The Tragedy of Being

Two are better than one

Song: Shrike by Hozier

The sunlight was a warm caress on her face, like a loved one giving her a tender touch.

The sun was starting to rise over the tree line of the woods.

The sunlight always made her feel warm and fuzzy inside.

Sometimes she thought of herself as a plant, as sunlight nourished her in a way she has not heard another describe.

She baked for a few more moments, soaking up all of the light that she could, since she'd be trapped in a school the rest of the day.

She hated school more than the average child.

It felt stifling to sit in a class with people who she doesn't like, leaning about things that really don't matter in the grander scheme of things.

She decided that she needed to move to get dressed now. She couldn't put off doing so forever.

She climbed off of her porch's roof and back through her bedroom window.

She stared at the mirror for a moment.

Who's nose did she have?

Who's eyes were always staring back at her?

She grabbed her brush and ran it through her long hair. She wanted to wash it tonight.

She put hair clips in to keep her hair out of her face.

She walked into the bathroom, splashing her face with water to wake herself up.

She pat her face dry with the towel, scowling at her reflection. Why did she have to look like that?

She went downstairs and ate her rainbow fruit loop cereal and drank her orange juice like she did every morning.

She went back upstairs and brushed her teeth. Her mouth was bitter with her minty toothpaste when she went to her room to dress.

She put on a rainbow sweater that was fraying at the edges and some jeans. Her old all star sneakers were a bit dirty, but functional.

She grabbed her bag that she packed the night before, heading downstairs again.

She pushed open the front door, standing on her porch. She made sure to lock the door three times for safety.

Her bike leaned against the railing as it did the night before.

She wheeled her bike to the sidewalk.

Stiles came peddling round the corner a moment later.

He looked terrible.

Cass mounted her bike, and silently peddled alongside him.

His dark hair was a mess. His eyes were staring blankly in front of him. It was clear he hadn't slept well. He was also in the same clothes he wore to the hospital.

Cass glanced over at Stiles as they peddled down the road, their tires softly crunching on the tar road. Stiles looked exhausted, enraged and miserable all at once. She wasn't quite sure what to make of his mood.

Stiles was often rather expressive with his mood around her. Even when he wasn't, she'd known him long enough to gauge simply from the way he walked. Now he seemed unreadable to her, as if she didn't quite know him. She didn't like not being able to figure things out.

"Are you okay?" Cass asked, her eyes staying on Stiles for a moment. She watched his chest rise and fall as he sighed heavily.

"Can I say no?" Stiles asked, keeping his eyes trained on the road before them.