Chapter 2- Coming to Conclusions
(A/N- I know they're only 13 now, but they'll get older. Thanks for the positive feedback!)
Later that day, Jake was in his room talking to Marco.
Jake
Marco was giving me strange looks. "What?" I asked him.
"I should be asking you the same thing. What's going on with you and Cassie? Both of you were acting pretty spacey today. Something I should know?"
"No. Nothing going on between us, why?" I replied, a tad too quickly.
"Come on, Jake, this is your best bud here. I know when something's on your mind, and I've had enough girls on my brain to know when one's on yours. What happened, dude?"
Obviously I wasn't doing a great job hiding it, so… "Well nothing, really, it's just…lately I've felt really…awkward around Cassie. Like I feel self conscious. See, I had this dream about her last night. I've had dreams like that before, but not about Cassie. So every time I look at her I think about it, and it's just really weird."
Marco rolled his eyes. "Oh, is that all? Hey, I have dreams about Rachel all the time. It's no big deal, everyone knows you like Cassie. I bet even she knows."
"You think she does?" I asked.
"Sure. She likes you, too. Ask her out."
"No way. She'd never go out with me. We're friends. If I asked her she'd be wierded out. I don't see how it's so easy for you to ask girls out. I mean, you ask Rachel at least once a day. "
Marco shrugged. "No biggie. They say no, so what? I've got nothing to lose."
I thought for a moment. "But that's where you and me are different," I said. " Me and Cassie already have something good with our friendship. If I let her know my feelings run deeper, if I ask her out, I'll have everything to lose."
Cassie
Rachel and I were in the barn after Tobias flew off and Jake and Marco left.
"So what happened today?" Rachel asked.
"What do you mean?" I asked, trying to sound dumb.
"You know, the mental disappearing act you and Jake had earlier?"
I was quiet, thinking again.
"Well?" Rachel pressed.
"Rachel, do you think Jake likes me?" I blurted.
"Of course he does," she replied.
"No, I mean, more than just as a friend," I clarified.
"I know what you meant, and yeah, of course he does. Have you seen the way he looks at you when he thinks no one can see? And how nervous he gets around you lately? He's totally into you. Why don't you ask him out?"
"Absolutely not, Rachel. I'm not as brave as you. I don't want to seem forward," I replied.
"You won't, I guarantee he'll say yes."
"But it's not the same for you, Rachel. You're beautiful; any guy you ask wouldn't believe his good luck if you asked him out," I said.
"Oh, stop being ridiculous, Cassie. You're definitely beautiful, And Jake worships the ground you walk on."
" I just don't want to ruin the friendship Jake and I have. I means too much to me, and I'd rather have that than nothing at all."
Rachel nodded. "But life is about taking chances."
After Rachel left, I thought for a long time. And I came to the conclusion that this was one chance that I just couldn't afford to take.
