Gravity (Free Falling) Read online

  “Ok, I’ll start,” Karl blurted out. “Let’s see…..umm Randy. Truth or dare?”

  Randy deliberated for a second before deciding. “Truth.”

  “Fine,” Karl sighed. He seemed a little irritated which meant that he must’ve had a good dare waiting for some unsuspecting victim. “Is it true…..that you cried when we lost the championship last year?”

  Randy turned red and frowned before admitting it. “Yeah…..but it was only because we would’ve won if you guys hadn’t played like a bunch of frickin’ idiots that day.” The room exploded with laughter. “Shut up! It was only cause I was mad!” When the laughter didn’t cease, Randy glared at Karl and went on with the game. “My turn. Deanna. Truth or dare?” He glanced at Karl before looking back at Deanna.

  “Mmmmmm…….Truth,” she replied.

  Randy rubbed his hands together and smiled devilishly. “Ok. Is it true that you had a crush on me before you hooked up with Karl?” Randy looked at Karl while he waited for Deanna to answer.

  “Well, I guess I’d have to say true,” she admitted.

  “I knew it!” Randy yelled and then turned to Karl. “How does it feel knowing that your girl secretly wants me?” He said as he stood and turned in a circle slowly.

  “I’m talking about the crush I had on you in fifth grade, stupid,” Deanna amended. “Get a life. Moving on. Chris. Truth or dare?”

  “Dare,” he said in a confident voice.

  “Great! I dare you to go upstairs……and tell Karl’s mom that you wanna make sweet love to her while she’s wearing that old Barney costume Karl’s dad has in the storage room. And you can’t tell her that it’s a dare either.”

  “What? No way. I’m not doing it,” Chris protested.

  “Ok…..fine. You know the rules for refusing a dare,” Deanna said while smiling.

  “Aw man, come one,” Chris pleaded, making me curious about what the consequences were.

  “Nope. You’d make me do it,” Deanna insisted. “Assume the position.”

  Chris sighed and stood to his feet. Shock crossed my face when he pulled down his pants and began to sing a very monotone rendition of the theme song to The Fresh Prince of Bellaire in his tighty whities.

  “And look!” Deanna yelled in the midst of Chris’ solo. “He even wore his clean underwear this time!” She pointed a finger and nearly fell on the floor when she doubled over. I didn’t know whether to laugh right along with everyone else, or to turn my head. I quickly made a mental note to never refuse a dare.

  Chris finished and had turned beet red from embarrassment. “Leila. Truth or dare?” Chris asked coldly. I felt my body go rigid when he said her name.

  “Truth,” she answered confidently.

  “Fine. How many guys have you had sex with? And tell the truth because we’ll all know if you’re lying,” he warned. It was clear that Trevor didn’t appreciate Chris’s prying when he rolled his eyes and let out a sigh.

  Leila looked in AJ’s direction with a hint of longing in her eyes and answered boldly, “Just one.” There was an awkward silence that let me know that I wasn’t the only one who this was making uncomfortable. I couldn’t understand how Trevor could be so blind to Leila’s advances and blatant attraction to AJ. Everyone else was aware of it. Did he think that it was a coincidence that she’d chosen to be with him, the only other Asian boy in their circle of friends?

  “Whatever, Leila. You’re a liar. There’ve been at least 10 that I know of!” Chris exclaimed. Deanna grabbed a pillow from the couch and threw it at him. Leila sat there with her eyes fixed on AJ, completely ignoring Chris’s comment.

  “Leila it’s your turn,” Karl interrupted.

  She snapped her head toward me. “Sarah. Truth or dare?”

  “Her name’s Samantha,” AJ corrected her.

  “Whatever. Truth or dare?” She repeated

  I hesitated and tried to see what her intentions were. Reluctantly I responded “Truth.”

  She smiled. “Ok……is it true that you went after AJ when you already had a boyfriend?”

  In that instant I realized that my friends weren’t the only ones who’d heard rumors about Antonio and AJ’s altercation on Tuesday. AJ responded before I could. “Shut up. I pursued her. You know……the opposite of what happened with you and me.” There was dead silence in the room again as Leila snapped her mouth shut and looked at AJ like she could’ve killed him. He stared back at her emotionlessly.

  Finally Karl interjected. “Ooookaaayyy. Sam it’s on you.”

  I couldn’t wait to get her back, so I cleared my throat and tried to keep it together. “Leila. Truth or dare?”

  She continued to stare at AJ when she responded. “Surprise me, Sasha.” I could see AJ’s body stiffen as he tried to control his temper.

  “Fine. Is it true that you got dumped after you gave it up, which means that it couldn’t have been that good?” There was a smug grin on my face. I could tell by the way she shifted in her seat that I’d hit a nerve. “Don’t get mad. It’s just a game,” I added. I could hardly contain the laugh that was brewing inside of me. It was so quiet in the room that you couldn’t even hear anyone breathe, except for Leila who was nearly panting in anger. AJ stared at me in shock. The corner of his mouth was turned up slightly as if he were trying to hold back a smile.

  After a few seconds Leila was finally able to speak. “Whatever helps you sleep at night,” was all she said in response to my question, but it was enough to make me uneasy. What was that supposed to mean? The implication that she and AJ’s sex life was anything but second-rate made me rethink my assumption. My plan had backfired a little, but I still got under her skin which made it all worth it.

  Karl intervened again. “I think that’s enough for tonight. Let’s watch a movie.”

  The next second he was on his feet setting up the DVD player. I glanced over at Leila and saw that her face was still twisted in frustration as Trevor rubbed her shoulders caringly. Poor guy didn’t have a clue. I leaned into AJ as he settled back on the couch and put his arm around me. Karl turned the lights off and started the movie. I tried to force myself to focus on it, but I couldn’t.

  Two hours later it was finally over. Leila was still sitting in the same position as before, but I think she looked even angrier than she did earlier. Karl turned the lights back on and walked over to turn on the radio. Everyone was talking amongst themselves, but AJ and I were off in our own world. He lifted me from the couch and sat me sideways on his lap. “Are you glad you came?” He asked

  “Yeah, everyone seems pretty cool. Well…..almost everyone,” I amended.

  He knew exactly who I was talking about. “I hate when she’s like that. Sometimes she alright, but then she ruins it and does something stupid. ”

  “She’s probably just getting started, but I’m up to the challenge though,” I replied. He smiled at me as he rubbed his hand on my thigh affectionately. Goose bumps immediately rose up on my skin. AJ watched me become more and more uncomfortable as his hand wandered upward until I stopped him abruptly. His smile turned into a quiet laugh that didn’t call anyone else’s attention…..except for Leila who hadn’t turned away from us since the lights came back on. She was near her boiling point. Her face was almost as red as her crimson hair.

  Leila and Trevor sat back and watched everyone else have a good time from a distance for pretty much the rest of the night. Her stoic disposition hadn’t changed as the evening wore on. Multiple times I’d caught her staring at AJ intently, but Trevor continued to coddle her despite the fact that she wasn’t responding. I actually felt bad for him as I observed him desperately vying for her attention.

  It was nearly 11:30 and I had to be home by midnight. AJ looked at his watch, stretched before standing to his feet, and then reached for my hand to help me up from the couch.

  “Karl, everybody, it’s been real, but I have to get her home soon,” he explained.

  Everyone except for Leila looked disappointed that we
had to leave. No one other than me seemed concerned about getting home any time soon which made me wondered if any of them had curfews. They all waved bye as we were walking to the stairs. Karl spoke up. “Glad you came, Sam. You should come back next Saturday. We’ll be here. It’s not like we have anything better to do.”

  “Thanks,” I responded.

  “Cool……see you around.”

  I smiled and then followed AJ to the steps. Leila was planted there in her seat and made no effort to get out of the way. AJ walked around her as if she didn’t exist. As I passed, she looked up at me without lifting her head. I glared back, matching her intensity. She was going to have to learn that I wasn’t going to back down. She’d met her match.

  AJ and I walked up the stairs and said our goodbyes to Mr. Holmes on our way to the car. When we pulled up in front of my house, my father had the light on for me already as I fully expected him to. Before climbing out of the car, I leaned in and kissed him quickly so that I could get inside on time.

  “Aren’t you forgetting something?” he said as he glanced down at my skirt.

  “Oh yeah, that could’ve been bad.” I grabbed the jeans from my bag and shook the wrinkles out. AJ was watching me closely as I changed again and shoved the skirt into the bag.

  “You should go while I’m still willing to let you,” he warned suggestively as he bit down on his lip. Something about the way he said that, made it clear that he wasn’t playing around. So, I took heed and smiled at him one last time, got out and disappeared inside the house.

  Chapter Nine

  Monday morning, I awoke and got dressed in a hurry, knowing that AJ was returning to school. When I pulled into the lot, I saw his car and immediately started smiling. It was apparent that the seasons were changing when a rush of cold air hit me square in the face as I climbed out of the car. To keep warm, I drew my hands inside my hoodie and held them to my ears as I ran toward the school entrance.

  The halls were still pretty crowded as I paced to my locker to grab my Math book. When I turned around, I gasped loudly and bumped right into AJ who’d been standing there waiting for me.

  “Didn’t mean to scare you,” he smiled

  “No, you just surprised me a little.” It was impossible not to gawk with him standing so close. I smiled shyly, realizing that he was aware of what I was doing. “I’m glad you’re back finally.”

  “Me too,” he replied and casually reached for my hand to walk me to Mr. Talbert’s class. “You ready?”

  The gesture was sweet, but I honestly wasn’t sure if I was ready to put our relationship on display just yet. It was too late for second thoughts now though. AJ wouldn’t have understood my reasoning if I rejected him, so I reluctantly put my hand in his and clutched my book to my chest. My footsteps were a little hesitant, causing me to trail behind slightly as we walked down the hallway. The stares from our peers made me uncomfortable because I could almost hear everyone’s disapproving thoughts aloud as we passed. But somehow, AJ didn’t even seem to notice any of it.

  At the entrance to Mr. Talbert’s class, I couldn’t help but to search around for judgmental eyes staring at AJ and me. That was going to take some getting used to, but I suppose being the target of a few close-minded individuals was a small price to pay to be this happy. It amazed me that AJ still seemed to be oblivious as he contentedly kissed my forehead and walked toward his homeroom. How does he always make everything look so easy? Or maybe I just over-think everything. With that behind me, I suddenly felt more at ease as I thought of the next time the situation would arise.

  When lunch came, I was as nervous as the first day I returned to school after Antonio found out about AJ and me. I walked straight to my table, sat down and opened my book. This was quickly becoming my routine. The sound of someone’s footsteps averted my attention, and I looked up. Deanna stood across from me with her tray of food in hand. “Why are you over here alone? Come sit with us,” she said cheerfully. I hesitated a moment as I glanced over at their table. AJ hadn’t made it in yet, but I saw Leila there next to Trevor. Deanna and I walked over to the table and I took the empty seat across from her. My presence immediately made Leila cringe as she rolled her eyes in my general direction.

  “What’s up Sam?” Karl yelled in spite of the fact the he was only two seats down from me.

  “Hey,” I responded shyly. I still wasn’t completely comfortable with AJ’s friends, but they were friendly so I imagined that it wouldn’t take me long to warm up to them.

  Just then AJ, Randy and Chris entered the lunchroom together. What if he felt like I’d invaded his space by sitting here with his friends without him inviting me? That concern quickly faded when he noticed me and smiled.

  “And I didn’t even have to beg,” he said as he took the seat to my right. I returned the smile, pleased that he wasn’t upset by this change.

  “So, you coming back to hang out with us next weekend?” Deanna asked. I looked over at AJ briefly before responding.

  “Um…..I guess so, if I’m invited.”

  “Of course you’re invited,” AJ replied without looking in my direction.

  “I guess that’s a yes then,” I said answering Deanna’s question.

  “Good because we’re having a bonfire Saturday. Karl’s dad’s gonna grill and everything. It’ll be a blast.”

  “Sounds like fun,” I replied.

  Deanna was really easy to get along with and I made a mental note of the fact that I didn’t see her interact with Leila much. That was strange seeing as how they were the only two girls in the group before I came along. As I thought of her, I automatically looked down the table to where she was seated. Her bright hair was pulled into a ponytail that looked like it should’ve been uncomfortable, but I don’t honestly think she was aware of anything at the moment other than AJ. She was unmoving as she sat staring intently at him. She didn’t even notice that I was watching her. As AJ laughed and talked with Randy, Leila seemed to be mesmerized. I couldn’t blame her; it was an easy thing to do. I jumped a little when she shifted in her seat and crossed her long legs, but she still didn’t notice me. Deanna, on the other hand, had.

  “Don’t pay her any attention,” Deanna whispered as she leaned in toward me. “She’s a bit of a stalker, but she’s harmless…..I think anyway,” she amended. “But if I were you, I’d just keep my distance. She’s totally obsessed with AJ, which means that she already hates you by default. It’s pitiful really. I don’t know how Trevor doesn’t see it. I guess love really is blind.”

  When I smiled at Deanna, it was a weak one. “Does she just stare at him like this all the time?”

  “Yeah…..pretty much. She has some serious issues if you ask me. Her infatuation goes wayyyyy beyond a normal teenage crush. She’s a freakin’ weirdo.” Deanna assessed the concern in my expression. “But I wouldn’t worry about it. A.J can’t stand her, so she doesn’t usually interact with him much. She just……watches him like that.” Deanna trailed off as she glanced over at Leila. As she watched him it was like she was off in her own world; like no one else existed. Creepy.

  The laughter coming from my friends’ table interrupted my train of thought. No one noticed me sitting here…….except for Leslie. Our eyes met and she dropped her gaze to the table, her expression thoughtful. AJ put his hand under my chin, drawing my attention back to him. “You ok?” He asked.

  “Yeah, I’m fine.”

  He moved his hand away from my face, and after analyzing my mood once more, turned back toward Randy. I fidgeted with my water bottle and continued to think about Leslie. I couldn’t help but to worry about how our relationship was about to change. We hung out a lot as couples, she and Terrence and Antonio and I. Terrence was Antonio’s most loyal friend, so I knew that he’d never consider us hanging out with AJ in Antonio’s place. And I couldn’t expect Leslie to abandon Terrence for my sake either. This wasn’t going to be an easy transition, but there was nothing I could do to change it.

  At the en
d of the day I walked slowly to my locker, still dwelling on the deterioration of me and Leslie’s relationship that I foresaw. AJ, Karl and Deanna were waiting there for me already. Deanna smiled at me in her usual welcoming way. I ignored my thoughts and forced a smile. “Hey guys,” I greeted them as I approached.

  Deanna stepped forward with her cell phone in hand. “Hey, I have to run, but I wanted to get your number.” She smiled sweetly. “I know I could’ve asked AJ, but I figured I should just ask you.”

  “Oh, sure that’s fine.” I was in no position to turn down new friends, so I may have been a little too eager when I recited my cell phone number to her. She smiled and then waved goodbye as she grabbed Karl’s hand, dragging him along behind her.

  “See? I told you you’d get along well with her,” AJ said.

  “Yeah, she’s really nice,” I replied. “Maybe we’ll hang out sometime.”

  I didn’t hesitate this time when, AJ reached for my hand again as we walked to my car. Just as he’d opened my door and helped me in, I looked up to find him glaring across the parking lot with a frustrated look on his face. Unable to keep myself from spying what had him so flustered, I followed his gaze to find Leila coming in our direction. I fought against the feelings of intimidation that tried to overtake me again as she came toward us. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that she was gorgeous; maybe even pretty enough to be a model. She had her green eyes fixed on AJ who straightened his posture protectively when she approached.

  “What?” He asked coldly.

  “My car won’t start. Can give me a ride home?” She asked, not even acknowledging that I was there.

  “No, ask Trevor,” AJ replied in the same dry tone.

  “Trevor left already. There isn’t anyone else to take me.”

  “Well, that sucks for you, cause you’re not getting in my car,” AJ blurted.

  There was a brief flicker of rage that filled her eyes for a second and then her expression returned to normal. She looked at me for the first time since she’d walked over. “Well, what about you? Can you take me?” She asked. Unbelievable.