(song: "Attention" - Charlie Puth)

"What the hell is going on?" I ask, ready to pull my own hair out.

     I stand with Cassie and Kristen inside of the world's tackiest living-room. There's an old yellow couch with a crocheted red and white striped blanket that has pom-poms at the end of it. Out-dated magazines have been used as drink coasters and carry water-rings and crumpled pages. All of the decorations are plastic, dusty and from the 70's.

     "She's my mom, and the guy you heard over the intercom was my foster-brother. This was his great-aunts place, but she died and left it to him. He's letting my mom and I stay here," Cassie explained.

     I try my best to wrap my mind around what's going on, but I fail miserably. I can't stop staring at the stupid coffee-stain on-top of a women's magazine. I had pictured Cassie living under a highway and sleeping in alleyways, but that is far from the truth. She must have sat on this couch, skipping school, watching daytime TV and reading gossip columns with her mother.

     "Is she the person you were looking at in your video tape?" I press.

     Cassie shrugs her shoulders and nods to confirm my suspicion.

     "What about Lily?" I remind her. "She's been worried sick about you and you run off with your drug-addict mom?"

     "Lower your voice, Toby!" Cassie commanded fiercely.

     The two of us glare at one another and it feels like nothings really changed. We're back fighting, just like we did months ago.

     "Cassie . . . " Kristen gently jumps in to mediate. "We're just trying to understand what happened. You sent us cryptic messages in video tapes and postcards saying that you're in danger. We've risked a lot to be here, we deserve answers."

     Cassie and I don't break eye-contact, we're like two pit-bulls waiting for the first one to bark before attacking.

     "Fine. You're right." Cassie finally concedes.

     Ha. I win. I cross my arms. "From the beginning. Explain it all."

     Her expression changes dramatically. All of Cassie's fierceness is replaced by worry and regret. "I found my mom online. I had tried looking for her before, but when I finally found her I was offered a deal from Greg's grandfather. They said if I kept quiet, they'd keep my mom out of jail. At first, I didn't know how they found out about her, but then I realized they were using their tracking system on me. I love Lily, I do, but I can't just leave my birth mother to suffer because of me."

     It's ironic, because technically, Cassie's mother had left her to suffer through the foster care system. I don't share that thought though.

     "I don't want to live my life in fear, I want to be able to return back to Lily. I thought Greg was going to defend me against his grandfather, but . . . he refuses to believe me about anything," Cassie says sadly.

     The way she says Greg's name seems to hint at some unresolved feelings. I really don't know what to make of that.

     "I wanted to go to the police, but I noticed Greg's grandpa following my car to the station. He got out of his car and seemed to know every policeman at the precinct. It was a scare tactic. I felt helpless, there was nothing I could do. Lily's job depends on Summer's Software, it'd have been too easy for them to destroy both of my mother's lives," Cassie says, reaching for a tissue from a box on the coffee table to wipe her eyes with.

     I give her a few minutes to collect herself before I press her with questions. "So what were you hoping to accomplish by sending us tapes and postcards?"

     "I needed help. They don't know how much I know. I discovered the truth about Greg's grandfather a little over a year ago. Greg had secretly brought me into his house while his grandparents were visiting. I was supposed to just stay in his room so he could sneak me out later, but I got hungry. I walked past the door to the study and got curious. I went inside and sat in their expensive office chair . . . then I heard someone coming, so I hid in the closet. Greg's grandfather was having an argument with David Walters . . . " Her voice trails.

     "You found out that they were using false financial information and buying loyalty with law enforcement to secure the investment from the Cook family?" Kristen filled in the silence.

     Cassie nodded. "I did something stupid. I started following David Walters and I found out about his affair with our teacher. I used that knowledge to pressure her into giving me the financial report. Normally, I keep secrets, but I revealed everything I learned to Greg. He thought I was lying and just seeking attention. He told his grandfather and from then on my life started spiraling out of control. I did what I could to protect everyone I care about."

     I try to imagine what I would have done. I definitely would have involved my mother in the situation, but that's because I'm used to relying on my mother. If I had grown up only knowing to rely on myself, turning to an adult for help wouldn't exactly be the first choice for me. From what I knew of Cassie's past, her bio-mom couldn't be of any help, but Lily Learner could.

     "I'll get Lily, we'll set a place for you to meet her and you can tell her everything." I decide.

     "A million-dollars is at stake, Toby. All they'll do is ruin her life too," Cassie says solemnly.

     "That's up to Lily to decide. Talk to your mom, that's what a kid is supposed to do when they are backed into a situation they can't handle. If she decides you are worth the risk of her losing everything then that's her choice. You don't get to make that choice for her."

     Cassie had always seemed strong, beautiful and complex to me. For the first time, I saw her as a scared and confused child who made things overly complicated because she wasn't used to having someone to lean on.

     I head for the door.

     "Where are you going?" Cassie asks with alarm.

     I feel so exhausted from worrying over Cassie for months. "To sleep out in the car. I'm suddenly really tired."

     "You two can sleep here," Cassie suggests. "I'll get blankets and pillows."

     She disappears into the hallway before I can refuse. It gives Kristen and I a few minutes to ourselves. Kristen doesn't make any moves to get anywhere near me, and she looks mad. I've never really seen her look angry before.

     "What?" I ask kind of rudely.

     "You proved me right, that's all. Cassie appears and suddenly, I don't exist again. You were really going to leave without me?" Kristen glares at me in a way that makes my insides twist with guilt.

     "My bad, I didn't mean to try and leave without you. I just have some things I need to think about and I can't do that here."

     "Never mind," she sighs. "It's not important. I should be happy that we found her."

     "Are . . . you jealous?"

     Kristen opens her mouth, but no response comes out, instead it's Cassie's voice we hear.

     "I found three blankets and two pillows. I can sleep out here with you both. It can be like a sleep over," Cassie says with a smile.

     "Fun. Let's just play board games all night and pretend that everything is okay instead of falling apart," I say sarcastically.

     Cassie gets annoyed and tosses a pillow at my face which I promptly catch. "God, you're negative."

     "And you're naive!" Kristen blurts out of no where. "You've always been naive. There's nothing wrong with Toby's negativity, at least he's showing the irony of our situation."

     I'm surprised by Kristen. I marvel at her and find myself hit in the face with a balled up blanket.

     "I'll give you two some time to cool down and we'll talk in the morning," Cassie decides for us.

     The lights switch off and Cassie leaves us in darkness with the yellow couch and the glow from the streetlight outside. I accept the fact that I'm going to sleep on the floor and steel my nerves against how dirty the carpeting is. I put down my blanket and pillow and lay staring up at the ceiling. Kristen steps over me to settle onto the couch and soon we're both staring at the same thing.

     "I am jealous," Kristen says quietly. "Because I can't help but—"

     I interrupt her by reaching my hand up to hold her wrist and gently pull her towards me. She rolls herself down from the couch on top of me. Her nose is an inch from mine and we gaze into each others eyes in the darkness. I don't need to explain anything to her, she knows that whatever has developed between us has turned into an unstoppable avalanche.

     I wrap my arms around her. She lays her head onto my shoulder and places a hand on my chest. It feel so intimate it drives me crazy. I realize that I want to do more with Kristen than just lay together, I want to do everything with her.

     "Complain about me until I fall asleep," I whisper jokingly.

     She pinches me and smiles against my neck before timidly placing a quick kiss there.

     I swear that Kristen has to have some kind of superpower, she makes everything just feel bearable. She doesn't return to the couch, that's good, because I don't want her to. She snuggles deeper into me and it isn't long before she falls asleep.

     She is ruining me. I won't be able to enjoy sleeping alone again, I'll always crave her being at my side. I like Kristen Chapman more than I love Cassie.

     Now what?