Free Falling

“Why do you never take the hint and leave me alone? Seriously, you shouldn’t talk to me, especially not with everyone looking at me like I’m the devil incarnate,” he huffed.

I chuckled and patted the grass beside me. “Maybe I’m not too good at taking hints. Or maybe I know you’re not the devil incarnate and want to be your friend,” I suggested.

He just stared at me for a few seconds, seeming unsure and confused. I guessed then that he wasn’t used to having friends because he didn’t seem to understand that I just wanted to hang out with him for no other reason than to see if he was alright. Finally, he sat down next to me.

I held out the sandwich carton and bumped his shoulder with mine. “Stressed?” I asked.

He snorted and nodded, taking the packet and tearing it open. “Hard day, yeah,” he confirmed, taking a humongous bite of his food. “How about you?” he asked. “How’s the ankle now?”

I wriggled it a little, testing it, and winced. “Sore. It’s alright though,” I answered. “Want to talk about your morning?”

He blew out a big breath and shook his head, his shoulders slumped in defeat. “I’ll deal with it in my own way,” he muttered, looking out across the school field again as he took another bite.

“By running?” I asked. He nodded in confirmation, and we fell into silence. I didn’t really know what to say, he obviously didn’t want to talk about it, and I didn’t want to make it worse by forcing the issue. I was hoping that just by being here I was showing support. I hoped he took it that way at least.

After we’d finished eating in silence, he pulled one leg up, leaning over and stretching out his thigh and back. “I got a show this weekend,” he said suddenly.

A show? “Yeah? A freerunning show?”

He grinned then, his body seeming to loosen and be more like the free and easy Zach that I was fast becoming used to. “Well it’s hardly going to be a strip show, is it?” he teased.

I giggled, chewing on my lip as I hit him on the arm. “Shut up,” I scolded. “So am I invited?”

“Er…” He seemed a little shocked by my question. “If you want to go, sure, I guess.”

I grinned excitedly, clasping my hands together as I nodded eagerly. “Heck yeah I want to! Where is it? Do I need to buy tickets?” I asked, already planning to ask Charlotte and Beth to come with me so that I wasn’t alone. I figured that my dad would insist that Alex come along too, but I didn’t mind that actually.

Zach grinned, his whole face lighting up as if he hadn’t expected me to want to watch him perform. “It’s at the fairground. You know they sometimes book acts to perform at the back arena, well this Saturday afternoon that’s me and my team,” he boasted proudly.

The fairground, this sounded even better by the second! I knew the place he was talking about too. They often booked live bands or demonstrations and stuff to entertain the crowds. If it was a fairground then I could probably get a group of people to go and watch Zach too. Everyone loved to go there and we hadn’t been for ages.

“I’m definitely coming!” I chirped excitedly. “I can’t wait to see you actually perform properly.”

Zach grinned, pulling up a few strands of grass and launching into a spiel about their routine and what they were trying to include in it. When the bell rang half an hour later his face fell. The easy smile that was there seconds before, was now gone, replaced by a resigned frown.

I gripped his knee, squeezing gently. “Just ignore everyone and what they’re saying. I know you didn’t do anything wrong, and they’ll all feel stupid when they catch the murderer and have to apologise for doubting you. Rise above it. Don’t give them a reaction, because that’s what they’re looking for,” I advised, looking at him sympathetically.

He sighed and nodded, pushing himself up and then holding down both hands to help me up. “You’re full of this kind of encouraging crap, huh? Don’t you ever think that it would just be easier for you to ignore me and not draw attention to yourself like this?” he asked curiously.

I shrugged, placing my hands in his. “Sure. But then I’d miss your sparkling wit and dumbass teasing comments,” I joked, laughing and letting him pull me to my feet. He burst out laughing, shaking his head in amusement.

Chapter 26

By the time the day of the fair came around, I was more than excited to see Zach perform. I hadn’t seen him do his thing since the last time I went to watch him with his group. A whole load of us were going to the fair, watching his performance, and then spending a little time on the rides before I was heading back to Charlotte’s place for sleepover. It was going to be a fantastic day, and made even better because of the fact that this was the first time I had been allowed out of the house without having either my dad or brother escort me. Though, of course, I was with Luke, so he was in sole charge of protecting me and delivering me to Charlotte’s place in one piece. I actually liked the fact that my dad had started trusting Luke again.

In the last week Luke and I had grown closer again. Several times over the last few days I was close to just throwing my arms around him and letting everything else disappear. The tension between us had been hotting up everyday. I wasn’t used to hanging around with him and not kissing him and cuddling him. I missed him so much that it hurt.

We’d been at the fair for almost two hours already, just wandering around and going on the odd ride. Luke had already won me a stuffed crocodile from one of the stalls and a cheap plastic beaded necklace that he insisted that I wear because he’d tried so hard to win it for me. When the loudspeaker announced that the traceur spectacular would be starting in ten minutes, Beth looped her arm through mine. “Let’s go get a spot near the front,” she suggested, guiding us towards the back of the fairground where they said it would take place.

The grassy performance area was huge. It was cordoned off by a little red ribbon that ran around the whole place so that people could sit all the way around and still have a clear view. Beth walked us right up to the front, stepping over people and ignoring them as they complained. She waved her hand dismissively, telling them that we were friends with the performers, so we had priority. That hadn’t really gone down too well, but we didn’t stick around to hear the rest of the complaint as we weaved through the waiting people, getting closer and closer to the performance zone.

When we got right to the barrier, Beth smiled with satisfaction and sat down on the grass just behind the ribbon that signalled the line we weren’t allowed to cross. I sat down next to her, ducking my head and trying to ignore the people whining behind us that they now couldn’t see very well and were going to have to move.

I flicked my eyes around, looking for Zach, but there was no sign of him. Instead though, staff were helping put the finishing touches to the area by bringing in cars that they parked on the grass, and checking the bolts on the large pieces of scaffolding that were dotted around. The staging area looked fantastic already, and I was excited to see what Zach and his boys would do with the ropes that hung from the trees and the massive trampoline was off to one side. Just as I expected, there were no safety mats or equipment.

“So what kind of thing do they do then?” Beth asked, looking around at the crowd that was starting to form around us as people took their places ready for their performance. Charlotte sat down next to me, frowning distastefully at having to sit on the grass.

I shrugged in answer to Beth’s question. “I have no idea how to describe what Zach does. You’ll just have to watch it and see.” Luke and a couple of his friends sat down behind us. He tapped me on the shoulder, and when I turned around he held out a bottle of soda. “Thanks,” I smiled gratefully and got a beautiful, straight teethed smile in return.

We made small talk then; all of us listing the rides that we wanted to go on. The boys were whining that they were hungry already. After a few minutes a guy with a microphone walked out into the middle of the arena and smiled at the crowd.

“Ladies and gentlemen, prepare to be entertained by this next act. I first saw them perform a year ago, and they blew my mind. I’m so excited to introduce this team of guys to you today. I know you’re going to love this and will be talking about this for days. Please put your hands together for Equilibrium.” He waved his hand to the side, and Zach and his team emerged from a large green marquee that I hadn’t even noticed.

People clapped, but not very enthusiastically. Most of them, like Beth, probably didn’t even know what they were going to witness today. I clapped loudly, putting both my hands above my head, not caring that people cast weird glances at me. Zach’s gaze roamed in my direction, and he gave me a slight nod of the head as a little smile pulled the corners of his mouth. I hadn’t seen him all morning, but I had sent him a quick message this morning wishing him good luck and telling him that I’d meet up with him after.

I grinned, dropping my hands down as they all stood in a semicircle in the middle of the arena. They were all dressed the same today and actually looked quite smart. They donned black sweatpants and a black vest that bore the name Equilibrium across the chest.

Reggie took the microphone from the announcer guy and smiled out over the crowd. “Okay guys. I hope you enjoy the show that we’re about to put on for you. As you can see, we perform without safety mats. Some of the stunts are very dangerous, so please ensure that you stay behind the ribbon at all times, that’s for your safety mostly, as well as ours. I just wanted to say, please don’t try any of these stunts at home. We train for hours every week, and still some of these stunts are dangerous even for us,” he stated confidently, as if he’d given this speech a lot of times and knew it word for word. “Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.” He handed the microphone back to the announcer guy who slapped him on the shoulder and ran out of the arena with an excited smile on his face.

Zach smiled at me one last time before walking over to the edge of the arena, the other boys doing the same to different, obviously predetermined spaces. One by one they all seemed to crouch down onto one knee and give a thumbs up signal to show they were ready. When the last guy had given his signal, the music started and then it began.

Just like the last time I saw it, the freerunning was mesmerising. I sat there, transfixed, as did everyone else. The routine was polished, daring, inventive, exhilarating and frightening all rolled into one. People around me gasped, clapped, held their breath and, on more than on occasion, shrieked. The pride that swelled inside me was enough to make me feel like I would explode with it.

My heart was in my throat the whole time, my eyes glued to one person. Zach. He looked so happy, so free. I loved the passionate look on his face and his smile of enjoyment. I watched the way he moved, so fluid and easy. I found myself noticing the rise and fall of his chest and the flex of muscles in his tanned forearms. I gulped as a wave of something seriously inappropriate washed over me. I had never been attracted to any guy other than Luke, so the feeling was incredibly alien to me. I didn’t quite know how to deal with it.

For the big finale they all did something different. Zach and Jase did some huge synchronised gymnastics style floor routine that involved so many somersaults, backflips and spins that I could barely keep up. By the time they were done I was breathless with excitement and on my feet whooping and shouting excitedly.

When they all joined hands and did a bow at the end, Zach looked out over the crowd, catching my eye and sending me one of his cocky little smiles. I chewed on my lip, watching him in awe, before he gave me a little wave and disappeared off with his group through to the performers’ tent at the back.

Once he was out of sight again I swallowed loudly, trying to get a grip of myself. When I watched him perform he kind of put me in a trance, making me feel and want things from him that I shouldn’t even think about. But I couldn’t help it. There was some kind of attraction there for Zach, I couldn’t deny it – but I couldn’t quite understand it either because I knew I was still in love with Luke.

A hand closed over my arm. “That was seriously hot!” Charlotte hissed in my ear. “Who knew that guys jumping off of stuff and doing stunts could be such a turn on! Seriously, that was incredible, and it’s made me look at Zach in a new light.”

Me too. I didn’t say those words though, just nodded because, for some reason that I couldn’t understand, I didn’t like the fact that Charlotte was attracted to Zach. I also didn’t really like the fact that lots of young girls were now hanging around the entrance to the performers’ tent, giggling and obviously waiting for them to come out.

I shook my head, trying to clear it. Seriously, what’s wrong with me?

Luke stepped to my side then, smiling his dazzling smile down at me, and I felt my face flood with heat because my insides were still quivering, and for once it wasn’t him that had caused it. “Hey, we’re gonna go hit the refreshment stand and get a burger or something. Coming?” he asked, nodding over his shoulder at his friends who were already making their way to the line for the burger van. Charlotte nodded eagerly and trotted off after them.

I was conflicted. Part of me wanted to go with Luke, but part of me wanted to go and congratulate Zach on his performance. I didn’t know what to do. “Um…” I chewed on my lip, looking back at the tent, seeing that the crowd of teenage girls was growing larger by the second. I knew I should probably stay away from Zach for a while so that I could let this feeling disperse, but I longed to run there and see him right this very second.

My mouth made the decision that my brain and heart were struggling with. “I’m not that hungry. I’m gonna go tell Zach well done.”