Falling In Love: Of All The Dumb Luck (On Hold)

Chapter 4

Jared:

Holly and I wove through the woods, in the dark, heading for the pond. My phone buzz in my pocket. I stopped to read the text from Wynter. Holly stopped at my side once she caught up and asked"Why are you standing here?"

I slid my finger across the screen on my phone and read the text in a whisper, "Turn around, and look up." So Holly and I turned around, and looked up, struggling to see the guys. I turn the flashlight on my phone on, shine it around, and in one of the tree tops we see Wynter and Sky.

Wynter motioned for us to come up. I headed for the tree, and as I started to climb up I heard Holly groan. I whispered to her, "You can sit on the step if you can't handle climbing a tree." Sky, Wynter, and I laughed. She let out a snort and whispered, "I can handle climbing a tree but, one person we know already went to the hospital tonight, we don't need another. I'm sure mom doesn't want to see us showing up at the E.R. in an ambulance."

She sat on the step while we sat on the branches, and watched as Max sat by the pond, chucking rocks, After about ten minutes of watching, I told Holly, "Okay, look out, I'm coming down." The guys followed after. When we were all down, I whispered to Holly, "Stay here." And we headed for the pond.

I had, had an anger in me ever since the first punch was thrown tonight. But as we approached Max, a sudden calmness came over me.

Max must have heard us coming, because before we were about three feet from him, he was on his feet, fists clenched. I put my hand to the side, stopping Sky and Wynter dead in their tracks.

I took a step closer to Max. He threw his right fist at me, and hit the left side of my face. With my head ducked to the side, that calmness in me was gone and anger took its place. I gathered myself, then I saw Sky and Wynter as they started to walk towards Max. "No, no, guys, I've got this." They took a step back. Max went to throw another right hook but I stopped it with my left hand. He threw his left fist, and I blocked it with my right hand. I lifted my right foot, and kicked him in the stomach.

"You had no right to hit Kelsea."

He said, "I didn't mean to hit her, I meant to hit you. I can't believe I hit a girl."

I yelled back, "She was standing right there between us." He just laid on the ground silently, then I said, "That's what I thought."

I turned to walk away, but the anger was just boiling inside me. I stood there for a second, then that calmness came over me again and walked away. Sky and Wynter following not far behind. I past Holly, and kept walking, she must have gotten the message because she followed behind.

Kelsea:

After they did a CT scan of my head, they said everything was fine and sent me home with an icepack. So, now I'm at home, sitting on the living room couch, trying to watch TV, listening to my parents fighting in the next room.

I clicked off the TV andgrabbed my light blue Columbia hoodie. I left through the front door and sat on the front porch.

It started pouring down rain about fifteen minutes ago, which I love, especially after a stressful day. Ever since I've known Jared, which is most of my life, we've always loved just sitting in the rain.

I look over to the Avery's driveway, and only Mr. and Mrs. Avery's cars in the driveway. Then a car pulled up in front of my house. It was my best friend, Paris Ryder, co-captain of the cheerleading squad. As she was getting out of her car she said, "Hey, Kelsea I've been trying to get ahold of you, I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Do you know where Jared went after I left?"

"Well..."She started, "I saw him and Holly in the parking lot headed into the woods, towards the pond."

Then anothercar pulled up in front of the Avery's house. It was a black Ferrari, Sky's car. Holly opened the passenger door and climbed out before Sky even turned the car off. Holly ran in the house, as Sky walked over to my front porch.

"Hey, where's Jared?" I asked him.

He answered, "Um...he drove off in his car after..."

"After... What?"

"After... He confronted Max. I told Wynter to follow after him, then I brought Holly home." He answered.

"Okay, give me your keys." I told him.

He asked, "Why?"

"Just give them to me."

He tossed me his keys and as I walked in the direction of his car, Paris chimes in and says, "Shouldn't you tell your parents your leaving?"

I yelled back over my shoulder, "They won't even miss me." I hopped in the car, put the keys in the ignition and, turned on the car.

I drove down the street and, as I drove Sky said, "Do you want me to call Wynter, and see where they are?"

I answered, "You can, but I think I already know where he is."

"Yeah and where is that?" He asked.

"The lake."

Sky's phone made a chirping sound, he looked down at it and said, "I guess you're right." as he held up his phone.

The lake is one of mine and Jared's favorite places. Especially if we need to think. The lake is about an hour away but it's worth the drive.

When we got to the lake, I walked towards our favorite spot, with Sky in tow. We found Wynter standing by one of the trees soaking wet. I tapped on his shoulder.

"Hey," Wynter said to me, but I just walked past him toward Jared, sitting on a wooden bench. I heard Wynter say something to Sky but, I couldn't hear them through the rain.

I stood behind Jared and, whispered in his ear, "Hi." He jumped and a laugh escaped my lips.I sat down next to him and, that's when I noticed his eye. "That didn't happen at the game, so...?"

"Well, something tells me you already know the answer to that, so...Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. You know you didn't have to do that. Go after Max, I think my dad will cover that."

"Wait, how did you know I was here?"

I answered, "I'm your best friend, I knew you'd come here, especially after Sky said you drove off. So, what do ya say, we go to your house and watch a movie."

"Are your parents fighting again?"

"I think you know the answer to that question. Good thing your dad came home early because I think she was drinking."

He asked, "Is that what they were fighting about, the drinking?"

I answered, "Among other things."

After that, we stood up, he put his arm around my shoulder and, I put my hand around his waist, like we always have, but Skylar despises it.

Sky and Wynter were already back in their cars, drying off.

Jared and I waved to them and jumped in his car. He grabbed his team jacket and a blanket off of the backseat. He handed me the blanket and, put on his jacket. We drove home with the radio on drowning out our thoughts, as the rain pelted against the windows.