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Chapter 21

All of the seniors graduated that May much to Sebastian's dismay. The halls that were once filled with seniors that he considered friends were now long gone and would never call him to pursue their own life goals. 

So, with this knowledge, Sebastian didn't have friends or a girlfriend. It had been exactly two months since he last spoke to Cassandra. He'd see her in the halls but the two would completely ignore each other. He would steal a few glances at Cassandra when he was in class and was sick of the blundering that came from Mr.Waterford about some of his favorite works. He enjoyed looking at her because to him she was still the most beautiful girl in the world.

Sebastian left his house about midday. He wore a pair of basketball shorts and a t-shirt to combat the hot Arizona weather. He recently got out of the shower to wash off the chlorine that came from his pool out back. He spent much of his time there, due to his lack of real friends that didn't want to jump his bones.

"I'll be over in a bit," Sebastian said over the phone. Sebastian got behind the steering wheel of his brand new car and began to drive to one of his many friends with benefits houses. The windows were rolled down to let in the cool summer breeze that would fill his car.

The summer was especially hot for July, being outside too long would give anyone who wasn't used to the Arizona heat a heat stroke. Sebastian's arm rested on the side of his car when he got to the red light. He got the exact car he wanted, it was a few years old but nonetheless it was one of the better cars that would be parked on school grounds.

Sebastian arrived at Danielle's house. They started their sexual friendship a few weeks ago. She like many of the girls thought sex would make Sebastian fall for them.

But his heart was entirely closed off to all girls for a very long time, he commited to himself. He arrived at her apartment complex, she was from a single-parent household. Her dad worked two jobs to put food on her table and provide her with the best possible household so the constant visits from Sebastian were unknown. Sebastian hurried up the stairs and knocked a total of three times before the door opened.

"Sebastian," she smiled. Sebastian made no haste to kiss her, she yelped when his lips touched hers. She took a few steps back. Sebastian kicked the door close with one hand and led her to the couch with the other. He held her waist as the two fell onto the couch. 

~

Cassandra tied the back of her bathing suit top. She didn't usually wear a two-piece swimsuit. Her usual ensemble included a one-piece bathing suit and an oversized shirt that belonged to her deceased father. It was comfortable, and took the attention away from her. But Aurora convinced her weeks prior summer began to buy something different.

She thought with a body like Cassandra's which was still blossoming deserved to be shown off. A series of knocks on Cassandra's new bedroom door caused her to turn. She walked towards the door, standing in her own swimsuit was Aurora.

Aurora rather than taking her own advice, she wore a pair of swim shorts and minimizing bathing suit top. "You ready to go to the lake?" Aurora asked.

Cassandra grabbed her t-shirt and shorts that were on her bed and slipped them on. "Yeah. Is Phillip here?"

Aurora nodded her head, "of course he is. You know he's basically in love with you. There's no way he wouldn't be here."

"Shut up," Cassandra chuckled. "He doesn't like me."

"Oh really? Then why has he been here every day since he found out we were his new neighbors."

Cassandra shrugged her shoulders, "maybe because we're friends and friends hang out with one another."

"Sure," she trailed on. "Phillip definitely sees you as a friend," Aurora said full of sarcasm.

Cassandra knew Phillip liked her, she wasn't an idiot. The way Phillip acted around Cassandra was very unfriend-like and more boyfriend-like. He would bring over food, make sure he sat right next to her. When she was sick, he brought over soups and waited on her hand and foot.

Phillip was completely smitten with Cassandra.

Phillip knocked on the door three times before Walter opened the door for him to come in. "Girls," he called out. The two girls' eyes widen when they heard his voice. "Phillip is here," he called down.

The two walked down the stairs. When Phillip saw Cassandra; the world stopped. Her breast jumped a bit with every step she jumped down. Her hair was now in a high ponytail to keep it from sticking to her neck and her shorts were unbuttoned to reveal a bit of the yellow flowers that riddled her bathing suit.

Phillip's voice cracked, "are you guys ready to go to the lake?"

"Yeah," Cassandra smiled.

Aurora folded her arms when she saw Cassandra's smile and Phillip's blundering of words. A coy smile crept up on her face. "Well, since everyone is ready we should go."

Phillip opened the door for the two girls, followed by him opening the door to his moms' car as well for them. Cassandra said nothing about the interaction, he always did this. Whether it be school, the mall, or even a front door.

Phillip was always a gentleman.

The three teenagers were packed to the brim in the SUV of Phillip's mom's car. Phillip turned to the back seat and began to speak to the two girls about mundane things, things he knew Cassandra would like.

Aurora watched the poor boy trying to woo the girl whose heart was still healing.

~

Sebastian slid on his t-shirt while Danielle laid on her back. She was heaving from the tiring sex she had with Sebastian. His back was covered in claw marks and he could still smell her scent on him. He didn't particularly like her scent.

It was too strong, and it tended to hit him as soon as he saw her. After his escapades with her he always needed to take a shower or get immersed in some form of water.

Danielle got up from the couch, "I'm going to take a shower," she announced.

"Okay, I'll see you whenever," Sebastian said before putting his hand on the doorknob.

"Wait," she shouted. Sebastian turned, "I was wondering if you wanted to go to the lake today. You know, it's pretty hot today and cool water sounds nice."

Sebastian sucked in his breath, "maybe. I'll see you later." He closed the door behind himself and opened his phone up as he trotted down the steps. His fingers traced Instagram.

The first image he saw was of Cassandra and Phillip, sitting at the lake. Sebastian clenched his phone, any tighter the screen would crack.

He hated Phillip, since the summer began and he found out Cassandra and Phillip's friendship based on the idea that he's been in almost all of Cassandra's Instagram posts. It was maddening to him, he didn't know their relationship. He couldn't tell whether he was her new boyfriend or just a friend.

He hoped that wasn't her boyfriend.

Sebastian got into his car and drove home, the image of Cassandra with another guy irritated him to no end. He closed the door behind himself and settled on his bed. His swimming trunks peeked from the dresser, it was calling him.

Go see her

Sebastian got up from the bed and put on his swimming trunks. They were a bright red that came to his knees, he didn't bother wearing a shirt. His stomach was flat and girls would kill to lick hits chest.

Sebastian rushed out of his house and jumped into his car. He sped off down the road to the lake. When arrived it was bustling with teenagers from the nearby high schools. He parked his car and slid on his shades to block out the sun.

"You came," Danielle screamed from across the parking lot. The slaps of her flip flops echoed throughout the parking lot as she ran towards Sebastian.

"I did," he answered.

"I'm glad," she entangled her arms with his. "We're going to have so much fun." Danielle led Sebastian to a group of her friends. They were all athletes, some came from the volleyball, some from the softball, and a few from the basketball team. He didn't know any of their names except for maybe two due to them DMimg him for either sex or dates.

He didn't care for them, they weren't her. 

They led him to the lake and talked of things he didn't care about. The rocks that led up to the lake crunched under his feet. The yells of fun, coming from the other swimming rang through his ears.

He didn't want to be there with them, he wanted to see Cassandra.

Cassandra was drifting on her floaty in the middle of the lake. Her eyes were closed as she took up the sun on her body. Her t-shirt and shorts were settled on the towels they brought.

Cassandra was once self-conscience of her body but that was no longer the case. Aurora swam to her Cassandra and settle her arms on the floaty. Aurora's hair was wet from her constantly jumping from the docks and swinging on the nearby rope.

"So are you just going to stay here and not enjoy the water?"

"I am enjoying the water."

"Doesn't seem like it. You've been drifting on this floaty for the last half an hour and you're barely wet. I would hardly call that enjoying the water."

"Well, I do. Where's Phillip?"

"Oh, he went to get us some ice cream." Cassandra gut up from the floating. "Oh, that seemed to make you perk up some." Cassandra got down from the floaty and swam to the shoreline with Aurora behind her. "He's going to be a while," she called out with a heavy breath. Cassandra sat on the towel, where all of their stuff was and waited for Phillip.

Cassandra behind her and did the same, her skin was covered in goosebumps from the cold lake water. "So, I'm going to tell Phillip to ask you on a date," she outright said which made Cassandra choke on her own spit.

"What! Why would you do that?"

"Because he likes you and you two would be amazing together," she said nonchalantly. "So, when he asks please say yes."

She sucked in her breath, "I don't know."

"Just don't think about it. Just say yes, let him sweep you off your feet and enjoy being treated like a princess by Phillip. He's kind, thoughtful, caring, sweet and he's pretty cute too. If I were you, I would do it."

When Sebastian looked out to the lake, he saw her. Cassandra Campell swimming in the lake with Aurora behind her. He watched as she got out of the water, her hair clung to her back and her body was on full display. Her flat stomach, her newly developed hips, and her large breast that looked as if they were going to fall out of her two-piece bathing suit.

He licked his lips, something inside of him stirred when he saw Cassandra. He'd never seen her with this little amount of clothes on. The least amount he saw on her was the short shorts she always wore with a tank top. Cassandra with a two-piece was different.

Cassandra with a two-piece was like Cassandra in lingerie. 

Danielle trailed his eyes until hers were met with Cassandra. She scowled when she looked back at Sebastian, he was too enamored with his ex-girlfriend to pay attention to the girl he was sleeping with a little over an hour ago. "Sebastian," she sang. "Do you want a burger?"

"Sure," he murmured turning his attention back to Danielle.

"Great, because I'm a master with the grill." Danielle walked towards the grill and grabbed the assorted foods. Sebastian took a seat and readjusted his black tinted sunglasses. To the naked eye, it looked as if he was staring at the lake but actually he was staring at Cassandra.

Her laugh, the way her body curved or her the way her breast jumped every time Aurora said something funny to her. Phillip arrived with a variety of ice cream cones and handed one to Cassandra. Sebastian watched in anguish as he handed one to her.

She brushed her hand on Phillip's arms as he took a seat next to her. He was close too close for Sebastian. Sebastian got up from the ground and walked towards the rope. The trio was close enough to the rope that with a big enough splash would ruin their ice cream.

Sebastian looked to the next swinger, all it took was one look for them to move. Sebastian gripped the rope and clenched his teeth. He'd done it before when he was twelve but now he was sixteen and much bigger. He needed to splash the group, Sebastian walked as far back as he could and swung forward. His body flew up, "cannonball," he screamed.  He held his legs and arms close, making himself into a ball and dropped into the lake.

The water from the lake splashed the three teenagers ruining their ice cream. "Fuck!" Aurora screamed. "Who the hell!"

Their ice creams were now riddled with the salty lake water. Sebastian emerged from the water and brushed back his wet hair. Cassandra looked up to the criminal who ruined her ice cream. Her heart felt as if it would fall out her chest when she saw his wet chest and pushed back hair.

Sebastian strode our of the water, a smirk was present on his face as he walked to Danielle. He didn't bother looking because he knew she was staring right at him. Her mind would be full of  Sebastian.

And he was absolutely right.

Phillip saw the rage seething from Cassandra's face. Before she could get up and chase after Sebastian he grabbed her arm. "Come on, let's go get new ones."

Cassandra looked at Phillip's arm, she sucked in her breath and got up from the ground. Sebastian raised an eyebrow, there was no yelling. No running towards him, so he could see the jiggle of her breast.

Nothing

He turned and watched her walk off with Phillip, and staring right at him to await his reaction was Aurora. She smirked when she saw the slight ting of his eyebrow.

Aurora grabbed her phone and began to text Phillip.

You should ask her, she texted.

Phillip's phone buzzed, he saw the text and swallowed the spit that formed in his mouth. He stood next to Cassandra. He looked at her and then back at the ice cream stand. Cassandra was shaking with rage, Sebastian had ruined her ice cream because of his petty trick.

"He's a real dick," she grumbled. "I can't believe he splashed us on purpose. He ruined the ice cream you brought us."

"I don't think he meant it."

"Oh, you don't know Sebastian. He meant it," She reiterated. "God, I wish he would just leave me the hell alone and continue fucking whatever poor girl he can find."

Phillip's lips went flat when she talked of Sebastian. Ever time she spoke his name, it was lace with venom than a pinch of sadness. Thinking of Sebastian, seeing him still brought her chills.

The two were next to buy ice cream, Cassandra got a bit of money from her purse but Phillip quickly stopped her. "Phillip, I can pay for it. You paid for the first batch." Cassandra handed the ice cream man the money.

She slowly licked the ice cream, Phillip watched her with the two cones in both of his hands. She dragged her tongue across the white cream. As Phillip watched her, it was picturesque.

There was something about Cassandra.

It was something angelic yet sexy about her that made people like Phillip and Sebastian fall for her.

They walked back to Aurora, Phillip handed her the ice cream and began to eat his own. It was a unique flavor Cassandra never had before. "Is that any good?"

"Yeah, I like it." He extended it to her, "want some?"

Sebastian sat in a nearby chair, the charcoal of the grill behind him filled his nose as he stared at Cassandra laughing with Phillip. "Hey," he called out.

"Yeah?" One of Danielle's friends gleamed.

"What do you know about that Phillip guy?"

"Well, he's a really amazing singer, he has two moms–test tube baby, and he's pretty sweet. Plus, he's kinda cute. Reminds me of one of those boy band guys."

Sebastian crossed his leg over the other and folded his arms. He didn't enjoy watching Cassandra getting along with another guy. So when Phillip extended his ice cream cone to Cassandra and she gladly licked it. A ping went off in his brain.

"Danielle come here," he commanded. Danielle turned to him, he grabbed her and placed her on his lap. She didn't care about the weird timing of the interaction. She just wanted to be as close as possible to Sebastian. Sebastian looked up at her, he wished she was another girl and placed a kiss on her lips.

The girls behind them, some let out cheers while the others scoffed. The loud interaction made Cassandra turned towards the commotion. Her throat felt tight as she watched Sebastian kiss Danielle who was sitting comfortably on his lap.

Her heart that felt like it was slightly glued back together became undone again.

"Gross," Aurora scoffed. "God, watching that made me not even want to swim anymore. Let's go back to our place," she announced.

"Yeah," Cassandra muttered. "Let's go back home."

Phillip watched Cassandra as she slowly picked her things up from the ground. It still hurt her to watch Sebastian as he moved on from her so publicly.

As the three finish packing, Cassandra's shoulders fell. She felt her tears beginning to come down. Phillip eases his way closer to her and placed a comforting arm on her shoulder.

It's going to be alright

That was the message he wanted to send to the sad girl who couldn't get over her ex-boyfriend.

Phillip, as he sat in the back of the Uber made it his business to sit next to Cassandra. He watched as she stared out the window with her hand supporting her head.

While she watched the cars pass, she could only think of Sebastian.

When they arrived back at Cassandra and Aurora's house. There was no one home, Phillip went off to his own home promising to be back after a shower. While their girls took to their own showers. The thought that Sebastian was now sleeping with Danielle, a talented basketball player now irritated her to no end. She scrolled through Danielle's Instagram feed. It was riddled with pictures of her playing basketball or showing off her athletic physique.

Cassandra ran a hand over her stomach, she was no longer that skinny girl who let Sebastian borrow a pencil. She was a woman, she had hips, and as Aurora would say to die for breast.

She didn't think she was fat, quite the opposite. She knew she had an amazing body, one that mirrored her mothers that she would envy when she saw pictures of her as a child. Instead, she wondered if that's what Sebastian liked now.

The athletic type, and not Cassandra.

Phillip knocked on their door exactly one hour after they separated. The two girls now, dressed in more comfortable clothing let him in. They took a seat on the couch. Phillip day close to Cassandra while Aurora sat on the far off table away from the two.

She had texted Phillip before he came over that it was time. Time for him to suck it up and asked Cassandra out. Phillip sucked in his breath and said the code word, "man. I'm thirsty."

Aurora got up from the chair, "me too. I'm going to make some lemonade." Aurora left the room, leaving Cassandra and Phillip alone.

He breathed in then out, he turned to her. "Cassandra!" He yelled making her jump back.

"Yes?" She questioned. She'd never heard him raise his voice at her. She ran a hand over her heart.

"Cassandra. I," he started. "I want to ask you out on a date. Cassandra's eyes switched to Phillip's who refused to move from hers. His ears were burning as he watched her