Free Tumble & Fall by Alexandra Coutts Page A

of the steps and passes her a paper plate. “Doughnut?”
    Sienna tucks her phone back into her shorts. “No thanks,” she says, hugging her knees between the insides of her bony elbows.
    “Come on,” Owen pleads. “They’re not popovers, but they’re still pretty good.”
    Sienna smiles and relents, carefully picking up the sticky treat. It’s honey-glazed with rainbow sprinkles. She wonders if there has ever been a more disastrous food to eat in public.
    “So, I had this idea.” Owen leans back against the concrete and stretches his long arms. He turns his head away, like he’s looking for someone. Sienna is grateful for the opportunity to take an unobserved bite.
    “It might sound totally insane, or, like, random, or whatever … and, I mean, I haven’t really thought it through but I figured that’s probably okay. Do I really need to think everything through all the way? I mean, does that even make sense?”
    Sienna stops chewing, a few sprinkles stuck to the outside of her lips. “What are you talking about?” she mumbles through a mouthful.
    Owen turns to face her and she can tell that he’s trying not to laugh. “Well, first of all, you have frosting all over your face,” he says drily. Sienna swallows and shields the bottom half of her face with her hands.
    “Second of all,” he says, cracking his knuckles one at a time, “I was thinking maybe we should go out sometime.”
    Sienna licks the tips of her fingers and runs them along the corners of her mouth. “Go out?” she repeats.
    “Yes,” Owen says softly. “Like. A date. Is that crazy?”
    Sienna stops with one finger frozen near her lips. “A date?” she repeats. “Um, yes. That’s crazy.”
    Owen looks away and his nose twitches, the few dark freckles stretching out across his skin. “Yeah,” he says. “You’re probably, like, really busy with family stuff, right? It’s not, like, the best time to just … hang out, I guess.”
    Sienna stares at him. Family stuff? “I mean, it’s crazy because of Carly,” she says. She drops the doughnut on the plate and balances it on the step.
    “Carly?” Owen asks. “What about Carly?”
    “Aren’t you guys, like…” Sienna is whispering. She doesn’t know why.
    Owen stares over her shoulder, the corner of his mouth pulling in. “Sienna,” he says softly. “There’s something I guess you don’t know about Carly.”
    “Oh, yeah?” Sienna asks. “What’s that?”
    “Let’s just say I’ve never really been her type.”
    Sienna feels a hard laugh escaping and rolls her eyes. She knows these excuses. There were days when she used to feel like she invented these excuses. “Why?” she scoffs. “You guys are just better as friends? Or, let me guess: she never dates guys in the band.”
    Owen hurries to his feet and stands in front of Sienna, so that she couldn’t move if she tried. “Yeah.” He nods. “All that. And she’s gay.”
    “Who’s gay?”
    Sienna turns and sees Ryan standing in the door. The light of the entryway behind him sticks to the top of his parted hair and casts the rest of his face in dark shadow. His arms are crossed and he’s glaring at them like they’ve done something wrong.
    “Nobody,” Sienna says. “We were just … never mind.” She pushes herself up and holds out her hand. “Let’s go, Ry.”
    Sienna reaches for Ryan’s shoulder, catching Owen’s eye over the top of her brother’s head. She smiles sheepishly, wishing she had more to say.
    “Wait!” Ryan squeals, wriggling from Sienna’s grasp. “What about the president?”
    “The president’s not gay,” Sienna assures him, steering him down the steps.
    “I know that,” he insists. “But he’s about to make a speech.”
    Ryan stops in his tracks and points through the window. Owen runs up the steps and peers inside. “It does look like people are waiting for something to happen.”
    Sienna and Ryan follow him inside and they wait by the door. There’s a buzz in