Picture Perfect
Chapter 3
By Crystal

"You can't make me live with them if I don't want to!" yelled Casey as she chased her mom down the stairs.

"It's settled Case! You are going to live with them! If you stay here you'll only get into more and more trouble."

"Has it ever occurred to you that I like it here?"

"Has it ever occurred to you that you show no sign whatsoever of liking it here? All you do is make life miserable here! I have tried and tried and tried again to straighten you out! I love you with all of my heart Casey and that is why you're going to live with them."

"But I don't want to!" she screamed.

"Well you should have thought about that before you started taking drugs, sleeping around and being an all around pain in the ass. End of discussion! Now go back your bags! I'm getting your flight information now."

"And this from a woman who claims to love me? Some love!"

Her mom looked Casey dead in the eye. "Don't you ever accuse me of not loving you! I love you more than you will ever know! Don't ever question that!"

"Well fine, kick me out then! You'll be sorry!" Casey rushed back up to her room and slammed the door shut. In frustration she kicked over a pile of dirty clothes that were heaped up on the floor. She threw herself down on her bed and stared angrily at the ceiling.

"I don't have to live with that family! I'm perfectly fine here!" She sat up and dug out a cigarette from her backpack. After opening the window, despite the cool night, she lit her cigarette and smoked it. When she was done and calmed down a bit, she threw the bud out the window and headed back downstairs.

"Listen Mom. We can work this out okay? I'll try and be a better student, or whatever. We can make it work."

"Oh honey. I've been telling myself that for the past five years yet nothing has changed. You've only gotten more and more rebellious."

"Come on Mom!"

"Your flight leaves at six tomorrow morning. We're leaving here at 4 so you have just over four hours to pack and get some sleep. I'll wake you up when it's time to go." Her mom went upstairs and quietly closed the door to her room. Casey sat in the kitchen in utter disbelief. Her mom was serious! She was sending her away to live in Florida with the Carter's.

Sadly, Casey went back up to her room and packed very few clothes and necessities into a small suitcase. She then packed away her guitar and set them up by the door, ready to go. She crawled into bed, turned out the lights and stared at the ceiling.

**Flashback**

"You're leaving Nick?" asked a young Casey as she and her best friend Nick sat in his backyard.

"Yeah. I'm sorry Case! But this is going to be so much fun! I'll get to travel the world and do what I love to do! You know how much I love to sing."

Case looked at him, full of hurt and emotion. "But can't you do that here?"

"Not right now. Look, I have to go pack. Let's not say 'good bye', let's just say 'see ya later'."

"But I don't want to see you later Nick! I want you to stay? What am I going to do without my best friend here?" She hugged Nick and cried into his shirt.

"You'll be perfectly fine without me. And we'll always be best friends."

**

"Casey, let's go. It's time to leave."