The Price of Falling

Chapter 3

"Hey, babe," Jason leaned down to kiss Molly on the forehead, leaning on the lunch table. "Hey, Ruthie."

"Hey," I smiled at him as Molly yanked him down to sit beside her. I was lost in a textbook, trying to figure out my math homework so that I wouldn't have to do it when I got home. I was barely listening to their conversation.

"Hey, nerd!" Molly practically shouted at me. When I looked up, she jerked her head toward the cafeteria door and said, "Look who's back at school."

I turned to see who she was talking about and saw a tall, dark-haired boy walking towards the table in the very back corner of the cafeteria. But, as he was walking, he caught me staring at him, and that all-too-familiar smirk crossed his mouth. I quickly looked away, and started talking to Molly. "I thought he was in juvie?"

"He was, but looks like they either released him, or he escaped," she grinned sarcastically.

"Why is he coming over here?" I sounded just as panicked as I felt. I frantically tried to make myself busy. I didn't know why I was acting so weird. It wasn't like I liked Conner. It was actually the opposite – I hated him. Not to mention he was bad news.

"Hey Griff," his voice cut through my internal ramblings. I slowly looked up at him. His gray eyes were cutting through me as that stupid smirk still laid on his lips. I wanted to smack it off.

"That's. Not. My. Name," I said, very precisely. Because maybe, just maybe, this time he would listen. No such luck.

"Oh well," he shrugged his shoulders and took more than his half of the bench I was sitting on. He had grown a lot in the six months he'd been away. And it looked like he had a tattoo? Multiple tattoos? Was he even allowed to get a tattoo? I hadn't looked at him this carefully since he sat in front of me for history class our sophomore year. "Hey, Molly. Jase," he nodded at my best friend and her boyfriend. I had forgotten he was on the football team before he got arrested a year ago. So, he was probably just over here to talk to Jason. Why was he sitting so close to me, and why did he smell so good?

"Hey, man. How's everything going?" Jason probably felt guilty about Conner getting into so much trouble. The rumor was that because Conner had a record, he took the wrap for something that he and three other football players did last year. Something to do with vandalism and drinking on school property. But all the other boys threw him under the bus because he had already been in trouble before. At least that's what some students were saying.

"You know, same old same old. I finally charmed them into letting me out," he was smiling now. I snorted at the thought of Conner Finley Price charming anyone. He cocked his head at me, one eyebrow raised, but his smile never faltered. "So, Smithey, you going to prom?"

I internally groaned. "Yes," I answered as shortly as I could. I don't know what it was about him, but something just got under my skin, and I couldn't control it like I could everything else in my tiny little world.

"And who's taking you?" He asked.

"No one. This is the twenty-first century. A girl doesn't need an escort to the prom," I defiantly said. I was hiding my dread over this topic, and nervousness over how close he was to me, disguising it as feminism.

He held up his hands in mock-defeat. "Okay, okay, I was just asking. Don't burn me at the stake." Molly giggled, and I shot her a glare. She made a little snorting noise and bit down on her top lip.

"It's none of your business anyway," I returned my glare to Conner.

"I was going to ask if you wanted to go with me," He faked a heartbroken sob, and held his hand over his heart. I debated whether I should hit low and ask if he could even go to prom. I decided against it, and gathered my books and tray, right before the bell rang to signal the end of the lunch hour.

"See you around, Griffy," Conner Price flashed me a dimpled smile before I turned on my heel and practically ran away from him.