pair of panties in the pot. I think it's to give it body.” She shoved him with her foot. “How did we switch moods? You were happy until we came out the tent.”
He sighed and forced a smile. “Alright, troublemaker. Let's go see the fruits of our labors.”
She toasted him. “THAT'S the spirit! I bet Eris is fit to be tied.” She cackled. “Lets go watch!”
The dark haired woman on stage moved gracefully across the stage, her hands and body sending a message that only the clever could understand and the skilled could appreciate. She shook her hips, causing the coin belt to jingle and the males in the audience to melt. Her hair floated along behind her as she spun in place.
She paused, her arms tracing patterns in the air in concert with her hips and flowing into an undulation that didn't seem quite human.
Cassie and Joshua sat among the crowd gathered in front of the stage. “Show off,” she muttered under her breath. He nudged her.
Halley sat down with them, smiling a bit too wide. “Hi!”
“Greetings and salutations.” Cassie never took her eyes from the stage.
“Everything okay?” Joshua feigned innocence. “We heard someone yelling.”
Halley blushed. “Uh, everything's just fine. Perfect, in fact. Marty proposed. I said yes.”
Cassie turned and hugged her fiercely. “Good luck. I'm very happy for you.” She let go, attention back on the dancer.
“That's great!” Joshua squeezed her hand. “I'm happy for you guys.”
There was a warning rumble then the bottom fell out of the sky, dumping water on them. People ran for cover but a few actually danced in the rain. The dancer came off the stage and slipped off the stairs in a spectacular belly flop that ended in a mud puddle.
“The Fairest of the Fair, indeed!” came from out of nowhere.
The dancer, digging clumps of mud from her coin top, glared around her. “Who said that?” she yelled.
A willowy blonde woman came form one of the vendor's tents, holding aloft a golden apple with distinctive symbols on it. “I did.”
“You don't deserve that, mortal,” the dancer snarled.
“Think so?” She grinned. “Not what he said...”
The dancer lunged for the woman with a growl as the woman dove to one side, only to have the dancer catch a handful of her hair and drag her into the rain. Mud flew as the two rolled in the deepening puddles, bits of clothing trailing behind them much to the amusement of the men watching.
“I always loved a good mud wrestling match.” Joshua sighed as the dancer's top slipped.
“Don't we all?” Cassie grinned. “I got five on the dancer.”
The dancer flung the woman away and snatched the apple from the ground, completely unaware that her top was buried somewhere near her feet. The men stared, waiting for the rain to begin washing away the mud.
“Every wonder what happens when a goddess' slip shows?” Cassie whispered. “If I were you, I'd close my eyes or look away.”
He did as she said, aware of the sighs around him and giggled at the dancer's horrified screech.
They packed up their tents the next morning in relative silence broken only by the occasional giggle. Eris stomped into the peace and folded her arms. “Cassandra, I demand an explanation!”
“Hm?” She blinked. “You, O Goddess of Chaos, demand an explanation? Thought you grooved on randomness. You want order? THAT'S funny.” She gestured to the collapsed tent. “Why not be useful and help me fold this?”
Eris grumbled and moved over to grab the edge of the tent. “Everyone's pissed at me.”
“Aren't you used to it?” They folded the tent together, smoothing the wrinkles as they went.
“Well, yeah, but-”
“CASSANDRA!”
The new voice made them wince. Joshua hid as the dancer stomped through camp, her costume traded for jeans and a tank top. “CASSANDRA!” she hollered. “Get your ASS out here!”
Eris closed her eyes. “Good luck, kid.”
“Danke schon, Loki.” Cassie tried to look innocent and went out to greet the dancer with a smile. “Aphrodite! Hi, to wha-”
Her words were lost as the goddess of love and beauty sealed her mouth closed with her own. Cassie drowned in a warm sea of bliss, coming up for air for a moment before diving back for another taste. Aphrodite caught her before she hit the ground. “Thanks.”
“Huh? What?” Cassie tried to focus her eyes.
Aphrodite just grinned. “My tent's still pitched if you'd like details.” She kissed Cassie on the cheek and left with a wave.
“What just happened?” Joshua asked, tent poles forgotten in his hands.
“Not sure...” Cassie's grin became lopsided. “See ya in a few hours...”
Eris dropped the tent and gently shoved Cassie. “You're welcome!”
Joshua sighed and went back to packing. “Gods!” he muttered.