Passion

Chapter 2

My mom came into my room a few minutes later "Where were you?" I got up "I lost track of time, I'm sorry." She turned on the light "Don't let it happen again, get in the shower and breakfast will be on the bar." I got up and took a shower. I got dressed and ate breakfast, my mom asked "Did you hear about Ashlyn's grandma? She's passing away from cancer. Ashlyn won't be at school the next couple of weeks." I finished chewing my English muffin "She told me, but didn't say much, how's Daisy dealing with it?"

She handed me a glass of orange juice "She's not in the best shape but she's holding it together for Ashlyn." She put her hands on the bar "So where were you so late?" I hid my face and blushed "I was on the rooftop with this guy I met at school. We lost track of time." She leaned down on the counter "Your first boyfriend?" I looked up "You wish, no he's just a friend. He's pretty cool." She smirked as she took my plate "Casey you know, I know when you're lying." I got up and grabbed my backpack "He's just a friend mom, I have to catch the bus now."

I walked out the back door, and as I walked down the hill to the front of the office; Tomas ran up beside me "Did you get in trouble?" I looked at him "No... Where'd you get that black eye?" He started acting nervous "Got in a fight yesterday, must be showing now." I looked down at the grass as we walked "Shouldn't fight." I had my suspicions he wasn't being honest but didn't say anything "Isn't that the girl from the movies?" I looked back at Kylie "Yeah. Unfortunately, we ride the bus with her."

He quickly grabbed my hand as we walked up to the bus stop, I looked at our hands when I looked up, Kylie turned around "Casey. Nice of you to join us." I gave her a fake smile "It's not my first day. My mom took Ashlyn and me to school yesterday." She faked a smile back "Wow had no idea you date guys your age." The bus pulled up, Tomas said ignoring her comment "Come on babe." We got on the bus and sat in the back, I whispered "You don't have to pretend to be my boyfriend around her anymore."

He leaned closer and whispered, "I don't have a problem with it." I pulled my hand away from his and looked out the window, he asked, "How's your friend?" I looked at him "Ashlyn? She's in Vegas for a couple of days for her grandma." He studied my face until I turned my head forward "What?" He shook his head with a grin "Never noticed you had hazel eyes." I rested my head back on the seat and laughed "They change but yes I do."

The bus arrived at our school, he stood up and started walking off, I followed his hand in my hand; Kylie came off the bus with her best friend Amanda "Casey? Where's your tow package? Forget her today?" I rolled my eyes "You need to stop." We went into the school, he asked "What class do you have first?"

I bit my lip "Mrs. Monroe, forget we have the same class?" He glanced at me "Are you okay?" I nodded my head "Yeah, I just don't want to deal with her today, we missed detention yesterday." He covered his yawn "We should've ditched today, I'm too tired to deal with her." I put my hand in my back pockets and frowned "I don't want to be here without Ashlyn." He suggested "We can ditch?" I looked up at him "I'm down."

We quickly left the campus before the first bell rang, and we walked to the nearby soccer field. We lay in the grass with our heads on our backpacks, staring up at the clouds and trying to find shaped ones. He pointed up at one "That one looks like a ship." I smiled "That one looks like a heart." He looked where I was pointing and laughed "It does." My mind got the best of me and the question running through my head all day slipped, I sat up "Are you going to tell me how you got that black eye?" He sat up and sighed "My mom punched me when I got home." I was surprised he didn't hesitate and came out with it "Why don't you tell someone?"

He took a deep breath "Because she'll deny it and they'll believe her." I put my hand on his knee "No they won't. They'll see your eye and everything will change." He rubbed my hand "To everyone, I'm a troublemaker and asking for attention." I grasped his hand in mine "That's not true." He rubbed his thumb on my hand "I'd move and leave everything. We'd never see... My mom and dad have been fighting in court and it's just made her angry." I caught what he almost said and asked "Why don't you live with your dad? Aren't you old enough to decide that on your own?" He shook his head "Not until I'm 14."