Falling In Between

by Devon Ashley

  “Oh, right. Never mind.” I lowered my hand again.

  “So if you’re not really afraid of the water, do you want to give the paddleboat a try?”

  I swallowed hard and my body language screamed apprehension.

  Chance raised his hand and recited, “I solemnly swear that I will not rock the boat. And if I do, you have my permission to push me overboard and paddle away without me.”

  I glared at him. “It doesn’t count when you use your left.”

  He chuckled and let go of my hand so he could raise his right hand. “See? Solemnly swear.”

  “All right,” I replied hesitantly.

  He held the boat steady and I climbed in carefully. I gripped the edge tight when a ripple hit the side and a few drops splashed onto my arm. He pushed the boat free from the bank and jumped in, causing the boat to rock and my stomach contents to somersault. I gripped so hard my knuckles were turning white.

  “Sorry. Unavoidable.”

  I laughed it off weakly, embarrassed to show it really did startle me. I calmed as we began to slowly paddle our way out, and I forced myself to let go of the edge and sit up straight.

  “So, Just Grape Jenna. Which high school do you go to?”

  “Pennington Academy.”

  “Oh my God!” he whined. “You’re a prep girl?! Ah, man. That won’t do at all. No way I can date the likes of you. My friends would kill me if they found out.”

  I understood his rant completely. And I understood he was just joking, but a lot of the people at Pennington had that ‘I’m rich and that makes me better than you’ mentality. I just avoided those types. But there were also quite a few that didn’t let entitlement go to their heads.

  “Darn,” I teased. “Guess that’s that then.”

  “Do you really go there, because you don’t seem the type.”

  “If it helps, I’m there on scholarship.”

  “Well, it helps a little. But that means you’re smart and that’s a whole other battle to defend.”

  “Well,” I huffed in an over-the-top dramatic fashion. “You just want your relationships to be all easy-peasy and handed to you on a silver platter.”

  “You know what would help?” he joked. “A record. Then no one would focus on your smarts or being a preppy. We need to give you a juvie record. Like breaking and entering. How’s that sound?” He cocked his eyebrows and gave me that lopsided grin again.

  I started to laugh but I was startled by this annoying repetitive beep.

  “What is that? Is that your watch?” I asked.

  “That’s weird. I didn’t even set it.”

  He pushed a few buttons but it just kept beeping.

  “Jenna!” I heard a female voice shout. It sounded like Sophie but there was no one remotely near us in the pond or on the banks. “Jenna!”

  I jerked as something soft hit my face and a pair of rolled up socks magically appeared on my lap. “What the hell?” I exclaimed, picking them up. White socks with repeating stripes of various colors. These were Sophie’s!

  Suddenly, my eyes shot wide open and I was laying in my bed back at the dorm. The alarm next to me was blaring and I held a sock ball in my hand.

  “Jenna!” Sophie yelled. “It’s Saturday. Turn that crap off!”

  I leaned over and switched the alarm off. Sophie huffed and threw herself back onto her pillow. I was kinda bummed the dream got cut off. Yay imagination for giving me a hotty to keep me company, but it was too bad we didn’t get to the kissing part in time.

  One of the perks of senior year at Pennington was that I got to fill my schedule with electives that were similar to the field I wanted to study in college. The bad part was that whatever Robert was interested in studying, it wasn’t science-related like me. And we didn’t seem to share the few normal classes we were forced to take, like Calculus and English.

  I guess he really was gonna wait for me to come and find him when I was ready. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems kinda cruel to make the girl who was utterly humiliated in her undies to have to go chase down the boy that got to see the free show.

  I hadn’t actually seen Robert since I got back from the hospital. I never saw him in the halls and we obviously didn’t have the same lunch break, so how the heck was I supposed to come and find him anyway? I mean seriously, I’m just supposed to know where his dorm room was?

  Alright, I actually did know where his room was. But it was only by complete happenstance that I found it. I by no means found it on purpose. I just happened to be walking down one of the male hallways last year – which I wasn’t really supposed to be doing – and just happened to notice his name on a door: Robert Jennings and Jhett Murdoch. I remember when I saw it that my heart actually fluttered and I lost my breath. Pathetic, I know. What’s worse? I bolted and practically threw myself down the stairs before someone could catch me in the act.

  Well, at least this time I wouldn’t run in fear…hopefully. My panic-mode switch was still a bit twitchy when it came to Robert.

  I entered the common room that attached the male and female buildings and braved the entrance to the boys building. There were a couple of guys hanging out that followed me with their eyes when I hit the stairs and ventured farther in than I was supposed to. Robert and Jhett’s room was the first door on the second floor. Wish I had known that the first time I happened to find his room – of course I started on the wrong end of the hallway that day.

  I sucked in a deep breath, trying to slow my heart, and knocked on their door. Once ten seconds had passed, the loud thumping in my chest began to calm. Figures. I scribbled a note on their door and hightailed it out of there so freakin’ fast.

  I spent the day in the library and by the end, I was almost caught up on all the work I missed from my Jump of Doom. All that was left was to complete an essay on King Lear discussing the theme of justice. Yep – now you know why I kept putting it off. At this point, I was so tired I was half tempted to download a few online essays and pull key points from each to make up my own essay.

  I scanned the library and realized I was the only one still there. I kicked my legs up over the table, leaned my head over the back of the chair and folded the Cliffs notes paperback of King Lear over my face. I rested my eyes for about five minutes before a voice came out of nowhere and scared the living bejesus out of me.

  “Have you been in here all day?”

  I jerked upright so fast the book flew off my head and onto the floor. Robert chuckled and retrieved it for me.

  “I’m too tired to go out now, Robert,” I whined, completely dismissing his question.

  “I would be too if I spent my entire Saturday sucking in air that reeked of old, musty-smelling books. But really, how long have you been in here?”

  “I don’t know. What time is it?”

  “Seven-thirty.”

  I moaned and rubbed my eyes. “Since ten.”

  “Did you eat?”

  “No.”

  “Well, that’s your problem right there. Come on, get up.” He swept my legs off the table and pulled me to my feet.

  “I don’t think I’d make the best company tonight. Wouldn’t you rather do something tomorrow?”

  “And let you disappear another two weeks? No way.” I stood there like a lifeless dud. I guess my non-existent pace was too slow for him cause he started packing my bag for me. He pulled me into motion and led me to the exit. “Do you want to change?”

  “Do I need to?”

  “You smell like musty old books.”

  I broke out laughing. Serves me right for sitting in the back of the library where the really old books were kept. It smelled a little at first, but I chose that area cause it was usually the quietest. I guess most students can’t stomach the smell too long.

  “Tell you what. You go back to your room, shower and change, and I’ll swing by the cafeteria and grab you something to eat.”

  “So you’re gonna brave the girl halls on a Saturday night? You’re just asking to g
et caught.”

  “By who?” he jested.

  “By whoever actually watches those cameras,” I said, pointing at one in the corner of library’s lobby.

  “Nobody ever watches those things unless something happens. The school can definitely afford the security system, but the students can also afford to go into town and rent a hotel room for the weekend, so they can’t stop us from having sex anyways. Just to see, Jhett and I pushed the camera up by our room high enough that it’s practically recording the ceiling. No one’s ever come to fix it.”

  “When did you do that?”

  “Some time last year.”

  Lovely security. It’s a wonder the kids stay segregated so well. Of course, I’ve mostly allowed the cameras to deter me from doing anything I didn’t wanna be caught doing.

  “Alright. I’m on the third floor by–”

  “I know where you are.” He gave my hand a playful squeeze and added, “With pointless cameras everywhere, Jhett and I have been around.”

  I narrowed my eyes at him. “When you say you’ve been around…”

  “Not like that,” he replied, extra slow for emphasis.

  I quickly stripped, noticing the musty book smell when I pulled my shirt off, and practically scrubbed a layer off my skin with the loofah. I drenched my body with berry scented body wash just to be sure I got the reek off. I had just dressed and semi-dolled myself up when he knocked on my door.

  I scarfed down the sandwich he brought me even though he was watching me, slightly amused by my lack of etiquette at the moment.

  “I’m sorry,” I said, my voice muffled from the food I was trying to swallow (I did at least cover my mouth with my hand), “I’m just so freakin’ hungry!”

  “No explanation needed. The visual says it all.”

  Okay, I turned around to finish eating at that point. I had zero aspirations to star as the leading lady in Robert’s nightmares. But once down, what crankiness that lingered from the library seemed to melt away. The food, in addition to the shower, made me feel refreshed and ready to go.

  “So what’re we doing?” I asked, slipping on my shoes.

  “I know of a spot on the property where we can go.”

  “You mean the river?”

  “You’ll see.”

  “Tell me now if I need a suit.”

  “You didn’t need one last time.” He followed it up with a wink and a half smile.

  Man, I walked right into that one.

  After trekking through the woods for fifteen minutes, I realized Robert wasn’t leading me towards the path to his river spot, but towards another familiar destination. “You remember the part where we all promised Headmistress Somers we’d never go to the pond again, right?”

  He looked back just long enough to flash me a wicked smile. “And that’s why there won’t be anyone there but us.”

  While I was still unconscious from my near death experience, Headmistress Somers told Sophie, Robert and Jhett to keep the details of my accident quiet. Apparently, I was out of town cause I had a death in the family, not cause I was in the hospital recovering from an act of stupidity.

  Fine by me. Last thing I wanted was attention, giggles, stares, gossip or whatever would’ve come from that story getting out. I had managed to stay off the radar of those around me for three years and I didn’t wanna ruin that bliss now.

  Good thing only Sophie knew I had no family.

  The academy wanted to keep the fact that there was a pond on the property secret, especially since the majority of students weren’t even aware it was there. If they learned about my cliff-jumping, they might be tempted to sneak off and try it themselves, and another person may repeat my fate.

  It was unlikely that any faculty member would trek through the woods to see if someone was actually hanging out there. I’m guessing that’s why she told us it was off-limits from now on (hoping we would obey and not have to worry about it ever again). As for the pond, Sophie and I never shared its existence with anyone cause we didn’t want anyone there. And I’m pretty sure Robert and Jhett never shared their river spot for the same reason. Though Sophie and I knew about it – we were walking in the woods one night when we heard them and followed quietly. Now I began to wonder if they ever did the same to us.

  So Robert was right about no one being there.

  Or so we thought…

  As we neared the outskirts of the pond, murmuring voices followed by mixed laughter stopped us dead in our tracks.

  “Guess our spot has become popular,” I said quietly.

  “Forbidden places always do.”

  He took my hand and we crept closer to the trees that outlined the pond’s edge. I heard the splashing but my eyes were drawn to the clothes spread across the boulder where Sophie and I usually left ours. I gasped when I recognized a familiar pair of glittery jeans sparkling in the moonlight.

  Robert was already chuckling by the time my eyes found Sophie in the water, but it turned into a gasp when her companion surfaced from underneath the water and playfully attacked her, setting off a mixture of screams and laughter. Now it was my turn to snigger.

  It was Jhett.

  “Did you know about this?” he whispered harshly.

  I shook my head. “And she is so gonna pay for not telling me.” No wonder she was so keen to lure Jhett away so I could have Robert alone.

  A huge smile spread across his face when he asked, “So do we stay here and watch or go to the river?”

  I gave him a push in the opposite direction. “River, you perv. I don’t wanna see this.” I took the lead, grabbing his hand as I passed. “Although part of me wants to be cruel and take some clothing.”

  “Except I’m sure some teacher would spy them coming back half-naked.”

  “And that’s the only reason she’s still got her pants at the moment.”

  Ten minutes later we arrived at the river and Robert eyed me warily. “Am I supposed to think it’s coincidence that you just led me to the exact spot in the river that Jhett and I always come to?”

  I shrugged innocently and slipped a smile as I said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Robert brushed against my body as he slowly passed, momentarily pausing to lock eyes, murmuring ‘mmm-hmm’. He stretched his arm and held my hand until he finally stepped out of reach. He bent down by the water’s edge, picked up a few river stones and began skipping them.

  “You seemed to have no problem finding the pond,” I countered. Come to think of it, I never questioned his being there the night I drowned. The river was at least a half mile farther than the pond. How did he get there fast enough to help me?

  “Speaking of, how is it you and Jhett were close enough to help me that night?”

  He skipped his last stone and kneeled to collect a few more. “We were on our way to the river that night when we heard somebody holler. Not a bad holler or anything, but we could tell it was a girl, so we thought we’d check it out. I’d say about twenty seconds later Sophie was really screaming, so we took off running. We never knew about the pond. And when we got there, Sophie had just emerged from under the water all in a panic, screaming that you’d jumped in but never came back up. We dove in and kept diving until we found you. It was just blind luck that we were close enough to hear Sophie when you went under.”

  Man, I suddenly didn’t feel so stupid about chickening out the first two trips up the cliff. I bent down to pick up a few of the flat black stones myself and skipped the first one across the river. Of course it did more sinking than skipping. I twiddled a second, sliding the slippery surface easily between my fingers.

  “I guess I owe you big time then.” I threw the stone so I wouldn’t have to focus on him while I said it.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll find a way for you to make it up to me.”

  I didn’t need the moonlight to show me the twisted smile I knew he was flashing that very moment. “Wait a minute! You were following Sophie’s voice before you knew there was t
rouble. You were gonna spy on us!”

  He laughed. “What? We didn’t know who was out there or that you were swimming. Yeah, we were going to check it out and see what was going on. Sue us.”

  “We were half-naked!”

  “And that’s our fault? If you don’t want people to find you swimming in your panties, don’t cause a commotion.”

  I threw a stone into the water beside him, and like I hoped it splashed water his way, mainly splattering parts of his jeans. “You were so gonna hide out and watch us!”

  “Yeah, probably,” he admitted, and I launched a second stone. The water from this one went completely the wrong way. “In fact, you’d probably be the wallpaper on my phone right now because we would have definitely taken photos. And video.” I playfully screamed in anger and threw another stone even harder. That splash did a little better and hit his face. “Hey!” he yelled, sweeping the water off his forehead. He chucked a stone into the water beside me and drenched me even more than I got him with the three shots combined.

  Holy crap that’s cold!!!

  My camisole was saturated – like see every curved inch of my upper body saturated. And even though the weather hadn’t cooled enough to need a jacket yet, the chilly river water made me shiver big time. Though the water wasn’t the real reason I crossed my arms high around my chest.

  “Want to go trade out your shirt with Sophie’s?”

  That wasn’t a bad idea, but before I could contemplate the idea and decide if it would be funny or mean to do that to her, Robert came towards me, already pulling his t-shirt over his head. God, it was hard to divert my eyes from the firmly cut abs and pecks. I supposed his arms were well defined too but my gaze neglected to turn away from the eye candy it already found. Those shirts hid a lot more than I thought was going on under there.

  “Here,” he said, trying to hand me the shirt he held between us, cutting off that delicious line of site to his torso.

  “I can’t take the shirt off your back. What about you?”

  “Jenna, I’m a swimmer. I’ve spent half my life without clothes on. Now take your top off.”

  I think my jaw fell all the way to my feet.