See Me

44

My cheeks were hurting.

Like a cramp, in the mostly unused muscles deep under the skin of my cheeks, that I'm sure were painted now a rosy red.

Yet, I did not stop smiling.

I felt like I was walking on a cloud. I was unconcerned with the rising amount of problems today had caused. I wasn't worried that Zane had just beat Jax's ass in the school hallways. I wasn't worried that Carter had seen past my perfectly placed mask. I wasn't worried that Cain was asking questions.

I wasn't worried about anything because Zane had kissed me. Zane had kissed me. And it wasn't just any ordinary kiss, either. It was the kiss. You know the one in all the movies? When the music mounts and you can practically taste the romance coming off the screen. Everything about it was perfect. The way Zane lifted me off the ground, they way his breath tasted, the way his hands held me, the way his tongue felt against mine...

"Why are you smiling?" A voice interrupted me from my daydreams of Zane.

"Huh?" I stopped in my tracks, frantically looking around to find the voice.

"I asked, why are you smiling?" Cain asked me. He was standing in front of my locker, seemingly taking a break from the pacing he was doing up and down the hallway.

"What?" Why wouldn't I be?

Cain looked at me like I was stupid. "Seren, this is bad. I think Zane avoided getting caught by any of the teachers but I don't know how long this will stay quiet."

"Oh. Right." I let the smile drop from my face, but it wasn't easy. My lips tickled like they didn't want to behave themselves.

"Where is Zane?" Cain looked around like he half expected Zane to step out from behind me. "What the fuck is going on? What was that about?"

I willed my face to remain impassive, my lips suddenly forgetting their attempts to smile. "I don't know."

I tried to keep walking, but Cain grabbed my hand, pulling me back.

"Seren, I know there's something going on. You should tell me." Cain always looks serious, but the way he was looking at me now took it to a new level.

"I don't know what's going on." I answered him, looking him directly in the eye.

I had forgotten how easy it was to lie to someone who wasn't Zane.

"Where is he?" Cain repeated the question I had neglected to answer.

"He had to leave. He has to go to Arizona." I could tell him that truth, at least.

"To see his grandma?" Cain asked me, his face softening.

"Yes. How did you know?" I glanced down at Cain's hand, which was still gripping my wrist.

"It's been a long time coming. He's had to fly to Arizona a couple of times this year." Cain told me, but he didn't release his grip. "Don't you remember?"

"Oh, yeah sure." I lied, feeling a stab of guilt pierce through me. How had I never noticed these things? I cleared my throat, glancing down to my wrist again.

Cain seemed almost shocked to see that he was still holding me. He instantly let me go, quickly stepping back. "What are you doing?"

"What am I doing?" I repeated his question as I started to walk again, and somehow I wasn't even surprised when Cain matched my actions.

"Yeah. You're not in class." Cain explained.

"I'm going home." I told him, finally reaching my locker.