Cherished Rain

The Forgotten

Cassandra^

Daniel sat before the three on the green grass. Adaleine's thin silk blanket laid beneath them -- normally she kept this blanket in her locker for rainy, cold days. She was already prepared to take it home for washing.

Junior listened tentatively and with awe; eyes softly reading through the papers written with care. His ears remained open, divulging in the words and ideas that Daniel sang with great fervor.

Adaleine tried desperately to understand, but she simply couldn't comprehend the alien words.

Cassandra just sat with a defeated look, trying her best to find interest in what her dear friend Juneau had dragged her into.

"That's it," Daniel smiled passionately and with deep satisfaction.

"But... I'd feel more comfortable with there being just three of us," Daniel continued, then biting his bottom lip. "And this is because I feel that this project can award us even the Nobel prize." He looked between the three of them a bit regretfully.

Cassandra clamped onto her cheeks to hold back a laugh. A large smile awkwardly adorned her face.

Junior looked thoughtfully to Daniel. He was up for it, but what about Adeleine...?

"I-I want to be of help, but Cassandra or Junior may want to do it and, and- kaichdkcidhvcliagskxo." Cassandra looked back up to Daniel with rosy cheeks and guilty eyes. "I'm sorry."

Daniel laughed goodheartedly and Junior just couldn't help but stare admiringly.

Cassandra and Adaleine looked at him, too, but with surprise.

"I don't mind," he chuckled. The sun lit up his eyes, making them appear as a much lighter brown than usual; they were stained glass windows.

"I'm just glad that you're all willing to support me." Another smile grew upon his face, melting away Cassandra's anger and Adaleine's discomfort.

"Whatever you're must comfortable with."

The three friends looked to one another.

As much as Cassandra wanted to help -- now that she felt guilty -- the sound of a girls coding club did sound a bit tempting.

Adaleine felt she wouldn't be of much assistance, and although she was a quick learner, she still yearned for a position in the student council. She missed filling out statistic reports for the numerous classes.

Junior was up for it.

And it seemed pretty obvious as Junior was failing to fight back a pleading smile.

"These two have their own things going on, so I wouldn't mind," Junior tried to sound cool, but his feelings were brimming with excitement.

Adaleine sighed with relief as the pressure was lifted from her conscience.

Cassandra found that she again couldn't care any less.

"Well that's great!"

And I'm sure you could imagine how the happiness in Daniel's voice, smile, and laugh radiated to everyone around him.

Girls and boys walking along the stone pebbled paths turned heads to the beautiful laughter.

And Cassandra's and Junior's hearts fluttered.

~~~

Juneau opened her locker then smiled at the sight of a letter-and-candyless interior.

But her smile then quickly dissipated.

That same feeling returned.

That unwelcome, cold, dreary, and, utterly horrifying feeling that had drove her to the darkest regions of her nightmares at day.

She looked hesitantly to her sides.

She didn't want to look

but she had to

if she wanted to confirm

her suspicions.

And she gasped.

...

The stalker, too, now attended Santa Clara high school.

~~~

Finals are coming!! I'm very confident about bio and Spanish, but I have English vocabulary and structures to memorize.

Don't worry, I'll still update, though *friendly wink*