Sequel: Plummet ›
Status: Complete with a sequel on the way
Freefall
08
As soon as the door shut and Paul was gone, Chris came racing down the stairs. “Who was that guy?” he demanded.
I groaned. “Are we really going to do this now?” He glared, so I said, “His name is Paul.”
“Yeah, I got that.”
“He’s a friend of mine.”
“Just a friend?”
“Chris! I’ve known him for three days,” I said. Chris nodded.
“I guess you’re right. It was just… the way he looked at you.” I wanted badly to ask what he meant, but I refused. That would just make Chris suspicious again. Instead, I took the pile of papers Paul had left with me and headed upstairs to look through them.
The next day, Paul met me at my locker again, and he walked with me in the hallways to every class. People were still talking about us, but I did my best to ignore them; Paul seemed unperturbed. He did, however, express disappointment when I told him I couldn’t eat lunch with him because I had to make up that physics test I’d missed.
“Are you sure you can’t do it… some other time?” Paul said. I laughed a little and shook my head. So he walked me to our physics room and I waved as he walked away.
I took the test in ten minutes- it wasn’t very hard at all. At least the teacher wasn’t giving us anything too hard right off the bad, but I was kind of mad at him for giving us a test so soon in the first place. If he hadn’t, I would be with Paul right now.
I rushed out of the room, thinking that if I was quick enough, I’d be able to make at least the very end of lunch, but I slowed down when I heard voices coming from around a corner.
“You need to tell her,” someone was saying. His voice was vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t pinpoint who it was.
“Don’t you think I know that? But if I tell her now, she’ll run away. I don’t want her to get too freaked out. I’m working up to it.” That voice I knew for sure. But what was Paul talking about?
“Weren’t you just telling me how good she is at handling things? Like her mom?” Were they talking about… me?
“Yeah, but this is different.”
“No, it’s not.”
“Fine. I’m going to see her on Friday. I’ll tell her then.” My heart beat faster, and I turned away, hurrying down the hallway as quickly as I could. What was going on?
I hid out in the bathroom until the end of the lunch period.
I groaned. “Are we really going to do this now?” He glared, so I said, “His name is Paul.”
“Yeah, I got that.”
“He’s a friend of mine.”
“Just a friend?”
“Chris! I’ve known him for three days,” I said. Chris nodded.
“I guess you’re right. It was just… the way he looked at you.” I wanted badly to ask what he meant, but I refused. That would just make Chris suspicious again. Instead, I took the pile of papers Paul had left with me and headed upstairs to look through them.
The next day, Paul met me at my locker again, and he walked with me in the hallways to every class. People were still talking about us, but I did my best to ignore them; Paul seemed unperturbed. He did, however, express disappointment when I told him I couldn’t eat lunch with him because I had to make up that physics test I’d missed.
“Are you sure you can’t do it… some other time?” Paul said. I laughed a little and shook my head. So he walked me to our physics room and I waved as he walked away.
I took the test in ten minutes- it wasn’t very hard at all. At least the teacher wasn’t giving us anything too hard right off the bad, but I was kind of mad at him for giving us a test so soon in the first place. If he hadn’t, I would be with Paul right now.
I rushed out of the room, thinking that if I was quick enough, I’d be able to make at least the very end of lunch, but I slowed down when I heard voices coming from around a corner.
“You need to tell her,” someone was saying. His voice was vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t pinpoint who it was.
“Don’t you think I know that? But if I tell her now, she’ll run away. I don’t want her to get too freaked out. I’m working up to it.” That voice I knew for sure. But what was Paul talking about?
“Weren’t you just telling me how good she is at handling things? Like her mom?” Were they talking about… me?
“Yeah, but this is different.”
“No, it’s not.”
“Fine. I’m going to see her on Friday. I’ll tell her then.” My heart beat faster, and I turned away, hurrying down the hallway as quickly as I could. What was going on?
I hid out in the bathroom until the end of the lunch period.