Mother Figures

The following chapter is written in 3rd person POV, following Cassie, and Stella.

At Jay’s Apartment, while Jay was driving Tanya to work...

Cassie wakes up alone in Jay’s bedroom.

Jay, Stella, and Tanya were nowhere to be found.

Cassie looks at the time and realizes she slept longer than usual. This isn’t new to Cassie though. She’s used to sleeping in when she smokes pot. Cassie gets up from bed, to see where Jay and Stella are, assuming that Tanya has probably already left for work.

Cassie goes to the kitchen and sees Stella eating some Frosted Flakes for breakfast.

“G’Morning.” Cassie greets Stella.

“Morning, Cass. Want some cereal?” Stella asks back.

“Sure.” Cassie answers, and Stella gets her a bowl and a spoon while Cassie sat down at the dining table. “Thanks. Where’s ‘sausage and eggs’?” Cassie jokingly asks.

“Oh, he wasn’t here when I woke up either.” Stella answers her, making Cassie check her phone if he messaged to say where he was going, but it seems Jay didn’t.

“He didn’t leave a note?” Cassie asks.

“Nope.” Stella succinctly answers.

“Have you tried calling him?” Cassie asks right after.

“Nope.” Stella succinctly answers again.

“Is he going to join us for our run later, before we go to the sports center to practice?” Cassie asks.

“Probably not.” Stella answers. Cassie’s beginning to notice the pattern of Stella’s answers, so she makes sure not to ask a ‘Yes or No’ question.

“How do you know he doesn’t want to join us if you haven’t talked to him yet?” Cassie asks.

“I just do.” Stella, still finding a way to just answer in one or two words, raises the bowl to her lips and the milk that’s left inside before licking her lips and standing up from the dining table.

“Are you angry with me? Did I do something to make you not want to talk?” Cassie asks concerned.

“No! Oh, sorry! No, no, no. I’m good. Just have a lot on my mind.” Stella finally admits.

“Okay. Good. Want to tell me what those things are?” Cassie asks her friend, still concerned.

“I kinda didn’t want to talk to you about it yet.” Stella answers her honestly.

“Oh.” Cassie reacts in disappointment, but also intrigued by what Stella might not want to talk to her about yet; since the two of them never shy away from sharing stuff with each other. “Well, you know I’m always here to lend a supportive ear.” Cassie assures her best friend.

“Yeah, I know… but I’m pretty sure you won’t side with me this time.” Stella admits.

“I’m always on your side, Stella. You know that.” Cassie reassures Stella.

“Even if the other side is my Dad?” Stella asks her, with a guilty look on her face.

“Huh? Okay, before I ask, I’ll just say I’m on both your sides. Always. If the argument is between the two of you, I’ll just remain impartial.” Cassie tells her. “What’d I miss last night?” Cassie then asks before realizing something. “Oh shit! Did your date go badly?”

“No! Not at all. It was amazing. Dad took me to the boardwalk. It was like back when I was a kid, and we did all the stuff we used to do together; but he made sure that it didn’t feel like a daddy-daughter date, but a boyfriend-girlfriend one. It was so well thought out! It was like... reframing our history together, you know? I had a ton of fun… Sorry. We had a ton of fun.” Stella recounts.

“So the argument isn’t about the date then?” Cassie tries to clarify.

“Well… it sorta is. We had sex in a cabin of the Atlantic Eye!” Stella admits giddily, making Cassie open her mouth in both surprise and amazement.

“No way! That was so risky!” Cassie reacts laughing. “Okay. Spill! How was it!?” Cassie asks, just as giddily as Stella was, already forgetting that they were supposed to be talking about what Stella and Jay are fighting about.

“It was so romantic! We had a time limit but we didn’t care! We went slow. We made out. We couldn’t stop touching each other. You know how amazing he is, so I don’t need to explain it to you. It was so fucking good! I couldn’t get enough. I thought the thrill of doing it in public would’ve added more to my excitement, but it was kinda secondary to be honest. I didn’t even care. I was just so into it.” Stella recounts to Cassie.

“That’s amazing! I can’t believe you could hold yourself back and not just ride on his dick!” Cassie says with a laugh. “It must’ve been hard to resist!” Cassie adds excitedly, knowing full well how hard it is to not just have the feeling of the warm and electric sensations that come off of Jay’s cock when he fucks.

“You should try it slow with him some time! Just having him inside you. It builds up the warm feeling you have inside, and when he starts moving… HNNGGH! I swear, Cass! It’s indescribable!” Stella recounts some more, making Cassie extremely jealous.

“Okay! I get it!” Cassie tells Stella with a laugh. “I’m going to jump him as soon as I see him now.” Casse half jokes. “You want to watch us again?” Cassie then teases Stella.

“Yeah~ about that…” Stella says guiltily, reminding Cassie what they were talking about.

“Oh wait! I got distracted! How was the argument about the date if it was awesome?” Cassie laughs.

“Okay, this is the part where I feel you’ll side with him since… Well, I’d side with him too actually. Hell, I already know it was such a dumb risk to take, but—” Stella started to preface, but Cassie already knew what she was going to say.

“You told him to cum inside you!?” Cassie reacts angrily, a complete one-eighty with how happy and giddy she was just a moment ago.

“I did! I know! It was a dumb risk to take!” Stella openly admits and is obviously apologetic and regretful.

“Why even take the risk then!? What for!?” Cassie asks with her voice getting louder, very much furious; making Stella’s apologetic demeanor retreat as it’s overcome by her never back down attitude.

“Hol’ up! Why the fuck are you so angry about it!? It’s not like you’ll have to worry about it if I get pregnant!” Stella reacts, her voice getting louder now too.

“What do you mean I wouldn’t worry about it!? You’re my best friend! You’re my boyfriend’s daughter! You’re my roommate! You’re my teammate! What do you mean I wouldn’t have to worry about it!? Of course I’d worry!” Cassie answers her.

“So!? You’re still all those things if I get knocked up! I don’t fucking understand what you’re hassling me for.” Stella points out.

“BECAUSE YOU’RE GOING TO LEAVE ME BEHIND!” Cassie finally shouts at the top of her lungs, making Stella immediately revert to apologetic.

...

“Why the fuck are you in such a hurry to get pregnant and leave me behind?” Cassie continues, in a much quieter tone. “You’re going to leave me behind.” Cassie repeats in a whisper, as she’s beginning to tear up now.

Stella immediately goes beside her friend to hug her and comfort her.

...

“Hey~ The hell are you on about?” Stella asks her lightheartedly, and with a chuckle; trying to get Cassie to a much lighter place. “I’m never going to leave you behind, Cass. Not after we’re back together again.” Stella tells her.

“You will if you get knocked up! You’ll stay here… with Jay… with Tanya… and Viv and Brooke too! While I’ll be off alone in college and everybody else is here being sweet and being a family. Don’t tell me that’s not leaving me behind.” Cassie tells her in tears.

“Okay! I get it. I’m sorry.” Stella says, hugging Cassie tighter. “Relax. No one’s leaving you alone.” Stella assures her. “You’re being such a drama queen though. I took a ‘morning after’ pill that Tanya gave me, you know?” Stella teases her, trying to lighten the mood. “What’s this about? You’re usually not this emotional.” Stella asks her, concerned for her best friend.

“I’ve been worrying about it since yesterday to be honest. I had a feeling you were going to do it and risk it. You were so into it during the foursome that I knew it was still in the back of your mind… but I know that doesn’t explain why I’m a mess right now. I’ve just been in my own head recently, I guess. Thinking about what would happen if you do get pregnant.” Cassie admits, sniffling.

“A part of me is sure that you’re going to either drop out or take a leave of absence to focus on being a mom, and I started thinking about if I’d want that for myself too… and it made me sick.” Cassie continues to share.

“Sick? What do you mean?” Stella asks her, resting the side of her head on Cassie’s, trying to be as affectionate as possible with her friend who is obviously going through something.

“I don’t want to be a mom. I don’t know if I ever want to be.” Cassie admits.

“Woah. Cass…” Stella reacts, rubbing Cassie’s arm. “I didn’t know you had such a strong opinion about that. Why do you hate the idea of mother-huh… Oh.” Stella began to ask but realized she already knew the answer Cassie would give her.

“Cass, you’re not your mom. You are the farthest thing from your mom. You’re the most caring and loving person I know! You’re everything she isn’t.” Stella assures Cassie, and Cassie tears up again.

“It doesn’t matter if I’m nothing like her. She’s the only mother I ever knew. I’m not sure I’m even capable of being motherly. I don’t even know what that is. I’ve never experienced it.” Cassie opens up. Stella kisses the side of her forehead.

“Then you’re a fucking natural, Cass.” Stella immediately tells Cassie. “Who reminds me to stick to my schedule in school when I’m tempted to party? Who nags me every time I get lazy to do a paper early and want to procrastinate? Who made me soup when I was sick and couldn’t get out of bed during our first semester? Who took care of me last Friday when I made the dumb decision to get drunk instead of facing my emotions like a mature adult?” Stella points out, and it actually cracks a smile from Cassie.

“Can I admit something messed up?” Cassie asks Stella, still smiling, but also still in tears.

“Like you thinking you’d be a bad mother isn’t fucked up enough?” Stella jokes. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Just trying to lighten the mood. Shoot. What’s this messed up thing you’re thinking?” Stella immediately adds.

“When I found out your mom cheated on Jay, I felt… relieved. Selfishly relieved. Since I didn’t have to be jealous anymore. You and I both have shitty moms now.” Cassie admits with a **** laugh, and Stella laughs along with her.

“I know right?” Stella rhetorically asks while laughing. “Although, I think Dad’s words are finally getting to me. I feel like I’ll hate her less and less as time goes by since I finally got to say ‘fuck you’ to her face. Maybe I’ll finally get to the point where I won’t care about her anymore.” Stella confesses to Cassie.

“That being said, it really makes me appreciate the fact that even if we both have shitty moms, it’s a good thing we both have an amazing Dad to fall back on.” Stella replies, and Cassie understood what Stella meant.

Jay may call himself her babysitter, but he’s the only father figure Cassie ever knew too… and if Stella was right about her being a caring person, at least in her mind, he’s the biggest reason for why that is.

“Can I admit something fucked up too?” Stella asks Cassie as they both rest their temples in each other’s. Cassie just looks at her, waiting for Stella to say the fucked up thing. “I did not expect this much drama when I woke up today.” Stella jokes, making Cassie chuckle and apologize. “Hey, I’m joking. No need to apologize. Although if that’s an apology for shouting at me then I accept.” Stella continues to joke, and Cassie’s laughing a little more earnestly now.

It was at this time that Jay enters the apartment and sees his two girlfriends hugging each other while the other one was obviously crying not too long ago.

“Cassie? What happened, baby?” Jay asks her.

“You still want to jump him now?” Stella jokes, and Cassie laughs even more while sniffling.

“Good morning, Jay.”, “Morning, Dad.” Cassie and Stella greet him respectively.

“Stella, hey~ I wanted to apologize for overreacting last night.” Jay apologizes to his daughter immediately.

“No, Dad. I’m sorry for lying to you last night. I’ll stop taking unnecessary risks now. I promise. Especially now that I realize that it’s not just you or me that’ll get affected by my decisions.” Stella says right back.

Jay approaches the two girls and asks what went on between them that caused Cassie to cry.

“I didn’t wake up next to you! You didn’t tell me where you were going! I was worried sick!” Cassie jokingly answers.

“I drove Tanya to her office. I’ll be doing that for her as much as I can from now on, so tell me if we have morning plans so I can give her a heads up. Still, I’m sorry if I didn’t message you guys where I went. ” Jay genuinely apologizes.

“You’re going to have to make it up to me now.” Cassie tries to say suggestively, but she sniffles and it doesn't sound as suggestive as she intended.

“Oh? What do you have in mind?”