4.
"Hey, Cass!"
Allie, late as usual, ran down the hallway to Cassie's locker. Cassie gave Allie a weary smile. Allie examined Cassie from head to toe. Her baggy cargos and dress sized T Shirt were not Cassie's normal preppy style and the bags under her eyes clearly stated 'I haven't slept in days'.
"Wow, what happened to you? You look terrible," Allie said
"Thanks a lot. I appreciate that," Cassie said sarcastically as she turned back to her locker.
"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. What I meant was, you look really tired."
"I barely slept last night. I'm so glad you decided not to come to the gym with me yesterday, or else you would have possibly gotten by terrible beam dismount on camera!"
"If I had, I would have edited it out. What happened, anyway?"
"I didn't push off enough on the last back handspring and ended up landing on my butt," Cassie explained.
"How did that happen? That sounds really unlike you," Allie said.
"I know, but it was the end of practice and I guess I was just really tired,"
"Then why didn't you sleep last night," Allie asked.
"I was in the basement working on my beam dismount, and from there, it just got worse."
Allie sighed.
"Maybe you shouldn't have used the whole lunch period to exercise yesterday, then," Allie said exasperated. For as smart as Cassie was, she could still act pretty dumb at times. Cassie looked at her suspiciously.
"How did you know where I was?" She asked.
"I barely eat anymore. Lunch sucks without you," Allie said, hoping to brighten up Cassie's day just the tiniest bit, but it didn't seem to work, because Cassie still had the same look on her face.
"Speaking of lunch," She said, reaching into her locker. Allie dreaded what was coming next. Cassie pulled out a brown paper sack labeled CASSIE'S LUNCH in neat all caps, obviously done by her mother. Cassie slowly began to push the lunch towards Allie.
"Cassie, this is the third day you've tried to give your lunch to me. I'm not taking it," She said coldly.
"But why not? My mom packs really good desserts. You said that yourself."
"Well maybe you should be eating those desserts," Allie said.
"I don't want to," Cassie answered.
Allie sighed. If there was an Olympic Games for being stubborn, Cassie would take the gold medal.
"Fine, you don't have to eat it, but I'm not eating it either. Will you at least sit with me today? I don't think I can take Tory alone for much longer."
"You're not alone. You have Christa," Cassie said
"Big difference that makes. Anyway, will you please sit with me today, just this once," Cassie sighed and stared into her locker before gently closing it.
"Fine, but just today," Cassie said. Allie began to rejoice but was cut off by the bell.
Lunch rolled around, and Allie walked into the cafeteria with Cassie close at her heels. Allie set a brown lunch bag (her own) down on the table while Cassie tossed hers in the trash and took the seat next to her.
"So, do you want to go see a movie tonight? My mom could take us," Allie asked.
"Can't, gymnastics," Cassie answered.
"How about tomorrow night?"
"Gymnastics"
"Sunday afternoon?"
"Gymnastics"
Allie peeled the crust off of her ham and Swiss cheese took a big bight. Last Saturday, Cassie had been free, as for the Saturday before that do. How had she gotten so booked up all of a sudden? Tory and Christa came by with a big white cake box with "The Cupcake Factory" written on the side.
"It's Christa's birthday, so these are for both of you," Tory said gleefully. She handed each of them a chocolate cupcake sprinkled with shredded coconut, Allie's favorite. As soon as Tory set the cupcake and tiny pink cocktail napkin on the table, Allie lunged at hers. She took a delicious bight and looked over at Cassie. Chocolate with coconut was Cassie's favorite too, but unlike Allie, Cassie simply picked at the tiny coconut shreds, starring sadly and longingly at it. Allie didn't understand it all. She knew Cassie wasn't telling her something, but she couldn't figure out what or why.
