The Oracle

Chapter 12

The russet and gold of the autumn leaves dangled on the branch of a tree, holding on for life. Soon it would join the rest of its kind on the damp grass, fresh with dew. Kids would happily run into the pile of leaves and play without a care in the world. Or maybe they did care. But the caring in this particular situation was not the matter. Soon all this would happen. Cassie knew. For now she just stood underneath the tree, tugging at her gloves. The chill in the air was a slap to the face, but that feeling once melted away and was replaced with a warm, paralyzing feeling. Once Justin's lips parted from Cassie's check, a leaf flew down to reach the ground. "Just because we're dating now doesn't mean you can kiss me whenever you want,"

"That's exactly what it means," Justin wrapped his Hufflepuff scarf around his neck. "And Good morning to you, too."

Cassie's eyes widened. "That is not-" Cassie couldn't speak. A true fangirl. "You're wearing..." She moved her arms around, swinging them in a circular motion. "A Hufflepuff scarf!"

"I'm aware of that." Justin said through a toothy grin. "Let's get to class before you tackle me with admiration."

*

"A very... interesting photo. Simplistic to say the least." Miss Kerr sat ontop of her desk, across from Justin and Cassie. Cassie would usually be the one to talk in front of a class, but she found that a photo of her being projected onto the board was embarrassing enough.

I'm sorry it's not a cluster-fuck like Rihanna's. Justin thought it was best to keep that thought to himself. "Simplicity can be beautiful in itself."

"Hmm.. Tell me. Why is our silent Cassie reaching for a mask?" Justin's mouth twitched as he observed that Miss kerr had more lipstick on her teeth than her actual lips.

"The mask represents what society deems as 'good enough'. The white of Cassie's clothing represents her true character." Justin decided to turn his attention to Cassie instead of Miss Kerr.

"Art is up to interpretation. You shouldn't force your opinions on others."

Justin waited awhile to see if she was serious. God, she's actually serious."Interpretation it may be," Justin spoke slowly. "The artist should have a meaning behind all their work. It can't be hollow." Justin felt like he was teaching the class. "Besides, you asked the meaning of the mask." Cassie eyed Justin, holding back a laugh.

"That I did. Sit back down."

As Justin and Cassie sat down, Cassie leant over to whisper, "that was a waste of time."

"I know." Justin whispered back. "But we still need our marks back."

"No, all of this project has been a waste of time. We're only going to get a 6/10."

Justin raised his eyebrows. "Are you certain? Like certain certain?"

Cassie nodded. "It was cool to make anyway."

Justin chuckled. "I wonder why."

Cassie looked at him blankly. "No! Not that.." She rolled her eyes.

"Oh, Justin." Miss Kerr called Justin as he was leaving class with Cassie. "Take that ridiculous scarf off."

*

"You know you haven't technically seen all of my house." Justin said after school finished. "I was hoping that you could come over."

"I didn't think of that." Cassie nodded, as the pieces were coming together. "I'm meant to stay with my mum today. Really don't want to do that."

Justin looked genuinely hurt. "I thought you just wanted to enjoy my company, but no. Fine, I see how you feel."

Cassie giggled. "Didn't you know? I only hang out with you to avoid my mother."

Once they entered his house, Cassie nearly fainted. It's just as beautiful as the outside. The hallway was a bit of a tight squeeze, but the rest of the house was very... home-like. Most people wouldn't have thought much of Justin's house but Cassie absolutely loved cottage styled homes. "My parents aren't home yet but I'm sure they'll want to meet you."

"Oh, yeah." Cassie didn't mean for her sentence to come out so harshly.

"What?" Justin's eyebrows furrowed.

"Nothing. I was just surprised. That's all."

"Don't worry about it." He shrugged it off. "I gotta show you something..." He took her hand and lead her into his room.

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A/N: Sorry for the bad ending. I was kind of rushing this chapter. But I promise the next chapter will be better. Thanks for reading!