How Things Changed Forever.. PART - II

CH 25: Animosity with the Forged Furies

"The prefect of Team Bellona is Miss Hillary Tachibana!" the principal announced in the auditorium. Hillary, who sat near the front, beamed with joy, turning around to accept congratulations from those around her before walking up to the stage.

The girl had absolutely knocked a lot of people off their feet with her quiet, strong voice and out-of-the-box reform ideas.

Laura, her longest and closest friend, positively hated Hillary and made sure that anyone who would listen hated her too. That was how a good deal of the rich kids (who got in through their parents' money or reputation and not their own talents) ended up disliking her.

Cassie wanted so badly to hate the girl. Hillary had practically snatched everything she'd ever had in just a few months. First, her championship title (informally), then the position of president of Amity International, and now this.

Maybe it was because Hillary had won them all fair and square. Maybe it was because she hadn't actually done anything outright to undermine her, but Cassie couldn't feign more than indifference toward the upstart, as Laura often called her.

For now, Cassie sank into her chair, trying to avoid eye contact with everyone. She was the first to leave when the announcement was over. Notable among the winners were Ray and Luke, who had become captains of their respective teams, and Max, who'd also become the prefect of his team.

As soon as she got out, she searched for a quiet place to be alone. It wasn't hard, as most people had moved directly to the cafeteria for lunch.

Tears welled up in her eyes. Cassie had been Bellona's junior prefect for the last two years and had performed remarkably well. How could she lose this to someone new?

Kai slipped into the room after a few minutes, prompting her to quickly wipe away her tears. She didn't want to look like a crybaby in front of him. Tactfully, Kai ignored her red-rimmed eyes.

She was grateful for his presence, honestly. After Laura had walked in on them together last week, things had spiraled further out of control.

Laura had been, unsurprisingly, livid. And most of her friends had started avoiding Cassie, somehow taking Laura's side even though she was the one who'd introduced them a few months ago.

They thought it should have been beneath her to steal her best friend's boy—which, for one, wasn't even factually correct. They'd broken up a few days before she and Kai got together. Second, she hadn't actually expected it to happen. And most importantly, Laura had no right to comment on her dating morals, especially since she didn't have the best track record in dating either.

Now, the only person she spent time with at school was Kai. And his teammates, whenever they were practicing. She had planned not to intrude too much but soon found that they were quite welcoming.

Kai had also invited her to sit with them for the past three or four days. She wasn't yet sure if it had anything to do with her or if he just wanted to take a dig at Laura.

He was a lot different with her than he'd been with Laura. They didn't have their hands all over each other or kiss all the time, but they still shared quiet moments, which she loved. Mostly, she just liked being in his presence.

Kai took hold of her shoulder, turning her towards him. Taking her hands in his, he began. "You were good, Cassandra." She loved the way her name sounded on his lips, with a bit of an accent. The intense look in his eyes made her heart flutter. "But your opposition was just as good," he continued, reminding her of Hillary again.

"Someone had to come out on top anyway. So stop feeling sorry for yourself and aim for your next face-off." His tone shifted to a business-like manner.

Cassie scoffed. "Is that how you give a pep talk? No wonder your teammates call you Captain Sourpuss!" She teased, ruffling his hair.