Falling

T H I R T E E N

The cafeteria is full of chatter as I walk through the doors and make a beeline for our usual table towards the middle of the room.

I pull my chair out and set my bag down on the table as I take a seat with April and Peyton.

"Katelynn I got a C- on my math quiz. I need you to help me study." April turns to me and says as soon as I sit down. She hands her math quiz to me and the C- written in bold red marker catches my eye.

I scan my eyes over the sheet to see which kinds of questions she missed so that I know what I need to spend more time going over with her.

I hand the paper back with a nod and search through my bag for my lunch.

"Is your teacher going to let you retake it?" I ask, pulling out my white paper bag lunch and laying everything out in front of me.

She bobs her head up and down, "Retakes are on Monday so we don't really have to worry about it until this weekend, thank gosh." She picks up a fry and pops it in her mouth. "Does Saturday work?"

I open up my little Rubbermaid container of vanilla bean yogurt and freshly cut up strawberries and blueberries and shovel a spoonful into my mouth. I shake my head to answer her question and swallow my yogurt before speaking. "I have plans with Will and his family on Saturday. Well, if my dad agrees to let me go. Will's mom invited me along to go visit his grandparents at their ranch for the day in Bellmoor." I explain.

"His mom invited you?" Peyton asks, her eyebrows pinched together in confusion.

I nod my head. "Yeah I met her when I helped him study at his house on Monday. Apparently she really liked me." I shrug my shoulders as if to say "who knows why".

Suddenly the vacant chairs at our table are pulled out and each of the guys drop their lunch trays on the table before sitting down. Mason sits down on my right and Will takes the spot to my left. Wyatt sits beside Peyton and I'm surprised to see Luke and Kelsea sitting down as well.

According to Will, they don't hang out with the guys very often. They prefer to be alone, just the two of them. Not in a rude way, but just because neither of them are very social so they prefer to just stick to each other. Will says that he and the other guys aren't bothered by it, Luke has never been very close to the three of them. While Will, Mason and Wyatt are best friends, Luke is just a buddy of theirs.

"Hello ladies." Mason says. I crinkle my nose. "What?" He asks me.

"She doesn't like being referred to as a 'lady'. It reminds her of old ladies." April says, munching on a carrot and leaning on the table. Sorry, let me rephrase that. My carrot.

"Oh I'm sorry. I meant to say "ladies and Katelynn"". He says with a mouth full of his burger.

A hand from my left reaches in front of me and picks up a half of my pb&j.

"Thank you." I say back to Mason with the same teasing tone that he used.

I catch Will's eye as he takes a bite of my sandwich. What is with people taking my food?

He finishes chewing before he says, "what?"

My face is full of amusement when I say, "excuse you, that is my sandwich."

He nods and takes another bite. "I know. Why is this the best peanut butter and jelly that I've ever had?"

I grin, excited that yet another person has appreciated my perfect pb&j. I've worked hard to perfect it. "Well I use the perfect ratio of peanut butter to jam. And instead of using jelly, I use strawberry jam. I also put butter on both pieces of bread before spreading the peanut butter and jam."