Scars of Gold

Chapter Three

The rest of the day went seemingly well, to my surprise. Despite the egotistical looks I received all day, everything else went okay. My nerves were settling a bit, but the tension of this whole cut off graduation scenario was causing some unnecessary discomfort. I followed behind Lillian, taking in the school's atmosphere as we walked towards the parking lot. The sun glimmered through the windows, now on a different side of the school compared to the early morning, causing such an atmospheric warmth. It seemed like the finely detailed gold and silver décor around the area would melt if the sun shone any brighter, and I was of the opinion that even that would turn out gorgeous in a place like this.

We approached the front doors and Lillian pushed them open, letting the afternoon air wash over us. "Thank god the day is over, I'm decaffeinated and in dire need of another coffee," she said, almost skipping down the stairs as other students poured out behind us.

"See you tonight, Grayson," Lillian noted to me as she turned and walked towards the parking lot, which was scattered with what seemed like hundreds of incredibly expensive rides.

"So, I heard Calvin already invited you to hang out at the party tonight," the familiar venomous voice of Reyna filled the air, she was slowly approaching me from behind. I turned around to face her, and to just make sure she knew that I wasn't intimidated by her.

"Usually the first-day-of-school party is open to a very select few only, but since you'll be here for the entire year anyways, I can see why he wanted you to be present," Reyna said, now looking at her perfectly done soft red nails. She looked unamused.

"Calvin always has to play the part of the knight in shining armor, thinking of everyone but himself. Anyways, I'll text you the details. Don't go more than an hour without checking your phone," she spoke, moving past me, towards the lot. "Later, New Money!" I watched as her hand shot up in the air, waving to me as she turned her back towards me.

"Interesting character, I do say so myself," Cassius pointed out, filling the air with his melodious voice. Once again, his arms were draped over my shoulders, walking us to the parking lot. He didn't seem the type of person to take anything too seriously.

"A little birdie told me that you're heading to soccer practice today. I'm meeting Calvin anyways so we can head over together," Cassius said, steering our direction away from the parking lot and towards the soccer field that I was previously at earlier that day.

"I'm sure Lillian spoke to you about it earlier today, but Romanwood's soccer team is actually highly ranked in the area. Calvin is a talented bastard at soccer, everyone hates him for it. He practically carries the team, his back must hurt from it all," Cassius said jokingly, grinning a smile of pure serotonin. He truly felt happy all the time, his energy was incredibly radiant. We reached the soccer field and I let the crisp wind wash over my face, needing a second to take in the surroundings. Tons of players kicked white soccer balls around the area, dressed in white uniforms that seemed to have gold bands around the sleeves.

"What were you meeting Calvin for, by the way?" I asked Cassius, feeling comfortable enough to be able to ask him that question, even though we only just met each other today. He smiled to himself and stuck his hands in his pocket as we walked the sidelines of the soccer field, heading towards a larger group of people in the back corner of the field.

"Personal business. Nothing important," he replied casually, now waving at Calvin from across the field. His tanned arms were shown underneath the shirt that fit him like a glove. My eyes were instantly drawn to the band on the sleeve that reflected a golden hue due to the late afternoon sun. He waved back at Cassius and jogged towards us, grinning widely.

"Calvin looked me up and down like he had done previously in the classroom. This time he seemed to have an even more judgmental look in his eyes. I was about to comment on his conduct towards me, but the sharp tone of his voice cut me off. "There's another set of practice clothes in the locker room, you can get changed and after that we'll see how well you do." There was no ill-tone in his voice, yet he made me want to punch him in the face. There was this sense of sweetness, something smooth and kind, however I wasn't sure if it was genuine or not. His attention then redirected to Cassius, smiling at him. "All set?" he asked, his words were very few this time around, unlike before. Cassius nodded, pulling out a folder from his backpack and handing it to Calvin. He took it, nodded at him as a thanks and began to place it on the bench but then looked at me again.