GODDESS OF WAR

Chapter 8

CASSANDRA

I heard that Amara was suspended because of what she did to me. Honestly, I'm disappointed. She should have been expelled.

It's been days since the last time I saw her, and I wish it would stay that way forever. Slipping away from my thoughts, I spotted Sage standing by the cafeteria door, looking around anxiously. She was probably searching for me.

"Hey, Sage! Over here!" I called out excitedly, waving my hand. I had waited for her class to finish just so we could have lunch together. She caught sight of me, smiled, and waved back. As she walked toward me, my brows furrowed. Something is different about her today.

"Hi," she said brightly, stopping just a few inches away. My breath hitched. Oh she wasn't wearing her glasses.

"Hey, Cassie? Aren't you going to say hello? That's rude!" She laughed, sliding into the seat beside me.

I blinked, shaking my head to clear the fog. I quickly fixed my hair and cleared my throat. "Oh, sorry. I spaced out..." I offered a fake smile, trying desperately to calm the sudden racing of my heart.

"It's okay," she replied. She looked directly at me, and those bare, striking eyes almost made my heart jump right out of my chest.

"W-Where are your glasses?" Damn it, why am I stuttering? I quickly fanned myself with my hand, hoping my face wasn't as red as it felt.

"Oh..." Sage tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, her cheeks dusting with a shy pink. "I decided to try out contact lenses today."

"They look good on you," I complimented her sincerely.

"Thank you," she murmured, averting her gaze. It was incredibly cute.

"So, what do you want to eat? My treat!" I said cheerfully, reaching over to pinch her cheek. I couldn't help myself; her doll-like face was mesmerizing.

"No, thanks. I'm already full," she said, her smile tightening. Her eyes began to wander around this cafeteria. As if she were scanning the crowd for someone else.

I nodded slowly, watching her carefully. "Are you... waiting for someone, Sage?"

She snapped her attention back to me. "Huh? N-No..." she stammered, nervously scratching the nape of her neck. She was a terrible liar. "Oh, okay," I said, though I wasn't convinced in the slightest.

"You just seem like you're looking for someone." I picked up my fork and began to eat.

She went quiet for a few seconds, taking a deep, heavy breath. "Honestly, Cassie... I'm looking for Amara."

The words struck like ice. My fork stopped dead in the middle of my steak. "Why?" I asked, refusing to look up at her.

"It's nothing big deal. I just... I want to apologize to her," she whispered. I rolled my eyes, dropping my fork onto the table with a sharp clatter.

"Sage, how many times do I have to tell you? What happened wasn't your fault. It was an accident." My voice rose, drawing curious glances from nearby students.

A toxic wave of annoyance bubbled up inside me. Sage bowed her head, her fingers fidgeting nervously in her lap. "No, it's not about that incident," she said, finally looking up to face me. I braced myself, waiting for her to continue. "Amara... she came into our locker room. Something happened there."

"What?!" Panic spiked through my irritation. "Did she hurt you? Did she humiliate you again?"

"No," she answered softly. I highly doubted it.