~Chapter 27~
I wake up too after what seems like an eternity and see Sergio sleeping while holding me close to him.
I don't feel like it's hurting anymore or that it's calmed down, but I hope so.
I'm fed up.
I try to get out of bed and take Sergio's hand after me without waking him up but I fail.
He looks at me with sleepy eyes and says something softly but I can't hear.
I fidget.
It takes a few more moments before he opens his eyes completely and looks at me, I think he wants to talk
"Where are you going?
" He asks and his anchor amplifies on my shoulder.
"To school, ugh..." I say while completely pouting
"Never!
" He says as he gets out of bed, and stretches.
I glare at him and say
"I'm not allowed to stay home, you know.
I mean we're NOT allowed to" I say after correcting myself.
"We can stay Cassy, I talked to mom yesterday and it's all okay, if that makes you happier" he says and goes to the bathroom.
I look at him as he closes the door and that snapped me out of my trance.
It really doesn't hurt at all.
Not a meow
Not a harness.
Nothing.
I'm glad.
I get out of bed too and look to see that it's 6 am.
I put my hands behind my head and can't understand how on earth I only wake up at the crack of dawn.
Sergio was pulling me out of my thoughts when he came out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist, looked at me and winked.
Crazy with his head
I roll my eyes and enter the bathroom that was practically supposed to be mine. I really need to move out of here.
I reach the sink and lift my head.
Now I see.
The huge bruise on my cheek and another on my shoulder, "that must have hurt," I say to myself even though I don't remember anything.
I get in the shower and start scrubbing myself off the dirt I can't see but my thoughts return to Emy.
I don't remember seeing her yesterday, or after our fight.
I feel so stupid.
"How the hell would she know that, Cassian!
" I say softly.
"What would she know?
" Sergio says and makes me scream a little.
"What the hell are you doing here, dude!
Scared to death" I say as I bring my thoughts back to my head
"What were you talking about?
" He says and I see that he's brought his toothbrush from his bathroom and is brushing his teeth in my bathroom with my toothpaste.
I roll my eyes and get out of the shower.
I wrap a towel around my waist and lean against the shower mirror
"So yesterday I told Emy about that dream and she always seems to know something, but from that it came to arguments and arguments and then she left and left me alone with Theo" I say and after all this I cough a little.
He turns after he's finished and glares at me
"I said it's better if only we know how, Cassian" he says
"He was nagging me.
...I couldn't stand it, he had to know, to help me.
.. but he did worse and I'm sorry now...
.really" I say slowly and after I realize what I said I leave the bathroom
I stopped in the dressing room and grabbed some cargo jeans with a cute knitted polo shirt, white Nikes on my feet and some other everyday accessories.
I go outside and see Sergio looking at me, he was probably waiting for me.
He hasn't changed yet.
"Where are you going?
" He gets up and comes towards me
"Dude I need space too" I say and continue "at school, I feel better" I say and look for my keys
"Alone?
Yeah it's at my place, baldy, he left the car at school so I brought it while you were sleeping" he says and I sigh with relief.
"Okay then" I say and go downstairs to our kitchen.
Luckily no one is home, I don't feel like disciplining and cold words.
Sergio also comes downstairs, dressed quite simply, and certainly sexy to others but to his mind...nahh.
He looks at me and leaves the house. Then I hear his car and I think he's going to school so I turn on too.
But I know for sure that I don’t want to look back.
Sergio walks in front of me, a short distance away. He doesn’t seem to find anything. He’s just… there. His car is rhythmic, tight, attentive. I can hear his breathing alter as I sway slightly, which is strange because I’m in a different car.
When I enter the schoolyard, I immediately see Emy and Theo. They are sitting under the same tree we have huddled under all year, hot coffees in hand and sleepy eyes.
That is until they see me.
Emy raises an eyebrow.
Theo chokes a little on his coffee.
Sergio, behind me, instinctively approaches, almost like a protective shadow.
"Cass?" Emy asks, moving closer. Her face changes in a split second—she goes from sleepy to alert.
"What happened to your face?"
Lucky me and my brilliant idea:
I smile broadly, as if I have absolutely nothing.
"I have nothing, Emy."
She looks directly at my shoulder, where the T-shirt poorly covers the large, purple bruise.
She inhales. Smells. I see her tense up.
Which is strange
Theo circles around a bit, approaches me, and then sees Sergio.
Blinking, he just says:
"He's stressed, Em.
Seriously. He didn't sleep well."
Theoooo…
I love you. That's how you cover up a crime.
God knows what Emy imagined, but it's definitely not the good picture.
Sergio stands behind me with his arms crossed, like he's a bodyguard.
Emy sees him and studies him for a second.
She knows something is strange.
"Cassian…
" she begins seriously, "I don't like the way you look today.
Something's wrong."
"Nothing's wrong with me," I say, take a deep breath, and let my gaze wander to the school entrance.
"Come on in, classes are starting and I don't feel like being polite in the first period. "
Theo puts his hand on my shoulder, gently.
Sergio sees him and I can almost see him jump into the fight
"Hey, relax, Serg," Theo says, raising his hands. "I'm just touching him, not kidnapping him."
Emy glances at us all and sighs, but doesn't continue the conversation.
---
The cafeteria smells of reheated food and mixed perfumes. We sit down at the table. Me, Sergio always next to me, Theo in front, Emy next to him. I try to look normal. I eat a tiny bit of that horrible bagel. I pretend. I joke. I laugh.
But the tension is there, between all of us.
And just when I thought the day could go on normally…
"Here he comes!" Theo says.
I look up.
Colby walks into the cafeteria.
His messy hair, his leather jacket covered in mud, his gray eyes that seem to see everything.
He looks… tired? Hungry? Or nervous? I can’t tell, but he comes straight to our table.
“Hi,” he says, and he slouches down next to Theo, then glances at me.
“Cass… you look like hell, bro.”
“Thanks, Colbs, that’s exactly what I wanted to hear,” I say, snorting.
Sergio looks at him coldly.
Colby doesn’t notice.
Or he’s pretending.
He leans over to me and whispers,
“You smell like pain.”
I: ". .."
What?!
Sergio tenses up completely.
Theo freezes.
Emy elbows him in the ribs instantly.
"I SMELLED what?!" I say louder than I should.
Colby collapses back into his chair, eyes wide open.
"I meant you look… painful? I mean… uh…"
He puts his hand to his forehead.
Sergio stands up abruptly, the chair creaks.
"What the hell did 'smell' mean? What exactly did you mean?
"
Theo puts his hand on Sergio's arm.
For nothing.
He has that look: ready to attack.
Colby swallows. He looks at me. He looks at all of us.
His eyes darken a little, a split second, almost imperceptibly.
Then Emy, her voice low and cold, whispers to him:
"Shut up.
Now."
Why am I hearing this?!
Colby ignores her for half a second, long enough to ruin everything.
"I didn't mean to say that, but the wolves.
.."
Emy elbows him.
Theo almost drops his coffee.
Sergio clenches his fists.
I freeze.
"What wolves?" I ask nervously.
And the silence at the table becomes so thick I can almost feel it on my tongue.
Colby bites the inside of his cheek.
He stands up abruptly.
"I have to go," he says shortly and suddenly disappears between the tables, his steps too fast to be normal.
I'm left holding my breath.
Sergio looks after him, then at me.
His face is pale. Dark eyes.
"What the hell did he mean, Cassian?
"
Theo intervenes, panicked:
"He must be tired, he said nonsense, we all know that.
.. that nothing is really normal today."
Emy is silent.
And that's the worst.
"Emy? I say.
"What wolves?"
She takes a deep breath.
Her eyes take on a strange light.
"Not now, Cassian.
Not here. Not yet." She says softly, almost inaudibly
But the blood drains from my cheeks.
This isn't the first time someone has said something strange around me.
And it's not the first night I've felt things I can't explain.
Sergio puts his hand on my shoulder and says softly, too softly:
"Cass…
please stay with me today."
And his tone… it's not a plea.
It's fear.
---
I look around after Colby leaves, and the noise in the cafeteria seems more oppressive than ever.
People laughing, talking, footsteps, and the clinking of cutlery—it all blends into a kind of echo that doesn’t let me breathe.
I feel like every eye is searching for me, even if no one is looking directly at me.
Theo stands next to me, but he doesn’t say anything, just studies me from the side, as if trying to decipher what’s going on in my mind.
“Cassy, are you sure you’re okay?” I hear Theo’s voice, low, almost a whisper.
I swallow hard and try to sound normal.
“Yeah… just… a little tired,” I answer, trying to keep my voice even.
But it feels too thin, too fragile.
Emy stares at me, her arms crossed, and for a second I feel like running away.
“You don’t look tired… it’s like something else,” she says seriously, her tone tingling my nerves.
I press my lips together. How can I tell them that everything inside me is a mess?
“It’s just… school stress,” I mutter, but I know it’s not true.
Theo sighs and leans his head back in his chair.
“Really, just stress? It’s like you’re not you anymore, Cass…
”
I feel trapped. Their eyes make me feel empty inside, like there’s no escape.
“It’s… something, but it doesn’t matter,” I say quietly, trying to hide in the shadow of my own fear.
Emy sighs and bows her head. “Cass… if there’s something I need to know…
you can tell me,” she says, but there’s a silence in her voice that makes me feel like she already knows more than she should.
“I already thought I could tell you something yesterday but my feelings hurt your ass!” I say quickly after she’s finished speaking.
She looks at me, surprised by what I said, but then her gaze turns to her feet.
I look back at the window and try to breathe deeply.
The morning light streams in, but it doesn’t warm me, it doesn’t calm me.
It’s frustrating to be caught between wanting to tell them everything and fearing what they might think.
“It’s nothing… seriously. Let it go,” I whisper, trying to sound firm.
But I can’t fool myself. The tremor in my voice gives it all away.
Theo looks at me for a few seconds, then shifts his attention to the table.
“Okay, if you say so…”
My stomach tightens.
I want to disappear, to stop being looked at, to stop feeling this pressure freezing my chest.
“Let’s go to class,” Emy says, standing up with a calm but determined air.
I stand up too, feeling each step like a burden.
Theo follows me in the same way, and Emy walks ahead, keeping us at a distance that I don't know if I want to break.
As I walk, I try to focus on my steps, on the cold air that fills my lungs, on the sound of my own breathing.
Each step is an effort not to let the tension overwhelm me.
"I ate so well," Theo says, breaking the silence, but without looking directly into my eyes.
"I'm glad," I reply, unable to look at the colorful books on the table.
Emy moves closer and, with a subtle smile, says: "I don't want to hear anything from the cafeteria for a long time from now on.
"
I smile a little, but more to myself.
"Thank you... I really appreciate it," I say, and my voice is calmer than I expected.
A few moments of silence pass, but I feel the tension inside me not disappearing.
Theo takes the books out of the desk drawer, and Emy starts to do something slowly, but her eyes don’t leave me.
I realize I can’t pretend for long.
“Cassy…” Theo begins, but stops, as if he knows that any word now could explode between us.
I pull my knees close to my chest, feeling the need to shrink, to become invisible.
“It’s okay… just… trying to manage,” I whisper, without looking up.
Emy sighs softly. “I know you’re trying.
And I know it’s not easy,” she says, and for a second, I feel all the weight in my chest settle.
Theo looks at me once more, then turns his head.
“Okay… if you say it’s okay,” he says, but I can hear the worry in his voice that can’t be hidden.
As I pull out my notebooks, I feel my thoughts gathering and mixing with every movement.
All I want is to be just me, without pressure, without eyes that judge, without words that make me feel small.
But I know I can’t run away. Not here, not from them.
And then, I feel Sergio’s presence nearby.
He’s close, but not intrusive. He just sits there, in my shadow, his eyes searching for me, saying nothing.
And that’s enough.
“Cassy… are you okay?” he asks in a barely audible whisper.
I swallow and try to look up at him.
“Yeah… I think I am,” I say, but the tremor in my voice gives him away completely.
He sits a little closer, not touching me, just being there.