I do not own the Covenant

Cassie shot straight up, her hands going to her neck. A quick scan of her room revealed that she was alone. She let out a shaky breath. "It was just a dream," she whispered to herself.

"Cassie," John shouted, pounding on the door.

"What do you want?" she asked tiredly.

"You've got twenty minutes 'till school starts," he told her with a smirk.

"You've got to be kidding me," she sighed.

"Nope," he chuckled, "hurry up."

Cassie stuck her tongue out and closed the door on her brother. "I hate school," she grumbled while getting ready.

Cassie slipped into her first class of the day just as the bell rang. She hurried across the room and slid into an empty seat.

Not two seconds later the teacher began to speak. "Welcome to the first day of your senior year." He began. "This is an advanced mathematics class. If you have not taken calculus or at least one semester of trigonometry, leave now." He waited for a moment and two blond girls got up and left. "Now, this class is going to help you…" The teacher was cut off by the sound of the door to the classroom opening. "So nice of you to join us," the teacher spoke drily, "I hope your lateness doesn't become a habit Mr. Garwin."

Reid grinned and lifted an eyebrow. "Nothing starts without me, therefore, whenever I arrive, I'm right on time."

A smattering of laughter rippled through the room and Reid headed to the open seat next to Cassie.

The teacher raised both eyebrows and spoke in a tone that booked no argument. "That may be how the rest of the world accommodates you Mr. Garwin, but in my classroom, time runs according to my whim and it is my whim that if you are not in the room when the bell rings, you are late. Understand?"

Reid grinned again and saluted. "Absolutely Sir."

The teacher rolled his eyes and once again addressed the class. "As I was saying, this math will help you in your life when figuring advanced calculations that require patience, precision…"

Cassie tuned the teacher and his lecture out, choosing instead to study Reid. His shaggy blond hair was still damp. He had slung his blazer over the back of his chair and his white button-up was un-tucked and clung to him in spots. It hi-lighted his broad shoulders and shifted every time a muscle in his arm flexed. His cuffs were unbuttoned and his sleeves rolled up displaying the tattoos on his arms. Her eyes slid down to his hands. His fingers were long and thin, very finely boned, hinting at piano playing or some type of work that requires dexterous manipulation. Cassie was broken out of her study of Reid by a piece of paper being slid under her hand. Opening it she read:

Do I have something in my teeth?-R

Cassie grabbed the pen behind her ear and replied:

No. Why?-C

Reid, seeing that Cassie had replied, reached over her arm to write his response.

You keep staring at me.-R

Looking up at Reid after reading his words, Cassie saw he had a smirk. She hid her own and wrote back:

Just wondering how someone so good looking could be such an arrogant ass.-C

That wiped the smirk off his face and his forehead screwed up in concentration as he wrote.

I didn't mean that comment as it came out the other night.-R

Cassie lifted an eyebrow and looked at Reid quizzically.

Then how did you mean it?-C

Reid wrote quickly, as if he took too long, all would be lost.

I was referring to my own brothers-R

Brothers?-C

The guys I was hanging out with yesterday. We grew up together and they are always looking out for me, telling me not to do something.-R

Oh.-C

Reid grinned at Cassie, his icy blue eyes sparkling.

Give me another chance?-R

Cassie smiled at Reid, a mischievous glint in her eye.

I suppose.-C

Just then, the ell rang, signaling the end of class.

"Remember," the teacher yelled over the noise of the departing students, "I want each of you to have an example of how you'll use math in your future career for next class."

Reid gathered his blazer and waited while Cassie packed up her book bag.

"How about lunch?" he asked her. Cassie tapped her forefinger against her check in thought. "All right," she decided, "but only if you show me how to get to Creative Writings."

Reid grinned. "It would be a pleasure milady."

Cassie's morning classes passed quickly. Creative writing was followed by Advanced Chemistry and then Economics. When the bell for lunch rang, Reid was waiting for Cassie.

"That's just a bit creepy, that is." Sanzi told Cassie when she saw Reid leaning against the wall opposite the door to her classroom.

"Why is it creepy?" Cassie asked.

Reid raised an eyebrow, "Why is what creepy?"

Cassie blushed, realizing she had questioned Sanzi out loud rather than telepathically. "Nothing," she muttered while Sanzi cackled hysterically.

Reid smirked. "You're pretty, when you blush."

Cassie fake gasped. "Are you saying I'm ugly the rest of the time?" she asked, her eyes dancing with laughter.

They were just inside the doors of the lunchroom when an annoyingly high nasally laugh rang out.

"Of course you're ugly," a skanky red head sneered at her. The red head looked at Reid and batted her lashes. "Why don't you and I go someplace private and..." she trailed off suggestively.

Before Reid could speak, Cassie broke in. "First of all, it's not very nice to call a bloke like Reid ugly. Second, I'm sure you're just as ugly inside as you are outside and I don't sleep with slags."

The redhead's face turned dark red and her eyes narrowed. She opened her mouth to retort but Reid's voice drowned out hers.

"Wow Kira, the red in your face is the only natural thing you've got."

Kira's eyes widened before they narrowed and she turned around and stomped off.

"Are you threatening slags again?" John asked, approaching them silently.

Reid jumped, not having heard John's footsteps. John smirked and Cassie scowled at him before answering. "Nope, just turning down propositions from lower levels."

John's smirk was gone in an instant and was replaced by a frown. "Lower levels. You're sure?"

Cassie rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I'm sure, but it won't be any bother."

John gave Cassie a look that meant she had better explain later. She rolled her eyes again before nodding. Reid cleared his throat and watched the siblings with amusement.

"Should I have been able to follow that?" he asked.

Cassie laughed. "Not at all. Now, I believe you owe me lunch."

He smirked. "Right this way," he told her, holding his arm out.

Cassie laughed, grabbed his arm, and walked beside him to the lunch table.

"You guys remember Cassie right?" Reid asked when he and Cassie reached the table.

"Of course," Kate said.

"Did someone just tell Kira off?" Tyler asked approaching the table.

"Cassie did," Reid replied with humor in his voice.

"I've never seen her face so red." Tyler exclaimed.

"It was almost as funny as watching Brady run away like a little bitch." Cassie laughed and sat down at the table.

John walked up to the table with a tray of food. "A burger for me and chips for you," he told Cassie, handing her the basket of fries.

"Mmm, chips, I haven't had any for weeks." She popped a fry in her mouth and closed her eyes, moaning at the taste. "Soooo gooooood." When she opened her eyes, she noticed all the guys at the table were staring at her. "What?" she shrugged, "I like chips."

Reid shivered, "I really wish I was a 'chip' right now," he said to Tyler. Tyler laughed.

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. "Back to the hell hole that is high school," Reid sighed.

"Chin up," Cassie said, "at least you have me in your class."

Reid chuckled, "This is true."

"Come on," she grabbed his hand and stood up, "show me where the locker room is, I have gym next and I understand we will be swimming."

Reid grinned, "It would be a pleasure."

Sitting in the corner of the cafeteria, unobserved by all, Sebastian watched. "It won't be long my pretty, not long at all," he said to himself before simply disappearing.