Don't You Dare

Chapter 4: Falling

Friday October 9, 2015

The lunchtime crowd at Rosemont Academy swirled around Andrea as she picked at her salad, the hum of conversation a constant backdrop. She was seated at the long rectangular table they'd claimed as their own, with Gabriel on her left and Megan across from her. The past few days had settled into an unexpected routine, with Gabriel's presence becoming a surprisingly comforting fixture in her day.

Across the table, Megan was talking animatedly, her tone light but thoughtful. "You know, Ryan's hosting a party this weekend. It might be a good chance to unwind, forget about school for a bit." She glanced at Andrea with a gentle smile. "You've been working so hard. You deserve to have some fun."

Gabriel leaned back in his chair, his expression neutral. "Ryan's still throwing those crazy parties?"

"He is," Megan replied with a small, almost wistful smile. "You know how he is. He'll use any excuse to celebrate."

Andrea glanced at Megan, noting the flicker of emotion in her friend's eyes. Megan had been crushing on Ryan for as long as Andrea had known her. He and Gabriel had been on the soccer team together, and Megan had hooked up with him a few times at these parties. But despite the occasional fling, Ryan had never taken it further, always keeping things casual.

Andrea knew it hurt Megan more than she let on, but her friend hid it well behind her easy laughter and light-hearted banter.

Andrea glanced down at her food, feeling slightly out of place as she often did during these discussions. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy their company, but parties were a world apart from anything she was used to.

As if sensing her hesitation, Gabriel turned to her, his tone light. "What about you, Andrea? Have you ever been to one of Ryan's parties?"

She shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips. "No, I haven't. I'm not usually invited to those kinds of things."

"Well, consider this your official invitation," a new voice interjected.

Andrea looked up to see Ryan himself standing next to their table, his grin wide and lopsided. He was tall, with a mop of unruly hair that looked like it hadn't seen a comb in days. He was wearing his usual goofy expression, as if he found the whole world slightly ridiculous and endlessly amusing.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," he said, throwing his hands up in mock horror. "How is it that I am only now meeting the famous Andrea Blanco? Gabe's secret study weapon!" He leaned in, pretending to inspect her. "You're real, right? Not just a figment of his imagination?"

Andrea couldn't help but laugh, caught off guard by his playful energy. "Last time I checked, I was real."

Ryan's grin widened, and he spun around theatrically. "Well, in that case, you're all coming to my party. It's going to be legendary. Gabe, you've been hiding away too long, and you," he pointed dramatically at Andrea, "need to witness the chaos firsthand. Consider it a rite of passage."

Gabriel shook his head, though Andrea noticed the corners of his mouth twitching. "I don't know, Ryan. We've got a lot going on."

Ryan waved off his concern with a dramatic flourish. "Details, details! You both need a break from being so serious. And who knows?" He waggled his eyebrows exaggeratedly. "You might even have fun."

Andrea felt her cheeks warm, but Ryan's easy demeanor made it hard to feel self-conscious. He was so completely at ease with himself, it was almost contagious.

"Think about it," Ryan continued, leaning back as if he'd just made the most compelling argument in history. "Because, I gotta say, it'd be a crime against humanity if you missed out. And I'd hate to be responsible for that."