MUCH NEEDED RECAP!

Cassie met with Brianna and discovered a few things:

1. Brianna is Avril's biological mother.

2. Avril was kidnapped by her parents from Brianna's powerful and evil employer when she was just a baby.

3. Brianna tracked them down and became a part of their lives (they never knew she was Avril's biological mother, but Avril was aware.)

4. Avril's killer's identity is unknown to everyone, including his workers.

· Cassie forgot about the surprise trip Tyler planed for them which led Tyler to get furious.

· Joseph showed up to Brody's workplace which was where Cassie was hanging out with Tyler and their friends. He exposed the fact that Cassie had been secretly working with him on Avril's case. Tyler realized Cassie has been lying to him about not knowing who Joseph is.

· Cassie and Tyler broke up.

· Cassie and Danny got into a fight after Cassie tried to kiss Danny and said some not so nice things to him.

· Caleb (Cassie's brother) came back to town for a visit.

· Cassie got another message which led her to the campsite where Avril was taken. There she found two textbooks; an English language and a Mathematics textbook.

· She carried them to Joseph's place to figure out what it could mean, but first they enjoyed Joseph's delicious lasagne which he took great pride in.

This chapter is dedicated to every single person that asked me to update, or asked me when I was going to update. I appreciate all of you sooo much. 

I will like to give a special shoutout to @maluawesom04 for designing my new cover along with the one in this chapter <3 

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"The future is uncertain but the end is always near."
                                                                                             ― jim morrison 

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Cassie got up from the dining area and took a few steps until she was in Joseph's living room. She picked up the two textbooks and walked back to the dining table with both of them tucked under her armpit. She dropped them on the table causing them to produce a loud thud. He shuddered in his chair and glared at Cassie. "Feel free to break my table," Joseph said sarcastically.

"Shut up," Cassie rolled her eyes and took a seat. She stared at the books and buried her cheeks in her sweaty palms. She shook her head and let out a loud sigh. "I think I will go crazy before I figure out what these mean," she motioned to the books with crazy hands.

"Like I said earlier Avril hated Maths, and if I'm not mistaken English was her favourite subject," Joseph shrugged and peered at the books as though he was interrogating them, and then he averted his gaze to Cassie who was staring at the books, looking absentminded.

"I know that but what are we supposed to do with that information? Are Avril's likes and dislikes some sort of clue now?" she sighed heavily.

"Please refrain from asking me silly questions. Like I have said before if I had answers to anything I would have said them already," he hissed.

"You're ugly," Cassie said and got up "and did you just hiss at me?" she laughed. 

"Words do not hurt when they are untrue, Cassidy. And yes, I did" Joseph winked which caused her to shake her head and scoff. "Clearly this clue is getting us nowhere so let us focus on the other clues we have. Is there anything else?" Joseph said whilst yawning.

"Well there's Avril's charm bracelet. I am still yet to figure it out, it drives me crazy," she sighed and circled around Joseph and made her way back to the chair and sat down.

Joseph yawned again and leaned back in his chair. He shut his eyes and massaged his temples "You know what? We'll deal with Avril's bracelet much later," he blurted out.

Cassie stared at him blankly and pushed her head back "much later? Why much later when we can do it now?" a short laugh escaped from Cassie's pressed lips.

"Much later, Cassidy," he said firmly and shut his eyes again. He placed his head on the table and began to hum a song that sounded familiar to Cassie.

Cassie stared at him with her mouth agape, she pushed the math textbook until it came in contact with Joseph's head.

"How old are you again?" he asked with his head still down.

"Twenty, which is the age Avrill would have been had she not been taken away from us by God knows who!" her tone was raised and her voice was shaky.

"Avril was my sister, not yours, so calm down," he said, his head still rested on the table.

"And who did she love more? And who did she tell her secrets to? And who did she spend more time with?"

Joseph erupted in laughter and clapped as loudly as he laughed. "If you think you knew anything about  Avril then you're the most oblivious person around," he let out a bitter laugh and stared her in the eye. "Tomorrow we contintue, I'm exhausted today," he said.

Cassie nodded and shot up from the chair like there were pins on it, she was about to walk away, but Joseph brought her to a halt by holding her wrist. "Stay longer, living alone gets very lonely. I'm not exactly enjoying your company but I don't have my cat here with me so you'll have to do," he said in a calm and honest tone, like he was not the same person that had just yelled at her.

Cassie rolled  her eyes and succumbed to Joseph's request, she stood still and pulled him up. She nudged her head toward his couch and they both relocated to his  couch. Joseph sat down with his legs stretched out leaving very little space for Cassie to sit. Cassie slapped his leg off and sat down. "I have a brother far more annoying than you are, don't try me," she scowled,

Joseph shrugged and rested his legs on Cassie's thighs once she sat down. She stared at him the way one would stare at an exam problem  that they could not understand. And to her Joseph often times was like that exam question that no matter how hard you stared at it you would never understand. He was a mystery, Avril was a mystery, their whole family was.

Joseph sighed "Ask whatever you want and stop staring," he said in an annoyed tone.

"What do you do in your spare time?" she peered.

Joseph looked at her incredulously and shook his head while answering "I don't know, I watch birds fly, I read, I sleep, I breathe. . ."

"And you piss me off?" she rolled her eyes.

"That would fall under my hobbies," he smirked.

"Do you have any friends?" she asked nosily "You never talk about anyone other than Avril and your parents."

Joseph looked around his almost empty living room and shook his head "all my friends died in the war," he replied in a dull tone.

"What war?" Cassie asked, moving closer to him in the process.

"No war, I've just always wanted to say that," he laughed but his eyes were sad. He stared into space as if lost in sad thoughts. He shook his head and smiled at Cassie.

Cassie furrowed her eyebrows and wacked him in the leg "That's not even funny, Joseph. People actually have lost loved ones in such situations, it's nothing to joke about," she raised her voice.

"Nothing about the world we live in is funny, why should we pretend it is?"

"You sound like someone that's never been loved before because love gives you something to smile and laugh about."

"That's not a lie."

"Don't say that, your family loves you!"

"Yet they sent me away when I was just ten to a grandmother that was too old and sick to take care of herself, let alone me," he yelled. Cassie's eyes widened as she stared at his face which slowly began to turn red. She had never seen him angry before, usual nonchalant stoic Joseph had finally shown that he could have emotion, but it did nothing to satisfy her because it was not the kind of emotion she hoped to see roar out of anyone. 

"Do you hate them? Your parents?"

Joseph stared at Cassie and nodded with honest eyes and his shoulders sunken, he looked defeated. There was silence for a bit, Cassie looked at Joseph and then she observed his living room again; evening was approaching therefore his living room had become dark and gloomy, much like the atmosphere in the room which they sat in silence.

"Do you have any more invasive questions or are we just going to silently sit here till judgement day arrives?" he asked in an annoyed tone.

"Are you gonna be okay, joseph?" Cassie asked, she shifted in the chair and moved closer to him. She peered into his eyes as if she was relying on them for her answers rather than Joseph's words.

Joseph laughed "What? You think I'm gonna hurt myself because of a little outburst?" a mocking smile appeared on his lips.

Cassie shook her head and a tear rolled out of her eyes "No, I think someone's gonna hurt you, just like they hurt Avril. The way you're acting, the way you speak, your emotions," she paused for a moment "it reminds me of Avril's last weeks before she..." she started crying more heavily.

Joseph laughed "do you want a beer? I'm craving some beer,'' he said and before Cassie could reply he got up and walked into the kitchen. As he walked away Cassie stared at his back and observed everything about him. The way he walked so lazily, the way he swung his arms carelessly, the way he scratched the back of his head right before he was out of her sight. She observed everything and locked them in her memory because she could not help but think that Joseph's story was going to end much like Avril's.