Status: Slow Updates
Learning to Fall
Wake Up
“He got his SAT scores in the mail the other day.”
I look up from my English notebook. Tara, Stef and Kaitlin are all staring at me, expecting some sort of reaction.
“Oh.”
Kaitlin raises her eyebrows at my one word emotionless answer.
“Do you want to know what he got?” Tara asks.
“If you want to tell me.”
“Well, I can’t. Because he hasn’t told anybody. HE refuses! And I’m dying to know!”
“Why won’t he tell you?” I question, flipping to a blank page in the notebook. “Does that mean he didn’t do well?”
“I don’t know! He won’t tell me because he knows that I’ll tell you. Exact words. He’s ridiculous!”
Stef rolls her eyes and stands up from Tara’s computer chair. “I know what he got. He did really badly, I’ll bet anything. And I’m not saying that because I think he’s stupid or something. I’ve just noticed a few things.”
“Like what?”
“He’s been going to the gym at school a lot more than he used to. I’m there every day, and now so is he – and for a longer time than I am. Baseball season starts in April – he’s been going with Rian to the batting cages a lot, hasn’t he?”
“Yes… what, are you stalking my cousin?”
“No, not at all. I just observe things and I’m good at putting things together. He’s relying solely on his baseball skills to get him into college.”
I just shrug. I have no interest. The two of them – Tara and Stef – go back and forth, arguing about Alex’s scores and what not, while Kaitlin and I just watch. After another hour, I decide that I should probably be getting home.
I walk out the door and the first thing I do is bump right into Jack. I stumble slightly, but he grabs my arm so I don’t trip and fall.
“You are just the person I came here for!” he says when I regain my balance.
“Shouldn’t you be here to see your girlfriend?”
“She’s next. First, I need you to talk to someone.”
He grabs my wrist and drags me towards his car. It’s about 10 feet away, and when we get close enough, I realize there’s someone in the passenger’s seat. It’s a girl. I watch as she opens the door and gets out. She’s pregnant – the same girl from the party.
I stop walking, pulling my arm from Jack’s grasp. I don’t want to see her. I don’t want to talk to her.
“Stella, she has something to say. Just listen, alright?”
I start to walk away, but he keeps me there. The girl is standing before me, staring. She’s wearing a sad smile – and I really just hate her.
“I know you definitely aren’t exactly my biggest fan,” She says. “I understand that, I really do. I just want to talk to you.”
“Fine.”
She nods and Jack sighs with relief.
“My name’s Laurette… I just… I’m here to talk to you about Alex.”
“Why?”
“I can’t stand seeing him like this anymore. He’s not the same guy.”
“What do you mean? Isn’t he your boyfriend? Why would you want me to talk to him?”
She laughs, and now I’m just confused. I see Jack smile, attempting to hold back a grin.
“Alex isn’t my boyfriend. He was never my boyfriend.”
*
I look up from my English notebook. Tara, Stef and Kaitlin are all staring at me, expecting some sort of reaction.
“Oh.”
Kaitlin raises her eyebrows at my one word emotionless answer.
“Do you want to know what he got?” Tara asks.
“If you want to tell me.”
“Well, I can’t. Because he hasn’t told anybody. HE refuses! And I’m dying to know!”
“Why won’t he tell you?” I question, flipping to a blank page in the notebook. “Does that mean he didn’t do well?”
“I don’t know! He won’t tell me because he knows that I’ll tell you. Exact words. He’s ridiculous!”
Stef rolls her eyes and stands up from Tara’s computer chair. “I know what he got. He did really badly, I’ll bet anything. And I’m not saying that because I think he’s stupid or something. I’ve just noticed a few things.”
“Like what?”
“He’s been going to the gym at school a lot more than he used to. I’m there every day, and now so is he – and for a longer time than I am. Baseball season starts in April – he’s been going with Rian to the batting cages a lot, hasn’t he?”
“Yes… what, are you stalking my cousin?”
“No, not at all. I just observe things and I’m good at putting things together. He’s relying solely on his baseball skills to get him into college.”
I just shrug. I have no interest. The two of them – Tara and Stef – go back and forth, arguing about Alex’s scores and what not, while Kaitlin and I just watch. After another hour, I decide that I should probably be getting home.
I walk out the door and the first thing I do is bump right into Jack. I stumble slightly, but he grabs my arm so I don’t trip and fall.
“You are just the person I came here for!” he says when I regain my balance.
“Shouldn’t you be here to see your girlfriend?”
“She’s next. First, I need you to talk to someone.”
He grabs my wrist and drags me towards his car. It’s about 10 feet away, and when we get close enough, I realize there’s someone in the passenger’s seat. It’s a girl. I watch as she opens the door and gets out. She’s pregnant – the same girl from the party.
I stop walking, pulling my arm from Jack’s grasp. I don’t want to see her. I don’t want to talk to her.
“Stella, she has something to say. Just listen, alright?”
I start to walk away, but he keeps me there. The girl is standing before me, staring. She’s wearing a sad smile – and I really just hate her.
“I know you definitely aren’t exactly my biggest fan,” She says. “I understand that, I really do. I just want to talk to you.”
“Fine.”
She nods and Jack sighs with relief.
“My name’s Laurette… I just… I’m here to talk to you about Alex.”
“Why?”
“I can’t stand seeing him like this anymore. He’s not the same guy.”
“What do you mean? Isn’t he your boyfriend? Why would you want me to talk to him?”
She laughs, and now I’m just confused. I see Jack smile, attempting to hold back a grin.
“Alex isn’t my boyfriend. He was never my boyfriend.”
*
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Ahhh, I'm so sorry guys. Updates have been so slow...Sorry for the boring chapter, leads up to the next !
<333