Free Falling (4 page)

She stroked the side of my head. “You know what your dad’s
like. Overprotective. Drives me crazy sometimes too, but it’s part of his
personality, Alex has it too, so I’m afraid you and Luke and done for,” she
replied, laughing to herself.

I sighed and nodded. “Lucky Luke’s so awesome that he
doesn’t mind.”

My mom laughed. “Yeah, Luke’s great,” she agreed. “And as
much as your dad makes a show out of teasing him and stuff, he likes him too.”

A few minutes later and they both walked in, laughing
together, so whatever talk they had obviously went well. “Are we ready to go
now?” I asked, looking at Luke pleadingly. I really wanted to leave already, it
would take us two hours to drive up to the place he wanted to camp near the
lake, and we needed to stop for food, then it would take him a little while to
set up the tent. I didn’t want to be doing that too late; I wanted to start the
fun already.

My dad nodded, gripping my hand and pulling me to my feet.
“Yep, no wandering off on your own, you stay with Luke. And if you see a bear,
as long as you run faster than your quarterback you’ll be fine.” He leant in
conspiratorially as he continued, “Maybe trip him so he gets mauled instead of
you.”

I laughed and hugged him, wanting to leave before he thought
of something else he could lecture us on. “I will do. Say bye to Alex for me.”
I pulled back and smiled at Luke, discreetly flicking my eyes to the door so
he’d not linger a second longer than necessary. He smiled and picked up my bag
like a proper gentleman. His actions and sweet nature really didn’t match his
tough, jock exterior. He was different when he was around his friends, still
adorable to me, but he got loud and sometimes quite rude. When he was drunk he
could be downright annoying, but thankfully he didn’t drink terribly often.

My parents followed us out to Luke’s Jeep, relaying
instructions about safety in the water, being careful in the woods, and calling
home when we arrived so they would know we were safe. When we finally pulled
out of the drive I sighed and settled down into my seat. I beamed over at Luke
excitedly. Twenty-eight hours of his company with no one to interrupt, this was
going to be bliss.

Chapter 3

The camping trip was incredible, the same as it always was
when I went away with Luke. He pulled out all the stops, turning what could
have been a boring camping trip, into something romantic and memorable. We’d
laid under the stars, eating s’mores, just talking and laughing. The moon had
been full and reflected on the lake that we’d set up camp next too. It was so
peaceful that it was like paradise. Later, he’d cuddled up next to me in the
dark of the night, whispering how much he loved me and how he planned for us to
buy a summer place on the lake so that we could visit at weekends. He’d painted
a beautiful picture of how we would swim off of the jetty and how we’d get a
boat so he could teach our kids how to fish like his father had taught him.
Everything about the trip had been magical and breathtaking. It was the most
special moment of my life, and I would remember it forever.

Unfortunately, time seemed to whizz past, and before I knew
it, it was Monday and we were back to reality again. As I stepped out of Luke’s
car, I didn’t get to escape from his friends this time. I sat there on the hood
of his car, discreetly checking my watch every few seconds wondering just how
long they could actually talk about a football game. When the subject turned to
Ricky and the
two
girls he had slept with on Saturday night, I just
couldn’t take it anymore.

I pushed myself off of the car and looked at Luke with a
fake smile, pretending that I hadn’t just sat there listing all of my favourite
music in my head in a bid to block out the ramblings of the imbeciles that he
called ‘friends’. “I need to go meet this Zachary guy,” I said, shrugging at
his curious glance.

He frowned but nodded at the same time. “Want me to come?”

Tailor laughed. “I’ve never seen a guy more pussy whipped
than you, Hannigan,” he mocked, making all of his friends laugh.

Luke frowned. “Pussy whipped my ass. You know who’s boss,
right Maisie?” he asked, cocking his head to the side and putting on the big
show that he liked to do around his friends. Sometimes I hated this act, most
times I could stomach it, but other times it just pissed me off. Today, because
I’d had such an incredible weekend with him, I decided to let him run with it
and show off to his friends.

I nodded, looking at him through my eyelashes. “You’re my
boss, Luke,” I purred, smiling suggestively. His friends all started muttering
things like “sweeeeeet” and “niiiiiiiiice” obviously thinking this was some
sort of kinky game going on between us. In reality, Luke obviously needed his
ego to be stroked a little, I could do that, I was a good girlfriend, and if he
needed to feel like the big shot today then that’s what I’d make him feel like.

He smiled at me gratefully before gripping my waist and
pulling me to him roughly. His lips claimed mine in an almost primal and
possessive way. The kiss was so good that it actually made my knees a little
weak; he obviously felt this too so he clutched me to him tighter, holding me
steady. When he finally released me from the intense kiss, I was a little
breathless.

“Don’t you ever forget it,” he said, smirking at me and then
raising an eyebrow at his friends in a ‘who’s the daddy now’ gesture.

I smiled and tried not to roll my eyes. ‘Jerk Luke’ looked
like he wanted to come out to play today. “Well I’ll see you at lunch then.” I
waved over my shoulder as I headed to the front doors to wait for the new guy
who was starting today. After about ten minutes I still didn’t see anyone that
I didn’t recognise. I frowned. Had missed him? Maybe he’d arrived earlier than
Luke and I did, and he’d slipped into the office, waiting for me there.

I sighed and headed to the office, finding the receptionist
sitting there tapping away on her keyboard. I flicked my eyes around the
office, the chairs were empty, no one was in here waiting for me. I rested my
arms on the little counter, waiting for her to be done. She smiled sweetly at
me. I had a good relationship with her; I was in here often enough doing my
duties for the numerous committees I was on.

“Hi, I was waiting outside for the new student, but I can’t
see him anywhere. He hasn’t by any chance got past me or something has he?
Maybe he came in here?” I suggested, smiling hopefully. I didn’t want to go
trudging around the school looking for him.

She shook her head. “Sorry, Maisie, I haven’t seen any new
students. Have you been out front the whole time?” she asked, looking at me
curiously.

I resisted the urge to groan. I hadn’t exactly been waiting
for him the whole time; I had been getting bored out of my brain listening to
Luke and the people he labelled as his friends. Technically there was plenty of
time for Zachary to get to the front door without me seeing, slip in, and start
wandering the hallways of the school having no clue where to go.
Awesome, I
was asked to do one thing and I can’t do it right! Stupid Maisie, and stupid
Luke too!

“I was in the parking lot for a bit,” I admitted, wincing.

She smiled sympathetically. “Well, maybe you should wait
back out front for a little while again. The bell won’t ring for another five
minutes so maybe he’s just cutting it fine. If he comes in here then I’ll send
him out to you. If not then I guess he must be in the school somewhere.”

Great. That means I’ll have to go searching the hallways
looking for a guy that I’ve never even met. Mondays suck!
I nodded and
headed out, sitting on the front step of the school, watching every person who
walked past me to make sure I’d seen them before. When the bell rang I looked
back slightly panicked. I didn’t want to be late or miss my biology class, but
I needed to find this guy.

I wrung my hands together, wondering if I should just go to
class and leave him and hope that someone else found him wandering the halls
and showed him to the office. Then I remembered I had his schedule and locker
combination. I groaned and flicked my eyes around, undecided. The thought of
being late for class was actually making me feel a little sick. If Alex were
here to witness my indecision, he would be laughing his ass off at me and
calling me a nerd or a geek.

I took a deep breath and decided it was my responsibility to
find him. I shouldered my bag and marched into the school with a frown on my
face, though I knew I couldn’t actually blame him for getting here before I did
and going into the school not knowing I was supposed to meet him here. I walked
up and down the hallways; I knocked on boys’ bathroom doors before heading in
there to double check. I went to his first period class, physics, to see if
someone had showed him there already, but the teacher told me he was absent. I
resumed my search, but I couldn’t find him anywhere.

I completely missed my first period and was still searching
the second floor when the second period bell went.
Someone has to have found
him by now and taken him to the office, surely!
I pulled out the guy’s
schedule and looked at it worriedly. He had two classes with me this afternoon,
gym and English. I sighed and reluctantly trudged back to the office. There was
an awful, uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach because the poor guy was
probably wandering around the school somewhere.

The receptionist smiled up at me as I walked in. “Found
him?” she questioned, tucking into her muffin.

I shook my head. “No. I’ve looked everywhere. He’s not in
his first class; I’ve checked the hallways and bathrooms. Has he not been in
here?” I asked, wincing and praying she would say yes. I couldn’t help but
wonder if I was going to get into trouble for not looking after him like I’d
promised. I’d never been in trouble at school, ever.

She shook her head. “I haven’t seen him or anyone else.
You’re the only one that’s been in today.”

I groaned and put my head in my hands. I really needed to
get to class, I was already over twenty minutes late for algebra, and I didn’t
want to miss it, I loved all things math. “I’m gonna get to class. I’ll search
for him again later. I’m hoping someone’s found him and shown him where to go
already.” I winced, looking at her for her permission to abandon my search.

She nodded. “Okay, well if he comes in I’ll send you a note
to let you know. You’re eating lunch with him, aren’t you?” She grabbed a piece
of paper, jotting down a mine and Zachary’s names as a reminder.

“If I can find him, then yeah.” I smiled gratefully and
pushed myself away from the counter. I practically ran to my algebra class. As
I knocked and walked in, all eyes in the room snapped to me. I noticed Sandy
smirk in my direction, her eyes raking down my body looking at my simple jeans
and tank top with Luke’s hoodie combo I was wearing today. “Sorry I’m late.” I
winced as I walked in, looking at an extremely angry Mr Turner.

“Where on earth have you been, Miss Preston? Class started
over twenty minutes ago, and now you’re disrupting everyone!” he roared.

I flinched, taken aback by his outburst. “Er, I was looking
for a new guy?” I offered weakly.

Some people snickered at my comment but I wasn’t sure why.
“Aww, is Luke not handling things too well or something? I’m available,
Maisie!” Freddie shouted suggestively from the back row, making everyone howl
with laughter.

My mouth dropped open in shock. “Of course he is!” I cried.

His smirk grew wider. “So why the need for a new guy?”

I opened my mouth to shout at him for being a jerk, when
something slammed down on the desk at the front, almost making me jump out of
my skin. I yelped and looked back to Mr Turner, shocked. He’d slammed his
textbook down onto the table. His face was beet red as he glared, first at me,
and then at Freddie.

“You two have lunchtime detention!” he shouted, pointing at
us both.

I gasped.
What the heck? I didn’t do anything wrong, why
am I getting detention?
“Mr Turner, I was looking for a new student! Principal
Bennett asked me to meet him and-” but I was cut off by a wave of his hand.

“I don’t care what Principal Bennett asked you to do! You’ve
just waltzed into my class twenty minutes late, with no note I presume?” He
looked at me expectantly. I gulped noisily. I didn’t have a note, so he was
right there. I shook my head and he continued, “Then you two proceed to have an
inappropriate conversation in front of the whole class, further disrupting us!”

I felt my heart start to race in my chest. I’d never had a
detention before. I actually felt a little shell-shocked; my whole body felt
cold. Was this what it felt like every time you got into trouble? I hated the
feeling, it was awful. I had an obsessive need to do my best and this detention
would be the first black mark I would ever have against my name at school.

I opened my mouth to protest and beg, to tell him that I
could get a note from the Principal herself to explain, but he cut me off again
before I even uttered one word. “If you speak then it’ll be an afterschool
detention too,” he warned.

I could feel the cold sweat running down my back at that
statement. I snapped my mouth closed and shook my head, but Freddie didn’t. “A
detention? What the hell for? I didn’t do anything wrong!” he cried, clearly
annoyed.

Mr Turner glared at him. “After school detention then too.
For both of you!”

I gasped again. “What? Why?” I asked, trying desperately not
to cry.

“Now tomorrow too!” Mr Turner roared, his evil eyes coming
to rest on me.

I whimpered. First I lost someone who I was supposed to be
looking after, then I completely missed biology and I was pretty sure I had a
quiz. And now I had two detentions? Could this day possibly get any worse?