(watch the trailer above made by the talented @valuables seriously it's amazing.)
Hands
Staring at the open doors of The Blue Bones she stood quietly. The fluorescent tube sign with the name of the bar was, of course, neon blue but it didn't stand out from the other big billboards from other nearby bars.
The Blue Bones had its own style, as if it didn't need a big flashy display to convince people to enter. From what she could see, the walls were black and the light was dim. The whole ambience of the place radiated a cave-like atmosphere and a certain feeling of intimacy.
Cassie sighed, not having a specific plan in mind. She liked knowing exactly what was going to happen, but this was different... things might go better if she didn't have a script to follow.
Piero's trust in her, his honest advice and his concern gave her the confidence and freedom she needed to function at a high level. Now Cassie had to learn to trust herself. Was she really going to let herself go there, enter the dangerous cave of her own dark mind and break free from her fear and doubts?
Walking into the cavernous confines of The Blue Bones at least was a small step in the right direction.
She knew she was thinking way too much, especially about Tate...day and night...minute after minute, his presence inevitable and irresistible. After all that happened between them, especially the she-loves-me-she-loves-me-not unstable nature of their relationship, Cassie had to stop and think for second; what do I really want?
Her answer went against everything she believed, everything she'd been taught, and, in her role as a human guardian, contradicted the moral imperatives of the twelve Great Guardians. Well, eleven Great Guardians since Piero was on her side.
She shook her head while entering. Inside it smelled surprisingly like a field of wild mint. Her heart was racing. She couldn't find him. Did she really want to? She shook her head...yes...yes, she did. Cassie walked slowly among the tables. None of the faces were familiar. She went through a crowded hallway. She was cold. The back of the bar didn't have a roof. The small lights hanging from one wall to another looked like stars. They blinded her for a second.
Cassie forgot why she was there and had the impulse to run away. Then, she got a feeling... that feeling. Everything began spinning. He didn't know he was looking for her until he saw her.
Like the first time they met at Tate's concert; he stood there surrounded by lights and she isolated in the darkness, but they found each other. Then, everything stopped spinning.
Instead of running away like the last time, Cassie paced towards him. He did the same. They met where the lights quieted into a darker, more private space.
"Cassie," he said, almost whispering.
Tate looked surprised to see her there. His heart began to race as he felt the warmth of hot blood rushing under his skin. She crossed her arms below her chest, shivering because of the cold. Cassie was only wearing a white t-shirt and skirt, leaving home without giving a thought of the weather.
"Tate," she replied.
His voice, saying her name, kept echoing in the cavern of her stunned mind.
He didn't ask why she was there because it did'nt matter. She was there. He was there. That's all he wanted...to see her again.
They stared at each other in an awkward silence, each expecting the other to say something. Cassie regretted not having a back-up plan. Tate scratched the back of his neck looking at the floor, both not at all sure what to do next.
"Sit with us," he suggested trying to contain a smile of unbridled joy.
Cassie followed Tate to their table. It was covered in drinks and food.
"Blondie! haven't heard from you in a while," teased Lip.
He was wearing a black T-shirt that said I Hate Everyone. It didn't look like something Lip would wear considering his pleasant personality, but either way Cassie said, "Nice Lip," judgmentally pointing to the off-putting words with a scowl on her face.
"Thanks."
Lip smiled, he looked really happy that someone actually liked it, which means he didn't get Cassie's sarcasm.
"What's up?" asked Chester, who elbowed Mac, who lifted up his head from his phone and saw Cassie, and glared at her with contempt before looking at his phone again.
The blue-haired boy finally spoke up.
"Well...I didn't know a lady would be joining us. Tate, why didn't you tell us?"
"I-I..." Tate looked at Cassie, hesitating while trying to find the right words.
"He didn't know," interrupted Cassie, "I...wanted to surprise him."
"I see." He raised his eyebrow and smiled, then took a sip of a glass filled with ice and red liquid.
"You should buy her a drink, Tate...where are your manners?" asked Chester while laughing.
"I'm okay, thanks" Cassie replied.
She stared at Tate while Chester and Philip kept talking. Tate glanced at her and whispered, "What are you looking at?"
"You," she said, her lips hovering uncomfortably right in front of his ear.
"Yes...yes I know that...I can see that...but why?"
He sounded impatient, almost nervous.
"I don't know."
"That's what you always say...come on, give."
"I bet you want to know why I'm here."
"Just admit it, you wanted to see me because you missed me so much?"
She laughed.
"It's a long story, well... not quite so long...Piero-"
"If it's bad, I don't want to hear it. If it's anything other than you really wanted to see me, no...not now."
"Then hush and listen."
He looked at her.
"Yes...I wanted to see you."
"You can't be serious?"
"...one hundred percent serious."
"Whoa...now that's what I call character development...we've never gone this long without speaking."
"Piero just said he would cover me if the Guardians made waves about us."
Tate smiled and ruffled his hair.
"I still hate you..."
"No you don't," Tate quipped.
"Maybe not as much as I did before," Cassie grumbled.
"How could you hate me? I'm the most loveable person on the planet!" he teased.
"I highly doubt that..." Cassie mused, never sure when Tate or anyone was being literal or satirical. Then she added, "Since you brought up hate, why does Mac hate me?"
"Does he? How do you know?"
For some reason, he sent the message directly to Cassie's mind instead speaking the words out loud for everyone to hear.
"I still need to learn how to do that."
"You'll practice...now tell me about Mac."
"Today, after Piero talked to me I called Mac's phone, because you still don't have yours, and after several calls he blocked my number."
"What?"
"You heard me."
"I'll talk to him."
Tate tried to get up but Cassie grabbed his shirt and pushed him back to his chair.
"Not now...stay right here."
"Your wish in my command, Princess."
"Ugh, I thought you were done referring to me like that."
"Nope."
"I don't like it."
"Okay, let's go with Cassie-Cass, you never complained about that nickname."
"Fair enough," she giggled.
➳
Philip and Chester kept an interesting conversation going about paranormal stories and fortune tellers. Cassie was listening in.
"I can read hands," she said, joking, while concealing the truth that she actually had that power to look deep into someone's soul and see their future.
"Really...here read mine, read mine."
Philip extended his hand.
Cassie started using her drama skills to convince him she was actually reading the lines on his hand. She suddenly stopped, looked directly into his eyes, and said the most common thing she could predict about anyone,
"You like someone, don't you?"
The look in Philip's eyes said everything. Cassie smiled and continued.
"But you are afraid to tell them."
Philip pulled his hand back quickly and his mood changed. Tate saved what was supposed to be a fun diversion and placed his hand on the table.
"My turn"
Cassie carefully placed his hand in hers. It didn't look like it belonged to a seventeen-year-old boy. Some of his fingertips had sores and some of his nails were longer than the others, which she attributed to years of paying the guitar. They reminded her of her feet which were somewhat disfigured because of ballet.
"Oh my god Tate..." she declared, acting startled as some big revelation was coming.
"What? What does it say?"
"It says... you are an idiot."
Chester and Lip immediately began laughing, a contagious chuckle that made Cassie laugh at her own joke.
Tate frowned and put his upper lip out like an angry little kid.
"I'm sorry...not really," she teased, still smiling.
Tate couldn't hold his reaction in any longer and laughed under his breath, rubbing his eyes with his right hand.
After a few moments passed, Cassie realized that when Tate held her hand their fingers were intertwined and it looked like they were radiating a red and yellow light. Tate noticed the strange phenomenon too.
Cassie was still not at all sure what to do. Would she give into her romantic Romeo-and-Juliet impulses? Or, would she take a final stand and fulfill her mission?
She remembered at the eerie glow coming from their hands and had her answer. It was the proof she needed. When he began caressing her skin with his thumb it all made sense.
Tate was her destiny and she was trying to fight in a war that fate had already won.
She decided to give in.