What was she going to say?

What if he knew?

Oh no.

Oh.

No.

She was brave, she could do this.

She didn't care.

That much.

She stood outside the classroom door, staring at it like it might poison her.

"You're late."

"Aaaaaahhh!" Cassidy spun around, running into large person.

Well.

This was becoming a very bad habit.

She backed up.

"Hahahahahhhh hi!" Cassidy bubbled, hand on her chest.

Leo tilted his head and stared at her, straightfaced.

Yikes.

She'd forgotten that he came in late.

"Are you feeling better?" He asked.

Oh. My. Gosh.

Thank frickin heck for dense men.

"Yes. Much. I felt better by the time class was over yesterday, so the nurse released me and said I was good to go." Cassidy rambled.

"But, hey! Class is starting, we should go."

Cassidy yanked open the door and stepped inside.

Loisa smiled at her.

That's right.

She could do this.

She walked past the jocks, and felt Ian grab her butt.

Maybe she couldn't do this.

She skittered to the other side of the isle, looking like a nutjob.

She passed Shay-James, and sat down in her seat.

A couple minutes later, the creak of plastic let her know that Leo was next to her.

Cassidy fiddled with her pencil, twisting it in between her fingers.

Should she pull out the cinnamon roll she had saved? Were things going to go back to normal after the embarrassing "splash" incident?

The sound of a zipper.

Something was pushed over the desk.

Cassidy let out a relieved sigh, and retrieved her own container, switching him.

He didn't move for a moment, but Cassidy decided that straightforward and bold was the only option, so she popped the lid off his container and grabbed a fork, taking a huge bite of enchilada.

She heard him carefully open the lid before giving a chuckle.

She dryly passed him a fork.

He slid back a note: Should I be worried? You told me you were bad at cooking.

She made a face and wrote at the bottom: I AM. Lucky for you, my little brother is an excellent cook. That's courtesy of him.

She slid the paper back.

He grabbed the fork and took a bite.

Cassidy snuck a glance at him.

Was he going to eat it out of obligation? Or did he actually like sweets.

He took a long bite and groaned before turning and looking right at her and winking.

Cassidy snorted and rolled her eyes.

Ian passed a note to Shay-James, who tossed it to Cassidy like it was cursed.

The top said Cassidia.

She unfolded it.

Good luck hiding. Now that we know you aren't a lesbian, you're fair game.

Cassidy let out a hiss.

That almost sounded....threatening.

A spike of discomfort ran up her spine.

That douche. He was trying to scare her.

She crumpled up the note and shoved it in her backpack.

******

She was on her way to grab something from the band room during practice.

She'd have to walk past the Big Field and around two buildings to get to the back entrance to the band room, but she decided that taking a walk was a good idea, so she volunteered.

She was weaving around the second building when she was tripped.

She fell, catching herself with her hands as they slammed into the sidewalk.

Ian had been leaning against the wall.

"Very mature. Shouldn't you be at practice?" Cassidy commented as she got up.

He pushed off the wall and something inside of her twisted.

"Ten minute break."

Why was he so far out?

Alone?

An alarm went off in her head as she realized what was happening, and she turned to run.

He grabbed her though.

She could feel his hands roaming.

He tugged on her pants and her phone clattered out of her back pocket onto the ground a few feet away.

She was wearing Jeans. She had time to get away.

But he was taller than her.

Stronger, for sure.

She opened her mouth to scream and found his tongue pushing it's way in.

She kicked and scratched.

Her wrists were pulled together and she was shoved backward.

She felt her head hit the brick wall.

"No!" She shouted as he came up for air.

She jammed her knee upward and he let go.

She dove out of his hold, her wrists not coming forward fast enough to catch her a second time.

Her left cheek hit the ground.

She scrambled upwards and bolted.

She could feel her heart.

She ran for her life.

She went through the back band door.

But she wasn't sure he was following, so she grabbed the music folder and ran out the opposite door.

She ran around the campus the other direction.

She turned to look around.

She knew he wasn't there, but she ran anyway.

She tripped onto the field and fell into the grass.

"Splash!"

"Oh my god, splash. Is everything a rave with you? Splash?"

Cassidy could feel her hands vibrating.

She was kneeling in the grass, but she could still feel the concrete.

The binder fell out of her hands.

Pepper, the Hispanic boy crouched down and moved her hair.

He hissed at the sight of her face.

"Aye. Chica. What happened, chiquita?" He wrapped his arms around her.

She shook.

She couldn't stop.

Shaking.

She couldn't stop.

Panting.

She couldn't stop.

She couldn't stop him either.

Yance was there, pressing a wet paper towel on her cheek.

"You can cry, Cassidy." She whispered quietly.

Cassidy let out a sob and burrowed into Pepper.

By leaning back, she exposed her twisted shirt, her unbuttoned and unzipped pants.

Pepper, Yance, Linora, and several others let out a hiss of anger.

Pepper began cursing in Spanish.

Other kids started to come over at the commotion.

Pepper was skinny and lanky, but he was a senior, and he was pretty strong.

He lifted up Cassidy, who lay limp.

Like a ragdoll.

"Yance, I'm taking her to Loisa's car. I think she should go home. I'm going to go sit with her. Is that okay, chica?"

Cassidy swallowed.

She kept crying, dripping tears onto his long sleeve.

"Okay, valiente. You don't have to decide. I'll take you to the car and we can think about it, okay?"

He carried her past the Big Field to the parking lot.

He only put her down to open the car door before gently lifting her off the ground and putting her inside.

"Do you want me to stay, chica? Loisa is on her way over."

Cassidy shook as she nodded, tears leaking down her face.

Pepper slid into the car and hugged her.

They were there when Loisa opened the door.

She was crying when she saw them.

"Oh, Cassidy." She cried.

She sat down and hugged then both.

"Do you want me to take you home?"

"I can't." Cassidy pleaded, shaking. "I dont want to scare Lucy."

Loisa rubbed her hand up and down Cassidy's back.

"Okay. That's okay." Loisa soothed.

Pepper was still cursing under his breath in Spanish.

Cassidy clung to that rage.

It was delayed.

She could feel herself numbing out.

She felt her emotions smashing together and crashing around her.

She held onto his anger. That fire.

And he and Loisa held onto her as she started to scream.