squealed. I jumped backward, hoping the truck would miss me.
My heart stopped when I slipped on some water-soaked leaves that sent me sliding down a hill and hitting every possible branch and stick along the way. All I could think to do was tuck and roll. I thundered to a stop at the bottom of the muddy hill. After a dazed moment, I patted my hands over my body searching for damage. "I'm alive," I whispered in disbelief. "I'm alive," I repeated to convince myself.
A door slammed and a frantic voice yelled, "Holy crap! Are you all right down there?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." I looked up at the dark silhouette of a person. "I just slipped."
The guy slowly made his way down the slippery slope. "I'm so sorry; I didn't see you."
"It's really all right." I reassured him as I wiped mud and leaves off my sweatshirt. "Nothing's broke."
When he reached me, I recognized the guy from study hall, Lucas Andrews. Of all the people in this town, it had to be him.
"Here, let me help you up." He reached for my hand.
"Um, thanks." I hoped he wouldn't notice my hand was trembling.
He placed my arm around his neck and then put his arm around my waist. "Are you sure nothing's broken?"
"Yeah, I'm sure." I willed my body to stop trembling from being so close to him.
"Are you cold?"
"No, I guess I'm still just a little shaken from the fall," I lied.
Carefully, we made our way up the steep incline. It was like walking up a water slide, almost impossible.
"I'll take you to the town clinic if you want to get checked out," he suggested.
"Really, I'm fine. I think I'd know if something was wrong. Thank you for your help. I really need to go."
"Please, let me give you a ride," he insisted.
"That's okay. I don't take rides from strangers." I tried to ease my nerves by concentrating on picking the leaves out of my hair.
"Well, I'm Lucas Andrews, and you are?"
I looked at him blankly for a second. "I'm Eliana—Eliana Davis."
"Well, Eliana Davis, I practically killed you a few minutes ago. The least I owe you is a ride."
I looked at him, and then looked at the time on my phone. It was seven o'clock. I only had thirty minutes to get back to my grandparents' house. "I guess it'll be okay." I wiped some wet leaves off my sweatpants before he helped me into the truck.
The silent ride felt uncomfortable, so I said, "Thanks for giving me a ride."
"It's not a problem; it's the least I can do." He looked at me with a half smile. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm sure." There was no denying he was still nervous about the almost fatal accident. "You look familiar. Are you in any of my classes?"
Lucas grinned. "I think you might be in my study hall."
I was mortified. I had hoped he wouldn't recognize me. "Oh, okay." I stared out the passenger window trying to hide my blushing face. Other than my occasional directions, the awkward silence returned.
When we pulled into the driveway, I said, "Thanks again for the ride. Maybe I'll see you around." I tried not to make eye contact.
"Yeah, I'm sure we'll see each other at school. Have a good night." I could tell he was still grinning by the sound of his voice.
I walked to the house and Mom met me at the door. "Who's that?"
"Oh, just a friend from school, he saw me walking and offered a ride." I didn't want to worry her with the details of my fall down the side of the mountain. I knew that would put a stop to my evening runs.
"Why do you look like you went swimming in a mud puddle?" Mom asked.
"Oh, I slipped on some wet leaves." I couldn't believe how many little white lies I'd been telling.
"Must have been some slip."
When I turned and saw my reflection in the hallway mirror, I gasped in horror. My face was hidden behind thick smudges of mud, and tons of leaves tangled in my ratty hair. No wonder Lucas Andrews had smirked. How had he held his laughter in? I was staring at "Swamp Thing" in the mirror.
"Sorry, I'm so late for dinner," I muttered.
"That's okay; I put a plate in the microwave for you.
My heart stopped when I slipped on some water-soaked leaves that sent me sliding down a hill and hitting every possible branch and stick along the way. All I could think to do was tuck and roll. I thundered to a stop at the bottom of the muddy hill. After a dazed moment, I patted my hands over my body searching for damage. "I'm alive," I whispered in disbelief. "I'm alive," I repeated to convince myself.
A door slammed and a frantic voice yelled, "Holy crap! Are you all right down there?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." I looked up at the dark silhouette of a person. "I just slipped."
The guy slowly made his way down the slippery slope. "I'm so sorry; I didn't see you."
"It's really all right." I reassured him as I wiped mud and leaves off my sweatshirt. "Nothing's broke."
When he reached me, I recognized the guy from study hall, Lucas Andrews. Of all the people in this town, it had to be him.
"Here, let me help you up." He reached for my hand.
"Um, thanks." I hoped he wouldn't notice my hand was trembling.
He placed my arm around his neck and then put his arm around my waist. "Are you sure nothing's broken?"
"Yeah, I'm sure." I willed my body to stop trembling from being so close to him.
"Are you cold?"
"No, I guess I'm still just a little shaken from the fall," I lied.
Carefully, we made our way up the steep incline. It was like walking up a water slide, almost impossible.
"I'll take you to the town clinic if you want to get checked out," he suggested.
"Really, I'm fine. I think I'd know if something was wrong. Thank you for your help. I really need to go."
"Please, let me give you a ride," he insisted.
"That's okay. I don't take rides from strangers." I tried to ease my nerves by concentrating on picking the leaves out of my hair.
"Well, I'm Lucas Andrews, and you are?"
I looked at him blankly for a second. "I'm Eliana—Eliana Davis."
"Well, Eliana Davis, I practically killed you a few minutes ago. The least I owe you is a ride."
I looked at him, and then looked at the time on my phone. It was seven o'clock. I only had thirty minutes to get back to my grandparents' house. "I guess it'll be okay." I wiped some wet leaves off my sweatpants before he helped me into the truck.
The silent ride felt uncomfortable, so I said, "Thanks for giving me a ride."
"It's not a problem; it's the least I can do." He looked at me with a half smile. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm sure." There was no denying he was still nervous about the almost fatal accident. "You look familiar. Are you in any of my classes?"
Lucas grinned. "I think you might be in my study hall."
I was mortified. I had hoped he wouldn't recognize me. "Oh, okay." I stared out the passenger window trying to hide my blushing face. Other than my occasional directions, the awkward silence returned.
When we pulled into the driveway, I said, "Thanks again for the ride. Maybe I'll see you around." I tried not to make eye contact.
"Yeah, I'm sure we'll see each other at school. Have a good night." I could tell he was still grinning by the sound of his voice.
I walked to the house and Mom met me at the door. "Who's that?"
"Oh, just a friend from school, he saw me walking and offered a ride." I didn't want to worry her with the details of my fall down the side of the mountain. I knew that would put a stop to my evening runs.
"Why do you look like you went swimming in a mud puddle?" Mom asked.
"Oh, I slipped on some wet leaves." I couldn't believe how many little white lies I'd been telling.
"Must have been some slip."
When I turned and saw my reflection in the hallway mirror, I gasped in horror. My face was hidden behind thick smudges of mud, and tons of leaves tangled in my ratty hair. No wonder Lucas Andrews had smirked. How had he held his laughter in? I was staring at "Swamp Thing" in the mirror.
"Sorry, I'm so late for dinner," I muttered.
"That's okay; I put a plate in the microwave for you.
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