Falling

10

Carson Hughes

My lips were tightly pressed together as I dragged my feet over to my friends on Monday morning. The tension in my body was not about my group of friends, but about the football player who had joined them this morning.

Sitting extremely close to Hadley was Darren Sanderson. Otherwise known as the second biggest asshole on the football team. Definitely not someone I was happy to see sitting with my friends.

My eyes immediately darted to Logan to see that my best friend was already looking at me with an annoyed expression, his jaw tight and his posture rigid. Hadley laughed obnoxiously loud at something Darren said just as I begrudgingly made my way to them.

Hadley giggled again before turning and nothing I had joined the group.

"Morning Carson!" she said in a cheery tone, Darren directing his smile toward me. The smile seemed harmless enough, but it felt sinister.

"Morning," I muttered, sitting down beside Logan and sharing another look with him before sending a tight lipped smile Darren's way.

"What's goin' on, Carson?" Darren asked in a smooth, friendly tone. I wasn't one to brush people off, but I was not about to make friendly conversation with someone I knew wasn't as good a guy as he was trying to let on.

I just shrugged, sticking my hands in my pockets. Hadley sent me a look of distress, and even though I didn't want it to, it made me feel guilty.

"Not much. What's going on with you?" I asked to appease my friend who then sent me a grateful look.

"Not a lot," Darren replied. "Thinking about having a party this Friday after the game if you guys are interested."

I didn't say anything, and I didn't really have to. Hadley immediately agreed to Darren's offer, Archie nodding along.

"Need an excuse to get drunk," Archie told him.

Darren laughed and nodded in agreement until something, or someone, behind us grabbed his attention. I followed his line of vision to see that Seth Powers was standing not too far from us with an unreadable expression on his face. It seemed as if he and Darren were having a silent conversation before Darren stood up.

"I gotta go," he said, mostly to Hadley. "Hopefully I'll see you guys at my place on Friday."

"I'll be there if there's booze," Archie told him.

Darren chuckled before placing a kiss on Hadley's blushing cheek and walking away with Seth.

"What the hell was that about Hads?" Logan instantly snapped once Darren was out of sight.

"Don't yell at me, Logan," Hadley replied with an eye roll. Logan's eyes looked as if they were going to pop out of his head.

"Something is seriously wrong with you if you're going out with him," Logan told her, earning a smack in the shoulder from his girlfriend. 

I couldn't help but agree with him, but I wanted to stay out of it. Eventually Hadley would see that Darren was just like all the other football players. Until then, I'd just keep quiet.

"I'm cool with it if we get free alcohol out of it," Archie interjected with a shrug.

"For once, I agree with him," Isaac added.

"Okay, my love life isn't up for debate," Hadley said. "I don't need your approval."

"I'm just looking out for you Hads," Logan told her.

She shook her head but the conversation was dropped after that. The group dispersed when the last bell rang, leaving Isaac, Logan and I walking together.