Deeper We Fall by Chelsea M. Cameron Page A

Charlotte.. And her voice. Her deep, throaty sexy voice that made me think of sex and skin and tangled sheets.
    I closed my eyes and let Leonard’s voice wrap around me.
    “Hey,” Devin said opening the door, blinking rapidly like he was trying to clear his eyes. Or he was trying to figure out if I was really there. I could spot a stoner a mile away.
    “Hey,” I said. “You staying tonight?” Devin had only spent one night in our room so far. I was curious about where he went, but I never asked.
    “Nope.” I’d also never seen him with books, or a backpack or give any indication that he’d gone to class. That was also a mystery.
    He put is bag down and went for his computer without another word. I let the music play, figuring if he had a problem with it, he could say so. I had headphones. He hadn’t said anything about my music yet, except for asking about the record player.
    “What the hell is this?”
    “Leonard Cohen.”
    “Never heard of him,” he said, giving me a look like I’d said Adolf Hitler.
    I didn’t have much hope for the future of the human race if people didn’t know who Leonard Cohen was.
    “What happened to your hand?”
    “Nothing,” I said.
    Before I could ask if he wanted me to put on my headphones, he stuffed some earbuds in his ears and turned up something that sounded like crushing trash cans from where I was sitting.
    I tuned him out and focused back on Leonard.
    He left a few minutes later with barely a good-bye. My phone buzzed with a message from Miss Carole.
    How are you doing?
    Fine. Surviving .
    She messaged me back right away. Have you talked to her?
    Sort of. She yelled at me .
    I could almost hear her laugh, even though she wasn’t here.
    Oh, Alex. Maybe actions would speak louder than words. You should do something for her.
    Like what? Showing her my busted-up hand didn’t seem like quite the gesture Miss Carole was thinking.
    You’re a smart boy. You’ll figure it out. Talk soon?
    Definitely.
    The record ended, and I got up to flip it over.
    I glanced around the room, looking for an idea. My eyes settled on the top of the microwave, on my tin of tea. She’d been trying to get it the other day when I’d bumped into her accidentally on purpose.
    I had an idea. I just needed a coffee cup, a packet of tea and a black marker.
    It was probably fucking stupid, but seriously, did it matter? Did anything matter when you came down to it?
     
    Lottie
     
    I didn’t encounter Zan or Zack Parker for the rest of the day. By the afternoon, I was beat and my head was full of homework. I also needed to find a job, and bug Will to find a job so Mom would get off our backs about supporting ourselves.
    My head was pounding by the time I made it back to my room and saw another note from Katie.
    Out with Zack. Be back later . Someone had drawn a crude penis next to it. Three guess who.
    She was going out again? Didn’t she have class? Whatever. She could do what she wanted. I wasn’t her mother.
    I had a quiet dinner with the boys and then settled in for some reading. I was nearly done with Mockingbird , but I needed something lighter. I scanned my shelves, grinning fondly at the titles.
    I needed some cute romance to lose myself in. I was just about to settle in with a cute book with lots of kissing when I got up to pee. I opened the door and there was someone standing in my doorway holding a coffee cup and wearing a shocked face.
    Zan Parker. Again.
    “Do you have a stalking problem? Seriously, you didn’t get enough of me this morning? My brother and Simon have offered to beat the shit out of you for me, but I’m kind of considering doing it myself. If you don’t move within five seconds, I’m gonna go ahead and take care of that. Got it?” It didn’t matter that he was over a foot taller than I was. I had rage on my side. Hell hath no fury and all that.
    He listened to my tongue-lashing in silence. His lips didn’t move, but I swore he was smiling.
    “One,” I said,