Worth the Fall

Chapter 5

By the next morning, thankfully, we’d found a rhythm.

Not a healthy one.

Not a sustainable one.

But technically… a rhythm.

The dark circles under my eyes were probably dark enough to qualify as a cry for help, which made sense considering I got maybe

three hours of sleep.

I managed to finish all my homework and assignments by around one in the morning, but after that, sleep never really happened.

Because every time I closed my eyes—

I saw him.

Landon.

His stupidly perfect face.

His stupidly perfect eyes.

His stupidly perfect existence.

Which is exactly why I needed to avoid him at all costs.

I could not let him become a distraction.

I could not let him become the distraction.

I had not worked this hard, sacrificed this much, and stress-induced my way through adolescence just to let some tattooed trust fund

boy derail my future.

I wasn’t here to flirt.

I was here for Dartmouth.

Or literally any Ivy League school that would validate the last twelve years of my life.

The tiny delusional part of my brain—the one that still believed in happy endings and soulmates and all that dangerous nonsense—tried to convince me I could have both.

Love and ambition.

Romance and success.

But thankfully, the much louder and significantly more rational part of me knew exactly what was up.

Absolutely not.

No feelings.

No crushes.

No blue-eyed disasters.

Easy.

Dad drove me to school that morning, and unfortunately, Nathan came too.

He had a late class at college and insisted on tagging along because, and I quote:

“I want to see what kind of spoiled rich girls go to your school.”

So naturally, he was already annoying before eight a.m.

Nathan and I were complete opposites.

Where I was the brains, he was the bronze.

Tall, athletic, ridiculously good-looking in that obnoxious older-brother way, and currently on a full-ride baseball scholarship to a

Division I school.

He was the kind of guy who would absolutely end up in the MLB one day.

Rolling in money.

Marrying someone with suspiciously perfect teeth.

Probably buying a boat for no reason.

“So, Nes,” he says from the back seat, “any cute girls at your school?”

I slowly turn to look at him.

“Ew,” I say, throwing my bag at his face. “None that are in your league.”

He catches it with a grin and tosses it back.

“Look, I’m just being realistic, sis. One day, one of these girls is gonna be my trophy wife.”

I fake gag.

“Okay, misogynist much?”

“No, I mean when I make it to the MLB, I can’t exactly show up with an ugly girl.”

I narrow my eyes.

I’m not saying I would kill my brother.

I’m just saying I understand why some species eat their young.

Dad, sensing the rising homicidal energy in the car, wisely cuts in.

“Ness,” he says, glancing at me, “how are your studies? It’s only day two, and it looks like you didn’t get much sleep.”

Because unlike Nathan, Dad is emotionally evolved.

I force a smile.

“I mean, it’s definitely a different playing field,” I admit. “But nothing I can’t handle.”

I say it like I believe it.

And if I say it enough times, maybe I will.

“Today I’m going to see if I can join the debate club,” I add. “And check if there are any openings in the justice pathway.”

That part, at least, I’m actually excited about.

Today was going to be productive.

Successful.

Focused.

Absolutely not ruined by Landon Baxter and his criminally symmetrical face.

Dad smiles.

“That sounds good, kid.”

Then we pull up to school.

And Nathan audibly gasps.

Actually gasps.

Like a Victorian woman seeing ankles for the first time.

“Oh, this is insane,” he says, staring out the window at the lineup of luxury cars and polished stone buildings. “If I could transfer

here for the parking lot alone, I would.”

Dad rolls his eyes and pulls into the drop-off line.

Nathan climbs out of the back seat so he can open my door, though not because he’s trying to be a gentleman.

He just wants the front seat.

Before I can escape, he yanks me into a dramatic brother hug.

“I love you!” he shouts loudly enough for half the state of California to hear.

Possibly Nevada too.

“Okay, die,” I mutter, shoving him off me.

But I’m smiling.

Then I sling my bag over my shoulder and turn toward the front entrance—

And freeze.

Landon is standing there.

Watching the whole thing.

Great.

Fantastic.

Amazing.

He’s leaning against one of the stone columns by the front doors, hands in his pockets, looking unfairly good in his uniform and mildly irritated.

Actually…

More than mildly.

He looks upset.

Almost—

Jealous.

The thought is ridiculous.

And yet…

Whatever he’s feeling, I decide not to care.

I know what I want out of today, and none of it includes him.

So I walk right past him without so much as a second glance.

Not one.

Not even half of one.

I deserve an award for that kind of self-restraint.

I head straight to the administration office and sign up for debate club, and by some miracle, there’s also an opening in the justice pathway.

My schedule shifts slightly, and I’m informed that the first debate meeting is after school today.

Perfect.

I text my parents to let them know I won’t need to be picked up right after the last bell, and just like that, the day is already going better than yesterday.

Until third period.

Because of course the universe can never let me have nice things.

I walk into class, scan the room—

And there he is.

Landon.

Sitting in the back like temptation wrapped in black hair and bad decisions.

And the only open seat?

The one directly in front of him.

Naturally.

“Great,” I mutter under my breath.

Love this for me.

At least it’s in front of him and not beside him.

That means I can keep my eyes forward.

Stay focused.

Pretend he doesn’t exist.

Simple.

I walk up to the desk and gesture toward it.

“Is this seat taken?”

Landon leans back in his chair and smirks.

“I saved it just for you, princess.”

I stop.

Blink.

Then, against my better judgment, I turn to face him.

Huge mistake.

“Princess?” I repeat, lowering into the seat.

He props an elbow on his desk.

“Is that not what you are?” he asks, voice lazy. “Having your daddy and boyfriend chauffeur you around kind of gives princess energy.”

Oh.

So he was jealous.

Interesting.

“Boyfriend?” I repeat, trying not to smile.

His jaw tightens just enough for me to notice.

“Tall guy. Brown hair. You don’t recognize your own boyfriend?”

I stare at him for a second.

Then I realize.

Oh my God.

He thinks Nathan is my boyfriend.

I physically want to throw up.

“Nathan?” I say, unable to hide my disgust.

His brows draw together.

“That’s his name?” he asks, leaning forward.

And suddenly he’s close.

Way too close.

Like, I can count his eyelashes and now I may never recover close.

“That wasn’t—”

Before I can finish, our teacher cuts in from the front of the room.

“Do you two need a room?"

(Chapter Theme song: Kiss me by Sixpence None The Richer)