Sequel: Plummet ›
Status: Complete with a sequel on the way
Freefall
09
After overhearing that, Friday couldn’t come fast enough. I think Paul knew something was going on, because all throughout the day, I wasn’t able to sit still.
“What are we doing tonight?” I asked him.
“I was thinking we could just… talk. Maybe at the beach?” I nodded. Talking sounded good, because from what I’d heard a couple of days ago, he was keeping something from me. I was desperate to know what it was.
What can I say? It’s those curiosity issues of mine again.
That night, Paul called me and apologized profusely for having to cancel. He sounded genuinely upset that something had come up- he wouldn’t say what. I was disappointed, more than I let on. He hung up and I moped around the house for the weekend. Chris asked what was wrong, but I didn’t tell him. It was too pathetic.
On Monday morning when I saw Paul, I ran to him and hug-tackled him. He laughed, but hugged me back.
“What was that for?” he asked while we walked to my locker.
“Well… I guess I must have missed you.”
“I guess I missed you too.” I grinned my brightest smile, and he smiled back.
“Aw, look how cute,” Embry said, coming up behind us. I resisted the urge to glare. Paul had been his friend first.
Besides, Paul looked annoyed, too. Seeing that he was made me happy enough that Embry’s interruption was almost worth it.
Thus began an agonizing week. I couldn’t stop wondering what it was he wasn’t telling me. I saw Paul, a lot. He always seemed to appear as soon as I was out of a class. To say that I didn’t mind one bit would be an understatement. Friday dragged, because, for some reason, Paul didn’t show up for school. He almost made up for it by calling me after dinner and asking if I was free.
I rushed around the house, getting ready. I pulled my hair back into a ponytail, because otherwise it would become a tangled mess. If it was windy here, it would be worse at the beach. I found a warm shirt and a cute purple jacket, too. My favorite hat had to be dug out of one of the boxes that I still hadn’t gotten around to unpacking- I was a major procrastinator.
“What’s the rush?” Chris asked, watching me.
“I’m hanging out with Paul. He’s going to be here in…” I glanced at the clock. “Ten minutes.”
“Paul? Isn’t he that guy who came over the other day?” I nodded, but didn’t stop moving. I could only find one of my yellow Converses.
“Slow down,” Chris said. I paused and looked at him. He laughed. “What are you looking for?”
“My shoe,” I said, holding up the one I’d already found.
“Isn’t that it right there?” he asked, pointing to my other shoe, which was right in the middle of my rug. I ran to it and shoved it on my foot. “I’ve never seen you like this,” Chris said. He didn’t sound like he was too happy about it.
“I like him,” I said simply, turning around so he wouldn’t see that I was blushing. My brother and I were close. I wasn’t telling him anything he hadn’t already figured out.
“Fine. But if he hurts you in any way-”
“You’ll be the first to know,” I promised, kissing his cheek.
“What are we doing tonight?” I asked him.
“I was thinking we could just… talk. Maybe at the beach?” I nodded. Talking sounded good, because from what I’d heard a couple of days ago, he was keeping something from me. I was desperate to know what it was.
What can I say? It’s those curiosity issues of mine again.
That night, Paul called me and apologized profusely for having to cancel. He sounded genuinely upset that something had come up- he wouldn’t say what. I was disappointed, more than I let on. He hung up and I moped around the house for the weekend. Chris asked what was wrong, but I didn’t tell him. It was too pathetic.
On Monday morning when I saw Paul, I ran to him and hug-tackled him. He laughed, but hugged me back.
“What was that for?” he asked while we walked to my locker.
“Well… I guess I must have missed you.”
“I guess I missed you too.” I grinned my brightest smile, and he smiled back.
“Aw, look how cute,” Embry said, coming up behind us. I resisted the urge to glare. Paul had been his friend first.
Besides, Paul looked annoyed, too. Seeing that he was made me happy enough that Embry’s interruption was almost worth it.
Thus began an agonizing week. I couldn’t stop wondering what it was he wasn’t telling me. I saw Paul, a lot. He always seemed to appear as soon as I was out of a class. To say that I didn’t mind one bit would be an understatement. Friday dragged, because, for some reason, Paul didn’t show up for school. He almost made up for it by calling me after dinner and asking if I was free.
I rushed around the house, getting ready. I pulled my hair back into a ponytail, because otherwise it would become a tangled mess. If it was windy here, it would be worse at the beach. I found a warm shirt and a cute purple jacket, too. My favorite hat had to be dug out of one of the boxes that I still hadn’t gotten around to unpacking- I was a major procrastinator.
“What’s the rush?” Chris asked, watching me.
“I’m hanging out with Paul. He’s going to be here in…” I glanced at the clock. “Ten minutes.”
“Paul? Isn’t he that guy who came over the other day?” I nodded, but didn’t stop moving. I could only find one of my yellow Converses.
“Slow down,” Chris said. I paused and looked at him. He laughed. “What are you looking for?”
“My shoe,” I said, holding up the one I’d already found.
“Isn’t that it right there?” he asked, pointing to my other shoe, which was right in the middle of my rug. I ran to it and shoved it on my foot. “I’ve never seen you like this,” Chris said. He didn’t sound like he was too happy about it.
“I like him,” I said simply, turning around so he wouldn’t see that I was blushing. My brother and I were close. I wasn’t telling him anything he hadn’t already figured out.
“Fine. But if he hurts you in any way-”
“You’ll be the first to know,” I promised, kissing his cheek.