make it to that point. She can’t keep going like this; it’s only a matter of time…”
Melissa’s voice trailed off as her eyes darted back toward the gym doors. “Well, I suppose we should go get our PE on. I’ll see you in a little bit. ”
She turned and hurried swiftly across the hall, disappearing inside the door of the girl ’ s locker room. Devon glanced sharply at Chris. “Do you think Melissa’s right?”
Chris shrugged as he stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “I think sh e may be. Cassie’s so angry that it’s the only emotion I pick up from her. It’s hard to tell what is going on with her. Come on, we had better get going. ”
Devon stifled a groan at the thought of having to go. As far as he was concerned high school was a waste of time as it was, Gym being the biggest waste of it. He followed Chris into the boys locker room though, wrinkling his nose at the heavy scent of sweat and body odor that filled the large, blue tiled room. He changed swiftly, paying little attention to anyone else in the room.
Following behind Chris, they made their way swiftly out to the large gymnasium. His gaze instantly found Cassie leaning against the far wall. Her hair had been pulled into a loose ponytail that enhanced the angles of her thinner face. She had changed into a pair of shorts and a loose fitting black t-shirt that hung limply on her slender frame . The sunglasses were still in place.
She looked like a lost child, out of place among st the laughing, giggling girls gathered in a large group twenty feet away from her. His heart ached for her, his fingers itched to touch her, comfort her. Melissa said something, catching her attention for a brief moment. Cassie looked up , nodding once before ducking her head again. A shrill whistle pierced the air. Devon turned as the two PE teachers entered the gym carrying bags laden with softball bats and balls.
His eye brow s furrowed as frustration and anger spurt ed through him. He hated being stuck in this school , hated being around these people . He was almost eight hundred years old and he was standing in a gym with a bunch of hormonal teenagers. His gaze darted back to Cassie, some of the anger melting away. For her, he could do this . F or her , he could do anything. Even play softball inside, which was apparently what they intended to do .
They were shuffled around, divided into teams. Somehow he ended up on the same side as Marcy and Chris, well Cassie was relegated to the other side with Melissa and Mark Young. Devon watched Mark , waiting for him to make any inappropriate move or comment to Cassie. Mark had stayed away from her since their last encounter in the cafeteria, but Devon didn ’ t trust him. And though Cassie didn ’ t want his help, Devon would take any excuse to beat Mark into a bloody pulp. He had been aching to do it ever since he had first met the bastard .
“Cassandra Fairmont!” everyone turned as the girl’s gym teacher barked Cassie’s name loudly. Cassie lifted her head; her eye brows dr e w sharply together over top of her sunglasses . “You know the rules, no jewelry, no loose articles, take off those sunglasses.”
Cassie hesitated a moment; he could feel her gaze darting swiftly around the gym in a fleeting moment of panic . Then, her shoulders slump ed with defeat ; she reached slowly up and pulled the large glasses from her face. Cassie blinked rapidly before closing her eyes against the lights that blazed down on her. Devon took a step forward, wanting to go to her, wanting to shelter her. He knew how painful such exposure could be and he wished to protect her from it.
Chris grabbed hold of his arm, shaking his head as he held Devon back. “She’ll be fine,” he said softly. “She has to face the world eventually.”
Devon’s head snapped toward him, anger briefly surg ed forward. Devon tried to remind himself that Chris didn’t know,
Melissa’s voice trailed off as her eyes darted back toward the gym doors. “Well, I suppose we should go get our PE on. I’ll see you in a little bit. ”
She turned and hurried swiftly across the hall, disappearing inside the door of the girl ’ s locker room. Devon glanced sharply at Chris. “Do you think Melissa’s right?”
Chris shrugged as he stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “I think sh e may be. Cassie’s so angry that it’s the only emotion I pick up from her. It’s hard to tell what is going on with her. Come on, we had better get going. ”
Devon stifled a groan at the thought of having to go. As far as he was concerned high school was a waste of time as it was, Gym being the biggest waste of it. He followed Chris into the boys locker room though, wrinkling his nose at the heavy scent of sweat and body odor that filled the large, blue tiled room. He changed swiftly, paying little attention to anyone else in the room.
Following behind Chris, they made their way swiftly out to the large gymnasium. His gaze instantly found Cassie leaning against the far wall. Her hair had been pulled into a loose ponytail that enhanced the angles of her thinner face. She had changed into a pair of shorts and a loose fitting black t-shirt that hung limply on her slender frame . The sunglasses were still in place.
She looked like a lost child, out of place among st the laughing, giggling girls gathered in a large group twenty feet away from her. His heart ached for her, his fingers itched to touch her, comfort her. Melissa said something, catching her attention for a brief moment. Cassie looked up , nodding once before ducking her head again. A shrill whistle pierced the air. Devon turned as the two PE teachers entered the gym carrying bags laden with softball bats and balls.
His eye brow s furrowed as frustration and anger spurt ed through him. He hated being stuck in this school , hated being around these people . He was almost eight hundred years old and he was standing in a gym with a bunch of hormonal teenagers. His gaze darted back to Cassie, some of the anger melting away. For her, he could do this . F or her , he could do anything. Even play softball inside, which was apparently what they intended to do .
They were shuffled around, divided into teams. Somehow he ended up on the same side as Marcy and Chris, well Cassie was relegated to the other side with Melissa and Mark Young. Devon watched Mark , waiting for him to make any inappropriate move or comment to Cassie. Mark had stayed away from her since their last encounter in the cafeteria, but Devon didn ’ t trust him. And though Cassie didn ’ t want his help, Devon would take any excuse to beat Mark into a bloody pulp. He had been aching to do it ever since he had first met the bastard .
“Cassandra Fairmont!” everyone turned as the girl’s gym teacher barked Cassie’s name loudly. Cassie lifted her head; her eye brows dr e w sharply together over top of her sunglasses . “You know the rules, no jewelry, no loose articles, take off those sunglasses.”
Cassie hesitated a moment; he could feel her gaze darting swiftly around the gym in a fleeting moment of panic . Then, her shoulders slump ed with defeat ; she reached slowly up and pulled the large glasses from her face. Cassie blinked rapidly before closing her eyes against the lights that blazed down on her. Devon took a step forward, wanting to go to her, wanting to shelter her. He knew how painful such exposure could be and he wished to protect her from it.
Chris grabbed hold of his arm, shaking his head as he held Devon back. “She’ll be fine,” he said softly. “She has to face the world eventually.”
Devon’s head snapped toward him, anger briefly surg ed forward. Devon tried to remind himself that Chris didn’t know,
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