Falling (10 page)

“Come on, Miss South. Let's go do something better than this.” Keller grabs me by my waist with both hands. I stare at the girl’s face and she looks back at me oddly.

I shake my head trying to get the urge out of my blood, “I’m sorry, did you just call me ‘Miss South’?” I change the subject to get the pull out of my head. I can still feel the pull, but as long as Keller keeps hold of me my feet won’t follow after her.

“Come on,” he says, ignoring my question, lifting me off my feet, and walking me out of the shop.

“Put me down.” I whine looking at the ground, hanging down his back.

“No. I'm taking you with me.”

“And where are you taking me?”

“Dunno.” He shrugs, lifting my body up and down. “But I would like it if someone had a camera and took a photo of you like this.”

“No,” I shout trying to wiggle down.

He holds his arm across my back, pushing me back down and running along the pavement. We’re down the alley to the parking lot behind the store when he pulls me off his shoulder, the car is behind me and Keller is in front. He simply holds himself still, looking down into my face.

“Hi,” I whisper.

“How's it going?” He replies confidently. “Come on.” He moves away, laughing at my expression and unlocks the car. “We can go hang out at my place.”

“I know I said you could choose what to do today, but do you mind if we go to the grocery store? I haven't been in forever, and I never have any food, and I had to use a pen that someone had dropped in the hallway last night for my homework, it’s getting really sad. And Sara always has the best stash of goodness, and it tempts me to steal it from her.”

“You stole a pen from the ground?” He shakes his head at me.

“I have a sad life, you should take pity on me.” I pout and sniff.

“Anyone you want to go to?” He asks pulling out of the car park.

“Any of them except for the one near school, that's where everyone goes.”

“This all right?” He asks stoping at a store a few minutes later.

“Perfect. I've never been here before.” I race him to the trolleys and push one off calmly after fighting him for it.

“What do you need?” He asks, holding the handle but standing close behind me, one hand next to each of mine.

“Just the kind of stuff they don't give us.” I try to sound normal, but it’s hard when he’s so close to me, I’m torn between enjoying feeling his chest leaning into my shoulders and worried that I might disappear into his chest.

“Like?” He prompts when I don’t answer.

“Cookies.” I point to the ones I want.

“Uh huh,” he says not moving.

“Those are good,” I state not moving either, holding onto the trolley.

“They are.” He agrees without budging.

I extract myself from his arms, tossing the bag in and glare at him.

“Oh, thanks for letting me push. I appreciate it.” He beams at me. I roll my eyes, but smile anyway. It is impossible to do anything else when he looks at me like that.

“What else?” He pushes the trolley and stands very straight.

“You look so proud to be pushing.”

“I am,” he answers seriously. “Is that all you want? Because I could probably even buy it for you.”

“How very chivalrous of you.” I steal his dad's word.

“Getting extra smart are you?”

“It's hanging out with your dad so much.” I laugh and dodge out of his way as he tries to run me over with the trolley.

“You going to get some more food?”

“Yes.” I walk a head of him, letting him take control of the trolley, as I throw in bags of junk food to stash in my room.

“Reid?” He says slowly.

“Yes Keller.” I answer without turning around.

“Have you made any plans for next year yet?”

I look up from the cereal bars. “What do you mean?”

“You know once you’ve finished school. I was just thinking about stuff last night and wondered what you’re plans are.”

I toss a box in the trolley casually, but I have to breathe carefully or I’m going to choke. “Um, I hadn’t thought a huge amount about it, I haven’t got any applications out yet. Why?” I stand next to him without making any physical contact, just in case.

“I was going to apply to a few places for next year and thought maybe I could apply where you were planning on going.” He shrugs like he just suggested we go get a pizza after we finish shopping.

“That sounds nice.” I beam at him.

“You think we’re finished?” He looks into the trolley changing the subject as quickly as he started it.

“I think so.” I can’t remember what else I wanted to get.

Keller stands at the end of the checkout packing my bags. “Do you eat anything else?” He stuffs the fifth package of cookies into the shopping bag.

“This is just for between what school feeds us. Why? Are you getting scared I eat too much? You going to run off to Megan?” I ask with mock concern.

“Absolutely. I plan on taking her some non-fat cookies as soon as I drop you off.”

“You are horrible.” I glare at him.

“I know.” And then he kisses the top of my head while handing over his own money to pay for it all.

Friday.

I stare at my planner sitting on my desk, the bell still ringing. I must have lost a couple of days somewhere. It can't be Friday already. The week is supposed to drag endlessly by. I’m sure it always feels like a never-ending race to Friday with sandbags weighing me down.

I step out the main doors of school; Keller is leaning against the side of his car staring into space. I bound up to him.

“I thought that maybe we could go for a drive.” He asks.

“I’m up for anything that can be completed before six thirty.”

“It’s Friday, why do you have to still be back by six thirty?”

“I have to put in a leave form if I want to be out on a Friday night.”

“But I don’t want to bring you back at six thirty.”

“Are you whining?”

“A little bit.”

“Why? Have you got something great and exciting planned?”

“I thought we could just drive until you had to come back? Last time we went for a drive it worked out well.” My face goes a bit red, and I can't think of anything smart to say back.

“I'll take that as a yes.”

“Are we going anywhere in particular?”

“I thought maybe back to the lake we went to last week? I brought something to eat.” He motions with his head to the back seat.

“Oh wow, you brought a picnic?”

“Don't say it like that. I'm a man. I don't take a picnic.” He imitates my dreamy voice. “I take food because I'm hungry.” He beats on his chest with his fist.

“Of course, my mistake. You are clearly very manly, and wouldn't dream of bringing a picnic.”

I wiggle into my seat further. We won't have much time there, but it's better than nothing. “The seats are really soft.” I roll my head to the side so I can see him without having to lift my head up.

“That's because they are really old, and if you lean too hard into them, you will fall through the back.” I push back a little harder and the chair groans slightly. “See? It's saying, ‘Reid, stop pushing on me. I don't want to brake, I like Keller driving me, don't break me,” he says in a ghostly voice.

“See anyone interesting at work today?” I lean back again listening to the sound of his voice.

“Maybe.” He winces.

I sit bolt upright. “Who?” I demand.

“Megan.”

“How? How is that possible? You were there when school finished. I had the last class with her, and she was smirking at me from the front row for forty minutes.”

“At lunch time.”

“Lunch? I guess I didn't see her there, but I don't really go out of my way to look for her.” I mumble to myself. “Anyway, what did she want?”

“She asked me out on a date tomorrow night.”

“She what?” I wipe the side of his face. “Sorry, didn't mean to spit.” I pause. “Or shout. Sorry.” I guess that's why she was smirking.

“I didn't say yes, that girl has problems.”

“Oh. Um, you could have. I don't own you.” I stammer nervously. Why, why do I have to say things like that? A simple “that's cool” would have been enough.

He laughs. “Yeah, I know you don't own me.”

“Sorry,” I interrupt. “That was a weird thing to say, but ...”

He stops me. “I don't want to go out with anyone else. Especially not Megan, or any other of the girls that are always with her.” He widens his eyes in panic. “That's why I brought you a picnic,” he says mocking my voice again.

“I thought you were too manly for picnics?”

“Oh look, there's nothing outside.” He points out my window.

“What?” I look to where he is pointing.

“So I said no, and I will never go out with her even if you don't own me. Is that okay with you?” He finishes quickly.

“Did you just tell me to look at nothing?

“Yes.”

“And I did?”

“Yes.”

“Okay.” I lean back into my seat again. A minute later I start laughing.

“What?”

“I like being with you.” I don't know how to explain it any more than that.

We drive with just the radio going and pull into the same carpark as we did last time. Keller looks at his watch. “Sorry we don't have much time. Next time I will know that you need to put in a leave form. Actually just put in a leave form every Friday and we’ll find something to do.” He reaches behind me and grabs the basket out of the backseat. “Where do you want to sit?”

“Down by the lake. As long as you don't push me in again.” I narrow my eyes at him.

“I didn't push you in last time. You fell in, you know, when I leaned on you, with my hands.” His head tilts to the side as he laughs at me.

I fake smile at him. “Let's go sit round the lake under those trees. It looks so nice.”

The sun filters through the leaves, leaving some spots really bright and others in shade. We move around the edge of the lake, jumping over the really wet bits.

I have to blink a few times to get used to the darker light under the trees. It seemed much brighter looking in here than it is.

“Shall we?” Keller motions to a spot near the waters’ edge, where the trees pull tightly round, making it seem like no one can see in. He pulls a blanket out of the top of the basket.

“You’re so manly Keller.”

“Dad made me bring it.”

“Your dad knows we’re picnicking? And he didn't worry for your manhood?”

He ignores me and spreads out the blanket. I kick off my shoes and lie on top, and dig my way through the basket.

“Hey you bought me a brownie.” I hold it up.

“I did.” He says looking pleased with himself.

I lean back against the tree picking off bits of the brownie looking over the water. A huge clap of thunder rolls in the distance. “I love a good storm. Hopefully it doesn't get here for another hour, though.” I look up to the sky, but the trees are packed in too close.

“It sounded pretty far away.” He doesn't seem concerned.

“What are you looking for?”

“My brownie.” He looks at me. “I didn't get to try it last time. You ate half of it, and dad had finished the other half off by the time I got back.” He goes back to digging. “But I can't find it anywhere.” He sits back on his feet. “I'm sure I asked for two.”

“You mean this one?” I hold up the extra brownie.

“Yeah that one. You’re a thief, you stole my last one too.” He crosses his arms over his chest.

“Oh, big scary man, who packs picnics.”

He lunges for me, slipping it out of my hand just as I was going to whip it away.

“I'll just try it and you can have the rest.” His face is an inch from mine. “You have nice eyes.” I say just above a whisper.

“Thanks.” He has the tiniest smile. I blink slowly and open them again and now he's laughing.

“You're so quiet.” He moves next to me and I lean against his chest, letting my head rest on his shoulder. A huge crash of thunder sounds like it's above my head.

“That was way closer.” I look up again, even though a minute before I couldn't see through the trees.

“Yeah, maybe.” He looks up too.

“Hey,” he says suddenly. “How did your photos go for swimming?”

“Horrible. Like I knew they would. They came during swim training this morning instead of during school. So I was all red and weird looking. And my hair was all wet and sticking up everywhere. And I didn't have any of my yellow stuff on.”

“Why would you have yellow stuff on?” He asks around a massive bite of brownie. “These are good.” He takes another bite.

“Because I'm the captain of yellow house.”

“You're house captain?” He chokes out, sending bits of unchewed brownie flying.

“What are you trying to say?” But he doesn’t have a chance to answer as thunder crashes over us again, but this time rain pours down like someone has tipped over a bucket of water.

Keller leaps up, pulls the blanket out from under us and holds it over our heads. “It's like we're camping,” I say under the dark, damp roof.

“Sure is, raining, the tent is leaking and all the food is floating away. Sounds like every camping trip I've been on.”

Thunder crashes above us again. “I guess we should be heading back.” He says looking over the lake. He holds the side of the blanket up, the rain is like a sheet of water falling on us. He scoops up the basket, holds one side of the blanket, I grab the other, and we run for the car.

Keller pulls the blanket back from my shoulders, I race to the other side, he stuffs everything in the back and slops into his seat.

“Do you think we'll get wet every time we come here?” I ask.

“It's looking that way.”

“Sorry about the mess.” A puddle is filling up around my feet.

“There are towels in the back.” He puts his arm behind my seat and pulls two towels back with him.

“Planning on leaning on me near the lake again were you?”

“Something like that.” He grins, watching me trying to dry off parts of myself. “You can take your wet stuff off.” He stops. “I wasn't saying that you should take your clothes off. I mean. You should get dry, but not undress yourself.”