The Secret The Cheerleader Doesn't... - Chapter 52: Chapter 52

Cassie's POV
I stopped by a gas station to buy myself a coke and headed out to see Elijah once more. Though he lived through it all, u felt that he deserved closure... just like I had. As I walked up to his tomb, I stopped to see a woman knelt down in front of it with their hand on the letters. She seemed to be speaking so I neared closer. I was about a foot away when I called out, "Who are you?" She turned and immediately I recognized her. A flashback sprung through my mind. Elijah, a girl named Julie, and I were at a park having a picnic. "Julie?" I asked.
"Who are you?" She asked, stepping away, "Are you Mrs. Winters?"
"No... I'm Cassie... Cassidy Meryl," I said, "well... my maiden name is Winters."
"Cassidy?" She asked, "My goodness... it's been years." I walked over to her, smiling a bit more. She still had her fire red hair that was all curly, tons of freckles and blue eyes. She just had a few more wrinkles is all. She gave me a hug and we took a seat at a nearby bench.
"How have you been?" I asked.
"Doing well," she smiled, "I'm a teacher down in San Diego. It's going well for me."
"That's amazing," I said, "what grade?"
"Freshmen," she laughed, "they still have a bit of life in them. Though they're rambunctious and awful at times, I love it."
"You have always been very kind to children," I sipped my drink. A notification came across her phone and a picture of a young man came up, "Your son?"
"Oh yes," she stumbled a bit.
"How old is he?"
"28," she said.
I choked a bit, "Wow... you had him at 18?"
"Actually 17. My birthday is in September and he was born in May," she said. My heart stopped for a moment and by the looks of it... hers did too. She sighed, "Yes... I know."
"Why didn't you tell me? Tell our parents?"
"They would have taken him away," she said. I felt my heart break a little as she teared up, "When Elijah passed... it was so hard for me. It felt as if there was a hole in my chest.... We had so much planned.. so much looking forward to... so when I found out I was pregnant, I was relieved a little."
"Relieved?"
She nodded, smiling to herself, "I felt as if he wasn't actually gone. I had a piece of him here and once Junior was born, that hole filled up a little.... He looks just like Elijah. Loved science like he did, reading and art. He won many academic achievements and got accepted into every college he applied for."
"That's... that's wonderful," I said, choking a bit.
She took my hand and said, "I'm sorry... I shouldn't have hidden this from you."
"I understand," I sighed, "our parents aren't the greatest of people. They would have done everything they could to take him away from you and they would have hurt him, just like they hurt Elijah."
She nodded, but then went into her bag, "Back then... I'm not sure if you remember, but during the time when your mother was starting to have you throw up your meals, Elijah told you to journal. He wanted you to start coping with your problems so you wouldn't suffer like him... well, I kept this with me since I found it in his room after he passed... here." She handed me a black leather book. I opened the first page and there was his handwriting.
I began to cry.
"Cassidy... your brother loved you so much. He tried to protect you whenever he could and he used to break down when we were alone. He wanted to save you and wanted to take you far away but... but he couldn't handle it anymore," she was crying with me. We held hands as she continue to speak, "I think of him everyday... Whenever I pass a garden I think of our first date. Whenever I pass that park we always hung out at, I think of his smile and goofy laugh. Whenever I look at Junior, I just want to hug him so tight because I see him... Your brother is the love of my life and I don't want to be away from you anymore... can we be family? Talk and get a coffee once in a while?"
Wiping my tears, I mutter, "Yes... of course... I'd love to meet my nephew... what's his name?"
She smiled at me with such a weak smile, "Elijah II Winters."
~
This section will mention abuse! (Also derogatory words)
"Today I watched as Cassidy cried herself to sleep from the pain of mother hitting her with the buckle of father's belt. She would have a bruise for a long time... and maybe an infection from the cracked skin.
"I on the other hand just gave a massive gash in my left calf from getting shoved by her into a rose bush. It's nothing awful... easy to heal from.
"I'm a very weak man... born weak is what I've been told. My father believes I'm a faggot and teaches me how to not be one... though I have a girlfriend - Julie. She's a light in my dim world. She makes me feel better... doesn't let me feel like an utter failure... though I am. What kind of big brother let's his little sister get the shit best out of her at 5 years old? What big brother let's his sister cry herself to sleep? Cassidy deserves a much better brother... a much better family.
"I can't keep going like this anymore... it's becoming to much for me. I'm tired of fighting, of getting beat, of being a waste of space. I cause Cassidy pain and I also hurt Julie. Yesterday I snapped at her... I'm becoming like my dad... I can't let that happen.
"I can never let that happen."
That was his last entry... the last thing he wrote. It was one week before his death... one week. I couldn't stop crying as I drove back to the hotel. Fumbling with my key, I finally got the door open and tossed the key to the desk nearby. As I stumbled inside, I froze at the sight before.
"Hey Cassie," she said, smiling at me.
Taken back, I mutter, "What are you doing here.... Antonia?"