sing a song only i can hear (kay)

cassia talbot

Cass sat at the shore of the half-frozen lake. Her coat was wrapped tightly around her shoulders, and her curly hair blew across her face. Her knees were tucked under her chin. Dark brown eyes surveyed the shore. You couldn't even tell the sun existed, and it felt to Cass as if the skies were an endless expanse of pale grey. Freezing rain began to fall, and she winced at the feeling of it on her face. Her combat boots grazed the surface of the thin ice. The rain fell harder, and she pulled out her old, ratty polka-dot umbrella.

cassia talbot

Cass raised her umbrella, surprised. She was usually the only one there when there wasn't a canoe race. "Well, I would hope you weren't hallucinating." She couldn't see much of the person, but could see a faint reflection of the lake in their glasses. If Cass had to guess, she'd say it was a boy, going by the voice.

cassia talbot

Cass chuckled. "Nice try, handsome. I'm Cass. What brings you here on such a lovely day?" She held the umbrella out, so it partially covered both of them. He was nice-looking, but she really wasn't interested in anyone romantically. "It can't be the scenery." She got the feeling he saw himself as a ladies' man. She gave a small snort, and a quiet laugh.

cassia talbot

"Valentinus Summers, huh? Try saying that five times fast." She rolled her eyes at his charming smile. "You can sit here as long as you want, just don't try anything, ladies' man." The rain began to calm down, and she closed her umbrella. She pulled her long, curly hair back into a haphazard braid. She wondered what her brother was doing. Whatever it was, it probably involved some sarcastic remark. She smiled and shook her head at the thought of her dumb twin brother.

cassia talbot

Cass was still more than a little suspicious. "I'm too cool for that?" He seemed like an okay person. But there was something a little off about him. "Have you ever even talked to a girl who wasn't your half-sister without flirting?" She wanted to get to know him,  but not in a romantic way. Zeus knows, she could use more friends. "So, what's your story?"

cassia talbot

A pang of guilt made its way through Cass. She completely understood why he wouldn't want to tell her. She didn't have the prettiest of pasts, either. "Me, interesting? I would think you're talking about someone else if we weren't the only ones here." Personally, Cass felt she was quite boring. She could fight fairly well, and she could maybe be a good leader someday. But she wasn't good at small talk, or general conversation really. Friends weren't her thing. There were people who wanted to be her friend, yet she rebuffed them all the time. Maybe it was time to stop that.

cassia talbot

"Maybe an old one you see, on the street, sure.", she joked. She didn't really like being flirted with, it was an odd experience. "But seriously, dude, flirting should not be your go-to response. That's not gonna get you anywhere." She put her hand on Val's shoulder. "Being nice doesn't necessarily involve romance at all."

cassia talbot

Hearing his voice laced with bitterness, Cass winced. Oh, Cass, why do you always ruin everything? "I know how hard it can be to break a habit. But it is always worth it in the end. Trust me..." She closed her eyes, trying not to remember her father's addiction.

cassia talbot

She laughed. "Is that what you call charm?",she joked. The clouds were lessening, and Cass could see hints of blue sky, and even a patch of sunlight peeking out from between the clouds. With a serious look on her face, she grabbed his hand. "Maybe we can cure you of this terrible addiction." Her straight face disappeared as she began quietly laughing.