When Lightning Strikes

Chapter 22 -- Falling pretty hard

"Whoa, not just Mason. I need to go too." Jonas interrupts.

I shake my head, "I would need to go as well, but we have to act normal. We can't all go see Richard Banks. Mickey would go looking for us."

"Mickey? Oh, you think he's the other Red Raven." Mason murmurs to himself. I nod, then turn my attention back to Jonas.

"You can't go, Jonas." I fold my arms over my chest.

He rolls his eyes, "No, we can't go. I can. You and Ash carry on, and Mickey will never know I'm gone."

But Jonas can't leave me. Not in biology, not with Sophia. What am I supposed to do without him in that class?

It's one day, Della. It's just one day. I tell myself.

Apparently I wasn't convinced of this plan in my facial expression. Ash gently pats my back, "It's okay. Jonas is a hero too. I think he can manage one time without you," She glances at him, and his eyebrows shoot up in surprise. She took his side? "Maybe." She finishes.

"Okay, let's all get some sleep. Ash, Della, y'all go to school tomorrow. Jonas, you're coming with me." Mason claps his hands together to finalize the plans.

Ash begins to walk out of the door when Mason clears his throat awkwardly. "Do you want me to take you home?"

My eyes almost pop out of my head. Did my brother just ask my best friend if he could walk her home?

Ash blushes a deep red. "Well if you'd like to..." He smiles like I've never seen before. No, seriously, I don't think I've ever seen my brother genuinely happy.

Mason and Ash head out of the room. I hear her say, "Wait, where's your car?" I laugh when I hear her shriek as they take off into the night sky. Jonas chuckles too.

"Did you see the way he looked at her?" I grab Jonas' arm, shaking him to the point where he looked green in the face.

"What are you talking about?" He finally catches his balance.

I gesture towards the open doorway, "Mason and Ash!"

Jonas squints but laughs in my face, "Those two? You're seeing things."

My stomach has a knot in it all of a sudden. Jonas walks around me, still laughing at my accusations.

My voice is barely above a whisper. "It's the same way you looked at me." I dare to say aloud.

Jonas stops dead in his tracks, but doesn't turn around in the door frame. I feel my heart racing as I wait for his response. How I wish I knew how he felt.

"Wow. Then he must be falling pretty hard for her."

***

I stare at the road ahead of me. Three miles, straight shot. My finger lingers over the watch on my wrist. I let out a steady breath, focusing my energy.

My Nikes are positioned against the pavement in a running stance. Here we go.

In a bolt, I take off for school. The wind tosses my hair around and it probably wasn't my best decision to wear a flowing shirt. When I arrive, I stop the clock. Point two seconds. Ugh. I should be faster by now.

I march into the school building fixing my hair with my phone camera. Ash should be here already. She's always been a morning person.

My stomach growls, reminding me that I forgot to eat breakfast. I tug on the straps of my book bag and begin to walk through the commons area. No one looks at me anymore.