Lexi's In A New City

Chapter 22

The remainder of the semester flew by for all New York University students. It felt as though the last few exams and assignments appeared out of nowhere, demanding all of their time and energy before they could go off to visit their families for the holidays. For those in their first year, they were soon relieved to have finally finished their first semester of university ever because it also meant they had completed one half of first year.

For Cassie and Isaac, they used the holiday break to spend time with their respective families, but to also spend some time with each other. Their relationship seemed to have grown stronger since their date in Isaac's dorm over a month ago. They hadn't fought over anything since then, and were an extremely happy couple. Lexi's name hadn't come up simply because there had been no reason for it. The couple were more focused on one another than anything— or anyone— else. When they weren't spending time with their families or at work, they went on many dates to various places.

One such date took place a week before Christmas Day. Isaac and Cassie borrowed his father's car so that the two could take a road trip to New York City from their home city of Buffalo. It was an almost seven-hour drive that was long and tedious, but it proved to be well worth it. They checked into a nice hotel and spent the day exploring the vast city landscape. They felt like tourists in their own state, but it was a fun way to kill a weekend without any interruption.

It was early Sunday morning when the couple decided to walk down to Central Park after having breakfast at their hotel. They had to bundle up to fight off the bitter cold that enveloped the beautiful park, but they didn't mind too much. It wasn't as bad as it had been the previous day, allowing the couple to sit comfortably on a park bench far from most other visitors.

"This place would be beautiful in summer," Cassie remarked. "If it looks this nice in the winter, imagine how pretty it'd be during the warmer months!"

Isaac chuckled. "You have a good point. Personally, I'm just happy with how quiet it is...well, as quiet as it can be in New York City."

"True," Cassie said, pausing to laugh. She then leaned on Isaac's arm and chest. "Mmm...this feels nice."

"It does. I'm glad we decided to do this. Thank God we were even able to."

"Yeah, no kidding! I was worried I wasn't gonna get the weekend off, but here we are, babe. I'm glad we did this, too."

At that, Isaac leaned down and kissed Cassie's head. "God, I love you, baby."

Cassie looked up with a gentle smile. "I love you too, babe. I always will."

***

San Diego was chillier than Lexi had remembered since her last visit, but she didn't bother to complain. She was more than happy to be back home, surrounded by plenty of family and friends that weren't apart of any of the drama she was currently going through. Still, she was secretly ticked that her novel was currently on the back burner. She'd a terrible case of writer's block due to a combination of having to focus more on school for the last month or so, and all the bullshit drama she'd had to endure. It was frustrating and irritating to say the least, but she tried to not think about it too much. She focused her attention on catching up with her family during the Christmas break.

Lexi sat cross-legged on a large comfy chair in the living room of her grandparents' house. She and her parents were there to visit them just a few days before Christmas to celebrate the holidays with them. It was a nice visit, but a little tough for Lexi because she had to go through the third degree with several family members about how school and her job were going. Her parents proved to be no exception.

"How did you do this semester, dear?" her mother asked.

"Excellent, actually!" Lexi exclaimed. "Here, I'll show you all my marks."

It took a few minutes, but she showed her parents' her grades from her phone. Once she put it away, she noticed concerned looks on them both. Immediately, she sensed what was about to come.

"We're proud of you, don't get us wrong," her father explained. "But...are you still sure about this creative writing degree?"

"Your father's got a point," her mother added. "It's a risk, even with marks are as high as yours."

"I know that, and I still appreciate your concerns. But I know I made the best choice for myself. Please, please believe me when I say that I picked a good degree," Lexi replied. She took a deep breath in order to keep her composure. This routine was beginning to grow annoying because it felt like no matter what she said or did, her parents refused to believe her.

"Well...alright. Sorry, we don't mean to upset you, sweetie," her father said.

"I know you don't mean to," Lexi interjected. "I know you're just worried about me; that's what parents do, right?"

Her father chuckled. "That's correct."

The rest of the day was repetitive for Lexi, as she had to answer similar questions asked by her grandparents, as well as her many aunts and uncles. She managed to keep a smile on her face as she answered every question thrown her way. Fortunately, the questions ended long before dinner began. Lexi finally relaxed so she could enjoy a pleasant Christmas dinner with her loved ones.

After dinner, family members gathered around the TV to talk amongst themselves about different things. Lexi and her mother sat together on a couch over a bottle of wine like they had done during Thanksgiving at her parents' house. Her mother had noticed that something was off about her daughter ever since she'd returned home. She had a tentative idea as to what it was about, but she wasn't confident that she was right. So, she took the opportunity to voice her concerns during their conversation.

"How has everything been between you and that girl?" she questioned. "Did she finally learn her lesson?"

Lexi deflated at the mention of Cassie, but answered anyways. "I don't think she'll ever learn; she's stubborn, that's for sure.. I'm also not friends with her boyfriend anymore."

"Really? How come?"

"It all started because his girlfriend, Cassie, teased me for not having a boyfriend. I told her that I have had boyfriends, and then told her off for harassing me. I kinda snapped 'cause she was being so disrespectful in front of our friends, and it was embarrassing and upsetting. Well, her boyfriend— his name's Isaac— thought that I overreacted, and told me so later."

"That's ridiculous."

"It is. I don't know how many times I've told her that I have no interest in her boyfriend. This whole thing is such a mess, but I think it's easier to not talk or hang out with Isaac anymore. At least then I know that Cassie will leave me alone for a change."

Her mother pondered everything her daughter had revealed. She then frowned with disapproval, causing Lexi to grow a little nervous.

"I don't think you should stop being friends with this guy," her mother explained. "You really need to stand up for yourself, sweetie. Don't not hang out with Isaac because his girlfriend can't accept that you two just want to be friends. Like I told you before— if you give her what she wants, then she wins."

Now it was Lexi's turn to think everything over. But she quickly dismissed most of what her mother had said. While she didn't want Cassie to get the better of her, she knew it wasn't smart to resume her and Isaac's friendship. For her mother's sake though, she smiled and nodded in response to kind her words.

"I guess I'll just have to wait 'til I get back to school to see what happens next," she remarked.