Falling - On the Banks of Lake Saint Clare (Falling - Book One) (38 page)

Grandma: On the long borig drive to Branson guss what I learned to do? Text. No I’m no xpert. Hows thigs bak home?

I smiled and showed Michael.

I hated texting at the table, thought it was rude, but wanted to answer.

Alex: Great! I am eating dinner with M’s parents rite now. Il text you in a bit.

Grandma: We are g
ing to a show. Just wanted u 2 no we miss u and love u. We will be ho
o
me late tomorow nite. Call if ther r any problems.

“Not bad for her first time texting,” Michael said
,
reading it.

We sat at the restaurant for over 2 hours listening to Michael’s parents talk about the boys. I loved hearing everything about Michael. He had a great family and grew up being the center of their world. But he was the perfect child also. How could they not worship him?

“I have to go home,”
Kaitlyn
said, getting into the car. “My parents said I have been gone too much and that I am neglecting my chores. I don’t want to miss the game tomorrow.”

I could see Derek was disappointed
,
but also glad that she was going to the game. “We need to take her back to the park to get her car.”

We pulled into the parking lot and all over
Kaitlyn
’s car
someone had written,
“Sluts best friend,
”
and
“w
hore onboard
”.

“
OMG
!”
Kaitlyn
yelled. “My parents are going to kill me!”

I climbed out and saw it scratched off easily. “I’m so sorry,
Kaitlyn
. We can take it to the car wash and get it cleaned.”

“Who would do something like this?!”

I heard a car drive by and saw it was Brad. I took
Michael’s hand and held it
, knowing he wanted so badly to go punch his window in and then no telling what he would do to Brad.

“It’s just words, Michael. It means nothing to me.”

We followed
Kaitlyn
to the carwash and started scrubbing her car
,
which
took over 30 minutes to get
cleaned.

“I have got to get home. Derek, I’ll drop you off on my way,” she walked over and hugged me. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow. I like him so much,” she smiled
,
squeezing my hand.

“Ok,” Michael sighed, “Where too?”

I sat there thinking, not knowing where to go. “I don’t know,” I finally said. “My mom moved back home and my grandparents are still in Branson. I’m not in the mood to listen to Erica tonight,
Abbie
is grounded, and
Kaitlyn
’s parents don’t allow people to spend the night.”

“Do you want to come to my house? My parents won’t care. Or I can stay with you at the cabin. You can’t be alone. It’s your call.”

“The cabin? As long as your parents are okay with it. Make sure they know we will be alone. I don’t want them to think I will take advantage of their precious baby boy.”

“Then I’m not staying,” he winked.

If he keeps winking at me, I will definitely have to take advantage of him.

“
I need to swing by the house and change. I don’t think I want to w
ear my uniform all night.”

We walked into Michael’s house and went into the living room where his parents were sitting drinking a glass of wine. They were sitt
ing on the couch together closely.
Like a comfortable closeness that people that are in love sit. I hadn’t seen my parents sit together for as long as I can remember.

“Hey,” Michael said
,
sitting in the loveseat across from them. “Let me run something past you
.
O
kay?”

“Sure,” they both said simultaneously.

“Alex’s Mom moved back in with Coach and her grandparents are gone to Branson. I don’t want her to stay alone. I guess her Mom didn’t realize that was going to be an issue.”

I felt my face redden, hoping they weren’t thinking badly of me because my mom was a bit messed up at the moment.

“She either needs to stay here or I am going to stay at the cabin with her. I’m pretty sure she will feel more comfortable at her own place
.”

“Michael,” his mom said, “we have lectured you on being careful and not to mess up your future so much that I don’t think we can say anymore to you about it. If we haven’t gotten through to you yet, we never will. So we trust
you. You are legally an adult. You didn’t need to ask.”

“
I figured
I
’d ask
out of respect,” he said, walking toward the door.

I looked at his parents and wondered how proud they must be of their son. He never did anything to disappoint them.

“I’m going to change
. I’ll
be back in a few.”

Michael’s mom looked at me and then watched him leave the room
.
“How are things going, Alex? Michael has kept us informed about what all is going on. We are very worried about you.”

“I’m doing great. The doctor said I was recovering amazingly fast,” I looked around hoping Michael would hurry up. I didn’t want to get into all the fiasco that had consumed my life. I didn’t want them to think that I was going to do anything to jeopardize their son’s life.

“Honey, you can relax around us. We don’t judge you by what your family is doing or what you have gone through. Michael has never been happier in his life. Even when something bad is going on, he will call and be so upset
,
but in an instant starts telling us what you two talked about
,
or what you did that evening. He is head over heels for you.”

“Well I feel the same about him,” I smiled. “I really don’t know what I would have done without him. I really love him.”

“Oops,” I thought
.
I di
dn’t mean to let that slip
out. Mom has always told me that teenagers aren’t in love
.
T
hey just think they are because they are aroused all the time. Rachel always said she loved Tony
,
but complained about everything he did. Mom said if you really love someone the little things aren’t noticed.

“He’s a great guy to love,” she smiled.

Whew, no lecture.

“I’m ready,” Michael said, walking back into the room. “You sure you are okay with this?”

“Just go,” his Dad said.

“Night Mom,” he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “Dad” they did a knuckle pound.
Too
cute
,
I thought.

“Love you guys,” he said, walking out the door.

“I think your parents are great,” I said, holding his hand.

“You just like them because they said you can screw me all night. But I’m building my fort,
my friend
. Not going to have you touching on me all night like a pervert,” he smiled, spanking me as I climbed into the car.

I smiled feeling my heart beat faster. I watched him walk around the car. He stopped and blew me a kiss. How can my Mom think that this couldn’t be love?

“Lets stop at the store and get a lot of junk food,” Michael said, pulling into the store. I looked around to make sure that my Dad’s car was not there. I figured with the game he wouldn’t have been there, but I also knew that he checked in at random times.

We w
alked in and Kendra
smiled and hugged me. Then Lana, the other cashier came running over to me “Alex, you look so good! I have missed you so much! How do you feel?”
             
I didn’t think about being bombarded at the store. I had spent so many hours of my life there, but it never really dawned on me just how close I had gotten to these people.

Lana touched my cheek, “You look so good,” she repeated
. I knew by the way she was sta
ring at me that she saw me at the hospital. “I asked your father yesterday when he was here
,
how you were doing, but I guess he didn’t hear me because he kept on walking.”

I looked at Michael and he sque
ezed my hand, u
nderstanding what I was thinking.

“Is this Michael?”

“Yes, Michael
,
this is Lana. She has worked here for about 3 years?”

“Almost four,” she said
,
holding up four fingers.

I always liked Lana and we always talked
,
but I didn’t really have anything to say. I just wanted to get out of the store in case my Dad showed up.

“It was great seeing you, Lana, but we have to get some things and go.”

“Cool. Hey, come in on Wednesday and hang. I’ve got to unload the truck and I will desperately need company.”

“I’ll try to do that,” I waved, walking off.

“You look so great,” she repeated. “Doesn’t she look great, Kendra?”

I walked on around the corner and heard her say, “She was a mess. You would have never recognized her.”

“Just ignore her,’ Michael smiled
. “
What do we want? What do we want?”

“I don’t know. I am still full from dinner.”

“Wrong answer. How about we sit and tell each other stories and cry over ice cream. That’s what chicks do all the time
,
isn’t it?”

“All the time,” I laughed.

“What do we get, what do we get?” Michael asked
,
and then started throwing in 4 different flavors of ice cream and cookie dough. “Whipped cream?” He raised his eyebrows twice. “I saw
that on one of my parent’s porn
s. They have the whole collection of Whipped Cream and Whips.”

“Yeah, your parents look like the type to have their own porn library.” I laughed.

“Cheesecake?” He asked, putting it in
to
the cart before I answered.

“Ok, that is plenty. Let’s go. Oh, no,” I said, noticing him seeing the ball rack. “We don’t have time.”

He took a ball out and walked back to the end of the aisle. “Rebound,” he pointe
d
.
“
Go
!
Go
rebound
.
A kiss for each shot I make.”

“You don’t have to make a shot for me to kiss you. We need to get going. The ice cream is melting.”

“One, throw it back. Come on, come on.”

“Two, one more and we will leave. Three!”

He pushed the cart over to me. “Ok, three.”

“When we get home,” I said, pushing him away. “There are cameras everywhere.”

I turned the corner of the aisle and there stood my dad. “Michael,” he nodded and walked on by.

“Let’s go checkout,” Michael said
,
grabbing my arm, not even commenting on my Dad completely ignoring me.

“Hey Alex,” Lana said, “Your dad is in here. I’m not sure
if he is looking for you
.”

“Thanks.
I saw him.”

“Are you all having an ice cream party?”
S
he asked
,
looking at all the food on the conveyor belt.

“No, I just have a boyfriend that has an addiction for going to the extreme over everything,” I smiled. He slid his debit card and moved over in front of me so I couldn’t see the pin number he was pushing. “She uses me for my money,” he smiled. “Can’t trust her.”

We got our groceries and headed out the door, “You look great!” Lana repeated again.

“I didn’t realize that going out in public was going to be such a huge ordeal. I
’m
going to become
a hermit. And what was the deal with my Dad. ‘Michael.’ I mocked. “Good lord, what a douche.”

“You really thought he was going to high five you or give you a hug? I thought he handled it better than I would have predicted. At least you don’t have a hand print on your face.”

“True,” I shrugged.
“But for him to talk to the guy that threatened to hospitalize him and not his daughter was pretty cold you have to admit.”

“
I will admit that.”

“This is weird,” I said, turning on the lights in the cabin.

“It’s like we are a married couple,” Michael said, putting the groceries away, “without the nagging.”

“Just wait. I am all about nagging.”
             
He walked over and pulled me against him tightly, “Umm, I will love your nagging. You want to watch a movie, read a book, or do some cross stitching?”