Falling - On the Banks of Lake Saint Clare (Falling - Book One) Read Online Free PDF Page B

know what shit you are trying to pull but I am so fed up with you and your childish friends that I am on the verge of literally getting you kicked off the squad and stuff.”
    “Good luck with that,” she laughed. “And why are you acting all leader and stuff? Alex is in charge of the squad, not you.”
    There was an immediate silence. Pardon the cliché but you literally could hear a pin drop, and stuff.
    “Oh, no she didn’t,” Abbie whispered.
    I closed my eyes, not wanting to see the murder.
    “Well Erica,” she said, moving closer, “if Miss Thang wants to take over this meeting, then she can have at it. But she’s literally not using my notes Daddy gave me.” She glared at me, “You think you are so great, let ’ s just see.”
    No one moved or said anything for what seemed like forever.
    Erica cleared her throat and I took the hint and finished the meeting. Hailey left and never returned for the rest of practice, but showed up the next day as if nothing had happened.
     
    I watched Hailey walk up to Michael, standing super close to him. I felt my heart hurt. They looked like a couple. She placed her hand on his shoulder and looked him up and down. I wanted to leave, but I couldn’t quit watching. It was like a car wreck that I knew would disgust me but had to look anyway.
    I heard Abbie still rambling about her curfew. She noticed I wasn’t paying attention and turned around. She saw me watching Michael and Hailey.
    “Hailey has a thing for Michael. I hear his mom is a teacher and Hailey has all over her Facebook that they are soul mates. In fact, she even changed her profile name to FutureHaileyWilliams.”
    “Wow,” is all I could say.
    “He’s only lived here for 3 weeks and I bet she’s already sleeping with him,” Abbie said, not knowing how much her words hurt.”
    “Ok!” I heard Hailey yell as Michael walked away from her, “Text me!”
    He said something to Derek and made his way to the lobby. I looked down, not wanting to see his face. I was so hurt and I didn’t know why. I didn’t even know the guy but it felt like my heart was ripped out of my chest.
    “Could we sit here?” I heard a deep voice beside me.
    I looked up and saw Michael and Derek standing beside our table.
    “Sure,” I smiled, shocked and at a loss for words.
    “What about Hai ley,” Abbie practically yelled.
    Michael sat down beside me while Derek stood waiting for Abbie to scoot over.
    I kicked her under the table and gestured for her to move.
    “I don’t know what’s going on there,” he said. “She thinks we are a couple I’ve heard.”
    “Well she’s very popular,” Abbie added as if trying to sell her to Michael.
    “Does that matter here?” Derek asked.
    “Yes. A lot!” Abbie said with a hint of jealousy. “I’m Abbie ,” she held her hand out to shake. Why? No clue.
    “Hmmm,” Michael said, moving a bit closer to me. I could feel his leg touching mine. My heart was pounding in my chest harder and harder. “Get your act together, Alex,” I said to myself. “He’s only a guy.”
    I tried to read his mind. Tried to figure out why he was sitting beside me and assumed he wanted to talk about my dad and baseball. Maybe needed to know the schedule? Was trying to get a hold of my dad?
    He set a frappe’ in front of me, “Here, I got you this. I asked the guy at the counter what you were drinking. I heard that’s what guys do at a bar to impress a girl,” he smiled. “Where do you stand on the topic of popularity, since it is of such importance?” H e asked, looking into my eyes.
    “Where do I stand?” I asked confused.
    “How popular are you?” He asked.
    “I don’t think at all,” I blushed. “I’m just around. Just here.”
    He kept looking at me. I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to answer. For the first time in my life, I didn’t know what to say and didn’t want to say the wrong thing.
    Abbie hoarded in on our conversation, “Alex is much liked. And everyone knows