From joke to joke, truths are spoken

The following days have passed in a flash, Wednesday already coming to an end. Cassidy received an email from her biology teacher, telling her she could use the laboratory after class to work on her final project.

This time, the final projects were to be presented at the end of the year, and could be about any topic they liked. As for her, she has always found biology to be fascinating; thinking about studying something related on college.

She was relieved as she wrote an email back, thanking him for the chance to work on her plants there. Conditions were good, as in humidity, sunlight exposure, temperature, and enough place to set them apart enough to not compromise the main variable: music.

The following day, she went during lunchtime to talk personally with the teacher as he suggested on the email, filling him in detail with her intentions.

She already stated all that on the email, but he wanted her to explain her work further. Cassidy didn't mind, though, as it might give her extra points for being dedicated to her investigation.

After having her conversation, she walked back to her locker to leave her notebook there before going to her friends. She closed the door with a rather strong motion, startling Kyle, who was waiting for her behind it.

"Did you get yelled at or something?" He asked.

"No, I was just thinking about something else." She smiled apologetically. "What's up? Were you going somewhere?"

"Was just looking for you since it was taking you a while and lunchtime is almost over."

"Really?" She checked her phone and sighed. He was right. "Shit."

"C'mon, let's hurry." He started walking, urging her to follow him. "You're taking the project seriously."

"Yeah." She said, walking fast. "I'm actually staying late today to start as soon as I can."

Kyle hummed. "I see… You better get an A, or I'll be disappointed as hell."

"Fuck, me too." She confessed, laughing. "It better be worth it."

With a light movement, Kyle slid his arm over her shoulders and dragged her closer, as in a friendly hug.

"You're a smart ass. Work your ass off and it'll pay off." Then, he messed with her hair, letting her go.

Lately, he's been more into having physical contact with her. He either takes her hand randomly, only to let her go as fast as he held it. Casual hugging or patting her head, too.

And she's grown so used to it, she's found herself, reaching out to him as well.

It never felt awkward or wrong. And since neither Isabelle nor Allen said anything about it, they figured it seemed as they were good friends.

They wanted to believe that, at least.

There was something she couldn't deny, though: the excessive feeling of self-consciousness that takes over her every time their bodies were too close. The tingles, the butterflies in her belly, her heart beating hard inside her chest.

Every time turning more and more hard to ignore.

She was really good at hiding it and she knew it, even joked about how she was falling for him already. Something they had been saying to each other quite regularly as well.

Specially as an inner joke between them after what happened at the mall with the couple of elders.

She, of course, was sure as hell that was a joke for him. Their whole teasing and flirting with her was only a game for him. It was a game for her as well, or at least it was whenever other's hit on her.

This time, she was not sure anymore.

She didn't mind, either. Wasn't that what he was 'teaching' her to do? Letting go? Well, she was staring to feel fond of that theory.

After school was over, she went to the laboratory to work on her project as she had planned. What she didn't count on, was that the couple of hours she was supposed to be there passed faster than she thought.

Mr. Smith was the one that told her school was about to close, and that she had to wrap thing up quickly before it got any later.

Watching his tender smile as he talked reminded her of what Kyle told her the past week.

She smiled at the thought as she finished setting her plants in different corners of the classroom, quickly grabbing her bag and phone before leaving.

It was getting dark outside and she still had to walk home, so she hurried a little to make it on time to catch the next bus.

As she was leaving the building, she noticed in the distance a long figure leaning on one of the trees in front of the school's entrance. She knew who it was right away, his characteristic blonde hair impossible to miss.

She wondered what he was doing there, so she just walked to him.

"Hey!" She greeted. "What are you doing here? It's pretty late, y'know?"

Kyle tilted his head to one side. "What do you think?" He smirked. "Was waiting for you."

"W—Me?" Her eyes squinted. "Why?"

"What else? To take you home." He said, now avoiding her gaze, looking around them as if being precautions of his surroundings.

"You didn't have to…" She was out of words as she was feeling touched, relieved and nervous at the same time.

"I know." He started walking. "I kinda felt triggered when I pictured you walking by yourself at this hour." He shrugged.

Cassidy nodded. "Honestly… Thanks. I was a bit scared myself." She laughed, trying to cover her shyness. "And since Allen's taking Iry home, I didn't wanna bother her with this."

He eyed her as they wake towards his car, feeling proud that he decided to wait for her today.

"Tell me which days you're staying late. I'll wait for you."

She looked up. "If you keep this up, I might end up falling for you for real." Her voice came out as a joke, something she did very much on purpose.

"Haven't you thought I might be wanting that for a while?" He said, winking at her.

And there he was again. His flirtatious self making her feel unsure of what to think of him.

She sighed out loud, but covered her uncertainty with a grin.

"You never disappoint."

"For real, though." He pushed her softly with his body. "Let me know."

"Alright." She obliged, not sure why he was insisting so much about it.

Perhaps it was just his good nature. She has seen him offering help to other classmates before. Also, as he is quite friend, he tends to have a good relationship with others; casual, but always good.

Allen was the one that didn't talk much to people, his usual cold expression making people feel intimidated. Even though at first they thought Kyle was the same, they quickly noticed Kyle's easy-going nature.

Anyhow, Cassidy didn't think about it too much after that.

It was not coded on her system.

After that, a couple of days passed until Saturday in the afternoon arrived, when she and Isabelle were supposed to meet at the groceries store to buy some snacks and soda for later.

Today it was movie night, so Cassidy, Isabelle, and MJ were staying at MJ's to watch a couple of horror movies they had on their watch list.

MJ got home late, as he had practice, while the girls waited for him in his living room. Sarah, MJ's mom, let them inside and offered them some homemade cookies. Something they could not refuse.

"So, you want the nachos or the Cheetos first?" MJ asked Isabelle as he set a couple of colorful bowls on the coffee table.

"Nachos." She answered while fixing up the pillows and comforter on the ground.

They always fixed the place like a picnic.

"Alright." MJ set the content of the bag in one bowl, and added the spicy potato chips on the other. "Your chips, Cass."

"Thanks, MJ." She said, quickly typing something on her phone before going back into her computer.

She was setting up the subtitles and audio before connecting her laptop to the TV. It was a Japanese horror film, one she was told was 'so terrifying, you'd need to sleep with the lights on for a month after watching it'.

The movie started a few minutes later, starting up with a fairly enough creepy scene. Cassidy was having a blast as she watched the disturbing scenes, when her phone buzzed again.

Her concentration diverting quickly from the movie to the little screen between her hands. She was typing contently, when MJ voice startled her.

"And you said you were not into him."