Oops, I Meant Cassie

Chapter 9

Okay, fourth period has started and that means it's lunch time. My stomach hurts so bad! I don't want to tell Josh I love him. Why does that benefit anyone? I thought I was supposed to back off of Josh? Well I have to do this because I don't want to "be ruined".
I stepped into the cafeteria twirling the handles on my lunch box. I looked around the room trying to find Josh. My eyes scanned the room and then my eyes met with someone else. Dylan was motioning me to his table. I gave him a smile and mouthed the words "What?" and walked over to him. "Hey, Cassie." Dylan greeted me. I waved and looked at the boy sitting across from him. It was his friend Dustin stuffing his face with a hamburger. I looked at him, disgusted, and said hello. He didn't even look up. Dylan kicked him from under the table and whispered "Dust!" And motioned his head toward me. He looked up and said, "Oh, hey." I unpacked my lunch and Dylan tried to start conversation. "So, we're you going to sit with someone else?" He asked, but I didn't respond because my eyes were looking for Josh. He laughed for a little bit as if the answer was an obvious no. "Hello? Cass?" He nudged me in the arm. I continuously looked for Josh. Wait did he call me Cass? Only my closest friends and family called me Cass. It made me turn and look at him. "What?" I asked. "You okay?" I found Josh. "Umm.. I gotta go do something." I stood up grabbing my lunch box. "Wait Cassie," He tried to get me to stay, but I already got up and started going to Josh.
Mary-Lynn noticed from afar. "Okay, here we go." Mary-Lynn looked at Gwen and told her to get the lunch teacher out of the room. Gwen walked over to the lunch teacher and gave her a note. "Mr. Brands needs to see you. He told me to bring this to you." The lunch teacher left the room and Mary-Lynn stood up on a table. "Hey Josh," I poked him on the back. "I was just going to tell you that-" "HEY EVERYONE!" The room went silent and looked at Mary-Lynn. "THAT GIRL, CASSIE JAMES, HAS A CRUSH ON JOSH SUMMERS! THEY HAVE DATED, BUT JOSH DUMPED HER LAST WEEK!" The whole room laughed and I ran out of the room in tears again. "Oh gosh, Cassie!" Yelled Dylan. "Hey! What's your problem Mary-Lynn?" Mary-Lynn simply got down from the table and said, "Dealing with losers like you."

"Cassie? Cassie!" Dylan went down the halls calling my name. I was sitting in front of my locker texting my mom. Dylan finally found me and snatched up my phone. "What are you doing?" I yelled wiping my nose. "Not letting you go home and cry, that's what I'm doing." He pulled my phone away. "C'mon Dylan just give it!" I tried to grab my phone back, but he kept pulling it away. I sat back down and buried my head in my hands. Dylan looked down at me sympathetically. "Cassie? What happened in there?" He sat down next to me. "Mary-Lynn was going to ruin my life if I didn't tell Josh I loved him." I said through the tears and my shaky voice. "If you go home they are only going to keep making fun of you." He grabbed my hand. I didn't pull it away because I didn't even notice. "What do you suppose I do?" I asked without looking up at him. "Give me your hand." He took a black ink pen out of his pocket and began to write his number on my hand. " We can talk about it over text or you can call me." He said. I nodded. "Okay, but can I still go home?" I asked. He looked at me and rolled his eyes.