Before I fall

“How was your date?” Gabby asked me when I met her by her locker.

“He kissed my hand,” I said as quietly as I could, excitement still filling my features.

She shook her head, “You’re over exaggerating.”

“Wow, that’s what I’ve been telling myself all night. But still, his lips made contact with my skin.”

“You can tell that you haven’t had a boyfriend for awhile.”

I shot her a quick glare, “How was your date?”

She shrugged and started to examine her nails, “I mean, besides the fact that I actually got kissed… on the lips, I had a good time.”

I put my hands on her shoulder and shook her, “He kissed you? Already?”

“Well we have only known each other since first grade,” She said with a sarcastic tone.

I smacked her arm and watched as Shane sauntered over to us, “Hey guys.”

“Hey, are you doing okay?” I asked.

He smiled at me, “Yeah, I’m doing just fine.”

“Did I miss anything lately?” Gabby asked.

Shane ruffled the top of her head and she scowled at him, “You’re always late, Gabster.”

“Tell me something I don’t know, Ace.”

“Fine, you-“

“Oh, shut up.”

I grinned at them, “I love you guys.”

“Hey, um, Brooke, would you mind coming over tonight? I need the company.” Shane said after a moment’s silence.

“Of course!” Gabby interrupted.

“You have plans,” He stated flatly.

“No, I don’t.”

He looked at her, and then a small smile appeared on his face, “Oh, well you will.”

She looked at me and said, “Time for me to go find Nathan.”

“You go do that.” I told her.

I’d do anything for alone time with Shane.

“I’m exhausted,” He muttered, leaning on my locker.

“Didn’t get much sleep?”

“Yeah, I couldn’t get Scarlett out of my head.”

“Sorry to hear that. But listen, if you love- I mean, like her so much, then you’d go after her. But if you want to let go, then you really need to open yourself back up. Interact like you used to.”

He nodded slowly, “I get your point. But I’ll catch you later.”

I waved and then sprinted to my class.

♣♣♣♣♣

My mom walked into the kitchen wearing a dark blue dress and black heels. Her hair was set up in a ponytail with curls tumbling out onto her face. She looked beautiful. She paused in the entry way before walking to the fridge.

“Where are you going?” I asked her.

“Out with your, um, dad.”

“Dad’s working late tonight.”

She turned from the fridge to look at me, “He took the rest of the time off, he’s meeting me some place.”

“But-“

“I’ll see you when I get home,” She said before slamming the fridge shut, then the door.

As she left the house phone rang, “Hello?”

“Hey, Brooke, it’s dad.”

“Oh, hey dad. Mom just left to meet you.”

“What do you mean?”

“For your dinner or whatever,”

“I’m working late tonight, B, what are you talking about.”

Oh my gosh, “Um-“

“Sorry, Brooke, I’ve got to go. We’ll talk about this later, K?”

I hung up.

Is mom seriously cheating on dad?

Just when I thought everything was over and one with, Scarlett was at my door with a tear streamed face. I gestured her in and led her to the couch while rubbing her back, “You okay?”

She shook her head, “Shane did the worst thing he could ever do.”

“What’s that?”

She looked up at me, her mascara running, “He’s cheating on me.”

Present tense? “I thought you guys broke up.”

She sighed, “We did, but I just…” She sighed again, “He was kissing Stella, B. I can’t believe it.”

My whole body went cold and I felt as if ice water had been thrown onto my body, “What do you mean-“

“He was kissing Stella King!” She shot up from the couch and yelled.

I felt the spark of anger building inside of me, who does she think she’s yelling at?

“Look, Scarlett, you guys aren’t dating, so-“

“I don’t care!”

I tried to ignore the feeling of my heart slowly dying in my chest, and instead I focused on the anger, “Stop yelling at me! I’m trying to help you!”

She turned towards me, her green eyes glistening, “I don’t want help.”

“Then why the hell are you here?”

When she didn’t answer I walked over to the door and opened it. I have too much going on right now, my mom is cheating on my dad and now she comes with this? “Leave,” I say.

She stares at me, as if in disbelief before regaining her composure and walking to the door, “Thanks for nothing,” She said before walking out.

I wait awhile before making my way over Shane’s house.

♣♣♣♣♣

“I want to go to UCLA.” Blake says to me.

I put another stroke of brown on the eyes of my painting and looked up at him, “I’m thinking about UCF.”

He pouts, his lower lip sticking out, “That’s pretty far away from me.”

I smiled, I can’t help it, “We’ll meet again, I’m sure.”

“I should make the best of my time with you now, no?”

I nodded, “I guess you should.”

“Okay,” He said with a smirk on his face. He put his paint brush down and turned to face me, “Come here,”

“Why?”

“Just come here.”

I look around the class, everybody’s paying attention to their art work, occasionally passing a few words back and forth. I take a cautious step over until he grabs my wrist and pulls me over, my paint brush still in my hand.

I smash into him, and instead of pushing me away, he moves his hand from my wrist to my neck, then places the other one on my lower back and keeps me there, “What are you doing?” I ask.

“I’m making every second with you worth it.”

“What-“

He kisses me. Oh my gosh, he’s kissing me. My hand moves to his hair and I tangle my fingers through it, his lips are soft, and the kiss makes me feel so good. Everything was going fine, until I drop the paint brush and it send a loud clatter throughout the room.

Oh man. He pulls back and looks at me with a curious face, but I’m to busy focusing on the crowd of faces that are suddenly watching us. He lets go of me and Ms. Williams stands up.

“Okay class, nothing to see here.” She says while walking over, “What’s going on here.”

I blush, I really blush.

“Um?” I said turning to look at Blake, but he’s just grinning down at me.

Ms. Williams smiles regardless, “No PDA during class, don’t let it happen again.”

But I’m thinking the opposite.