Half a month passed, and things were reasonably normal. There was the usual disturbing gossip, but all was within the predicted range. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Among the letters Michael handed to Cassie that morning, one was, surprisingly, from Heather. It was sweet, hearing from the little girl. Cassie had a particular soft spot for her ... she almost felt like an elder sister during the times she spoke to her.

There was also something familiar about Heather that Casie couldn't quite point out. Her face? Her eyes?

But casting aside the mysterious question, Cassie couldn't work out how Heather had her address. She strongly suspected Michael had something to do with it, and he admitted guilty to the act on the first night he called.

Cassie had not seen Michael in person again since that early morning visit, but they talked on the phone. Michael would call, usually at night when they were both free. Cassie felt a moment's panic before picking up the call; she was a complete failure at filling up gaps of awkward silences – what should she say to him? What did they always have in common? Should she ask him about his day? How his work had been? But she didn't have in-depth knowledge about music ...

It was unnecessary worry. Hearing each other's voice, they started talking about the most trivial events they had encountered over the day. Cassie had already neglected sleep once as a result of this.

"No, I want to talk ..." Cassie said as she lay on her pillow, barely keeping awake. She doubt she would have the energy to put the receiver back to its proper place once he hung up.

Michael chuckled at her tired voice,and only when he jokily threatened to refuse to foot the phone bills, did she submit to his coaxing and put the phone down.

* * *

"Nice flowers," complimented Yvonne, angling the pot from side to side. Those were the flowers Michael gave Cassie, but Cassie chose not to reveal that little fact.

"Quit sight-seeing and get your damn luggage," said Cassie.

Cassie didn't quite show it, but inside, she was absolutely thrilled to have her friend over; Yvonne was temporarily moving in.

"Jake's finding a place," said Yvonne. Jake was Yvonne's brother, who was currently kipping at a friend's house with a bunch of other guys Yvonne was keen to avoid. "I'll be gone soon," she said with a grimace.

"Hey, you should know me. I wasn't really mad ..."

They went about carrying Yvonne's belongings into the house.

"You know, I attended a class gathering last week. Oh, it's been so long since high school ..." said Yvonne, hoisting her two bags into the apartment.

"I'm glad you had fun," Cassie commented, somewhat half-heartedly. School ... Thinking about it made her face screwed up; it brought an unpleasant aftertaste into her mouth.

"It was like being a student all over again ..." she heard Yvonne saying, but the next couple of phrases was a shocker.

"Wait," said Cassie, holding her a hand up. She recognised the name anywhere. She had been stuck there for years. " Yvonne, you're not kidding? You went to –?"Cassie questioned loudly, referring to the school she had attended.

"Er ... yes," said Yvonne slowly, startled by the intensity of Cassie's voice. "My mother transferred me there in the second year."

Both of them often learn unexpected new facts about each other; it had always been that way. Cassie wouldn't be entirely surprised if, one day, she only knew of Yvonne winning the Nobel Prize until after the ceremony was over.

But this ... Cassie was completely baffled. She couldn't get her head around this one.

After a long moment of processing this new piece of information, Cassie shrugged it off and said, "Wow ... That's something new." If Yvonne enjoyed her times there, Cassie shouldn't start sulking and lamenting and be a killjoy to the friend she cared about.

"So ... you probably know all about the gossip and legends," Cassie put on a warm smile. "Have you heard of Georgia?"

"Definitely, yes," said Yvonne, beginning to nod vigorously. "Georgia's like the fattest girl in the entire school. Nothing against fat people! But ..." Yvonne trailed off.

Cassie could understand. Excluding the comparison of height, Georgia's size was about three Cassies put together.

"Boys were afraid of being flattened by her," said Cassie, smiling grimly as she recalled it. Images of the Georgia she remembered, of Georgia guffawing like a maniac once she heard a dirty joke, of Georgia stuffing food into her mouth with her sausage-like hands, of Georgia ordering people around, which included Cassie ...

"She defied sample essays. No one had a greater self-esteem than her," said Cassie, raising her eyebrows, actually impressed. If the loud-mouthed boys who often shove people around didn't dare direct an insult at Georgia, how was Cassie – who was a head shorter and thinner – going to find the sudden bravery to tell Georgia off in her smug face?

Yvonne snorted at Cassie's remark. "Well, but I heard from ..." – Yvonne mentioned a name of a classmate Cassie had not known – " ... that she's slim down a bit. She's now working in a bank."

The conversation about one naturally led to another – the three leading girls, whose people connections spanned throughout the grade and literally the whole school. After Georgia Melby was Abby Quire, but Cassie didn't know much about her, given that Abby wasn't as talkative and bossy around people. Abby would often be seen slipping into a crowd of senior students with her black bag slung over one of her shoulders. Yvonne said Abby had married, and was now a stay-at-home mother.

"But she's real quiet. Aloof, really. Honestly, she hasn't changed a lot." Yvonne sighed. "We must be a disgrace to society, Cassie. We're so young and beautiful yet no one bothers to propose to us!"

Cassie laughed and shook her head. "All in good time," she told Yvonne distractedly. She was thinking about something else ...

There was still the girl Cassie detested and loathed, yet – and she hated herself for it –fascinated from afar.

"What about ... Madeleine?" Cassie asked. She tried to sound casual.

Cassie's back was facing Yvonne as she had turned away to straighten the pot of flowers. Her fists involuntarily clenched on the countertop. An unexplainable anger brewed within her each time she thought of that –

"Granddaughter of the rich school governor who gives speeches?" reaffirmed Yvonne.

"Yup."

"Well ..." Yvonne hesitated, uncomfortable. "No one really knows where she is now, but I-I heard that she's a prostitute."

Whatever Cassie was expecting, it wasn't that.

"A –?" Cassie couldn't bring herself to repeat the term aloud.

"Yes," said Yvonne quietly.

Yvonne tried to salvage the severity of her statement afterwards by adding that, "They were just rumours. Nah, I don't think she's actually ..." but they were feeble attempts.

Wherever Madeleine was, she certainly wasn't the same I-don't-give-a-damn brat rolling in money. Otherwise someone – anyone – would have known about rich, popular Madeleine taking over her family's business or marrying some pretty-faced-guy.

Cassie almost felt sympathy. Almost.

There was no further discussion of the topic.

* * *

The phone rang. A glance at the timing and Cassie knew it must be Michael.

"Who's that at this hour?" asked Yvonne casually, lowering her book.

"Go away," whispered Cassie.

But the moment the words left her lips,she knew it must be one of the most foolish sentences ever spoken in history.

Yvonne leaped off the couch and twirled dreamily like a ballerina towards Cassie, displaying every sign of interest at the conversation Cassie was about to have with the person at the other end.

"Cassie?" Michael said when she did not answer after a while.

Yvonne instantly lost it. She covered her mouth with her hands and began squealing like a schoolgirl in the background. How that girl could ever write about articles dealing with current affairs and serious topics was a mystery to Cassie.

"That's my friend," Cassie said with a sigh, but a smile was slowly spreading across her face in spite of herself. "She's staying at my place for the time being."

Michael fell silent for a few moments, wondering.

"Bad timing, huh?" he said eventually.

"Absolutely," said Cassie. She could feel the heat creeping up her neck.

"Send my regards to your friend," said Michael, chuckling.

Cassie felt a little sad and reluctant to hang up so quickly, but felt a sense of relief that Michael understood her predicament.

"Okay," she said, sighing in resignation. "Goodnight, Michael."

"Goodnight, sweetheart," he giggled. "I love you."

And the phone cut off before Cassie could retaliate, or even choke out any of her protests, properly.

Cassie turned around and saw that Yvonne looked as though she was about to pass out from happiness. There was no need to ask whether Yvonne had heard the last sentence.

"He did it on purpose," Cassie said firmly, determined on making the point. Michael was probably laughing his head off right now. "That stupid urchin - he knew you were listening – I swear he did it on purpose –"

"If you say so," Yvonne winked.

Cassie groaned.

"All right, all right." Yvonne took a deep breath to calm her excited self, but Cassie was starting to feel alarmed when Yvonne looked as if she was hyperventilating more than steadying her breathing.

"Yvonne, get a hold of yourself," Cassie laughed weakly.

"God, I'm jealous," said Yvonne breathlessly. "The guy interested in me is ..." she shuddered. "He's cool but I can't take his constant talk about girls. But anyway –"

"How are his kids like?" Yvonne asked in interest. Her eyes twinkled. "For one, no one knows how they even look like."

Cassie thought for a moment. "They're just like ... kids?" she said, unsure of her extremely simplistic answer. But it wasn't as though Prince had the appearance of a mini-performer in the making, and Paris was like any other little girl who loved to play with dolls.

Cassie thought of her photographs. Pictures of Prince and Paris and Michael. For one overwhelming moment she felt as if she was holding key evidence to unlocking the secrets of a historical figure.

"Are they stuck-up or anything?" asked Yvonne.

"No, no," said Cassie, waving a finger. "You know the amusement park he has at his house? They only get the chance to go on the rides on special occasions. They're not spoiled brats." Very unlike sweet Madeleine, Cassie added sarcastically in her head.

"Hmm ..." said Yvonne thoughtfully. "You'd rich like nuts if you two end up married some day."

"I'm not thinking that far," said Cassie – but truth be told, his wealth did intimidate her sometimes. The size of Neverland was several neighbourhoods put together. And that was merely one of the properties he owned. Cassie tried not to think about Michael's background too much, since he didn't flaunt about it anyway.

"But speaking about children ..." Yvonne squinted her eyes, as though she was observing and analysing a carefully weighted experiment. "Well, that's convenient, Cassie. You won't have to have kids yourself."

Cassie winced at Yvonne's straightforwardness. "Don't say it that way."

There was pity in Yvonne's eyes. "Still not changing your mind?"

It was hard to swallow the guilt.

"No," she answered. "Not changing."