Cassie and Laura had just wrapped up their project and had gone out for dinner at a fast food joint near her place. The place was slightly crowded than usual since it was a Sunday. They'd been fine, talking about a lot of things when Laura brought it up. "So, what do you think about Kai and Hillary?" She asked carefully, not meeting her eyes. Cassie just shrugged, not sure what she wanted her to say.

"Don't you think there's something odd about it at all? I just saw them walking side-by-side throughout the school two days ago." she pressed. "So what? They must have been discussing about the chemistry project. You know how much of a short notice this project was." she told.

Laura tsked with impatience. "Look, your boyfriend takes all six of the AP classes. He has a partner in all these classes. 

How many people's presence does he actually acknowledge in all of them? With how many of them have you actually seen him talk to besides the blade breakers? How many of them does he repeatedly bring up in conversations?

Cassie felt the tension in the air, thick and suffocating as Laura's words echoed in her mind. She knew Laura was pushing, but Cassie wasn't sure if she wanted to take the bait.

"I don't know Laura..." Cassie said, leaning back in her seat, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. "Just because they were walking together doesn't mean there's something going on."

Yet as said that, Cassie felt a wave of unease sweep over her. The idea of her rival interfering in her relationship made her blood boil. 

She thought back to the time Hillary had won the state championship. The victory that should have been hers. Hillary had stolen that, just like she'd taken everything else after that.

"I trust him," she said instead, her voice shaking slightly with emotion she hadn't expected. "Kai's not like that. He's with me now. And I'm not going to let you or anyone else try to make me doubt him. I don't care what you think about Hillary or how you feel about Kai. It's not going to change how I feel about him."

Laura's smile tightened, but her voice remained calm, almost too calm. "You sure about that? Because when you're not looking, he's probably searching for his next catch. He did the same with me, why would you be any different?"

Cassie clenched her jaw, the bitterness rising in her throat. Laura had a way of twisting everything, making it sound like the whole world was against her.

"I mean it, Laura," Cassie replied, trying to steady herself. "I don't think Kai's like the others..." 

Laura leaned forward slightly, eyes narrowing with a subtle edge of concern that almost felt too rehearsed. "Cassie, I know you want to believe that, but what about Hillary? You can't seriously trust her. She's always one step ahead of you, always getting what she wants, what you have. She doesn't play fair."

Cassie shifted uncomfortably in her seat, her mind running through all the times she'd felt Hillary was ahead of her. The state championship, the presidency of the Amity club, the the prefect position... it seemed like Hillary had a way of making things fall right into her lap. But still, the idea of her and Kai—she didn't want to think like that.

"I don't know... I really don't. I just don't like the way you're painting her out. Maybe she's just... trying to get along with people? Maybe she's not plotting anything at all!" She stuttered, the logic sounding weak to her ears too.

Laura let out a soft, almost pitying sigh. "I get it, Cassie. You want to believe the best in people. And maybe I'm wrong about some things. But I know girls like Hillary. I'm just looking out for you."

Cassie's heart felt heavy. She didn't want to doubt Kai, but the seeds of doubt were already taking root, and the more Laura spoke, the harder it was to ignore them.

"And I don't want you to get hurt," Laura continued, softening her tone. "You've been through enough already. I don't want to see you fall for someone who isn't as sincere as they seem. And Hillary... she can be dangerous when she wants something."

Cassie stayed silent for a moment, her mind swirling. She didn't want to push Laura away; she was still her friend. But at the same time, Cassie felt her trust in Laura waver, too. 

Laura said she was trying to protect her, but was she doing it out of genuine concern, or was she just projecting her own fears onto the situation?

"Look," Laura said, breaking the silence, "You're my best friend Cassie, I want you to be happy. But I don't want you to ignore what's right in front of you."

Cassie nodded slowly, still conflicted but grateful for Laura's concern, even if she wasn't sure it was entirely coming from the right place. "Thanks, Laura. I appreciate it, really. I'll look into it, I promise."

Laura smiled, though there was a hint of something in her eyes that she couldn't interpret. "Of course. I just want what's best for you."

Cassie gave her a small, strained smile in return, unsure of what to think, but at least the conversation was over for now.

 She needed time to figure out how she really felt about Hillary, Kai... and everything else.

*****

"You want me to host the food exhibition and the follow-up concert?" Tyson asked, staring at Hillary in disbelief. She had come to his classroom during his short break on Monday with another girl Elisabeth, when she told him her request.

Hillary nodded, glancing down as she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Yes. You know how to work a crowd. You do a lot of it without even trying during your bey-battles. If you could recreate a bit of that energy and charm during the exhibition, that would be more than enough."

"So, you want to use me for my fanbase to draw a crowd?" he deadpanned, waiting for her reaction. He knew that wasn't the case, but he did love to get a raise out of her. 

Hillary, for her part looked surprised first, then offended. "I do not want to use you for your fanbase Tyson." She said through gritted teeth, all the while trying hard not to strangle him. This was what she would get for bringing in a third-party to converse with him, he thought, effectively stopping him from freely discussing their last conversation.

"If that was the case, don't you think I would have added your photo on the posters, and maybe every other famous person in our club for good measure? That is not how this works." She continued.

"Why me?" He asked then, genuinely curious this time. Hillary rolled her eyes. "Come on Tyson, you know what type of people this club mainly consists of. Most of them just chose this club to get a free period to study or get some practice at whatever they do or rich ass jerks who just wanted to skip some hard work. Very few people are actually interested in this club's cause."

"And what makes you think I'm not in the first category? Because from what I remember, I got one of your infamous letters too." "But you chose to show up after that. And from what I saw, were making a lot of contributions on a lot of fronts before the weekend. You showed that you were interested in the club, you just needed a bit of a nudge." She reasoned.

Tyson blinked in surprise. If he wasn't being delusional, this was the closest Hillary had come to ever give him a compliment.

"I also don't have much of a pool to pick from. You tell me, who else could do this better than you?" She asked him instead. "Royson could do it." He grumbled at once, still not over the fact that she'd gotten herself a date to come to his Halloween party. "He's already performing, he won't be have time for this."

"Elisabeth could do it." he tried again, looking at the club's ex-president. "The seniors have an exam on Saturday, so they won't actually be available for the first half of the day." 

He tried again. "You could do it." he said like the choice was obvious. Hillary chuckled at this, "On top of every other work I'm currently handling, no thank you."

"One of your other friends, maybe Luke?" "He's a writer, not a speaker. And he's agreed to help you and Cassandra with the scripts." "Wait, what-" He started, just as Elisabeth asked "Cassandra's hosting too?"

"Yes." She started, looking at them questioningly. "She's a good speaker. She has done these kind of things before. She could take care of the content side of the evening while Tyson focuses on the crowd work."

"And you've talked with Cassie about this?" Elisabeth asked, confused. Hillary winced, "Not yet. I was hoping that you  could do it for me. She sits for luch with you guys these days anyway." she pleaded.

Tyson looked at Hillary a moment longer. Did he hear a hint of longing in her voice when she mentioned Cassie sitting for lunch with them? He couldn't tell. Tyson ran a hand through his hair instead. "Alright, alright... fine. But only because you're making me feel like I'm not allowed to say no." He sighed dramatically, as if the weight of the decision was crushing him. "And if I'm going to do this, I want some real perks." He wiggled his eyebrows at her. "Like what?" Hillary asked, raising an eyebrow of her own.

"Free food, obviously," Tyson grinned. "I mean, if I'm gonna be working the crowd, I'd better have some snacks. And maybe a nice front-row seat for Royson's performance, since I'm basically the co-star of this thing now."

Hillary rolled her eyes at his antics. "Deal. But it won't be unlimited, I know how you eat. One dish from each stall, and you'll be sharing this privilege with your co-host. So, you can't eat where she eats. You'll also get a good spot for the concert only when you bring Cassandra on the board with you. Happy?"

"You drive a hard bargain Hillary." he sighed dramatically, "But I accept the terms of our agreement." Hillary let out a small sigh of relief as Tyson finally gave in, even if it had been with a dramatic flair. "Thank you," she said, her tone grateful. "I really do appreciate it."

Tyson shrugged, still looking slightly bemused by the whole situation. "Yeah, yeah, just don't expect me to wear one of those goofy 'host' badges or anything." He grinned, clearly enjoying the thought of pushing Hillary's buttons.

"I'll consider it," she shot back dryly, the spark of her usual annoyance flickering back to life. She paused for a moment, her expression growing more serious. "Look, I'm counting on you to get people excited about this. I'm doing everything I can to make this work, but we need the crowd to stay engaged. Can I count on you?"

Tyson met her gaze for a moment, his usual playfulness giving way to something a bit more focused. Hillary fell a little harded for him everytime he did that. "I'll make sure the crowd has a good time, you've got nothing to worry."

*****

Tyson's brow furrowed as he scanned the chaotic scene in the cafeteria. Students were talking in hushed voices, some whispering angrily, others looking worried. The usual lunchroom hum was replaced by a tense atmosphere.

"What's going on? He asked, glancing around. Kenny let out a tired sigh, "Another set of letters from the Amity club came in today. Hillary's suspended around thirty people from the club now. All the people who either didn't show up last week or all the ones who showed up but did their own thing at the back of the auditorium." he filled him in.

"Suspended?" Tyson echoed, eyes widening. "That's pretty extreme. 

"She's trying to make a point," Max said, thinking out loud. "She's trying to get rid of the people who were just here for the perks of having it in their profile or for the easy credits, but... it's hard to balance it, I guess. Most of the popular crowd is upset with her now." he said, glancing at the table Cassie used to sit at only a fortnight ago.

Tyson leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms and glancing at Cassie. She looked like she was in a mood. He wondered if it was a good time to bring up his earlier conversation with Hillary. He knew they were far from friends, especially from Cassie's perspective "So," He started, clearing his throat. Kai interjected before he could even start. "What did you get yourself into now Tyson?"

Tyson spluttered, surprised "I don't know what you're talking about!" He exclaimed, caught off guard. "And what's it got to do with Cassie?" Kai addeded, quipping everyone's interest around the table. Cassie, who'd been busy eating, looked up at him then, suddenly interested in their conversation.

Tyson sighed dramatically. "Alright, alright, you win." He grumbled, leaning back in his chair. "Hillary talked with me today," He announced, waiting for the dramatic flair. Cassie's face morphed into a scowl. "And?" She asked, clearly annoyed.

"She wants me to host the exhibition." Tyson announced. The effect was immediade "Now, it's official. She's gone mad." Max joked, grinning at him. The others laughed with him, making Tyson's cheeks go red. 

Cassie was the only who thought it through. "Well, you've got a natural talent for drawing in a crowd. I can see why she'd want you beside her." She stated, sounding like it pained her to acknowledge something nice about Hillary. Tyson's grin widened a bit. "Well, there's a catch. She won't be hosting. She wants you to be my co-host." He explained.

Cassie stared at him in disbelief. "Me? You've got to be kidding me." she said, shrugging it off, clearly dismissing it as another attempt of Tyson to pull her leg.

"Nope," Tyson said, shaking his head, sounding deadly serious. "I'm being totally serious. She's asked me to ask you by name. We're supposed to prepare our scripts with Luke and present it once on Wednesday." 

Cassie frowned, "But the president usually hosts large events." 

"Not to be critical Cass, but Amity club's never hosted anything more than a few marathons and clean-up drives in it's history. This exhibition is by no means huge, but it's still a lot more to plan for a first time charity event. It's smart, giving away hosting responsibilities to people she can trust so that she'll be available if other things come up." Kai said.

Cassie shifted uneasily in her seat, suddenly reminded of her talk with Laura last night. She knew she was being silly, but she did not feel comfortable with Kai talking about Hillary, even if it was a simple praise. It's not like he even started the conversation, she reminded herself, but nonetheless didn't like it. 

She also couldn't believe why Hillary would ask for her, especially given their rocky relationship so far. She didn't think of her to be the trusting type.

"And I've got some sweet perks lined up only if you come on board." Tyson continued, looking a little embarassed now. 

Cassie folded her arms, fighting a smile. "Ah, the discussion's seems to be just starting now." She smirked.

Tyson leaned in, excited. "But Cassie, think about it! You and me hosting this exhibition together. We're gonna make it the event of the year. Free food, exclusive VIP seating for Royson's concert, what more could you want?" He exclaimed dramatically.

Cassie grinned, clearly enjoying teasing Tyson. Internally she was pleased, it was as good as an offer she'd ever get. "Fine, fine. I'll do it. But don't think I'm doing this for you. I'm doing this for the club. Someone has to make sure to you don't burn the whole thing down with your charm." she teased.

Tyson gave her a triumphant grin, his eyes shining with excitement. "I knew you'd come through for me!" he said, clearly excited . "We're gonna rock this event, I'm sure of it. We'll make this place explode with energy. The crowd will eat it up. Literally. " Tyson promised, bouncing in excitement.

*****

Words : 2714

*****

A/N: Seems like I should be telling you guys 'I won't be updating' more often, because this is the second week that I just broke my own promise and kept up with the weekly post. 

What do you think of this chapter? I saw someone post about wanting more tyhil moments, you were just in time for this chapter! Hope you liked it. 

Honestly speaking though, I don't think I'll be able to post next Tuesday. My exams have already started, and I've got a lot to study. But let's see how this goes.

Lastly, vote and comment guys! I love hearing from you people!

Happy Reading!