During lunch, Cassie was unable to resist the urge to grab her camera. Michael was patiently correcting Paris's usage of a fork and knife, while only stuffing food into his mouth when she was chewing; it was these natural interactions that make memories. Cassie hadn't really thought what his daily activities would be like, but this was rather adorable to her.

"Do you trust my photography skills?" she asked, her fingers inching towards her camera.

"'Coursf," Michael nodded, his voice slightly muffled due to the mouthful of food.

"Okay," Cassie smiled. "Do whatever you're doing and pretend I'm not here."

The next couple of hours went by with more pictures taken. Bringing along Prince and Paris, Michael showed her the dance studio. Cassie stared at the markings on the shiny floor for a long, long time as her head shrieked hysterically away at the fact that Michael had danced right on this exact floor.

In the cozy library, Cassie couldn't help but goggle at the number of books Michael had, and she literally felt faint when she saw the first edition of classics he owned.

"Most people don't believe I'm a serious bookworm," Michael giggled.

Meanwhile, Prince had taken a very thick book on filmography and held it upside down. Cassie clicked her camera quickly to capture his innocent yet somehow wise, knowing look. Beside her, Michael looked as though he was about to burst from the cuteness of the scene.

* * *

Cassie left at about three in the afternoon – but not without cuddling Prince and Paris first, of course. Michael walked her to her car. Midway, a purple butterfly with unique patterns flew across their path. Cassie's eyes followed the fluttering motion of the butterfly's wings as it made its way towards a flowerbed.

"Do you want to take a picture?"

"Can I take a picture of it?"

They had both spoken at the same time. Always the gentleman, Michael gave a small bow and chuckled, "Go ahead."

Cassie approached the butterfly with Michael following quietly behind her. She had only managed to capture an image of it on a flower, as it took off as soon as it landed, but one picture was enough for her. Smiling, she whispered, "Thank you," to the little purple creature as it flew away.

"With all the plants you have, there must be a lot of rare butterflies around," said Cassie, her voice still hushed up in awe.

"They're beautiful, aren't they?" Michael smiled. "There are bees around, too, like the ones in cartoons. I think there's a hive on one of the trees. Oh, and squirrels. They're so cute when they eat nuts. And boy, sometimes wild pigs eat up these flowerbeds ..."

"You're making me jealous!" Cassie said excitedly. She loved animals, but living in an apartment meant she didn't have a garden that was accessible by wildlife. The best she could hope for was a bird to fly past her window.

"Do you want to see my animals?" Michael asked eagerly.

Cassie could have squealed. She had wanted to see Michael's animals since he pointed out their habitats on the ranch, but seeing as she came for work, she felt it was inappropriate to directly ask him so. Right now, she would have shrieked, "Yes!" if it weren't for –

"I have another client's photography session at four thirty," she said sadly.

"That's okay. I'll show them to you next time," he smiled. "I have llamas, deers, giraffes ... They're very smart and sweet, you'll love them."

"Don't break your promise," said Cassie, smiling.

"I won't," Michael grinned. "How about having a quick go at the rides, then?" he pointed in the general direction of the amusement park.

Cassie had only took a short glance at the rides earlier. Now, as she looked at them more closely, she saw that the park consisted of nearly every popular ride. From the enormous Ferris wheel, to the intimidating Zipper, to the Pirate Ship ... Her eyes stopped at the carousel.

It was at this moment that a voice rang through her ears. It sounded distant, like an echo.

Cassie was eight.

"You're dragging us down. Go find someone else to pair up with," Tracy said blatantly, with Hannah nodding vigorously at her side. Tracy pushed Cassie roughly, away from one of the horses she was about to climb onto.

Cassie almost fell back on the road. She noticed a few of her classmates, who had settled on the carousel, not bothering to hide their sniggers. What made the school trip a hundred times worse was Miss Mason scolding Cassie afterwards.

"Hadn't I instructed all of you to stick with your partners? Why didn't you follow my instructions, Cassandra?" Miss Mason demanded.

Little Cassie cowered under the furious accusation. She had made a teacher angry ... Children must always listen to their parents and teachers, they were adults who always knew what was right, but she had made a teacher angry ...

Crying and hiccuping, she tried to explain that it wasn't her who left Tracy, but Tracy who left her, Cassie, after making up with Hannah after a week long row. But she couldn't ... Behind Miss Mason, Hannah was mouthing:

"If you tell Miss Mason, we won't be your friend anymore!"

Cassie didn't have any friends in class. She couldn't lose Tracy and Hannah...

Cassie was fifteen. She was at a local theme park.

Her supposed best friend, Beth, was being hoarded away by the popular gang of students in class.

Beth and Cassie, the minority of isolated students ... They had made a promise to each other, vowing to never join the gang consisting of two-thirds of students in class, to never be one of the foolish followers of the three leading girls.

Beth promised ... but now, she didn't seem to mind one bit at being invited into their stupid club.

Later that day, Beth pulled Cassie behind a carousel and said in an annoyingly superior manner, "You need to know when to change tactics, Cass!"

Change ... tactics? What tactics? The girls only dragged Beth away, Cassie's only friend in the world, because Cassie refused to cough up money for the unofficial "members only" end-of-term dinner party they were organizing ...

"C'mon, Beth!" called Madeleine, one of the gang's leading girls and the granddaughter of a rich school governor. She was climbing up one of the horses while revealing as much of her thigh her tight skirt would permit. She winked flirtatiously at a boy passing by.

"Okay, Madee!" replied Beth cheerily. Before she turned, Beth muttered irritably, "I don't ever want to be as pathetic as you, Cass. Grow up."

The words struck cold at Cassie.

I'm ... pathetic?

"No," said Cassie, not realizing how cold she sounded.

Michael stared at her. Cassie became conscious of her hardened expression.

"N-No, I mean – I'm sorry ... It's nothing," she lied. "Nah, there's only me on the rides ..."

"Is there something –?" Michael began, concerned.

"Nope," Cassie smiled. "I'll come the weekend after next, right? I got to go now, bye!"

She then left in abnormally rapid paces. Michael watched her chestnut hair flying lightly behind her and her gradual shrinking outline. He was completely lost at sea and confused.