The Reset Life of Cassandra Collins Read online

  The Reset Life of Cassandra Collins

  by Shawn Inmon

  ©2018 by Shawn Inmon

  All rights reserved

  Words and Music to Not for Marching

  By Steve Larson

  ©2018 by Steve Larson

  Table of Contents

  Copyright Page

  The Reset Life of Cassandra Collins (Middle Falls Time Travel Series, #8)

  For Lana Jean | I miss you

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Part Two

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Chapter Forty-Nine | Universal Life Center

  Chapter Fifty

  Chapter Fifty-One

  Chapter Fifty-Two

  Chapter Fifty-Three

  Chapter Fifty-Four

  Chapter Fifty-Five

  Chapter Fifty-Six

  Coming Soon | The Tribulations of Ned Summers

  Author’s Note

  Other Books by Shawn Inmon

  For Lana Jean

  I miss you

  Chapter One

  When Cassandra woke up on May 28, 1966, she wasn’t thinking about her graduation or a surprise marriage proposal. Instead, she was focused on the graduation party her parents were throwing for her afterward. She woke up, as she did every day, in what she thought of as her princess bedroom. The walls were a soft pink, and her full-sized bed had a dozen pillows and a tall canopy. She had a walk-in closet, a built-in desk with her own phone, and her own private bathroom. Any of those things would have made her the envy of every girl in Middle Falls High. Together, they made her the somewhat-spoiled youngest child of the wealthy Collins family.

  The graduation party was going to be at the Collins Estate, in a neighborhood so exclusive, there was only one house in it. Twenty years before, Cassandra’s father, Jamison Collins, had bought fifty acres from a once-wealthy timber baron who had fallen on hard times. He cleared a five-acre footprint and used the timber he had cut down to build a 6,200 square foot mansion.

  It was the only home Cassandra had ever known.

  The party had been the talk of Middle Falls High School, but it wasn’t all that exclusive. Cassandra had invited every member of the Class of 1966, and any of the underclassmen who expressed an interest in attending. She had been born into a life of wealth and privilege, but had never developed the feeling that she was superior to everyone else, just because she had won the birth lottery.

  Her mother christened her Cassandra Marie Collins, but that name never rested easily on her. When she started school and teachers and friends started calling her “Cassie,” she was happier. Cassie sounded like a light-hearted, fun girl, which she was. Cassandra sounded like someone who sat around making doilies and having tea, which she definitely wasn’t.

  The graduation ceremony for the Middle Falls High Class of 1966 was like most small-town graduations of the mid-sixties. It was heavy on ceremony, prayer from local religious figures, and earnest speeches from earnest students.

  Cassandra, who was not particularly earnest, sat sweating in her hot robes in the stifling gymnasium, waiting for her freedom. Freedom from answering bells, but mostly, freedom from wearing a wool robe in the heat.

  I’m willing to bet my makeup is a mess.

  Her graduation was a turning point in her life, but she had no idea what it was turning toward.

  She had applied to only two schools. Her dream school was the University of California, Berkeley. She had also applied at the University of Oregon because that was where both her father and mother had gone, and her father insisted she applied.

  She had been confident they would accept her. She had gotten good grades because that’s what a Collins child did. She had been a cheerleader and had served as the Secretary-Treasurer of the Associated Student Body. She had played varsity volleyball well enough to letter her senior year and worked as a photographer for the high school annual. She believed that would be enough to get her in to Berkeley. Her acceptance letter to Oregon had come weeks earlier, but she had no interest in actually attending there. She was just keeping peace with her father.

  Because their last names were so close alphabetically, she sat right next to Jimmy Coleman. He had been Cassandra’s boyfriend for eighteen months, ever since he had declared his love for her on Christmas Eve, 1964. She had been wearing his class ring, albeit wrapped with yarn to make it fit, since that night.

  Cassandra glanced sideways at Jimmy. He was staring straight ahead, listening attentively to the pastor of the local community church, who was exhorting them to make the most of their God-given gifts.

  That’s so him. He’s always looking straight ahead, focusing on the next task at hand.

  Cassandra reached her hand over and laid it on Jimmy’s. He took her hand and squeezed it with a small smile, but didn’t move his eyes from the podium.

  There are worse traits for a boyfriend to have.

  If Norman Rockwell had been there, looking for a model of a mid-sixties high school All-American, he would have chosen Jimmy. He had a square-jaw, sincere blue eyes, and wore his dark hair short. The Beatles may have gone mop-top or longer, but in Middle Falls, Oregon, it still felt like Eisenhower was president.

  Eventually, the speeches ended. Then, local service groups handed out scholarships. Cassandra hadn’t applied for many, because she knew there were students who needed the help far worse than she did. Still, she won a two hundred and fifty dollar scholarship from the Middle Falls Garden Club. Her mother was president of the club and had insisted she apply for that one.

  Finally, the ceremony came to an end and the Middle Falls class of 1966 passed into the pages of history. There was no tossing of graduation caps into the air, just a sense of accomplishment and a rush toward the cooler air outside the gym.

  Jamison and Dorothea Collins hugged Cassandra and told her they were proud of her. Her older brother, Grant, squeezed her shoulder and said, “I knew you could do it. Look out, world, Peanut is coming through.”

  Cassandra blushed. Her big brother had dubbed her Peanut long ago, and she secretly liked it, but she wasn’t sure she wanted her friends to hear and pick up on it. Grant was six years older, had already graduated from college, and was being groom
ed to take over Collins Industries when the time was right.

  “I’m going to look for Kristen, okay?” Cassandra said to her mother.

  Jamison Collins had moved away, shaking hands and talking to several men. Dorothea said, “That’s fine, dear.” She glanced at her watch. “It’s 7:30 now. Be home by 8:00, so you can welcome your guests.”

  “Sure will, Mother. Bye, Grant!”

  She took off like a shot and was already out of earshot when her mother said, “Slowly, Cassandra, like a young lady.”

  She spotted Kristen on the other side of the gym, ran up to her and grabbed her from behind.

  “Whoo!” Kristen exclaimed. “You scared me!”

  “Liar,” Cassandra said. “You haven’t been scared of anything in all the years I’ve known you.”

  “You can’t fool this one,” Kristen’s mother, Louise, said. “She knows you too well. Congratulations on your scholarship, Cassie. I was hoping our Kristen might have snagged one or two, but I’m not even sure she filled out the application.”

  Kristen suddenly found every reason to look away. She was not as good a student as Cassandra, and had no plans to attend college of any sort, but she hadn’t broken that news to her parents yet. As her mother had guessed, she hadn’t bothered to apply for scholarships she knew she would never use.

  Kristen’s post-high school plan was to use her dimples, blonde hair, and vivacious personality to find a husband, and then spend her days making a home.

  “Can I steal Kris away, Mrs. Paulson?”

  “Oh, yes. The big party is at your house tonight, isn’t it? Of course, of course.” She hugged Kristen close, said, “Hug your father, then you can be off.”

  Happily, Kristen jumped up on her tiptoes and threw her arms around the thick neck of Doug Paulson. “I love you, Daddy.”

  Doug Paulson held his daughter out at arm’s-length. “Be careful. It seems like every year, someone goes off and gets themselves in trouble on graduation night. I don’t want that someone to be you. Clear?”

  “Clear, Daddy. Of course. That’s why Cassie’s having the party at her house. No one’s going to get in trouble there.

  “Kids getting in trouble on graduation night is kind of a tradition. There’s no way around it. Remember, Mary Malone was murdered on graduation night.

  “Graduation night in 1952, Dad. They caught the guy who did it though, right?”

  Both of the elder Paulsons shook their heads. “He was never arrested. He still lives out by the river. Everyone knows he did it, but he’s never spent a night in jail,” Louise said.

  Her father fixed Kristen with a stern look. “Bad things seem to happen to some kid every graduation. I just don’t want that kid to be you. Got it?”

  Kristen dimpled prettily at her father and his stern expression softened. “We love you, Kris. We never want anything bad to happen to you.”

  “I know, Daddy. Really. Don’t worry. I’m spending the night with Cassie, so I’ll never be out in the urban jungle that is Middle Falls.”

  Doug knew when he was being put on. His eyes narrowed, but then he smiled and swatted Kristen on the behind. “Off with you, scamp.”

  Kristen quickly hugged both her parents again, then grabbed Cassandra’s hand and they ran to Cassandra‘s Mustang. They jumped inside and Cassandra pumped the accelerator a bit so the engine roared and the heads of the collected parents turned toward it, hoping that wasn’t their kid.

  Cassandra blushed a little at the sudden attention and backed slowly out of her parking spot and turned toward home.

  Chapter Two

  The Collins Estate was always immaculate, but on this night, it shone with the polish applied by dozens of hired hands. The wide, circular drive glowed with the lights of a hundred tiki torches. Jamison Collins had hired two valets from the country club to park cars at the party.

  Cassandra pulled the Mustang to a stop in front of the house. Phillip, a boy she had known in school, appeared instantly. She smiled when she saw him. In school, she had never seen him in anything but jeans, t-shirts, and flannel shirts. Tonight, he had on a white jacket, string tie, and slacks.

  “Hi, Phil. You drew the crap duty, huh?” Cassandra asked.

  Phillip Norris had graduated from Middle Falls High a year earlier. He and Cassandra had taken an American History class together.

  “Crap duty? No way. Your dad’s paying us fifty bucks to park cars tonight. I’m lucky to make twenty valeting at the club. I am happy to be here, and you can tell Mr. Collins that, in case he has any other parties planned.”

  Cassandra tossed him her keys and said, “You can put that one in the garage. Door opener is on the visor.”

  “Have fun, Cassie,” Phil said. “I remember my graduation night.” There was a wistful tone in his voice.

  “Of course you do, silly. It was just last year.”

  He nodded his agreement, but the wistful expression didn’t leave his face. “Everything looks different this side of high school, that’s all I’m saying.”

  Cassandra and Kristen exchanged a glance, then waggled their fingers at him and walked toward the double doors. When they got close, two more young men swept the doors open with a flourish. Cassandra didn’t know either of them.

  Kristen leaned toward Cassandra and whispered, “They do everything but bow. Your folks went all out for this, didn’t they? I feel like I’m at a Presidential Ball or something. I’d kind of like to be standing right here watching when Freddy Hamm pulls up in his old jalopy and hands the keys over to Phillip to park it.”

  “You’re bad. Let’s go look and make sure everything’s ready.”

  Dorothea Collins had been planning the party for six months, so yes, everything was ready. A carpet runner led guests through the house to the backyard, which took up most of an acre. Long tables were loaded with food and drinks. An ice sculpture of a swan sat fresh and regal in the middle of one table, surrounded by silver tubs with iced drinks. A dance floor took up one corner of the manicured grass and a band was setting up in a corner of the patio.

  It wasn’t a rock ‘n roll band, though. That would be out of character for a party at the Collins Estate. There would be no psychedelic music or loud, feedback-drenched guitar solos. There was a guitarist in the four-piece combo, but he would be playing tastefully, with regard to the eardrums of the man who was writing the check for their appearance.

  It didn’t take long for the rest of the partygoers to arrive. Even though Cassandra had invited everyone in the class, not everyone accepted, of course. Some had parties in their own backyard with aunts, uncles, and cousins. Others, the wilder kids with hair past their ears and perhaps a wisp of whiskers already sprouting, thought the party would be a drag, and so made other plans.

  However, the bulk of the senior class showed up. The band played white-bread versions of Blowin’ in the Wind, 96 Tears, and You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me. It wasn’t the greatest dance music—kids on American Bandstand wouldn’t have rated it very high—but nonetheless, kids danced in that oddly jerky, slightly uncoordinated way that was popular in the mid-sixties.

  Hack Merriman, the senior class clown, managed to spike the punch, but it wasn’t long before one of the chaperones tasted it and gagged in surprise. Hack was stealthy, but he had no perspective on how much booze to pour into the punch and still make it palatable. Soon, that bowl of punch was killing the grass and a backup bowl took its place. Since Hack had expended his entire supply of hard stuff, there was no repeat spiking.

  Once the sun set, the backyard took on a fairy-like vibe. White globe lights crisscrossed the entire yard and white Christmas lights flickered beside them.

  Cassandra was a good hostess, and did not seclude herself with Jimmy, Kristen, or the rest of her closest circle of friends. She circulated through everyone and did her best to remember something she had in common with everyone there, no matter how far back in her memory she had to go.

  A little after 1:00 a.m., the party wound down. T
he band played their last song for the night—Goodnight, Irene—and were winding up cords and packing instruments away. The plates of food, once heaped to overflowing, were now looking a little sad and picked over. The once-proud swan was an unrecognizable blob of ice. The partygoers had broken up into cliques and were talking in a melancholy fashion about what was ahead, now that school was behind them.

  Kristen had excused herself to use the restroom, which left Jimmy and Cassandra all alone in one cozy corner of the yard. Cassandra was considering how to move along the stragglers.

  That was when Jimmy dropped to one knee.

  For a moment, Cassandra just stared at him, wondering what he was doing down there. A proposal was the furthest thing from her mind. When she realized that he was fumbling in the front pocket of his slacks for something, her hands flew to her mouth and she said, “Oh!”

  This encouraged Jimmy, which took her “Oh!” to be confirmation of her surprise and happiness at her greatest dream come true. He proudly held out an old-fashioned jewelry box, then popped it open. It held a lovely ring, far beyond what any eighteen-year-old boy could afford. Cassie knew this was a family heirloom, being offered to her in exchange for her hand.

  Cassandra glanced around. No one was looking at them. Before Jimmy said anything, she pulled him up toward her. She kissed him sweetly and said, “Oh, Jimmy, I love you, but this is such a surprise. Can we talk about this tomorrow?”

  A shadow of worry flickered across Jimmy’s handsome features, but not for long. He loved Cassandra. He was confident they would be together. His normal, happy smile reappeared. “Sure, sure. I wanted to surprise you, though.”

  “You did!” Cassandra agreed. She kissed him again to reward him for his patience.

  “I go to the bathroom for just one minute, and when I come back, you guys are necking. Come on, give a poor single girl a break, will ya?”

  Jimmy and Cassandra held their kiss for another long moment, but then laughed and turned to Kristen.

  “Come on, Kris, you know you’re only single tonight because you already went out with all the boys at Middle Falls High. Now that we’ve graduated, there’s a whole new world of opportunities open to you.”