Sorry it's been so long, guys. I know, I know. But here it is, the long awaited second half of Curveball. Hope you like it. I do. Don't forget to review.

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Then I felt something hard collide with the side of my head, and I crumpled to the ground.

I lost consciousness for a minute. My head was buzzing, and I felt awful. Soon the buzzing solidified, and I was able to hear the voice that I'd know anywhere, though I had never quite heard it before.

"Will he be alright? Is it a concussion? Should we call the ambulance? He feels feverish… is that normal?" she said, her clear melodic voice tainted with worry. I felt her cool hand on my forehead, on my cheek, and my heart rate picked up a bit, even in my semi-conscious state.

I opened my eyes and groaned. I had an awful, pounding headache. Still, she was kneeling next to me, concern in her sparkling green eyes, and so I wasn't completely miserable.

"Oh my god! Are you ok? Can you remember anything? Do you know who I am?"

"You're beautiful," I said, still too woosy to think clearly about what I was saying. She blushed slightly and said, "well… um… thank you… but… that wasn't what I meant… come on, who am I?"

"My imprint," I said, like it was obvious.

"Ugh, he's not making any sense!" she muttered, "Let's see, what game are we playing?"

"Uh… baseball?"

"Thank god, it's not a concussion. Here, take my hand. I'll help you off the field."

I never thought I'd be happy about getting hit in the head with a baseball, but then I never thought I would ever meet a girl like this. Needless to say, I was more then fine with holding hands with the most amazing person in the world as I stumbled to the bench. My coach came over and said, "Fisher, that's some bump you got there. You aren't playing anymore today."

I groaned. "Sure, coach, whatever you say."

It wasn't like I could say, "Well, actually, I happen to heal incredibly fast, since I'm a werewolf and all… so I'll feel up to playing in about, oh, five minutes."

That would not go over well.

But sitting here next to my imprint didn't sound so bad.

"How do you feel?" she said, looking at me with that caring look in her eyes that made my pulse race. Her hand had returned to the side of my face, and the contact felt so good it was scary.

"Dizzy," I said, truthfully. She looked more worried then ever, so I added, "but I'm fine, really."

"Really?"

"Never been better."

"Sometimes you don't make much sense," she said, laughing.

"Being sensible isn't my strong suit," I said. "Neither is playing baseball."

"You're not that bad…"

"Yes, I am." I said with a sigh.

"You're just… easily distracted," she said, grinning

I groaned. "Is it that obvious?"

She just laughed, her head falling back, her eyes closing, mouth turned up. I could do nothing but stare and bask in the glow of her.

"You know, I don't even know your name," she said.

Whether it was from the hit to the head or the incredible proximity of the most beautiful girl I'd ever met, my brain wasn't exactly working at top speed. So I basically just stared at her like an idiot until she clarified, "Well? What is it?"

"Oh! Uh… Collin. Collin Fisher. You?"

"Uh… Cassie Greene, nice to meet you," she said, flashing a smile that made my heart pound.

"So, um, Cassie, have you always lived in Forks?" I asked.

"Nah. Just moved here this year from LA."

"Oh," I said, now understanding now why she seemed so unfamiliar. "Do you miss it much? Forks must be pretty boring compared to a place like that."

"Honestly? I barely miss it at all," she said. "The city is much less glamorous than it's made out to be. It's crowded and unpleasant and stressful, and you can only see a small patch of the sky. I love it out here."

I just sat and stared at her as she explained to me how she felt about her new home, letting the sound of her voice wash over me like a calming tide. The fact that she loved it here so much, that she didn't ever want to leave, made me so happy it was ridiculous. I couldn't stifle the mile-wide grin on my face, and I said, "Well, if you like Forks, you should come visit La Push sometime, to see First Beach. It's even more remote then this."

"I'd like to do that, Collin," she said. I was immediately addicted to the way she said my name. "Maybe you could give me a tour."

First I could only stare at her. Did she just say what I thought she said? It took a beat or two before my mind could comprehend that Cassie had asked me to hang out with her. Then I shouted, "Yes! Of course!" a bit louder then necessary. "Uh, I mean, sure."

She laughed quietly to herself.

I had been so wrapped up in our conversation, I hadn't noticed that a boy with blond hair and a petulant, jealous expression, had approached us until he spoke. "Cassandra? Sorry to interrupt," she said, the look on his face making me think he wasn't sorry at all, "But we're waiting for you to pitch."

"Uh, thanks Mike. I'll be there in a sec."

He stood there stupidly

"I said one second, Mike. You go ahead," she said, seeming a bit frustrated

He finally walked away looking disgruntled.

"Cassandra?" I asked, confused. She winced.

"Yeah, that's my real name. I hate it. You can just call me Cassie, ok?"

"Whatever you say, Cassie," I said, grinning. I liked the fact that she had asked me to call her by a nickname this Mike guy didn't even know.

"I guess I better go then, Collin," she said. I scowled. The idea of Cassie leaving my side was not a pleasant one. In fact, my headache, which had receded a bit, began to pound with more intensity then it had before. Nevertheless, she seemed… conflicted somehow, and her reluctance to leave reassured me considerably. Still, when she stood up, the emptiness she left behind hung heavy in the air. She turned back to me suddenly and put her hand on my bruised forehead again. I felt my heart race and my mind go blank at her touch.

"Collin, I…"

"Cassandra Greene!" the Forks coach shouted from across the field. "Hurry up!"

"Coming…" she muttered. "Feel better, ok?" she said to me.

"Yeah," was my brilliant response. She turned and gracefully jogged to the mound.

As much as I wished Cassie could have spent the rest of the afternoon by my side, I soon found that watching her play was enthralling- and much less embarrassing now that I was permanently on the sidelines. The first time she struck someone out, I started cheering, which made everyone stare at me like I was mentally deranged. Paul, who had been the unlucky batter, started growling at me under his breath, but I was too out of it to care.

I heard someone whisper 'Cassie' from across the field, and I looked up. A girl with mousy brown hair was whispering to a blond girl. They were talking about my imprint.

"Lauren, can you believe Cassie?"

"I know, Jessica! She was practically throwing herself at that Quileute guy."

"She's already got all the Forks guys wrapped around her finger…"

"I don't know why they like her… she's not pretty at all."

"She's a slut! That's why."

At this point I was already standing up, my eyes focused on the two harpies in the out field. How dare they? Fury was taking control of my body, burning in my brain. I was lost to it. I was a monster. Nothing could stop me.

Through the thick smoke, I heard the only voice I cared about.

"Are you ok, Collin?"

Acute anxiety doused the anger, like someone had poured icy water on my head. No matter what, I had to make sure Cassie was safe. Turning into a wolf when she was so close was not a safe thing to do. I took a deep breath and started walking away from her, towards the bleachers. I would get away, try to calm myself down, and then maybe I could come back to her. Maybe. But right now I could not be near her, no matter how much I wanted to.

I guess I didn't expect her to follow me.

I looked behind me and saw her walking behind me as I retreated, looking curious and concerned.

"Wait up, Collin!"

The breeze pushed a fragment of the gossiping idiot's conversation to my ears. Look at her, chasing after him. What a loser. I almost lost control, clenching my fists so tightly it felt like the bones of my fingers would snap, and started to walk faster.

Suddenly I felt Cassie catch up to me and grab my bare arm, sending an electric shock through me. We were behind the bleachers now, alone in the shade.

"Where are you going?" she whispered.

"I have to leave. I have to get away from here," I said, pain filling my voice.

"Ok," she said, smiling. "Then let's go."

How good that sounded! But it was impossible. She was who I was running away from. I had almost hurt her, she had been so close. I couldn't bear hurting her.

"I'm sorry, Cassie… you can't come with me."

I walked further, but she continued to trail me.

"Because… I'm the reason you have to leave in the first place?"

I stopped and stared at her in shock. "How did you…"

She sighed, and I realized the confirmation had hurt her. I swore internally. She kept distracting me, and I had to leave. I couldn't afford to become more entangled. I kept walking.

"Why?" she called to me.

"Because I don't want to hurt you," I blurted out.

"You know that doesn't make the least bit of sense."

"I know," I said, wistfully. "I'm sorry."

"Well, you did say you weren't very sensible."

"It's true."

"But you know what?" she said. Now she was right behind me. She reached up and tugged on my shoulder. She was so close, and I was suddenly dizzy.

"I don't care. I'm not very sensible either," she whispered.

I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth. "Cassie, no. I… don't want you to follow me. Goodbye."

My heart ripped in two as I walked away from her. Why was I going down this self-destructive, self-loathing path? It has happened to so many of us. Why am I causing this much heartbreak. She must care for me, why else was she following me? And now she thinks I don't want her around. Why was I doing this to myself?

But I didn't expect her reaction.

"You're lying, Collin!" she shouted after me. "I know it!"

And that was enough for me to turn around. And that gave her the time to come towards me and start kissing me. Cassie. Kissing me. Under the bleachers.

Can you believe it?

I couldn't.

So, of course, any residual feeling of anger dissipated when her lips touched mine. All I wanted to do was to stay there with her, holding her, breathing in her scent, for the rest of forever.

"I'm sorry, Cassie," I whispered as soon as my lips were free.

"Don't apologize! Just stay," she said. "I know I barely know you, I know I must seem crazy, but..."

"If you're crazy, I'm crazy too," I said. I kissed her again, ending that particular discussion.

"Hey Batter, Batter! Swing Batter!"* I heard an obnoxious voice shout behind me. Cassie and I broke apart and saw the whole pack… no the whole class… standing by the buses, staring at us. It was Paul whose comment had interrupted us, and who was currently doubled up in laughter.

Cassie turned back to me, her hair fallen out of its ponytale, her face flushed and her eyes bright.
"What's that guy's name?" she whispered.

"Uh… Paul," I said, confused.

She looked around the ground, until her sight locked on a stray ball lying in the Astroturf.

"Perfect," she said. "Hey Paul!" she shouted to him from across the parking lot. He turned, looking surprised. "CATCH!"

She threw the baseball in a perfect arch, fast and hard… colliding right on target with Paul's disbelieving face.

She grinned up at me, making the world melt and spin.

"So, where were we?"

Fine

* A sort of taunt or trash-talking common in Baseball, especially non-professional games... usually shouted to the batter by the opposing team to distract him/her from the pitch.

Hey, so I know my little Cassandra might seem a bit... forward... but I like it. It's a contrast to all those insecure, wimpy, damsels in distress who star in most romantic fanfictions. I have nothing against that type of character, but sometimes something different is good. Personally, I think Cassie is kickass, and she's my favorite character I've written. Thanks for reading, please review.