THE MANIPULATOR

Cassandra shrugged. "Everyone loves my pasta." And it was the truth. Her family, her friends, even her exes could all agree that Cassandra's pasta was one of their favorite dishes she had made them. And the girl wasn't timid to toot her own horn about it either. Cooking had always been one of her favorite pass times. She found it relaxing. Though it was both a blessing and a curse whenever she would stress cook or stress bake and end up with way more food than she herself could handle.

"It means, like, the gift of Isis. People named Isadora have innumerable talents and admirable traits." She replied, reading from google. It was fun learning the meaning behind names. She's googled it a few times before. "Which is so true. I'm super talented." She knew she sounded egotistical and it made her laugh after hearing herself say it out loud.

Lucy's smile faltered. She looked down at herself. Sure, her skirt was a little creased, and her mascara had definitely looked better a few hours ago, but she hadn't thought she looked too bad. Lucy made a mental note to pack her makeup next time she spent the night in the library. "It was just a long night I guess." The waitress brought Lucy's coffee over to the table. Lucy took the phone from Isadora so she could get a better look. "I've seen her before, not today though." Lucy crossed her fingers that Kendra wasn't coming in today, it sounded as if she wasn't in for a pleasant shift. She felt a bit taken aback by Isadora's attitude, but she wouldn't comment on it. Passivism helped you make friends a lot quicker. She handed the phone back. "What'd she do that warrants payback?"

"I work on the school paper at Westham and did a piece about her boyfriend and she got it pulled. Her boyfriend is a psychopath. I was doing the world a favor. When I found out she was working a shift here I couldn't believe it. Guess her clothes are knockoffs. Go figure." Isadora could tell Lucy was taken aback by everything she was saying but she always expects it. Isadora loved saying things to make people feel insecure or uncomfortable so she could learn to read them better. It was a great exercise for her future career as a journalist.

Lucy loved Davey's. The jumbo sized cups of coffee and low lighting. She loved that it was always open and that her parents would never be caught dead there. So after an all night study session fuelled by Adderall, it was the perfect place to come down. Her eyes were wide as she approached the counter. "Black coffee, thanks."

Isadora looked up and smiled at Lucy but it was more of a reflex than genuine. "Sorry, thought you were the waitress." The other girl's clothes were fine, fashionable even, but Isadora still checked her out as if she were dressed like a staff member. Maybe it was the all-nighter she pulled on Adderall but she could definitely use a makeover. "I thought I looked horribly hungover, but compared to you I feel so hot, so sit down." Now her smile was genuine albeit bitchy. Leaning back against the red vinyl seat, she flipped her phone around to show Lucy a picture of Kendra Porter, a Westham student who works at the diner. "Have you seen this skank? I want to get a picture of her working here. She's been such a whore." It was safe to say Isadora hated her and wanted payback for something.

Valerie offered the girl a quick smile before knocking back the shot. The other girl had an energy that Valerie could easily see pulling other people in. She was magnetic. A complete stranger, yet Valerie wasn't ready to pick up her things and simply walk away. Maybe it was her frustration with her no-show of a date. Maybe it was her innate desire to change something about how she went about her life. Or maybe it was something else entirely. "Okay, fine. I'm hot," she laughed. The bartender passed the next round of shots down the bar. "Probably. I haven't found a decent guy to date in like, forever. At this point I feel like it's a waste of time to even try." She picked up the second shot, contemplating Isadora's offer. "Yeah, sure, why not? I'll, uh... follow your lead."

"It's best to let loose and just have fun. No expectations. Before you know it the right guy will catch your eye and you'll catch his." Isadora wasn't a romantic, but she did believe there was someone ( or multiple someones ) out there for everyone. The best things in life come when a person least expects it. When it happens it'll happen. In the meantime: look hot, have fun, and party. "Why don't you tell me what you're hoping for. How will a boyfriend help?" Isa asked as she took the other blonde's hand and led her out to the dance floor. As the music pumped through the small crowd, she began moving her body to the sound, leaving enough space and energy for conversation.

"It's just a shirt, it's not going to kill you. And its comfortable, trust me." Was all Cassie could say with the shake of her head. Cassandra pressed her lips together trying not to laugh at Isadoras discontentment with her shirt. "That's exactly what the last person who wore this shirt said just before they...Yknow." There was a pause before she added in a "Just kidding." It was amusing to Cassandra to play off the other girls dramatics. Taking the farfalle pasta box in her hand she begun to open it with one hand and pull a pot from her drawer with another. "You can hate me all you want but you'll love my pasta." After putting the pasta into a separate bowl and filling up the pot with water, she set the pot on the stove to boil. "Oh, I'm Cassandra by the way." She responded as she pulled a can of pasta sauce out of her cabinet and got to work. "I just realized I don't even know your name."

If they were in public, the sweater would certainly kill her. She would die of embarrassment. Isadora wasn't as bougie as she was when she lived in Atlanta, but the sweatshirt was as bad as it gets. "More jokes, ha-ha." If she were honest with herself she would admit that it was funny, but her ego was so inviolable she remained indelibly annoyed.

Cassandra laughed. She hadn't thought the comment came off as flirty but she found it funny that Isadora thought so. "I'll try my best to control myself." She responded sarcastically as they arrived at the front door. "Noted." After unlocking it and letting Isadora go inside first, she felt herself exhale relieved to finally be home after the day she had. Kicking her shoes off and locking the door behind her, Cassandra took the shirt from Isadora and walked into the kitchen to place her bag down. She didn't respond to Isadora's comment not wanting to speak about her mother. It already had her mind jumbled and she didn't wanna focus on something. "Shoot." She said beginning to folding Isadora's shirt. "Yes, it's called kindness. I take a lot of pride in it actually." And it was the truth. She'd especially felt the need to due to her familial surrounding. People made a lot of judgements about who Cassie once they put two and two together and most were actually surprised given the fact she didn't take after some of the behavior she'd been raised around. "Oh there definitely is. But there's no way I'm going to tell you." She said with a smile. "Be back in a sec."

There was a time back in Atlanta when Isadora wasn't a total bitch. She was known for her academic achievements and her winning streak in tennis. She loved tennis, it started off as a mother-daughter thing but quickly changed when her mother got the hots for their instructor and started hanging out with him more than her. It put a lot of pressure on Isa and then after her brother got accused of killing one of his students, she became cold and the bitch everyone knows now.

Davey's Diner was unusually packed for a Sunday Morning. Almost every booth was taken, which forced Mina into making new friends just so she could enjoy her order of coffee in peace. "I hope I'm not interrupting but is this seat taken?" She gestures to the empty spot across from her. "I promise, I won't disrupt whatever it is you're doing. It's like you won't even know I'm here."

"You're not interrupting." Isadora could make friends with a rock. She was that outgoing. However her friend list was still limited because she could also be a bitch. If she clicks with someone she'll keep them around but if she doesn't then they'll know it. It could be her journalistic instinct to give everyone a fair shake before she either embraces or dismisses them. "I'm just checking my feed. I like to pretend they're my contestants and that only my opinion of them matters." She gives a smile, letting her decide whether or not she was joking. "Do you have Instagram?" Isa leaned forward and took a sip of her strawberry shake. "I'm Isadora, by the way. You can also call me Isa or Isador, but never Dora."

"Beer pong?" She gets they're at a frat party but come on, ew. "The last thing I want is to breathe in someone else's beer breath." The more she thought about it, and the more she looked around, the more she noticed how slim their pickings actually are. "As fun as that sounds, I've got a better idea." Brooke grabbed both of Isadora's hands and led her through the living room. "Wanna get out of here and go someplace else? Surely, there's gotta be something better to do on a Friday night. What about your friend? The one you were caught fucking a week ago. Does he have any hot friends?"

Brooke had a point. Why fish in a small and smelly pond when there were so many better alternatives in New York. "Okay lead the way." She loved that Brooke was taking charge. In the beginning it was always her leading. Brooke was really starting to grow and flourish on the Westside. It was beautiful to see. Once inside, she wrapped her arms around Brooke's shoulders from behind and leaned into her. The frat house was shameless. Everything was turned upside down and there were people fucking on the couch and in the kitchen. "You mean Kevin?" She hasn't seen him in a couple of days because he got into an altercation with River, but now River could rot in hell for calling her a whore. "Kevin is trouble, girl. His friends are no better." But she supposed that was the exciting part wasn't it? Therefore she shot Kevin a quick text. He replied within seconds saying he'll come pick them up with his friend Romeo. "Apparently he's with his friend Rome. I did some digging and found his insta. I can tell them forget it if you don't think he's hot. Personally I would fuck him."

Though her brows rose slightly at the blonde insulting her she kept her cool. She assumed just by her attitude that Isadora was used to getting what she wanted. Probably fast too. "And you're a brat, but I'm sure that's nothing you haven't heard before. I hope so too. I wouldn't wanna spill my disgusting juice and my pasta on you in the same day since I'm such a klutz." She responded sticking one of her free hands in her purse pocket for her key. "At least green's your color though." She turned to look at Isadora momentarily flashing her an amused smile before pulling her key out of her bag and placing her finger through the ring of the key chain. "If you count my mother as hot then yeah totally." Cassie dug through her groceries in search of one of the waters she had bought herself earlier. It was hotter out than she thought, especially now the she didn't have her juice. She took one out for herself and put it under her arm before reaching in to get another and silently offering it to Isadora.

"Stop flirting with me." Being called a brat was considered dirty talk. It was way more exciting than being a goody-good. Cassandra was too nice and if the social media stalker was a real threat then she would be the first to die since she's so inviting. "And if you happen to throw your nasty drink at me again it'll be so on. You'll be wearing your kitchen for a week." Once they were inside, she wasted little time removing her shirt. She held it out for Cassandra to take to the wash. "Your mom can be hot for all I know." Isadora was unbiased. Gender nor age mattered. As long as they were of legal age of course. "Can I ask you something?" Isa turned around and accepted the bottle of water. She twisted the lid and took a sip before taking a seat in the kitchen. "Are you always this nice? Like seriously. It's almost scary how unphased you are. There has to be something that makes you angry."

"Equality as in not using your tits as a reason to get the money." He retorted. Just when Fenix thought he had his footing in the conversation she made a sharp left leaving him dumbfounded. The scare tactic had him infuriated. "Anyone who acts like you always has a record." He countered.

What made him think she uses her tits to get money? Yeah, she has an OF but it was inactive.

"That's rich." He can't help but snort after being called a pussy. River was many things... unreliable, unfaithful, manipulative, sleazy. But he wasn't a pussy. Refusing to take her up on her offer had little to do with being scared. It was the fact that, although they slept together, that didn't mean he instantly trusted her. She was essentially agreeing to help with very little payment in return. There had to be a catch somewhere and he'd rather lay all their cards out now than be dealt a surprise hand later.

She wasn't expecting such a cruel response from River. She thought they were friends and merely wanted to hangout which is the only reason why she offered her help. She wasn't a whore and didn't like to be called one. It brought her back to what happened at summer camp when she lost her virginity and everyone nicknamed her Isawhorea. A couple of weeks ago she might have let it roll off her shoulders, but lately she'd been on a power trip with Brooke. She would be a hypocrite if she sat here and let some douche bag call her a whore and still be interested in him. Guys like River and Jake Fitzgerald needed to be taught a lesson.

A helpless sigh escaped her lips. Cassandra was starting to regret buying herself a green juice at all today. This girl sure was dramatic. All she wanted to do was make some pasta, have some wine and enjoy the rest of her day in peace. Looks like that wouldn't be happening. She had the feeling no matter what she was going to say to this girl, it would be wrong. She raised a brow at Isadora's assumption. "Actually the guy with the knife only waits behind my door on Mondays and Saturdays so you're good." She deadpanned already knowing the girl wouldn't find it funny. "Not gonna happen, sorry." Though the blonde was demanding and very blunt something about it was amusing to Cassie. "Look, either you can stand here by yourself in the middle of the street or you can come over and you'll get a new shirt and my world famous pasts." She turned on her heels and began walking. "Your choice!" She called back to her making sure not to walk too fast in case she decided to follow."

"Har har." She sneered, not at all humored by the girl's tragic attempt at playfulness. The entire situation was unfair. She ruined her shirt and then rejects every opportunity to make it right. Other than the grand proposal to go to her creepy house and be fed her disgusting pasta. The witch was mistaking her for Gretel. Isadora wanted to turn around and just drive back home. Its what her instincts were telling her to do but then her journalistic nature was begging her to find out more. "You're such a bitch." Isa sighed as she threw caution to the wind and decided to follow her home. She made sure to send a text to both Sage and Brooke just in case this weirdo murders her. "Let's hope your style is better than your balance." She meets her stride and walks with her side by side after sliding her phone back into her bag. "So who were you on the phone with when you were trying that very difficult task of walking and talking? If it were someone hot I could at least semi forgive you."