Falling

T W E N T Y - S I X

This chapter is dedicated to my #1 hype girls, you know who you are ;)

[Will's POV]

I feel energized this morning, more than usual.

As I walk through the crowded hallways of the school, I return greetings from my peers walking past me. Some just smile and wave, others say 'hi'.

"Will, man, what's up?" This kid that sits behind me in history holds out his hand to me. I exchange a bro shake with him. I think his name is Ryan.

"Not much. Hey, I'll catch up with you later." I give him a head nod and keep making my way down the hall, my eyes zeroing in on the reason for my energy so early on a Monday morning.

She stands at her open locker with her hands resting inside, scrolling through her phone.

As I make my way to her I take the time to assess her. Her normally curled, long hair is pin-straight. It looks extra shiny and soft. She tosses a strand of it behind her shoulder and that rest of it sways from the movement. Katelynn has always been a fashionable girl. She keeps up with the styles, a lot like my mom, and always looks super put together. But today she seems to be dressed much more casually than usual, and I must say—I like it. She's wearing a cardigan layered over her shirt paired with jeans and a pair of Birkenstock's that show off her pink painted toes.

There's something about her looking so casual and laid back that I find really cute.

Don't get me wrong, I love when she gets all prettied up. But her look today just goes to show that she looks good in anything, even when she isn't wearing outfits that belong in fashion magazines.

I come to a stop right beside her, leaning against her neighboring locker. I clear my throat to get her attention.

She sets her phone down in her locker and turns to face me completely.

"Hey." I grin.

"Hi." She returns my smile with her own beautiful smile.

I hold out the to-go coffee cup in my hand to her. "Blonde Vanilla Latte." She takes it from my outstretched hand looking surprised.

"You got me my favorite coffee? How did you even know?" She hugs it to her chest and looks up at me with shock covering her features. "Where's yours?"

"You ordered it that one time when we ran into each other at Aroma Mocha." I smile, her looking so surprised is freaking adorable. "And I already drank my coffee in the car."

Her lips open into an 'o' shape. Without saying anything she tugs me into a hug, wrapping her arms around my neck securely. Her free hand that isn't holding the coffee winds itself into the hair at the nape of my neck.

I completely relax into her 'take-charge' hug and inhale her minty shampoo scent.

All too soon she releases me and takes a step back. "You are the sweetest. I woke up way late today and had to skip breakfast to be here in time so this is absolute perfect." She rakes her hand through her hair and brings the cup up to her lips, taking a sip. My eyes follow the action but a mark on her chest captures my attention. Her striped v-neck t-shirt dips just low enough to reveal the hickey that I accidentally gave her at the lake house.

My eyebrows shoot up in amusement and when she realizes where I'm looking she clears her throat. "Will. My eyes are up here." She says exasperated.

"I know." I nod. "But your hickey is right there." I point to her chest.

She wrinkles her eyebrows in confusion and looks down to her chest and when her eyes catch the hickey she quickly covers it with her hand and looks up at me with wide doe eyes.