Sometimes

Chapter thirty

Cassie rolled her eyes in a pitying way and I felt myself frown.  “Oh, H.  That was the old Mike.  The new Mike prefers to spend break playing footie with the guys.”

I followed her outstretched hand to see that she was right.  Mike was dribbling the ball up the makeshift pitch to where Lance was waiting in goal.  I was about to ask Cassie what her next move was when I spotted Brandon standing on the sidelines, eating a packet of crisps and looking sulky.  I couldn’t ever remember seeing him without his preppy smile, apart from when I’d told him the truth about us.  The memory of his wounded expression reminded me of Thursday night.  I hadn’t even told Cassie about my almost run-in with him, too busy confiding in her about the Sonny situation.

    I turned to see her watching Mike with the same expression she’d been wearing for the whole of our History class.  Maybe now was the right moment to say something.

    “There’s something I didn’t tell you about Thursday night,” I said, trying out the words slowly, wondering if Cassie was going to get upset that I’d withheld information from her.  Instead, she didn’t seem to hear me at all.  Her gaze was still on Mike so I poked her with the hand that wasn’t holding my unopened chocolate bar.

    “Huh?  What did you say?  I was too busy thinking about how sexy Mike is to hear you.”

Part of me was stung by her words, but the other part reminded the first part that this was Cassie I was talking to.  She wasn’t the most sensitive person in the world.

    “I said I didn’t tell you something that happened on Thursday night.”

Cassie’s eyebrows raised in vague interest and I felt annoyed at her.  Normally she’d have grabbed me by the arm and threatened me with my life if I didn’t tell her.  Today though, she didn’t seem to care at all.

    “I mean, it kind of made the kiss happen.”

She looked a little more with it now, turning all the way towards me.  “Oh really.  And what haven’t you told me?”

I took a moment to open my snack and nibble on the corner.  “Brandon was there.”

    “Did you talk to him?”

I shook my head.  “He was trying to get my attention though.  It was quite creepy, like he’d come with the intention to get me on my own.”

    “And what do you reckon he wanted to say?”

I shrugged.  “I don’t know.  Something about us maybe.”

Cassie’s face soured.  “Why would he do that?  You told him you don’t like him.”

    “I know,” I replied.  “But what if he’s not going to give up on me?”

I watched as Cassie turned back towards the boys.  “So?”

I frowned.  “So I don’t exactly want him turning into a creepy stalker.”

    “Like he would.”

Cassie sounded almost bitter and my irritation at her inability to take me seriously, grew.  “And how do you know that?  You didn’t see the intense looks he was giving me on the dance floor.”

She didn’t reply for a second and I carried on eating my chocolate bar before she suddenly turned to face me, her hair flying back over one shoulder at the speed in which she’d moved. It was like she’d taken a second to think her words over before she’d decided to say them.

    “Just because he likes you doesn’t mean you have to rub it in.  Not everything’s about you, you know.”

That comment definitely smarted and I felt my cheeks warming with a blush.  What was that supposed to mean?  The confusion I was feeling must have leaked onto my face as Cassie glared at me for a moment until her expression lightened again.