Autumn Falls

I gripped the fork in my hand, wondering why the hell I even got myself into this mess. “Is she alright?” I heard Serena ask one of the girls as the plastic utensil in my palm snapped in half.

“She’s just mad that her getting-your-brother-to-want-her plan isn’t going quite so good,” I heard Spencer reply.

“What does she have that I don’t?” I grumbled, breaking my granola bar into pieces and gritting my teeth. I’d been inspecting their lunch dates all week and I’d come up with nothing, nada, squat. I hated the feeling of defeat. Every day, for four days, I’ve sat here on the other side of the cafeteria watching them steal little kisses here and there; their fingers always interlaced together like they could never be pulled apart.

“Well,” Serena started as if I wanted my little question to be answered. “She’s been in his life for about ten years; he doesn’t know you at all, you have no classes with him, she lives next door in our guest house and has way more things in common with him then you ever will, and well, she’s freaking beautiful,” she finished.

“It was a rhetorical question and don’t you think I’ve already gathered those facts?” I hissed in her direction just as a light bulb went off in my head. “That’s it!” I smiled, snapping my fingers together.

“Oh God, what now?” Spencer groaned, rolling her eyes and picking at her cup of Jello.

“Serena, what’s your brother’s fourth period?” I asked her, happy to get my new plan in motion really soon.

“Uh, I believe its Calculus 2,” she told me. I raised my eyebrows at her. “What? He’s really good at math.”

I shook my head. “Whatever, I don’t care but if this is going to work, I have to go. Bye, ladies,” I smiled, waving them away as I hurried toward the courtyard that led to the main office. As I walked past their table on my way out, I finally got him to glance up at me. I smiled softly before he quickly looked away.

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“Are you sure you want to do this, Autumn? You know you’re falling behind in your Trigonometry class already. How would putting you into an advanced math class—the highest math class we have—help you?” my advisor, Hannah, asked me. “This is an AP course, you know that right?”

I sighed, still trying to get this lady to reason with me. Fourth period started ten minutes ago and if I was going to get him to notice me I had hurry up. “Listen, Hannah, could you just do me a solid and change my class? I need this and if I get into this class then I’ll get a tutor or something—I just really need you to do this for me,” I pleaded.

She looked at me and then sighed, a sign of giving in. “Alright, but I expect your grade in math to get better then it’s been. Do all that you have to do to get good grades or I will put you back in a lower class with the snap of my finger,” she warned me, signing my new course paper. I thanked her and left the office, hurrying to the math wing in our school and slowing down a bit so that I could pull my already high skirt up a bit higher. I opened the door and walked into the class, first noting that the teacher was pretty young and attractive, and then noting that everyone was now staring at me.

“Welcome, Ms. Sharp. What brings you to my class today?” My new teacher, Mr. Micol, asked.

“I switched my math class and was relocated here, sir,” I explained, walking over to his desk and handing him my new schedule.

“Well, it appears that you have. Take a seat wherever one isn’t occupied,” he instructed, handing me back the paper and continuing with his lecture. I hurried to the seat next to Larson and put my things down. First things first, I thought with a smile. I leaned over toward him to ask for a pencil, causing him to look up. As I stared into his electric blue eyes it felt like there was a lump in my throat and I couldn’t speak. He smiled at me and then looked away again like he had at lunch.

I was at loss for words after this little exchange that I hadn’t noticed when Mr. Micol called on me. “Autumn?” he called again.

My head shot up. “Yes?” I recovered with a sheepish smile.

“You are needed in the front office with a phone call from your father,” he told me. I nodded and stood, ignoring the muted whispers around me at the mention of my father. Everyone knew who he was, what he did, and who he was famous for doing. I couldn’t do anything about the talk but walk away.

As I reached the door, though, I heard a boy speak a question perfectly loud and clear. “Who is that?” Larson asked someone but I was already out of the class and headed to the courtyard before I could hear their answer. I smiled wickedly to myself as I walked toward whatever waited for me in the office.

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“Dad?” I asked, putting the brown plastic phone up to my ear and taking a seat on one of the office stools.

“Hey, sweetie, I was just calling to let you know about my big break!” he said happily.

“What are you talking about?” I questioned, furrowing my eyebrows.

“My agent called and told me that someone wants me to produce and direct their new movie! It’s based on some bestselling book, I’m not sure of the title but I know it’s a big hit around the bush. Aren’t you excited for me?” he asked, sounding like he was on the verge of jumping up and down. Dad’s a big movie producer and all, but he’s never directed a movie before now.

“Ecstatic,” I smiled, trying to be sincere.

“I know, and I think I can even get you a part in it, too,” he offered.

“That’s wonderful, dad. When do you start filming?” I asked.

“This Friday, isn’t that great? They said that they wanted to start as soon as possible, so I chose this weekend!” he explained.

My stomach dropped and my face went blank. “So you called me at school, interrupting my learning time, to tell me that you’re canceling on me this weekend?” I asked, anger coming to my face. I knew I said I’d never go over there again, but even the thought of him ditching me hurt.

“Well, honey, there are other weekends you know, we can have our time then. Big movie opportunities like this don’t come to me very often asking if I’d like to produce and direct them. You have to give me a break, sweetie,” he said, trying to reason with me.

“You’re ditching spending time with your only daughter for fucking work?” I hissed into the phone. I could feel the office lady look up at me but I didn’t spare her a glance.

“Autumn, cut me some slack—”

“You know what? It’s whatever. Fine, have fun directing your damn movie, but leave me the hell out of it. In fact, don’t ever plan on calling me again because I’m done with your shit,” I yelled into the phone. I could feel the plastic of it began to crack in my palm as I slammed it down on the receiver. I pulled my hands through my hair and screamed into my legs.

I stood, avoiding the lady’s gaze and walking toward my locker. As I twisted my combination, I heard one of the double doors from the math wing open. I took a quick glance toward the door to see whoever came out and my heart skipped a beat. There was Larson, walking strait toward me. It took me a little while to notice that my locker was conveniently located near the closest boy’s bathroom, so he wasn’t actually walking my way, just by me.

He smirked at me before passing. I smiled back and dropped the contents of my purse all over the tile. “Whoops,” I bent down on the floor, hoping that he would follow suit and help me. Sure enough, he crouched next to me and gathered my things.

“I believe this is yours,” he said, handing over my Coach purse. His voice sent shivers down my spine, causing my cheeks to become a bright, rosy red.

“Thanks,” I smiled, standing and grabbing the purse from his hands. “Hey, you’re the new kid- Larson, right?” I asked, trying not to sound so direct.

“You are correct, my lady,” he nodded, another smile forming on his face. It was addictive, because I began to smile as well. “And you must me the famous Autumn,” he noted.

“That I am,” I said, slinging my purse over my shoulder and shutting my locker.

“Where are you off to?” he nodded toward my purse.

“Just… playing hooky for the rest of the day,” I sighed, looking away.

“Something your father said set you off?” he asked, tilting his head to the side.

“Something like that,” I confessed. “Wanna come?” I asked with a smile, hope in my eyes.

He pondered this for a bit. “Maybe next time,” he started, rejecting my offer.

“Are you sure? A little coffee wouldn’t hurt anyone,” I countered, not giving up so easily.

“Well, maybe for a little bit. My sister and girlfriend are going to flip if they find out I ditched,” he laughed, walking with me toward the student parking lot.

“Oh, girlfriend,” I mumbled, trying my best to seem like I didn’t already know of this skank.

“Yeah,” he sighed, running a hand through his perfect hair, “girlfriend.”

We reached my car and both got in. As I drove away from the school, I asked, “Starbucks?”

“Sure,” he smiled, a small twinkle in his eye.

Oh God, I thought, what did I get myself into?

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“May I have two grande mochas, please?” I asked the barista that stood tiredly behind the cash register. After handing over my money and receiving our drinks, I sat down at the table that Larson chose and I handed over his caffeine.

“Nice day out, huh?” he commented, looking out the front window toward the shining sun.
“Are we really going to talk about the weather?” I asked him, taking a small sip of my steaming coffee, trying not to wince as the liquid burned my tongue and throat.

He laughed softy. “Yeah, I guess not.”

“So, let’s hear about that girlfriend of yours,” I suggested.

He sighed, sitting up strait in his chair and gripping his coffee cup with both hands. He continued to stare at the marble table top as began his story. “Well, Destiny and I have been together for about three years and things are going great and all, but…” he paused, drinking his coffee slowly.

“She’s a pain?” I offered. “Too clingy? Follows you around too much?”

He chuckled, almost choking on his drink. “Something like that. It’s just that she expects me to always be there for her, yah’ know?” he gripped his cup harder at the thought, but continued. “She thinks that I’ll always be here, like I’m going to ask her to marry me next week; I just can’t take it anymore. I love her more than anything and I have to admit that she’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me, but I just don’t want to have someone like that anymore. It’s starting to feel like having her in my life is making everything go in just one direction; like my life is already planned for me just because she’s my girl. I don’t want any of it. No getting married right after high school, no kids at just nineteen, not even moving away again just because she wants to raise our children in her home town. I just want away with it all until high school ends then maybe, just maybe I’ll consider her and all that she comes with,” he finished with a sigh, avoiding my eyes.

“Hey,” I whispered, putting a finger on his chin, forcing him to meet my gaze. “Why don’t you just tell her?” I asked softy.

I could tell he was at a loss for words as he looked at me, so I pulled my hand away and sipped my coffee as I waited for him to recover. “I just… can’t,” he said finally. “It would break her heart if I told her that I didn’t want to be with her anymore. She flew all these miles just to live with me and my family because she thinks we’re going to be together forever, I could never do that to her,” he told me.

“Maybe you don’t have to,” I smiled wickedly, finishing off my warm beverage.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“Well, I’m not saying you have to break up with her. Maybe just sneak around with some girls at our school for a bit until you’ve had your fun and you know that you want to be with her for the rest for your life,” I suggested.

“Like cheating?” he offered.

“No, not like cheating. Just think of it like… taking a break and seeing other people, only you’ll be doing other people instead of dating them,” I explained.

“Isn’t that sort of… I don’t know. Skanky?” he laughed at the word.

“Well, if you look at it like that, yeah. But that’s not what I’m trying to say, I just… I just think that you should do something for you because it seems like lately she’s been your main priority.”

“I don’t think that’s the best idea right now, but I’ll certainly think about your suggestion,” he said, standing and throwing away our cups.

“Okay, well all I’m saying is that this would be a lot easier on your decision of whether or not you want to be with her for the rest of your life. If you want to say miserable, then suit yourself,” I shrugged, exiting the coffee shop and getting back into my car.

He smirked. “Well, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were hitting on me.”

I laughed softly, driving toward the school. “Don’t flatter yourself, Larson. It only makes your ego grow.”

We drove in silence, arriving to the school quickly. “See you later?” I asked him as he unbuckled his seatbelt.

“Possibly,” he smiled, getting out of the car. “Oh and Autumn?” he said, poking his head back into the car.

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for listening, I really needed a friend,” he said sincerely.

I smiled again, nodding my head. “No problem, Larson, anytime.” He slammed the door and I drove off just as my cell phone began to ring.

“Hello?” I answered without checking the caller ID.

“Autumn, we need to talk,” Serena’s serious voice informed me.