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priscaTitle: Her Biggest Mistake
Character: Casey Connor, Delilah Profit
Word Count: 601
Prompt: mistake
Rating: PG13
:::
„Deliah?“ Casey stopped when noticing the girl cowering in the old rocking chair on the Connor's porch. „What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be on the way to New York?“
The girl looked up, and he could see that she had cried. Strange. The cheerleader queen of Herrington High never showed any weakness. „I'm afraid I made a big mistake,“ she whispered.
„Okay.“ Casey dropped down on the stairs in front of her. „Will you tell me about it?“
„Why should you want to listen to me?“
Yes, why should he? After all she had done; she had used him, treated him like shit when he hadn't been useful to her anymore. But honestly, he hadn't been upset about her behavior for long, had almost felt relieved. It had always been a stupid idea to think about a future together with Delih; even when the media had called him a hero for some time, and Deliah had enjoyed playing the girl at his side, it had never been more than just a game of time.
„You are here,“ he answered, „I guess there is a reason for it.“
She shrugged. „I don't know where I could go.“
„This guy... Frederic whoever...“
„Howard,“ Deliah said, her eyes dark. „He is gone.“
„Oh.“ Realization hit Casey. „He left without you?“
„I was so stupid.“ Tears filled her eyes again, and Casey started to feel uncomfortable. „I did believe all, he told me. New York. The fashion show. He promised to make a model out of me. But...“ She sniffed. „All he wanted was my money. And a bit fun, of course. How could I fall for that? I never was one of the naive cheerleaders who is willing to believe everything a football player tells them.“
No, Casey thought, she had indeed never been like that. Usually, she was the one who used others. Zeke would probably have told him now that she finally only got back what was long overdue. But he was not like that; he knew enough about Delilah's complicated family background and how hard she was fighting to leave it behind.
„You gave him your money,“ he asked tentatively.
„All my savings,“ she admitted. „It was for leaving Herrington behind one day, and when he told me there is a participation fee for the fashion show... I thought this was the chance I was always waiting for. I wanted to believe him!“
„God, Deliah!“ Casey shook his head. „You must have lost your mind. But maybe it's not too late; you should report him to the police.“
„Make it official?“ She stared at him with her eyes wide open. „Everyone will know about my stupidity. And you know, I don't have many friends here. The girls were around me because I was the queen at school. The football players were around me because I was the top cheerleader. No one was ever interested in me.“
Casey kept quiet for a moment. „I was,“ he finally said. „I always hoped you would finally open up, leave me into your life instead of playing a role.“
She sighed. „I am sorry. I guess it's too late now.“
Casey got up from the stairs, stepped closer to her, and put his arm around her shoulder. „ For a love story that never had been true? Yes. I am not willing to go back there. But you don't have to go through this all alone. If you let me, I'm gonna be at your side. As a good friend.“
Character: Casey Connor, Delilah Profit
Word Count: 601
Prompt: mistake
Rating: PG13
:::
„Deliah?“ Casey stopped when noticing the girl cowering in the old rocking chair on the Connor's porch. „What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be on the way to New York?“
The girl looked up, and he could see that she had cried. Strange. The cheerleader queen of Herrington High never showed any weakness. „I'm afraid I made a big mistake,“ she whispered.
„Okay.“ Casey dropped down on the stairs in front of her. „Will you tell me about it?“
„Why should you want to listen to me?“
Yes, why should he? After all she had done; she had used him, treated him like shit when he hadn't been useful to her anymore. But honestly, he hadn't been upset about her behavior for long, had almost felt relieved. It had always been a stupid idea to think about a future together with Delih; even when the media had called him a hero for some time, and Deliah had enjoyed playing the girl at his side, it had never been more than just a game of time.
„You are here,“ he answered, „I guess there is a reason for it.“
She shrugged. „I don't know where I could go.“
„This guy... Frederic whoever...“
„Howard,“ Deliah said, her eyes dark. „He is gone.“
„Oh.“ Realization hit Casey. „He left without you?“
„I was so stupid.“ Tears filled her eyes again, and Casey started to feel uncomfortable. „I did believe all, he told me. New York. The fashion show. He promised to make a model out of me. But...“ She sniffed. „All he wanted was my money. And a bit fun, of course. How could I fall for that? I never was one of the naive cheerleaders who is willing to believe everything a football player tells them.“
No, Casey thought, she had indeed never been like that. Usually, she was the one who used others. Zeke would probably have told him now that she finally only got back what was long overdue. But he was not like that; he knew enough about Delilah's complicated family background and how hard she was fighting to leave it behind.
„You gave him your money,“ he asked tentatively.
„All my savings,“ she admitted. „It was for leaving Herrington behind one day, and when he told me there is a participation fee for the fashion show... I thought this was the chance I was always waiting for. I wanted to believe him!“
„God, Deliah!“ Casey shook his head. „You must have lost your mind. But maybe it's not too late; you should report him to the police.“
„Make it official?“ She stared at him with her eyes wide open. „Everyone will know about my stupidity. And you know, I don't have many friends here. The girls were around me because I was the queen at school. The football players were around me because I was the top cheerleader. No one was ever interested in me.“
Casey kept quiet for a moment. „I was,“ he finally said. „I always hoped you would finally open up, leave me into your life instead of playing a role.“
She sighed. „I am sorry. I guess it's too late now.“
Casey got up from the stairs, stepped closer to her, and put his arm around her shoulder. „ For a love story that never had been true? Yes. I am not willing to go back there. But you don't have to go through this all alone. If you let me, I'm gonna be at your side. As a good friend.“