Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Samuel stood by the lockers, arms crossed as he stared down the bustling hallway. His thoughts were elsewhere, lost in the steady hum of the school, barely noticing the students passing by. His eyes, however, kept drifting back to the group near the corner of the hall. Trixie was there, laughing at something her friend said, completely unaware of his quiet observation.
The thudding sound of sneakers against the floor pulled Samuel back to the present, and he glanced to his side just as Cassidy skidded to a stop next to him. Cassidy was, as usual, sweating from some chaotic practice, but grinning ear to ear like nothing could dampen his spirit.
"Dude, you look like you're about to fall asleep on your feet", Cassidy teased, slapping a hand on Samuel's shoulder. "What's going on in that quiet little head of yours?"
Samuel gave him a side glance, not moving much. "Just thinking."
Cassidy wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, not quite believing that was the whole story. "Uh-huh," he said slowly, eyeing his brother up and down. "You sure? 'Cause you've got that look-y'know, the one where you're not really here."
Samuel's gaze naturally flicked back toward the group by the corner, lingering for a second longer on Trixie before he realized Cassidy was still watching him. He turned back, casually trying to play it off, but Cassidy wasn't letting it go that easily.
Cassidy's smirk widened as his eyes followed Samuel's. "Oh-ho", he whispered, leaning in closer. "Now this is interesting." He pretended to scan the crowd, playing along, his voice low. "So... which one's got you so distracted?"
Samuel didn't respond at first, his face remaining neutral as usual. But the corner of his mouth tugged just a little, and Cassidy caught it. "Ahh, c'mon, don't be shy. Is it-" he started to point out a random girl but paused dramatically, leaning in with a mock-conspiratorial tone, "-Trixie?"
Samuel sighed, his stoic demeanor cracking ever so slightly as he shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about", he muttered, pushing off the lockers and starting to walk toward their next class.
Cassidy laughed, jogging a few steps to catch up. "Sure, sure. Play it cool all you want." He fell into step beside Samuel, throwing him a sidelong glance, still grinning. "You know, you could just talk to her instead of staring like a ghost."
Samuel shot him a dry look, but didn't say anything more. Cassidy, of course, wasn't done.
"Or maybe", Cassidy continued, nudging Samuel with his elbow, "you're already talking to her and just keeping it all a big secret from me?"
Samuel's silence only fueled Cassidy's playful curiosity. "Aha, I knew it!" Cassidy said, a little louder this time, earning a couple of glances from passing students. He raised his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright, I'll stop teasing-for now."
The sound of the bell interrupted their exchange, and Cassidy groaned. "Guess we gotta run. I'm not getting another detention for being late." With that, he dashed ahead, waving over his shoulder as he disappeared into the crowd.
Samuel shook his head, taking his time as he followed, his mind lingering once again on Trixie before he made his way to class. Always calm, always composed-but Cassidy's words had a way of sticking with him.
