Falling For You

Chapter 11: The Punches

As I entered my house, I saw my mother and Aiden sitting in the living room, watching TV. The sight of them together filled me with a sense of warmth and comfort, but I couldn’t help but notice the absence of my father. Of course, I knew where he probably was—he might be at the hospital working late shifts again. After all, he had taken two days off recently just to spend more time with us, so it made sense that he’d have a busy schedule now, catching up on work.

My mother, always aware of my presence, turned her head from the TV and smiled at me. "Hey, honey," she greeted, her voice warm but curious. "Where have you been?"

The question caught me off guard. I had to quickly think of a response that didn’t reveal too much. "I was at a friend’s house," I replied, trying to sound casual. I still thought of Mateo as a friend, even after everything that had happened today. Our relationship wasn’t official yet, and I wasn’t sure what to call it.

My mom's eyebrows lifted, and I could see the curiosity gleaming in her eyes. “Jenna’s house?” she asked, though her tone was light and teasing.

“No, not Jenna,” I said, keeping my voice steady. “It was… another friend.”

She gave me a knowing smile, one that made my cheeks flush. I had never gone to anyone’s house except Jenna’s because I always felt uncomfortable in unfamiliar places. The fact that I had gone to another friend’s house without much notice clearly piqued her interest. I could see the teasing glint in her eyes, as if she was hinting that this “friend” might be more than just that.

“It’s just a friend, Mom,” I quickly clarified, trying to dismiss the look on her face. Her expression didn’t change, and I knew she was silently laughing at me. I turned and headed for the stairs. As I started climbing, I could hear her chuckling softly behind me.

I went to my room, feeling the embarrassment burn in my chest. Shutting the door behind me, I let out a small sigh and took a deep breath. After a long day, all I wanted was a shower. I grabbed my towel and headed to the bathroom. The warm water cascaded over me, washing away the tension, but as I scrubbed my skin, my mind wandered back to Mateo. Why was I so flustered about being at his house?

Once I had changed into some comfortable clothes, I grabbed my phone and lay down on my bed. I debated whether or not I should text Mateo, just to make sure he got home safely. I stared at the screen, battling with myself. Should I do it? Would it be weird?

Before I could make up my mind, my phone buzzed, jolting me from my thoughts. I glanced down at the screen, and my heart skipped a beat when I saw Mateo’s name pop up in my notifications. I swiped down the notification bar and read his message: “What are you doing?”

Excitement bubbled up inside me, and without hesitation, I typed back, “Nothing much, just scrolling through Instagram. You?”

The conversation flowed easily from there, and soon we were texting back and forth for almost two hours. The butterflies in my stomach only seemed to grow with each new message. Mateo opened up to me, explaining more about why his family had moved to town.

“My dad just got promoted and was relocated here,” Mateo wrote. “At first, he wanted to move alone, but my mom wasn’t having it. She said that family always sticks together, no matter what. So, she ended up resigning from her job as an architect at one of the largest firms back home. It was a big change for her, but she didn’t want us to be apart.”

His words warmed my heart. It was clear how much family meant to him, and I admired that. But as we kept texting, something gnawed at the back of my mind. This whole time, we’d been pretending to be in a relationship. Was this real, or was it all just part of the act? The realization dampened my mood, and the excitement I’d been feeling started to fade.

I turned off my phone, deciding not to overthink things. With a sigh, I pulled the covers over me and let sleep take me, hoping that tomorrow would bring more clarity.

The next morning, I woke up determined to keep some distance from Mateo. The last thing I wanted was to get too attached, only to end up hurting myself when this fake relationship inevitably ended. I told myself that I’d just keep things casual and not overthink everything.

When Mateo arrived to pick me up for school, the air in the car was different. It was quiet. I could feel the tension building with every second of silence that passed. Usually, we’d be talking or laughing about something, but today, I just couldn’t bring myself to start a conversation. Mateo glanced at me a few times, and I knew he could tell that something was off. Still, he didn’t say anything, and I was thankful for that.

The drive to school was uneventful, and I felt a small sense of relief as we pulled into the parking lot. Everything went smoothly, at least on the surface. I was able to act like nothing was wrong, even though deep down, I knew Mateo could sense the distance I was trying to create.

At 2 PM, I headed to cheerleading practice. I was excited to show off my skills, but something felt off as soon as I stepped into the gym. Roxanne wasn’t there. Normally, she’d be the first one to critique my every move, but today, the gym was oddly peaceful without her presence. It was a small relief, but it didn’t last long.

Practice was intense, filled with laughter and camaraderie among the team, but there was an underlying sense of unease that I couldn’t shake. Halfway through practice, I heard a sudden commotion coming from the hallway. The sounds of rushed footsteps and excited shouting echoed through the corridors.

“What’s going on?” I asked one of the girls standing next to me.

“I don’t know,” she replied, her brows furrowed in confusion. “But it sounds like something’s happening in the cafeteria.”

My heart started racing. Without thinking, I ran out of the gym and headed toward the noise. As I reached the hallway leading to the cafeteria, I stopped a student who was rushing past.

“What happened?” I asked, my voice tight with anxiety.

“There’s a fight!” the student exclaimed. “It’s between Aaron and Mateo!”

The words hit me like a ton of bricks. Aaron and Mateo? My stomach dropped, and adrenaline coursed through my veins as I sprinted toward the cafeteria.

When I arrived, I pushed through the crowd of students gathered around the chaos. My heart sank as I saw Mateo and Aaron locked in a heated brawl, their faces twisted with anger. Fists were flying, and the sound of students shouting filled the room.

“Stop it! Please!” I shouted, trying to make myself heard over the commotion, but it was no use. The crowd was too loud, and my voice was drowned out by the chaos.

Then, I heard Mateo’s voice rise above the noise. “Don’t talk about her like that!” he shouted, his fists clenched tightly as he glared at Aaron.

It hit me then—this fight was about me.

Panic surged through me as I watched them continue to throw punches at each other. I saw a teacher, Mr. Grimdall, trying to intervene, but just as he reached them, Aaron accidentally swung a fist in the wrong direction, hitting Mr. Grimdall square in the face.

The cafeteria fell into a stunned silence. Gasps echoed through the crowd as everyone stared in shock. Mr. Grimdall’s face turned bright red with fury, and his voice boomed as he pointed at both Aaron and Mateo. “Both of you—office, NOW!”

I felt frozen, my mind racing as I watched the aftermath unfold. Mateo caught my eye for a brief moment, his expression hard, but I could see the regret flicker in his gaze. He didn’t want this fight, but it had happened, and now, everything was spiraling out of control.