Sometimes

Chapter twelve

I bit into the chocolate brownie with such eagerness that some of it broke off and landed on the concrete.  I peered down sadly at the lost crumbs before chewing slowly, savouring the sweet taste of sugar and calories.  Cassie had been teasing me with the brownie all the way through two hours of History class this morning.  At one point it had gotten too much and Cassie’d had to fight me off of her as I made a grab for her bag.  Now though, the waiting definitely seemed worth it. 

    I glanced back at Cassie to see her producing a second brownie from her bag.  She unwrapped it and broke a piece off.

    “What have you done to deserve that?” I asked.  “I had to have a conversation with Sonny.  Do you know how hard that was?”

Cassie popped a piece into her mouth and did an exaggerated chew.  “I,” she said, through a mouthful of chocolate.  “Gave you the advice that got you that brownie.”

I rolled my eyes and shoved more brownie into my mouth. 

    “Besides,” she said.  “You couldn’t honestly see me going to Keke’s and not buying one for myself.”

I swallowed.  “I suppose.  But you do know you should give me yours too.”

Cassie recoiled further up the bench at seeing my eyes on her brownie.  “Why?” she asked. 

    “Because I’m going to have to put up with Brandon after lunch,” I said, with a sigh.  “He’s so annoying.”

    “I think it’s cute that he likes you,” Cassie replied, breaking off another piece of brownie.  She lifted it to her nose and breathed in the chocolaty scent..  “Anyway, it’s not like he gets to talk to you properly.  You have to talk in French.”

    “Yes, for the most part, but he goes off topic.  Last time he kept saying I was beautiful.”  The memory made my spine tingle.  “It’s creepy.”

    “But I suppose it would be romantic if you’d been having the conversation with Sonny?”

I felt myself grinning and I didn’t even care that I probably had chocolate stuck in my teeth.  “Yes.  Yes, it would.”

Cassie stuck her tongue out. “Hypocrite.”

I hovered my brownie inches from my mouth.  “No.  A hypocrite is someone who says something is wrong, even though they do it, too.  I’m just saying it’s weird to be complimented by someone I don’t like, but it would be different if Sonny did it.”

    “Because you fancy the pants off him.”  Cassie scooted back towards me and patted my head.  “If only he could see you now.  Your hair blowing in the wind.  Your amazing smile.  Chocolate all over your face.” 

I reached up to wipe my mouth and Cassie started giggling.

    “Maybe he could help lick it off,” she said with a wink.

I felt my face flush red.  “Cassie!” I exclaimed, my eyes on the group of girls that were passing us by. 

Cassie just laughed some more.  “What?” she asked.  “You want to kiss him right?”

My stomach knotted at the thought Cassie had just placed in my mind and my cheeks still burned.  “Yeah.”

    “Well then.”

    “It sounds weird when you say it like that, though,” I reasoned.  “It’s embarrassing.”

Cassie rolled her eyes and finished off her brownie.  “It’s the truth.  You shouldn’t be embarrassed that I know you’re going to be imaging snogging his face off when you should be practicing your French with Brandon.”