Learning to Fall: Chapter 2

It’s already Friday, my favorite day. Ryan has yet to figure out that I was with Joe last weekend, not Cole. I promised Joe that I would spend the night again tonight so he could get off of my butt about lying to Ryan. Alyssa finally agreed to let Brooke spend a week here for my graduation. I’m at school right now, about to head off to lunch.

“Hey babe.” Ryan strolled up to my locker before we headed to the cafeteria.

“Ryan, you know I hate being called ‘babe’.” I said sternly, closing my locker.

“Oh yeah, sorry. Come on, I’m hungry.” He grabs my hand and drags me to lunch.

This day is going by slowly, as well as this year. I have been waiting for this year for so long, I’m finally a senior!! This is the year that I kiss goodbye to all the childish drama, horrible teachers, stuck-up preps, tasteless cafeteria food, and the crazy loads of homework. The class of 2008 is outta here!! Maybe I’m getting ahead of myself a little bit.

At first I thought this place was the place to be, but it’s lost all of its charm. Los Angeles is probably one of the most exciting place in the entire world! Except for when you actually live here. Everything and everyone pretty much just start to blend in with the crowd. Most of the time people here are just imposters trying to get their share in and of the world.

I swing and sway against the opposing crowd. Man, this place is getting more and more crowded these days. You can’t even walk down the stairs without having to push yourself up against the railing so you can squeeze by.

I wave and say hello to people as Ryan rushes to the cafeteria. I never noticed it, but I’m pretty popular around here. I find myself saying hi to kids that I don’t even know. Sometimes I’ll be walking in the halls and freshmen will move out of the way for me so I can get to class on time. One time I had this guy give me his chocolate milk at lunch because I had nothing to eat. It wasn’t always like this though. I used to be that one little girl that got pushed around in the hallways, sat on at lunch, and questioned by the teachers about my existence. I guess everything changed when I was voted captain of the girl’s varsity soccer team.

Now that’s one thing I’m going to miss. Soccer is my life. I’ve been playing the game since I was six. My weekends are always filled up with soccer games and tournaments. I’ve been playing on the high school varsity team since I was a freshman. Playing soccer for me is like giving weed to teenagers. The first time is thrilling and wild, you feel like you‘re on a roller coaster that‘s spinning and tossing you around non-stop. Then, it becomes a habit, you‘re addicted. You can’t let go of the incredible high you get and you’ll do anything to experience it again.

Playing the game has given me incredible strength, speed, endurance, and an awesome natural tan. Even my naturally red hair has some sun streaked strands hidden in it. Most of them are on the bottom because I always have my hair in a ponytail.

“Earth to Abby….” I focus back into reality to see Ryan waving his hand in front of me.

“Uh, yeah. What?”

“Are you gonna eat anything?” He’s holding up an orange for me.

“Um, no actually. I had a huge breakfast and I don’t want to overstuff myself so much that is revisits me while I run to my classes.” I take the orange from his hand and place it back into the cold container with the rest of the oranges.

Once Ryan paid for his enormous lunch, we scrounged the cafeteria for a table to sit at. We must have looked like idiots just standing there, scanning the cafeteria. I’m surprised Ryan didn’t just threaten some freshmen to move.

After what seemed like an eternity, we spotted a table all the across the cafeteria, next to a window. We sloshed down our stuff and Ryan started to chow down. Since he’s on the wrestling team, their coach makes them eat like ten pounds of food every major eating period. Today, Ryan has three pieces of pizzas, a hamburger, two orders of fries, a bag of Doritos, two chocolate chip cookies, a container of jello, some peaches, a cup of sweet tea, and a bottle of fruit juice. I can hardly sit by him while he eats.

So I studied instead. I have a test in English. Although, my next period is Spanish, so I’ll have another period to study.

Lunch was probably the shortest period all day. The bell rang and I gathered all of my stuff into by bag and kissed Ryan on the cheek, I definitely wasn’t about to actually kiss him after what I just saw. I scurried to my class just in time for the teacher to come walking in.

“Hola Abigail, como estas?” Why is she always so cheery?

“Estoy muy bien Senora Terry. Como esta usted?”

“Muy bien, Abigail. Muchas gracias”

As she walks to her desk, I turn my smile upside into a frown. I sigh, and walk to my desk, which is luckily in the back.

The period past by relatively slow, as usual. Instead of taking notes and listening, I doodled in my notebook. I love to speak in Spanish and all, but the teacher makes the class so boring. Her name is Mrs. Terry, but we just call her Senor Guardo, which means Mr. Fat in Spanish.

I raced out of the room when the bell rang. Ryan was waiting for me at my locker after class.

“Hey you!” For some reason I was suddenly perky.

“Hey. How was Spanish class?”

“The same, aburrido.,“ I chuckle, “how was Government?”

“Not very exciting,“ he reaches over and grabs my waist, “I have some news.”

“Good or bad?” Now I’m interested. I spin around in his arms.

“I have a match this weekend against our biggest rival!” Ryan lets go of me and holds his left hand up so I could slap it. What an idiot.

“That’s great” I jump up to slap his hand. I barely made it, “what time is it?”

“At ten. You gonna come?”

I wince. I totally forgot to tell him that I was spending the night with Joe this weekend. He is so going to freak.

“Um, of course I’ll try.” Did that sound convincing enough?

“You’ll try? What does that mean?” Now he’s hovering over my locker door.

“It means I’ll try,” I sigh in surrender, “I already promised someone that I would spend the night with them. But I promise to wake up and go to your match. Is it here?” I shuffle my notebooks and text books around in my locker.

“Is this someone a boy or girl?” Now he has his arms crossed.

“Um, it’s a…boy.” I step back a little so I wouldn’t be deaf by Ryan’s yelling.

“You’re gonna spend the night with JOE and not even tell me?” There’s practically smoke fuming from his ears.

“Why do I have to tell you? It’s not like I’m going to do anything! He’s my best friend. You can’t keep me from hanging out with him!” I said defending myself.

I hate it when Ryan gets mad at Joe. For some reason, Ryan can’t be around Joe for more than five minutes without wanting to beat him up.

“I’m not worried about what you’ll do, I’m worried about what HE will do! Everyone knows that he’s in love with you!“ He begins to walk backwards, “You know what, fine. Go spend the weekend with your wannabe boyfriend. I don’t even care!”

Ryan turns around and stalks off to his last period of the day. What has gotten in to him? How could he say that? Joe does not love me. We’re just best friends and that is it.

Whatever. I’m not going to worry myself to death over this. Besides, I’d rather hang out with Joe on the one Saturday that I don’t have a game than watch teenage boys practically grope each other.

I shudder at the thought and close my locker. I look up at the clock that’s hanging on the wall right above me. Shoot! I’m going to be late. I kick it into high gear. Unfortunately, my last class is English, which is downstairs and towards the end of the hallway. I have less than two minutes to get there, or I’ll be late. And I can’t be late again, or I’ll have to take all of my exams.

I run over to the stairs, holding onto the rail as I slip. I’m basically hoping down the stairs, taking them three at a time. After about twenty seconds, I reach the last step and jump. I lunge hard to my right and kept running. I can see my teacher reaching for the handle to close the door.

Oh God, Oh God, Oh God. Please, please, please, let me make it!?!?!?

I begin to slow down my pace, not wanting to miss the door and slide into the glass doors at the end of the hall.

*RRRRRIIIIIIIINNNNNNNGGGGG*

The tardy bell rang right when my right foot entered into the room. Whoosh, that was a close one! Once everyone congratulated me on my almost tardy, I took my seat. I have a feeling that the teacher isn’t going to grade my test with leniency.

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Finally!!! The bell rang for school to be dismissed and I couldn’t be anymore happier. I threw all of my stuff onto my shoulder and rushed out the front doors.

The weather is perfect. The sun is shining, the wind is slightly swaying, there’s not a cloud in the sky, and it’s only about 96 degrees today. In California, summer starts at about the last week of April, and it’s the second to last weekend in May. Which means I have two weeks until I graduate!!!

I’m so glad Ryan has practice after school. I can get away much faster without him having to talk to his wrestling buddies for fifteen minutes about his new moves for wrestling. I normally would have soccer practice after school but the coach cancelled because his wife is having their baby. Next Friday, I have a soccer tournament for my club team. It’s going to be brutal, but I can handle it.

I jumped into my red Jeep Wrangler and put the keys into the ignition. Excited about the weather, I decided to put my top down. Once I checked both ways for the idiots that walk behind a started car, I backed up and left the school.

On my way home, I stopped by Starbucks to grab a green tea frappucinno. I love, love, love Starbucks. I go there every morning and usually every afternoon. This is Joe’s and mine favorite hang out. Joe usually brings his laptop and we look at funny videos on youtube.com.

Alyssa put Cole into an all boy boarding school. Ha ha, that sucks! His school doesn’t even get out until four o’clock. She tried to enroll me into an all girl school, but I threatened to run away.

I pulled into the garage at around 4:30 p.m.. I decided that before I head off to Joe‘s that I get a little nap in.