The Elusive Prince

Chapter 39: It Was Fun

Merideth

After embarrassing Kairo like that on the field, Cassian and I went back to the bleachers to look at them finish their game. This game finished quite fast, seeing as unlike earlier, the whole soccer team was against the normal students and even though they held out, they simply couldn't beat the soccer team who trains for this every single day. They were sport about it though and thumped the soccer team on the back for the great game and dispersed, probably tired from all the tackling and chasing.

Currently, I was fiddling with the bottle cap of the water bottle we took from the soccer teams cooler when I saw Kairo, Levine and Haiden head our direction.

"Hey man! You were great out there! Are you sure you don't play soccer often? If so, then imagine what you could do if you trained more!" Haiden tried to flatter Cassian who just laughed heartily beside me.

"I'm sorry for tricking you guys. I did play soccer competitively before but I stopped and it has been years since I last played." surprised, I turned my whole body to Cassian and they must've noticed my accusing glare directed at him because they laughed.

"It seems as if even Mori is surprised. Man why didn't you just tell us?" Kairo said exasperated before tossing his arms around Cassian's shoulder, laughing.

Cassian didn't answer but laughed instead and took a swig from the water bottle.

"Seriously though, you could join the soccer team with that skill. I'm sure Coach would love to have you on the team." Levine said.

"Hmm...I'll think about it. I was thinking of going back to it anyway."

"Great! Let us know if you want to join. I'm sure you're going to be a valuable asset to Irini's soccer team in the future." Haiden flashed him a smile before standing up.

"Right, we should probably get going. You wanna join us for another game?" he offered and Cassian just shook his head.

"Nah I'll pass. Merideth said she was going to show me some of the other clubs. It is possible to join more than just one club right?" Cassian asked.

"Totally. But let me know if you decide to join alright? I'll put a good word in for you. Not that you really need it." Haiden winked before dragging Kairo and Levine who was looking at us with weird looks on their faces before waving us both goodbye as they gather newcomers for a new game.

"Let's go?" Cassian said standing up before offering his hands in front of me. Without thinking, I reached for it and stood up not noticing the stares directed our way.

~~~

We exited the fields and went back to the hallways from earlier. I was pointing to him different club rooms and what was inside them before we reached the school's sports club section where all of Irini's teams in sport are gathered. It was bustling with activity as we avoid the rowdy basketball team that just got back from their self-planned practice probably.

I was still explaining to Cassian the different sports Irini has a team of, when he suddenly pulled me back as a basketball came soaring through the air. I sent a quick glance to where it came from to see a junior apologizing profusely. I just waved him off before stepping outside the halls and into the many benches and picnic tables scattered around the building, pulling Cassian along.

"Do I look like a magnet for balls? This is the second time today." I groaned and placed my head between my crossed arms on the table when I heard soft chuckling beside me. I sent him a weak glare which made him laugh more.

"So about the soccer team...are you going to join?" breaking the silence, I asked Cassian from where I was leaning in, missing his fond look directed at me.

"I'm thinking about it. But even if I join now, it would be a little...awkward I guess?"

"In what way?"

"Well...you know joining a team in the middle of the semester is awkward." he fidgeted.

"Well...you have a point there but Irini is far from being conventional see? I'm sure you'll fit right in if you join. Plus it doesn't matter what time you joined. What matter is how skilled you are it. Besides..." I stretched my arms out in front of me and adjusted my head, propping it to my left arm before looking at him. "There's plenty of time for you to practice before the Sports Festival so you'll probably be fine."

"Well if you say it like that..." he paused. "Okay, I think I'll join. But I'm blaming you if I don't fit in."

"Why me? Blame Kairo or Haiden who proposed the idea to you instead." he laughed and in turn made me laugh too.

After that short conversation we stayed like that on the bench, with my head pillowed in my stretched arms and Cassian propping his chin on his palms while looking down on me. We talked about random things, like the how good the cheese croissants were from earlier or how nice the weather was.

Time passed on with us stuck in that simple buzz and we didn't notice that it was already lunch time if not for the fact that we saw a couple of the varsity players bringing boxed lunches on the tables around us, falling into mindless chatter with their teammates.

Cassian was the first one up and he pulled me from the comfortable position I was in which made me whine a little but ultimately gave in to because I was hungry too. We walked back into the mess hall and was instantly given two boxed lunches of today's special (courtesy of Rosie the kind lunch lady).

Not wanting to go far away this time, we decided to eat on the garden outside of the mess hall where most of the other students were in instead. Today's lunch consists of Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin and Truffles for dessert. It tasted heavenly as usual and we ate it merrily.

"You have plans for the afternoon?" Cassian suddenly said while munching on a piece of the pork tenderloin.

"Hmm...I might have to drop by the Archery Range for a quick practice later then maybe drop by the Library to read." I replied and he nodded.

"How about you? Any plans before I dragged you around for half the day?"

"Nothing really except maybe meet with some of my friends that got in here too." he said nonchantly but at the mention of his friends I straightened up.

"Wait...your friends?" I asked, hesitant.

"Yeah from Rhodes. When Father pulled me up, there were a couple of my friends that came with me. They were sort of family already anyways so I guess it was only appropriate. They however got into Irini fair and square by taking the exam or something." he paused then fell into thought. "Huh, now that I think about it, I don't know how exactly they got in. Guess I'll have to ask them how they got in later."

"Oh okay. Were you supposed to meet them earlier?" I asked but was a little scared of his answer. If he says yes, then that means I dragged Cassian around for half the day, potentially making him miss out his friends that he doesn't see often (I think) to accompany me through the day. I didn't even ask him if he was available and just dragged him everywhere. But...he also didn't say anything. Does that mean I'm thinking too much about this or the reason why he didn't say anything is because he was scared of my reaction?

Cassian must've noticed my dilemma because he suddenly held from shoulders and squeezed it gently which made me stop my thoughts to look at him.

"Hey it's okay. I went with you willingly remember? Besides, we agreed to meet this afternoon so it doesn't really matter what I did in the morning." he said nonchantly, as if he wasn't thinking about what he just said, not knowing that he just answered all of the questions spiraling inside my head, or maybe he knows all about the questions going on inside my head and that's why he said it.

"Thank goodness then. I almost felt guilty. Next time, don't let me drag you around if you had something to do okay?" I asked while biting my lower lip gently. A habit I did when I'm anxious or nervous (though I don't do it often, especially when Hailey is around which is all the time).

"Yeah yeah don't worry I won't let you boss me around." he teased which made me laugh and jokingly punch him in the arm.

"Anyway, today has been fun and thanks for showing me around again." he said with a smile which made his different colored eyes sparkle under the sun. It was tantalizing to say the least and I almost didn't catch myself staring into it. Thankfully I collected myself before he noticed me staring deeply into his eyes.

Nodding at him, we went back to eating lunch. I was too pre-occupied with eating that I didn't notice the upcoming trouble going our way before it hit me, quite literally for that matter because I almost face-planted on the table if not for the fact that Cassian caught my shoulders before that could happen, thankfully.

Coughing a little bit, I threw a glare behind me only to come face to face with Ava's sheepish smile and Sumire shaking her head in apology.

"What the heck Ava? I almost choked!"

"I didn't mean to! I just wanted to hug you!" then as if proving her point, she smothered me with a very tight hug that almost took my breath away, with the way she was squeezing me so much.

She let go of me (more like Sumire physically had to extract her from me) and sat down across of Cassian and I on one of the picnic tables surrounding the garden.

"So, Hailey was panicking when she woke up and saw that you were not in your bed." Ava started while opening her own boxed lunch.

I gave her a look. "I told her I was going out but well she was half-asleep when I told her so my fault I gues. What did she say?" I realized and took a mental note of making sure next time that Hailey was awake when I go out in the morning.

Ava was about to say something again, and I'm sure it's nothing good because of the way her eyes glinted under the sun, when Cassian suddenly stood up and unconsciously, I grabbed his sleeve which made him stop.

"Where are you going?"

"Umm...well I finished eating already and..." he threw a glance at Ava and Sumire. "It seems you have a girl's only conversation? So, I'm just going to excuse myself." he added uncertain which earned a few quite snickers from Ava who coughed to mask it and decided that the piece of meat on her fork is interesting, judging by the way she was looking at it.

"Besides, I need to go meet my friends now. Thanks for the day by the way. It was fun." he smiled and I nodded at him before he vanished from my peripheral. Letting out a sigh, I turned my attention back to my friends and was greeted by malicious smiles which made me a little bit scared.

"So..." Ava started and they had this strange glint on their eyes that was reserved for the times where they tease someone endlessly or interrogate them like cazy. Raising my eyebrows at them I gulped a little.

Great, looks like I'm going to have a headache later.