Free Fall Semester by Stephanie Fournet Page A

like a fool. A pretty fool.
    Maren cringed.
    “Oh. My. Fucking. God.” Helene wilted in front of her, turning scarlet. “Please tell me that didn’t just happen.”
    Maren wrapped her arm around Helene’s shoulders.
    “Come on. Let’s go get an iced latte.”
    As they descended the stairs, Maren still squeezing a mortified Helene, they passed Dr. Vashal, who gave Helene a puzzled frown before locking eyes with Maren. She read a question in his slate-green eyes. A question about her? She held his stare, searching with her own eyes before he looked away, long lashes blinking rapidly. Maren felt her gaze following him for an instant before coming back to herself.
    Iced latte.

    Ten minutes later, Maren carried two grandé, caramel iced lattes to one of the picnic tables next to the Snack Hut where Helene hung her head in the shadow of its umbrella.
    “I’ll have to drop out. There’s no other option,” Helene declared, staring at the table.
    “Oh, come on,” Maren laughed. “It’s not that bad.”
    “But it is,” Helene said, looking at Maren, who stopped laughing at once. Helene’s eyes filled. “I really like him. And I know I shouldn’t.”
    Helene dabbed the corners of her eyes before rolling them.
    “I really know I shouldn’t. But I do. And now he knows—if he didn’t know before—which he probably did because I’m totally transparent, and I’m such a fool. And, oh my God?!? Jess Dalton?!? He’s so full of himself. Why does it have to be—”
    “Stop,” Maren ordered. “Breathe. Sip.” She mimed these commands, and Helene nodded, following her lead. Helene closed her eyes and let out a long sigh.
    “So he knows,” Maren started. “What’s wrong with that? Knowing that Helene Coulter likes you isn’t really such a curse, is it?”
    “But now it’ll be so weird, ” Helene whined.
    “Did you see the look on his face?” Maren pointed up to Griffin Hall. “He was elated. You made his day.”
    Helene shook her head, blushing again.
    “That’s even worse. He’ll never let up about it now, and now I’m all vulnerable and exposed, and he’ll never... prot-ect that.” Her voice broke, and she covered her face.
    Maren said nothing, but she laid her hand on Helene’s shoulder. She knew exactly what her friend meant. Letting someone know how you felt meant handing him something so precious and fragile and hoping he would safeguard it, hoping he wanted to safeguard it. Helene wanted Jess to want to hold her feelings sacred, to cherish them. Who wouldn’t crave the same?
    “I’ll just have to be a total bitch now,” Helene resolved, sniffing and dropping her hands. Tears done. “I’ll just have to hate him.”
    “You don’t know what he’ll---” Maren started.
    “No, and I’m not going to let him humiliate me,” Helene said, fiercely.
    “Okay. Hate him,” Maren conceded. “It’ll probably do him good.”
    At last, Helene smiled and even laughed at Maren.
    “Thank you. And I’m sorry for freaking out on you.”
    “Anytime.”
    “And you’re right,” Helene frowned. “It’s not a curse. There are far worse things....How’s your dad?”
    Maren shrugged.
    “They’ve stopped the chemotherapy. It doesn’t help for very long.” Maren took a deep breath. It was her turn to fight tears. “He and my mom are at my aunt’s lake house for a few days. Dad said he wanted some time alone with her...before....”
    Helene’s face mirrored the pain that must have been on her own.
    “That’s very sweet,” Helene said, quietly.
    “Yeah,” Maren nodded. “They’ve always been like that. All in love....It’s going to kill my mom.” Maren’s throat closed, and she picked up her latte, sucking on the straw and forcing the cold coffee down.
    “Ok. Enough tears,” Helene said, bucking up. “You’ll be my rock, and I’ll be yours. Let’s get back up there.”
    Maren nodded, again, feeling more composed. It always helped to focus on school. Back to work. It was