Part 3
The following morning Cassidy woke late. She'd slept through her alarm. No one had woken her, her mother wasn't banging on her door, yelling at her to get up telling her she was going to be late. Cassidy got out of bed, cursing at herself. It was ten thirty in the morning. She was going to be so dead when she got to the school office. Someone should have woken her, she thought angrily, pulling on a pair of black jeans and a bright pink top, tying the pink strings behind her back. She tugged a brush through her hair, finding shoes as she did.
Grabbing her books she hurried downstairs. There was a note on the kitchen table from Mom saying she was going to see an old friend and wouldn't be back for a few days, and a side note asking them to please not blow the house up. Cassidy grabbed her car keys - only to find her car gone. Lavinia must have found the spare keys. *Bitch* Cassidy thought. Walking was just going to make her later than she already was.
The car was hers, Lavinia couldn't drive to save her life, she'd crashed twice and nearly killed someone so Mom had torn her licence up. Cassidy's mood was rapidly worsening. She scowled, despite the bright spring weather and growing plants in gardens she passed, ignoring the vibrant colours of all kinds of flowers.
She had missed almost all her morning classes. She just hoped she wasn't flushing by the time she arrived at the school office and had to tell them that she was there after all. She got a small lecture from the assistant principle about being on time, and escaped to the library rather than face walking into class ten minutes before it ended. She sat at one of the computer terminals, idly checking through her email feeling a strange, uncomfortable heat, making her feel like she was being scrutinised under a microscope.
Cassidy glanced around to see Orion's sister Diana scowling at her from across the room. Her own eyes rolled and she turned back to her computer screen. Diana had been glaring at her ever since she had started seeing Orion.
"He's too good for you." The voice suddenly speaking in Cassidy's ear was cold. The hand on her shoulder felt like ice. She gulped and forced herself to turn round to look at the speaker. Yelena Mandrill, a gorgeous Russian girl with doe shaped brown eyes, glossy dark hair, fair pretty skin, and a figure to die for.
"What -"
"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about."
Cassidy looked at Yelena, trying not to sigh. Yelena was one of Diana's friends. For some reason Diana didn't like her and was setting Yelena on her. Yelena scared her, and making Yelena mad was *not* something Cassidy wanted to see, even though she had heard this speech before. The other students at the computer terminals were looking at her, breaths held in anticipation, waiting to see what would happen.
"You people can't decide who Orion gets to be friends with," she said defensively.
Yelena's smile was almost - cruel. "Yes, I know, but we think we've found a guy who's much more suitable for you."
Cassidy glanced over at Diana, then back at Yelena. "What guy?" She didn't want any other guys but Orion. She decided the best thing to do right now would be to play along.
Yelena let go of her shoulder. "His name is Paris Shadow. There's going to be a party at Ivy's on Friday. He'll be there. So will you." Yelena walked away.
Ivy Wood was the pretty blond haired blue eyed captain of the cheerleading squad. She was also Lavinia's best friend. It was an honour for ordinary kids like Cassidy to get invited to one of Ivy's parties.
Though under the circumstances, Cassidy didn't feel as awed by Ivy as she usually did.
"Cassidy!"
Cassidy closed down her email account, breathing a sigh of relief as she heard a friendly, welcoming voice. She collected her library card and went to meet her own best friend Khardine Landry. "Where have you been? What did Yelena want? Tell me everything that happened with Orion last night." Khardine, as always, was full of questions.
She told Khardine about her exchange with Yelena on the way to their French class next. Khardine was the only one she had told about the soulmate connection between her and Orion.
"What kind of stupid name is Paris Shadow, anyway?" Cassidy snorted when she'd finished the story.
"Paris Shadow?" Khardine echoed.
Cassidy glanced over at her friend as they took their seats. "You know him?"
Khardine shook her head "Nope. What are you going to do?"
Cassidy shrugged. "Go to the party, I guess. It sounded like if I wasn't there they were going to come and get me. Lavinia's going to have a hissy fit when she hears about this."
She didn't get to see Orion until library study hall last period. She slipped out the library to the boiler room.
"Cassidy?"
"Orion." She moved into his arms, kissing him deeply, feeling a wonderful tickle of magic running through her as they touched. For the second time that day he recounted what had happened in the library.
"Why is the whole world so determined to keep us apart?" she cried, burying her face against his shoulder.
Orion held her close, his own face pressed against her hair. "I don't know, but I wouldn't trust anyone Yelena sets you up with."
"I don't want some jerk with a stupid name. I want you!" Cassidy pulled back and looked at him, not bothering to hide the longing in her expression.
She could see her desire echoed in Orion's eyes. He kissed her again, reaching up to touch her breast. Cassidy sighed, pressing the hand against her, only a thin layer of clothing stopping him from caressing bare skin.
"Paris will not harm you," Orion announced. "Tell Yelena you can't wait until Friday, you want to meet him sooner, Thursday. Ask her to set up a meeting for you at the Black Lily. Only I'll go and have words with him."
Cassidy nodded. She would gladly do anything Orion wanted her to do. Orion smiled sadly. "You'd better go."
Cassidy nodded again. She went back into the throng of students piling into the halls as the final bell of the day rang. Orion was going to take care of Paris Shadow for her. Somehow, they'd figure out a way to be together.
* * *
The following morning Cassidy woke late. She'd slept through her alarm. No one had woken her, her mother wasn't banging on her door, yelling at her to get up telling her she was going to be late. Cassidy got out of bed, cursing at herself. It was ten thirty in the morning. She was going to be so dead when she got to the school office. Someone should have woken her, she thought angrily, pulling on a pair of black jeans and a bright pink top, tying the pink strings behind her back. She tugged a brush through her hair, finding shoes as she did.
Grabbing her books she hurried downstairs. There was a note on the kitchen table from Mom saying she was going to see an old friend and wouldn't be back for a few days, and a side note asking them to please not blow the house up. Cassidy grabbed her car keys - only to find her car gone. Lavinia must have found the spare keys. *Bitch* Cassidy thought. Walking was just going to make her later than she already was.
The car was hers, Lavinia couldn't drive to save her life, she'd crashed twice and nearly killed someone so Mom had torn her licence up. Cassidy's mood was rapidly worsening. She scowled, despite the bright spring weather and growing plants in gardens she passed, ignoring the vibrant colours of all kinds of flowers.
She had missed almost all her morning classes. She just hoped she wasn't flushing by the time she arrived at the school office and had to tell them that she was there after all. She got a small lecture from the assistant principle about being on time, and escaped to the library rather than face walking into class ten minutes before it ended. She sat at one of the computer terminals, idly checking through her email feeling a strange, uncomfortable heat, making her feel like she was being scrutinised under a microscope.
Cassidy glanced around to see Orion's sister Diana scowling at her from across the room. Her own eyes rolled and she turned back to her computer screen. Diana had been glaring at her ever since she had started seeing Orion.
"He's too good for you." The voice suddenly speaking in Cassidy's ear was cold. The hand on her shoulder felt like ice. She gulped and forced herself to turn round to look at the speaker. Yelena Mandrill, a gorgeous Russian girl with doe shaped brown eyes, glossy dark hair, fair pretty skin, and a figure to die for.
"What -"
"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about."
Cassidy looked at Yelena, trying not to sigh. Yelena was one of Diana's friends. For some reason Diana didn't like her and was setting Yelena on her. Yelena scared her, and making Yelena mad was *not* something Cassidy wanted to see, even though she had heard this speech before. The other students at the computer terminals were looking at her, breaths held in anticipation, waiting to see what would happen.
"You people can't decide who Orion gets to be friends with," she said defensively.
Yelena's smile was almost - cruel. "Yes, I know, but we think we've found a guy who's much more suitable for you."
Cassidy glanced over at Diana, then back at Yelena. "What guy?" She didn't want any other guys but Orion. She decided the best thing to do right now would be to play along.
Yelena let go of her shoulder. "His name is Paris Shadow. There's going to be a party at Ivy's on Friday. He'll be there. So will you." Yelena walked away.
Ivy Wood was the pretty blond haired blue eyed captain of the cheerleading squad. She was also Lavinia's best friend. It was an honour for ordinary kids like Cassidy to get invited to one of Ivy's parties.
Though under the circumstances, Cassidy didn't feel as awed by Ivy as she usually did.
"Cassidy!"
Cassidy closed down her email account, breathing a sigh of relief as she heard a friendly, welcoming voice. She collected her library card and went to meet her own best friend Khardine Landry. "Where have you been? What did Yelena want? Tell me everything that happened with Orion last night." Khardine, as always, was full of questions.
She told Khardine about her exchange with Yelena on the way to their French class next. Khardine was the only one she had told about the soulmate connection between her and Orion.
"What kind of stupid name is Paris Shadow, anyway?" Cassidy snorted when she'd finished the story.
"Paris Shadow?" Khardine echoed.
Cassidy glanced over at her friend as they took their seats. "You know him?"
Khardine shook her head "Nope. What are you going to do?"
Cassidy shrugged. "Go to the party, I guess. It sounded like if I wasn't there they were going to come and get me. Lavinia's going to have a hissy fit when she hears about this."
She didn't get to see Orion until library study hall last period. She slipped out the library to the boiler room.
"Cassidy?"
"Orion." She moved into his arms, kissing him deeply, feeling a wonderful tickle of magic running through her as they touched. For the second time that day he recounted what had happened in the library.
"Why is the whole world so determined to keep us apart?" she cried, burying her face against his shoulder.
Orion held her close, his own face pressed against her hair. "I don't know, but I wouldn't trust anyone Yelena sets you up with."
"I don't want some jerk with a stupid name. I want you!" Cassidy pulled back and looked at him, not bothering to hide the longing in her expression.
She could see her desire echoed in Orion's eyes. He kissed her again, reaching up to touch her breast. Cassidy sighed, pressing the hand against her, only a thin layer of clothing stopping him from caressing bare skin.
"Paris will not harm you," Orion announced. "Tell Yelena you can't wait until Friday, you want to meet him sooner, Thursday. Ask her to set up a meeting for you at the Black Lily. Only I'll go and have words with him."
Cassidy nodded. She would gladly do anything Orion wanted her to do. Orion smiled sadly. "You'd better go."
Cassidy nodded again. She went back into the throng of students piling into the halls as the final bell of the day rang. Orion was going to take care of Paris Shadow for her. Somehow, they'd figure out a way to be together.
* * *