Tuesday at lunch Tess tells me that we are all heading to Cassandra Goth's house after school to work on our Simplish essays that are due in Friday. I hate going to Cassie's house, it gives me creeps. Cassie lives in a spacious, three bedroom home in Willow Creek. The house is so ancient it even has its own title "Ophelia Villa" and I believe strongly that it's haunted by Cassandra's ancestors, I've often heard conversations between spirits there when no one else has been around. Tess thinks it's Cassie's younger brother, Alexander, playing tricks but you can't fake what I heard there. I vowed that I was never going back there but there I was boarding a bus to Willow Creek on Tuesday afternoon with Tess, Declan, Sam and Cassie.
Cassie's mother, Bella Goth greets us at the door, "I've set out a plate of cookies in the formal dinning room" she announces, Tess and I exchange looks knowing there's no way that Bella baked those cookies herself, she would of had the maid or the live in chef bake them but would never let that slip.
The Goth's are aristocrats, "Old Money" as my mother Ruth tells it and one of the most wealthiest families not only in Willow Creek but throughout the whole state. Cassandra is in no way snobby though, she's probably one of the most down-to-earth people you'd ever meet. She keeps her shoulder length black hair in two pigtails and dresses mainly in dark t-shirts and mini skirts, she's stylish without much effort.
We settle in at the dinning table and open our folders and then it starts, the debrief about our school day.
"Mr Landgraab gave that speech again today" Declan says
"The one about how 'This is the most important year of your life year 12' and that we 'shouldn't waste a minute of it' he loves giving that speech" Tess asks, bursting into fits of laughter.
"Yep, that's the one but he also threw in a second verse today and it went like this, 'the decisions you make this year will effect your futures for years to come' " Declan adds
"Oh no pressure or anything" I say sarcastically and we all laugh.
We get it, year 12 is one of our biggest years in our lives, it's our last year of high school, next year we will either go off to university or enter the work force but the way our teachers and parents talk you would think it's the be all and end all.
"Our Step Dad has been putting the pressure on at home too" I explain "It's like if we haven't completed our homework by 8pm then we will automatically fail and have to work at Chez Llama until we die"
"Doesn't He work at Chez Llama though?" Cassie asks
"He now owns Chez Llama, he bought it about 5 years ago when the old owners retired" Tess explains.
"Well even so, he shouldn't be telling you that these are your only options, go to university or become a waitress at one of the finest restaurants in Forgotten Hollow" Sam says, sounding slightly offended. Sam attends Brighton High School on a sporting scholarship, he's an awesome soccer player but he has to work extremely hard to keep his grades up, if he was to fall below a "B" grade he could lose his scholarship.
"Daddy wants me to study business at University, so I can follow in the family footsteps" Cassie says with gloom in her tone.
"What do you want to do?" I ask her
"Fashion" she announces, "What about you?"
"Don and My mother want me to study medicine but I want to study Veterinary, I love animals" I tell her
"What about you Tess?" Cassie asks
"I'm going to study drama and become a famous actress and no man, not even Don Lothario, is going to tell me I can't" Tess announces with strong conviction.
Tess has always wanted to be an actress, she talks of "moving to Del Sol Valley and getting discovered just walking down the street".
"And what about you Declan? What are you going to do? Play soccer with Sam for the Llamas or..." I ask, Declan doesn't talk much really so I've never heard him talk about future plans.
"Im going to study law" He tells us
"Well that will come in handy for when Tess needs to sue the paparazzi for stalking her" I tell him and everyone laughs.
Tess announces to the group that Declan is joining our personal training sessions, "so I no longer have to feel like a third wheel with Zoey and her sexy boyfriend"
"ZOEY!!!! You didn't even mention you and Angus were together, like it was pretty obvious on Friday night that it was going to happen but as your best friends we do deserves to be updated about major life decisions" Cassie says as she's hugging me.
"Sorry, I didn't think it would really interest anyone" I apologise
"Are you kidding?"Cassie squeals "We have had to sit through Tess and Declan's love fest for the past 3 years and no offence to them but I am in major need of living vicariously through a hot romance because lets face it, Sam here is never going to cotton on that I'm into him"
Sam, head buried deep in his folder, writing his essay, looks up at the mention of his name, "What?" he asks us....he hasn't heard a word
Cassie looks at me "See? Nothing!"
By the end of our study session it was decided that Cassie would also be joining our training group in the hopes that "She could find a muscly clad hot twenty something that would look good on her arm at the year 12 formal".
I rang Angus on the bus ride home to inform him that Cassie would also be joining our group
"Sounds good babe, I'll cook dinner for the group after tomorrows session, that way I can get to know everyone a bit better" He offers and I accept, Im so excited for Angus to get to know my friends
Cassie's mother, Bella Goth greets us at the door, "I've set out a plate of cookies in the formal dinning room" she announces, Tess and I exchange looks knowing there's no way that Bella baked those cookies herself, she would of had the maid or the live in chef bake them but would never let that slip.
The Goth's are aristocrats, "Old Money" as my mother Ruth tells it and one of the most wealthiest families not only in Willow Creek but throughout the whole state. Cassandra is in no way snobby though, she's probably one of the most down-to-earth people you'd ever meet. She keeps her shoulder length black hair in two pigtails and dresses mainly in dark t-shirts and mini skirts, she's stylish without much effort.
We settle in at the dinning table and open our folders and then it starts, the debrief about our school day.
"Mr Landgraab gave that speech again today" Declan says
"The one about how 'This is the most important year of your life year 12' and that we 'shouldn't waste a minute of it' he loves giving that speech" Tess asks, bursting into fits of laughter.
"Yep, that's the one but he also threw in a second verse today and it went like this, 'the decisions you make this year will effect your futures for years to come' " Declan adds
"Oh no pressure or anything" I say sarcastically and we all laugh.
We get it, year 12 is one of our biggest years in our lives, it's our last year of high school, next year we will either go off to university or enter the work force but the way our teachers and parents talk you would think it's the be all and end all.
"Our Step Dad has been putting the pressure on at home too" I explain "It's like if we haven't completed our homework by 8pm then we will automatically fail and have to work at Chez Llama until we die"
"Doesn't He work at Chez Llama though?" Cassie asks
"He now owns Chez Llama, he bought it about 5 years ago when the old owners retired" Tess explains.
"Well even so, he shouldn't be telling you that these are your only options, go to university or become a waitress at one of the finest restaurants in Forgotten Hollow" Sam says, sounding slightly offended. Sam attends Brighton High School on a sporting scholarship, he's an awesome soccer player but he has to work extremely hard to keep his grades up, if he was to fall below a "B" grade he could lose his scholarship.
"Daddy wants me to study business at University, so I can follow in the family footsteps" Cassie says with gloom in her tone.
"What do you want to do?" I ask her
"Fashion" she announces, "What about you?"
"Don and My mother want me to study medicine but I want to study Veterinary, I love animals" I tell her
"What about you Tess?" Cassie asks
"I'm going to study drama and become a famous actress and no man, not even Don Lothario, is going to tell me I can't" Tess announces with strong conviction.
Tess has always wanted to be an actress, she talks of "moving to Del Sol Valley and getting discovered just walking down the street".
"And what about you Declan? What are you going to do? Play soccer with Sam for the Llamas or..." I ask, Declan doesn't talk much really so I've never heard him talk about future plans.
"Im going to study law" He tells us
"Well that will come in handy for when Tess needs to sue the paparazzi for stalking her" I tell him and everyone laughs.
Tess announces to the group that Declan is joining our personal training sessions, "so I no longer have to feel like a third wheel with Zoey and her sexy boyfriend"
"ZOEY!!!! You didn't even mention you and Angus were together, like it was pretty obvious on Friday night that it was going to happen but as your best friends we do deserves to be updated about major life decisions" Cassie says as she's hugging me.
"Sorry, I didn't think it would really interest anyone" I apologise
"Are you kidding?"Cassie squeals "We have had to sit through Tess and Declan's love fest for the past 3 years and no offence to them but I am in major need of living vicariously through a hot romance because lets face it, Sam here is never going to cotton on that I'm into him"
Sam, head buried deep in his folder, writing his essay, looks up at the mention of his name, "What?" he asks us....he hasn't heard a word
Cassie looks at me "See? Nothing!"
By the end of our study session it was decided that Cassie would also be joining our training group in the hopes that "She could find a muscly clad hot twenty something that would look good on her arm at the year 12 formal".
I rang Angus on the bus ride home to inform him that Cassie would also be joining our group
"Sounds good babe, I'll cook dinner for the group after tomorrows session, that way I can get to know everyone a bit better" He offers and I accept, Im so excited for Angus to get to know my friends
