Cassie strolled off into the kitchen, leaving Roy to ponder over himself for a moment. His eyes ran in a spattered manner across photos embroidered by rather lovely frames; their colors shone rather vigorously, as if reaching out to attempt an attack upon Roy's eyes. Each froze his gaze for a moment, but the one that caught his attention the most was one that looked almost as though Roy were looking into a mirror.
The picture had two figures standing arm and arm, huge and goofy grins burdening their faces as their Koopa fangs gleamed. One could tell the photo had been edited upon the oral areas, and the figures' pupils were a bright and bit eye-paining shade of red. However, he stared upon the almost-mirror image, pushing himself away from the table clumsily.
The first figure, male, had brown hair that stuck out from his head like gnarled, leafless trees, protruding from the scalp of this Koopa. His shades hung from his snout, the eyes of a gentle stranger, welcoming with their blue sensation (which was slightly visible through the red computer pixels). His grin was deep and giving, or at least would be without the computer-added fangs, reflecting that of his eyes. His very being gave off a strange vibe of kindness which Roy quivered a bit to look at. It was kind in an almost creepy manner...
The second figure was Cassie, grinning the brightest grin Roy'd ever seen. She didn't look much different; younger and pudgier, sure, but not too different otherwise. Aside from the manipulated fangs placed in her picture, her face had a light complexion, bright and almost seeming as though she were glowing. The light reds, which were almost a natural pink, faded into the more pale areas upon her, such as her snout. Her hair, combed neatly and placed back with a purple bow (for some reason, to Roy, all bows looked exactly like Wendy's!) that stood atop her head like some beast catching its snooze, was wavy and just as lovely brown as ever. Roy realized, perhaps not on a conscious level, that she was absolutely adorable, a Shirley Temple sort of child with a smile that always made you smile back.
In the kitchen, Cassie's “exprementation” was going on. The fact that “Ray” said he liked it rare but still burnt puzzled her momentarily. While opening the spice cabinet, the Koopa girl was pulling out the meat from the freezer. It certainly was in its primest form of raw, though if “Ray” wanted it just raw, she could have served it to him right then and there. She was puzzled; Was it any wonder no one had ever successfully made the steak? she thought. It was not only supposed to be raw but also taste like it was burnt to a crisp. For a moment, Cassie looked a bit frustrated before running that sentence through her mind once more:
It was not only supposed to be raw but TASTE like it was burnt.
Taste like it was burnt. During that moment, little Cassie practically dived towards and into the spice cabinet, pulling out several containers. Pepper, along with some “burnt flakes” would certainly do the trick. Pausing a moment, she thought that most would be too overwhelmed with getting such a request and actually attempt to burn it while trying simultaneously to keep it raw. Yet, Cassie now filling with glee, she would be the first to make “Ray's” favorite style of meat.
Back within the dining room, Roy had lost his focus on the photographs. He sat at the table for a good ten minutes; his mind began to beat up again. This place- he was in a stranger's house, taking a stranger's food, and specifically enough, he was taking on another guy's name- was simply too quiet. Now, the conscious boy stood up, taking note of a boom box on a shelf in the room across from the current one he was in (which was the dining room). Roy flipped the CD covering open, pulling out the disk and eyeing it. More Oldies. Of course he was taking a liking to the music, but did they listen to anything otherwise? The shelf was tidy, though the CD itself looked ancient. It was a bootleg copy, meaning the songs had been downloaded and placed on the CD probably illegally by anyone who could use the Internet and had some spare time. Roy could care less, as he himself could obtain any song or even band that he wanted without much hassle.
Placing the CD back gingerly within the pit of the reader to the boom box, Roy pressed power, the song taking a minute to play, but surely, the song “Why must I be a Teenager in Love”, by Dion and the Belmonts began almost without warning. Roy practically jumped as the first “wwwaaawhhooos” came. Caring not for that song, he flipped to the next one. It was “Red Wine”, a song Roy had last heard when he was about two years old, if not even before that. Things like “Bonnie Koopa” (Bonnie Tyler) and “The Buzzies” (The Beatles) were the following songs. He purposely skipped some songs and then came across “When Doves Cry”, by Prince.
"CCAAASSSIIIEEE?" a voice called, a door being heard as it shut. A screen door, Roy figured, as the way it slammed, first making a slight noise notifying it was shutting, and then finally slamming loudly, made it obvious. The voice was a high-pitched sort, one making Roy rather irritated.
"HEY MOM! RAY IS HOME!" Cassie replied, and faintly Roy heard:
"Oh here we go again... She can't face the fact he'd dead..." For a moment, Roy wondered if that was what he’d really heard. His hearing was quite sensitive, though most wouldn't suspect such a thing, but learning lyrics and attempting to piece them together by trying to make your band perform a medley had made his hearing very acute. It was rare that he misheard things, so was this what he had really heard?
"He's HOME! REALLY, MOM, RAY CAME BACK!" The girlish squeal in her voice was definitely more than obvious this time as Cassie walked into the living room. Roy flipped the power off of the boom box before watching, wondering what exactly he should say or even do. A woman, rather pretty, walked into the room, staring at Cassie and not noticing Roy at first.
"Listen, Cassie... I thought this was over? No more pretending Ray is alive, honey. Listen to yourself, dear... He'd dead, don't you understand that? Everything dies, Cassie, and they don't come back... Remember when I explained it to you when you were little? Even the little bean in the cup dies... You musn't keep doing this, come on now..." The woman's voice was soothing as she looked at her daughter sullenly, trying to keep from crying herself. Her voice was pleading, one of rationality and persuasion.
"Mom, Ray is right there. I think you're hurting his feelings." Cassie pointed to Roy, who looked to them in an almost guilty manner. "I'm making steaks for him. He has strange food likings now, though. I have to go check on that now, Ray, I'll be right back," she stated, instantly leaving them and heading back for the kitchen.
Cassie was about fiteen or sixteen, and her mother knew that she was not naïve, surely not stupid, not stupid enough to believe someone was impersonating the dear girl's brother. Cassie's mother was trying to reamin calm, trying to make her mind reasonable, but--
"Listen here..." Her voice was shaky, repressing anger now. "Whoever you are, I don't want Cassie to be hurt like she has been. I don't know if this is your sick idea of a joke, or what, but... Get out. Get out and stay away from her... You've no business here."
"Ma'am, yous daughter dragged me heres... Da name is ROY I's tol’ her, but girlie won’ listen to a darn 'ting," Roy spoke, trying all too hard to keep his accent under control, though in total only making it heavier. He would have, under normal circumstances, simply left, simply not have cared and obeyed. That was when he knew what was going on and understood what exactly was happening.
"Roy... Look, I'm sorry to be a bit harsh, but..." The woman seemed confused as Roy eyed her, he himself confused. "You do look strikingly like him, I'll give you that. She's never literally dragged someone home who looked like her brother... I mean, it really traumatized her... We, my husband and I, were worried she'd never snap out of her imaginary state. They always ended with tears. She'd be talking to air, and it hurt me so much to see that. She really loved her brother. Of course the condition stopped after a few months, but... I'm just afraid you're going to start it up again..."
"Why don’ I's just... ya know... try intraducin’ me's dis time?" he asked, growing even more confused, as he really didn't even understand the situation.
"I don't know... She's not stupid, let me define that to you... Roy, but she is a little caught up in her own memories at times... Loves to sing and even do arithmetic, little genius she is, but I just don't know if you, ya already tried, can convince her… even still more important, without upsetting her..." Cassie's mother looked unsure as Roy shrugged.
"How's abouts I tell 'er over dem steaks she makin’ for me?" Roy asked, his goofy grin emerging as Cassie's mother shrugged now. In truth, this boy seemed all too kind, but the offer seemed so rude that it was tolerable. The woman returned his smile, approvingly in surprise. This was such an odd situation-- what else COULD she do? "Mrs. Koopa?" Roy took note she continued to smile. Was it a forced one?
"Please, call me Miyu," she stated as Roy nodded.
"Whay yas, ma'am, dis Koopa gonna call yo whatever's yo like. I justs don’ wanna upset yo daughta..." Roy's accent was growing even heaver. Total New York style punk in the show, folks.
"Ok, Roy..." Miyu then began to usher him towards the kitchen. Roy could smell one of the steaks being burnt; it sent his heart fluttering as well as his stomach. It smelled so welcoming, the aroma drawing him in, its invigorating smell teasing his nostrils.
Cassie didn't take notice until Miyu tapped her on the shoulders. She turned around, grinning as she looked to Roy.
"Ray gave me a challenge. I gotta make a raw steak burnt. But I gotta make it TASTE burnt. He's gotten so clever, Mom." Miyu only smiled nervously, looking sorrowfully to Roy as he looked away. Why did he feel guilty? Why did he honestly care? This was none of his business, he didn't want to be a part of-
"Cassie," Roy found himself speaking words he wasn't even expecting. "I's has to tell yo something."
"What's that, Ray?"
"I's not Ray, ya see... I'm Royale Koopa. As in... Son of Bowser Koopa." He looked hesitantly to Miyu, who, as expected, looked greatly surprised.
"Oh, you're silly, Ray. Got an imagination, too."
"Cassie, I'm Royale Koopa, please stop pretending..." He paused for a moment. Should he say the next sentence, should he be so- before he could react: "Stop pretending I'm yo's dead brotha. I's don’ like to be told who I's am..." Did he even know truthfully?
For a moment, Cassie only stood there, expressionless. For the nest two minutes, time seemed very slow, the information registering in Cassie's brain very slowly, the facts of truth, something so harsh was stated... Something Ray'd never say, and everything about this Roy defied Ray, Cassie knew, and for the next two minutes she was being unraveled in her mind. Then, the tears rolled down her face, a smile blossoming.
"I... I know... R-Roy... I just so badly wanted to believe it, honestly... Ray... would never have acted as you do. You don't even walk like him... don't talk like him..."
"Cassie, dear, you can't ask this young man to be Raymund when clearly he's his own self..." Miyu said soothingly, the sense spiking Cassie. She only turned back to the food, scooping it out and placing three steaks on a Place, one burnt, one raw, one a mix in between.
"For your trouble... For going along with it... At least allowing me some happiness..." Cassie held out the plate to him, her tears glistening. She was a tough crier, Roy figured, still managed to keep one expression straight even when she didn't feel that way. She still smiled, through it all. Through all the pain and burdening, she still smiled. It was crazy, but... that smile warmed Roy's heart. He had never met anyone like this. She was so weak, but also toughest thing he'd ever met... in one sense or another.
"I's.,. Thank yo," Roy stated simply. Their generosity touched him, though he refused to admit so to himself.
"Mommy, I'm ok now. Could you let Roy eat?" Cassie turned to Miyu, who only nodded and proceeded to leave. Cassie retrieved Roy a fork as he went back to the dining room, taking his original seat.
"Now then..." Roy was restraining his accent, evidently. "Listen here, girlie..." He took the fork from Cassie, who sat down aside him. The tears still were flowing, each rhythmically falling from her eyes, running down her cheeks, and right off her chin. She looked away from Roy. "Girlie, look here... I's... I'm sorry." Sincerely. Possibly the first time he had ever truly meant any of his sorries.
"It's not your fault, please, don't feel pity for me. I have acted foolishly."
"Come now, don't be so harsh on yo'self... Girlie- Cassie... If it makes ya feel any better..." What could he do? What was there to offer? Roy couldn't possibly- "I's be yo friend... Apparen’ly, you's alone... and I kinda..." Am I alone? he thought. He never had felt he was... until now, that is. Or at least he had forgotten what it was like. "I'm kinda alone too. Not too many real friends. No one to talk to... I think I kinda drove everyone away, 'cause I's is... mean. I's real mean. I don't wanna hurt you, though... You's kinda like me. Lonely, though you's show it diff’rent. You hold it... and act it... I beat up with it... Though I kinda like the attention and the fear... I's real mean..."
There was silence for a few moments. Then, Cassie's tears fading, the words resounding in her head: Yes, I's is lonely too... She grinned up to Roy even wider than before, a real smile that made Roy's heart flutter. "I am lonely and could use a friend... You gonna be the friend?"
"Well who else is a lonely guy gonna get to be yo's friend? Lonely guy ain't got no friend, otherwise he ain't lonely!" Roy stated humorously, though still strictly serious. "I's be your friend. But no more tears. I wanna see you smile like you's is now... for real."
"You gonna be my real friend then?"
"Yes. I's will be yo friend. Then we's can be lonely togetha." He laughed as he then bit into the third steak, the crossed one. "Ya knows..." He grinned very widely, his smile creepy but in a rather charming manner. "This is perfect. I oughta hire yo's... heh... as my friend."
"Well then I'm hired if you are, Royale Koopa."
"Deal then. Yo's make steaks like 'dis, I be yo friend 'fa life." Roy then paused, hesitant, before embracing the Koopa girl in his arms. She returned the hug, Roy smiling brightly at her as she returned it gracefully, the tears all gone now, others drying and disappearing completely.
They were friends, no longer feeling quite cold in the world. They were friends to take the frozen ice away from the other's hearts. They were friends to watch over one another, friends to see the other through. They were friends for so many more reasons, and it didn't even need be said the duties they held to one another, as they were friends. Their hearts could speak to one another; they were friends, friends wove into hearts, missing absolutely nothing, not even one simple thread, as threads bound friendships. With friends, woven hearts didn't go missing anything, as their threads were bound by and to their hearts. Nothing went missing in woven hearts.
The End
Author's Note: Yes, the ending was unexpected. I introduce you all to Cassie Koopa, folks. Thank ye very much. *claps for self in reality*
Dedicated to Inspiration that started this story- No, not Cassie's profile... M'kay, forgive me... I meant, being as writers can't talk worth anything because we write, dedicated to the person who's profile inspired me. Cassie Koopa, thank you for creating such an inspiring and colorful profile... and, it'd be ridiculous if I forgot her, Cassie Koopa the character.
Also Dedicated To Ninja Z, as per usual, my true friend and writing inspirer.
Credits:
Special Thanks
to Bluewind for doing some of my editing and personally critiquing.
Special Thanks
to Ninja Z *waves* for comments and for listening to me
Thanks to DJ
Koopa for giving his two cents on it
Thanks to Lemmy
for putting the story on his site
Ultra Thanks
to Cassie for permission to co-own your character
Thanks to myself
because I wrote the story. >:)
Also:
The following
are the songs, in order of their appearance, listed throughout
this story. Ya
think I'd put my own lyrics in? GET REAL! *long and dramatic
pause* Ahem...
1. Why Must I
be a Teenager In Love- Dion and the Belmonts (Yes this story was
written in the
year of 05-06, so be surprised. Lol)
2. All I have
to Do Is Dream- Paul Anka (No comments, please)
3. Last Unicorn-
Unknown
4. They Can Have
the World (Love Will Find a Way)- Lion King
5. Heartbreaker-
Pat Benatar (PAT BENATAR! MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE!)
6. When Doves
Cry- Prince (Main theme for the story, in an odd sort of way... May not
be for the artwork though. *smiles*)
7. Addicted-
Enrique Iglesias (Another one of my absolute favorites in music.. I know,
I've got no taste, right? X_X)
8. Together Forever-
Something from Pokemon (I asked my friend for her thoughts on a song...
Blame her!)
9. You Lie- Reba
Macentire (My other favorite song since I was four; yeah, my family likes
Country music, so I've got mixed tastes)
10. Here Without
You- 3 Doors Down (*hears random cheering from people*)
11. Heaven is
a Place On Earth (Though I substituted Earth with "Plit")- Belinda Carlisle
12. Red Wine-
UB40 (Mentioned)
13. Bonnie Koopa
(Tyler) (Mentioned)
14. And of course,
The Beatles (Mentioned)
I did not write those songs, as they belong to their original writers/musicians, etc. They belong to them, they made it and make money off it. I'm legalized to mention them because I ain't makin’ no money offa this. XD Yes, I researched the legalities. However, I own this story! Ha-HAH! Big accomplishment... To me it is... Stop staring at me!
Thank ye very much. Now send me some feedback please.
The End
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me!
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