About a week after Zayden had become part of our mission against the Shadow Legion, the hectic amount of research and flow of information had started slowing down. And Kyle finally decided to come to school.
I pulled my coat on as I got myself buckled into Kyle's car, and a feeling of comfort already swept over me at the familiar lull of his car.
"Turn the heat on," I whined at the car that had cooled over night.
"Give it time." Kyle replied with a roll of his eyes. I turned my head and muffled my face into my coat to conceal the stupid grin etching across my face. It was nice to have Kyle back, even to talk about the most pointless things.
As I stepped out of the car once we got to the school, I pulled my coat on tighter, the cold wind blowing causing me to feel chilly. I stuck my hands in pockets, and realized there was a scrap of paper in my left pocket. I thought it was a receipt, but when I pulled it out, it was something else.
In cursive writing, the paper said, it's not too late.
I frowned, not knowing where that had come from.
"What is that?" Kyle asked, absently glancing back at me.
"I don't know." I shrugged it off, sticking it back into my pocket.
The day went on normally, like Kyle had never been gone. I definitely felt more comfortable with Kyle beside me, without half a dozen people throughout the school protecting me while dressed up as ordinary people. I never knew who was watching, even if it was to protect me, and that really bothered me.
In my math class, I put my sleepy head down on to my arms, resting it on the table. The teacher was too busy writing something on the board, and I was sitting in the back row so she would never realize I was trying to doze off. I looked over to Kyle, who was sitting in the seat beside me. He was doodling something in his notebook—a really ugly pig, oh wait maybe it's a cat—while his mind seemed to be elsewhere. His dark gold lashes, several shades darker from his hair, which were abnormally long, cast a shadow on his brilliant green eyes, eyes I could tell were green from a mile away. Seriously, that's how bright they were. His jawline looked particularly hot from this angle, and his lips were settled in a small smile. His lips were so rosy-colored, as if he had just eaten cherries or been kissed. My cheeks started reddening as I remembered how soft those lips could be, how his lower lips were just the perfect size on mine. Damn, what I would do to kiss him right now.
"Why are you staring at me?" Kyle whispered in his low, boyish voice.
I quickly looked away, "I'm not staring at you."
"Oh come on," Kyle teased, his smile blooming into a full smirk. "I'm a spy, remember? Obviously I'd see you staring at me so intently."
I shook my head, too embarrassed to admit it. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Cassie," he whispered, and my heart skipped a beat at his new nickname for me, "you don't have to lie to me." I blushed, and I looked up at him through my lashes, and his eyes flashed with devilish amusement.
"I know I'm attractive, I don't mind if you stare at me, just tell me beforehand so I won't have to be embarrassed." His joke suddenly ended the moment of heavy tension.
I jumped right on his joke. "Oh, but that simply won't do. I like watching people...in their natural state."
He cocked a judgemental brow at me. "Don't get all Edward Cullen on me."
I smirked. "I didn't know you were in the Twilight fandom."
He seemed a little caught off guard of my obviously wrong statement. "I'm not—"
"Mmhmmm." I interrupted him, gaining a sarcastic eye roll from him.
I put my head back on my arms, this time closing my eyes. I couldn't help the smile etching onto my face after our conversation. Our constant bantering and teasing at each other, and that one brilliant kiss we had, made me so confused as to what our relationship was classified as. With everything else going on, the girlfriend/boyfriend conversation just never seemed to pop up.
And I didn't know if I had the guts to ask, even if the time did come around.
* * * * *
When lunch had come around, and Kyle and I had grabbed the bagged lunches, we passed through the crowded dining hall.
"It's too cold to go outside today." I said, and Kyle agreed. There was quite a strong wind blowing by now, and the air was cold enough to pierce through your jacket and raise goosebumps.
"Let's go the Assembly Hall." I said, and we headed towards the East Wing, where it was located. It was kind of far, we had to get to the other side of campus and then up a flight of spiraling staircases, and then through a dungeon-like hallway to get there, but it was always quiet and large enough to feel like you have a huge space all to yourself. Many students often went there to gossip or talk privately, or even to have a quick make out session, but it was mainly used to show movies and special guests did their speeches there.
When we got there, Kyle and I perched onto one of the large niches beside a window, and set our lunches by us. I only took one bite out of my sandwich when Kyle's phone beeped rather loudly.
I laughed. "If your phone rang like that in class you'd be in so much shit." But Kyle was definitely not in the joking mood. He grabbed his phone like his life depended on it. His eyes were wider than usual as he said, "you need to get out of here. Now!"
I jolted up, ready to sprint. "What's going on?"
But then my phone also beeped, and I took it out of my pocket.
I had gotten a text from a blocked number: It's not too late
The same words as the strip of paper I had found in my pocket earlier on. Right then I realized that paper wasn't there by accident.
Then I got another text: Join us
"Kyle..." I said, and showed him the texts I had gotten.
"We're getting out of here." He said, grabbing my wrist, already dragging me out. But then, a dark shadow was visible from the doors of the exit of the Assembly Hall, the doors slamming shut and the sound of the locks shutting in place echoed.
I gasped, and my phone beeped again: It's not too late to join us
And then again, join us
And then again and again and again and again the texts came coming, the beeps so close together it sounded almost like one single ring.
JOIN US JOIN US JOIN US JOIN US JOIN US JOIN US JOIN US JOIN US JOIN US JOIN US
Kyle cursed loudly. We were trapped.
Abruptly, just as I was about to slam my phone to the ground and smash it to bits, the deafening texts came to a stop. We both held our breath, not knowing what to expect, when a distinctly familiar, feminine voice came from the speakers.
"Hi Cassandra." The voice said, "long time no see."
"Where are you? Come out instead of hiding around like a coward!" I demanded, feinting courage.
"Oh? Demanding, aren't we? That's okay, that's a trait we think is really important. For the next heir, anyway." Her voice was strangely enticing yet comforting, like you would be drawn to it and then want to cuddle with her. And right then I recognized who's voice it was. It was that woman's voice I heard when I had been tied up, the woman with the cold, sinister voice. She was Roselle, my aunt, I was willing to bet.
"We're going to let you two get away this time. We won't hurt you, Cassandra dear, but your boyfriend, well, he's not in much luck." A faint laugh came from the speakers. I was disgusted at her sick humor.
"Just remember, next time, your silly little bodyguard playing boyfriend with you won't be enough to stop us from reaching you. We're all around you, and we know every move you're making."
"Even if you do reach me, I'll never join your sick little legion. And you can't hurt me."
Her voice gently tsked me. "Sweet little Cass, it's not your fault you've been misguided. But you'll come around, you just don't know it yet. I'll see you soon, honey." At that, a sharp noise came from the speakers, like she had just dropped her mic. Behind us, the doors swung open, the low creak creeping up on my skin.
I turned to Kyle with a stunned expression. His face didn't give anything away, but his voice was stern as he said, "we have to go to the Office."
I was quick to agree, and we ran out of school campus and jumped into his car.
* * * * *
"She did what?" Brook yelled, and everyone else in the room seemed to be in mutual agreement. We had explained to the team what had happened, and they seemed just as shocked as we were.
"How the hell did they manage to get so close?" Mikey echoed all of our thoughts, "we positioned so many people around, and the school should have been monitored."
Theo ran his hands down his face, looking exhausted. "They must have better communication than we thought."
"Or they're just more snarky than we thought." A woman I've seen before said, pulling out her phone and comms. "All of our equipment crashed just about ten minutes before Cass and Kyle were attacked."
We all looked to Mikey, our main computer guy. He looked at a complete loss. "What? I didn't even notice we'd been hacked..." He quickly pulled out his computer, typed things intently for a few minutes, and his jaw went slack.
"I detected it now, but..." his voice faltered, "but if I hadn't known we'd been hacked and wasn't purposefully looking for it, I would never have found it. They're good. There must have been tons of people working on just the hacking portion; it's so well covered up."
All of us could feel panic and defeat, and I suddenly felt really tired. Kyle groaned loudly, and suddenly ran out of the room. We all watched him flee, and I felt at a loss. Everyone, even Kyle, were suffering like this because of me. Sure, the Shadow Legion have been their enemy for a while now, but this awkward, stuck-in-the-mud situation was brought by me.
"Don't worry about him," Brook told me gently, but I could tell she was anxious. "He just needs to blow off steam."
"Where can I find him?" I knew Brook would know where he would go in a situation like this, he must have done things like this previously.
She shook her head. "You shouldn't go after him."
I held my ground. "Where did he go?"
"He probably went to the training room or the pool."
I nodded. I ran out the way Kyle had went, and tried finding myself to the elevators that Brook had taken me a little while ago. I worried I would get lost, because I hadn't actually been around here much. Once I got onto the elevator, I punched the top floor, and let the elevator shoot me upwards. The doors opened, and I walked in. I spotted Kyle immediately, because he was the only person there. He was punching a punching bag ferociously, without boxing gloves on. His hands were red, and Kyle's breathing was heavy.
"Kyle." I called, but he barely acknowledged me.
"Kyle." I said again.
"What?" He yelled, whipping his head towards me with flaring eyes.
I didn't flinch. Instead, I walked over to him and pointed at the punching bag.
"Teach me how to punch this."
Kyle looked confused for a second, but shrugged.
"Well, you definitely have to have your thumbs outside your fist, and away from where you're going to hit." I nodded, knowing that much.
"For a really simple punch, you have to keep in mind not to punch with your pinky, but with the knuckles of your first two fingers." He showed me on his hand, "so you have to tilt it a little like this. But make sure to keep your wrist straight." He punched the bag then, pushing it back with incredible force. If I had been punched like that on my face, my jaw would have cracked.
I positioned my fists like he told me, and punched the bag, the bag barely moving from where it was.
"Good. Just put a little more force into it. Try stepping into it."
I took a few steps back, and swung my arm out into the punch with all the force I could muster.
The bag went much further, but Kyle was cracking up beside me. "What's so funny?"
"Your arm's going to fly out of its sockets if you keep punching like that."
I grinned. "I can totally take down the Shadow Legion like this, can't I?"
Kyle's face fell a little, and I knew I had said the wrong thing.
"What are you so bothered about?" I asked him gently.
"It's nothing. Come on, try again."
"No. Tell me." I pushed a little, studying his face cautiously. The last thing I wanted was him to blow up on me.
Kyle made a frustrated sound, throwing another punch in.
"Kyle." I said in a level tone. "Tell me what you're thinking."
He looked at me, eyeing me intensely but I couldn't decipher what he was thinking. "Kyle?"
He sighed, running a hand down his golden hair.
"I'm not used to this, Cass."
"Not used to what?"
"Waiting." He paused, "not knowing."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm always out there, on missions, having a purpose, knowing I was winning. But now...they keep on overwhelming us, and I keep on researching, but I don't even know what I'm looking for. All I know is that I need to keep you safe, but I'm doing a shitty job of that too."
I gently latched my hands onto his clenched fists. "Hey. I'm still here, safe, in the Office, basically the securest place I could be right now. I'm feeling pretty lost and confused too, but sometimes you just need to be flexible and let whatever around you not get to you too much."
Kyle sighed. "I know. I know but...it's easier said than done."
I pondered for a second. "You know what you need to do? Cool down."
"Yeah...?" Kyle mumbled, raising a brow at me.
I took his hand, feeling my heart rate rise with excitement. "Let's go into the pool."
"We don't have our swim suits." He immediately shook my idea away.
"We don't need one." Kyle narrowed his eyes at me, as if he was asking me if I could actually be suggesting that.
I smiled, and took off my school vest and dress shirt. I was feeling adventurous, and I hoped he wouldn't freak out and make me put my shirt on again. That would be the most embarrassing thing ever. I had a tank top on under my shirt, and spandex under my skirt, so it wasn't like I was going with my underwear. I slipped my socks off, looking up at him.
"Come on." I urged, and he finally gave in. He slipped off his shirt, and my breath caught at his naked torso. His toned body would never cease to catch me off guard. Kyle was finally in only his boxers, and I could tell he was checking me out just as much as I was him.
He eyed the curve of my neck, and my waistline visible from my form-fitting tank top.
"Race you to the pool." I said, starting to run. I jammed the door open to enter the pool section, and dove into the water. The sudden coldness wrapped around me like a blanket of bubbles. When I got to the surface to take a breath, Kyle was beside me, grinning widely.
"Told you it would be a good idea." I said, and Kyle only nodded. I dove under again, letting the water envelop me. I watched Kyle do the same, swimming deeper and deeper like a trained swimmer. The chlorinated water were washing out my eyes, but I couldn't care less at that moment. I was feeling so alive and excited.
When we both went up for air, we swam towards the shallow end, instead of the deep end which literally went down to 25 feet, and was kind of freaking me out.
"I haven't been in this pool for so long," Kyle said, almost to himself, "I've just been so busy."
"Well, you're here now." I said, pushing myself up out of the pool to sit at the edge, my feet dangling and my toes skimming the water.
"True." He said, following my actions to sit at the edge. "Thanks for making me do this. I kind of really needed it."
"It was something I thought of at the spur of the moment." I said nonchalantly, but my eyes were trained onto his abdomen, where his muscles were indented clearly and I was imagining myself running my hands down them.
I looked up and met his eyes, and at the moment we both knew what I was thinking. My cheeks went bright red, but Kyle was quick to cup his hand on my cheek, and press his wet lips firmly against mine. I sucked in a breath of surprise, but followed his actions immediately. Our bodies were pushed against each other, the water on our skin making me feel more excited than I could have imagined. I ran my hands along his stomach, and I cherished how his skin felt on my fingers.
I pulled my legs out of the water and straddled him by his hips. He looked at me questioningly for a moment, but I smiled at him and pushed him down gently, so I would be on top. I didn't exactly know what I was doing, but I knew that I liked being in control of the situation. Realizing what I was doing, Kyle pulled out his legs and let me take over.
I kissed his neck, hoping I was doing it right, and gently sucked on it. When Kyle let out a soft groan, I couldn't help but grin. I repeated the action a few more times before moving back to his lips and letting our mouths explore each other. Kyle's hands trailed down my waist, and he slipped his hands under my tank top, gently gliding his fingers on the skin of my waist. I shivered slightly, but when he trailed his fingers on my hips, I gasped slightly.
Kyle's eyes suddenly glinted. "Sensitive spot?" He asked through kisses, and kept on running his hands over the skin. I moaned, more loudly than I would have liked, and wanted him to stop but also go on forever at the same time.
"So much for cooling down." Kyle joked, as our hot breaths mixed together.
"No kidding."
* * * * *
Hi guys! Long time no see! Honestly I've been so busy lately I couldn't even think about writing. As all high schoolers know, 4th quarter is hell. I've been having so many tests and projects and soccer practices I'm so worn out. Summer is in 1 and a half months, so everyone just hang on! I also had this writer's block thing which I'm not quite sure I'm out of yet but my writing is also coming back to me. But anyway thank you so much to like the 100 or so people who seem to be reading this story despite the fact that my updates are slow, erratic, and untrustworthy. But I hope it helps that I added a little bit of romance to those who like that ;)
With that being said, please vote and comment because it really does let me know what you're thinking of this story, and what I need to improve on. See you in the next chapter :D