The Unseen (Book one of the Ro, James, and Alicia trilogy)

Chapter 2

As we walked down the bus aisle James abruptly turned to me. He was still walking only backwards. "I'm so sorry Ro, I didn't mean it."

He approached the steps and missed the first one and began to fall. I grabbed his arm and pulled him up to me. "I know you didn't, but don't ever try and fall like that again," I mused realizing I still had a hold on his arm. I released it and he turned and walked away from me.

Cassy and Alicia were waiting at the bottom of the steps for me. James was already climbing the steps. I greeted them with a smile and we walked to the steps talking and gossiping. James waited by the doorway and I held his gaze. Cassy put a hand on my arm and told me to go to him. I smiled and waved goodbye and took the steps two at a time. When I got to the top he was already walking towards me.

"I'm sorry," I said when he was a few feet away. "For whatever I did that made you mad, I'm sorry." I averted my gaze and he stopped a breath in front of me.

"You didn't make me mad, I made myself mad," he said and took my hand, butterflies coming back once again. He dropped my hand and winked. As he walked away I couldn't help but feel that something about him was off.

I walked into trig and took my seat in the back of the room next to James. I got a few whistles and Max tried to grab my hand. I easily slid around him and waggled a finger. He threw up his hands and turned back around. Before class started I saw that Spencer was reading my favorite series.

"O.M.G you like Sarah J. Maas too?" I asked as I perched on the edge of his desk. He nodded and we began a heated conversation about the series. Once Mr. Clantorius walked in I hurried back to my seat.

The first sentence left his mouth and I already knew that this day was gonna go by miserably slow. James kept glancing at me but I just ignored him.

A note was thrown onto my desk and I quickly grabbed it and brought it under the table. James glanced at me sidelong and shook his head. I opened the note to see pretty cursive.

So, this class is so boring. I'm about ready to just get up and leave. You know what? I think I will. If I do will you follow and leave with me?

~Cassy

I grabbed my pen and looked up at the teacher for a few minutes so he wouldn't think I'm up to anything. Then I acted like I was taking notes and began to write.

Um...Sure I'm getting antsy. We should just go to your house and start the sleep over early. If I have to sit here another moment I'm gonna tear my hair out. Does he feel accomplished that he can talk so much?

~Ro

I waited until the teacher turned his back and threw the note onto Cassy's desk. She read it and laughed. The teacher turned and everyone was quiet and straight faced. There was no sign of the note I passed. He turned around and I gave a small little laugh. Cassy stood and left the room the teacher not even looking. I stood and left. The teacher looked at me with appraisal in his eyes and went back to talking.

Alicia came out of her class across the hall and all three of us strutted out of the school. None of the teachers gave a damn. I smiled at all the loitering students in the hall and half of them blushed. Cassy grabbed my arm and lead me out to her silver convertible.

"I never use this thing but it's a special day," Cassy said cheerfully.

"How come you never use it?" I asked casually hopping in the back seat not bothering with a seatbelt.

"My father is cheap and said I have to use this thing as little as possible, so I just drove it here one day and only use it on long distance vacays and special occasion."

With that she revved the car a few times and we drove off without another word.

******

Cassy's house wasn't a house, it was a freaking mansion. It was a three story brick building with bay windows peering down at us from every room. A lush green landscape with fresh clipped grass and trimmed hedges lay before us. Flower beds ran along either side of her mahogany double doors with two golden knockers. Three stone steps attached to a long cobblestone pathway lead to those great doors. Her driveway was long and lead to a two car garage on the left of the house. One water fountain was in the middle of her green front yard, spitting water into the sky out of the mouth of an angel. My mouth hung open in awe as I gazed at just the front of her home.

Alicia hopped in the back with me and shut my mouth. I thanked her and she laughed. Soon my laughter joined in hers with perfect harmony. Something in me said that this was where I belonged, driving with my girls and skipping school to start a sleep over early. As soon as we pulled in front of the garage I hopped out with Alicia and we opened the door for Cassy laughing our asses off. We walked inside her grand mahogany doors and my breath got caught in my throat.

A spiral stairway stood in the middle of the main room. Marble floors covered the area with a dim sparkle. Maids and butlers rushed to and fro carrying all sorts of items in their scrawny arms. Doors lined the corridor, some double some single. A lone golden retriever puppy, about the age of two by the looks of it, bounded up to Cassy almost knocking her down.

She gently pushed the dog away and walked up the spiral staircase. Alicia followed beckoning me to follow. I hurried to catch up, taking the stairs two at a time, sliding my hands along the shining wood railings. Once at the third level Cassy turned around to face me.

"Later, I'm going to make my mother take us shopping and I'm going to buy you a whole new wardrobe, makeup, accessories, and shoes included," Cassy said straightening her spine.

"Thank you so much," I said confidently. "But why would you waste your money on me?"

"It's simple. I have been waiting for you to actually show yourself off, I've seen potential in you since I first saw you. You just needed to come out of your shell first."

Surprisingly, her reasoning made sense to me. I nodded and followed her down the hall to a pair of gold double doors. Cassy was written on it in flowing cursive black. She pushed the doors open to reveal a beautiful silver room. A queen sized bed lay in the middle of the room covered with silver and purple blankets and a mountain of plush pillows. A soft purple rug covered the floor. A chandelier hung low on her ceiling. Crackling came from the fireplace. One desk cluttered with crap sat in the far left corner of the room. A huge dresser with a matching wardrobe took up most of the right wall. The other half was a walk in closet. Books crowded a floor to ceiling bookcase on the left wall next to the fireplace. On the wall across from her bed was a 72" flat screen.

"Wow," I muttered as I stepped in. I walked over to her large bay window next to her bed and looked at her back yard.

Lush gardens lined the long brick path leading from her back door all the way to the Olympic sized in ground pool in the middle of the yard. The flower garden on the right was filled with so many flowers I never thought imaginable. The vegetable and herb garden on the left was over-flowing with goods. A trampoline stood a little beyond the pool along with an orchard of fruit trees.

"I know right," Cassy and Alicia giggled at the same time. A warm hand turned me away and I found myself looking at the girls and laughing too.

"Okay, now that I have stunned you with just a few sights, show me what your talent is," Cassy said perching on the edge of her bed.

"Come again?" I said through my shock.

"I told you before, I saw potential in you. Now show me what you got."

"O-okay."

I took off my shoes and stretched a little. First, I did a cartwheel, then a round off. Backhand-spring, back flip-back tuck, front flip-front tuck, and I ended it with a split. Then I stood up not even out of breath and faced Cassy.

"Do you have a piano?"