Breaking Free: A Living Again Novella by L.L. Collins Read Free Book Online

that nice of him to come see me off?”
    “It sure was,” Hailey said. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Greer. It’s nice to finally meet you.”
    “You’re Alexis’ friend. You’re nice.”
    Hailey laughed. “Thanks. Sometimes I’m nice. When Alexis makes me.” She turned as one of the other girls called her. “I gotta run. You coming, Lex?”
    “In just a minute,” Alexis answered. Hailey waved to Greer and ran back to the bus. Alexis turned back to Greer.
    “She calls you ‘Lex’,” he stated, his eyebrows furrowed. “That’s your nickname?”
    “Yeah,” Alexis answered. “I’m sometimes called ‘Lex’ or ‘Lexi’.”
    “Nicknames to me aren’t nice. Your name is Alexis. My name is Greer.” She got that. To him, someone calling you something other than your name was an insult, because that’s what it had always been to him.
    “Nicknames can be nice, Greer,” Alexis explained. “It shouldn’t be something mean.”
    Greer looked over her shoulder at the bus with the girls swarmed around it. “Be careful, Alexis. Too many accidents happen on the interstate.”
    She wanted to say that she wasn’t driving, but she figured he knew that she wasn’t driving a huge bus. “I’ll be careful. What are you doing while I’m gone?”
    “Tomorrow I have class. I’ll have pizza for lunch. I’ll go home and mow the yard. I can text you. Saturday I work out and work on my computer. Sunday I go to the store with mom and do my homework. Then I’ll see you Monday.”
    “Yes,” she reassured. “I’ll see you Monday. We will be back on Sunday. You can text me anytime. The only time I won’t be able to have my phone is during the game.”
    “I’ll watch the game,” he announced. “On Saturday while I’m working on my computer, I’ll look for you on the television. They don’t show the cheerleaders that often.”
    The horn sounded, announcing that they needed to load up. “Let me know if you see me on there,” she told him, reaching her hands back out. He linked his pinky fingers with hers and she smiled at the contact. “I have to go. See you Monday, Greer.”
    “Bye, Alexis,” he said, but didn’t move to let her go. “Bye, my friend Alexis.”
    “Bye, Greer.” Greer dropped her fingers and she turned to walk away when he called her name again.
    “You look… pretty. I’ll miss you.” With that, he turned and walked away, leaving her looking after him speechlessly.
     

     
    Alexis bounced up and down on her toes, trying to calm her jittering nerves. The energy in the room was palpable. She wasn’t sure if she would ever get used to the feeling she had right before they ran out onto the field. She couldn’t wait for their next home game because her family was coming. She missed them so much.
    She heard her phone buzz inside her locker, so she grabbed it quickly. A smile lit up her face as she saw who the message was from.
    I have the television on. I’m waiting to see you. Be safe.
    “Greer?” Hailey said, looking over her shoulder. Alexis nodded, typing back a quick reply.
    We’re just about to go onto the field. My hair is braided today, so that should be easier to find me. Talk to you later.
    She tucked her phone back into her purse and shut the locker. When she turned around, she saw Hailey staring at her.
    “What?”
    She laughed. “You so have a crush on him. You never look like that when Luke texts you.”
    Just then, Ainsley and Rayne walked past her, both of them looking at her down their noses. She refused to sink to their level and act the way they did, even though she wanted nothing more than to tell them exactly what she thought of what they had done to Greer. All in good time , she told herself.
    “I want to trip those two in front of everyone,” Hailey whispered in her ear. “Knock them down a peg or two.”
    Alexis grinned, imagining just that. “Their time will come.” All talking ceased as the door opened and the girls ran out onto the field. Alexis