Long Time Coming (Cassie)

[Ryan Sheffield]

Ryan was sick of his parents. Being the only child n the house was not fun, no matter what Tyson tried to tell him. So lately, he had been waking up early on weekday mornings [how, he had no idea] and leaving before his parents could even notice. Today's trip location was the Chesapeake Bay. Something about water made him smile. That was the one good thing about this tiny town. Lots of water.

After crawling out the window and shimmying down the tree right outside his window, Ryan smiled and took off down the street at a nice walking pace. A few neighbors were up early due to... whatever. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his plain brown pants and looked around. It was quiet. After all, most students wouldn't be getting up for another hour or so.

It wasn't a far walk to the edge of the bay. In fact, it was surprisingly close. Dropping his back pack, Ryan sat near the edge of the water and just looked around. The whole thing seemed really surreal at this time of day when most people were yelling at their alarm clocks. He smiled and nodded to himself. His daydreams began and got him caught up in them. Caught up to the point where he didn't notice someone coming up to him.

[Cassie Mars]

Cassie hummed as she walked on the side walk, her arms stretched out to the sides like she was walking a line. She laughed and looked up at the sky and stopped walking for a while. Soon other people stood around her and stared up. Cassie just smiled then walked off as the other people stood their staring, wondering what it was.

She hadn't been home that last night, spending the night at Jules' house then leaving quickly in the morning for an early morning walk. The fresh air hit her hard in the face and made her happy. Cassie looked around as she continued walking then spotted someone off in the distance. She was able to do this a lot, spot someone who looked like someone she knew. She always hoped that it was someone she did know so she could actually talk to them.

Score. It was Ryan. She skipped up behind him then sat down next to him and grinned, "Hey, love. What are you up to?"

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[Ryan Sheffield]

It was the voice that snapped him back to reality. Yes. "The" voice. The only voice around here that made him feel like he was still home. The only voice that made him smile. Without turning to face her he let the smile appear. "Hey Cassness." Cassie was a year younger than him, but that didn't mean much. In fact it meant next to nothing to him.

Finally turning to her, he arched an eyebrow. "You're up awful early." Taking in her appearance made him smirk. "Then again you could just be up late." The air was slightly cold. Ryan bent his knees and put his arms on top of them. His smile stayed on as he watched the water... exist, I guess. He hadn't been watching long when he turned back to her.

"So really. Do you always just walk up to random people and pray you know them?" His smile shifted to a cheeky grin as they sat. "I mean, come on mate. That's not exactly safe. Nor is it a good idea for a girl like you to be walking around alone, but that's your call." Ryan half shrugged before looking back off at the water.

[Cassie Mars]

"Hey Ry." She grinned at him brightly. An unsual smile for someone up so early. Cassie had had enough sleep so she was usually like this now. Everything seemed extremly blurry last night when she passed out in Jules' room on her floor. Now after five or six hours of sleep she felt refreshed.

Cassie tucked her legs to the left and pulled down the hem of her dress slightly. "I was out, what can I say? I'm not going to go home this early in the morning. They're already up. I'll wait til they leave for work, which is soon hopefully." She hummed a few notes then stopped and looked out at the water and tilted her head to the left slightly, away from Ryan.

"Well, I usually get a bit closer to the person before I actually talk to them. But if I don't know them I'd still probably talk to them. I'm bored enough!" She looked over at him and shook her head smiling, "Are you worried that I'm going to run into someone some day that's a very bad bad person?" She lowered her voice and pouted her lips as she ended her sentence.

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[Ryan Sheffield]

Ryan raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Fair enough. I'm not going to force you to go home." He picked up a rock, tossed it a few inches, and caught it again. "I mean hell. I have no room to talk. I just crawled out my window to get out without seeing my parents." Smiling, Ryan tossed the rock out to the water. Looking at her made him smile "You don't have to angle away like that. I won't bite... yet."

Nodding as she spoke, Ryan felt almost comforted by Cassie. Even if she was make him a little upset. "C'mon Mars Bars. Didn't you learn anything? You're not supposed to talk to strangers. Actually, why do you talk to me? I'm as dangerous as they come." He grinned and put an arm around her. "Sadly, bad people are everywhere. Everywhere." He dropped his arm from her shoulders and looked around.

Ryan smled again, more to himself this time than to Cassie. "Ever wonder if someone would notce if you just walked into the water and floated on your back all day instead of going to classes?" He seemed to be serously considering this. It wasn't a bad idea, just not the brightest. "Screw it." Ryan stood and brushed off his pants. "It's complete bollocks. I'm doing it."

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[Cassie Mars]

Cassie watched the rock skip across the water. She looked back at him and shoved his shoulder, "Can't someone look at the water at a different angle once and a while?" Her eyebrow lifted as she smiled. She laughed then shook her head and returned to looking out at the water.

"Goodness Ry, you're as dangerous as they come? Don't lie mister!" She shoved his shoulder as he put an arm around her. "I've only known you a few days and you're already protective over me? You're so adorable." She giggled and ruffled his hair with her right hand.

She smiled and looked out at the water as he spoke. Cassie imagened herself floating on top of the water, her hair floating away from her head and the soft morning sun beating down on her face. Cassie felt the air move around her and she looked over at him as he stood. "You sure love? You might get bitten by a wittle fishy." She made a pouty face like a mother talking to her child, making that squishy, kissy face.

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[Ryan Sheffield]

"Well you're allowed to look at the water from a different angle, but it upsets me. So make your choice." Ryan grinned as she shoved hs shoulder and looked back out at the water. He nodded to himself and thought about different stuff. Mainly he kept thinking of what she would do if he tossed her in with the fish.

Raising his eyebrows, Ryan turned hs head to face her. "Are you underestimating the scrawnyness? I wouldn't do that if I were you." He chuckled to himself and nodded again, this time in response to her question. "Then again. This is how all evil people get their ins. I friend you then one morning you wake up tied to my bed. ... Or something like that." He grinned at her. "Not that I'd do that to you."

He laughed, then shrugged. "Poor little fish. I'm not that tasty." Ryan grinned widly as he looked at Cassie. His thought from before came back to mind. Without thinking, he bent over and picked up Cassie then walked to the edge of the water. Still holding her, he asked quietly, "So what would you do if I threw you in?"

[Cassie Mars]

"It'll upset you? How so?" She laughed and shook her head and turned out to the water again. The sun was getting higher in the sky and refelcting off the water. She had to look away from the brightness, so she looked back at him and blinked in an odd way then she grinned.

"Underestimating scrawnyness? Well, yes, I guess I am!" She giggled and held her hands in her lap. "Why would I ever be tied to anyones bed? Do you often tie girls to your bed?" Cassie raised one eyebrow and smirked at him. "I think you're the first person to talk about me tied to their bed...congrats!" She laughed while smiling.

Cassie pointed down to the water and wiggled her finger and made a pouty face at the water, "You hear that wittle fishies? Ryan tastes icky so no breakfast for you today!" She gasped as he picked her up then she smirked, "Do you think you even want to know what I'd do if you threw me in?" Cassie raised an eyebrow at him and smirked.

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[Ryan Sheffield]

Ryan shrugged at her then grinned. "Haven't you noticed yet that I make minimal sense when I speak?" His grin slipped away as he stared of once more at the water. There wasn't really anything special about it, but it was better than staring at Cassie and start thinking... like he always did.

Ryan let out a laugh as Cassie responded to his not so well thought out statement. "That came out horribly wrong. Although there would be nothing wrong with having you tied to my bed. You would be the first girl to have that honor." He chuckled more to himself before breathing deeply and leaving only a smile on his face. Now he had another thought of her he could have done without. Bloody wonderful.

"You're right. I do want to know." Ryan swung his arms, and her, out over the water, but pulled her back to him. "Or do I? I mean. This is Mars Bars we're talking about. You're horridly evil when you want to be." Ryan stood there, holding her, and began to think.

[Cassie Mars]

Cassie nodded, "I think you almost never make sense when you talk." She laughed and chewed on the inside of her left cheek then her bottom lip.

"Really? I'm surprised that I'd be the first girl. Are you sure that there wasn't anyone before me? And still, why would I be tied to your bed in the first place?" This conversation was getting interesting and Cassie would really like to hear what he'd say about the bed thing. She wondered if he'd blush, it's funny when boys blush.

Cassie let out a small cry as he motioned throwing her into the cold water. She clung to his neck. "Well, I could just hold onto you for dear life and bring you in with me. I'm deffinatly not going in alone." Cassie wondered if he would actually throw her in and if so, if she'd be able to drag him along for the ride.

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[Ryan Sheffield]

"Really. Well... at least... you'd be the first girl I'd have tied to my bed that I'd remember." He grinned cheekily at her and raised an eyebrow. "But honestly you'd probably be tied to my bed for pure enjoyment. Yours of course. Can't say wouldn't enjoy it though." He blushed slightly, but then quickly laughed, leaning back slightly. He hadn't laughed so seriously in a while. It felt good.

As Cassie clung to his next, he felt almost... special. His grin reappeared. Her little cry made him really want to try throwing her in. At the same time, he knew it would not end well for him. She was very capable of getting him to follow, no matter how she went about making it happen. "Well if tiny Cassie plans on dragging me in with her, I'll just make it easier."

Ryan grinned and walked into the water. Once he was a decent way out, he turned around and fell onto his back. Now both of them were in the water and there was no going back. "Guess you'll have to seek revenge in some other horrific way Mars Bars." He grinned at her as water dripped out of his hair.

[Cassie Mars]

"Well, I don't know how much fun I'd have tied to your bed, but oh well." She giggled when he blushed then turned away so she wouldn't make him too embarrassed.

Cassie gasped and squealed as he walked into the water still holding her. She let go of his neck and swam a bit away from him. "Bollocks, it's freezing in here!" She raised her eyebrows then grinned at him evily, "Well, I could go under the water and steal your pants then swim away. That's only one of my ideas, so don't test me, love." She folded her arms across her chest and kicked with her feet to stay afloat.

Cassie's teeth chattered softly. She now knew that she really did like Ryan. He was sweet and funny and not afraid to throw a girl in ice cold water. She smiled to herself and her arms crossed turned into her hugging herself to keep herself warm. She looked up at him and smiled then realized that she might look stupid so she softened the smile to look less....odd?

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[Ryan Sheffield]

"Oh trust me. You'd have fun." He turned his head out towards the water and whispered, "they all do." Laughing slightly Ryan looked back at Cassie with a grin. "Joke. Joke Mars Bars. We've been over this. I've never had a girl tied to my bed... I do assume they would have fun though." He grinned widely and shook his head. He was being an idiot, but it didn't seem to matter.

Ryan grabbed the top of his pants and held onto them. "You're not taking these from me. That would be absolutely horrid. We both know you're not a horrid person." He smiled at her and shook water from his hair. Resembling something of a shaggy dog, he laughed. "Cold or not, you have to admit that it was entertaining. Also, now you don't have to shower before class. Bonus!" He laughed at his own joke and walked closer to her.

When he was about three feet away, her shivering became slightly visible. "Bloody hell you really are cold." An expression of worry seemed to overcome his face. "You going to be alright? You've clearly got to get out of here. I think. Or maybe you just need to sink under until you get numb. I forget which it is." Ryan shrugged and looked at her, hoping she wasn't utterly pissed at him.

[Cassie Mars]

Cassie grinned and raised an eyebrow, "Oh? And how do you know that I'm nota horrid person? You haven't known me for more than a week, love." She covered her face and laughed as he shook the water from his hair. "That's disgusting Ry! And now that you've dropped me in here, I' not going to school at all!"

She poked his chest with her index finger. "You should always think about your actions before you do them mister. You never know if a girl can swim or not." She laughed and poked his nose.

Cassie swam over to a place where a ladder was attached to the side of the dock they were sitting on earlier. "Unfortunatly for you, my clothes are not see through when wet." She giggled and stuck her tongue out at him as she continued climbing the ladder. "And what was your plan after you jumped in the ice water, love?" Cassie crossed her arms across her chest and smiled at him, raising her eye brow.

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[Ryan Sheffield]

Ryan wiggled his nose as he tried to look at it. "Why'd you go and poke my nose. You know that makes me feel awkward." He smiled at her as she began to swim over to the ladder. "You're no fun. You got out and you're not going to school. BORE!"

Ryan pouted at her as he floated on his back. "That's very unfortunate for me actually." His pout turned to a grin as he made his way over to the ladder. There was no point in being in the water if she was going to go sit on the dock. "Well you see Mars Bars. I had an amazingly elaborate scheme. However, you got out of the water. Thus making my plan null and void."

Now he was at the top of the ladder and was face to face with her. It's now or never big shot. With a small smile, Ryan adjusted his plan slightly. He put his hand under her chin and said quietly, "You see Cassie. My plan originally went something like this." He leaned forward and kissed her very lightly.