When Sparks Fly (in editing)

Chapter 11

Cassie

"Cassie! Stop! Where are you going?" Alyssa shouted as I ran down the hall. I didn't pay attention to her though. It all made sense now. The whispers, the pointing, the looks I got. Everything made sense. Everyone knew.

I kept running until I ran into something, sending me to the ground. I stood up quickly and looked to see what I ran into. Drew. My breath started to quicken as he looked at me in alarm.

"Cassie? What's going on?" I shook my head and tried and run past him, but he gripped my wrists. "Cassie, what's wrong?"

Tears began to stream down my face as I looked up at him. The concern in his eyes was obvious, nearly making me spill everything, but I just shook my head and released myself from his grasp to run out the building. I shoved open the door as the autumn breeze filled my senses. I heard Drew start to run after me so I continued to run down the stairs that led to the entrance of the school and into the grass fields. I collapsed next to a tree as sobs racked my body.

How did they know? Who told them? I continued crying when I felt a hand touch my shoulder. The person knelt down in front of me, making me look up. It was Drew. As soon as he saw my face, he wrapped his arms around me, bringing me to his chest. I instantly felt the tension in my chest loosen, and my cries start to quiet. For some reason, his presence comforted me. Maybe it was how he held me or the way he smelled; I didn't care. As long as I stopped crying. 

Drew was whispering to me, telling me everything would be alright and that I was okay. I never felt more grateful. Finally, his soothing words did the job and I stopped crying all together. My breaths were still ragged from the running and the crying, and Drew just rubbed my back, telling me to breathe. 

"You'll be okay. Everything's gonna be okay. Just breathe." He whispered in my ear. 

"I-I'm so-sorry." I whispered back. Drew released his hold, only slightly, to look me in the eyes. He brushed my curls out of my face before speaking. 

"Why are you apologizing?" He asked me. 

I sniffed and wiped the snot from my nose. "Be-because. I'm making y-you skip class to help me wh-when I should be able to-to help myself and-and handle these things." 

Drew sighed and smiled sadly at me. "It's okay to fall apart once in awhile, Cassie. It's okay to cry and need help. I'd rather be here comforting you than be in a stuffy classroom while knowing you are struggling with something." I nodded slowly and leaned back into him, missing the warmth that had been radiating off his body. "What happened?" 

A simple question. Understandable. Doesn't mean it hurt like hell to answer. "They know. The whole school knows." I cried into his chest again, reliving the memory of hearing what that girl had said. Drew holds me tighter in response. 

"Knows what, Cassie?" 

"My mom." I whisper. Drew tenses. He knows how hard it was for me to open up about what happened to my family and understands why it hurts so bad to have everyone knowing. He just holds me tightly while rubbing my back. I feel his lips move to my head, kissing me lightly for comfort. 

"It'll be okay. We'll figure this out. I promise. We'll find out how it spread. I'll help you." His words helped but not by much. The whole school knew the secret I'd been dying and struggling to keep. I was now the freak girl. The girl whose mom left. The girl whose mom didn't love her. I sobbed harder into Drew's chest as the realization hit. Someone told the school. Who? 

"How?" I asked into his shirt. "How-how did they know?" 

"I don't know. We'll figure it out." He kissed my head again, trying to stop my tears but they wouldn't stop. I couldn't stop.