Part 10

It was a sunny day, and Cassidy had decided to have her lunch outside. She placed her bowl of minestrone soup on one of the tables outside the main lunch room of Fielding and looked out at the trees that surrounded the school. She took her spoon and started to eat her soup. However, she was interrupted by an unwelcome voice from nearby.

"Hey, Hemming!"

Cassidy looked up and saw the slim figure of Elaine Swinton approach the table. She sat down opposite Cassidy and flicked her long, black hair over her shoulder, looking at the redhead with barely disguised contempt.

"Who do you think you are, crowding in on my territory?" Elaine asked.

Cassidy looked at Elaine, eyebrow raised. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb, Hemming. You know I've had my eye on Thomas for months. You've got a real nerve, waltzing in and taking him from me."

"I had no idea you had an interest in Tom. Not that I care," Cassidy said, eating another spoonful of her soup, "Besides, I didn't waltz in and take anyone from you. Tom asked me out and I said yes."

Elaine folded her arms and chuckled. "I don't suppose it matters, anyway. It's not like you and him are going to last."

Cassidy glared at Elaine, who smirked at seeing her expression.

"You stay away from him. He's going out with me," Cassidy said.

Elaine's smirk grew wider. "I don't have to do anything, Cassidy. You'll screw it up yourself," she said, as she looked at her red painted nails, "You'll have a good time, overdo it and scare him off. Then I'll just take him."

Cassidy continued to glare. "Even if things don't work between me and him, he isn't going to go for you. He's got better taste than to go for a snotty cow like you, so just give it up."

Now it was Elaine's turn to glare. Then, she looked down a little and smirked again. Cassidy, catching her gaze, quickly grabbed a tight hold on her soup bowl.

"Don't even think about it, bitch. You aren't giving me a minestrone shower."

Elaine looked Cassidy in the face, then just snorted again and got up from the table, Cassidy keeping a hold on her bowl as she watched the brunette walk away.

Cassidy sat on her bed, wiping her flute down as she had 'Water Music' playing on her music centre. She was wearing her new yellow and white striped dress in anticipation for the evening's activities. She put her flute back in its case, and put it back in the bottom drawer of her dresser. She hummed to the music until she heard a knock at the front door. She turned off her music and took a quick look at herself in the mirror on her closet door. Satisfied, she closed the closet and picked her bag up off the desk. As she was home alone, she quickly made her way downstairs to open the door and smiled at the boy stood waiting for her, dressed in a dark blue sweater and white pants, his brown hair moving in the slight evening breeze.

"Hello, Tom," she said.

"Hi, Cassidy," her replied, motioning down the driveway, "Ready to go?"

"Sure," she said, stepping out and closing the door behind her.

They made their way down the driveway and through the front gates. She followed him as he stopped by a rusty, broken looking blue Pinto.

"Well, this is my chariot," Tom said, motioning to it.

Cassidy tilted her head slightly, a bemused look on her face. "This is seriously your car?"

"Yeah. Everyone else has all these high class cars. I decided I want something different," Tom said as he opened the driver door.

"It's certainly different, Tom," Cassidy replied as she walked in to get in the passenger side.

The both sat in the car and fastened their belts before Tom started the car.

"So, how about a bit of the Bard tonight?" Tom asked.

"Sounds good to me," Cassidy replied with a smile.

Later that evening, Tom and Cassidy were sat in a little Italian restaurant. Tom was eating some pizza, while Cassidy was enjoying her tortellini. Tom was telling a story about his grandfather from when he attended Bromwell.

"So, according to him, that's the reason there's a sign at the ice rink that says 'Clothes Required'."

"That's so funny!" Cassidy said, as she started laughing, causing Tom to look at her slightly oddly, unnoticed by her.

The two of them continued to eat before Tom spoke again. "So, what did you think of Romeo and Juliet?"

"Interesting, but kind of odd, seeing them all in a modern setting while speaking in Shakespearean English."

Tom chuckled. "Yeah, the guns do take you out of it a little bit, but it was fun."

"It's very different from seeing a stage play, that's for sure," Cassidy said, "I'm glad I watched it."

"Me too," Tom said, before finishing off his pizza, "Well, it's getting a bit late. We should be heading home, I think."

Cassidy looked at her watch as she swallowed the last bit of tortellini and started to stand up. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Tom drove Cassidy back to her home. The ride was mostly filled with a bit of small talk, until Cassidy asked a question that surprised Tom.

"So, what do you think of Elaine Swinton?"

Tom frowned slightly. "She's attractive, but she strikes me as someone who's a little full of herself. I considered asking her out once, but she'd probably be too high maintenance and get on my nerves quickly."

"Yeah, probably," Cassidy said, trying hard not to smirk.

"She'd probably run a mile if she saw this old rust bucket, anyway. She'd expect me to turn up in the newest Mercedes or something" Tom said, looking from side to side before pulling out of a junction.

"It's charming in its way," Cassidy remarked, "Kind of reminds me of a car my Dad owned. It was a slightly beat up Nouveau Riche."

"Really?" Tom asked.

"Yeah, he called it his 'weekend car'," Cassidy explained, chuckling slightly at the memory, "I liked it, but mother absolutely hated it. She kept asking him to just use the Mercedes."

They reached Cassidy's house and Tom pulled up.

"Well, home sweet home," Tom said.

Cassidy looked at Tom, a big smile on her face. "Thanks for tonight, Tom. I really enjoyed it."

"Yeah. Yeah, I had a nice time too," Tom replied.

Cassidy paused for a second before carefully reaching over and hugging Tom lightly with one arm, causing him to give her a curious look. She then opened the door and stepped out of the car.

"Goodnight, Tom!" she said.

"Goodnight, Cassidy," he replied with a slight smile as she closed the door and made her way to the sidewalk. She waved as he pulled away and sighed with contentment before making her way into the house.

To Be Continued...