|William|

I've been forced to keep a low profile these last two weeks. Which was good for me at first as it allowed me to just focus on rebuilding myself and not have to worry about what the press were saying while my father cleaned up this entire mess I created and I happen to be at the center of it.

I couldn't resist looking into what the people of the world were saying about me. Majority if the people were very supportive over this entire situation which seemed very hypocritical because these people jumped tot he conclusion that Cassie was to blame. Others weren't so supportive. Expressing their thoughts on the world wide web about what they thought of me. I laughed it off at first, but when you get deeper into your searches. Your mind gets transported to another place and you actually start to believe you're everything these people say.

I don't know what my father came up with, but I was quickly out of most if the headlines by the end of this week. He told me I was no longer allowed any public appearances until the new year which seemed a lifetime away when in reality it was only two weeks away. Two whole weeks. I couldn't handle staying under hotel arrest for that long anymore. I had to get out.

"Sign me up." Lucas smiled with excitement after I explained what I had planned which wasn't thought at as I thought it was.

"Lucas I don't want to get you in trouble." I started packing up my duffle bag. Focusing only on the essentials.

"You're getting on a plane to go get your girl back, who cares if I get in trouble. Its like a romantic movie coming to life." I don't think he understood the whole point of me flying out to NorthBrooks.

"Cassie doesn't want to see me." I murmur, shoving a few warm jacket next to my jeans. "Besides that's not why I'm flying to NorthBrooks."

He crossed his arms. "So you're not flying out to win your girls heart back?"

"No." I sighed before sitting down. "I'm flying out to NorthBrooks because for the first tine in my life I actually felt like I had a home."

"You felt like you had a home in NorthBrooks?" I could tell Lucas wanted to laugh. It sounded ridiculous when he said it out loud.

"You can laugh."

"Nah I think I'm good." He stood up and grabbed a few of my snacks and shoved them into the duffle bag. "I'm still coming with you. I've always wanted to see NorthBrooks."

"No you haven't."

"Well now I do." He crossed his arms. "Besides Angie wouldn't let you go without a trustworthy companion."

"Some part if me thinks she would."

Lucas glared before swinging my duffle bag over his shoulder. I couldn't withstand not allowing him to come in the first place. I needed someone to talk to, keep me sane. Well, Lucas was my best friend. I had to bring him with.

"Is that a smile I see?" He asked raising his eyebrows.

"Lets go before my father finds out." I quickly walked past him. Swinging my computer case over my neck and onto my shoulder before shutting the door behind us.

"Where do you think you guys are going?" We both froze in our spots. We haven't even gotten three steps out of the hotel room and we've already been caught by Angie.

Lucas turned around first. "Hey Angie," he waved his hand, "you look really nice in that white blazer."

"Shut up."

"Yeah okay." Lucas looked down like a dog that just got scolded. Trying to not make eye contact.

"William care to explain why it looks like you're running away?" I turned around slowly, hoping she'll forget she saw anything if I stalled long enough. She wouldn't budge. I finally looked up and me her eyes.

"We're not running away. That means I will never come back. More like taking a small vacation." I tried to play it off as a joke. Lucas chuckled silently but I was hoping Angie would crack a smile of some sort. Which didn't happen. Not even a small twitch.

"You wouldn't happen to be taking a vacation in NorthBrooks would you?" She crossed her arms impatiently.

"I thought about going to the Bahamas. A good place to relax during the holiday season." I grinned.

"Bahamas, right." I thought I saw Angie slightly smirk. Yet it also felt like my mind was trying to play tricks on me.

"Well we could go to France, hear its beautiful this time of year." I elbowed Lucas in the rib. He held them with his hand finally looking up to see Angie wasn't buying any of our story.

"Angie please just turn the other cheek. I can't stay here forever. I have to go see Cassie." I could be begging on my hands and knees and Angie still wouldn't allow it.

"I knew this was about Cassie!" Lucas shouted. I elbowed him again, this time in the shoulder while Angie sent piercing glares his way.

"I know you do, but if your father found out. Not only would you never be able to leave your bed. Id lose my job. I'm in charge of you remember?" Angie's face grew red.

"Screw my father!" I shouted. "Not once has he asked me what I wanted to do with my life. I didn't ask for this fame nor wanted it in the first place!"

"Calm down dude." Lucas whispered. I tried to follow his advice, but there had been so much anger stored inside me, I had to let it out.

"For once in my life I'm gonna go do something that I want to do and that's see Cassie. I don't care if my father locks me up in a tower for the rest if my life. Or if Cassie never wants to see me again. But I have to try, I have to try." I could feel a lump in my throat. "I have to do something."

"Okay." That's all Angie said.

"Okay?"

"Fly out to NorthBrooks." She then says, keeping her sentences short in case she breaks down. "Find Cassie and tell her you love her."

I smiled before running up to Angie and pulling her into a hug. "I'm sorry."

"I'm happy you finally are doing something for yourself." She whispered before her voice broke. "No matter the consequences."

I pulled away and Angie wipes a tear that fell onto her cheek. "Go before your father finds out."

My heart was full with adrenaline as Lucas and I raced down the stairs, got into a taxi and headed towards the airport where we then proceeded to sprint to the first opened desk.

"Two tickets for the next flight to NorthBrooks." I gasped for air before planting my credit card onto the desk.

The lady typed in something before looking at me, "I'm sorry all our flight to NorthBrooks are booked for the next two days."

"What about the third day?" Lucas popped his head next to mine.

"Let me check." She typed in another set if keys before smiling, "well you're just in luck. Two open seats."

"We'll take it." I quickly said.

She handed me back my card and two plane tickets for our flight with a smile and a "happy holidays."

Lucas snatched his ticket from my hand and examined it. "This is starting to feel like those cheesy Christmas movies."

"What you mean?" I looked down at my ticket before feeling my jaw drop open. December twenty-fourth, Christmas Eve is when we fly out.

◻◼◻◼◻◼◻

We stayed in the airport fir the next two days coming up with ways I can win Cassie's heart back. Of course none of them struck a nerve that wouldn't definitely win her back.

"Our flight leaves in an hour and we still haven't come up with a plan." Lucas groaned.

I felt a tap on my shoulder, I turned around to see a male no older than twenty staring down at me.

"I'm sorry to bother you but I've overheard you guys for the past two hours and felt like I needed to participate in this whole event."

"Take a sit, we need new ideas." Lucas pointed to the seat next to him with open arms.

"So I'm guessing from what I've heard you're trying to get your girl back?" The man asked with a smile.

"Yes." Lucas groaned, "and all our plans suck."

"What is this girl like?" He asked.

Lucas looked at me with a smile.

"Well she's young, beautiful, really smart. Her eyes are like this beautiful blend of amber and brown in tbe sunlight." I had to cut myself off because this man obviously didn't care that much about what she looked like. "She loved me or at least I think but then life got in the way."

The man tapped his chin. "Well you can't just go up to her door. You need something extravagant. Something that people dream of a happening."

"Something that comes out of a fairytale?" I asked.

"Yes!" He shouts. Pointing his finger at me. "Something out of a fairytale."

"I think I got it." I snap my finger.

For the next couple of minuted I discussed my plan and they all agreed it was worth a shot.

Lucas turned to the man with a smile, "thank you, uh we never goy your name."

"Julian."

"Well Julian you wouldn't happen to be flying to NorthBrooks would you?" Lucas asked with a smug look.

"Actually I am. I'm planning to surprise my mother. She hasn't seen me since my deployment. She has no idea that I'm coming home."

"Well do you mind if we stay at your place until nightfall. We can pay for it."

"Of course you can. You guys look like good people. Plus my mother loves having guests. Her house gets lonely at times." He smiled.

"Thank you so much." I grin.

◻◼◻◼◻◼◻

Julian went out of his way and rented a car for all of us to drive down to his house which we later found out was his mothers because he was deployed when he turned nineteen. Never been able to get a place for himself.

"What was it like being deployed over seas?" Lucas asked from the backseat. So much fascination coursed through that brain of his.

"At first it was hard being away from my mother. My father died two years prior and leaving her all alone was absolutely dreadful. After a couple of weeks I got used to it and I'm just happy I was able to come home to surprise her."

"That's really sweet." I said with a smile.

He smiled, "you'll love her."

We pulled up to front of his house a couple minutes later. It was dark and everything was covered in a thick layer of snow.

We walked up to the front door and once Julian knocked, I heard the faint sounds of tiny claw marks against the wooden door.

I yawned before rocking on my heels, looking over to the neighbors house who had blue Christmas light seeing up against their roof. I noticed the living room light on and pure white car sitting on the windowsill. It reminded me of Cress. That car adored me. Its blue eyes locked with mine and I could tell it was meowing.

I saw two tanned hands grab the cat and take it with them. I only got a small glimpse of their face since this angle was weird. Not thinking much of it, I looked back at the door which swung open almost like it was out of instinct.

"Julian?" I couldn't get a good look st her at first and her voice was filled with tears.

Lucas moved so I could get a look and my heart dropped. The elderly lady locked eyes with mine. "William?"

"Mom?" Julian let go and turned to me. "You know each other?"

"Of course mijo." She slapped his chest, "this is William Everest."

"Good to see you again Ms. Rodriguez." I smiled before looking over at what I know realize was Cassie's house and now I know that that cat was actually Cress and that person was Clarke.

Ignoring her own son who by the looks looked way more confused than Lucas was, she examined me.

"What are you doing back here in NorthBrooks?" She asked.

A cold wind brushed against my shoulders. "I needed to see Cassie."

"We'll explain everything but can we please go inside?" Lucas shivered.

"I agree with Lucas." Julian nodded.

Ms. Rodriguez finally let us in and we all gathered in her living room.

"Now can you explain to me how you know my mother?" Julian asked me.

"Julian keep up. This boy loves out neighbor Cassie, remember Cassie?"

"That still doesn't explain how you know each other." He mumbled.

"We met before Cassie and I broke up."

"You're an idiot by the way." Ms. Rodriguez spat.

"At least someone agrees with me," Lucas smiled.

Taken by shock, I looked at her. She glared.

"I know. But I'm here to get Cassie back. I can't handle being apart. I barely eat and sleep after the breakup and everything that went down in between."

"I can vouch for that. I've never been able to eat so many of his snacks in my life and not get yelled at." Lucas joked.

"So you except that you can come walked back into her life?" She crossed her arms.

"No, but we came up with a plan."

She seemed interested, "explain."