Free Falling Page 3

  She smiled and clicked her tongue, not looking too impressed over whatever she was reading about the new guy. “Looks like just about everything. I would concentrate on the staple subjects though. There’s not long left before graduation, so it’s more important to pull up his average on those. He’s already repeating senior year.”

  I raised one eyebrow at the repeating a year comment. He obviously didn’t make much effort at school. Staple subjects meant English, mathematics, and science, all of my favourites. “Okay sure,” I agreed. She handed me a stack of papers. I flicked through them quickly, seeing they contained his locker combination and schedule, everyday things. “I’ll just meet him at the front door then, the same as usual?” I’d done a lot of these initiations. Usually I just got the new people settled, ate lunch with them for a couple of days until they found their feet, and then they went off to do their own thing with friends they’d made.

  She smiled. “That’d be swell. Thanks again.”

  I headed out of the office, folding the papers and pushing them into my bag, heading to class quickly.

  The next couple of days passed quickly; luckily Luke didn’t get caught staying over that night. The only ones we really had to worry about catching us were my parents, because his were hardly ever home. He actually had a better relationship with his housekeeper than he did with his parents. The Hannigans had their own pharmaceutical company that they were both CEOs of, so they travelled a lot. Luke was, therefore, very lonely, though he never admitted it. He liked to spend as much time at mine and around my family as possible. If he had the chance, I had the feeling that he would move into mine permanently.

  Saturday finally came around, though not soon enough in my opinion. I finished packing up my camping things excitedly. Luke came by just after lunch to pick me up. He had the whole range of camping gear, so it wasn’t like we were going to be living in squalor tonight. He had a six man tent with different sections for bedrooms, a little area in the middle for sitting in, and it even had a canopy outside so you could sit under cover if you wanted to. Luke liked to camp. Apparently it was something he did with his dad when he was little, that was, of course, before Mr Hannigan started to get too busy to spend time with his son.

  “Hey there, baby, are you all packed?” he asked as I walked down the stairs with my rucksack on my back.

  I nodded and smiled, looking him over. He looked extremely handsome today in loose fitted jeans and a plain fitted white T-shirt. Today was going to be a good day, but tonight would be even better because I’d get to lounge around a camp fire eating Luke’s perfectly cooked s’mores. “Yeah, you got everything? We’ll stop at the store and buy food, right?” I asked, mentally checking off what I was supposed to bring. The only things I had to bring, according to Luke, were my clothes and my flirty smile.

  “Yeah, we’ll stop on the way. Come on then, let’s get going before your brother or dad start to lecture me about looking after you again,” he suggested, laughing quietly to himself.

  As if on cue, my dad walked out of the lounge and frowned. “You guys all done? Luke, can I have a quick word?”

  “Too late for a discreet exit,” I whispered, squeezing his hand gently.

  He laughed and kissed my forehead before following my dad into the kitchen. I felt so sorry for Luke; he undoubtedly loved me a lot because he put up with the overprotective guys in my family and never once complained. I flopped down next to my mom on the sofa. “Can’t you rein dad in a little? Surely he knows Luke well enough by now that he doesn’t have to give him the talk every time we’re staying out for the night?” I asked, resting my head on her shoulder.

  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 eyelashe
s. “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 h
ad 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?

  As if answering my question, Freddie jumped out of his seat, glaring back at Mr Turner. “You can’t give us detention for nothing! You’re just in a freaking foul mood and are taking it out on us. What’s up, Turner, did you not get any at the weekend?”

  The whole class had gone quiet, mouths hanging open in shock. Mr Turner looked like he was struggling to breathe as he glared at Freddie like he wanted to kill him on the spot. “You,” he hissed, pointing at Freddie. He turned and pointed at me making me flinch from the hardness to his eyes. “And you. Lunchtime detentions for the rest of the week, and after school tomorrow. And if I hear one more peep out of either of you two for the rest of the lesson, then it’ll be after school detentions for the whole week!” he said, his voice so low that it almost came out as a growl.

  Freddie laughed quietly to himself, and I knew what he was going to do before he even did it. He was one of Luke’s jerk friends and I knew Luke would do exactly the same thing in this situation. Act the big shot. Freddie was a troublemaker, and was always in detention; this was probably nothing out of the ordinary for him. Me on the other hand…