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Sterling glanced around the campsite before turning his attention back to the sheet in his hands. He was supposed to be meeting his partner, Cassandra Parks, in just a few minutes, but she wasnโt in his line of sight. Maybe she was just running lateโฆ
Cassie bolted up to the campsite, panting slightly. She was late, of course she was late, she was always late. She slid to a stop when she saw another boy who looked like the partner that had been described to her. "Sorry I'm late! Got caught up in something."
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Sterling's gaze shot up, his eyes widening slightly. "Oh. Hey. You must be Cassandra?" he said, reaching his hand out to her.
She caught her breath and shook his hand. "Yeah. That's me. Most people call me either Cass, Cassie, or Karma. You must be Sterling."
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(Fun fact! I know a Cassandra/Cassie. Lol.)
"Well, it's nice to meet you, Cassie," Sterling said with a charming half-grin. "Yes, I'm Sterling. I think we're supposed to go meet everyone in the clearing in a bit."
(So do I!)
"Nice to meet you too! Don't mind the cat hair, I have two of them. Nyx and Storm shed a lot." She chuckled nervously.
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(Lol. That's awesome!)
Sterling chuckled. "I don't mind the fur, don't worry. I don't have any pets, unfortunately. My apartment doesn't allow them."
"Aww, really? That's too bad! I think the cats would like you." She smiled a little.
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"I'm sure I would like them, too. Especially if they're even half as nice as their owner," Sterling said with a wink.
She blushed a little and looked away. She was vulnerable to compliments seeing as guys never seemed to take any interest in her.
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Sterling grinned when he saw her blush. It was cute, the dusting of red across her cheeks. It brought out her eyes.
"Anywayโฆ" he started, deciding to stop teasing her for a bit. "Care to join me in the clearing?"
She cleared her throat, trying to clear her head with it. "U-Um, sure. Not like I have much of a choice." She chuckled.
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โWell, you certainly donโt have to stand with me if you donโt want to, so I would say that you do, in fact, have a choice,โ Sterling said, giving her the famous half-grin that almost got him into trouble multiple times when he was in middle school and high school.
Her eyes lit up in recognition. "Ohhhhhh, you're that Sterling. Okay, now I recognize you. Ya flirt."
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Sterling sighed and looked up at the sky. And my reputation precedes meโฆ
โIf you are referring to the fact that I somehow made many girls fall for me without trying, then yes, I suppose I am,โ he said, looking back down at her with a smaller smile than before.
(But I have to laugh. Sir? Hamilton, how come no one can get you on their staff? Sir!) (Sorry, I had to!)
Now she was confused. "Umโฆnot what I meant. Clearly I was thinking of the wrong one. But thanks for the clarification."
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(Lol. I have neither seen the musical nor heard the soundtrackโฆ)
Sterling blinked, also confused. โUmโฆ All rightโฆ Sorry, then.โ
(I haven't seen the musical but I've listened to the soundtrack forwards and backward. I'm what people call a 'mega fan')
"I've heard of quite a few Sterling's in my life and I've only met two of them so far. Sorry for the confusion." She chuckled nervously.
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(Lol. Iโve noticed from the School RP.)
โAh. I see, then,โ Sterling said, nodding slowly. โAnyway, how about we head over to the clearing with the others?โ
"Um, y-yeah, yeah, we should do that." God why am I so awkward around cute guys? An embarrassed blush rose to her cheeks and she tried to ignore it.
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Sterling grinned at her before starting toward the aforementioned area. โWould you prefer to be in the front, back, or middle?โ
"Middle. As weird as it sounds, it makes the most sense for my social anxiety."
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โMiddle sounds good to me! In the exact middle, then? Or off to one side?โ
"Exact middle is going to be crowded. Off to one side."
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โLeft or right? Personally, Iโd choose the right because itโs farthest from the actual campsite, so itโs likely that there will be fewer people there,โ Sterling chuckled.
"I'm not making out with you if that's what you're implying." She giggled. "But the fewer people the better."
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Sterling rolled his eyes. โNo, that is not what Iโm implying. I just donโt always like large crowds, either,โ he explained with a shrug.
"Okay, one, it was a joke. And two, fine by me." It's gonna be a long night if I keep rambling like thisโฆ
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โI know it was a joke, Cassie,โ Sterling chuckled. โSorry.โ
She punched his shoulder playfully. "Don't do that to me, I'm not good with people or social cues."
