Before She Falls

Chapter 21

"Hey, you wanna drive me somewhere really quick?" Drew says from the doorway of my room.

I lift my head up to his almost six foot build. He looks just like my dad; tall, leanly muscular with short auburn hair and big blue eyes. But I would never tell him any of that.

"Where? I sit up in my bed and bring my attention to my brother's clothing. He's wearing a maroon shirt that stretches around his upper body fittingly, a pair of dark-wash jeans, and even his polo shoes on his feet. I'm not trying to bash on my brother's style but usually his choice of outfit is a pair of gym shorts and a random t-shirt from his variety of a collection.

"Nathan's house" he says nonchalantly, but almost too nonchalantly.

"Dressed like that?" I question him, knowing he wouldn't be going to his friend's house in an outfit like that.

"Yeah" he replies lowly. "Just take me, I'll tell you in the car."

I throw my hands up in the air in surrender and climb out of my comfortable bed and follow my brother. I grab my phone, keys, and a sweatshirt before closing my bedroom door.

"Okay, I'm listening" I tell my brother as I back the car out of our driveway and start the drive down the road.

"It's nothing. Nathan's just having a little get-together and I knew mom would freak out if I asked her to take me. She'd ask me a million questions."

I pull onto Nathan's street and the sides of the roads are lined with various cars. I turn to give Drew a knowing look but his gaze is directed out of the passenger seat window. I follow the lines of cars leading up to Nathan's house and stop the car right in front of the house. I can hear the faint sound of electrical dance music and Drew finally faces me inside the car.

"Some people?" I raise an eyebrow.

"Thank you" Drew flashes me his white smile before grabbing his draw-string bag near his feet.

"Hey" I put my hand on his arm to stop him. "Don't be stupid, okay? Call me if you need a ride or something."

"Thanks Kat" he replies and opens the door. "You're a good big sister."

"I'm serious, Drew."

"Me too" he gives me a half-smile and closes my car door.

I make the five minute commute back to my house and take my phone out of my sweatshirt pocket after I hear it ring.

From: Mark Hunting

Don't be mad at me for this, Katrina. I thought it would bring us closer together, not the opposite.

I imagine punching him in the face before scrolling through my other messages. Shit. I totally forgot to reply to Harry's text message. It's almost been thirty minutes.

To: Harry Styles

Hey :) How's the flight?

I open the door to my house and try to make a swift escape to my room, but my mom catches me half-way up.

"Katrina" she calls to me and emerges from the doorway of the kitchen.

"Mom" I respond with a smile.

"Where's Drew?" she asks in a tone that says I know you just got back from dropping him off somewhere.

"Nathan's" I answer honestly but omit the fact that Nathan's throwing one of the biggest parties a sixteen year old kid has ever thrown.