Page 6 of The Captain

Cassie sighed, and if I looked closely enough, I could see dark circles under her eyes, and I briefly wondered if she wasn’t sleeping. What was keeping her up at night? Was it Crew? Was it school?

Why do you fucking care?

“I don’t want to be here, Ellis, but I don’t really have a choice, either.”

“And why is that?” I leaned back in my chair, my muscles protesting the movement after two hours of drills that afternoon.

All I’d wanted to do after practice was go home and crash on my bed, not sit and work on homework so I didn’t get kicked out of school.

“You’re Mickey’s brother. She would be devastated if you lost your place on the team.”

Her words humbled me immediately, but I wouldn’t let that show. I wouldn’t let her get the better of me and show her that I was freaking the fuck out over this whole situation. I couldn’t let her see that side of me.

“Whatever.” I sat forward and rubbed my head.

“So, tell me what we’re working with,” Cassie started, and reluctantly, I told her exactly what she needed to know, what I was struggling with and why.

She sat patiently and watched my face, her eyes glancing down at the papers and books every few minutes to see what I’d point to, but she kept her eyes coming back to my face, her focus unreal.

“Okay, this isn’t as bad as I thought—hey.” She snapped her fingers in my face and frowned. “What happened just now?”

“What?” I blinked and looked back at her.

“You completely zoned out as soon as I started talking.” Her tone was pissed off, with only a hint of concern.

I shook my head. “Sorry, that’s what happens when I’m in this fucking loud library.”

Cassie glared at me. “Seriously? Loud library?”

“It is fucking loud,” I whispered at her, leaning closer than I probably should have. “I can’t fucking focus.”

She sighed and rolled her shoulders, seemingly trying to shake the tension from them. “Okay, fine. Don’t take this seriously then.”

Suddenly, she stood from where she was sitting and grabbed her bag that she never even took anything out of.

I frowned severely at her. “What are you doing?”

“I’m leaving,” she stated simply, not looking at me.

“What? You can’t leave, I need help.”

She turned her glare on me, and suddenly I’m transported back to last year, when I didn’t know who Cassie was, when she didn’t know who I was, when things were…really fucking cool for one night.

“If you needed help, you would try to at least listen to me. You aren’t trying.”

I covered my face with my hands, emotions trying to overwhelm me. I couldn’t let that fucking happen now. “I’m trying to listen, I promise. I just can’t focus.”

“Well, call me when you think you can.”

I pulled my hands away from my face and saw her retreating form. I groaned and quickly shoved my books into my bag, standing and hustling after her.

“Cass!” I get glared at by everyone around me for my too loud voice. Fuck them. I don’t really fucking care if I’m too loud.

She doesn’t turn, weaving through tables, and is out the door before I could grab at her.

I don’t stop moving until I’m out the door myself. She pressed the button for the elevator and waited for a moment before she saw me and turned for the stairs.

“Fucking wait, Cass,” I grumbled from behind her. Reaching out, I snatched her hand and pulled her to me. She lost balance, and I spun, using the wall behind her to reach out and balance myself.

---