He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

The school bus came ten minutes before the time it usually comes and I almost missed it, but my mom got me out the door in time. If I disn't have my mom I don't know who would help me, I really couldn't take care of myself, expecially when it comes to school and being ready for it. When I got on the bus there wasn't any of my friends so I just sat alone and thought about school. Today would be busy but fun, in a way, I could see all my friends that I didn't see over summer and I'll meet new people, maybe I'll get lucky and there'll be a couple cute guys in my class.

Everyone around me were all talking about different things and it was interesting to hear what they were saying, so I did just to get a feel of the people on my bus. Two girls were having a conversation about their boyfriends and how some guys were idiots and didn't have any feelings at all, those two girls would probably be breaking up with their boyfriends soon. Three or more guys were talking about football, girls, and classes, I was wondefring how they all listenend to eachother all at once and still heard eachother, one of them was cuter than the others, he had brown rustled hair and brown eyes, he must have been a football player because he had the body of one.

He caught me looking at him and beckoned me with one finger to go to the
back of the bus, but I didn't except his invitation, I just looked away quickly and didn't say a word. I could hear him, or what I thought was him, laughing at me in the back of the bus and then I forgot about it.

The bus arrived at school shortly and I hurried off right after the bus opened so that I could avoid the football guy. When I was off the bus I went to my locker, put everything away and went straight to class. When I got in math class and took my seat and a few more people to including the teacher, I counted to myself that
there were six people total not including me and the teacher. The classroom was filled quickly and there were a few private conversations before the teacher told everyone to settle down and take there seats.

It's my first day in Crestwood High and already loved it, almost all my friends are in my classes, I have nice teachers, and the boy that I have had a major crush on since the sixth grade is also in some of my classes. I couldn't have had a better day on my first day in high school, well at least a good morning.

Mr.Clump started to take attendence when everyone sat down, "Is Miss.Benjamin here?" A girl with blonde hair that was cut short and blue eyes that were just noticable under her glasses got up, smiled at the teacher and said here
quietly and took her seat quickly."Ok, thank you Miss.Benjamin. Miss. Perish here?"

"Here!" I stood up and then sat back down as quickly as I could, I hated being the center of attention. But to my relief no one was paying much attention to me. The teacher calling my name caught me off guard also, I expected him to take attendence in last name order but apparently he was taking it in seat order.

None of my other teachers has ever done it that way before so it was strange to me, this week would probably the only week he would take attendence, soon he would learn all of our faces and just check us off the list of attendence. I liked that way better, then I wouldn't have to stand up and embarass myself if I tripped or said "here" to loudly.

Today in math class we went over the basics and the teacher told us what we would be doing throughout the year and how it was nohing like middle school, when the teachers helped us and guided us through everything, and that this year we would be independant, but if we had a question to ask a classmate first. Math went by quickly and then we went to science, our teacher in science was nice her name was Miss.Ryans. She was a nice old lady, but looked really mean. She had gray hair and green eyes that were not as bright as mine. Sometime in the year she would probably turn mean like every other teacher, all teachers were only nice the first week and then they change into mean teachers that don't help at all. I hoped that this teacher was different, she already had the looks of a mean person, I really didn't want her to be mean also.

Miss.Ryans didn't take attendence, she told us about our projects and the things we would be doing and how she couldn't wait to get to know us well. When that class was over I was on my way to gym when I saw some of my other friends.

"Hi everyone! How have all of your classes been going do you have any cool or mean teachers?" I walked up to them and they all were talking and gossiping when I came.

"Hey Cassie! I liked some of my teachers but my math teacher is so weird, his name is Mr.Lang and he's not even chinesse or anything, if you ever see him he looks crazy. He has orange hair and he wears a colorful tie and a weird colored suit, he just creeps me out!" My best friend, Amy, since forth grade was really funny and she looks at stuff in life a different way. I don't know exactly how to explain but she can take something as ordinary as an apple and say something weird about it that isn't ordinary.

"If I know you, he's probably a normal person that just looks a little
different." I had to laugh at her she was just to funny at times.

"She's not lying Cass, I have him for math too and he also gives me te creeps."One of my other friends since just last year, Jessica, let out a shudder to let me know that neither one of them weren't lying.

"Ok, I believe you guys now. I'll keep a look out." I gave a little laugh, "Well I have to go to gym now I'll see you guys latter!"

"Bye then we'll see you latter!" They both turned around and left to go to their classes and so did I. That's when I saw Tom Caldwell also going into the same gym class that i had next. Tom is the guy that I had a crush on since the sixth
grade and I still was in love with him. He had black hair and blue eyes that made him look like an angel that was sent down from god just to make earth more beautiful than it should be. I had blond hair and green eyes that I didnt like because my dad had the same eyes as mine, and he left my mom and I without a word when I was in third grade.

"Hey Cass do you know what class you're going to next or are you going to skip class?" I could recognize that sweet voice from anywhere, it was the voice of my first, true, love. I turned around and saw just who I expected to see, Tom, and like always he looked like an angel. I just remembered that I was in the hallway thinking, there was only a couple other people in the hallway, still talking to their friends. If I didn't hurry I'd be late for class, and I had heard rumors already
that the gym teacher wasn't to nice.

"I have gym class next...is that where you are going?" That was such astupid question to ask him since he was already on his way into the gym. If I didn't embarass myself when talking to him by stuttering then it was always something else.

But since he was such a nice person he didn't make fun of me for the question I had just asked. Tom was that kind of person, the type of person who didn't put other people down just because they did something stupid or clumsy.

"Yes, I do have gym next," He looked at me and opened the door,"Ladies first."

"Thank you very much" I said, as I walked up to him and went inside the gym class. I looked around when I went in and the gym was huge! It was way bigger than the one at my middle school, and even though I didnt like gym I thought that I would really start liking it, expecially now, with Tom in my class.

"Ok class, now that we are all here," The teacher looked at me."We shall begin. My name is Mr.Boursier if you can't pronounce it you can just call me Mr.B." He looked around,"If you can't say that you're just being smart and I don't like
people like that in my class. Now that we're through with that lets start class. We'll just be doing dodgeball today since the teacher aren't really supposed to be staring classes today." He went to the back and brought out a big cart of balls
and blew his whistle,"Let the games begin!"

Everyone got a ball and got into almost even teams and the game began. I got hit in the beginning because I was really bad in gym and I hated it because Tom was the one that got me out of the game by hitting me with the ball. My friend Samantha got me back into the game and I thanked her, her and Amy were the only ones that knew that I liked Tom because I knew them both since the fourth grade and everyone else I met in middle school. I used to be very shy in elementary school because I moved from my hometown in Palm Coast, Florida to Miami, Florida and that was in third grade because my mom was in pain when we were in Florida because that's when my father left us so we moved so that we put those horrible memories behind us.


Sam and Amy were the only nice ones in my elementary school they were
the only ones that understood my pain and were nice enough to listen to me and be there for me.

"Cassie watch out!" Someone shouted at me right when a ball hit me in the head and made me loose my balance and
fall on the floor and then.... nothing.

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I woke up in a room with a really uncomfortable bed and an angel right above me with blue eyes that someone could swim into.

"Cassie are you alright? I'm really sorry I hit you I thought that you were watching." The angel hit me? That's not very nice...wait I was in the nurses room and the angel above me was...Tom!

"What is it Cassie?" Tom said, looking at me as if I was I was just hit by a car and not a ball, well at least he was worried about me, that made me happy. "Cassie you called my name is there anything you want?" What was he talking about? Did I say his name out loud?

"No, I'm fine just thinking." Yeah, thinking about how I thought that you were an angel and that I was in heaven, but I left that part out so that I didn't get embarassed.

"Ok good, can I get you anything?" Tom was such a nice person it made me think that I wasn't nice enough for him, but Tom had gone out with some pretty mean people so I guess he doesn't care that much.

"Tom you're such a good person, but I'm ok really I am it was just a hit in the head. How did you hit it so hard that I got knocked out?" I wasn't really thinking about how hard that he hit until now it was like he was superman with super strength or something like that, but that was stupid I knew there was no such thing in real life.

"I didn't mean for it to be that hard I swear it I just threw it and it happend to be hard, I'm really sorry about that," Why was he babbling all of a sudden, like he was hiding something? He doesn't do that often because even if he does something embarassing he plays it cool and no one makes fun of him but why now does he get all giddy?

"Umm, Tom are you ok? It was only a little hit in the head...why are you getting all...well...never mind it, today was just an accident,ok?" I looked at him and when I saw his eyes I had to blink a couple times because his eyes were a ruby color like he was mad or something. It must have been a trick of the lights because when I looked at him again his eyes were the same blue I had seen earlier when I thought he was an angel.

"Well I have to go now you should stay here for awhile just to make sure that you don't faint or anything in the hallway and hit your head again that would be bad," He looked away from me and up at the clock, it was one thirty four, almost lunch time for me I packed lunch so I could eat it in the cafeteria.

I think that Tom read my mind because he said, "Do you want me to bring you lunch?"

"No, thank you I packed my lunch and it's in my locker, so I guess I'll go it soon," I looked at Tom,"If you want to go you can now it's almost lunch time so you can get there early so you can get seats for all your friends."

Even though I didn't want him to leave I really didn't want to make him stay with me if he wanted to go, that would make him hate me and I really didn't want that expecially because I liked him even more now than ever. But I guess that sounds weird since he just knocked me out with a ball in gym class, unlike other guys that would have said sorry because he had to and then go along with his day like nothing happend, but Tom didnt do that he brought me to the nurses office and said sorry and meant it and now he's staying with me for no reason.

He is so nice to people, it makes me wonder if god really did send him down
from heaven to make the world a better place.

"Ok then, do you want me to buy you a lunch so that you don't have to go to your locker? Or I could bring you to your locker so that if you faint I can help you?" Again he was babbling like he was worried that I spread rumors about him like he was a low life that hits gils with balls and knocks them out because he has freaky super human strenghth. Ha! Like anyone would care or believe me, he was Tom Caldwell, nice, athletic, super cute and all he doesn't have anything wrong with him everyone would say as if he would have a reason to hit a girl.

"Cassie are you ok?" It was Amy and Sam coming to check up on me, classes must be over because they also had lunch next. "Jess couldn't come because she had another class but she wanted us to ask if you were ok." Amy looked at me and then Tom and gave a thumbs up behind him to me, which made me blush.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Go to lunch, I won't be ther because I don't want to faint or anything so I'll see you guys after." I looked at Tom, it would probably be the only time that I would spend with him this year just the two of us talking.

"Cassie has to get her lunch so I'll help her to her locker, if that's alright?" Tom looked at me, since he obviously asking my friends if it was alright.

I sighed and gave in, "Ok fine."

My friends started to leave when they looked back at Tom and me, "See you guys later then." Then they left without even waiting for me to say bye to them or what class they had after lunch.

"Ok, lets go get your lunch now so that I'm not late for lunch." Tom gave me his hand and I took it with a thanks and then we went to my locker.

I loved that I had a little more time with him, just being with him was wonderful even though we weren't talking. But soon we would get to my locker and then he would go to lunch, the only other time that I would see him was going to be in gym, english, and the hallways, and that wasn't enough. I wonder if I'll get hit in the head by him again so that we can do this thing all over again, I would really like that but I doubt he would. He would get annoyed of me and just leave with just saying sorry.

"So where is your locker?" He stopped and looked at me with a worried expression, I probably looked like I was day dreaming like an idiot.

"It's number 251, right around the corner." I told him, while wiping whatever stupid expression that was on my face so that I didn't further embarass myself in front of the cutest guy in school.

"Ok that's right near my locker so I can get my money then." Tom and I turned the corner and saw four guys that looked like they were a gang or something. The one that looked the most evil had black hair and gray eyes, he was very big and he was wearing jeans and a black top that had writing on it that I couldn't see because he had his arms over his chest. The guy behind him looked like he really could be in a gang, he had orange hair that was spiked up, most likely with gel, and he had
the same gray eyes as the "leader", he was wearing ligt colored jeans with holes in them and a black top with nothing on it.

The third guy looked like he was tougher than the first two, he had black hair that was cut short and gray eyes just like like the first two, he was wearing dark jeans with just a few holes in them and a white shirt with red writing on it that read "Hell"
in big letters. The fourth one looked normal, he had brown hair that was curly and a little messy but he made it look cute and, like all of them, he had gray eyes, he was wearing light colored jeans with no holes and a creme colored top. I noticed that
all of them were pale, it looked unnatural for anyone that lived in Miami.

Right when I turned to tell Tom that we should leave and come back to get our lunch later, I saw his expression. He looked like he just saw a ghost, his face was pale and his eyes were wide with fear and something else I couldn't figure out.

"Do you know those guys?" I asked Tom in a whisper, the last thing I wanted was for those guys to see us and ask if we had a problem with them, and if we lied it would be hard to cover up because of Tom's expression of fear.

"No, not really." He swallowed hard and I could see him take deep breath. "We should get outta here, come on Cassie let's go." He turned around and started to walk away when the supposed leader of the gang called after us.

"Hey, girl! Come over here! Are you really going to let a dog take care of you?" Well, they called for me really.

"Hey Ray, do you think she's worth it, what if the dog has friends?" The one with orange hair spoke this time, and who were they calling a dog?

"Sorin, I think I can handle a few measly dogs." Ray, the leader responded back. This guy was hot, but he looked like satan.

Right when I thought that Ray looked at me with a smile. "Girl," He looked at his friends behind him."There's a difference between satan and me, he's not here and I am." What the hell did he mean by that? God, this guy was really weird, how did he know what I was thinking? "Because darling, I-" I didn't realize that Tom had left my side until I saw him punching Ray in the face and heard a loud crack as Tom's fist hit the side of Ray's jaw.

"Tom! What is going on? Do you know this guy?" Tom must have lied to me, but he must not of liked him.

"Oh, so the dog's name is Tom? Well Tom I think your human is mad at her for lying to her." There was a mocking tone to Ray's voice when he talked to Tom and I really didn't like it. The strange thing is that Ray seemed totally unharmed by Tom's
punch and it sounded like it really hurt.

"I'm unharmed by his punch because I'm a-" Again he didn't finish his sentence because Tom hit him in the face a gain with another loud punch. "Would you stop doing that and let me talk to this nice girl?" Ray didn't seem hurt or in any way affected by Tom's punch, but he sure was agrevated by it.

"Don't you look at her, don't talk to her, and don't even think about her." The words I heard coming out of Tom's mouth was a growl, and it didn't sound like him at all. "Cassie," He was talking to me now in a nice, soft tone that I was used to. "Go get your lunch and go back to the nurses office, I'm really sorry that I can't walk you back but I have to talk to this guy." He turned his attention towards Ray now, but spoke over his shoulder to me. "Also, can you tell my friends to come here?"

"Ummm... Sure I will, and it's ok that you can't walk me back it's ok." I wonder why he needed his friends if he was just talking- unless he planned to fight these guys?

"Cassie, please hurry." Tom looked at me and I went to my locker got my lunch and started to go to get his friends but a embarassing comment from Ray made me stop.

"Hey dog, I think that girl's in love with you." That made my face blush to the extreme that I thought that it would never go away. I wonder if he really could hear my thoughts because I was just thinking about how much I really did care that Tom couldn't walk me back to the nurses and how much time I wanted to spend with him.

"Can you hear my thoughts?" I must have sounded insane but I could just say that Tom hit me in the head with a ball and that made me think strange things... but then I would make Tom feel like it was his fault.

"That must have hurt when the dog hit you in the head with a ball, did you bleed?" He licked his lips and it looked like a predatory movement, although it didn't feel like he could hurt me. Maybe I felt that way bcause Tom was here and I felt safe around him always.

Ray snickered, "Dog, she thinks that she's safe as long as you are with her."

Again I felt odd asking but I did anyways, "So you can hear my thoughts?"

"Yes, I can and unless you come with me I'll tell this dog," He looked at Tom and looked right back at me. "More about what you think of him."

"Cassie, let him tell me. Don't go with him no matter what." Tom stared at me in the eye like he meant it, that if I went with Ray that it would be bad.

"Do you want me to tell him?" Ray's voice was getting to be annoying and I wanted to tell him that, but if he could hear my thought right now I didn't really have to say it outloud, so Ray can you hear me? I looked at the ground because I felt weird
asking a question in my head.

"Yes," Ray answered my thought, what was he? Am I still asleep at the nurses office? Did that hit in the head do serious damage? My head did hit the floor so it must have caused serious damage. Thank god, I'm still asleep.

"You're not asleep," Ray answered my unspoen question again. "And I'm a vampire." He smiled then, showing white teeth and... fangs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



The second time I fainted today and there was no angel above me to greet me, how sad. Was all of that real? A vampire? No, nothing like that exsisted except for in fantasy or whatever it was. Am I actually awake or am I going to faint when Ray comes in smiling and showing off his teeth again? But that all wasn't real and I'm not going to tell anyone about it, they would think I was crazy and Tom would think I was physcho

"Cassie, are you alright?" There was that sweet voice to greet me. "Did I hurt you? I'm really sorry if I did hurt you, I didn't think that I threw that ball so hard that it would knock someone out." Ok, maybe I was awake this time. That was a good sign, at least theres no vampires in this school. That was such a weird dream, it seemed so real.

"It's ok, I'm fine but thank you for your concern, you can go if you want." I really didn't want him to go, but it wasn't like he liked me or anything and I didn't want to be a burden to him.

"Ok, I have to go anyways I'm meeting my friends. You stay out of trouble ok?" It was weird that he would say that in such a serious tone, but I was really happy that he was concerned about me.

"Thank you and I'll stay out of trouble, but I don't think there is any enless I'm in gym class and you have a ball in your hands, I'm sure I'll be fine otherwise." I didn't expect him to laug at my not-so-funny joke but he did, he probably thought it wasn't even funny.

"There could be other dangers out there," He smiled when he said this. "Besides for me and ball." I laughed and I noticed that we were having a pretty normal conversation and I wasn't stuttering, well not yet at least. When I didn't sya anything he said, "Well I'll see you around then... bye."

"Ok, bye." I tried to sound normal, but it didn't fool him. He sat next to me and I liked him being so close to me, it was comforting.

"Are you sure that you are ok?"

"Yes, I'm perfect actually." Again it didn't fool him, and I didn't expect his reaction. He pulled me up into his lap like a little kid and hugged me. I actually felt like a child in his arms I guess he was just so comforting like a father, but it was weird to think of him that way since I liked him so much.

"So sweet, a hug for a goodbye." The voice behind us didn't sound like he was touched by seeing this scene and it made me scared, it was
familiar.

I turned around to see Ray with Sorin and nobody else, Ray looked like he was pissed and Sorin looked like he was very smug and totally at ease, the opposite of Ray's. Although I didn't know what they were exactly feeling because I can't read minds. Ray looked at me and smiled and he perfect white teeth and no fangs, so I must have met Ray and his friends and then passed out. I guess that would make
sense because Ray wasn't saying anything about my thoughts yet. It felt awkward in the room with him even now that I knew he isn't a vampire, he still had an evil vibe coming from him that was alarming and I didn't like that he interupted Tom and me.

No one talked or made a sound, just the steady breathing of everyone here and silence that was unbearable, but maybe if no one talks they'll leave soon. But I thought to soon, Ray cleared his throat and broke the silence.

"Well then, we didn't come hear to make fun of you," He looked at me and smiled and again no fangs were noticable, just a perfect set of white teeth that went wonderful with his gentle smile. "We just came to pass a note to-" He cleared his throat as though he had sand paper in it, dry as a desert. "Tom." He spoke Tom's name unwillingly, almost as if it was poison words on his tongue.

"Just say it then, don't have to take all day." Tom was irritated that Ray was here of all moments, I hadn't noticed but sometime during Ray talking or even before that. I probably didn't notice because it was still very warm where he touched me.

Sorin spoke up this time since Ray had a hard time saying whatever he had to say to Tom, I could tell from both Ray's and Tom's expressions that they really didn't like eachother. "We came hear to say to Tom that he has to meet us at Jordan's Pizza," He looked at me and glared, I got the feeling that he and I, in that one look at me, would never be friends. "Bring the girl if you want."

"Yes, Cassie come." Ray spoke to me and he didn't have any problem, it made me wonder how anyone could hate Tom so much, what had Tom done to make Ray so mad at him? "He's alive." Ray whispered so quietly I wasn't sure if I heard him right, but some still delusional part of me still thought he was that scary vampire, that could read minds, from my dream.

"No, she's not part of this and she won't ever be." Tom's voice inclined in sound as he spoke, now he was the one mad at Ray.

"Why not Tom?" Ray said his name in a snarl, and he also sounded mad. "You can't keep her as your prisoner and tell her what she can and-" Ray stopped and was suprised as we all were, Tom had got up from the bed without me feeling or seeing a thing and in the next second he had his hands around Ray's neck, glaring at him with hostile eyes.

"She's. Not. Getting. Involved!" Tom shoved Ray away and went back over to me and put me on his lap again. "And she's not my prisoner," Tom's voice was gentle again and his smile was soft, a smile that I would like to see for the rest of my life. "She can leave me anytime she wants." Then his voice became harsh again and he was no longer the Tom I liked. "But if she leaves me she's not going to be
yours."

Just then I noticed that they were talking about me as if I wasn't there at all, I was to caught up in the way Tom had moved so quickly and gracefully, so that he could get his big hands around Ray's throat. I couldn't believe those were the same hands that were around Ray's throat and the same hands that were around me right now.

"Don't I get a say in anything?" I looked at all of them, I really wanted to know what they were talking about. I also wanted to know why they hated eachother so much and the reason why they were arguing over me.

At the same time that Tom said no, Ray said yes. They both glared at eachother again, I hated not knowing why they hated eachother.

"Well I think that I should get a say in this," I looked around the room again and only Ray had his eyes on me, Tom was still glaring at Ray and Sorin was keeping to himself. " Tom, stop acting like a child please."

"Yes Tom," Again Ray snarled his name, I noticed that he could say his name when he was saying it in a disgraceful way, but he couldn't say it when he was normally talking.

"Can you both just stop it and tell me what is going on?" I was very irritated that no one was tellling me anything, and also that no one was even aknowedging me at all.

"Cassie, Tom doesn't understand you at all." Ray looked at me with a gentle smile the whole time that smile was on his face I could read his face like a book and all his face said was, "let's make Tom feel bad". I laughed a little and Ray nodded, we both knew what to do.

"I don't thik that he even considers my feelings at all, let alone even aknowledge me." Maybe I was pushing it a bit hard and Tom wasn't stupid.