Page 2 of Already Falling

Chloe sat next to me during lunch that first day, and we’ve been sitting next to each other ever since. She introduced me to her other friend, Desiree, who always wore her brown hair in a ponytail. The three of us played on the monkey bars at recess.

Chloe is like the sister I don’t have, braiding my hair while we have slumber parties. I help her with her long division, and she helps me pronounce big words during our reading. I know she’ll be my best friend for my entire life.

It’s been a whole month, and I’ve only seen the new boy a couple of other times since first sighting him in the cafeteria. Every time I see him, I feel these swirls of bees in my stomach. One time, his class passed by mine in a single file line on their way to the safety assembly. I tried to pretend like I was tying my shoe, and when I stood up, he was inches from my face as he passed by. I didn’t have the salad bar blocking my view that time and, unfortunately, discovered that he was the most gorgeous boy on planet Earth.

None of the other boys in my class, heck in my grade, even compare to him. His hair flops when he walks, and every time he smiles, his twinkly green eyes curl up at the corners. He smells like a typical boy. But in a good way, not that sweaty smell like my little brothers. He smells like my dad’s cologne mixed with freshly cut grass. It was a matter of time before Chloe was going to start catching on to my peeks.

There is another assembly today, and we are waiting in a single file line for the multi-Purpose Room. Our class is always ready first, but Miss Barone’s class across the hall goes first because her last name is before my teacher Miss Hazel. I know the new boy is going to come out, so I keep looking toward their door. Chloe is talking her head off to me, and I try to nod to look like I know what she’s saying.

“So I begged my mom to rent that new movie, The Notebook, but she said it is for grown-ups. Even though I already have a boyfriend and read teenage fashion magazines—hey, Anni, are you listening?”

She turns her head around her shoulder to see where my eyes keep darting.

Chloe is absolutely obsessed with love and romance and anything with a heart on it. Anything the color pink and red. She will not stop talking about the movie Love, Actually ever since she saw it at her aunt’s house over Christmas. When we got back from holiday break, she asked Isaac Mercado to be her boyfriend. Isaac tells fart jokes and wears ripped jeans. The way his curly, black hair would fall into his eyes was pretty cute, but he always interrupted class during assemblies, and the principal made our grade leave last to recess. Isaac was so excited to be her boyfriend that he told almost everyone he saw right away. He even told my mom when she gave him a ride home one time since he lives across the street from me.

Chloe’s eyes bug out big when she turns back to me. “You’re looking for the new boy, aren’t you?”

“Shhhhhhhhhhh, keep your voice down!” I whisper as I grab her shoulders to look back at me.

“Oh my gosh, you love him.” She giggles as her eyes move to my cheeks, which are warming up by the minute. I feel like I’m going to barf.

“I do not! His eyes just look like green marbles, and I like his band T-shirts.” He passes us, and we see him wearing a dark green shirt that says “Sum 41” on the front.

“Psh, like you even know what band that is, whatever, you love him.” She rolls her eyes and resumes her thought. “Anyway, my mom let me rent Mean Girls instead. Desi said it was hilarious. And I was thinking of getting cheese pizza.”

I’m relieved she stopped talking about the new boy. I might’ve fainted if she kept saying I love him. I do not love him. I barely know him. And, no, I don’t know any of the bands on his shirts, but I think they are still cool.

All I know about him is he is tallish, smells like nature, has a laugh that makes you laugh and knows how to do a wheelie on his bike. I noticed one day after school he went to Isaac’s house, and I saw them through my bedroom window, riding around on bikes. I so badly wanted to work up the courage to join them.

“Can I get mushrooms on my half?” I say as Chloe scrunches up her nose.

“Ugh, I guess so, but don’t have them creep over to my half!” She is the pickiest eater ever and never wants to try anything new. My mom buys basic white bread just for Chloe when she comes to my house.

The school year is almost over, so the last recess feels like a taste of summer vacation. We finished our testing the week before, and I got all A’s. As a reward, my dad is taking me and my brothers to the minor league baseball game after school. The Ojai Owls! It is one of my favorite things to do, especially with my two younger brothers, Joey and Wes. It’s one of the few times we aren’t arguing with each other. I love getting sunflower seeds and cheering when our team makes a big hit.

Only one more recess and one more reading hour of school left before my dad picks me and my brothers up. They are in first grade, so I usually walk over to their classroom after school so we can wait for Dad together. My little twin brothers are so annoying sometimes, but it is my job as big sis to protect them. Even though they are twins, they look completely different. Joey and I look like our mom, Mamma Mia! Who said she took after her mom, who immigrated to California from Ireland. We each have black hair, fair skin, and dark eyes that practically look black. But he and I both have full lips like our dad. Joey likes to dress like a tough guy. Our dad helps him spike his hair into a faux-hawk.

Wes looks like a mini version of our dad, Eddie. They have Brazilian olive skin, fluffy light brown hair, and hazel eyes. He’s obsessed with dinosaurs and wears shirts that have T-Rexes on them. I love my little brothers so much, but they drive me nuts. Whenever I try to focus on my reading, they always come into my room and bounce on my bed, wanting me to play baseball with them in the backyard. I act like I don’t want to, but I secretly have fun playing with them.

This last recess before summer break, I will use every second to beat my other friend Desiree’s record in the monkey bar race. We are meeting at the park by my house next weekend to compete, so I’m using this recess to practice.

Desiree always wins, which bugs me.

I grab the hot metal bars and fling myself across. I am one bar away from beating her record, counting the seconds in my head. One bar away, and then Caleb Marconey jumps up and pushes me off the bars from the other side. I land hard on my hands and knees. The playground has wood chips to break your fall, but I always just end up with splinters and a piece of bark in my shoe.

I growl and am about to pummel Caleb’s face, but I see a freckled hand reach down to me. I look up and see those sweet, sparkly green eyes. I grab his hand and immediately feel tingles through my fingers.

“Are you okay? I saw you fall on my way to the kickball field.”

This is the first time I’ve heard him talk up close. He has a deeper, scratchier voice than I expected him to have, but I want him to keep talking so I can hear more of it.

“I got pushed, actually.” I stick my tongue out at Caleb, who ignores me and runs away to the swing set.

He giggles and reaches up to my hair. “Hey, you have some wood chips in your hair.”

He gently brushes the chips out of my hair, and I lose focus staring at his face. He has light freckles across his nose. I want to connect the dots and see what picture comes out. He also has dark eyebrows that look like caterpillars. When he touches my hair, I feel my knees turn into jelly.

He turns to run to the kickball field, but before he takes off, I yell after him, “Hey! What’s your name!”