"you know, i actually like bash." matt uttered.

cassie, who had her pizza slice in her mouth, peered up at him and stopped chewing. she raised her eyebrows out of pure surprise and swallowed before answering.

"nice joke."

"i'm serious." he laughed and flipped through her book of drawings. "after you told me about him and we spent another day with your family, he seemed like a nice guy. i mean, i completely understand why he's your friend."

"are you sick or something?" she asked in a whisper and jokingly put her palm against his forehead.

"very funny." he deadpanned, seized her hand and kissed it briefly before crossing his legs. "he's funny, seems kind, can talk about anything and with everyone. what's there not to like?"

"did sebastian threaten you? poison you? beat you? hypnotize you?" she pressed in disbelief over his words.

"believe me, i wish." he scoffed and put her book away, and then the empty pizza boxes.

"wow. then i'm really glad you have nothing against him." she smiled happily and pecked his cheek.

cassie stood up from the floor and threw the boxes in the trash. she tucked some hair behind her ear and leaned her back against her desk, arms folded together.

"i need to leave because i've got something to do." he proclaimed, moving towards the door.

"alright. are you boxing today? i'm thinking of skipping this once because i have some homework from before the christmas break." she asked and looked at him.

"maybe. depends on how long this takes." he smiled before leaving.

"okay." she mumbled to herself and sat down with her homework.

she and matt had been spending almost every day since they got back from her parents in her dorm, or his. they didn't feel like doing anything else. a lot of pizza and junk food had been eaten, but they both worked out often so they figured it was okay.

alex had been out and about as usual, mostly spending time with vanessa. cassie knew she had been slacking when it came to hanging out with her friends, but she'd make up for it.

her roommate entered a while later, putting a cup of chai latte on the desk where cassie was studying. the brunette smiled with gratitude and took a sip.

"what are you doing today?" alex asked quietly and sat down on the bed.

"well, i'm almost done with this. maybe i'll go boxing, it's been a while now." she shrugged and looked at her.

"you should do that." alex nodded and frowned with her lips. that only made cassie knit her eyebrows together and turn all her attention to her friend.

"why?" she asked suspiciously, rolling the pen between her fingers. alex peered up at her and shrugged sloppily.

"why not? would you rather study? not even you would." alex laughed and tilted her head so slightly to the side.

"yeah, you're right." cassie sighed and stood up from her chair, opening her closet. she put on her training outfit, including her fingerless gloves, and stretched her arms. "but if i see one thing that's different–"

"cassie." alex cut her off with a blank stare. "what would i even do while you're gone?"

the brown eyed one made a face with puckered lips before leaving her with the chair latte to drink on the way. she pulled her fingers through her hair as she walked the way to the boxing club, frowning as she saw a few more cars than usual outside.

cassie opened the door and parted her lips when many stood inside, and not just boxers. she tossed the empty cup in the trash, folded her arms together against the desk and gave james a look, waiting for him to explain.

"glad to see you here. didn't think you'd miss this though." he smiled a weak one, glancing at the strangers.

"miss what?" she asked confused, making him drop the smile.

"you don't know...?" he mumbled, scratching his jaw. "i thought matt told you. i mean, i believed you'd be the first he'd tell."

"tell me what? james, what's going on and why is this place packed with people we've never seen before?" she pressed impatiently.

"okay look, have you seen southpaw?" he questioned, and she nodded. "this is a bit like that. i don't train champions. this is for people who has boxing as a hobby. but, i too can make an exception. these people — some of them at least — are reporters. there's an actual game today, much to my dislike."

"but i thought matches only took place in arenas, with serious people. these boxers are just–" she started, gesturing with her arm in the air beside her. she then hardened her face and stared at him. "it's not matt, is it? please, james, don't tell me he's the one fighting today."

"he's in the practice room." he mumbled and fidgeted.

james had only known cassie for a short amount of time, but he had grown fond with her, and he had grown a lot of respect for the girl. however, he knew what she was capable of and how hard she could punch now. so the man was slightly scared that she'd beat him for allowing matt to do such a thing.

cassie groaned before rushing away from there, to the practice room. she stopped her fast walk when seeing matt punching a bag, slowly noticing her too.

as matt gazed at her, he knew he was completely screwed. he once told her he barely fought actual people for practice, and now he was going to go through a game of three rounds.

"is this the thing you were going to do?" she scoffed, crossing her arms together against her chest. "matt, are you absolutely insane?!"

"let me explain." he sighed, approaching her carefully.

"what's there to explain? you can't do this." she exclaimed, looking at him with a weak frown.

"cass, it's just one match. i meant it when i said it's just a hobby." he reminded her, receiving an eye roll back.

"right, just a hobby. then why the hell are you going to fight a professional?"

"okay, he's an amateur with just a little bit more experience than i." he retorted, raising his shoulders and then dropping them.

"a little? you've never fought someone before. he has. do you want to go back to the hospital?" she spat and watched as he took another step closer to her.

"can you just listen? his agent challenged me, i don't know why. said he'd seen me punch here and wanted to test my skills. and if i do win, there's some victory money that i'll get. this is just an opportunity for me to develope my technique and skills."

"i can't believe you right now. you're putting yourself in danger for money?" she shook her head. the tone in her voice managed to make him feel disgusted with himself; the disappointment in it was so evident and blatant.

"the main thing isn't the money." he objected quietly, swallowing.

"no right, it's about your technique. the fact that you'll end up on the floor, with broken bones and a bleeding lip doesn't matter. the fact that you might have to be in a hospital for more than just one night doesn't matter. this is so dumb and inconsiderate of you. and the worst part is that you didn't even tell me. you were hoping i'd stay and do homework the whole day."

matt closed his mouth and looked down at the floor, feeling guilty of all those things. she was right, he knew that, but he wasn't weak either. it wasn't like he was going to die up there.

cassie pulled both hands through her hair in frustration and closed her eyes as both anger and disappointment filled her. she just glanced behind her shoulder and clenched her jaw.

"i'm sorry." he apologized after a moment, putting a hand against her upper arm. "i'm sorry i didn't tell you. but i don't see myself half dead there, it's not that big of a game. can't you please stand there and cheer for me instead? or do you think i'll majorly lose?"

"oh my god." she laughed bitterly and pushed his hand away. "this has nothing to do whether i believe you can win or not! i know you're strong and skilled, but matt, he's most likely better! he's done this before, he knows what to do. when was the last time you took on one of your friends here? no, i will not stand and cheer for you. and you're not going to do this because it's so stupid."

"that's not your choice to make." he murmured and swallowed a lump in his throat. she raised her eyebrows and let out a little scoff of disbelief.

"oh, really? alright." she muttered before turning around and fiercely marching over to the crowd.

"cassie!" matt sighed and followed her.

cassie pushed through some reporters, to where matt's opponent sat on a chair and rested. he stood up once he noticed her though, but wasn't at all prepared for what to come next.

the brunette raised her clenched fist and used all her strenght to punch him on the jaw, being the reason to why he suddenly fell down to the floor.

"there's your stupid game." she muttered, exhaling in the new silence that surrounded everyone. james crossed his arms from his seat because of how impressed he got, and matt rubbed his face with his hands.

cassie ignored everyone that spoke and left, giving james a quick look. matt rushed after her of course and turned her around by the arm in the street, shrugging as she stared at him.

"what the hell was that?"

"god, i don't want to hear this. can't believe you're mad at me." she raised her hands beside her head and walked backwards.

"you're the one who's mad here! it was just one game and you flipped, taking out your anger on someone else." he crossed his arms, feeling idiotic for even having this conversation with her.

"so now we're fighting?" she smiled strangely and looked to the side.

"it's a stupid fight." he mumbled, almost inaudible, but that only infuriated her even more. she locked her hands together and pressed them against her mouth, closing her eyes in frustration before looking at him again.

"a stupid fight? oh, i am so sorry for caring for you! it's so stupid of me to worry about you, to worry about the fact that you could've been severely injured today!"

"i know i could've been injured and hurt, cass! don't you think i know that?"

"and yet you accepted. you're not trained for this, as strong as you are, or how much of a good football player you are. you know what? screw it. if you want to go and finish that game, do it. i don't care. hopefully he was so surprised by my punch that it actually made an impact." she uttered before turning around and making her way back to the college building.

matt sighed deeply with closed eyes when she left. he stood there for the longest time, deciding whether or not to follow her or go back to the club. he decided to go back, but not to box, but to call off the game.

he couldn't do it, especially not after realizing just how dumb it actually was. instead of answering any questions, he gathered his things and returned to the school.

cassie closed the door after her with force and paced around in the room, holding her own clenched fist and fidgeting. alex barely jumped at her arrival and slowly put away her laptop.

"honey, are you alright...?" she asked cautiously.

"no, no i'm not. your brother's an idiot." cassie answered bluntly and looked at her friend.

"i know, i tried to talk him out of it but–"

"you knew?" she butted in with a disappointed expression, almost looking like she was utterly done with life.

"he asked me not to tell you, and he's my brother. why do you think i wanted you to go? if anyone could talk him out of it, it'd be you."

"great. amazing. i'm gonna' take a shower." cassie mumbled and entered the bathroom without another word.

cassie could hear alex leaving thanks to the door opening and closing. she took a quick shower and started to think of what she and matt said to each other.

drying her hair with her hair dryer in front of the mirror, she thought about how her impulse made her punch that boxer. the image put a stupid smile on her face.

as she exited the bathroom to get some clothes, she almost stopped breathing when seeing matt on the edge of the bed.

"hear me out." he requested, intertwining his hands together against his lap.

"matt, i don't want to fight about this." she sighed and looked at him with a weary face.

"i realized how right you were. it was a spontaneous choice, but not a smart one. i'm sorry i even tried to convince you to think otherwise, truly. i get that you only care about me, and no i don't want to end up in the hospital again. one night there was enough."

"well... i'm glad you came to your senses again." she said in a quiet voice and cracked a weak smile. "but i'm still mad. you didn't tell me."

"and i totally understand why you're mad, and that you will be for a while." he said genuinely, licking his lips.

"good." she said satisfied, slowly noticing that his eyes became more absent and glued. "why are you staring?"

"well... you're in a towel. only." he pointed out and pressed his lips together.

"what?" she mumbled and looked down at herself. "oh, yeah. i'll change when you leave."

"right. see you later." he laughed before standing up, giving her a weird smile.

matt left her alone in the room to change to her comfy outfit, and cassie did just that. she put her hair up in a ponytail and exited the room, searching for vanessa.

she found her in one of the living rooms, smiling as she placed herself beside her blonde friend. vanessa averted her eyes from the tv to cassie and rested her arm against the top of the couch.

"hey, stranger."

"hey." cassie laughed and fiddled with her fingernails. "what's up?"

"nothing much except for school and christmas. how was your christmas, by the way? i mean, you went to london with matt and alex, they celebrated new years with your family and alex might have mentioned sebastian." vanessa asked curiously, raising her eyebrows in amusement.

"wow. she can't keep anything to herself, can she?" cassie snorted and then shrugged. "it was great, really. i love alex's family, and matt seemed to enjoy the time at my place. and sebastian was a total surprise guest, but it worked out just fine."

"worked out? so he wasn't being his usual sebastian-self?" vanessa frowned and pouted a bit.

"if you mean unnecessary flirty, then no. he respects me, and matt was there. even matt liked him in the end."

"wait, he did?" she scrunched her nose and grinned. "that must be relieving, considering you and sebastian are great friends."

"it is, believe me." cassie nodded and folded her arms together. "matt and i had a little argument today."

"shit. about what?" vanessa asked softly, now full of concern and not curiousity.

"you know he goes to this boxing club..." cassie started, and ended up telling vanessa the very detailed full story, melting for each sentence how badly the day could've actually gone.

-

a/n

im sorry i just love cassie knocking grown ass men down with some help from the element of surprise

sO IMPORTANT i published the first chapter of my teen wolf fic!!! it's called experiment and i would love love love if you could check it out! hugs