Page 4 of When the Stars Fall
I wasn’t looking forward to fourth grade at my new school if it meant I’d have to see them every day. Jude was stalling, acting like it was a big deal when it really wasn’t. It was just a football, not a bomb.
“Just throw the stupid ball. What’s the matter? You scared a girl will catch it?” I taunted.
Jude snorted like the very idea was ridiculous. “You’re not gonna catch it.”
I hated the way he sounded so sure, like he knew everything. “Just throw the stupid ball,” I repeated, getting more annoyed by the minute.
“Okay. But just remember. You asked for it.”
I rolled my eyes, kicked off my flip-flops and streaked across the field, putting distance between us just like Brody had. “That’s far enough,” he yelled.
I ignored him and kept on running. He wasn’t the boss of me. When I was good and ready, I stopped running and spun around to face him. Whoa. I’d covered some distance. He was pretty far away. He probably couldn’t even throw a football this far.
I smirked, imagining the ball falling short. That would teach him to gloat.
“It’s gonna hurt,” Gideon warned, not even lifting his head from the comic book he was reading. I didn’t think he could read yet, so he was just looking at the pictures. His lips were purple from the grape popsicle in his hand, juice dripping down his arm.
“That’s if she can catch it,” Jude snickered.
I’d catch it if it killed me. Besides, I doubted he could throw a football as hard or as far as what they were claiming he could. The ball left his hand and spiraled through the air like a missile headed directly toward me. The sky was so blue and I was staring up at the sun which made it hard to see the ball. Jude’s annoying voice was yelling something but I didn’t hear his words. I was too focused on catching this ball. Concentrating like my life depended on it.
Next thing I knew, I was flat on my back, all the air knocked out of my lungs. There was an elephant sitting on my chest making it hard to breathe or even move.
“Is she dead?” That sounded like Jesse. A finger poked my ribs. I played possum.
“Jude killed Lila?” That would be Gideon. “We’re gonna be in so much trouble.”
“Let’s get another popsicle.”
“Yeah. This is boring.”
A shadow blocked the sun on my face. I opened my eyes and blinked a few times. Blue eyes the color of the wildflowers in the field peered down at my face, too-long brown hair falling over his forehead, his brows drawn together. “Are you okay?” Jude asked, his voice softer than before, tinged with worry.
I wheezed, trying to catch my breath so I could speak. “I’m fine.”
“You caught the ball.”
My eyes widened in surprise. “I did?”
He nodded and gave me a smile that put dimples in his cheeks. “Sure did,” he said, and I heard the pride in his voice. My stupid heart inflated like a balloon. “Held on to it too.”
I tilted my chin down to look at the football I was still clutching to my chest. Now it was my turn to gloat. “Well, of course I did. Told you I would.”
“Your underwear says Saturday,” Brody pointed out, and I couldn’t decide who was more annoying. Him or Jude. “Today’s Sunday.”
“Pull down your dress,” Jude said gruffly, smacking Brody upside the head. “Don’t look at her underwear.”
Brody shrugged. “Not my fault she’s wearing a dress to play football. Not my fault she doesn’t change her underwear.”
I most certainly did change my underwear every day and opened my mouth to protest. But Brody had already darted away and I shut my mouth, not bothering to correct him.
I vowed to never ever wear a dress again. Ignoring Jude’s outstretched hand, I got to my feet and smoothed my hand over the skirt of the stupid dress.
“There’s no Sunday,” I mumbled.
“What?” Jude asked.
“The underwear. There’s only six in a pack. They skipped Sunday.”
