Before She Falls

Chapter 9

I walk through my door to find my bedroom perfectly clean and untouched from yesterday morning. I was convinced that my little sister, Madison, would have rummaged through my closet looking for clothes that she could wear because I wasn't going to be home. She's thirteen years old but still sneaks into my room every once in a while to shop through my clothes. So I'm very pleased to see that she had not been creeping around in my room while I was in the city with Liam.

I plop myself down on my mattress and relax on top of the black comforter.

"Katrina" my mother pokes her head into my bedroom.

"Yeah?" I pick my head up to answer her.

"I'm taking Drew to futball practice and Madison to cheer. Then I have yoga at 2:00pm. Can you pick Drew up at 3:00pm?" My mom smiles at me knowing that I don't, under any circumstances, want to go near Drew's soccer practices.

"Mom" I give her a look.

"I'm sorry, but I'm at yoga and Drew's car is getting work done today so you're the only one that's available" my mom sighs. "Just park in the lot to the left of the field and he won't even see you."

"Alright, alright." I roll my eyes and finally give into the errand.

"Thank you Kat" my mom's voice lightens and she smiles. "I love you."

"Love you too" I mumble into my pillow as she closes my door behind her.

It's 3:03pm and I'm sitting in my black BMW that I got for my eighteenth birthday. I can see Drew packing up his cleats and guards on the sideline of the field. I tap anxiously on the side of my door and bounce my foot up in down. I keep my head low and check my phone.

From: Liam Payne

If you want to stay from Friday to Saturday you're more than welcome. Louis and Eleanor are visiting her friend in Brooklyn and won't be here. So Louis's bed is free so just bring things to sleepover.

I hear a loud knock on the window.

"The door's open, Drew" I answer, not lifting my face from my phone.

He knocks again and as I lift my head up I realize it's not my brother tapping on the window for me to unlock the door to the car.

Mark's tanned face appears in the passenger side window. His features look darker than usual and the outline of his jawline is even more defined. It feels like it's been a lot longer than a couple months since the last time I saw him. His red jersey matches his blushing cheeks and I can't tell if they're turning pink from running around and coaching the practice or just standing next to my car while I'm sitting inside of it.

Shit, shit, shit. I reach over to roll down the window on the other side of my car. Thank God he came up to the right side because I can't even imagine him being any closer to me.

"Hey Kat" he runs his hands over the tuff of blonde hair on his head and it looks like he just had it cut.

"Hi" I say while he leans against my car.

"How are you?"

"Good" I feel a little guilty just giving him one-worded answers but then I remember it's exactly what he deserves.

"That's good. Are you going to Brian's tonight?" He asks, wiping the bottom of his red t-shirt across his sweaty forehead.

"Wasn't planning on it" I say in an almost monotone way. I didn't even know Brian was having a party tonight until Mark just mentioned that.

"You should stop by" he tells me as Drew approaches the car from behind Mark. "Hey Andrew, good work today" Mark pats Drew on the back while he hops into the hot tub.