Sequel: Plummet ›
Status: Complete with a sequel on the way
Freefall
02
There’s nothing worse than hearing your alarm clock blaring and realizing that it means that, for the first time in months, you actually have to listen to it and get up early. But once I was moving, I felt immediately better. Excited, even. Some part of me had been waiting for this, had been longing for a new start at a new school.
Besides, Mom had gone to school here. Just knowing that made me feel a little closer to her.
I lived close enough to the school that, instead of having Dad wait around to drive me, I decided to walk. It was really pretty refreshing. Something about La Push drew me in. Everything was so green here, and the air had a clean smell you just didn’t get in big cities like Boston.
The nerves didn’t hit until after I entered the building and realized that I had no idea where the office was. I must have looked pretty lost, because soon, a kindly looking guy approached me.
“You’re new,” he said. It wasn’t a question.
“Yeah, I am. My name’s Lydia Gallagher,” I offered.
“Gallagher?” the boy repeated, as if it was another language. Maybe it was. After all, I was on a reservation now. How many Irish people were here?
I could name three.
I coughed uncomfortably, and the boy’s head snapped down to me. Lord, was he tall. “Sorry. My name’s Embry Call. I’ll show you to the office.” I smiled gratefully.
Neither of us said another word until we reached the office. “Well, Lydia, I hope you have a nice first day,” Embry said before walking away.
The secretary took her good, sweet time hunting up my schedule and locker assignment. After what seemed like hours, she finally handed me a small mountain of papers and sent me on my way.
I shouldn’t have been surprised when I collided with someone in the hallway and an avalanche of paper scattered. I blushed furiously and scrambled to pick up my papers, but whoever I’d run into beat me to it. I didn’t know how he’d collected them so quickly, but I was too embarrassed to question it.
“I’m sorry. I’m not normally so clumsy,” I spluttered, refusing to meet the eye of whoever he was.
“It’s fine,” a low, male voice said. He sounded annoyed. I glanced up and met his eyes, and a funny expression crossed his face. Not ha-ha funny, but… odd. He was frozen, gawking at me.
Can you say awkward? “I’m Lydia,” I offered uncertainly.
“Paul,” he muttered before turning on his heel and walking away. I tried not to, but I couldn’t help it; I watched him half-run out of the school.
What, did he think I had cooties or something?
And as if that wasn’t bad enough, I was late to my first class. Way to make a first impression, Gallagher, I thought sarcastically. Just one of my quirks was that I silently addressed myself all the time. Good thing people couldn’t read minds, or they might think I was insane.
Though I watched out for Paul all through the day, I didn’t see him again. Or at least, not until I was walking home. He was suddenly just there. I was sure he hadn’t been anywhere on the street just a minute ago. The only thing I could think of was that he’d come from the woods that bordered the street. Weird.
“Erm. Hi, Lydia,” he said, looking like he hated himself for saying even that little bit to me.
“Paul.” It seemed like he really didn’t want to talk with me, so I decided not to seem interested. I didn’t know what he wanted, but I was sure it wasn’t good.
“You remembered.” He seemed genuinely pleased by this.
“What do you want?” I hadn’t meant to sound so rude, but I was confused. What was going on here?
He looked vaguely uncomfortable. “I just thought I’d get to know you better.”
“Better? You don’t know me at all.” Something about him made my defenses go up. I couldn’t help these biting answers. Silently, I berated myself. I didn’t want to push people away here. I wanted to fit in. This was not going to help.
“I want to,” he said, stopping. I kept walking, but he grabbed my hand, pulling me to a stop.
“Why?” I asked.
“I…” Paul looked lost. I almost felt bad for him. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Lydia.”
Talk about odd. When I got home, he was all I could think about. It was just because of how strange he’d been acting, I told myself. I almost believed it, too.
Besides, Mom had gone to school here. Just knowing that made me feel a little closer to her.
I lived close enough to the school that, instead of having Dad wait around to drive me, I decided to walk. It was really pretty refreshing. Something about La Push drew me in. Everything was so green here, and the air had a clean smell you just didn’t get in big cities like Boston.
The nerves didn’t hit until after I entered the building and realized that I had no idea where the office was. I must have looked pretty lost, because soon, a kindly looking guy approached me.
“You’re new,” he said. It wasn’t a question.
“Yeah, I am. My name’s Lydia Gallagher,” I offered.
“Gallagher?” the boy repeated, as if it was another language. Maybe it was. After all, I was on a reservation now. How many Irish people were here?
I could name three.
I coughed uncomfortably, and the boy’s head snapped down to me. Lord, was he tall. “Sorry. My name’s Embry Call. I’ll show you to the office.” I smiled gratefully.
Neither of us said another word until we reached the office. “Well, Lydia, I hope you have a nice first day,” Embry said before walking away.
The secretary took her good, sweet time hunting up my schedule and locker assignment. After what seemed like hours, she finally handed me a small mountain of papers and sent me on my way.
I shouldn’t have been surprised when I collided with someone in the hallway and an avalanche of paper scattered. I blushed furiously and scrambled to pick up my papers, but whoever I’d run into beat me to it. I didn’t know how he’d collected them so quickly, but I was too embarrassed to question it.
“I’m sorry. I’m not normally so clumsy,” I spluttered, refusing to meet the eye of whoever he was.
“It’s fine,” a low, male voice said. He sounded annoyed. I glanced up and met his eyes, and a funny expression crossed his face. Not ha-ha funny, but… odd. He was frozen, gawking at me.
Can you say awkward? “I’m Lydia,” I offered uncertainly.
“Paul,” he muttered before turning on his heel and walking away. I tried not to, but I couldn’t help it; I watched him half-run out of the school.
What, did he think I had cooties or something?
And as if that wasn’t bad enough, I was late to my first class. Way to make a first impression, Gallagher, I thought sarcastically. Just one of my quirks was that I silently addressed myself all the time. Good thing people couldn’t read minds, or they might think I was insane.
Though I watched out for Paul all through the day, I didn’t see him again. Or at least, not until I was walking home. He was suddenly just there. I was sure he hadn’t been anywhere on the street just a minute ago. The only thing I could think of was that he’d come from the woods that bordered the street. Weird.
“Erm. Hi, Lydia,” he said, looking like he hated himself for saying even that little bit to me.
“Paul.” It seemed like he really didn’t want to talk with me, so I decided not to seem interested. I didn’t know what he wanted, but I was sure it wasn’t good.
“You remembered.” He seemed genuinely pleased by this.
“What do you want?” I hadn’t meant to sound so rude, but I was confused. What was going on here?
He looked vaguely uncomfortable. “I just thought I’d get to know you better.”
“Better? You don’t know me at all.” Something about him made my defenses go up. I couldn’t help these biting answers. Silently, I berated myself. I didn’t want to push people away here. I wanted to fit in. This was not going to help.
“I want to,” he said, stopping. I kept walking, but he grabbed my hand, pulling me to a stop.
“Why?” I asked.
“I…” Paul looked lost. I almost felt bad for him. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Lydia.”
Talk about odd. When I got home, he was all I could think about. It was just because of how strange he’d been acting, I told myself. I almost believed it, too.