Chapter ten
I groan as the alarm goes off in our room. Thursday morning. I sit up and rub my eyes, realising I've got gym up first. Not my best subject, but I can cope.
"Good morning." Kirra sings. I groan and she laughs. "What time did you get to bed? Thinking about that secret lover of yours?" She wiggles her eyebrows suggestively and I wonder why the hell she's being nice.
"No." I lie. She grins and I can't help asking. "What's put you in such a good mood?" I ask curiously.
She shrugs and smiles. She should do it more often because she's really quite pretty when she does. "I've just become friends with the most amazing guy. And it's not Aaron." She gushes and I smile.
"Who is he?" I ask, sitting on my heels.
"We're going to the dance together, so you'll just have to wait and find out then." She smiles serenely and gets her things ready for a shower.
I get off my bed and look at myself in the mirror and turn right back around. Not what I want to see. I pull out my uniform and pull it on, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. I get myself ready and grab my bag, heading for the door.
When I open the door, I don't jump like usual. "Hey Reid." I say coolly.
"Wow, you didn't jump. I'm shocked." He says sarcastically. I smirk at him and he grins. "So, um," He says and I think it's a little awkward. "Gym up first, huh?" He says conversationally.
I nod. "Joy." I say sarcastically. He laughs and the tension breaks. "What do you guys do in gym?" I ask curiously. He shrugs.
"Everything. Swimming, running, boxing, just everything. But we're having combined classes today." I give him a questioning look. "Dancing lessons." He says, making a face.
I pale. "Oh, no. I can't dance for my life." Well, actually, I've never really tried, always imagining the worst things to happen to me. My mum once tried to make me do ballet. That did not work out. I groan. "I'm going to die." I say dramatically and he laughs.
"Good thing for you, I can dance, then." He says cockily. "My mom made me learn." He explains and I nod understandingly as we come up on Caleb, Tyler and Sarah.
"Hey guys." I say quietly. "Hey Sarah." I say and she hugs me. I'm slightly taken aback, but I hug her in return and she grins when she pulls away.
"It's so good to have you back; I think I'm turning into one of the guys, here." She jokes. I laugh at her and she pulls me aside. "Are you going to the dance?" She asks me. I nod and she beams at me. Oh, god. "Who with?" She asks nosily.
I look at her innocently. "Nobody in particular." I grin mysteriously.
Sarah pouts at me. "Come on… tell me… Please?" She whines. I sigh and look at Reid. She gasps, getting my meaning and almost squeals. "Really?" She asks excitedly. I nod and sigh.
"I've been forced into it." I say indignantly. "He cheated." I add and she gives me a questioning look before we're joined by the very devil himself.
"What are you two ladies whispering about?" He asks, putting an arm around both of us. Sarah laughs and I roll my eyes.
"Nothing of huge importance." I say offhandedly. He looks amused, because he knows we were talking about him. Sarah's giving it away by looking between us happily. "So, Sarah, I hear you're going to the dance with Caleb." I say conversationally.
She grins. "Yeah, he asked me ages ago. It's exciting isn't it?" She asks both of us and I nod uncertainly.
I haven't been to a dance in three years. Since before Grace died. She'd always drag me along with her and we'd have a really good time watching everyone dance and making fun of the idiots who think they're all that.
Caleb and Tyler join us, looking slightly annoyed. "So, Tyler, who are you taking?" I ask curiously.
He smirks slightly. "That's for me to know, and you to find out." He raises and eyebrow in challenge. "What about you? Who are you going with?" He asks me.
"Oh, some loser." I say airily and Reid pokes me in the stomach.
"I'm not a loser." He says, and they all grin at me. "If anyone's the loser, it's you." He says playfully and I hit him upside the head.
"For going to the dance with a loser such as yourself?" I ask innocently and he smirks. "No, wait, silly me. That just makes me brave." They're all amused and Reid's grinning. "What's that smile for?" I ask.
"Nothing, brave soldier." He salutes me and laughs. "You're weird." He states and I poke my tongue out at him. "Oh, very mature." He says.
The bells rings and we all sprint to gym class, held in the basketball court. Our teachers, Mrs. Valuria and Mr. Johnston practically beam at us with evil smiles on their faces. "Everyone into pairs of boy-girl." Mr. Johnston exclaims.
Reid puts an arm around my shoulders and I shrug it off, not wanting to be his leaning post. He smirks at me. We're told to pick a spot somewhere and stand facing each other. "Now, boys, put your hands on their waists and no lower, and girls, your hand on his shoulder." Mrs. Valuria announces, pairing up with Mrs. Johnston and taking the traditional waltzing position.
Reid's fingers tap across my back. "Ready?" He asks and I shake my head.
"I apologise in advance if I step on your toes." I say weakly and he laughs, taking my other hand as the music begins. He leads the way, and I watch my feet and count at the same time. I look up at him, and I'm grinning broadly. "I'm doing it!" I say excitedly.
Just then he dips me down and I squeal loudly in surprise. He laughs as I hit him on the shoulder and turn bright red when everyone laughs with him. "Sorry, couldn't resist." He smirks and I feel like knocking that smirk off his face.
"You're a bloody wanker." I say, though I'm smiling.
"Only for you, baby." He replies cheekily. We keep dancing to the music and the teachers stop us, congratulating us on getting this dance right.
"Now, we're going to begin learning some Salsa." Mrs. Valuria announces happily. "This will be your P.E class for the rest of the term, ladies and gentlemen!" I hear most of the people in the room groan, including myself.
"You're not that bad." Reid says. "And you'll have me as your partner, so you'll be fine." I'm not very reassured.
"Girls over this side of the room and boys go to Mr. Johnston's side." We do as we're told and Mrs. Valuria explains to us the hip movements. We're made to try them and I get embarrassed as she openly congratulates me on my 'skill'. "Well done. You're going to make a fine dancer."
Sarah grins at me and wiggles her eyebrows suggestively. "Shut up." I mouth back to her. She laughs silently and we're told to take our partners again.
Reid smirks and takes my hand and my waist, only this time; we're spaced further apart and in a more rigid position. The music starts and I start counting my steps and timing them with my hip movements. "You're good." He says, grinning evilly.
"Shut up and stop looking at my arse." I say as he spins me out, like Mr. Johnston spins Mrs. Valuria out.
"I can't help it." He says. "Male, remember."
"How could I forget?" I laugh, before stumbling for the first time. I fall forward and he catches me, smirking. "Thanks." I mumble. We finish up and we get dismissed, and I think the rest of the day just flies by, because I can't pay attention to anything. Well, my own thoughts don't count.
Collision. Collision. Collision.
Friday flies by just as quickly and it's now Saturday. I'm sitting with Sarah under a tree with our lunch. She grins at me. "So, you and Reid, hey?" She asks curiously.
"We're just friends." I say airily. "Nothing more." I raise my eyebrows in challenge and she laughs.
"Whatever you say, Cassia. But I don't believe you. You two would make a great couple; flirting all the time and stealing glances. It really is cute." I wrinkle my nose and make a face at her.
"We're just friends." I repeat myself and she laughs again.
"You should see the dress I'm wearing." She says dreamily. "It's so pretty. What are you wearing? Oh, you have to show me." She pulls me up as I stuff the last of my sandwich in my mouth and let her drag me along.
I let her in my room and Kirra looks startled. "Oh, hi." She says, still in her really good mood.
"Hey Kirra." I say. "You know Sarah, right?" I ask and she nods.
"How's… Kate?" She asks politely and Sarah relays to her that the doctors are doing everything they can, but she's really sick. Kirra nods in understanding. "Poor thing. What are you two up to?" She asks curiously.
"She's going to show me her dress for the dance tonight." Sarah tells her, grinning at me. I sigh and pull the green thing out of my cupboard. They both look at it in awe. "Reid is going to die." Sarah squeaks. "I know a few guys who are going to die."
Kirra laughs. "You're going with Garwin?" She asks and I nod. "Yeah, saw that one coming." She remarks and Sarah laughs. "But yeah, he's going to fall at your feet." She says casually, before excusing herself.
"You have got to put it on." Sarah says and I shake my head at her.
"I might rip it or something. You'll see it tonight." I say, attempting to put it away.
"Please?" She whines making a puppy face at me. "Pretty please? With sugar on top?" I find myself smiling and I go into my bathroom to put the damned dress on.
I walk out about ten minutes later, grimacing. "I feel like a weirdo." I announce, standing in front of her. She's silent and I open my eyes to find her smiling widely at me.
"You are going to look amazing!" She squealed.
I turned around to look in the mirror and wrinkled my nose slightly. I guess with a bit of make-up, I could look nice. The dress was simple, but elegant – not exactly me, I know. It was a pale green and strapless. It was tight down my torso and fell down gracefully at my hips in waves of material. It had white detail on the hems and made me feel like a princess.
Well, that was the theme; Royalty. We were all supposed to dress up as wither a prince or a princess. How… soppy.
"You really should wear dresses more often, you know. They make you look amazing. Not that you don't look amazing anyway, but dresses just… wow." Sarah said happily. I smiled at her and went to change out of it.
We hung around for the rest of the day, waiting until about four o'clock to get ready, before Sarah's phone rang.
"Hello?" She answers. "Yeah, why?" She asks concerned. "Caleb, what's going on? Why do I need to – oh." She's beginning to worry me. "Okay, I'll just put her on for you." She hands me her phone. "It's Reid." She tells me and I raise an eyebrow.
"Hello?" I say into the phone uncertainly.
"Cassia, there's been a change of plans." Reid says to me, I can tell something's wrong.
"What's happened?" I ask, alarmed. "Tell me, Reid. I want to know." I say hurriedly.
He sighs. "Sorry, Cassia, I really can't. But you two are getting ready at Caleb's place tonight and Caleb isn't coming to the dance." He explains. I feel my throat go dry. "Cassia? Are you okay?"
I clear my throat. "Yeah, I'm fine. Will you tell me when we get there?"
He pauses. "I don't know. It's up to Caleb." I feel a constriction in my throat and the full moon comes to mind. "I'll be picking you both up. Be ready to go in half an hour, okay?"
"Okay." I croak and we hang up. I feel sick. Something bad has happened and I don't know what. Not knowing makes me nervous. I sigh. So much for fun... "He's picking us up in half an hour." Sarah nods.
"I know." She says with a grim smile on her face. She doesn't look to well either.
I don't know exactly what Sarah knows. All I know is that whatever it is, it has begun and neither of us like it.