Fighting the Fall ✔

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Lydia Dunst

"You want me to what?" I asked Janie, groaning in pain. She looked away from the mirror, surprised.

"I'm asking you to go to the mall after school, not jump off a bridge. Gosh. If I hadn't seen you in your workout clothes, I would have thought you were a dude. Seriously, though, Lydia." Janie was the one girl who didn't seem to mind my extra curricular activities and boyish personality. Either that or she tolerated it. We simply would agree to disagree on most things.

"I think I'd rather jump off a bridge." Sarcasm was my greatest defense -- besides punching people. Although fighting in public didn't seem to go over well. I sighed and decided it was in my best interest to give in or she would suggest something worse than shopping. "Fine, we can go shopping, for like two hours, but that's all."

"Awesome," she said, like she knew I'd give in eventually. "How do I look?" She fixed her curled blonde hair so it fell over her shoulders and gestured to her makeup.

"Great. Now can we go to school before we're late?" I jumped off her bed and picked my bag up from the corner of the room.

"But you haven't done your makeup yet." Janie tried for the millionth time. She knew I hardly ever wore makeup.

"I have mascara on," I retorted.

"That doesn't count."

"Ha-ha, very funny. I think I look great. Au natural." I smiled cockily. I felt good enough being confident in my own skin.

"Yeah, that's why I'm jealous."

She was beautiful, though, so I didn't understand the reasoning behind her jealousy. That's why I rolled my eyes. Janie was the kind of girl all the guys wanted to date, not the athletic girl who was one of the guys.

"Come on, we still have to pick up Casen and get to school before nine thirty. It's nine fifteen now. Crap." I raced down the stairs and to my white Audi convertible, parked in the driveway with Janie not far behind. "Can you text Casen and tell him to be ready?"

"Like that'll help, Casen has no sense of time."

"I know, but I'm hoping for a hail Mary, that he'll be ready and if he isn't I will hurt him." I put emphasis on the last four words and pulled the gear shift into drive.

"And I'm okay with that."

While driving to Casen's, I was pushing the speed limit. People liked to comment on my questioning driving skills, but I refused to let that influence how I drove. As I pulled into his driveway, Janie was clutching onto the car door. "Remind me to drive next time."

"Where is he?" Talk about pushing limits. I groaned when Casen didn't come out of the house after five minutes. Just as I got out of the car, ready to find him, he came out of his house. I punched his shoulder hard. He cursed under his breath.

"Well, ouch! What was that for?"

"I said I would hurt him," I said to Janie, loud enough so Casen could hear.

"Yes, that she did." Janie agreed. "Hurry up, get in."

"Are you going to move your seat back?" he asked, gesturing towards the fact that I drove a two door.

"Nope, hop over pretty boy." Those two words summed Casen up to a tee. He was super pretty, for a boy that is.

"Next time, I get shotgun."

"Next time don't be late." I rolled my eyes.

"'Next time don't be late,'" Casen mimicked.

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