A Love Least Likely - Post the Chaos"She heard the words, and somehow the failure to take responsibility cut even deeper than he act itself."Katie Coyle was sat in the back seat of the limo that had taken her, her girlfriend Cassie Summers, and her friend Hayden Merjos to the Chaos Awards just a few hours before. The big difference now is that the 19-year old found herself sitting there alone. The champagne wasn't flowing anymore, there was no music, and there was certainly none of the fun and jokes that there had been on the way to the Kodak Theatre just 5 hours prior. Cassie had left the awards when there was still a while left; she had seen Katie, the girl who loved her and who she had given her heart to, kissing Suzie Stockholm on stage. It had been like a knife in Cassie' back. Not only had it taken her a lot to trust Katie, a trust which had now been thrown straight back in her face, but she and Suzie were intense rivals. The fact that it had happened on a stage with millions watching around the globe didn't matter near as much. That was merely additional salt in the wound.
Katie felt bad. She had been obliged contractually to stay at the awards, and she couldn't chase Cassie at all. She felt awful now, sick to her stomach. It had been a spur of the moment thing. A pretty girl kissed her, and her natural reaction was to just kiss back. She loved Cassie. She truly did, and she was disgusted at herself for betraying her. She was determined at that point to make it right. Cassie wasn't the only one upset though. Katie had seen Hayden storm out of the arena shortly after the incident. Had she somehow upset him too? She knew that Hayden didn't approve when she was at her most promiscuous, but she had hoped that he would at lease tell her without walking away.
Suddenly her train of thought was broken by the door next to her being pulled open. She was startled from her daydreaming and jumped a little, before she looked across to see her driver at the door. Looking out into the night air, Katie could see the reception of the five-star hotel she and Cassie were staying in. She hoped that Cassie had come back here. She was praying that she had not just run away to her parents, to Jason, to anywhere. Katie gulped and got out of the car, feeling the nerves in her stomach building up as she got closer and closer to the door of the hotel. As her heels clicked loudly on the marble of the reception floor, Katie winced. The sound was too loud. She got down and unbuckled her shoes before putting her feet back down. The floor was freezing cold, but the smoothness of it felt good against the balls of her feet.
Reaching the lift, Katie slid the card into the slot that meant it would take her all the way to the penthouse suite at the top of the hotel. She sighed and leaned back, resting her head against the wall of the elevator and waited for it to get to the very floor. She hoped against hope that Cassie would be up here when she arrived, and the more she willed the elevator to speed up, the slower it seemed to go. After what felt like an age, Katie heard the ping noise that meant she had reached her destination, and she sighed softly, waiting for the doors to open.
As the golden doors parted, Katie could immediately hear some commotion. She dived out of the elevator and ran straight for the bedroom. When she got there, Katie placed a hand on the doorframe and stood there, surveying the scene at hand. In front of her, there were clothes everywhere, all over the room. Jeans, shirts, underwear, shoes were scattered all over the floor and on the bed. And there, in the corner, stood next to a chair was Cassie. Katie's heart sank. She could immediately see how much she had hurt her. Cassie's red carpet dress had slipped from her shoulder, and she was standing with her back to Katie. What she was doing, Katie couldn't tell.
When Cassie had heard the elevator open, and heard Katie come closer to the room, she had frozen. She hadn't had a clue what she was going to do when Katie got there, as she knew she inevitably would. Balling her fists, and facing away from the door, she pounded her hand down into the half-filled suitcase in front of her. Just then, out of the corner of her eye, Cassie saw Katie step into her eyeline. She had her arms folded, and it was obvious that she had been crying. Cassie wondered why; she had gotten what she had been after for a long time; Suzie. Cassie turned her head away, she could scarcely take the fact that Katie was even looking at her then.
"Cassa", Katie said through the tears that were now flowing down her cheeks. "Cassa, where are you going?" She had seen the suitcase and panicked. As much as Katie knew Cassie would be hurt, she never imagined she would be trying to leave without at least telling her first. She played uneasily with the hem of her dress as she waited for an answer. "I'm going home Katie. I'm going to my mom and dad's house." Katie stood there, the feeling of her stomach dropping almost overwhelming her. Was this it? She looked over at Cassie and sighed. Moving closer. "But....but...why Cassie?" she asked, her bottom lip trembling and trying to stop the sobbing.
Why? Did she really just ask Cassie that? This stupid question alone almost sent her over the edge and she turned to Katie, hatred burning deep in her eyes. "Why? Are you fucking kidding me Katie?" Katie cowered against the wall and went to speak, but she was stopped short. "You're gonna stand there and ask me why, after you stood up there and kissed Suzie, right in front of me. You parade that slut right in front of my face. You tear my heart out on live TV and in public, and you're gonna stand there and ask me why?" Katie stands up taller and looks at Cassie. "Cassa she kissed me. She walked up and surprised me and she ki-"
"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!" Cassie found herself screaming now. The cheating was one thing, but Katie was now standing there lying to her face, trying to blame someone else. "You kissed her Katie! She started it, but you kissed her! Don't stand there and lie to me after putting me through that you little bitch! You know what your problem is Katie Coyle? You can't love anyone can you? You just fucking can't! No matter how much people give you, you just can't love them back! Everyone who has been with you has been cheated on! Is that a coincidence Katie? Is it?"
Katie looks at Cassie, still crying. The tears were now flowing down her girlfriend's face too. She says nothing though, and Cassie takes a few steps towards her. "Well?" Katie stays silent, and them immediately wishes she didn't. Cassie raises her right hand and slaps Katie hard across her left cheek, sending the folk star reeling to the side. "SPEAK!" Cassie spits. Katie looks around, holding her cheek.
"I do love you. I know...I know I was wrong...but I love you. I really really do." She stands up and moves towards her. "Please don't leave me. I love you. Cassie please. Please!"
Cassie looks at Katie for a second. She then starts to cry. "I can't stay with you. You've done everything you promised me you wouldn't tonight and you've hurt me when I promised myself I'd never let anyone hurt me again! You made me feel loved and wanted and wonderful and special. And then you snatched ALL of that from under me when I needed you most. I can't stay with you, and I hate myself for loving you! I have to leave now Katie. You really need to think about what you want. Don't hurt anyone else!"
Cassie turns and closes her suitcase, zipping it up and lifting it. She wipes her tears. Just then, Katie gets a jolt of fear, and she feels inclined to stop Cassie leaving. She leaps over the bed and grabs Cassie's arm. "Please don't go!"
The next thing Katie knows, she's lying flat out on the floor. The very second she had touched Cassie's arm, the 18-year old had swung, catching her with a slap square in the jaw and knocking her to the ground. Cassie looks at her, tears still streaming down her face. "Don't you ever touch me again," she says, as she turns, and Katie is forced to watch her leave.