Safe with You

by Shelby Reeves

  “Damn, brother…I thought you were messing with me when you said you had it bad,” Bo chuckles, slapping my back. I shove him and look back at Cassie. She is now sticking her earphones into her ears, getting ready to take off.

  A low growl rumbles through my throat when my eyes land on some of my teammates doing the same thing I am doing. There is a party Friday night at Colt’s so I need to get the ball rolling and ask her if she will go to the party with me before someone else tries to ask her. I don’t know if I could handle watching her with someone else. I don’t know what it is about this girl that has me so drawn to her and so completely captivated, but it only makes me want to be near her as much as possible.

  Cassie takes off, starting her run. I curse under my breath and run after her. Dang, she’s fast. I finally catch up with her and run side by side with her. She doesn’t notice me at first, but when her eyes finally cut to mine she sucks in a breath and her eyes widen. I smile at her and her eyes narrow into slits at me. Just as she was about to cut her eyes back to the front her feet get tangled and she falls to the gym floor, letting out a small shriek along the way. I stop abruptly, bending down to help her.

  “Are you okay Cass?”

  I stretch my hand out towards her for her to grab, but she swats it away and stands herself. “Yeah, no thanks to you.”

  “I didn’t make you fall,” I say, defending myself.

  “Oh, it was definitely your fault! Every time you or your brother is around something happens to me!”

  I pretend to think about it for a second. “I’m not seeing it. Sorry.” I shrug.

  “Never mind,” she grumbles. “Why were you running alongside me anyway?”

  “I wanted to give you some company and I wanted to ask you something.” I don’t elaborate because I don’t think it’s the right time with her believing I made her fall.

  “Well?”

  “I can’t ask you yet, it’s not the right time. Just promise me one thing though?”

  “Sure, humor me.”

  “If anyone else asks you, say no.”

  She gives me a crazed look, almost like the ones we’ve been giving her. “If anyone asks me what?”

  “You’ll see, Cass.”

  “That doesn’t tell me anything!” I just laugh and walk away from her. “J!”

  ****

  To make matters worse, Ellen has been trying to stick her dang claws into me all freakin’ day and I’m getting sick of it. Nothing she does will make me change my mind. Every time her fingers try to graze my skin, I want to puke. Part of me hopes I do so I can throw up all over her. Maybe then she’ll stay away from me.

  “J,” a sing-song voice mixed with the sounds that make your ears bleed call out from behind me. Can I not go one day without her bothering me?

  I ignore her and keep walking. “J!” Doesn’t she get the hint? “I know you hear me!” I pick up my pace when I hear her voice getting closer to me. “Jay Allan Michaels! You will stop right now and talk to me!” she yells at me like I’m a freakin’ toddler which only makes me want to ignore her more.

  I am almost to the field house and she is still on my heels, following me like a lost puppy. Having enough, I stop abruptly and spin around. “What in the hell do you want?”

  Her eyes widen a fraction before she composes herself. “I was wondering if you were going to the party on Friday?”

  “I am and no I will not go with you.” I already know what she is going to ask next so I just went ahead and told her my answer.

  She stomps her foot and stuck her bottom lip out like a four-year old who isn’t getting her way. That may work on her dad, but it sure as heck won’t work on me. “But J…” she whines.

  I grit my teeth. “No Ellen, I will not go to the party with you.”

  “Fine, then you can just go by yourself and be miserable.”

  “Ha! Nowhere near as miserable as I’d be if I went with you.” I turn around and walk away, leaving her with her mouth hung open. Good, I hope she swallows a bug.

  Coach had let us off from practice yesterday, lucky for us, since we took care of Cassie, but today we will be practicing extra hard. Though judging by the clouds we may not get to practice long at all.

  Sure enough, fifteen minutes into practice it starts thundering and lightning so we had to call it a day since we couldn’t move to the gym because the girls were practicing for volleyball.

  We change out of our pads while coach talks to us for a minute.

  When we are dismissed we jog to the truck through the pouring down rain.

  Bo starts to drive away and I catch a glimpse of someone sitting on the sidewalk under the canopy. “Stop, Bo!”

  “Good grief J! Scare the crap out of me why don’t ya?” I ignore him and hop out the truck.

  I run over and crouch down in front of her. “Cassie what are you still doing here?” She is still wearing her gym clothes from P.E.

  She rolls her eyes at me. “I was going to walk home, but then it started raining hard and lightening.” She gestures to the torrential downpour going on around us.

  “Jessie couldn’t take you home?” Surely Jessie didn’t blow her off.

  “Not that it is any of your business, but I was going to get a run in since mine was so rudely interrupted so I never asked her for a ride home.”

  “Haven’t I told you already that it isn’t safe for you to do that?”

  Her eyes flashed with anger. “The last time I checked, you weren’t my brother.”

  Thank God for that! “Come on Cass, we’ll take you home.”

  “No thank you, I’m going to wait for this to pass.”

  This girl likes to push my buttons. “Are you crazy?”

  “According to you and Bo I am,” she replies while picking her bag of clothes up and standing. To my complete and utter shock, she started walking in the rain in the direction to her house.

  I cursed silently and ran after her. “This is crazy, Cassie! Just let me take you home!”

  “No!”

  I threw my hands in the air. “You’re so stubborn you know that?” Beautiful and stubborn. Droplets of water run down her cheek, her hair is plastered the side of her face. I’m getting drenched from head to toe standing here staring at her and yet it’s the least of my worries. Her mouth opens but closes instantly. I caught her off guard. Either that or it’s the fact that she’s eyeing me like I’m doing to her.

  “I’m sorry we acted like you were crazy. I promise you’re not fully crazy.” I grin when I see her trying to hold back her smile. “Will you please swallow your pride and let us take you home?”

  Her eyes drop to my outstretched hand again. She tentatively places her small hand in mine. “Fine, but only because I still have no idea how to get home and it’s obvious that the rain isn’t going to stop for a bit.”

  I pull her to me and her body flushes against mine. I lean in to whisper in her ear. “Admit it, Cass, you like being around me.” Without warning I drop my arms around her thighs and throw her over my shoulder.

  “J!” she squeals though she was laughing.

  I’m pretty sure her laughter was the best sound I have ever heard.

  Chapter Seven

  Cassie

  Remind me again why I thought it would prove a point to walk home in the rain? Yeah, I’m never doing that again. I’m sitting in the backseat of Bo’s truck shivering from being soaking wet. J snuggles me closer to him and wraps his arm around me. I’m not exactly sure how that is going to help warm me up since he is in the same predicament as I am. I’m not going to complain though since I like how this feels. I close my eyes and the image I have of him standing before me in the rain pops its way in my mind.

  “What are you smiling about back there darlin’?” I about jump out of my seat from Bo’s surprise comment.

  I blush instantly and look down. “I wasn’t smiling.”

  “Sure darlin’…whatever you say¸” Bo replies in a laughing tone.

  Ugh
! I wish Bo couldn’t read people as well as he does!

  I pull away from J as soon as Bo turns in my driveway. “Thanks for the ride you guys,” I mumble against my better judgment. I just know they will tease me about saying ‘thank you’ to them.

  Sure enough Bo starts up. “Holy crap, J! Did she just say thank you?”

  J smiles and my stomach floods with butterflies. “Now that wasn’t so hard was it?”

  “Yeah, yeah...whatever.” I grab the handle to open the door, but J stops me.

  “Let me walk you to the door.” He slides over to the other side and jumps out. A second later my door opens and I tell Bo that I’ll see him around. J grabs my waist and helps me down. We run up to my front porch, laughing like little kids.

  J tucks a strand of wet hair behind my ear. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Cassie.”

  I swear the way he is looking at me makes me think he is going to lean his perfect face down to mine and kiss me.

  “Okay.” I wish my voice didn’t sound so small. He grasps my hand and lifts it to his mouth, placing a soft kiss to it. J drops my hand slowly, his eyes never wavering from mine, as he backs away from me. After about five steps, he turns around and keeps walking to the truck. With one last look, he hops into the passenger seat. I force myself to turn around and walk into the house.

  I get perplexed looks from both mom and dad as soon as I step foot in the house. I just ignore them and head straight to my room to gather clothes up for a long bath.

  The bath feels refreshing. I am so relaxed I almost fall asleep in the water. It wasn’t until the water turned cold I finally get out and dress in comfortable clothes.

  I walk into the kitchen to find something to eat. Mom is munching on a salad while dad was eating some of the leftover chicken alfredo I made the night before. The silence is deafening. I could tell they want to say something to me about hanging around people. I fix myself the rest of the leftovers and sit down across from my parents at the dinner table.

  I had just taken my first bite when mom decided she wanted to be nosy. “So, who dropped you off today, Cassie?”

  I want to give her a dramatic eye roll, but since I don’t feel like arguing with anyone I decide against it. “Just a couple people from school.” I shrug my shoulders and take another bite. Mom gives me a look that plainly says, ‘you know that’s not the answer I’m looking for’. “Their names are Bo and J and they are seniors like me. They took me home today so I wouldn’t have to walk thirty minutes in the torrential downpour that is currently going on.”

  “You don’t have to be a smartass Cassie, she was just asking. You know that we have to know this information,” Dad snaps.

  I want to laugh humorously. Of course, you do. You need to make sure that they are working for ‘you know who’.

  “For whose safety, mine or you guys?”

  Dad points his fork at me. “Don’t start young lady. You know this is how it has to be right now.”

  That’s what you say all the time! “Is this how it’s always going to be? Huh? You may be fine living like this, but I want to have a life!” I want the life I had before they changed. I want my old friends back and if Zack hasn’t moved on by now, I would even get back with him.

  “Enough, Cassie!”

  I stab my fork in my bowl and finish my food quickly so I can go to my room. I want to shake them and bang their heads together so hard that it will knock some sense into their drug filled heads. Maybe then they would wake up and see how awful it is to live like this.

  After lying in my bed for a couple hours just staring at the ceiling, I finally notice that it has stopped raining. The sun is peeking through the clouds, trying to make its appearance before it sets. I jump up and head to my room to switch out my clothes for my running gear. I yell at my parents that I’m going for a run and jog out the door, not even caring if they heard me or not.

  My feet hit the pavement at a fast, steady rhythm while my arms stay tucked to my sides. I feel the familiar burn in my legs knowing I’ve gone farther than my body is used to, though I don’t stop, I keep pushing forward despite my legs’ protest. Three Days Grace is blaring in my ears as I continue my run to nowhere particular. Normally, I run in different directions so I can see this whole town, see what all it has, or doesn’t have in this case.

  The sun casts an orange glow over the field next to me, signaling it’s time to turn around and head back. The guys have grilled me relentlessly on how it isn’t safe to run when it’s almost dark. Not that I don’t agree, but in a town where everybody knows everybody you would think you’d know who would be more likely to do kidnap, rob, or whatever. They would probably crap their pants if I told them the real reason why my parents and I are here. Bo and J wouldn’t want anything to do with me after they found that out, nor would Jess. Not they would ever know because we will be long gone soon. My chest tightens at the thought of leaving them. Jess is quickly becoming my new best friend, one like I used to have, and even though Bo and J are pain in the butts most of the time, I’d miss them and their constant nagging. Other than my best friends and Zack, who I left behind back in Indy, I haven’t felt that connection with anyone else.

  I see headlights shine in front of me and the sound of a car slowing down, but I don’t stop running. Panic starts to set in when I don’t recognize the car. I try to keep it under wraps unless I actually need to panic.

  A head sticks out of the passenger window of a white Nissan Altima just as it slows to a stop in front of me. Reluctantly, I stop and pull my headphones out of my ears. “Well, well, isn’t it the new school slut,” a female voice booms, making me cringe from her words. Who is this chick? Her nose scrunches up as she eyes me up and down assessing me. “What? Is J not gentleman enough to take you home afterward?” Both girls in the car snicker. Great, I knew this would happen.

  I lace my fingers behind my head to steady my breathing. I don’t want to answer, but if I don’t they’ll think they are getting under my skin. “My life is none of your business, but I will go ahead and tell you anyway. We’re just friends, nothing more.” Truth be known, we don’t even need to be that because when I leave it will be hard. I’ve already had to deal with losing friends and I don’t want to go through that again. I need to find a way to tell them to leave me alone without having revealing the truth.

  When she smiles, I know without a doubt what she was thinking and it makes me feel…surprisingly jealous. “Sucks for you, but it is great for me.” She flicks her blonde hair back and rolls up the window as the car drives away. Just freaking great, drama is the last thing I need.

  Though my legs scream in pain, I jog the last two miles back home. The jealous feeling is still there by the time I reach my driveway so I try to bury it deep within me, but it won’t disappear. The last thing I need is to get attached to this place and the people in it because soon enough I will be in a new town with new people. Brilliant, AL will be part of my past like the other places I’ve lived in. Bo, J, and Jess will soon just be three people that I’ve encountered in this town.

  Chapter Eight

  Cassie

  Today has just been oddly weird. Random guys have been coming up and asking me if I wanted to go with them to a bonfire this Friday. I don’t think they realize that I’m from the north, not to mention the city, so I have no idea what happens at a bonfire. Plus, I don’t even know these guys’ names so why would I go with them? I’ve successfully managed to avoid Bo and J all morning. I know my luck will eventually run out because I can’t hide from them forever, but hopefully they can take a hint.

  I stop at my locker on my way to lunch so I can go through my History binder to see if I can find the page of homework I am missing.

  “Are you trying to avoid us?” I hear a rasp in my ear.

  I jump, startled by the voice behind me, hitting my head on my locker door in the process. Dang it! That plan didn’t last but a few hours.

  “Are you trying to get me killed?” The irony of that question
isn’t lost on me.

  J curses, pulling a handkerchief out of his back pocket. Why he carries one around is beyond me. He dabs the cut above my eye lightly, but I feel his touch deep in my bones. I hold my breath as J continues to try and stop the bleeding above my eye.

  “We asked you a question first,” Bo answers, crossing his arms.

  I sigh dramatically. “No, I’m not trying to avoid you guys. Why would think that?” I’m not exactly sure why I lied to them. I guess so I wouldn’t have to answer their relentless questions on why I was avoiding them.

  “First of all its y’all not “you guys” and secondly we haven’t seen you in almost twenty-four hours,” Bo says, shaking his head.

  “You were already gone when we went to pick you up this morning,” J adds, sounding gloomy.

  “Wow…miss me that much?” I retort sarcastically. On the inside, my heart flutters at their disappointment. “I needed to get here early to fill out some paperwork they forgot to have me do when I transferred,” I lie easily, but by the looks on their faces they aren’t buying it.

  They didn’t get a chance to reply to my lie because arms slinked around their waists and the bodies of the two girls were pressed up against them. I grip my books so hard my knuckles turned white.

  No sooner than the blond chick from last night had her arms around J, they are they removed, forcefully. Of course, she pouts like little five-year-old who had gotten her favorite toy taken away. Bo eats up the attention from the other girl. Pig.

  The blond one from last night sizes me up just like she did yesterday. “Goin’ for a run again today? From the looks of it, you definitely could use one.”

  “Ellen!” Bo and J reprimand.

  “Really? That’s best you could come up with to insult me? How long did it take for you to come up with that one?”

  She scoffs, getting right up in my face, but I refuse to back down. “Listen here slut, father runs this town and what I want I get, so you better think about that next time.”