Beyond Bloodline - Unbreakable Bonds

eighteen

Something was up with Cassandra. Well, Nigel thought there was something seriously wrong with all of them and all the issues they tried to hide but hers seemed especially obvious that afternoon in particular.

Or maybe that was just him looking too much into things. Neither Alfie nor Aries seemed to think anything was wrong so he tried his best to die the restless thought and carried on watching the cheerleaders practice.

Aries had been given a whole week exempt from practising when Coach got to learn of his injury one practice where he'd torn at his stitches. He now usually just tagged around watching them, other sports or in this case, the cheerleading teams. There was no practice this afternoon so Nigel had let himself be dragged along. Well, he said dragged, but he'd been more than willing at the thought of watching Hayley doing cheers and struts for nearly an hour.

She was golden and things couldn't be better than ever between them. Even though his feelings burned brighter with each passing day and he hadn't asked for another date ever since his mother botched the first one by being her usual irksome self.

He wanted to ask her out, for a date and then to be his girlfriend. He was slowly working up the courage since he knew well enough at this point that it was just his own nerves. She liked him enough to not straight out reject a proposition to spend the evening together. He just needed to get over himself first.

He snapped out of his thoughts when Aries nudged him in his side only to see that the cheerleaders had dispersed and Cassandra and Hayley were making their way over to them, the latter saying something to the brunette with a happy expression on her face. There was an equal, measured smile on Cass' lips but deep down her eyes were distracted, something Nigel wasn't even sure if she had noticed just yet.

"Hey," she greeted, him first then Aries, smile turning curt which she quickly drew back to dart her gaze between he and Hayley. "It's pretty late. I'm going ahead first."

Then she began walking ahead without another word. Aries' expression blanked slightly before he muttered his own brief goodbyes and rushed to keep up with her since their houses were in the same direction. Nigel watched them walk without making conversation, the space Cassandra put in between them wide enough to fit another person.

Were they fighting?

"Are you changing first?" he brought his attention back to Hayley and she gave a small nod in return.

"Just give me a minute."

Nigel grabbed his school bag while he waited until she reappeared, dressed in her uniform. She'd rolled up her sleeves and left the first two buttons of her shirt undone, her tie hung loosely on her neck and blazer draped over her arm.

"I'm worried about Cass," Hayley finally confessed when they were nearly at her stop. They were walking, his motorcycle having broken down again. At this rate he was considering just selling all the parts of the damn second-hand machine. He still hesitated anyway. He'd skimped on a lot of things to have it and had debated a long while with his mother before she finally let him be.

Though he didn't mind if she didn't seem to either. The long walks were good for relationship building anyway.

"Yeah, me too," he admitted and then paused, gears working loudly as he wondered the many ways that could be misinterpreted. He blanched. "I mean—"

"I get it," she chuckled, an amused smile dancing on the edge of her lips even after the sound faded. "You guys have something deep, minus the relationship. Just let me know when she reaches out to you, if she's fine. Or not."

Nigel's shoulder dipped the slightest bit in relief. "Of course," he said, smiling the slightest bit too at the sight of her face tilted up to his before dropping a quick kiss to her lips. "You'll miss your bus."