Page 62 of As the Rain Falls
My heart drops to my stomach.
“But maybe it’s not true?” I say a little too quickly, not liking the idea of Cassandra involved with someone like him. I don’t want her to be in trouble, much like I’d hate for Angelina to be around a guy like that, too. “I mean, I don’t think she’d go for a guy like Caleb.”
I try to picture the kind of guy Cassandrashouldbe dating.
Someone as good and as kind as she is.
Maybe a protector, even.
“I’ve never seen them together, so you might have a point there,” Antony grumbles, nudging the tiniest fish away from him, and directing it back towards the deeper parts of the ocean. “But I’ve seen him staring at her in class and stuff. Caleb is always cracking jokes to get her attention. It’s annoying.”
Right.
They share classes together. Even if they aren’t the closest friends, Caleb definitely has enough opportunities to shoot his shot at Sainte Madeleine.
“Does it work?” I wonder, definitely more curious than I should be feeling about a girl I’m not dating.
“Sometimes, I guess. I don’t think she likes it, though. She’s a bit shy, isn’t she? Like, he’s more of an attention seeker, if anything.” There’s something off showing in Antony’s face, but maybe it’s just annoyance. He sighs deeply, his dark brown eyes shifting to meet mine. “You should stay away from her. If they’re together, she’s probably into his bullshit.”
“Easy, man.” I frown at his words, thinking he’s being a bit too harsh. “It’s not like we know they’re a thing for sure.”
“But she’s a huge mess,” Antony scoffs. “You’re really taking her side?”
“It’s not about taking sides, it’s about being fair.” I lean on my surfboard, wetting my hands to wash off the sand from underneath my fingers. “I’m not a high school student anymore, Tony. I don’t care if Cassandra Rivera is dating some stupid guy.”
“Really?” Tony raises a brow, unimpressed. “You’re sulking right now, but you don’t care at all?”
“I don’t,” I answer defensively.“And I’m not sulking.”
He shrugs, “Okay. If you say so.”
“And neither should you,” I snap, a little more serious than before. “You know how Sainte Madeleine is.”
It’s the only Catholic school in a very small town. Regardless of whether the students are religious or not, people have a tendency to take a small situation and blow it totally out of proportion just to have something to talk about.
Bullying is fairly common, and some of the teachers feed into the culture. The only reason why Tony doesn’t get pushed around is because he’s way too cool to allow anyone to do it.
“The kids are bored, man.” I shake my head. “But you can’t be like the rest of them. Rise above it.”
“Yeah, I know. You’re right,” he agrees, looking a little more guilty. “I’m just like, why Caleb? Out of all people, why him? He’sbad news. I keep warning Mateo, but he’s doing that thing where he tries to play nice. It’s phony.”
I think I get where he’s coming from, but it’s still not fair to pin this on Cassandra. If anything, I’m more worried for her now than ever. This guy will definitely bring her down if she gets too close.
Why is he even sniffing around her?
He’s supposed to have a girlfriend, or whatever.
“I really don’t think they’re seeing each other.” I pause. “But if it turns out to be a problem, I’ll just ask her. We’re friends, and I just want her to watch the dog. It’s not like we’re together, or something.”
Whoever she’s dating? None of my business.I mean, it’s really not. I say it like I mean it, and I almost totally do. It’s just—
Argh.
I wish I hadn’t been told all this.
Ihateto gossip.
“Yeah, totally,” Antony agrees with a nod, dropping the topic. “But seriously, I think you should do something about it.” He starts smirking. “Your father gives you shit? Be a bigger asshole than he is, or let me handle it. I’m ready to defend your honor, man. Text me the day and the time. I’ll meet you there. We’ll take him down!”
