Free Fall For Me ((The Tate Chronicles #1)) by K. A. Last Page B

Why Mr Bruner included it in the line-up was beyond me. By the time we’d moved on again to the trampoline I understood. I hadn’t really been watching any of the other students and I took a couple of minutes to glance around the hall. It amazed me how bad some people were with this stuff. I guess I took being coordinated for granted.
    Archer was showing off doing somersaults on the tramp. I watched, shaking my head, with my hands on my hips. Charlotte looked impressed.
    “You going to get up there with him, give him a run for his money?” a gentle voice said.
    Josh had wandered over while Ryan was mucking around on the parallel bars. Blood rushed to my face and my heart quickened. Josh was standing close enough for our arms to lightly touch. He was trying to imagine what I’d look like on the trampoline, then his mind wandered to other thoughts of what I’d look like and I quickly closed him off, blushing even more. I could feel the heat from his skin against mine and it took all my strength not to lean into him.
    To be safe, I took a small step away and concentrated on my exhibitionist of a brother. Everyone knew Archer and I were great on the tramp, I just didn’t like showing off as much as he did. He came to a graceful stop in the middle of the mat.
    “Come on Sis, tandem somersault? Or a double twist if you’re game.”
    “I could out twist you any day, Arch.”
    I flicked myself up onto the mat and stood facing him. My head was a little clearer now I wasn’t standing next to Josh. Archer stepped back until we were both towards the edge, then we began to jump in unison. We mostly used our connection hunting, or if we wanted to annoy one another, but it was also immensely helpful for things like this.
    I’d forgotten how much I loved the trampoline, not having been on one since last year. The feeling of weightlessness and gliding through the air was magic. It almost compared to flying, but not quite.
    We should put one of these in the clearing, I said as we came out of a twist in perfect time. The entire class had stopped to watch. He laughed, and everyone thought it was due to him having so much fun.
    The bell sounded, scattering the class in the direction of the change rooms—Mr Bruner didn’t even get the chance to dismiss us.
    “You know, it’s a shame Hopetown Valley doesn’t have a gymnastics team,” Josh said as I jumped from the tramp. “You two are really good.”
    “We just do it for fun, don’t we?” I elbowed Archer.
    “Yep, just for fun.” He grinned at me.
    I knew better, Archer always made a competition out of everything.

TWELVE
     
     
    JOSH
    Early Tuesday Night
     
     
    A fter P.E . all I could think about was Grace. She was amazing and I was totally smitten. The way she moved through the air jumping on the trampoline was beautiful. I kept finding more and more reasons to wonder why I had wasted so much time with Abby.
    By the time we started heading back to the dorm at the end of the day, I think Ryan was sick of hearing Grace’s name. I probably would’ve been, too, if I were him. When we reached the front gates I had an idea.
    “I’ll catch up. I just want to talk to someone first.”
    “Let me guess, Grace,” he said. “See you in a bit.”
    I leant against the big sandstone pillar and waited. Grace and Archer hadn’t left yet; their black Defender was still in the school’s car park. After a few minutes I spotted them walking across the yard. A huge grin was plastered on my face and I must have looked like a bit of an idiot. Archer glanced at me angrily as he walked passed.
    “I’ll wait in the car,” he said without breaking stride.
    With raised eyebrows I watched as he walked to the car and got in the driver’s side.
    “Is he always so intense?”
    “Just around you,” Grace replied.
    “Great. That makes me feel just … great.”
    The way Grace looked at me made my heart beat faster, and for a moment I was lost for words. I reached out and gently tucked a