Baze POV
Baze watched as Frankie Palladino rose and swept Cate into a hug, one that lasted a little too long. He tensed up, but when Cate turned and looked at him with a somewhat apologetic look in her eyes, he shook his head and replaced his baffled expression with a stony one.
"Cate, the bell is about to ring. You coming?" Baze asked, a little impatiently. What the hell is wrong with me? Baze thought, I can't be jealous can I? Hah, no, that's not possible.
"Um…" Cate trailed off, looking from Frankie to Baze, and back again.
"Go ahead Cate let Baze walk you to class. My class is all the way across campus anyways, I've gotta go." Frankie said, and then he kissed her on the cheek and took off in the opposite direction of Cate and Baze.
"So, you and Frankie Palladino? I never would have guessed it." Baze said, trying to keep the raging…whatever out of his voice.
"What? You don't think I can get a date to a dance? Is that it?" Cate exclaimed, turning around and poking Baze in the chest with her finger. "You think that just because I'm smart, and I sit in the front of the class, and I get straight A's that I can't get a date to the Winter Formal?"
Baze stared at her, stunned into silence. He had never seen Cate get so fired up. Of course, she had argued with him in the few student council meetings he had been to, and he had seen her get mad about a few other things, but he had never seen her look so passionate. Or so incredibly sexy. Her eyes were buring with what looked like unshed tears, and her cheeks were flaming. She was glaring at him and poking him in the chest some more, but all Baze could think about was kissing her.
He just wished that he could go back in time, and ask Cate to the Winter Formal himself, before Frankie, that idiot, asked her.
Baze's eyes were drawn to Cate's lips once again, and he wondered how they would feel against his, how they would taste.
"Are you going to answer me?" Cate demanded, tapping her foot impatiently.
"I didn't mean that the way you took it. I was just saying that I didn't think Frankie was your type."
Cate just stared at him, and he felt a need to try and explain.
"Look, Frankie is a dick. I play football with him. I know how the guy really is. I just didn't think you would be attracted to him."
"Well, Baze, you thought wrong. I'm very happy Frankie asked me to the Formal. Anyways, why do you even care? I'm sure you're taking some stupid, big-boobed bubbly blonde girl that's on the cheer squad aren't you? So why do you care if I go to the dance with Frankie? I'm sure he is a very nice guy." Cate stated, crossing her arms across her chest.
She was standing there, looking like normal again. Like the cool, calm, and collected Cate that she usually was. But Baze still had thoughts burning in his brain about her passionate gaze. About how it would feel like to just take her in his arms and kiss her until that look came back again, but not in rage or anger, in heat and passion, in want and need.
Because, he realized, he wanted Cate Cassidy more than he had ever wanted a girl before. And there had been a lot.
"Okay Cate, I'm sorry I upset you. I don't know why I care really… I guess I just don't want you to get hurt. Is that okay? We can be friends can't we? And friends are supposed to look out for each other." Baze tried to control his thoughts, but he just couldn't seem to get that picture of Cate out of his mind. He was going to have to do something about that. And soon, before he did something stupid.