Mercy Street? ((Carson and Ezzie)) (PG-13)

[Casey Allen G5]

((Note: This thread is PG-13 for drug, alcohol, and other happenings later on.))

Sixteen never felt so sweet. Never. Casey was finally sixteen! She had only been waiting for this for..well forever. She finally felt like an adult. Well, sort of. It would be another year until she was legally an adult but still. Casey finally felt like she was in control of her life. True, her life was crazy. Even since she revealed her Eden secret, Casey’s life had changed. Hogwart’s students were constantly gossiping about her and even asking for autographs. Casey was used to Ezzie being famous, but not her. Casey was only used to being famous as Eden which was limited fame. As Eden Sweden, Casey was famous for concerts and award shows. But now that Casey was the famous one, she was famous all the time. But, somehow Casey made it work. She liked it even. True, she hadn’t had a crazy schedule yet. She was just beginning to work on her third album and tour didn’t start till mid-summer. So basically, Casey had time to spend with her boyfriend and in her best-friend with her secret out in the open. Casey had thought that this would be difficult, but so far so good. The only time she needed security was when she went to Hogsmeade for rehearsals, but she could deal with that. She could deal with any of it because Casey finally felt free.

“Happy Birthday sweetheart!” Bradley greeted his daughter with a big hug. She smiled and giggled as he picked her up like he did when she was a toddler. “Finally!” Casey shrieked. Bradley handed her some pink roses and a card. “Thanks daddy.” She smiled. Casey’s birthday didn’t fall on an ordinary day. Nope. Casey’s birthday was on Valentine’s Day. The most romantic day of the year was all hers and she loved that. But while most of the Hogwart’s students were at the Blind Date Party, Casey had bigger fish to fry. Not just her actually. Casey and Ezzie had a concert to play.Carson was playing with her of course and TJ’s band, Romanticide was opening up for the two teens. The concert was in Evensburg, a village shared by muggles and wizards. (without the muggles knowing of course) Evensburg was about an hour away from Hogsmeade, but Casey didn’t mind the trip. This would be her first performance as Casey. No more Eden Sweden! Just plain Casey. This is the performance where she got to redefine herself and she couldn’t be more excited. Casey eyed the clock on the wall. About twenty minutes until show time. She smiled and left the stage for her dressing room.

“C’mon Ezz. We’re singing True Friend first.”True Friend was a song Bradley had written about Casey and Ezzie. During tour, they practically perfected singing it together. Casey twirled a lock of wavy brown hair. She giggled out loud. “No more stupid wig!” She exclaimed happily. Casey turned to Ezzie. “How do I look?” She asked. Casey was dressed in a short dark denim skirt and black flat, casual boots. She wore a red halter top just for Valentine’s Day and the necklace Carson had given her the year before. Casey loved to show the necklace off especially on days like these. Casey looked in the mirror for a second and then turned back to Ezzie. “Ready to rock?” She laughed as soon as the words left her mouth. Casey then left the dressing room and went to find Carson. As smiled brightly as she caught a glimpse of curly brown hair by the drums. “Hey handsome.” She smiled wrapping her arms around him. Davy and Ty made gagging sounds. Casey scowled. “Get a room.” Ty announced punching Casey lightly in the arm before walking away. Davy bent over, laughing hysterically. Casey turned bright pink. Kaden laughed. “Hey your face matches your necklace.” He commented. Casey scowled again and shook her head. “Aren’t you guys supposed to be nice to me on my birthday?” She asked angrily. Mo chuckled. “Nope.” Casey sighed. “Well, at least Carson will.” She smiled to her boyfriend. “That’s because he’s in love.” Ty gushed. Casey blushed again and unwrapped her arms from Carson. She shook her head trying to hold in her sudden desire to hit Ty. “Show is in five minutes.” She said scowling again as she walked off to find Ezzie.

“And the seventh thing I hate the most that you do! You make me love you.” She ended the song at the end of the stage, her wavy brown hair a pretty mess all around her face. “Thank you guys. Goodnight!” She said as Ezzie came to the stage. They both bowed and then the band did. It was amazing how fast the show had gone. “Not bad.” Casey giggled to Ezzie and the guys. Casey immediately went over to her boyfriend. “Awesome job guitar boy.” She joked messing up his curly hair with her hand. Casey smiled brightly and then looked to the rest of the band. She took a deep breath. She wasn’t ready for the night to be over. Not even a little bit. Casey had so much energy in her. She didn’t want to stop. Casey jumped a couple of times. It was always difficult to get the post-show buzz off. Casey wasn’t near ready for the feeling to leave. The others came around saying ‘good show’ to everyone. Casey smiled brightly. “So what’s next?” She asked. “My birthday slash Valentine’s Day, day isn’t over.” She smiled looking to the band. Surely one of the boys or Ezzie would have an idea. Casey then looked over her shoulder back to the stage. This had been the best night of her life so far. Casey couldn’t wait to see where the rest of the night would take her.

[Carson McGreggor H6]

Pregnant. Carson’s big sister was pregnant. Carson couldn’t believe it. Part of him wanted to just fly off to Africa and slap some sense into his older sister and get her to come back home. She seemed happy, but what sense was there in living in Africa alone with a baby caring for yourself when there were tons of loved ones home in Britain who could care for her? It didn’t make sense, not one bit. Carson tried hard not to think about his big sister, as today was Valentines Day and all, so it was Casey’s day. Today was her birthday, today was the day of love, and today was the day of Casey Allen’s very first concert. Of course, Casey had played many shows before, but she had played them as Eden Sweden, not Casey. Today would be the first time Casey would be thrown into the public eye without an escape since she came clean about her double identity, and Carson wasn’t really sure how he felt about that. He was really worried for her, as always. She didn’t seem to understand just how much danger she was in every time she walked outside. He’d seen the drama go on with Ezzie and Ethan. Ezzie had been dealing with that creepy stalker for months before the person finally cracked and decided to try and kill her off. Only, Ethan jumped in the way and was killed instead. Carson wasn’t there to witness the event, but Ezzie’s story of what happened was more than enough to send chills down Carson’s spine. Casey was such a beautiful, wonderful person. How many crazy deranged stalkers did she have? Carson didn’t even want to think about it. Now that everyone knew who she really was now, there was just that much greater a chance something could happen to her. Carson would never tell Casey of this obviously, but since Casey was too happy to be free to care for her own safety, Carson had bribed the concert bodyguards to pay extra attention. Hopefully that would cover her for the night’s events.

Carson walked out of his dressing room with the guys and leaned against the wall near the drums, talking to Eden’s drummer, Kaden. Carson smirked at his comment about Casey’s mood. “You should see her Carson, she’s downright giddy. Just this morning she was skipping and humming to herself like she was walking on a cloud or some rubbish.” Carson had noticed this fact too. In fact, Carson couldn’t help but smile broadly whenever he saw Casey lately. She was so cheerful, despite all the intense media and the problems she’d probably soon face. Whenever she walked into a room, it seemed like she was glowing and she brought her sparkling light onto all the other people there. It was miraculous. But then, Casey usually had that effect on people. He sighed. “Yeah I know. I love that she’s so happy she’s ‘free’, so to speak, but I just wish she knew what she was getting herself into.” He said absentmindedly, staring off into space and thinking about what he was going to do with all the issues he had. Suddenly, he turned around to notice Casey walking in through the door and Carson smiled brightly as that same cheerful glow could be seen as she entered. “Happy birthday, Casey.” He said with a bright smile, all thoughts of nervousness forgotten temporarily now that he had Casey in his arms and they were surrounded by their friends. Of course, that unsettling feeling would likely come back later, but at the moment Carson was just glad to see that glowing smile on his girlfriend’s face. The guys poked fun at Casey for awhile and one of them made a comment about Carson, which made him laugh and push Kaden lightly. They left soon after and Carson smiled once more, noticing the lovely necklace that rested against Casey’s chest. It was the same necklace he gave her exactly a year ago, on her birthday last year.

“They’re right you know. I’d never make fun of you, and that’s the reason.” He said, kissing her cheek lightly. He tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear, savoring the moment while he didn’t have to deal with the unsettling feeling that something could happen to her if she wasn’t careful, which she rarely ever was. “Break a leg tonight.” There. That was the exact moment when the ‘feeling’ returned. He suddenly became anxious and nervous, hoping to god there wasn’t some lunatic in the audience tonight. “Well I mean, don’t really break a leg. You know what I mean. Don’t break anything, actually. Be really careful. I would say good luck, but that’s bad luck and that’s the last thing we need tonight so…” Carson’s rant trailed off when they were called onto the stage. He walked up hand in hand with Casey onto the stage as fans cheered and cameras flashed. The performance went by decently fast, though Carson couldn’t concentrate too much because his eyes were scanning every member in the audience like a hawk. Once the performance was done and over with, Carson couldn’t help but smile. Now they could go home, and Carson wouldn’t have to deal with such an unsettling feeling anymore. He placed his guitar down backstage as Ezzie began her first song with TJ. His jaw dropped at Casey’s words. “Umm…I thought we were going home? You know, I’m sure there’s plenty to do at your place or at Hogwarts even. Do we really need to go anywhere? It’s pretty late. There’ll be so many people out tonight. Plus the paparazzi are going to be searching for you, I heard. I don’t think it’s a very good idea…” Carson said, pleading with Casey.

[Esmeralda Mendez]

“You know hon, we’ve never performed together before. This should be interesting.” Ezzie said to TJ with a slight smirk as she applied her dark eye makeup. Today would definitely be one very eventful weekend. The four students had been given a weekend pass by the Headmistress to go perform their show and make their public appearance the next day. Ezzie couldn’t be more excited, though this night was mainly about Casey. Today would be her first performance since Casey made her big announcement. This was the first time she’d go out in public and show herself not as Eden Sweden, but as Casey Allen. It was a huge step for her, and a huge step for all her fans as well. TJ’s band would be opening up for her, which was another huge change. TJ’s band was literally the polar opposite of what Casey’s fans were used to. Ezzie’s music style was a bit different from Casey’s as well, but they were used to Ezzie making an appearance in Casey’s shows. Plus Ezzie at least tried to keep things at a PG level whenever she played one of Eden’s shows. Ezzie had seen Romanticide perform. They weren’t quite gothic, but they were definitely made for the older audience.

“Well I think it’ll be fun. But you know, in that little outfit, I think I might have trouble remembering my own lyrics. You look so beautiful.” TJ said with a smirk, glancing at Ezzie’s red and black dress. It was the first dress Ezzie had ever worn that wasn’t designed by Amanda Jacobs, Ethan’s mom. The thought as a bit depressing, but she said that she was on vacation and wouldn’t be making any dresses for a few months. So, Ezzie was wearing a rather nice short strapless dress by some designer Ezzie’s manager had picked out. She smiled, hiding her thoughts about the dress as TJ hugged Ezzie from behind. He kissed her cheek softly, making Ezzie blush. She couldn’t wait to get this night started. Today was Valentine’s Day and Casey’s birthday, so they would surely be celebrating both occasions after the show. Ezzie heard a loud crack from behind her and by the turn she turned around, TJ was gone. “What the…?” Ezzie turned around, confused. She looked out her dressing room door, wondering where TJ went. Suddenly, Ezzie heard another loud pop from behind her that made her jump with surprise. “TJ you scared…” Ezzie’s jaw dropped open in surprise. The room was now covered with bouquets of long stemmed red roses. They were everywhere—on the desk, lining the floor, near the door, and some were even outside in the hall. There were rose petals thrown strategically all over the ground and Ezzie’s senses were overtaken with the sweet aroma of flowers. “But how...” Ezzie had barely finished wondering how he’d set this beautiful scene so fast when he kissed her hard on the mouth, pinning her to the wall. Ezzie giggled through their kisses.

“You know, I rarely ever get to finish a sentence when you’re around.” Ezzie said with a star struck smile. TJ laughed but backed up to give her room. “Yeah, I know. You’re just so tempting sometimes. But I almost forgot.” TJ reached into his pocket and moments later, there was a small thin black box with a ruby red ribbon in his hands. Ezzie’s breath caught as the box opened to reveal the most beautiful bracelet Ezzie had ever seen. TJ smiled at Ezzie’s surprise. “Happy Valentine’s Day.” He said as he reached for Ezzie’s right hand. He wrapped the silver diamond and red ruby studded bracelet around her slim wrist. Ezzie admired the beautiful thing for a moment but then, as the light caught one of the diamonds and made it sparkle brightly, Ezzie remembered how much a gift like that must have cost. “TJ this thing must have cost a fortune...” Ezzie said, practically at a loss for words. He smiled as Casey skipped into the room, glowing with happiness as usual. “I’d better go set up. I’m on in five.” TJ said before kissing Ezzie quickly and walking off. Of course, not before wishing Casey a happy birthday first.

“Casey…he’s amazing.” Ezzie said, leaning against the wall as she picked up one of the dozens of roses that adorned the room. She nodded in response. “Any ideas on what we’re doing after the show? TJ mentioned a few places, but we might have to deal with press, what with tonight being your very first ‘Casey’ appearance. You must be so excited.” Ezzie said with a smile. Of course Casey was excited. She was finally free, and Ezzie was happy for her. Ezzie ran her hand through her long pin straight dark brown hair as she and Casey talked. Before they knew it, everyone was on stage. Ezzie was last to go, and she’d be singing her latest song, Rock Star Beau. It was pretty obvious who the song was written for. Ezzie sang as TJ played his guitar. The others were already done, but this was the concert’s closing song, so they’d get to go out and have fun pretty soon.

“My rock star baby, you complete my soul, Promise you'll never leave me I love your Rock n Roll, Rock n Roll…” And with that last note, the concert was over. Ezzie and TJ bowed for the audience and exited to find Casey and the band talking about going out. Carson of course, was as worried as always. He suggested they stayed and Ezzie, who was sweating bullets from her last performance scoffed. “Come on Carson it’ll be fun. If it makes you feel any better, I’ll make sure we get some security to cover our back. I think we should go party. Whatcha think TJ? Up for a bit of fun?” TJ smirked and nodded. “Of course. I know this really good place down the road. It’s on…Mercy Street I think? Whatever. Magic isn’t allowed around here cuz of the muggles, so I’ll drive. It’s not too far.” TJ suggested, accepting a water from the backstage refreshments table. Ezzie nodded. “Sounds like a plan. Don’t worry Carson. TJ’s got a license. It’s Casey’s birthday after all. We can’t just go home, right?” Carson rolled his eyes, but grudgingly accepted. “Good. Now birthday girl. Whatcha think? Party on Mercy Street?”

((The song Rockstar Beau was originally written by Cassie Steele. Wooo Ezzie's at 200 posts! ))

[Casey Allen G5]

The rush Casey was feeling couldn’t be described. Never before had people cheered her real name, asked for her autograph. It had been so different before. Now it was real. Now it was right. Casey could write the things she wanted to, not the things expected of her to want. For the first time, her thoughts were expressed in her music and that was an awesome feeling. Casey couldn’t stop grinning. Nothing else mattered but the music. The whole performance was like a dream. She finally got to share what was on her heart for once. She wasn’t singing about slumber parties and movies anymore. Now her lyrics were about her, Carson, her mum. Everything she sang about meant something to Casey. She could finally be proud of her music. Casey didn’t want the night to end. She didn’t want this feeling to go away. It had to stay longer. She wanted to feel this in control awhile longer and she would do whatever it took to make that happen.

Casey’s head was spinning in twenty different directions but she didn’t mind it at all. There was Ezzie and TJ to think about. Ezzie seemed totally head over heels and Casey wanted to be proud of her best-friend, but it was hard to be. Ezzie had been through so much and she deserved to be happy, but Casey had doubts about TJ just like Carson; Casey just chose to be silent about the whole situation unlike her boyfriend. So far TJ hadn’t hurt Ezzie and Casey wouldn’t step in until it seemed like he could. Then there was Carson to think about. Casey had grown used to him being in her Eden world and knowing her secret, but this was a totally different world. Casey knew she could handle it but she also knew that she was changing, she was growing up. Could Carson handle that? Could he accept it? These were the main things on her mind but of course her mum, the media, and Bradley bobbled around her thoughts as well. Casey shook her head. So what if her life was complicated. She could make it seem less complicated for once and that was just what she wanted.

“C’mon Car. It’s my b-day. Relax for once.” Casey said turning around to kiss her boyfriend on the cheek. Casey smiled when Ezzie mentioned that she could ask for extra security. She looked back to Carson. “See it will be fine. I can even wear a mask if you want.” She joked. Carson had always been protective of Casey and now more than ever. Casey really couldn’t handle herself in these situations and she knew that. She was a small girl was a lot of fans and maybe a lot of enemies. She needed the protection but Carson needed to trust her judgment. She could go have fun and be a star at the same time. She could. Casey smiled as her best-friend agreed with her and TJ chimed in two. Mercy Street? Sounded great. “Yea. Great.” Casey smiled, squeezing Carson’s head lightly. “Right.” Casey answered when Ezzie said they couldn’t just go home on Casey’s birthday. Casey nodded ignoring the look on Carson’s face. “Let’s go.”

TJ and Ezzie led the way to the car, Casey pulled Carson along with her. She was sure he wasn’t happy about this, but he would feel better once they were inside and not on the street. Security huddled around the lot as screaming fans called out Casey and Ezzie’s names. Casey smiled and waved but didn’t stop to sign any autographs because she didn’t want Carson to be more on edge. She knew he wanted her safely in a club so she would move faster to calm him down. Casey eyed the band behind her. They were taken Kaden’s car down to Mercy street too. This was the best birthday a girl could ask for and the best part was that it wasn’t over yet. Casey slid in the back-seat of the car with Carson at her side. She placed her hand on his hot cheek. “See no scratches on me yet. Everything will be fine.” She said removing her hand and waving to the crowd as TJ drove far away from the screaming fans. Casey wasn’t sure it paparazzi were following or not. She refused to look out the window. She didn’t care about them. They could do what they wanted, but if they got anywhere near her, they would regret it. Finally TJ stopped driving. Mercy Street. Casey smiled brightly and took Carson’s hand. “Ready?” She asked as she reached for the door handle.

[Carson McGreggor H6]

Carson didn’t like this. He didn’t like this at all. Not only did he have this horrible lingering feeling that something just didn’t fit right, but he was also disappointed Casey did not want to spend a quiet birthday at home where she belonged. Didn’t she understand that sixteen year olds just didn’t go out and party the night away? Well...some did, but Casey was better than that. Or...at least he thought she was. He just didn’t know anymore. Casey was starting to change after she’d given up her Eden image, and he wasn’t the only one who noticed it. Ezzie and TJ obviously acknowledged the change, but they tended to view it in a bit of a more positive light. Carson was the only one who thought what she was doing was wrong, but whenever he said anything about it he got a weird look from all of them or would be told he was just overreacting and being his usual neurotic self. Maybe he was…but that didn’t mean that what he was seeing wasn’t happening.

Carson had even set up a nice little setting in her home with Bradley’s permission of course, and she wouldn’t see it until she was probably too drunk or too tired to really appreciate all the work Carson had put into her birthday present. Sure TJ’s little setup was romantic, but it was all too cliché and he’d even heard TJ telling some guy in his band that Ezzie’s new bracelet had been a gift he’d given to one of his ex-girlfriends who threw it back in his face when she discovered him cheating. No to mention the roses he’d had sent into the room. Carson had been right there when he rudely ordered his manager to get them there at exactly the right time. Did he not think Carson saw all of this? He saw it all, but much like Casey’s new persona, Carson wasn’t allowed to say a word against TJ. He kept Ezzie happy and healthy, so he was a saint in everyone’s eyes. Well, he was the farthest thing from a saint in Carson’s eyes. It seemed that ever since Ethan’s death, things just kept getting from bad to worse.

First, there was Ezzie’s period of madness. She didn’t eat, she was depressed, she fought with Casey constantly—she was literally falling apart in front of everyone’s eyes. Then came the Jacobs family. They confided in Carson before they left on their never-ending vacation around the world with their children and Carson’s godchildren. They tried to be pleasant about the Ezzie situation and even made her the godmother of their daughter Gwendolyn but for some reason, they couldn’t face her. Even though Carson had been his best friend for years, it was harder for them to look at Ezzie because she reflected what Ethan’s future could have been like if he hadn’t died. He missed the Jacobs, but they were still going through their grievance period. Casey was never all too close to Ethan, but her time to mourn definitely seemed to be coming soon. As for Carson—well, he’d been grieving in his own way since the moment he found out his best friend had been shot. He was still in the process of getting over such a tragedy, as were most.

Carson surveyed the crowd quickly but thoroughly, making sure he got every single detail of the screaming fans that were screaming his girlfriend’s name. It was weird hearing them shout the words “Casey” instead of “Eden”, but he supposed he’d get used to it all with a bit of time. He hesitantly sat himself right beside Casey in the backseat while Ezzie slid into the passenger’s seat to the left of TJ. With his jaw clenched, he watched TJ drive quite recklessly into the traffic of the magical/muggle area. He never learned how to drive obviously—he’d never felt the need to. That was Ethan’s deal. He was the one who liked cars; though he was too young to ever drive one legally. Of course, this didn’t stop him from driving whenever he got the chance anyway.

The night club TJ had suggested wasn’t too far from the show. The ride was barely a good ten minutes long. Carson was looking out the window the entire time—partly to watch for paparazzi and anyone else that was following. But the other reason Carson kept his eyes so fixated out the window was because he was just too peeved with Casey at the moment to look at her straight in the eyes. He couldn’t help it really. She wasn’t being herself and she wouldn’t listen to a word Carson said since this Eden secret came out. Of course, the second he looked into her eyes, the anger in him would surely melt away in seconds. He didn’t want to be blinded by her charms. He wanted all his senses straight for the night—even if Casey’s senses weren’t. It was already dark out, but he could clearly see the flashing sign that read “Welcome to Mercy Street”. Carson sighed. The entire street was lined with different flashy and extravagant nightclubs. He exited the car first, holding the door open for Casey. He ignored her words of reassurance, keeping his jaw clenched the entire time.

When they arrived inside, Carson had further reason to hate going out to TJ’s club. The place was packed with older people—most of them were all at least eighteen. Carson walked in and immediately was overpowered with the stench of smoke and liquor and the obnoxiously loud music that was playing throughout the club. The dance floor was packed with people dancing literally on top of each other without a care in the world. There were people drinking and smoking various things and Carson couldn’t help but glare at TJ’s friends—all of which were eyeing Ezzie and Casey. TJ of course didn’t seem to care that his own band mates were eyeing his girlfriend in such a way, but Carson sent a death glare in their direction. None of them even dared to glance in Casey’s or Ezzie’s direction again. Carson looked to Casey, hoping that she’d come to her senses and realize this was just not the place for her. When he received an excited smile instead, Carson had to control himself not to pull her aside and knock some sense into her. “Casey, I know you want to have fun on your birthday and all but this is outrageous. I’m tired of trying to be your freakin’ guardian angel. This isn’t our kind of scene. It might be TJ’s and it might even be Ezzie’s, but it’s not ours. I’m taking a cab out of here before I come home to my now pregnant big sister who’s coming tomorrow smelling like smoke and booze. You’re welcome to come with me. If you’d rather stay here with these people, then that’s your choice. I’m not going to make you go.” He looked at her, pleading her to see sense. When he didn’t see any sign of her leaving, looked at her coldly. There was no need for a huge scene here. “Fine. It’s fine. I’m not going to force you to leave. I mean, you’re sixteen right? You’re practically an adult. You may as well party like one. I’m sure TJ’s mates are dying to see what you look like wasted anyway.” He said in a sarcastic bitter tone. Sure he was being just a bit ridiculous, but he didn’t care. Casey was being ridiculous too. He didn’t let her respond. He didn’t know if they were over from here or not, but he wasn’t going to stick around and let things get worse than they already were.

((Ok so I’m sending you a pm in a sec about where we go from here. Sorry it’s so long btw. Couldn’t help myself :)

[Casey Allen G5]

Why was Carson being so cynical? Why couldn’t he just be happy for her? For the first time Casey didn’t have to hide who she really was. She wasn’t ashamed or polite. She was changing, but not in a bad way. It wasn’t Casey’s fault that Carson didn’t like change. She had warned him of how her life was going to change when they had gotten back together. She warned him! He said that he could handle it. That he wanted to be with her. Where was that now? Was it all a lie? This was Casey’s birthday, she was supposed to be having the time of her life, but Carson wasn’t going to let that happen it seem. His constant sulking annoyed her and she didn’t really understand why he was doing it. She thought that Carson would calm down that his anger would fade. Wrong. He seemed to be getting angrier by the second. Casey wasn’t planning on drinking. She wasn’t a party girl. She just wanted to do something different, something new. Why couldn’t Carson understand that? Why was he so stuck in the past of what Casey used to be? She just wanted to try new things, be more open. What was wrong with that?

They maneuvered through the crowd. Almost everyone was drinking, some people smoking. (Casey didn’t want to know what) Almost everyone was dancing and Casey felt out of place at first. But when she noticed some of TJ’s band mates’ eyes on her and then other clubbers eyes on her, she felt, normal. She felt liked she fitted in here even if she really didn’t. She was about to tell Carson this when suddenly he snapped. His speech started out just like something he would usually say. Carson was so strict, so father like. Casey wasn’t doing anything wrong. Carson ranted on how this wasn’t like Casey and how he didn’t want to go how to Julie after this. And the way he said he wasn’t going to make her still sounded like he wanted to throw her over his shoulder and leave. “I’ve never asked you to be by bodyguard.” She said simply. But she didn’t move a muscle. She wasn’t going to let Carson take this night from her no matter how it hurt their relationship. And then he continued on. Casey’s jaw dropped. He was acting crazy. Casey was growing up. Why couldn’t he get that? Finally, Carson finished his speech and left. Casey watched him leave and then turned to Ezzie. “What just happened?”

What was that? They were fighting obviously but what was next, another fight, were they over? Casey and Carson had only fought once and it had been all Casey’s fault, but this. This was different. Casey was changing and Carson couldn’t handle it, so they both took part in the blame. Casey didn’t know what to do. She should have gone after him, that would have been the right thing to do. But Casey felt like he was wrong. She wasn’t going to give in, not tonight. Casey looked at Ezzie with a sad look on her face and then finally smiled. “I’m not going to let him ruin this.” She said finally. Casey then turned to one of TJ’s band mates. “Can you get me a drink?” She asked with her wide eyes. He grinned. “Sure darling.” Casey turned to Ezzie and smiled and then followed the boy to the bar. Tonight was about trying new things and Casey was defiantly up for it. She would forget Carson for tonight and have fun. He would still be there in the morning, right?

Casey drank the drink the band mates bought her. She couldn’t remember his name but she didn’t care. The whole group was drinking. Casey eventually pulled Ezzie out on the dance floor. “This is so much fun!” She exclaimed. And it was. But in the back of Casey’s mind she couldn’t stop thinking about Carson. She could clearly picture the hurt look on his face. But she wanted to forget. She didn’t want to think about the fact that he was probably right and that she was hurting him. She couldn’t stand to hurt him, but she was. Casey took another drinking, not counting the number at this point. She didn’t feel sick. She felt very much alive. The band mates tried to pull her onto the dance floor with them and she would dance only for a moment and then back away when they tried to go too far. She still knew who she was. This didn’t make her stupid. As the evening went on, everyone was getting tired. The drinking and the dancing had got to the all. Casey and Ezzie finally left the dance floor. Casey had a tired look on her face. Finally she looked to the floor and back at Ezzie. She remembered now. She remembered what she said to Carson and how she was hurting him. “Carson.” Casey said in her half-awake state to Ezzie. “I have to apologize.” She said drunkenly. “He has to know I’m sorry.” She continued to say, trying her best to hold herself up and keep from falling.

[Esmeralda Mendez]

Ezzie didn’t like where this night was going. She wanted Casey to have fun tonight. She had a right to after all that she’d been through. It just wasn’t fair for him to give her a hard time, especially on her birthday—and Valentine’s Day. Even if he didn’t like what she was doing, he should have put up with it just because he loved her. Ezzie didn’t buy it. There were some deeper issues here. Carson obviously wasn’t admitting it, but what men did? Ezzie really loved Carson, but sometimes she and Casey had to strangle the feelings out of him. Otherwise, they’d either get locked away inside him forever or taken out on the nearest breakable or punch-able object. It just wasn’t right. Ezzie was sure Carson would come around though. Ezzie and Ethan used to fight all the time, but that was only because they cared about each other. Of course, Ezzie and Ethan never really worked out in the end for obvious reasons, but Carson and Casey had something Ezzie and Ethan never had. They practically belonged together. One night wouldn’t kill them. If anything, they needed their space to work things out. Carson needed to understand that Casey was changing and that change wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Casey wasn’t getting drunk or high or getting into any trouble with the guys. She was just going to dance and have a good time. Besides, partying was all a part of being a teenager.

Ezzie sighed, leaning her head against TJ’s chest as she watched the confrontation between Casey and Carson. She already knew what it was all about. Ezzie could tell something was up from the moment they stepped into the car. Carson’s tense face did all the talking. Casey was oblivious to his sour mood for the moment, but Ezzie could always tell when her other best friend had something on his mind. He didn’t approve of them going out to a club on Casey’s birthday and that fact was obvious. Once they walked in, Ezzie’s first thought was the dance floor. Ezzie loved to dance. She couldn’t wait to get herself a drink or two and get onto the dance floor with TJ. She knew Carson didn’t dance much to begin with, so that thought brought Ezzie’s eyes toward Carson and Casey who looked troubled from the start. They weren’t yelling or causing a scene, but it was pretty obvious to anyone paying attention that something was wrong. Ezzie eyed them, grabbing TJ’s attention. “Look. I think something’s up. You think I should step in?” Ezzie asked, somewhat unsure of what to do at this point. Part of her was saying she should help out, but the other part told Ezzie it was probably a better idea to leave them be. It wasn’t her place to meddle. “Leave them, babe. They need to talk things out.” TJ said; taking a sip of a beer he’d already managed to acquire. Ezzie nodded, but just then, Carson walked off, pushing the front two doors open with a surprising force. Ezzie could have sworn she saw camera flashes outside, but it was hard to tell because of the lighting in the room.

When Casey came over with a look of confusion mixed with sadness, Ezzie gave her best friend a big hug. She hated seeing Casey this way and Carson as well. They just weren’t clicking like they used to. Something had gone wrong in the process of their relationship. “It’s okay Casey. Let’s just have some fun tonight and when you come home in one piece despite what Carson thinks, you can talk to him and sort things out. Until then, let’s dance. And let’s not drink too much. I know it’s your birthday, but TJ’s friends creep me out.” Ezzie said with a giggle. She partied, she laughed, and she spent a very significant time sitting at a booth alone spending some Valentine’s Day time with TJ. By the time midnight came, Ezzie of course had been talked into one too many drinks more than she had planned. She didn’t mean to leave Casey alone for so long, but when TJ led her over to their booth, she seemed to be having a blast. By the time she got back, Casey seemed to have had even more drinks than Ezzie had. Ezzie held her friend close, though neither of them could really stand straight.

“Case, Case…how drunk are you right now? Cuz I’m soo—” Ezzie didn’t get a chance to finish her sentence because just then, Casey started demanding to see Carson to apologize. Ezzie offered him a drunken smile. “That’s a great idea. I miss seeing you guys all cutesy and stuff.“ Ezzie said grabbing TJ. “Hon, we’ve got to go so Casey can make up with her man. Can you like…I dunno. Call someone?” Ezzie said cutely, twirling her hair. TJ smirked. Unlike the two girls, he barely seemed affected by the many drinks he’d had that night. “Well I’ve still got my car. You guys can crash at my place in Hogsmeade for tonight and then tomorrow Casey can go and talk to Carson. We’ll be back by Monday morning right on time.” He said with a smile and a wink toward Ezzie. She blushed, but nodded. “See Casey? TJ’s got us covered. Come on, let’s get outta here! We need to go see your man.” Ezzie giggled, pulling Casey out the door. TJ’s little entourage of course had to come with them, so they all crowded into the car. There were about ten six people packed in the backseat, leaving Ezzie and Casey to share the passenger’s seat. TJ put the keys into the ignition and the guys in the back hooted and hollered with drunken joy. Ezzie rolled her eyes. She hated cars. She didn’t particularly have a reason to hate cars since she’d never had any bad experiences in one, but she didn’t like it. “Hey hon, can’t we apparate back home? I hate cars.” Ezzie said in a slurred voice as he sped off onto the highway. He smirked, turning his head in her direction. “Oh come on babe, most of these guys are muggles. We can’t. Lucky they didn’t hear you say that.” He said, before speeding into the next lane, getting in the way of one of the cars behind them. Ezzie jumped. “Alright but slow down gosh!” Ezzie exclaimed over the loud voices in the back.

The boys in the backseat hollered with laughter at Ezzie’s fear. He grinned. “Aw come on babe, lighten up! There’s no reason to be scared, see?” TJ was showing off. He swerved into the next lane rather quickly, causing Ezzie to screech. “TJ! Cut it out!” TJ merely rolled his eyes. Perhaps he really was drunk after all. He was acting like such a jerk. “Babe, calm down. You’re starting to sound just like Carson. We’ll be there in a sec. I just need to drop the guys off, and then we’ll go home.” TJ said in an exasperated tone. Despite Ezzie’s current inability to see, straight, think, or walk straight, her face heated with anger at TJ for the first time since before she found out TJ would be going back to Hogwarts with her. “TJ, IF YOU DON’T STOP THIS CAR AND APPARATE US HOME—“ Ezzie screamed, starting to get angry just when TJ’s head whipped around so he was looking her straight in the eyes. “I said cool it Ezzie, We’ll be there—“

“TJ WATCH OUT!”

Casey screamed at the top of her lungs, talking for the first time since getting into the car. Up until that point, Ezzie thought Casey had been sleeping during the ride home. Ezzie and TJ both turned around just a moment too late and before they knew it, TJ’s car was swerving right into a tree just off the road. Ezzie ducked and blocked her head just as TJ tried to regain control. Sadly though, he was too late. The car crashed head-on into the tree, causing the entire car to lunge forward. Ezzie hit her head, but because of her seatbelt, she didn’t get much more than an extremely sore head. The guys finally shut up, but TJ slammed his head into the driver’s seat. He was out cold and so were Casey and the guys in the backseat. Since Casey and Ezzie were sharing a seat, she didn’t have her seatbelt so she seemed to get the worst of the blow. Ezzie tried to nudge her awake, but when she saw the tiny bit of blood trickling down from Casey’s lower lip, Ezzie couldn’t take it. Her head started spinning, and before she knew it, everything went dark.

[Casey Allen G5]

She loved him. Casey loved Carson so much. She hated that they did this. They barely argued but when they did it always went back to Casey’s well-being. Carson had always been so protective but Casey didn’t always need him to be. She needed her lovable boyfriend. Couldn’t he do that? Still, Casey figured that this was all her fault. She had to fix this. She had to tell him how sorry she was and explain to him that change wasn’t a bad thing. Why did Casey changing upset him so much? She wasn’t changing for the worse. Casey was getting older and she was famous. Things were bound to change. Carson had to accept this. Casey yawned. It was getting late and Casey had more drinks than she planned on it. By the looks of it, Ezzie was also pretty out of it. Casey couldn’t stand to stay in that place for a moment longer she had to settle things with Carson. She couldn’t stand to be angry at him or know that he felt that way about her.

Casey giggled when Ezzie agreed that Casey should see Carson. Casey had never been this giddy and yet so tired. Then again Casey had never been drunk like this in her life. TJ agreed that the girls could crash at his place and Casey could see Carson in the morning. “Thanks TJ.” Casey said brightly before yawning again. This wasn’t fun without Carson. Nothing was the same. The sooner she could be with him the better. Ezzie giggled and pulled Casey from the club. Casey laughed and followed her friend into the night. The crew crowded into the Carson. TJ’s band all settled into the backseat while Casey and Ezzie shared the passenger seat. Ezzie sat closest to TJ and Casey sat by the window. By this point she was already feeling drowsy. She wanted to see Carson so badly but that would have to wait until the morning. Hopefully she could pull herself together by then.

Casey was fading in and out as TJ drove. She was so tired. A part of her wanted to sleep it off, but then that little angel inside her head told her that this was wrong. TJ had been drinking. He wasn’t capable of driving. So Casey went back and forth from closing and opening her eyes. TJ and Ezzie argued in the background but she could barely hear it. The boys were chatting loudly and attempting to sing, but all Casey could see was Carson’s face in her mind. She had let him down. And if he knew about this..he would get more mad when she told him. Carson would probably never forgive her for this. Casey knew that she should yell at TJ to let her and Ezzie from the car, but she just didn’t have the strength. She was drained emotionally and physically. Casey’s eyes opened and closed as TJ swerved lanes. Was he out of his mind? Still she couldn’t bring herself to say anything. Darkness was looming over her.

Finally Ezzie was starting to realize the severity of the situation. Casey finally kept her eyes open, focusing on the road. She was about to say something as soon as Ezzie finished yelling. Ezzie was right. TJ wasn’t capable of driving. The girls had caught themselves in another bad situation. The two continued to argue to the point where Casey was sure they would stop. Casey eyes were bugged out as she watched the road. This was the dumbest thing Casey had done in her entire life. Carson would scream at her, Bradley would scream at her. What the hell was she doing? Carson was right. She was changing for the worse. This wasn’t like her. This wasn’t her world. She had finally figured this out but it was too late. TJ wasn’t paying attention, the car was swerving, it was headed straight for a tree.

“TJ WATCH OUT!” Casey screamed out, but it was too late. She could barely hear the deafening crash and feel the blow to her head before her world went numbly blank. The last thought in her mind was Carson’s face before her world went blank and all the joy that had ever been in her life was gone.