Falling In Between (Falling Novels #1)

Chapter Four

Two weeks later I was feeling pretty good. The numbing meds had run out but the throbbing in my head and down my back seemed pretty much gone. Sophie drove us into Rutland so we could spend the afternoon soaking up rays in the city park. Being Vermont, we didn't have long before the cool weather began to push out what little warmth we had.

The nice thing about being seniors now was that we weren't restricted to the academy grounds. Only seniors could leave the property on week days. All other class levels had to wait for the weekends. So there we were on a Thursday afternoon, laying out on the grass watching a group of guys play Ultimate Frisbee in the park by the large pond.

"So have you made a date with Robert yet?"

"No. I've been waiting for the humiliation to fade. I'll probably go find him sometime this weekend though."

That and the meds had made me really groggy, and I seemed to have slept away most of my time outside of class. Hopefully he won't think I blew him off.

"You could always take him down to the pond and have him strip down to his Speedo. Tit for tat, you know? Speaking of Speedos, we really need to go to a few swim meets this year."

"Eh. With my luck he'll be wearing boxers, so what's the point?" I joked.

Sophie lowered her sunglasses and flashed me those gorgeous blue eyes. Some of her dark brown waves fell over her cheeks, and the red in her hair shimmered in the sun. "You're assuming he's not going commando under those jeans. Just think about it. You take him to the pond and get him all hot and ready to go. You think he's gonna actually say no if you suggest skinny dipping at that point?"

"Heads up!" a male voice shouted.

I saw Sophie's eyes stretch and her mouth fall open, but it didn't matter. Something smashed into the side of my head before I had the chance to react. A moment of pure pain was immediately followed by nausea. I groaned as I bent over, reaching out to assess my head as shots of pain radiated outward from the point of impact.

Sophie gasped and ripped my hand away to cradle and inspect my head herself. "Oh-my-God-are-you-ok-aaaaayyyyyy?!"

The inside of my head was absolutely throbbing. Moaning, I grumbled, "It's like a jackhammer in here."

A pair of running feet suddenly slid to a halt on the ground I was staring at. Clearly male feet by the black and white sneakers and dust-filled socks.

"I am so sorry!" the guy said. At least he sounded cute. "That wasn't supposed to hit you!"

Sophie snorted. "What exactly was it supposed to do?"

I had inhaled three deep breaths to calm the nausea and throbbing and the guy still hadn't answered. I looked up just as Sophie got to her feet.

"You're okay, right?" she asked. "'Cause that's my cue."

"Huh?" Cue for what?

Sophie winked and whipped off in the opposite direction faster than I ever thought a pair of heels in grass could go, leaving me dumbfounded and utterly confused.

"What the hell?" I shouted out to her. Really wish I hadn't. All I got in return was an intense pain in my head, and I groaned and buried my head in my hands.

"Again, really sorry about that."

I finally glanced up at my assailant, immediately blinded by the mid-afternoon sun. I threw my hand up to shield it, but I didn't get a clear look at the guy until he sidestepped to block the light with his body.