Falling Into Us Read Online Free PDF

of a word. Anyway, come on. I know how this seems, but it’s not like you’re thinking, really. Give me a shot. Please?”
    I laughed despite myself. “Fine. Give me a few minutes to check with my parents. And stay where you are.”
    He sounded confused but agreed. “Sure, okay. See you in a minute. I’m sitting in the entrance to the Harris Lake Estates.”
    “I’m not sure I want to know how you know where I live.”
    He chuckled. “I gave Jill a ride home after school one day, and she mentioned that you live in the same neighborhood. Nothing… disreputable going on.”
    I laughed again. “I’m hanging up.”
    “Fine. I was done talking to you anyway.” He laughed and hung up before I could.  
    Now came the tricky part: lying to my parents. They’d never in a million years let me go to dinner with a boy, any boy, much less one neither they nor I knew. Jason and I had grown up together, gone to the same schools, been in a lot of the same classes together, but I didn’t really know him.  
    I stuffed my journal in my purse along with my cell phone and skipped down the stairs. My parents were sitting at the dining room table, arguing in a complicated mixture of English, Arabic, and Italian. “I’m going out with Nell.”
    My father looked up, a lifted eyebrow stopping me in my tracks. “You have finished all of your homework?”  
    I nodded. “Yes, Father.”
    He dipped his chin in a shallow, regal nod. “Very well. Check in at ten.”
    “I will. Grazie .”
    I slipped out the front door, checking my purse for my keys before I left. If I dared come home past curfew, he’d lock the doors whether I had a key or not. I had my driver’s license, but Father wouldn’t allow me a car until my junior year, provided I kept a 4.0 GPA through the rest of this year, at which point he would buy me a car. I’d honestly rather buy my own, but that wasn’t allowed, either. I couldn’t get a job, because it would distract me from my studies.  
    I hated being dependent on my parents, but I had no choice.  
    Nell and I often met at the intersection, since if there were boys in the car and they picked me up from my house, my father would have an aneurism. Even if it was harmless, just friends all hanging out, he would lose his mind. I’d gotten good at deceiving him when it came to hanging out with Nell and Jill—which meant Kyle and Jill’s boyfriend Nick—and often Jason as well. We’d go to the mall and hang out, and when it came time to check in, I would make sure it seemed like I was alone with Nell and Jill. This date with Jason would be trickier, though.  
    I decided I’d handle the check-in call later. For now, I had to get my nerves under control. I only lived half a block from the entrance to my subdivision, so it wasn’t a long walk, but I saw Jason’s truck sitting at the side of the road, and Jason’s spiky blond hair and tanned skin, and the walk suddenly seemed endless. Every step echoed in my ears, hammering like thunder. Each step seemed to make every bit of me shiver and jiggle, and I wondered if he would think I was overweight. I knew I wasn’t, logically. I was short and well-endowed, but I was in shape and ate well. I knew it, and most of the time I was fine with how I looked. But every once in a while, usually around Jason, I’d feel self-conscious about my shape. I knew he was attracted to Nell, which made me wonder if he’d ever even see me, since I looked nothing like Nell. I was shorter than she was, heavier than she was. I had dark skin and dark hair. Nell was tall and slender and had pale skin and perfect blonde hair. Nell was energetic and talkative and popular and confident, and I was…not. I was quiet, and shy, and I stuttered.  
    God, I knew I was going to stutter around Jason. I just knew it. He’d make me nervous or excited, and I’d forget myself and start stuttering. I was already nervous, and I wasn’t even within ten feet of Jason. I took several deep breaths