Falling Fast by Sophie McKenzie Read Free Book Online

with us?’ Flynn said. ‘It’s not far, is it, Siob?’
    Siobhan’s beautiful green eyes widened with what I took to be a look of hostile alarm. ‘No,’ she said slowly. ‘But we have to go now. I don’t want to be
late.’
    We set off, Flynn in the middle, explaining to Siobhan that he knew me from the play at school.
    I was completely bewildered. What was he doing, inviting me to walk with him and his girlfriend when she was clearly so uncomfortable about it? Siobhan kept her eyes lowered, avoiding looking
straight at me. A minute later and we arrived outside a smart-looking hair salon with the words Goode’s Hair Days printed in black across the top.
    ‘See you at six,’ Flynn said.
    Siobhan nodded, mumbled a miserable-sounding goodbye, then slipped through the front door of the shop.
    Flynn turned to me and grinned again. ‘D’you wanna get a coffee?’ he said.
    I blinked at him, utterly confused. Could he not see how annoyed Siobhan had been? ‘Er . . .’
    The smile fell from Flynn’s face. He stared at me for a second, then he scowled.
    ‘No problem.’ He swung away from me and took a long stride back up the High Street.
    I stared at him in horror. Then I practically flew the two-metre gap that had already opened up between us.
    ‘I do,’ I said breathlessly, falling into a rapid walk beside him. ‘Want to get a coffee, I mean. It’s just.’ I nodded back towards the hair salon.
‘Won’t she mind?’
    Flynn frowned. ‘Siobhan? Why should she? She’s so nervous about her new job I doubt if . . .’ He stopped, his face splitting into an enormous grin. His eyes shone – more
green than gold in the harsh sunlight. ‘Er . . . Siobhan’s my sister,’ he said.
    He was still grinning as we walked into the little café two doors back up the High Street. It was crowded with Saturday shoppers. Bulging plastic bags filled the floor between each of the
cramped tables.
    I followed Flynn over to the counter. My face was burning with embarrassment. It wasn’t just that I’d got their relationship all wrong – for goodness’ sake, River, no
wonder their noses looked alike – it was the fact that by drawing attention to it, I’d implied that Flynn inviting me for a coffee somehow meant something. Like a date. When to him
it was probably just a friendly gesture.
    I took a deep breath, trying to calm down. I gazed at the rows of cakes and buns behind the glass casing above the counter. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Flynn pulling money out of his
jeans pocket. He tipped all the coins into one hand and started counting them with the forefinger of the other. Three pound coins, three fifty-pence pieces and a bunch of tens and twenties.
    ‘Don’t worry,’ I smiled. ‘I’ve got plenty of cash.’
    Flynn stared up at me, the grin completely gone from his face. His lips were pressed together in a thin line, his eyes flashing with anger.
    ‘I’m fine,’ he snapped. ‘It’s sorted.’
    He glared at me, as if challenging me to disagree.
    My heart thudded. I looked away. What was his problem? I remembered how angry he’d looked when he’d caught me staring at his scuffed shoes and second-hand trousers back at that first
rehearsal.
    ‘River?’
    I looked up. The anger had gone from his eyes, but he was still looking at me intently. I got that hot, powerful feeling of wanting him so badly that my legs nearly gave way. But this time I
didn’t trust it. I didn’t trust him.
    ‘You can even have a piece of cake if you want.’ He smiled weakly, holding out his palm to show me how much money was on it.
    I shook my head.
    There was an awkward silence as we shuffled to the head of the queue and Flynn asked for two cappuccinos. Large ones.
    As we fought our way through the crowded shop to a small table near the window, I started to feel angry.
    We sat down. Flynn took a gulp of his coffee. I sat back and folded my arms.
    ‘That was really rude,’ I said. ‘The way you spoke to