In Our Heads

Chapter 25

*****

Cassian nodded along as he listened to the man on the screen, occasionally interrupting to ask a question.

It was almost nine and while everyone else was in the dining room having breakfast, he was downstairs in the library. He had scheduled the lesson earlier than usual so he could have more time to explore the beach with Theodore and Zion before returning for his piano lesson.

Cassian did not mind skipping breakfast because he barely ate in the morning recently, but he would have preferred to be with everyone else instead of on the video call. They finished after a few more minutes just as movement from the door drew his eyes from his laptop.

"Morning, Grandma." He smiled seeing her peek into the library.

"How long have you been awake?" she frowned.

"Since earlier. Just been on a call." He motioned to the screen.

He had gone out for a run before the lesson. It was not very cold, and he was glad because that meant maybe they could head into the water later.

"Well, come have some breakfast."

"I'm good. I had –"

"A banana is not breakfast. Is that what you eat at home too? No wonder you've become so skinny, come on up." She left no room for argument, disappearing right after she spoke.

Cassian chuckled as he shut the laptop before heading upstairs, following his grandmother.

He walked into the dining room and greeted everyone already at the table before sitting beside Theodore who, like Cassian and his grandmother, was already fully dressed in daywear. Jonathan and Zion were in their pyjamas. Cassian smiled at the dark soccer-themed pyjamas Zion was in.

"When did you get up?" he asked.

"About the time you left," Theodore replied.

"Left?" Cassian smiled as his grandmother spoke up.

"I took a jog earlier," he explained as he reached for some toast.

He found the sight of it less nauseating than the waffles and oats, though still felt his stomach turn uncomfortably as he buttered it.

The conversation around the table turned to discussing what everyone was going to be doing the rest of the day. Jonathan offered to accompany Cassian's grandmother on her trip to some friend's house because he did not have any other plans while Cassian and Theodore figured they would just walk around the beach.

After breakfast, everyone split up so they could get ready to leave. In his room, Cassian looked into the mirror although he had already done so after taking a shower and fixing his hair when he returned from the run. Still, he carefully brushed his fingers over it to make it look somewhat better before frowning at his reflection.

He was trying too hard, clearly. It was not like they were going on a date. He would probably put even more effort into his looks if they were. Why was he even thinking about that? Cassian felt awkward as he looked away from the mirror, grabbing his keys before heading downstairs.

"Zion, stop! Not that far!" Theodore called out when his brother sprinted ahead of them.

Zion stopped dead in his tracks, sending himself tumbling over on the sand and Theodore rolled his eyes hearing Cassian chuckle.

"You watch him like a hawk. There aren't many people here, nothing's going to happen to him," Cassian said.

Theodore didn't reply, instead focusing on Zion who was lying in the sand waving his arms out at either side of him, not caring that his hat had fallen off his head during the tumble.