Cassandra

"Cassandra, Cass, Cassie, yoohoo!!"

I looked up to see Bella waving to me and motioning for me to sit in the empty seat beside her.

I felt the corners of my lips turn up into a smile as I ran over and plopped down beside her.

"Hey!" Bella chirped. I grinned at her.

"Hi, did I miss anything?" I asked. She shook her head.

"Well, not if you don't count James not shutting up about quantum reality for like the fourth time this week," Bella said with an eye-roll. "I told him that if wanted to be on the team, he had to shut his mouth for a while. That kinda pissed him off but after some time, he took the hint and left me alone."

I smirked at her. She definitely had a sassy side.

"That's... interesting. James can be such a prick sometimes." I admitted.

"Ugh, sometimes? More like all the time. Buuut, enough about me." I glanced at her. That was a suspicious change of tone and she was wiggling her eyebrows while grinning.

"What are you talking about?" I laughed. She sighed impatiently.

"You and Andrew!" I snorted, which was very unladylike, but who cares?

"I wish. But there's no way that could happen. It's practically a death wish. You-know-who would flip out and murder me in my sleep." I chuckled at my own joke.

"But what do you mean, me and Andrew?" She bit her lip.

"You didn't know?" she asked. I was dying of suspense.

"Know what?" I cried. She sighed.

"Well, I heard that you and Andrew were holding hands after fourth period." I cringed. "Aaannnd half the school already knows." She added, which was just the cherry on top of my miserable sundae.

"Oh no," My voice quivered and I began to panic. "Oh no, oh no, oh my gosh." My breath started to pick up. "W-when Victoria finds out about this- I'm dead. I'm literally dead. She's going to kill me." I rambled, my words rushed.

"I might as well go jump out of the window, Olympia style to save myself the pain of being brutally murdered and stabbed to death with high heels and lip gloss." I started to breathe unevenly, my eyes welling up with tears.

"Okay, okay, calm down." Bella soothed, my rattled nerves suddenly calming down. "She won't hurt you, she won't kill you, she definitely won't stab you with her heels." I laughed, even though I was stressed. "So breathe. You'll be fine!" She told me convincingly. Reassuringly placing a hand on my shoulder, I finally calmed down. Bella always helped.

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath in, and ran my hands through my thick, mud-coloured hair, to comfort myself.

"Maybe you're right, I'm probably just freaking out for nothing."

Bella burst out into a smile. "That's the spirit! Now shush 'cause the meetings starting."

I gave her a small smile in return and I turned around to try and comprehend whatever the teacher was saying to prepare us for the next competition.

I was probably just being paranoid and the rumour was probably nothing...

Or was it?