Catch My Fall by Ella Fox Read Free Book Online Page B

Uncle Jesse and Neil have been the male influences in my life and I flat-out don’t like John—less so now than ever.  Any pipe dream that I had tucked away in my heart about him one day having a come-to-Jesus moment and wanting a relationship with me died on the vine this year, and I’ll never be foolish enough again to believe that he has even a scintilla of concern for me or my well-being.
    I startled out of my thoughts of the past when a piece of folded paper hit my arm then landed on my desk.  Picking it up, I saw it had my name on it.  I turned to look at Tristan and found him smiling at me. 
    I mouthed, “From you?”
    He shrugged his shoulders in an attempt to be mysterious, but the glimmer in his eyes answered the question for him.  Opening the folded paper I found that he’d written me a note.  A NOTE!  I’ve never in my life gotten a note or a letter from a guy.  Hell, I haven’t even gotten a card.  My fingers shook a little as I read what he had written.
    Mimi-
    It’s true; you’re giving me a complex. 
    I’m sorry about taking a pen I didn’t need.  Don’t hold it against me.
    Friends?  Check one of the boxes and let me know.
    (   ) Yes     (   ) No

If you say yes, this could be the start of a beautiful friendship the likes of Chandler and Joey, Affleck and Damon, JWow and Snooki or my favorite BFFs, Marlin and Dori. 
    Who in their right mind would pass that up? 
    Say yes.  I know you want to.
    ~ Stan
    At first read, I came up short and my hands got clammy from panic, but then I focused on all of the advice that my mom and my therapist have given me.  I’m not in guy jail. Not every guy is my dad, Brady or Chad.  I can be friendly with Tristan if I want to and....  I actually want to .
    I kn ew I should check an answer off and give it back but I really, really didn’t want to.  If Macy were here we would be going over this note with a fine tooth comb, dissecting each and every word. But since she’s not I would take it to show it to her when I finally got to see her. Folding it up, I tucked it into my bag before ripping out a piece of paper from my notebook and writing a note of my own.
    Stan-
    I have good news and bad news.
    The good news is: I accept your offer of friendship.
    The bad news:
    You totally just lost your man card and you can never, ever get it back.
    JWow and Snooki?  Really?  I’m not getting drunk and chasing juiceheads with you!
    The truth hurts, but as your friend, it had to be said.   I’m sure you’ll get through it. As Dori says:  Just keep swimming!
    -Mimi
    Class was coming to an end as I signed my “name” to the note.  Folding it quickly I handed it to him and smiled.  “I’m going to the cafeteria for coffee.  Since you don’t have a class now either, do you want to go with me?”
    Fiddling with the note that was now in his hand, he mumbled something that I couldn’t quite make out. 
    “I didn’t hear what you said.”
    “I’ve got a class now.”
    It was the first week of school and I knew it was pretty common for people to be changing their schedules.  Obviously he’d added something new to his roster.
    “I get it, you added to your schedule.  No biggie.”
    He mumbled again so I had to ask for clarification. 
    “Uh, what’s up with the wicked case of mush mouth?  I can’t hear a damn thing you’re saying.”
    Clearing his throat, he blurted, “I’ve had the class since I made my schedule over the summer. I just…didn’t feel like going the other day.”
    I stared at him with a mixture of surprise and confusion as I said the first thing that came to mind.  “Who the hell skips class on the very first day?”
    I could tell he was uncomfortable because the tips of his ears were red and he was fidgeting up a storm.  “I, uh, wanted to go to the cafeteria.  Look, I’m going to be late so I better go.  I’ll see you later… pal.”
    With a smile he turned and hustled off down the hallway, leaving me to