Free How We Deal With Gravity by Ginger Scott

smirk—she’s up
to something.
    “What is that face for?” I ask, pursing my lips and not sure
I’m ready for her answer.
    “Mason’s coming in,” she says.
    “Yeah, I figured. He’s been helping Dad out, because he’s
staying with us,” I say, hoping she just nods and tells me I’m right, and that
it turns out it’s really no big deal at all.
    “No, I don’t think you’re following me. Mason’s coming in…to
play!” my friend instantly squeals and grips my forearm like a love-struck
teenager.
    Mason is playing. Live. Tonight. After I gave him that
recording. After I told him I believed in him. After I bared a little of my
past to him. And there is nowhere for me to hide; I’m going to be here, and I’m
going to have to hear it. My heart is beating a million times per minute, and I
have to wipe my palms on the sides of my shorts because they’re sweating so
much.
    “If it’s okay with you, I thought maybe Max and I could
stick around, just for the early part?” Claire asks, snapping me from my
trance.
    “Huh? Oh, yeah…I guess that’s fine. As long as Max is okay
with it. He’s had a long day, but he has a lot of his things with him, and I
brought my iPad,” I notice mid-sentence that the smirk is still full-force on
Claire’s face. She’s got more—I don’t know if I can handle more.
“Okay…what else has you all gushy?”
    “Oh, nothing. Just…” she’s torturing me with this, and the
feeling in my stomach gives me the sense that I’m going to want to bury my head
in the ground after tonight is done. “I might have had a little conversation
with Mr. Street today.”
    “What kind of
conversation?” I ask, my tone clipped. I’m getting really nervous now. And
frankly, I’m starting to get a little pissed off at my friend.
    “Oh, the kind where he talks a little bit about how he
doesn’t know why you hate him so much and then your friend maybe tells him he
was a douchebag in high school. That kind of conversation,” she says, her lips
now in a tight, proud smile to match her folded I-told-you-so arms.
    Shit !I know Claire meant well, but I also
know she doesn’t really get how much the way Mason used to treat me around his
friends bothers me. “Claire?” I sigh.
    “Relax. I didn’t go into too many details. I just reminded
him about Nikki Thomas’ party…” she starts.
    Fuck !
    “And I told him how you hated it when he called you Birdie . Oh, girl…you should have seen
his face when I told him how the first time he did it, it made you cry,” she’s
still going, and my heart has officially run out of rhythm now. I’m no longer
dying, because I’ve just ceased to breathe. Claire has officially embarrassed
me to death.
    “Oh, and…well…this part you’re going to be a little mad
about…” she’s biting her lip. This
part— whatever she’s about to tell me—is what has her thinking
I’m going to be a little mad ?
    “Oh god, Claire…what did you do?” I ask, letting my face
fall forward into my hands. I can actually feel the heat radiating off of my
cheeks.
    “I sort of told him that you used to be in love with him,” Claire
says, standing up immediately and backing away. Smart, because she knows I want
to smack her. She raises her hands up quickly, signaling there’s more. “But,
before you get all angry, I only told him because I think he’s got a little
thing for you.”
    I let my face fall right back into my hands. There’s no way
Mason has a thing for me, not even the tiniest of little things. And after the
stuff I said to him last night, and the secrets my best friend just unlocked
for him today, I’m pretty sure he thinks I’m some crazy, obsessed girl from his
past.
    “Claire?” I say, shaking my head at her.
    “Avery, don’t overreact. I promise I didn’t give him
anything that would embarrass you. I swear!” she’s waving her hands
emphatically, like she’s tossing magic in the air that will somehow make me
okay with all of