Categories > Celebrities > Fall Out Boy > The Mixed Tape
There's no justice if it's just a lie.
2 reviewsuh, you'll never get a summary out of me. face it. seriously.
0Unrated
As the song left the speakers and floated into her living room, Cassandra wondered what would make Peter want her to remember that. After realizing the uselessness of the sadness this whole thing was going to eventually cause, she ejected the tape from her old tape deck, and got ready for work.
Her job at her mom's old bookstore wasn't ideal, but it paid the bills, and had definitely gotten her through school. After unlocking the wooden double doors that lead into the small, cozy bookstore, she filled the candy jar for the kids that always wanted it, and began her day.
60 years ago, that bookstore had been opened. And 25 years ago, her mother had inherited it. It was how she met Peter, and it was a place she wouldn't ever forget. As many times as she'd tried to let it go, it always came down to being too attached to ever give it up. Cassandra's mother had passed away about a year ago from breast cancer, and after that, Cassandra never thought of leaving again. In the few years prior to her mothers passing, Mrs. Combs had been too sick to handle the work that the shop required. Cassandra had readily volunteered to keep the family business alive, obviously not realizing the responsibilities. Peter visited every day she had to work, and would take Cassandra to the hospital everyday when the little shop closed to see her mother. He was there with her as her mothers health slowly deteriorated, and she, at that time, was positive he would never leave.
They met in 1987. He was eight; she was 6. Their parents had barbecues with big umbrellas and sweet and sour lemonade. She was young, and although there were only a few things about those days she could remember, she knew she would never forget Peter. And how could she? Their roles in each other other's lives were pretty significant, looking back.
"You're really small." Six-year-old Cassandra turned to face the young voice that was being directed at her. She shielded her eyed from the setting sun, and then decided it was a great time to place her Barbie sunglasses on her nose, and a hand on her hip.
"You're small too. What's your point?" The boy laughed.
"You're just a dumb girl. Go play with your stupid little girl dolls." Cassandra's jaw dropped, as though that was the worst thing anyway could say to her. When you're six, though, it probably is.
Obviously, the only thing Cassandra could do to get revenge on this loud mouth-d messy-haired boy, was punch him. And have no doubt. She did. Cassandra pulled back, and when her fist met his mouth, the boy went flying backwards. He quickly put his hand to his lip, and stood to face the little girl.
"You're not so bad for a girl, I guess." Cassandra smiled.
"Thanks. I'm Cassi. What's your name?" He dabbed at his lip with his fingers.
"Peter. I'm 8. How old are you?" Cassi put her hair behind her ears.
"I'm 6. Not as many as you." Peter shrugged.
"I'm sure you're still alright. Want to play?" He ran over to a soccer ball and kicked it at her. She jumped back.
"You almost hit me!"
"You're supposed to kick it when it comes to you." She approached the ball, and kicked it as hard as she could, but to her dismay, she landed on her back in the wet grass. Pete walked to her and helped her up.
"You need to be friends with me. Maybe you won't get hurt so bad."
"I just punched you in the mouth. You need to be friends with me." He smiled.
"Friends?" Cassi asked, smiling toothlessly.
"I guess. Even though you're a girl."
And that was it. From that point on, they were there for each other through everything.
"Anna, you're late."
"Sorry. Traffic." That was her excuse every time. They busied themselves stocking shelves and reading stories to little kids, when the phone rang.
"Get it, Anna."
"I can't, I'm busy." Cassandra looked over to see Anna, arms full of books. She sighed, and reached for the phone.
"Hello?" There was no answer.
"Hello...."
"Cass. Hey."
"Who....Peter." Her stomach was in her throat, and her heart was where her stomach had previously been. This couldn't be good.
"Yeah. Are you at the store?" Uh...
"You realize you're talking to me on the stores phone, right?" He paused.
"I guess I forgot. Would you mind if I came by?" She sighed.
"Maybe now isn't the best time, Peter."
"Most people call me Pete."
"Most people have most of you. I can at least have Peter." It was subtle, but it had hurt, just the same.
"Fair enough. When is the best time?"
"Four months ago. Have a good day."
"Cassi, I'm coming to your house tonight."
"Most people call me Cassandra."
"Most people will never see most of you. Only me. You're Cassi. It won't change. I'll always be Peter, you'll always be Cassi. I'll see you this evening."
"I don't kno-"
Click. He was gone. Just as quickly as he had returned, he was gone again, and somehow, the damage he's already done was making her ill. Already.
"Who was it?" Anna came around the corner to refill the candy jar.
"Uh, it doesn't really matter." She rolled her eyes.
"Cassandra, was it Peter? I'm your closest friend. I'm the one you're supposed to tell. Stop being so....personal."
"It was Peter. I have to see him tonight. Which is leading me to asking a huge favor of you."
"I'll close the store. Go ahead. Go home."
"Thanks. Have fun. I'll call you tonight, after he's gone." Anna laughed.
"Assuming that he will be." Cassandra just looked at her.
"He will. We haven't spoken in months. I really doubt there's any chance of him staying any longer than the time it takes to yell at me, and tell me how inconsiderate. Just like last time."
"If he does that I'll castrate him. That bastard better not make you cry."
"Anna. You're being weird and protective again. Close. Don't forget anything. Call me if you need me. I'll call you when I need you. Bye." Anna waved and Cassandra stepped out into the cool Chicago evening. This was going to be one of those nights.
Her job at her mom's old bookstore wasn't ideal, but it paid the bills, and had definitely gotten her through school. After unlocking the wooden double doors that lead into the small, cozy bookstore, she filled the candy jar for the kids that always wanted it, and began her day.
60 years ago, that bookstore had been opened. And 25 years ago, her mother had inherited it. It was how she met Peter, and it was a place she wouldn't ever forget. As many times as she'd tried to let it go, it always came down to being too attached to ever give it up. Cassandra's mother had passed away about a year ago from breast cancer, and after that, Cassandra never thought of leaving again. In the few years prior to her mothers passing, Mrs. Combs had been too sick to handle the work that the shop required. Cassandra had readily volunteered to keep the family business alive, obviously not realizing the responsibilities. Peter visited every day she had to work, and would take Cassandra to the hospital everyday when the little shop closed to see her mother. He was there with her as her mothers health slowly deteriorated, and she, at that time, was positive he would never leave.
They met in 1987. He was eight; she was 6. Their parents had barbecues with big umbrellas and sweet and sour lemonade. She was young, and although there were only a few things about those days she could remember, she knew she would never forget Peter. And how could she? Their roles in each other other's lives were pretty significant, looking back.
"You're really small." Six-year-old Cassandra turned to face the young voice that was being directed at her. She shielded her eyed from the setting sun, and then decided it was a great time to place her Barbie sunglasses on her nose, and a hand on her hip.
"You're small too. What's your point?" The boy laughed.
"You're just a dumb girl. Go play with your stupid little girl dolls." Cassandra's jaw dropped, as though that was the worst thing anyway could say to her. When you're six, though, it probably is.
Obviously, the only thing Cassandra could do to get revenge on this loud mouth-d messy-haired boy, was punch him. And have no doubt. She did. Cassandra pulled back, and when her fist met his mouth, the boy went flying backwards. He quickly put his hand to his lip, and stood to face the little girl.
"You're not so bad for a girl, I guess." Cassandra smiled.
"Thanks. I'm Cassi. What's your name?" He dabbed at his lip with his fingers.
"Peter. I'm 8. How old are you?" Cassi put her hair behind her ears.
"I'm 6. Not as many as you." Peter shrugged.
"I'm sure you're still alright. Want to play?" He ran over to a soccer ball and kicked it at her. She jumped back.
"You almost hit me!"
"You're supposed to kick it when it comes to you." She approached the ball, and kicked it as hard as she could, but to her dismay, she landed on her back in the wet grass. Pete walked to her and helped her up.
"You need to be friends with me. Maybe you won't get hurt so bad."
"I just punched you in the mouth. You need to be friends with me." He smiled.
"Friends?" Cassi asked, smiling toothlessly.
"I guess. Even though you're a girl."
And that was it. From that point on, they were there for each other through everything.
"Anna, you're late."
"Sorry. Traffic." That was her excuse every time. They busied themselves stocking shelves and reading stories to little kids, when the phone rang.
"Get it, Anna."
"I can't, I'm busy." Cassandra looked over to see Anna, arms full of books. She sighed, and reached for the phone.
"Hello?" There was no answer.
"Hello...."
"Cass. Hey."
"Who....Peter." Her stomach was in her throat, and her heart was where her stomach had previously been. This couldn't be good.
"Yeah. Are you at the store?" Uh...
"You realize you're talking to me on the stores phone, right?" He paused.
"I guess I forgot. Would you mind if I came by?" She sighed.
"Maybe now isn't the best time, Peter."
"Most people call me Pete."
"Most people have most of you. I can at least have Peter." It was subtle, but it had hurt, just the same.
"Fair enough. When is the best time?"
"Four months ago. Have a good day."
"Cassi, I'm coming to your house tonight."
"Most people call me Cassandra."
"Most people will never see most of you. Only me. You're Cassi. It won't change. I'll always be Peter, you'll always be Cassi. I'll see you this evening."
"I don't kno-"
Click. He was gone. Just as quickly as he had returned, he was gone again, and somehow, the damage he's already done was making her ill. Already.
"Who was it?" Anna came around the corner to refill the candy jar.
"Uh, it doesn't really matter." She rolled her eyes.
"Cassandra, was it Peter? I'm your closest friend. I'm the one you're supposed to tell. Stop being so....personal."
"It was Peter. I have to see him tonight. Which is leading me to asking a huge favor of you."
"I'll close the store. Go ahead. Go home."
"Thanks. Have fun. I'll call you tonight, after he's gone." Anna laughed.
"Assuming that he will be." Cassandra just looked at her.
"He will. We haven't spoken in months. I really doubt there's any chance of him staying any longer than the time it takes to yell at me, and tell me how inconsiderate. Just like last time."
"If he does that I'll castrate him. That bastard better not make you cry."
"Anna. You're being weird and protective again. Close. Don't forget anything. Call me if you need me. I'll call you when I need you. Bye." Anna waved and Cassandra stepped out into the cool Chicago evening. This was going to be one of those nights.
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