Cassie's POV:
I quietly slipped out of the classroom, seeing the smug look on Blaze's face as he watched me walk outside. The tears that I was holding back finally ran down my cheek, followed by another, and another. Soon enough, I was ugly crying, letting out choked cries and sobs. I quickly ran to the girl's bathroom and entered a cubicle, slamming the door behind me. I crouched on the toilet, letting the tears flow down my face.
How could he just say something like that? What did I ever do to him?!
His words echoed through my head:
"What? You are trash! Everything about you! Your looks, your personality, your family! Your family!
"Cassie!" A familiar voice came from outside the cubicle. "Are you here?"
I mustered up the courage to reply, using my best 'I'm okay' voice.
"Y-Yes?" I spluttered. "N-Nixie, i-is t-that you?"
"Yes, it's me, are you okay?" She asked, and I could hear the concern in her voice.
"Y-Yes, I- I'm f-fine." I stuttered between my sobs.
"You're not fine, come out." Nixie said.
I sighed, and opened the cubicle door, and Nixie looked horrified at my state.
"Dear gosh, what the hell did he say?!" She exclaimed, frantically wiping my tears away.
I nudged her hand away and told her everything, breaking down as I did so, my breath coming in quick, small gasps.
"That little shi-" Nixie started.
"Cassie!" Lilia walked into the bathroom, Aurora right behind her.
"Why are you guys all here?" I spluttered, mopping my tearstained face with an already damp tissue.
"Because we can! And besides, it's already break time!" Lilia said while Aurora gave me a bear hug.
"Come, explain it to us at the table." Aurora took my hand, and we walked out of the bathroom.
"Mitchell and Adair already know, and they're pissed at Blaze." Lilia added.
"As they should be!" Nixie hissed. "That idiot..."
I followed them all to the table Mitchell and Adair sat, talking with each other. As soon as Adair saw us approaching, he immediately stopped chatting, and Mitchell caught on.
"Cassie! Are you okay?" Adair asked with a concerned look on his face.
"We heard everything Blaze said, and boy..." Mitchell growled.
"Guys, I'm fine, relax." I reassured them, but they weren't convinced.
"How could he just start insulting you? You've barely even known each other for a week, he has no damn reason to say any of that to you!" Nixie hissed, seating herself next to Mitchell, who was also fuming.
"Guys, it's all in the past now! I'm fine." I said, but my voice still cracked a bit.
"Fine. But if he says anything else, then he might as well wake up with no arms." Lilia grumbled, opening her lunch box.
I sighed and opened my bento box, which had a sushi roll, a packet of seaweed and a few apple slices.
"You know..." I murmured, and they all turned to face me. "I don't get why he hates me..."
"He hates you because he has terrible taste." Aurora snorted, taking a bite out of her wrap, and wrinkled her nose. "But whoever made this wrap has even worse taste!"
We laughed at her reaction, and she laughed along and took another bite, before she wrinkled up her face in disgust again.
"I am never buying a wrap from that shop again." She spat, dropping the wrap and wiping her fingers.
I laughed at her, then held out a few pieces of seaweed for her, but she just waved her hand, rummaging through her bag.
"I'll just get something from the cafeteria, but thanks Cass!" She chirped, before she got up and walked over to the school cafeteria.
I shrugged and ate the pieces of seaweed, taking a quick bite of my sushi roll afterwards.
"Damn, I feel really bad Cass." Adair murmured.
I looked up from my food. "Why?"
"You have to be with Blaze for the whole semester." He sighed.
I stopped chewing and groaned.
"Are you freaking kidding me?!" I said with exasperation.
"Great, that's all we need. Blaze making fun of Cassie, and Cassie getting emotionally hurt 24/7." Lilia muttered.
I sighed, then dropped my food back into the bento box, and put it in my tote bag.
"I'm going outside." I said to the others, before I walked off.
I walked over to the glass doors leading to outside, and the warm air embraced my tearstained face. I took a deep breath and sat at a bench, pulling my book out of my bag.
"Cassie?" A familiar voice said from in front of me.
I looked up and saw that it was Blaze.
"What do you want?" I hissed.
"Nothing! Just..." He hesitated.
"Yes?" I snapped, returning my attention to my book.
"Look, I'm sorry for what I said earlier." He said.
I looked up and gave him a skeptical look. "And why should I believe that?"
"Because I am sorry?" He snorted.
I rolled my eyes. "Right."
He sighed. "Cassie, look, we gotta deal with each other. Like, come on! We're going to be partners for the entire semester!"
"So what do you expect?! I forgive you after you basically insulted my family, my looks and my personality?" I yelled, and a few people paused and looked in our direction.
"No! Well, yes?" Blaze spluttered.
"Great. Just great." I muttered through gritted teeth.
Blaze tried to say something again, but thought the better of it and walked away. I felt more hot tears in my eyes.
How am I going to deal with this crap?
YOU ARE READING
Masked Truths: Book 1
神秘 / 驚悚When Cassie Evans starts high school and meets Blaze, a kid who seems to have a secret grudge against her family, her entire world is thrown upside down. As their friendship grows, they learn facts about one another's pasts, and Cassie is horrified...
