'Sup my readers? The second part of three. Thanks to any one and everyone who's read this. And a double thanks to those who've reviewed it! Heck, take a highfive too! Cassel and Audrey belong to Holly Black. Happy readings.
Audrey was beginning to lose faith. When Cassel had proposed getting a mocha latte together, she had figured they'd do it the next day so. It had been the better part of a week, and Cassel hadn't said a word to her since he had let him standing at the doors of the dining hall. At first, Audrey thought she had wounded his pride or some sort of silly male logic by leaving him there. By the third day without a word, the red head had decided she must have completely trashed his ego to the point that the only way he could recover it was to chat up every other girl in math. Because that's what Audrey saw him do. The feelings of disgust and irritation were come back, along with mild horror that she had ever let herself be seduced by his charm or his looks or those eyes.
It was now officially a week since their encounter, Audrey, having woken up feeling more irritated by Cassel's existence than usual that morning, hurried into class five minutes early like she always did. But as soon as she got into the class she froze. Cassel, instead of sitting with his "groupies" (actually, he wouldn't have usually been there this early) was perched on the desk in front of hers, facing the back of the class. Audrey took a breath and continued to walk. He hands started to sweat under her gloves and she mentally scolded herself. No need to be so nervous. She told herself. Her feet were resisting anyway as she made her way to her seat. The small trip seemed like an impossibly long journey.
She meant, of course, to be silent in her approach, and hopefully sneak up on the Sharpe boy. But, as always when she got nervous, her body didn't exactly follow orders. She was only one desk away when she tripped over nothing and accidentally kicked the mental chair, making enough noise that Cassel looked up from his notebook.
"Hey Audrey." Cassel grinned wickedly, closing his book. From the corner of her eye, the red head noticed a few of the "Sharpe groupies" stop short in the doorway as they saw what was happening.
"Hello Cassel." She hoped her voice wasn't as lame as it sounded in her head. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
He chuckled and ran a hand through his shaggy, midnight hair. "Yeah, I was being a bit of a jerk before, huh…" He glanced up at her for a moment as if he expected her to respond.
The caught Audrey off-guard. Was he really asking for her opinion? "A bit." Her mouth was getting dry.
"Well, to make up for it, let's do that mocha latte. Tonight?"
From zero to sixty, just like that. "Um, sure." She paused. "Do you need any more help with the homework?" Audrey mentally kicked herself.
He laughed again but it sounded a bit fake. "Nah, I'm good. Let's just forget about school tonight. Meet me on the hill at 8:00. Does that sound good?"
"Yes!" Audrey blurted out a bit too loud. The groupies turned and gave her a death glare, all in sync, before going back to their mirror and phones. "Yes, that's fine." She repeated more quietly.
Cassel flashed his genuine smile. "Great. I'll see you later."
Audrey blinked. "Where are you going? We still have math."
He gestured behind him with a sharp jab of his thumb. "Back to my spot. I can't take Jerry's desk forever, although I don't think he would mind switching."
Audrey turned to look; Jerry, the class math-nerd, was sitting in Cassel's spot, surrounded by the groupies. He looked equal parts pleased and terrified. It might have been the way Groupie #7 was leaning over the desk to talk to her friend behind her, her shirt open one button too many.
"Yeah, maybe you should switch back." Audrey mock-whispered. 'Jerry might burst into tears if Mandy gets any closer."
Cassel nodded seriously. "And he'd be too distracted to answer every question and Mr. Lungrine would have to ask someone else. Like me!" He added, horrified.
Audrey giggled. A real giggle. So much for her disgust.
He grinned again and picked up his book. "Come on Jerry!" He called across the class. "Time to switch back."
Jerry nodded, wide eyed, and gave one last look down Mandy's shirt before half-running to his spot. Audrey just kept her head down. She could hear the groupies pining for Cassel already- and she didn't want them to see her smile.
The rest of the day passed monotonously. It was a good thing had no tests or quizzes that day. She almost walked into the wrong class twice. The sound of Cassel's voice, which she had been trying to forget, the voice he used when they were alone, kept creeping into her mind. She hoped things wouldn't get too weird. Audrey wasn't the type of person who really should consume caffeinated stuff- she got too hyper for her liking.
At lunch, she tried to hide her nervous excitement best she could but as always, her friends noticed.
"What's up with you Audrey?" Laura asked.
"Yeah, have you been in the liquor chocolate stash again?" Cassie piped up from the other side of the table. "'Cause those are for emergencies only."
Audrey shook her head. "No, I'm fine." She insisted.
"Baby girl, 'fine' is just a four letter word for 'Everything is all wrong'." Brooke sighed, giving the red head a pointed look.
"I'm alright." The brunette opened her mouth again, but Audrey raised a hand. "Seriously. I'm just a bit tired, that's it."
Brooke still looked worried and Laura shook her head.
"Come on. Is it Cassel?"
Audrey's shoulders sagged in defeat. "Alright, you got me." She sighed and all the girls leaned closer. "I'm going for a mocha latte with him tonight."
The whole table squealed.
"No way!" Jasmine gushed. "That's freakin' awesome!"
"How did he ask?" Brooke demanded.
"I thought you were over him?" Kaylee said, totally confused.
"I thought I was too," Audrey agreed. 'But then he asked me in math, and I don't know. It just felt right."
Brooke nodded. 'That's a good sign. Now. What are you going to wear?"
Audrey's heart dropped. She hadn't thought about that.
Her friend caught he sudden look. "Don't worry baby girl. I'll get you fixed up."
"Oh, that's okay Brooke!" Audrey laughed. "I'll just go as I usually do. It's not a real date anyway."
"What you 'usually do' is nothing." Brooke muttered sullenly. The fashionista hated missing out on a chance to do some one up.
"Leave her alone Brooke." Kaylee shot back. "If she doesn't want to, then she doesn't have to."
"You look good the way you are now anyway Audrey." Laura nodded. "But it's suppose to be cold, so bring a sweater or something."
The red head nodded. As much as she loved her friends, she did get tired of them sometimes. She knew how to get ready for something like this- it wasn't the first time. "Thanks girls." Quickly, she groped about her mind for a different subject. "Anyone know anything about the secret Interpol concert this Friday?"
Cassel didn't come up for the rest of the lunch hour.
"Crap! Crap crap crap." Audrey shouted at her empty dorm room. "I am so late…" It was 7:58 and Audrey anywhere close to being ready to leave. She had changed twice before deciding on the new t-shirt she had gotten last weekend and a pair of jeans, though she still hadn't found her jacket. It was a good thing her roommate had left twenty minutes before. Taylor liked the room to be quite at all times.
"Okay, I'm good." The red head threw down the straightener she had been using to curl her hair, ripping the cord from the wall with a snap. "I'm leaving right now."
She took one last look around the room to see if she could find her jacket, but couldn't spot it anywhere. "I'll be fine, I won't freeze." She muttered, trying to convince her self, knowing the minute she stepped from the heated dorms, she'd be cold. She jogged from the building, doing her best to keep her hair intact and move quickly. . Audrey was never late- where had the time gone? She had been doing a written response for French when all of a sudden it was 7:35. That's when the butterflies had started. Now they were like hawks.
The grass was already slippery with frost. All the clouds had gone and the stars glittered like diamond chips. The cold hit her like a shock, but it helped clear her head, her breath puffing out in a grey mist. The school looked so forbidding in the dark, the upward facing lights on the group casted strange shadows and made the windows like mirrors. The walk over to the hill seemed to take twice as long, but be half the distance. When Audrey finally got there, her heart stopped. Somebody was already there, lying on the ground. Unmoving. She swallowed and took a deep breath. The chance that it really was a dead body was pretty slim, but that didn't mean it wouldn't be someone who had passed out for some reason or another. It wouldn't be the first time she had found someone like this.
Suddenly, the figure sat up. Audrey let out a loud yelp and nearly jumped out of her skin.
"What?" Cassel's voice yelled from the figure. "Audrey? Is that you?"
Cassel. It was just Cassel. The red head took a few deep breaths to calm her down before walking over to where he was sitting up.
"Yeah, you just surprised m, that's all." She murmured. Something about the chill of the night made her want to whisper.
"Oh, sorry!" Cassel apologized sincerely. "I was just looking at the stars."
Audrey looked up automatically. They were quite exceptional tonight and she took her time identifying her favourite constellation.
"Hey, sit down," Cassel laughed after a moment, patting the tartan blanket he was sitting on. "I don't bite."
Audrey gave a bit of a nervous laugh. What was wrong with her? She had barely said a word. It probably had to do with how cold she was. Cassel had the insight to bring a big sweater and he looked quite warm. She sat just out of reach, hugging her knees into her chest.
"How do I know you don't bite? Maybe that's what you brought me here for." The redhead babbled. What am I saying…?
"Nah,' Cassel shook his head seriously. "I wouldn't do something like that to someone so pretty." There was a slight pause before he laughed again.
Audrey blinked. "Thanks, I think." She gave her own laugh before moving a bit closer.
"I did bring the mocha lattes though." He hoisted a large thermos from his other side. "But I forgot cups." He added sheepishly.
Somehow, the small mundane act relaxed Audrey slightly. "That's just less dishes to wash later."
He nodded, his hair blending in with the rest of the night, giving him a spectral appearance. 'Not that I'm gong to be doing them anyways. I borrowed this from the dining hall ladies." He unscrewed the lid and passed it to her. "You actually talk to them?" Audrey asked, surprised. She took a sip of the drink- the velvety, half coffee, half chocolate was hot but so good. "Wow, this is amazing!"
"Thanks. Black coffee and powdered hot chocolate plus a bunch of sugar." Audrey took another sip before passing it back. "And yeah. They have a thing for starving high school boys."
Audrey loved the way he threw the thermos back like he was drinking something a lot stronger. The line of his throat drew her eyes and she had to pull herself away. "That's strange; they hate the girls. Or maybe it's just my group of friends."
He looked at her over the rim of the container. For some reason, it made her draw a sharp breath. Her chest was starting to feel tight. "What did you do that could have made them hate you?"
Audrey thought for a moment. "It could have been when Brooke filled a soup bowl full of ketchup and Jell-o. Or when Kaylee knocked over the all of the pre-filled juice cups.
Cassel burst out laughing. It was as smooth as the mocha and light as the moon. "That might be it. Just maybe."
There was a bit of silence as Audrey accepted the thermos back and drank some more. It was getting cold but it was still enough to warm her up. She gave another envious glance at Cassel's sweater. The red head had meant it to be sneaky, but Cassel intercepted her look.
"Are you cold?" He asked quietly. His voice had taken back the tone he used the first time they had been alone. She shivered but not entirely from the cold.
"A bit yeah." She replied, just as quietly.
"Here." He pulled of the sweater and handed it to her. "I'm pretty warm anyway."
She accepted it gratefully. It held his body head and that exotic smell of his. She put it on and rewrapped her arms around her knees. She could have swooned.
"Better?" His voice was even lower now and Audrey inched closer just to hear him.
"Yeah." She breathed. The air escaped in a puff of white. "Thanks."
They were both pretty much in the center of the blanket now. Cassel was sitting with his legs out, weight on his hands. Audrey still had her arms around her torso. They were barely a foot apart now, thought they had started for than triple that distance.
"What the rest of this?" He offered. "There's only a bit left." His teeth flashed as he spoke.
"No, that's okay." She smiled. "You go ahead."
He lifted the thermos in a toast and threw it back. The v-neck of the shirt he had on now exposed his collar bone. Audrey wondered is his skin was as smooth as it appeared. A buzz interrupted her thoughts and she pulled her phone from its pocket. It was from Brooke. How's it going bbg? ;)
The red head sighed to herself and put the phone on her left side, away from Cassel though not before noting the time; it was almost 9. She had to go.
The silence of the night was numbing, almost surreal. It was like they were in their own bubble, scented of mocha and Cassel.
"Hey Cassel?" Audrey started, turning back to face him.
She immediately forgot what she was going to say. Her mind was suddenly blank, void of anything. He had moved in so close they were almost touching. His eyes were huge and she could see veins of purple shooting through his dark brown irises. He kept glancing down to her lips, then back up to hold her gaze. The red head noticed his hand he had put closer to her was shaking slightly. Audrey suddenly became aware of an enormous effort, like she was trying to hold back a waterfall. She squeezed her eyes tight and had to force herself to breath.
"What's wrong?" He murmured. His voice was so dark that it seemed to be born of the night She felt her heart skip.
"I-" What was wrong? There was something, some desire, that was burning it's way through h her veins. But what was it?
She opened her eyes and found Cassel had shifted his body towards her more, his hand skill shaking, but now it was inches from her face, hesitating.
"You can tell me.' He whispered. And Audrey felt she could. She could tell him her worst secrets and he'd keep them safe.
"I can't decide if I should kiss you or not."
The confession came from Audrey's lips before she could stop it. Cassel froze, the stars reflected in his eyes. Slowly, so slowly, his hand stretched out and touched her face, His glove was cold against her cheek, but she could feel some warmth leaking though. She leaned into it and raked her eyes up to his- and Audrey made her decision.
They both rushed forward at the same time, Cassel's hand sliding lower to grasp her neck and Audrey shifting to be as close as possible. Their lips met, her mouth half open. He tasted like black coffee with too much sugar and that exotic spice she couldn't name. The feeling that her veins were burning under her skin, that her skin would turn to ash became consuming.
Just as quickly as they had moved, they broke apart. Audrey's breath came in short gasps though the kiss hadn't been that long. Maybe it had been from the effort in the kiss- like they were both trying to occupy the same space. Cassel had his hands clenched into fists so hard that his knuckles were white, though his eyes were gently shut.
"C-Cassel?" She didn't want to break the silence, but he was so pale all of a sudden. She reached out and placed her hand on one of his fits, He visibly relaxed.
"Yeah?"
"Are you alright?"
Cassel nodded, eyes still closed. "Yep. I'm fine.
She wasn't convinced and lightly rubbed his knuckles. "I have to go. My room mate gets mad if I wake her up and by this point she'll be in bed."
His eyes were still shut. Open them Cassel Audrey thought violently. Please.
"Okay." He murmured, only his mouth moved.
"Thanks for the latte." Audrey stood as gracefully as she could "Oh, your sweater…" She didn't want to take it off.
"Keep it." He mumbled, "I'll see you tomorrow.
The red head could tell when she was being dismissed. She thanked him again and made her way back across the frozen lawn. She knew full well that Cassel had gotten inside her head like no other boy before. Only this time, she wondered if it was a good thing.
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