She got to the courtyard when she felt someone grab her bruised wrist.

She felt the pain, but she froze, her mind shrieking.

Panicking.

"Um, Cassidy?"

It was Shay-James.

He was panting a little. Definitely sweating.

He'd run after her, so it had to be important.

"Um, can we talk?" He asked.

Cassidy's eyes darted to the crinkled note in his hands.

"Sure." Cassidy gently retracted her wrist from his fingers. "What's up?"

Everyone was milling around, heading to either the buses or their cars.

Cassidy waited patiently for the scrawny child to ask the question that he was so embarassed about.

He was probably going to ask if it was necessary to declare his affections in public, because he was so timid.

"I really like you."

Cassidy's eyes flew to his face.

Didn't see that one coming.

"I wrote that note, and I was testing the waters, but you made it clear that if this was something I wanted, I needed to make a leap of faith." Shay-James continued, hands shaking.

Cassidy was still reeling.

What was happening right now?

Leo came around the corner, his eyes searching, his backpack haphazardly tossed over one shoulder.

He started towards her as Shay-James kept going.

"I think you're smart, and amazing. And I see you around a lot and you just get cooler."

This.

Was.

Not.

Happening.

Behind Leo, the jocks were all crowded up laughing about something.

They went quiet right as Shay-James finished.

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

Some girls that were walking past let out little, "awwww"s and "oooo"s.

Cassidy wanted to go bury herself in a hole.

In the Sahara.

Deep underground.

Leo jerked back, eyes wide.

Yeah, that makes two of us, Cassidy thought.

There was an awkward silence that stretched all time and space.

Everyone was waiting.

Shay-James was looking at her, sincere.

Oh man. She was eating those words right now.

"I thought you were with Emy?" Cassidy blurted.

"Emy? No. We've been hanging out. I've always had a crush on you. And I decided to be brave."

The note was still crumpled in his fist.

Cassidy felt like a horrible human being.

"I'm sorry, I'm just....not interested in dating right now. This is a misunderstanding. I didn't know...." she trailed off.

Shay-James looked thoroughly destroyed.

His face clouded in humiliated disappointment.

"Um, it's-it's fine." Shay-James tilted his head down and walked past her, practically jogging down the sidewalk.

Yeah.

She hadn't handled that well.

At all.

"That was kinda cruel, doncha think Cassidy?" Ian hissed.

They'd seen it all.

Life was about to get worse.

Cassidy went to run, but a hand on her wrist halted her.

She cringed as hands pressed onto the bruises.

Leo had grabbed her.

"Hey, where are you going?" He asked.

The jocks had edged closer, Ian two steps ahead.

"He's right Cassidy. Where are you running to without giving some answers?" Ian snarled.

Leo was oblivious to the obvious venom in the words.

"You've been acting weird."

Ian was inching too close.

Her wrist hurt as Leo's hand pressed tensed.

Trapped.

Her hand slid into her jacket.

"Don't be shy. We just want to know if you do that to all the guys." Ian crooned.

Her first fingertips reached out.

Brushed against duct tape.

Wood.

Metal.

Her hand closed and she squeezed her eyes shut.

And then her hand was free.

"Knock it off, Henderson. Give her some space, you idiot." Derek Gurshed grabbed Leo's wrist, his other arm flying out to shove Ian backwards.

"What the hell, man? You sticking up for this bitch?" Ian hissed.

Cassidy flinched a little.

Leo jerked upward.

"You asshole-"

Derek shoved the two apart, one hand fisted in each boy's t-shirt.

"Enough! Shut up! You're both acting like dicks. Ian, get out to the field and run a lap. Leo, go get your stuff for practice. You left it in the classroom." Derek directed.

Leo wrenched Derek's hand off and went back inside.

Ian let out a huff, smirking at Cassidy as he left, taking most of the crowd with him.

"Splash! There you are! Practice is staring and Loisa was worried...." Linora stopped short behind her, eyes wide.

"Yeah. Let's go." Cassidy mumbled.

"Cassidia," Derek called.

Cassidy turned around.

"I'm sorry."

Cassidy shook her head.

"I understand. It's okay. Thanks for what you did back there." She responded softly.

He gave her a nod.

She kept walking to the field.