AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Oh yeah? Who’s that?”
“Lorenzo Cade.”
A smile touched her lips.
He was on the football team.
And she was a cheerleader.
“Is he a freshman, too?”
“Yep, otherwise he’d already be varsity. I think he’s older, though.”
“Like he got held back?”
“Yeah, something like that. Is this our turn?”
“Hmm? Oh, right. Yes.” The siblings turned off the paved path onto a winding dirt trail that led into the woods until the trees surrounded them, a curtain to hide them from those who would run or walk by. Their usual perch was damp from the recent rain as were the fallen leaves beneath their feet.
“I’ve got the smokes. Did you grab a lighter?” Justin asked, and Katrina’s mouth fell open.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“You said grab the smokes. I did.”
“And what are we supposed to do, eat them?”
“Hey... hey!” A young man’s voice filled the space and they heard quick footsteps, the sound of someone running. Katrina’s eyes widened and Justin quickly hid the cigarettes again before they were busted. “Hey! Are you okay?”
Katrina turned towards the voice then, and there Lorenzo stood, panting, hands clenched.
He’d thought she was in trouble.
“No... no, we’re good here.” She smiled at him, thanking the gods or whomever had intervened to give her another chance to talk to him. “This is my brother, Justin.”
Lorenzo and Justin were sizing one another up, though at the mention of the word ‘brother’ Lorenzo’s hands had unclenched. Lorenzo nodded to Justin, who nodded in return.
“You ran in here thinking I was going to hurt her, didn’t you?” Justin asked, and after a moment’s hesitation, Lorenzo answered.
“Yes.”
A slight smile tugged at Katrina’s lips. “I’m good, thank you. I’d be better if my bonehead brother had remembered a lighter. You wouldn’t happen to have one?”
Again, Lorenzo hesitated. “Yeah,” he finally said. “You wouldn’t happen to have a cigarette I could bum off you?” He pulled a zippo out of his jeans pocket, flipping it open with ease.
“Fuck yeah we do,” Justin replied, pulling the nearly full pack out of his pocket.
“Gracias.” Lorenzo lit the cigarette that Justin had given him, and Katrina watched in fascination as he took a long drag and exhaled, making a perfect ring before blowing out the rest of the smoke.
“Earth to Trina,” Justin said, holding out a cigarette and the Zippo lighter.
“Yeah, yeah,” she said, playing it cool. She lit her own cigarette and held the Zippo in her hand, flipping it over as she exhaled. Plain silver, no markings but plenty of scuffs on it.
“It’s almost out of fluid,” Lorenzo said to her before she could strike it and bring up another flame.
“Our father has one,” she said, still flipping it in her hand, though closed now. “We could get it filled for you.”
“Why?”
