Unintentionally Falling

chapter thirty-eight

Aaron

Since last night, I couldn't control how my thoughts behaved in my head. They were running like a river, and Iris was the main muse of them all.

This morning we're departing back to Los Angeles, back from our short-lived break from school. To be frank, I did enjoy my time here in San Bernardino. I remembered everything. I remembered it all last night, and it keeps replaying in my head like a broken record.

I kissed Iris Blanchette, and perhaps it was the best thing that's ever happened to me. Not to sound as lame as I do right now. I remember the way her warm lips touched mine, the way my pulse rang in my ears or the rapidness of each heartbeat that I hope she didn't notice. The embarrassment of the sound I made, God, I hope I didn't do anything wrong.

I wonder what she thought about it all? When she initiated it, my stomach turned upside down in a frenzy, and it was like my whole world suddenly shifted.

Books really couldn't describe the feeling of it all. Not until you have experienced it.

"Oh, man, what a night yesterday." Jadon stretches wide, yawning.

Parker pats my shoulder as we make it to the breakfast table. Mr. Blanchette left a short note on how he had to go to work early that morning but thanked us for coming. He left all sorts of bakery pastries to eat.

"What a man." Parker smiles, taking a seat and immediately chowing down on the first croissant he finds. Jadon takes an apple turnover, sipping on some water.

I nod in agreement, Mr. Blanchette is truly a nice person. I mean he's Iris' father after all, so it makes sense.

A little while after we finished eating, I made sure Parker didn't gouge all the food so the girls could have some. Alexia and Crystal enter through the front door, but Iris isn't with them. I suppose she stayed in her childhood room for the night again.

A few minutes later, Iris walks down the stairs. She doesn't utter a single word but I take in her appearance. Her skin isn't the regular bright golden instead sporting a more pale dull look. Her eyes aren't bright, and she has purple circles under her eyes like she hasn't gotten any sleep. Her hair was pulled up into a messy bun, a few strands of hair falling out.

Her appearance was a stark contrast from last night on the beach, the way her eyes were radiating with intensity, and her eyes just stared at the table like I wasn't even there.

Her eyes don't even dare to meet mine, and she sits down in the chair in front of me.  She takes a sip of tea that Alexia hands her, and Alexia's face is uneasy and concerned.

"Good morning," I softly say.

She doesn't even reply to me. It's like she didn't even hear me.

"Umm, I'm going to go put our luggage in your car, Aaron," Jadon says, getting up from the table and making an awkward screeching sound from the chair. I grimace at the forced normalcy in his voice.  Parker follows Jadon but in a much quieter manner.

"That's a good idea. We should probably do that too." Alexia adds, she and Crystal left the kitchen as well.

Iris and I were the only two left in the kitchen. She still hasn't even looked at me at all. Worry washes through me, is she okay? Did I do something?

I don't think much happened last night, was it us kissing? She's cold, I've never seen her this withdrawn. I wasn't expecting this, I thought maybe things would be different or was that just wishful thinking? I don't know.

Something is wrong, it has to be, right? Her icyness seemed to be aimed at a lot of things, me included. I don't think I did anything wrong. Yesterday I kissed her, and other than that nothing happened. I didn't say a thing to set her off at that moment.