𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲 {𝐒𝐀𝐏𝐍𝐀𝐏}

𝐱𝐱𝐢. 𝐀𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐳𝐞

𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐃
《𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥》

"Is it seriously that hard?" Cassidy spat to Nick as they both walked around the outside of the football field. Nick had been caught by Cassie after a game and she had demanded to talk with him. He was clutching his helmet close, sighing.

"It is. You'd be surprised." He said before shaking his head, "it's harder because you know that no matter what you say, she'll be standing there glaring at you with nothing but pure hatred."

Cassidy raised a brow as she looked at Nick. He seemed so solemn after the whole event. He was quieter in class and such and was often at the end of the table when at lunch with friends. He just seemed more distant after the whole thing.

"Look who's becoming more poetic. Bri really rubbed off on you." Cassidy said. Nick scoffed out a chuckle and looked at her.

"You think? I was down bad for her..." Nick said. Cassidy bit the inside of her cheek.

"I'm honestly surprised," she sighed softly, Nick raising his head to listen, "I expected to come over here and you'd defend yourself to the grave, but you're just sad. Not only that, but you're fully blaming yourself and at a loss for what to do. I mean...I guess I wasn't expecting you to be a real person."

Nick frowned a little at her words. He raised a brow and tilted his head over to look at her.

"What do you mean?" He asked. Cassidy shrugged a little.

"I don't expect many football boys who fucked my friend over to just have made a stupid mistake. Your type is usually just assholes."

Nick paused before chuckling softly. He couldn't argue with Cassidy's statement even if he wanted to. He understood where she was coming from. Luckily, he didn't want to argue. His friends were assholes. He knew that damn well.

"It sucks that Brielle sees me that way." He said. Cassidy hummed and nodded.

"You spend any of that bet money?" She asked, staring ahead at the small path they made together walking around the field.

"Nope. Losing Brielle hasn't been worth forty dollars. I can't get myself to spend it." He sighed softly. Cassidy smiled.

"That's sweet," she said in a soft voice, looking up at Nick, "maybe spend it on her."

Nick shrugged.

"I don't think she'd take any gift from me." He sighed softly. Cassidy rolled her eyes.

"Listen. Brielle loves gifts. She would never admit it, but she loves when people think about her and buys her things. One thing she liked about you. You always liked to pay for her and buy her little things. Just..." Cassidy paused to take a breath, shaking her head, "apologize."

Nick stared at her for a moment before chuckling. He turned his gaze back forward as Cassidy switched over to look at him. She raised a brow.

"What?"

"You think I can just apologize and give her a gift?" He asked. Cassidy lowered her gaze at him, making his smile fall a little, "seriously?"

"It's not about the gift or the apology. It's the effort, Nick. Even if it's little or if it's insanely big. You'd be making an effort to talk to her and keep her even after you got the reward you wanted." Cassidy said.

Nick bit on the inside of his cheek. He thought about it. Cassidy was right. It was the thought that counted, in a way. Behind all the tears and her anger, he knew Brielle had to see the truth and honesty behind Nick's apologies. She couldn't completely overlook him.

"Brielle's afraid since she's had her heart broken before which...kind of broke her itself," Cassidy said. Nick nodded in understanding.

"I know...another reason I feel like such an asshole..." he sighed.

After looping the field and talking for quite some time, they finally stopped near the parking lot as their conversation had ended. Cassidy stared at all the cars and then looked at Nick. He was staring at his feet, thinking of what to do. Cassidy rested her hand on his shoulder.

"It'll be okay, Nick. I promise." She said. Nick smiled a little and looked at Cassidy.

"Thanks..." he said. He sighed, "thanks for coming out to talk to me at all. I thought you'd avoid me."

Cassidy chuckled and shook her head.

"Listen, I'm not going to just judge you based on what someone angry at you says. I knew there was something off and I knew that you're not a complete asshole. At least, I prayed you weren't." Nick chuckled softly.

"That's good to hear I proved that I'm not." He said. Cassidy smiled.

"You don't deserve to be avoided or shunned because you broke someone's heart. Sometimes it's because feelings don't match. That doesn't make you a bad person. If something just didn't work out, doesn't change anything. Even with the shitty thing you did, it doesn't define you. I've talked to you! I've met you. I know you're not some monster. I'm not just gonna make you avoid Brielle." She said. Nick felt a small smile tug at his lips and he looked over to Cassidy.

"Thanks, Cassidy." He said. She chuckled.

"You can call me Cass. God, it's fucking annoying when people make the effort to say the whole damn thing." She said. Nick laughed and shook his head.

"Cass. My bad." He said. Cassidy nodded.

"It's what I'm here for." She turned to walk off to her car. She stopped and turned on her heel.

"And Nick?" Nick perked up as he headed away to his own car.

"Yeah?"

"Just apologize."

Nick paused for a second and nodded at Cassidy.

"I will." He said.

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