Page 16 of Free Fall

Cade disappears down the hall for a minute before walking back in with my bookbag. He holds it up just as I stuff the last piece of bagel down my throat. “Kind of light, don’t you think?”

I shrug. “I forgot some books in my locker.”

“Correction. You forgotallof your books in your locker.”

He hands it over to me, and then puts his hand on my shoulder. “Come on, Briar. You’re too smart for this.” I’m silently seething when he says, “I can’t get over how different you look.” He looks into my eyes, and for a moment, he isn’t Cade Farmer, my brother’s best friend, he’s Cade Farmer, the Spring Hill High playboy.

Perhaps I could convince Cade to take Lex’s place… I don’t know why I didn’t think of him in the first place. He has no problem sticking his cock into people for fun.

I smile up at him, and Cade’s dark brown eyes seem to sparkle as we look at one another.

We’re interrupted by a chirping in his pocket. He checks the clock over the stove. “We got to go, Briar. I’m driving you to school today.”

On the way out the door, I slip my flip flops on and grab the house keys from the peg on the wall next to the front door. I lock up behind us as Cade jumps into his busted-up SUV. Hiking my bookbag on my shoulder, I walk toward it. Once I’m in and Cade starts to reverse out of the driveway, I pull out my phone and send a message to Ezra.You’re not going to believe how I’m dressed today.Then, I snap a selfie with some generous cleavage, which also shows the flowery pattern of the sundress, attach it to the message, and send it off.

It’s weird that Ezra has become like my Dear Diary. I tell him everything, and he always seems to know what to say. It’s too bad he got held up when we were supposed to meet in Calcutta. I stayed in a shit hotel for five days waiting for him. One thing after another happened, and he couldn’t get away from home. When my parents finally found me and dragged me back home, I still hadn’t met him, and I think that hurt me more than the fact that I’d let everyone down and pissed off a bunch of people in the seven days prior to them finding me when I didn’t want to be found.

We haven’t tried to meet up again, but we will. I know he felt horrible about what happened. If he’d been there when my parents found me, he would’ve saved me. We could’ve run away again and kept running away. I just want to get lost sometimes, where no one knows me or anything about me.

“That selfie better be for Jules.”

I quickly put my phone away, so he doesn’t violate my privacy any further. I could totally see him having no problem going through my phone.

When I don’t say anything, he says, “Don’t be too upset with her. One of us had to do it.”

I know exactly what he’s talking about. He’s talking about lying to me and then taking me to the intervention my parents planned. “Trust me,” I say, smiling over at him like I’m the sweetest girl in the world. “I hate you so much more than I hate her right now.”

“Really?” he asks with feigned excitement. “You mean that?”

“Wholeheartedly.”

He knocks me in the shoulder. “That’s my girl.”

Despite myself, I find I’m smiling as Cade drives me to school. That’s the first time that’s happened in a long time.

7

Walking into school with Cade is so much more enjoyable than walking in by myself or just with Jules. He’s like a freaking celebrity. Everyone gives him high-fives, they ask him how much Spring Hill is going to win by tonight, and to top it off, everyone seems to notice me too. It might be because Cade wound his arm through mine as soon as we stepped out of his car. He’s got a tight hold on me. To outsiders, it might look like Cade has a new conquest, only I know it’s because he doesn’t want me to run away again.

This attention, I don’t mind. I just don’t want people to see me as the dead guy’s sister. That’s when I want to hide. But this, this reminds me of how it used to be.

Ever since Freshman year, I’d walk in with the football gods. It’s super pretentious to think, but I like being noticed in this way. Or maybe I just like that Cade’s being noticed and I happen to be with him. The way he walks through the school, he acts like people should worship him. His chin is held high. The shirt and tie he’s wearing commands attention. By the end of the day, the tie will be off, and the first few buttons of his shirt will be undone, but that’s just Cade.

Before I even realize it, we’re past my locker and heading toward a part of the school I begin to recognize. I try to hold back, but the fierce grip Cade has on me isn’t letting up. Up ahead, I spot where we’re going. It’s where all the jocks, mainly the football team, hangout in the morning. It’s right by Reid’s locker, practically under the set of stairs that lead to the second story Science wing. “Cade, I have to get my books,” I tell him, trying to get out of this.

He laughs. The sound projects through the hall and those who weren’t looking at him before are looking now. “Shortie, we know you’re not taking books to class. Come on. Do you think I was born yesterday?”

I’m too nervous to speak let alone come up with a witty comeback.

“Ready for inspection, Seven,” Cade says as we walk up to the group.

My face flames. There are so many students around. Not just other athletes, but the other people who want to be around the athletes, whether it’s girls who have crushes on them or the guys who want to be them.

Cade forcefully spins me around in front of Reid. Everyone’s eyes are on me. I’m on full display for everyone to make assumptions about. I can practically hear the whispers now.

Hey, isn’t that—?

Did she come here withhim?

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