Excuse

Blair jolted, caught off guard by Cadmus's call.

She felt a sharp tug on her uniform as he dragged her away from a puddle. For one silent moment, she waited for his obligatory insults that would probably be along the lines of, "Geez, you're so clumsy!" or "Ugh, how have you survived for this long?" but they never came. She looked at the hand that grabbed her and saw a few wet spots on the black sleeve. 

And suddenly, the quietude that hung between them seemed extra loud now. 

"Thanks," Blair eventually ended up saying before getting absorbed in thinking that her response arrived a few seconds late, though Cadmus didn't seem to care. 

Before either of them could say a word, they reached the bus stop beyond the school gates. For some reason, neither Blair nor Cadmus could bear to look at the other. It wasn't like they were uncomfortable with each other, and in fact, it's the contrary.