USE SOMEBODY

three.        distraction

▬▬ "DON'T DROP ME." Cassie gripped Mike's shoulders but he laughed in response as he locked his hands under her butt ― he insisted on giving her piggyback ride to the cafeteria.

"I got you." He told her and she nodded, taking a steadying breath, but it didn't calm her nerves much. It was one thing for one of the guys to carry her around, but they were stronger than humans and less likely to drop her. "You should trust me more."

"I trust you just fine." She told him. "I'm just not a fan of being carried everywhere."

"You weren't complaining when your boyfriend was carrying you up the stairs this morning."

"Well, that's different." She mumbled, her cheeks heating up a little as he walked into the busy room. It was loud and a few people stood in line to get their food while others sat at tables and talked.

"How?"

"It just is." She shrugged as they approached their usual table, they were the first two there. She loosened her grip as he let her slip off of his back, she stood on her good leg until the boy moved, then she sat down, being careful not to kick the leg of the table with her foot.

"But how is it different?" He asked as he sat next to her.

"Because." She stated, her cheeks pink and Mike smiled a little.

"Well," he leaned back in his chair. "You look happy."

"Paul makes me happy."

"Why don't you talk about him more? And why haven't I met him?"

"Technically, you did meet him. Sort of." She told him. "On Halloween."

"Oh, yeah." He nodded. "He's scary up close."

"Yeah." She hummed, a small chuckle leaving her lips.

"I'd still like to meet him, though. You know, formally."

"Definitely some time soon." She nodded and he grinned.

"Alright," He looked around at the line, which wasn't long at all. "I'll be back with food." He stood up and walked away from the table, leaving Cassie alone. She pulled out her phone and typed a quick message to Paul letting him know that she was okay ― he had been more worried since her accident ― because he had texted her a few times throughout the day. Most of the texts were when she was in class and couldn't reply.

Before she got a reply from the boy Mike walked back over with two trays, a smile pulled at his lips as he put one in front of the girl before taking his seat next to her. "Texting your boyfriend?" He asked in a teasing manner and the girl laughed a little.

"Yeah." She nodded, her cheeks pink again and he laughed. It was weird to see her blush so much, she wasn't known to blush often. "Well, let's eat." She mumbled, reaching for the water that sat on her tray.

The duo was soon joined by the others, but Cassie was glued to her phone as Jessica asked for speech ideas ― she was valedictorian and was tasked with giving the speech at graduation. But the youngest Swan didn't really care to add to the conversation, much less to listen to it when her phone buzzed with a text from Paul.

wolf boy
you sure?

little bit
Yes, I'm fine. Mike and Tyler have
been helping me between classes
and Mike carried me to lunch
and before you get all jealous
it was a piggy back ride

wolf boy
I wasn't gonna get all jealous

little bit
-_-

wolf boy
okay, I was a little jealous
I can't help it

Cassie only briefly looked up when Bella and Edward joined the table, her mood dampened a little. But there wasn't much she could do, she couldn't exactly get up and walk away. Mike had promised to carry her to and from lunch so she had left her crutches in her next class. She sunk in her seat, ignoring the amber eyes that landed in her briefly, as she looked back at her phone.

little bit
distract me please

wolf boy
how?

little bit
I don't care how, please

There was a long pause where he didn't reply and she huffed, laying her phone on the table as she leaned forward on her elbows.

"I've decided to throw a party." Alice stated and she and Jasper joined the group and Cassie briefly looked at her before her phone buzzed and she quickly picked it up. She went to the text messages and froze at what she saw. Her cheeks flamed and her eyes went wide, her jaw nearly dropped. Then she blinked a few times. On the screen of her phone was a low quality picture of Paul, his shorts tugged low enough to see his v but nothing else and his torso was bare, like usual.

wolf boy
Did that distract you?

She could imagine the smirk on his lips, the smirk he reserved for the instances in which he made her blush like an idiot. This was one of those instances.

wolf boy
Cassie?

little bit
Paul!
you realize I'm a school, right?

wolf boy
yeah, so?

little bit
you're insane!
There are people around me!!

"Hey, Cas, what's with the blush?" Mike asked, his smirk teasing, pulling everyone's attention to the girl. "Texting your boyfriend?" He poked her side making her shift away from him as she swatted at his hand.

"Oh, the urge to run away." She muttered, before smiling at the boy. "Leave me alone." She mumbled, shifting on her chair and Mike laughed as he and Eric made kissing noises at her expense. "I hate both of you."

wolf boy
Are you red like a tomato?

little bit
no

wolf boy
Are you lying?

little bit
maybe

Cassie sat with a smile through the rest of lunch, ignoring the conversation all together. She wasn't exactly excited about a party at the Cullen's house, to her it seemed like they were just leading sheep to the slaughter ― even if they were vegetarian vampires. But even if she had been interested, all that was on her mind was Paul and she couldn't stop her blush from worsening as she popped a grape into her mouth.

.

.

.

.

.

.

▬▬ "I HATE THIS." Cassie grumbled as Mike carried her down the stairs, she was on his back and Tyler was behind them with her crutches. The blond boy was taking one step at a time, slowing down all the students behind them as they tried to make their way to their cars. It was obvious that they were all getting fed up with the traffic block, but no one said a word.

"You're not helping." He mumbled back as he took a breath and stepped down just one step. "You're making me nervous."

"I'm not trying to." She shrugged, gripping his shoulders as he took another step, they were so close to the end. "I just don't like being carried."

"By anyone who's not your boyfriend." Tyler added and the girl turned to glare at him making him laugh.

"You are so on my list."

"What list?" Mike asked. "Am I on it?"

"You will be if you drop me."

"Oh, her murder list." Tyler chucked. "How long is that thing now?"

"Last I heard it got smaller." Mike told the boy.

"Dude, who'd you murder?" Tyler asked, his smile wide.

"You're both idiots." She muttered as Mike stepped off the last step and let the girl slide to her feet, the students behind then rushing around them the second they had a chance.

"We're just messin' with ya." Tyler told her as he handed her her crutches and she situated them under her arms before she and the boys made their way across the parking lot.

"So, am I taking you home?"

"Uh, no, to the diner. Having dinner with my dad."

"Alrighty." He nodded as they approached his car and he opened the door.

"Actually. . . " The three looked over to see Paul standing in the empty space next to them.

"Paul." Cassie smiled as she made her way over to him. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to surprise you."

"Well, it worked." She mumbled, her cheeks pink and he laughed as he leaned down to kiss her. She smiled as she pulled back then she remembered the two boys that stood behind her. "Oh! I want to introduce you to some of my friends." She turned and made her what towards the two, he smiled as he followed her. "Paul, this is Tyler and Mikey. Guys, this is Paul. My boyfriend."

"Hey." Paul waved and the two waved back, both looking up at the boy with wide eyes. "Um, thanks for looking out for Cassie today. I appreciate it."

"I don't need anyone to look out for me." The girl mumbled, shifting on her crutches. "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"Then why'd you beg us to carry you to class?" Tyler asked, his brows pinched together.

"Because these things are exhausting." She shook her crutches a little.

"And carrying you from class to class isn't?" Mike teased.

"Look at that, you made the list." She grinned and Paul chuckled as the boy's face paled, his eyes going wide as he jaw went slack.

"Oh, come, Cassie! What for?"

"For being a baby."

"You're mean." He stated.

"But you love me." She grinned.

"Whatever." He mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest and she rolled her eyes.

"We gotta go. I'll see you two later."

"See ya, Cas." Tyler gave her a quick hug then let her bag fall to her feet.

"Bye." She waved as he walked away then she turned to Mike. Paul leaned down and picked up her bag but he watched the two, the way Cassie smiled and the look Mike gave her before he caved.

"See you later, or whatever." He mumbled as he hugged her and she laughed, wrapping her arm around him.

"You realize that I'm kidding about the list, right?"

"Yeah, you have a weird sense of humor."

"I sure do." She grinned and he laughed.

"Later, Cas." He rounded his truck as she turned to Paul, her smile wide.

"He's scared of you." She stated as she started towards Paul's truck.

"Mike?" He followed after her.

"Yep. He's still shaken up from Halloween."

"Halloween?"

"Yeah. The haunted house. You walked up all mean and huffing and puffing and he was literally shaking."

"I wasn't huffing and puffing." He muttered as he opened the passenger side door and tossed her bag into the seat. He turned as she leaned the crutches against the truck then he lifted her up.

"You most definitely were. I almost went to look for the three little pigs to warn them." She told him and he gave her a weird look as he put her in the seat, but she just smiled. He shook his head and stepped back, taking her crutches.

"You didn't even know I was a wolf then."

"No, but you were huffing and puffing."

"I'm not winning this, am I?"

"Nope." She grinned and he laughed as he leaned up, pulled her down just far enough to give her a quick kiss. "Mmm." She stopped him from pulling back and placed her hands on his cheeks, keeping him close before she finally pulled back. "School is entirely too long." She mumbled and he laughed as he leaned up and kissed her again.

"I agree. Now, buckle up." He smiled and she giggled, her cheeks pink, as she sat up and pulled the seat belt around her. He shut the door, put the crutches in the bed, then made his way to the driver side and got in.

⚘‎ nova speaks┆this definitely took me longer than I expected, I kept hitting bumps and I tried to work them out in a way that made sense for the next book.

after reading that_one_writer_chik 's book Broken Home ( check it out! ) I was majorly inspired and I had all this motivation that just wouldn't do away.

I've had to shift that timeline a little, not much, but I thought I should let you know. it was just to fit everything in and to make it make sense.

I am so happy to get back to writing this book because I love Cassie so much! she and Paul probably my favorite couple from any of my books at the moment.

thank you for begin patient with me, I appreciate it more then you know!!