The Dragon Breathers (Re-Vamped)

Chapter Seven

Cassidy stood in the student parking lot of her school, waiting for Axle to show up. While she hated to bother him, it didn't seem like a smart idea to call Holden to come get her after the morning's events. She could see the other students heading to their assigned buses or their cars. Cassidy checked the time again.

"Hey, Cass, can we talk?"

Cassidy looked and saw Tyler standing beside her. They hadn't talked to each other since he hit Holden. He tried, but Cassidy just didn't want to hear it. She crossed her arms and turned away, "No, we can't."

He sighed, "Look, I'm sorry about this morning. I wouldn't have done it if I knew it would be such an issue."

Cassidy spun around, disbelief written on her face. "Of course it's an issue! What you did was outrageous!"

"Outrageous?" Tyler repeated angrily, his eyes widened. He pointed to her covered arms, sneering at the fabric hiding her skin. "Those bruises on your arms are outrageous! The fact that you're protecting your buddy even though he hurt you is outrageous!"

Cassidy let out a breath. She rubbed her forehead, feeling pain build behind her eyes. "Tyler, I can promise you that Holden did not do this to me. Nobody did anything to me."

"And your bruises?" Tyler asked, unconvinced. "What, they just showed up in your sleep?"

"No," Cassidy answered truthfully. "I...I fell out of a tree." Cassidy almost winced at her weak lie, even though it was close enough to the truth that she wasn't actually lying. It wasn't like she could change her story now, anyways.

Tyler looked at her with skepticism, "A tree? You've never really been the athletic or outdoorsy type."

"Hence my falling out of the tree," Cassidy replied wryly, keeping her eyes straight ahead. She lifted her shoulders in a dismissive shrug. "Holden and Axle said I wouldn't be able to keep up with them, so I went up to prove them wrong."

He tilted his head at her explanation, "That doesn't explain his knuckles."

"Last I checked, trees had bark. I didn't know bark was soft and smooth," Cassidy huffed as Axle's car pulled into the lot. Axle stepped out of his car and beckoned Cassidy over, leaning against his door. His cheek was slightly discolored and his lip was split. Cassidy wondered what happened to him.

"What's up with him?"

At Tyler's voice, Axle's eyes slid over to the human. Cassidy was surprised when his friendly expression darkened, his eyes flashing amber. And I thought Holden was the only hot-head, Cassidy inwardly censured with a sigh. She turned to look at Tyler, "Are we done?"

He ignored her. Tyler nodded towards the blonde. "What happened to him? He fall out of a tree too?"

"Evidently," Cassidy retorted coolly. "I got to go. I'll text you."

Tyler exhaled roughly, "Yeah, okay. Do that soon because I want to make this up to you."

Cassidy hummed in vague agreement before walking off. Axle opened his arms dramatically as she approached; rolling her eyes at his theatrics, Cassidy allowed him to pull her into a hug. When she was let go, Cassidy slapped his bare arm hard enough to cause a hiss of pain.

"What's with that little parlor trick you and Holden like to do?" Cassidy said. At his confused look, Cassidy pointed to his face. "The quick little yellow eye-flash thing you got going on?"

"Oh," he said. Axle gave Cassidy his sweetest smile. At his bright grin, Cassidy felt one stretch her lips. "In my defense, that was the only time I've done it. And I'm hurt you think I'd waste my time on human parlor tricks."