Falling - On the Banks of Lake Saint Clare (Falling - Book One) (49 page)

“Pathetic?” I asked, feeling a chill run through me. I closed my eyes wondering why that bothered me. I decided it was nothi
ng. “She’s still posting Future
Hailey Williams?”

“It was all caps the other night.”

“Well all caps on Facebook means it’s true. I guess I better break the news to Michael,” I laughed.

It was great seeing everyone again. It seemed like a lifetime since I had been around most of them. I had realized that I had become a hermit after the incident, but I wasn’t complaining. Being a hermit with Michael could be my birthday wish.

“So Alex,” Travis tapped me on the back, “Is it true? Are you and Brad twins?”

“I guess we are,” I said, not really wanting to talk about it.

“That’s some weird shit,” he said. “I have known you two all your lives and I never would have guessed. He’s always had this crazy mad crush on you. It seems really weird now remembering some of the things he said about you. I mean, now knowing that you are his sister.”

I didn’t want to know any of it. “Travis, please don’t ever tell me what he said. Okay?”

“Sure,” he said, almost looking confused by me not being curious. “I do want you to know that you didn’t deserve what happened to you. Especially if it was Brad that did it.”

I wanted to scream, “Of course it was Brad that did it. Why even question it!” But instead I nodded, “Thanks,” is all I could say.

Chapter
26

“Let’s get on the road,” Michael yelled at Derek and
Kaitlyn
while he closed the trunk.

“How far is this place?” I asked, getting into the car

“Just
an hour
. Man, talk about a shitload of presents,” he smiled, putting his hand on my leg.

“It was a so-glad-you-didn’t-die-and-it’s-your-special-birthday all in one.”

I watched Michael look in the review mirror, “What’s your mom think about all this money you are spending on me?” I asked. “I don’t want her to think that I asked you for it.”

“It’s my money. She doesn’t care what I do with my money.”

“And how did you get 600 dollars to afford this trip?”

“Gosh, are you my parole officer?”

“I was just making conversation. We have
an hour,
so I thought we could talk. 600 dollars is like 2 months pay for me. And then Dad made me put half in savings that I have no idea if I can get to. I bet there is about 3 thousand dollars in there if he hasn’t taken it for the remodeling.”

“And you are questioning me on 600?”

“I just didn’t want you to break open your piggy bank for me.”

“Well, I had a job in
Dallas
as an after school basketball coach. It paid pretty well. And then the last two summers, I was a camp counselor for 2 months at a basketball camp for elementary kids. D and I both worked there. We never had anything to spend our money because our families aren’t struggling, so we have some cash flow. That and we were gay male prostitutes on the streets of
Dallas
.”

“That’s more believable than the camp counselors,” I laughed. “I take it you are really good with kids.”

“Oh, I am great with kids. They love me. Tell her my nickname, D.”

“The Funny Giant,” Derek answered.

“That’s right,” he looked at me, “not just the giant, but the
‘
funny
’
giant.”

“I caught that when Derek said it,” I smiled.

“The kids do find me funny.”

“Well I find you funny, charming, romantic, and handsome.”

“Oh! Speaking of charming,” he reached under his seat, “
h
ere, your white horse.”

He handed me a little plastic white horse. “That was the best I could do with such short notice.”

“I love you,” I raised his hand and kissed it.

Michael looked at the
GPS
. “Only five more miles. There is a nice restaurant across the street, they told me. We will go check the condo out and run over for dinner. I am one hungry hombre.”

I hadn’t heard a word from Derek and
Kaitlyn
. I
looked back and saw them leaning their heads together whispering to each other. I couldn’t believe that
Kaitlyn
felt so comfortable around a guy, but Derek was a great guy.

Michael went into the rental office to get the key. We figured it was best for the rest of us to stay in the car to not make it look like we were going to be having a smashing crazy party.

He climbed back into the car, “Well
,
I guess he was pretty leery about renting it to me. Cost me a thousand dollar deposit.”

“For real? How’d you pay that?”

“Credit card. Do not, and I mean, do not trash this pad.”

“Well
,
thanks Michael for ruining
Kaitlyn
and my good time. We are always trashing places everywhere we go.”

“I figured. That is why I will repeat, do not trash this pad. This is it? 504? Does that say 504?”

“504,” I said, pointing to the garage. “This is really nice.”

“Ok, everyone grab their stuff. The birthday girl gets to pick her room first.”

I walked in and saw the huge cathedral ceilings and a fireplace that covered the entire back wall. It was so beautiful, with a large sectional that wrapped in front of the fireplace, huge kitchen, and dining room. I went to the right and opened the first bedroom. It was huge, with a fireplace on one wall, king size bed and giant bathroom with hot tub off the side. “This room is beautiful.”

“Alex,” I heard
Kaitlyn
yell, “You will want this room!”

I walked to the other side of the condo and followed her into the room. It was even larger than the first room. It also had a huge fireplace, a hot tub and also a porch swing hanging in the corner that was decorated so it made it look like it was in a flower garden. “I’m sorry guys, but I have to have this room. I miss my porch swing so much. I spent the first memories of Michael on that porch swing. The other room is really nice and has a hot tub, too.”

“Good enough,” Derek said, grabbing
Kaitlyn
’s hand and pulling her to that room.

I walked over and sat on the swing and started swinging back and fo
rth. Michael sat down beside me.
“I miss this so much,” I smiled, feeling so relaxed and content.

“We have plenty of time to swing. Let’s go eat, so we can come back for the rest of the evening.”

We walked into the living room and Derek and
Kaitlyn
were on the couch watching the fire in the fireplace. “This is simply the most romantic place ever,” she sighed.

We walked across the street to the restaurant. It was fairly early so it wasn’t crowded and we got seated right away. The waiter handed Michael and Derek wine menus. “I’ll pass,” he handed it back, “on call at the hospital tonight,” he winked at me.

“Very well, sir.”

“Sir,” I snickered. “Sir?”

“I have a look of authority and will demand you call me sir if you laugh again about it,” he smiled.

“What will we have, what will we have?” He asked, looking over the menu.

“I love when you do that?” I looked at Derek, “Have you noticed when he’s asking himself a question, he asks it twice.”

“Yep, it’s adorable,” he smiled.

“Where be da chicken and waffle?” Michael said, in his gangster voice, flipping the menu over and over.

“Stop,” I laughed, hitting him with my menu.

“Don’t make me take you out back and smack you around. What do you want?”

“For you to take me out back and smack me around,” I smiled, raising my eyebrows.

He winked, sending my heart racing. He placed his hand on mine, “I am getting a huge steak. Sound good?”

“Yeah, that sounds good, but I want a smaller huge steak.”

“I ate way too much,” Michael moaned, walking back to the condo.

“You say that every time we eat.”

“I know. It was just too good.” He fell onto the sectional, grabbing my hand, and yanking me down beside him. “What are we going to do the rest of the evening?”

“It’s like our own little sleepover. Oh, sorry Michael, I forgot, you don’t do sleepovers.”

“I’ll make an exception. What goes on at these parties you girls have? Do you practice kissing on each other?”

“That’s movie slumber parties,” I laughed. “
Kaitlyn
, we have had so many overnighters. What all do we do?”

Kaitlyn
sat down on the couch next to Derek, “Oh! Remember your back-to-school party? The one that Hailey decided she was invited to but wasn’t?”

“That was great,” I laughed. “We had so much fun.”

“We were eleven and some of the ball players were over playing pool. Hailey and her friend started playing spin the bottle with them. Hailey was kissing any boy that the bottle landed on and didn’t land on. She had her tongue so far down Jonathon’s throat we thought he was gagging. We even saw Greg go up her shirt, but she didn’t have anything to go up. We had to stare because we had never seen anything like that going on in real life. We never played spin the bottle, but any party Hailey was at
,
there came the bottle.”

“So what else do you all do at slumber parties
,
besides watching spin the bottle games from a safe distance?” Michael asked.

“Sometimes we play truth or dare,” she said.

“We must,” I smiled, rubbing my hands together. “It’s definitely a must.”

“How do you play?” Derek asked.

“You’re kidding,” I asked. “You don’t know how to play truth or dare? It’s like the most popular game in the world.”

“Sorry,” Derek said defensively.

“Ok, you ask someone truth or dare. If they say truth, you ask a question they have to answer. They say dare, you dare them to do anything you want. And you can’t dare to swap partners,” I added.

“Then I’m not playing,” Derek said.

“Funny,” I smiled, seeing the look on
Kaitlyn
’s face. “He was kidding!”

“Derek, you go first,” I said.

“Hmm, Alex, truth or dare?”
             
“Truth.”

“I am pretty sure I know the answer, but are you a virgin?”

I heard
Kaitlyn
gasp.

“Yes, I am, and
Kaitlyn
, that question could have been so much worse. So control your gasping,” I laughed. “My turn!
Kaitlyn
, truth or dare?”

“Ohhhhh, dare,” she cringed. “Be gentle,” she whispered.

I laughed, “Ok
Kaitlyn
, take your hand and put it on Derek’s crotch for 15 seconds.”

“Alex!” she whined.

“Do it,” I smiled, showing no mercy.

I watched her look away from him and put her hand on his crotch. I couldn’t stop laughing because by the way she was acting there was nothing sexual about it as she counted down to one.

“That was evil,” Michael laughed, holding my hand.
             
“Ok,”
Kaitlyn
sighed, “Michael, truth or dare?”

“Truth.”

“What is it about Alex that drives you wild?”

“She swallows when I cum in her mouth.” He said so seriously, I would have believed it.

“Oh my
g
od!”
Kaitlyn
yelled, and then cupped her hand over her mouth to try to cover up what she had done.

I took a pillow and hi
t Michael with it, “Michael, do no
t do that,” I laughed.

“Hey, this is what you wanted to play. We are supposed to tell the truth.”

“It’s not true,
Kaitlyn
, so you can stop going into cardiac arrest. Michael, answer the question and clean it up,” I smiled.

“What drives me wild, what drives me wild?”

I winked at Derek, seeing him smile.

“Just about everything she does drives me wild, but something clean. She did this arobosko thing last night that was really hot.”

“Arabesque,” I corrected him. “Oh
!
Michael is a natural when it comes to cheerleading.”

“Alex is a natural at some things also,” he patted my leg and winked.

“Don’t,” I warned him, remembering him saying I was a natural the day before.

“
That drove me wild,” he whispered in my ear. “I could have said that, you know.”

I smiled, feeling him kiss my neck. “Michael, your turn.”