Gravity (Free Falling) by Raven St. Pierre Page B

problem than telling the truth.
    We pulled up t o a gas station.  “Want anything?”  He asked
    “No, I’m fine.  Thanks.”  I watched him go inside and disappear behind a shelf.  With him gone, I had a chance to think and regroup.  Whenever he’s around, my mind goes haywire and I couldn’t seem to get my brain to work right.  It was still unclear to me what I was doing, but I now knew that the crush I’d questioned myself about the day before was in full effect.  There was no sense in denying it because I had it bad.  I was about two seconds from scribbling his name all over my notebook and seeing how my first name looked beside his last name.  As juvenile as that sounds, it was just that crucial. 
    I straightened up when I saw him coming back to the car with a bag full of stuff, and a large bottle of juice tucked under his arm.  Before he got to the car, I leaned over and opened his door since his hands were full.  “Did you buy the whole store?”  I asked.
    “Nope, just some snacks.”  He reached into the bag, grabbed what looked like a family sized pack of Twix and opened it.  I watched him shove one in his mouth and was honestly shocked that someone with a body like his had ever eaten something so unhealthy.  “Want one?”  He asked. 
    “No, thanks.” 
    AJ laughed and shook his head.  “Why do girls do that?”
    “Do what?”
    “Get around guys and pretend that they don’t eat anything.  If you’re hungry…just eat,” he said and shrugged his shoulders as he ate another.  “Here try one.  They’re good.”  Before I could protest, he held one to my lips and force fed me while smiling.  I rolled my eyes at him and chewed grudgingly.  There was chocolate all over my lips and a string of caramel stretching from my lip to my chin.  I couldn’t have been more embarrassed.
    AJ smiled and licked his lips as he finished his last piece.  His eyes were glued to my mouth and I just knew he was looking at my messy face.  I had no tissue and chances are he didn’t have any in his car either; most guys don’t.  When AJ first reached toward me, I thought he was going for the glove compartment, but I was wrong – very wrong.  He touched my lip and swiped the strand of caramel from it and then sucked it from his finger while watching my reaction.  My mouth forgot how to chew.  Instead, I sat there with a mouthful of Twix, staring at him.  All traces of embarrassment faded.
    I was beginning to read AJ’s signals loud and clear.  It felt like it became swelteringly hot inside the car all of a sudden.  “Why is it so warm in here?”  I asked, struggling to find the switch to roll my window down further.
    AJ smiled and threw the car into drive and left the gas station.  We drove straight down the same road we’d started on and didn’t worry about where we’d end up.  “Do you need to call and tell your parents anything?”  He asked.
    I checked the time.  “No.  As long as I get home by like seven, they probably won’t question me.  What about you?”  I asked.  “Do you need to check in or something?”
    “Nope.  I’m on your schedule.” He was so nonchalant.  I relaxed in my seat again and watched him frequently from the corner of my eye.  We approached a yellow light and AJ put his foot on the brake abruptly, deciding at the last minute to stop; probably only because I was with him.  The bottle of juice he’d bought rolled to the floor, causing both of us to reach for it and narrowly escape a collision like the one we’d had in Government the Friday before.  We both stopped just short bumping heads and stared at one another.  My fingers grazed the side of the bottle, but I couldn’t move to pull it up.  My mouth couldn’t have been more than an inch away from his and I was spellbound.  Our eyes were locked on one another and I felt warm air steadily caressing my bottom lip as it escaped AJ’s lungs.  Slowly, his gaze dropped to my mouth