Falling - On the Banks of Lake Saint Clare (Falling - Book One) (10 page)

“Oh,” I said, wondering why I was getting more nervous about this camp.
Kentucky
was so far away. And he was going to the university with a lot of girls for a week. I wouldn’t see him for an entire week! Experienced girls that would do anything for a sexy guy like Michael. So many girls. Why am I so insecure right now? I have never felt like this.

“I wanted to check out
Kentucky
anyway. So this will be a good time to do it. And hopefully the coach will like what he sees when I’m there.”

“I’m sure he will. You were ranked top in your state.”

He looked over at me. “How would you know that?”

“I had to know who was taking me to the zoo. I
g
oggled
your high school and checked.”

“You mean spied?” He asked, without looking at me.

I didn’t know what to say. I wondered if he was mad that I was looking for information about him.

“What did you find out?”

I took a deep breath, “Just basketball stuff. I didn’t go into your felony convictions.” I joked.

“They are sealed. I was seventeen,” he said.

He looked at me and laughed. “Gosh you are so gullible.” He squeezed my leg. “The look on your face is priceless.”

“You are an ass
,
” I smiled.

I looked in the back seat and saw both Erica and Derek sound asleep. “They are so exciting” I laughed.

Michael looked in the mirror, “Derek stayed up late talking to Mom. I woke up and went into the kitchen about 3 and they were sitting at the table eating cheesecake.”

“What are your parents like?” I asked.

“They are amazing. I think they are the greatest people alive. They are both very driven to succeed which I guess rubbed off on me
.
”

“I don’t even know where you live.”

“We bought that log cabin on 45. That was Dad’s moving gift to Mom. She didn’t want to leave her school.”

“I love that house. Can I come see it sometime?”

“No,” he said. “I don’t think so.”

“Yeah right,” I smiled.

He rubbed my leg softly and smiled. “You have some really nice legs.”

“Do I?” I asked, looking at them.

“Umm,” he said, rubbing the top of my thigh. I was getting extremely aroused feeling his hand moving up and down my thigh, resting it high on my leg. I squirmed a bit hoping I wasn’t too transparent in the way he was making me feel. I knew that if we pulled over I would let him do anything he wanted to me. Absolutely anything.

“I don’t get why you touching my leg makes me feel like I could explode
,
” I smiled.

“I know what you mean,” he took my hand
.
“Me too times a thousand. That’s why I told you last night that you were going to kill me.”

“So, I turn you on?” I laughed.

“A little,” he winked, sending my heart racing.

“Stop winking at me,” I said, squeezing his hand.

“Why?” he looked at me confused.

“Cause you’re killing me!”

“Good,” he winked again.

“Has an
yone noticed we are getting sta
red at a lot or is it just me?” I asked
,
after the first ten minutes at the zoo.

“Watch women hold their purses differently when we walk by.” Derek laughed.

“I did,” I said, surprised it was that obvious to them.

“I’d understand if we had the low pants and our swag on.”

“Swag?”
             
Derek pushed his pants down under his hips, showing all of his boxers. He flipped his baseball hat sideways and spread his legs apart and explained, “If you wear your pants down this low you have to spread your legs apart to keep them from falling off. He cupped his hand on his crotch and started moving. One hand cupping his crotch and the other arm was swinging out the side. “You got to get a rhythm going.”

In an instant, he went from clean cut high school basketball player to crack-whore-corner-thug. I was laughing so hard I was crying. He walked past this couple and did an upside down peace sign. They started walking so fast they were almost running. I bent over laughing.

“Stop!” I yelled. “I am going to pee my pants.”

“But I’m getting my swag on, bi-atch,” he said.

“I am serious, stop, my stomach hurts!”

He pulled his pants up and started walking correctly. I wiped the tears away.

I looked around for Erica. “Where’d she go?”

“O
h
shit,” he said, “she went into the bathroom. I forgot.”

We turned around and headed back that way.

“She’s going to be pissed,” I said. “Run back before she knows we left her.”

Derek took off running toward the entrance turning heads the entire time.

We turned the corner and saw her walking out of the building right when Derek got to her.

“I didn’t think about the crutches when I asked if she wanted to come. She is going to be so cranky by the end of the day.”

Michael ran over to the entrance and rented a wheelchair.

“Dude! Thanks,” Derek said, sitting down in it. Michael started pushing him toward the elephants.

“So amusing,” Erica said, not finding a lot of humor to it.

“Derek climbed out and did a bow, “Your chariot, me Lady,” he smiled charmingly.

Erica immediately was struck by the like bug. I knew that was all it took. Just some romantic gesture and he was golden.

He started pushing her chair for her, riding on the back when they went down the hill.

“Did I ever tell you that I am horrible about stereo-typing people?” I asked, seeing a Japanese couple with cameras walk by.

“Nope,” Michael said, looking up from the sign he was reading. “Like how?”

“I assume all types of people are pretty much the same. I want to stop doing it.”

He took my hand and we started walking to the hippopotamus tank.

“Like all short white girls give great head?” He squeezed my hand.

“Yeah,” I laughed, “something like that.”

“So what brought that up?”

“I don’t know. I figured I’d confess all my demons. Give you all my nasty secrets
.
I assumed all black guys were cool bad asses and kicked it, hung around the block and rapped.”

“Oh I can rap, my friend,” he smiled. “I’m like Snoop JayZee Dog Dee. Speshly when I’s in da hood.”

“Stop,” I laughed, “I’m confessing something to you, and you are making fun of me.”

“Say what?” He said in a high-pitched pimp voice.

“I never imagined walking through the zoo with a black guy. You are nothing like I would imagine you to be. I mean, you haven’t slapped me around at all yet,” I smiled.

“Yet,”
h
e said, raising his eyebrows.

“Well, to be honest,” he said, “I never thought I would be walking through the zoo with such a beautiful girl. And even though she is a bit naïve and has never been out of her town except to go to the county fair,” he joked, “she totally rocks my world.”

We sat down on the bench in front of the hippo
s
and realized we had lost our other couple. “Should we text them and see where they are?” I asked.

“I’m guessing they are in the zoo.” Michael said, looking around. “But they might have decided to ditch us and walk on home. Given that your friend is on crutches, I’m thinking still in the zoo.”

“Hmm
, you might have a pretty good theory there. I had no idea you were smart
,
too.”

“Stop stereotyping me!”

I stood up and moved in front of him. I looked in his eyes and felt his hands on the back of my legs. He pulled me closer and started to kiss me. I pulled away and looked around, hoping no one was watching. I hated seeing other people kiss and didn’t want to be disrespectful. I was glad that we were alone and leaned forward and put my lips against his. I opened my eyes and saw his were open also.

“Are we supposed to keep our eyes closed?” I asked.

“I want to see you. You have amazing eyes.”

“I don’t want you to go tomorrow.”

“I don’t want to go tomorrow,” he whispered.

I took a deep sigh. “I’m falling for you, Michael.”

He smiled, “Good. Keep falling.”

“I thought you weren’t going to be home till Monday
,
” I
said
flopping down on Mom’s bed after Michael dropped me off later that night.

“Nope, Dad thought he was away from the store long enough. He starts to panic after 24 hours, you know.”

“I am so jealous,” I said.

She looked up from her magazine, “Why is that?”
             
“I can’t double task. It’s either the TV or a magazine.”

“There are worse things in life,” she smiled. “How was the zoo?”
S
he asked,
setting
her magazine down.

I rolled over and looked at the ceiling fan spin around. “Wonderful. Great. Awesome. Tremendous. Should I go on?”

“So not shabby?”
S
he laughed.

“Michael is the most wonderful guy I have ever met, Mom. He is so kind and sweet and fabulous.”

“He’s not too ugly either I noticed?” she smiled.

“Dang!” I grinned, “He winks at me, and it stops my heart. I can’t stop thinking about him.”

“Don’t get so wrapped up in a guy that you let your friends down. I did that when I was in school. For a year I decided to put them on the back burner because I was in love and no one else mattered. I also lost out on a lot of activities and trips waiting by the phone for him to call. Then later I realized I wasn’t in love, just the excitement made me think I was.”

I sighed, “I won’t neglect them. I can’t imagine not doing all the same things as I did before. And I’m not sure if we are even boyfriend girlfriend. He hasn’t asked and I don’t want to scare him by asking. We have only gone out twice. But, I think he really likes me. At least he says he does.”

“Don’t rush it,” she warned. “You are young.”

“I know. He’s so unbelievable. He’s going to basketball camp tomorrow for a week. I don’t think I will make it a week without seeing him again.”

“You are so dramatic. It will go by faster than you think. Just stay busy. Oh!” She handed me a piece of paper. “Here are your messages. You need to give these people your cell phone number or pay me to be your secretary.”

“Thanks Mom,” I rolled off the bed with the note, “I’ll direct deposit your paycheck Friday.”
             
“Goodnight sweetheart.”

“Night Mom, love you!”

“Love you, too.”
 

I checked my messages while logging onto Facebook.

Alyssa called at 7, wants to borrow red shirt please

Alyssa called at
7:15
wants the sandals that you wore the last day of school also, please.

I dug the shirt and sandals out of the closet, sat down on the bed and finished reading my messages

Brad called at
7:45
, call him back

Brad called at 8. Call him back

Brad called at
8:30
. Never mind, don’t call him.

Amanda called making sure you are going to
Abbie
’s party.

I looked at my profile and saw Michael had posted on my page…

You are the peanut to my butter, the cheese to my macaroni, the hip to my hop, the rock to my roll, the sun to my shine, the milk to my shake, the motor to my cycle, the meat to my loaf, the hot to my cold
.
Hope that gives you an idea of how I feel about you
.

I smiled, wondering if he could ever get any more adorable, when he posted
AWWWWEEE! This is me falling!!!!!!

How could I top that? I thought.

I was just about to post on Michael’s profile when my instant message box popped up.

Brad: Whatcha doing?

Alex: Getting ready to go to sleep

Brad: You know Michael is using you, don’t you?

Alex: I haven’t done anything to be used

Brad:


Offline

Ugh! He infuriates
me!!! Why did I even answer him?

Chapter
8

“For the first time ever, I am excited about working,” I said, hitting the time clock.

“For real?” Kendra asked, looking shocked that those words came out of my mouth. “Your Dad treats you like crap. How could you be glad to be here?”