Stratosphere

Cassidy rushes back to Jason and Amber, both waiting for her to take her turn. She interrupts whatever conversation they’re having about school or something.

“Tyler’s here,” Cassidy says to Amber.

“Tyler Hemming?” Jason asks, grabbing up a soda can from the little table they sat by their lane.

Cassidy and Amber share a look between them.

“Yeah, him.” Cassidy says, popping the tab on her own soda and taking a tentative sip.

“Where at? I should go say what’s up.”

With a mouthful of soda, Cassidy makes the best protest she can, shaking her head and pushing at Jason’s chest when he makes a move toward the concession and pool area.

“Let’s finish our game first,” Amber pipes in.

Jason looks between his sister and their new friend. He shrugs. “I guess, since you two are so eager to lose…”

They finish their first game and Jason ends up owing Cassidy a crisp ten dollar bill.

Deciding to eat a meal before they bowl a new game, the three of them go to sit at a booth and place an order for dinner. Jason offers to pay. Amber declines and says dinner is on her, not letting him get out of paying Cassidy her ten dollars. Cassidy just sits back and looks down the aisle where that group of rambunctious teen boys are sitting, stuffing their faces and being a group of cliches. Tyler is just sitting there, though, in the midst of the chaos, the eye of the storm, sitting and staring back at Cassidy. There’s a playfulness in his gaze, blue eyes fierce yet sparkling with a mischievous glint, like a god finding a rabbit to play with.

Cassidy’s contact is broken when a small, pale hand waves in front of her face.

“What are you staring at?” Amber follows her line of sight and ends up groaning in annoyance. “Why is it every time I look up, he’s there?”

“Who?” Jason, who is sitting facing away from the group, turns in his seat and sees the group of boys surrounding Tyler. “Oh shit it’s the guys.”

“Did you tell them we were coming here?” Amber asks in an accusing tone. Her pale cheeks flush red and she sinks into the booth seat, hiding her face with the menu. Tyler is approaching them.

“Fancy meeting you here.” He leans his palms on the table, forearms veins bulging as he grips the edge of the table. His blue eyes boring into Cassidy’s. They flicker briefly towards Amber. “Glad you’re sticking with them, they’ll keep you out of trouble.”

“Like I’m ever in trouble to begin with.” Amber crosses her arms and faces away from the towering football player who gives a mucking scoff of a laugh.

“You guys fight like siblings,” Jason says.

“We’re not siblings.”

“I’m the best big brother she’ll ever have.” Tyler gives a smile, one that makes Cassidy’s heart beat against her ribcage. She has to fight the rising warmth inside her, unsure if it’s the heat in her blood or the heat of her light. She stirs in her seat.

“Can I take your or—Oh goddammit.”

Four heads turn towards a slender yet tall frame with pushed back, copper hair that sits beneath a folded, paper hat. Scornful, yellow eyes meet each and everyone of them in return before rolling so hard Cassidy becomes afraid his retinas would detach from their optic nerves.

Nicholas glares at the four of them, slipping his order pad into the front of his apron. He puts his hands on his hips.

“What the hell are you guys doing here?” His gaze is mostly directed at Cassidy and Tyler. “I thought we weren’t working on the project until tomorrow.”

“We aren’t.” Cassidy and Tyler both speak at the same time.

“Jinx.” They speak again once more.

Nicholas raises a hand and says to Cassidy, “hey, cool it with the jinx, alright.”

“I’m sorry, who is this?” It was Jason who is sitting on his side of the booth with the most confused face Cassidy has ever seen from him. Cassidy gives Jason a look, one they’ve perfected over the years. One that only two siblings that were so close in age without being twins could come up with. In just a simple look Cassidy was able to let Jason know just exactly who the red-head was.

“Oh, nevermind.” And that confused/curious look turns into one of disgust and malice. Jason’s smart enough that he doesn’t say anything in a public place like this.

Amber is sitting next to Cassidy in utter silence, still glaring daggers towards Tyler. Cassidy doesn’t get it. She said they weren’t friends anymore and she made it seem like it was Tyler that drifted. Hmm.

“So, are you going to take their order or are you just gonna continue standing around?” Tyler is standing at his full height and even though Nicholas is tall, he’s still dwarfed by Tyler’s size. Cassidy is now reminded of that drawing she made earlier today; the face-off between cat and dog.

What an odd bunch they are; two sibling witches, a vampire waiter, whatever the hell Tyler is and the little lone human who has no idea what kind of energy that thrums in the atmosphere.

“Fine,” Nicholas says. He pulls out his pen and pad with a fake service smile. “Can I take your order?”

Tyler’s friends are long gone, they begged Tyler to come along with them to some hangout spot that was hush-hush, but instead he waved them off and told them he’ll catch them later. He rents a pair of bowling shoes and joins in on the original trio’s bowling game.

“Since there’s four of us we should be on teams,” Tyler suggests while tying his freakishly large shoes.

“Boys versus girls,” Amber says. She finally lost her scowl once she got some food in her and now she seems a bit more accepting of Tyler’s presence.

“No,” Tyler says curtly. “Me and Cassie, versus Jay and Amy.”

“Oh, dude, you bet on the wrong Mason,” Jason says, stretching more for show than actual practicality. “Me and Aems are gonna smoke you two.” The two teammates share a high-five.

“Sorry Cassie-Cass,” Amber says. “I hate to say this, but we’re totally gonna smoke you guys.”

“Fine, dessert is on the losing team.”

They each bowl like their lives depend on it. At some point Amber and Jason had come up with their own handshake and perform it every time one of them hits a strike or collects a spare. Cassidy has no idea so much energy could be encased in such a tiny body. The energy is contagious, so much so that when Cassidy bowls a winning strike she’s celebrating and ends up jumping into Tyler’s arms. He spins her and suddenly the world is moving in slow motion. Cassidy never wanted to become a cliche, never dreamed of those magical movie moments, but in this moment, she couldn’t help but to embrace it as strong arms hold her tight around the waist and pull her into body heat so warm she feels as though she’s skirting the edge of an open flame. Her feet aren’t touching the ground and suddenly she’s reminded of looking down from the top of the Space Needle.

She collects herself, slipping out of the boy’s arms and looking anywhere other than his handsome face.

“So, dessert?” She says awkwardly to her brother and friend who both look like they’re holding back amused smiles.

They decide to head out for dessert, Tyler suggesting an awesome Italian hot chocolate place that’s only a couple minute’s walk from the alley. The four of them head to the front desk to return their shoes. Nicholas is there, out of uniform and seems to be waiting for something. He’s wearing all black with a red leather jacket tossed over his shoulder and a helmet tucked under his arm.

“Headin’ out?” Cassidy asks.

“What do you care?”

“Okay, mister grumpy pants…” It’s silent and then in the heat of the moment. “Wanna come get dessert with us?”

“Cass, what the hell?” Jason says, appalled.

Cassidy just shrugs and looks back towards Nicholas. Since they’re opposing species, she supposes they should get to know each other better at least.

“What do you say, Chun, want to get some hot chocolate? Or can you not have any?” Cassidy teases him, curious if the lamia could actually eat human food, she was still learning.

The woman at the front desk slides Nicholas an envelope that he opens on the spot, taking his sweet time while Cassidy waits for an answer. He looks at the piece of paper and sighs deeply.

Cassidy’s about to ask once more if Nicholas wanted to hang, but he cuts her off.

“I’ll come with, but I’m not leaving my bike.”

“What kind of bike?” It’s Jason that asks, even as he stews in his negative feelings for the guy he can’t hide his curiosity. Nicholas gives a smug smile and jerks his head towards the door.

“Come check it out.”

Despite Jason’s convictions, the two end up talking about motorbikes and motorsports and bike models the entire walk and eventually Cassidy tunes them out.

Amber and Cassidy walk side by side swinging their hands together.

“Tonight has been so much fun, despite the party crashers,” says Amber.

“I am a party maker actually,” Tyler butts in. But the two girls pay him no mind, continuing to giggle to each other and swing their hands like little girls in a garden.

The city is beautiful at night. The streets are lit, Halloween decorations are strung up on every light post and every shop they walk past. That cozy fall feeling was in the air and when the smell of warm, imported chocolate hit the group’s noses they couldn't help but increase their pace.

With a cup of thick, warm chocolate and a biscotti each, they gather around a picnic table to sit and enjoy their treat. While Tyler, Amber and Jason spoon thick chocolate into their mouths, Cassidy is watching Nicholas. She sits for what seems like too long waiting for him to consume.

“Do you always watch people while they eat,” Nicholas says and proceeds to take a hearty bite out of his biscotti. Of course he couldn’t help himself into making Cassidy feel like a fool.

She feels herself blushing and takes her first taste of Italian hot chocolate. It’s rich, warm and not too sweet. The taste reminds her of a hug from her dad, or when her mother used to gently brush her hair and hum to her. It was comfort in a cup and she had to close her eyes and let the comfort mingle with her light. She felt like she could float off the bench seat and into the stratosphere.

“Wow.”

“I know,” Jason agrees.

Cassidy wants to grab his hand and share their light, but she restrains herself.

“So, does this make all of us friends now?”

No one says anything, giving all their attention to their desserts and ignoring Tyler’s question. Even though no one confirms it, they could all agree that yeah, being friends probably won’t turn out so bad.