Beth Hyland - Fall Into Forever

“Yes! And he totally recognized me. I mean, we just met and everything. Can you believe it?”

Met? Yeah, they said maybe two words to each other.

“I figured he was there to get help like I was, so I asked him what subject he was being tutored in, and get this.” She reaches over and grabs my tray for emphasis, almost knocking over my water. “He’s actually a chemistry tutor.”

Chemistry? That does surprise me. I figured he’d be into communications or marketing or something, given that he works at the radio station.

Sara continues talking like a concrete truck rolling down a hill. With no brakes. “I’m like, no way. That’s totally why I’m here. I can’t believe you’re a chemistry tutor. Is this fate, or what? He laughed, of course, and agreed with me. So I signed up on his schedule and had a private session with him this morning.” That explains the outfit. “God, he was sooo helpful. And sooo hot.” I am strongly disliking—okay—hating the way she says sooo. “I wonder if he’ll mention me on his show tomorrow night.”

“Mention you?”

“If you listened to his show, Ivy, you’d know he sometimes makes little comments about what he’s done that week. Parties, events going on, people. That sort of thing.”

Cassidy catches my eye. She does this subtle little flounce and discreetly flings her hair back. I can almost hear Cassidy say in her radio announcer’s voice, I’m tutoring this girl who has this amazing hair. I can’t wait to tutor her again. I try not to laugh, so I stab at my salad instead. A cherry tomato rolls off the plate and onto the floor.

“Oh yeah, that reminds me,” Sara’s friend says. “Last time I listened, he was talking about some zombie run through campus. Are any of you guys doing it?”

“A zombie run?” I look up from my plate. “What is that?”

“It’s a 10K obstacle race where you’re running from zombies. If you cross the finish line and still have one flag, you’re human. If not, you’re one of the infected. It benefits some charity.”

“Ooh, it sounds fun,” I reply.

“I’m Dani, by the way.” She gives a little wave of her hand.

“I’m Ivy. Nice to meet you. Is that short for Danielle?”

“No. Um…” She clears her throat and looks around sheepishly. “It’s short for Daenerys. From Game of Thrones. My mom read the first book when she was pregnant with me. My brother’s middle name is Harry and my little sister is Isabella.”

“Harry Potter and Twilight?” Austin takes a bite of his cheeseburger.

She nods. “Kind of stupid, I know.”

I successfully spear another tomato on my plate. “Stupid? I think it’s cool to be named after characters in a book. I once knew a family whose kids were all named after the cities where they were conceived. Dallas, Aspen, Carmel, Sedona. So consider yourself lucky.”

“Oh my God, that is so sick,” Cassidy says, laughing. “Who wants to know where your parents did it when your mom got knocked up? Jesus H.” She kisses her cross pendant.

“Yeah, who wants to even imagine your parents doing it at all?” Marla says. “I sure as hell don’t.”

Dani takes a sip from her pop. “I’d be Ballard,” she says, totally straight-faced.

Austin and Erik start laughing.

“What would your name be?” she asks. I can’t tell where she’s directing the question.

Austin shrugs. “Seattle. I think.” Erik doesn’t answer.

I look around the table. “I’d be Hollywood. Florida, that is. Not California. Top that.”

Cassidy snorts. “I’d be Polly. Short for Kaanapali. I was born in Hawaii.” She elbows me. “Polly and Holly.”

“Will you guys stop?” Marla holds up a hand. “This is disgusting.”

Cassidy points a finger at everyone at the table. “Listen. No one better get pregnant while they’re going to school here. Because I’d seriously die if one of you named a kid College View.”

Everyone laughs.

“Speaking of conceptions and birthdays,” Cassidy says, a big smile on her face. “Ivy’s birthday is on Friday. She turns twenty-one, so we’re going to the Hardware Store Pub to celebrate. You guys should come.”

“Happy birthday,” a few of them say.

“Sweet,” Dani says. “I’ve got a fake ID, but it’s not very good. Do they check?”

Austin starts to answer, but Sara interrupts him.

“Hey, guys.” The whole table looks over at her. That’s when I realize she hasn’t told us her city name yet. I wonder if it’s funny or lame. “Do you know if Jon’s running in it? I’m not a runner, but I can be.”

We all stare at her as if she’s just unzipped her clothes to reveal an alien underneath.

Has she not been listening to the conversation? Dani glances over at me, eyes wide, biting her lip. She’s trying not to laugh.

Cassidy does nothing to hide her irritation. “Running? What are you talking about?”

“The zombie race,” Sara answers. “Is he running in it, do you know?”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” Cassidy kisses her necklace.

“Just don’t get any ideas about him, okay?” Marla scowls at Sara. When Sara doesn’t respond, she adds, “I’m serious.”

“Ideas?” Sara flips her hair again. “I have lots of ideas that involve him.”

“Doesn’t he have a girlfriend?” I’m almost positive I walked in on him having sex at the party. And the fight I witnessed had something to do with a girl named Stella.

“Try fuck-buddy,” Marla says. “The guy’s a total player. Slept with the slutty chicks in high school and now he’s working his way through the sororities.”

“Sounds like you,” Erik says to Austin.

Austin gives him the finger and takes a bite from his second cheeseburger.

Marla ignores them. “But that’s not all. He’s been in a lot of trouble. Got arrested a few years ago and kicked out of high school for doing some seriously bad shit.”

“Trouble?” Sara asks.

“Yeah. Stealing. Selling weed. Got arrested and went to juvie.”

My curiosity gets the better of me. “And you know this how?”

Marla repositions the pencil sticking out of her bun. “My friend’s cousin knows him.”

“I’m surprised he got into PSU if he’s got a record,” Cassidy says skeptically.

“Maybe his parents are rich and got him off,” Dani says.

Sara is smiling. She’s liking that explanation. Wealthy parents, hot guy, potential trust fund.

“I doubt it,” Marla says. “I don’t care that he’s on the radio now and is really popular. He’s bad news, Sara, and you should stay away from him.”

I don’t know Marla well enough to know if she’s the kind of person who embellishes stories or not. “Maybe he pulled his shit together.”

“Whatevs, Ivy. You go ahead and think that, but the guy’s trouble.” Marla takes a bite of her quesadilla. “Plain and simple.”

I don’t hear the rest of what she’s saying as I stare into my half-eaten salad with unfocused eyes.

Chase’s brother used that same phrase when I ran into him at the Stop and Shop after the accident. It was the beginning of my downward slide.

Cornering me in the back next to the beer refrigerator and the popcorn machine, Aaron leaned in close. “He loved you, Ivy. Plain and simple. The two of you were meant to be together. It’s too bad you were so fucking stupid you couldn’t see what a great guy he was.”

I’m suddenly not hungry anymore.

Ivy

The Fine Arts building is located on the far end of campus. It takes me a little longer to get there than I thought it would, because when I came through the Quad, I ran into a few people I knew from a class last quarter. They were sitting on the edge of the fountain and talking about what they’d done over winter break. I hung out for a few minutes and misjudged how long it would take to get here, so I had to hoof it and now I’m a little sweaty. I’m glad I’m scrubbing and not wearing one of Cassidy’s new tops.

Through a cluster of leafless trees behind the building, cars whiz by on Monroe Avenue, the road bordering campus. On the other side is Greek Row, with its stately old mansions and covered porches. I catch a glimpse of the church steeple on the corner of Monroe and Sprague and cringe. It’s the same one I saw from the roof of the White House.

“Returning to the scene of the crime?”

I jump at the sound of the deep voice to my left. I turn slowly, as though I’m in a dream. At first all I see is chrome and leather. I blink. And then…

There, not more than ten feet away from me, Jon Priestly is straddling a motorcycle.

My jaw practically drops to the ground as I watch him swing a leg over the seat. He’s wearing dark glasses, a worn leather bomber jacket, faded jeans with a rip in the right knee, and a pair of scuffed black boots.

I have a major moment of amnesia, having no idea what he just asked or what I’m doing here. I quickly clamp my teeth together to keep from saying something that will make him think I’m a total dork. About the only thing I do remember is my name, and honestly, that’s a little iffy right now.

How did I not notice him when I was walking over here? Am I completely blind? How unaware of my surroundings am I that I didn’t notice…this? Had I seen him, I totally would’ve gone around to a different entrance or at least been prepared for what I was going to say.

He pushes his sunglasses to the top of his head, icy blue eyes squinting at the sudden light. My stomach tightens. I don’t know about you, but I secretly love when a guy removes his sunglasses to talk to me instead of leaving them on. Makes me feel like he truly wants to see me and have me see him.