Megan heard someone above her scream, but she couldn't concern herself with that now – she was too busy trying to figure out what to do. Of course, she knew the answer: nothing.
She flailed her arms wildly as if somehow that would help, but in her heart she knew all she could really do was brace herself for the impact. At least there was some kind of bush beneath her; she hoped that would help keep her from breaking every bone in her body, but she wasn't holding her breath.
She was maybe a foot away from the plant when she suddenly stopped falling. It was only for a split second, but she hung in midair, floating. She breathed a sigh of relief – she wasn't going to die after all. Then, almost as soon as she finished the thought, she found herself crashing to the ground.
The bush was kind of spindly, and not nearly as great at protecting her fall as she'd hoped. Still, she hadn't broken any bones, which was more than she really should have been able to say. She started climbing her way out, twigs jabbing at her every time she moved. Just as she was really starting to get tired of being attacked by sticks, a hand reached out in front of her. She took it and let whoever it was help her climb back onto solid ground.
"Thanks." she said when she was finally free of that stupid bush. Why couldn't it have been a little leafier, less branchy? Like a giant fern, maybe. At least she wasn't actually hurt like she should have been.
How had she even managed that anyway? Did she really stop falling for a second there? Surely not. She'd just about convinced herself that she'd imagined the whole thing when she finally looked up at whoever had pulled her to her feet. Jake was standing there, a kind of worried expression on his face.
Well, that figures, Megan thought. She really should have known he'd be the one to save her – who else could have stopped her falling like that? Still, she'd never been so glad to see anyone before in her life.
"Are you ok?" someone yelled from the balcony, and Megan looked up. Stacey was learning over the railing, looking like she might be close on Megan's heels if she wasn't careful. Tara was right behind her.
"I'm fine." Megan called up to them.
"Don't worry about her." Jake told them. "I got it."
"We'll be right down." Tara said. "Don't go anywhere."
"Ok." Megan nodded. Then turning back to Jake, she said, "They won't be here anytime soon."
"I know." he told her. Then added, "I saw you fall."
"Yeah...thanks for saving me."
"Only here to help." he said automatically. When he realized what he'd said, he looked a little sheepish. "Sorry – habit." he muttered.
"I mean, I know you only did it 'cause you had to." she told him – she wasn't an idiot. "But still, thanks."
"What?" It looked like she actually caught him off guard.
"I mean, that's right, isn't it?" she asked. Something in the back of her mind told her to shut up, that this wasn't the right time for her to be questioning him like this. But she just couldn't help herself.
"Well, no." he said. He looked like it wasn't something he wanted to admit.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, I didn't have to do anything." he said slowly. "I can't actively try to hurt you, but that doesn't mean I have to help you either."
"But, I haven't used up all my wishes yet." she told him, her mind refusing to understand what he was getting at.
"I know." was all he said.
"So what would happen if I didn't get to use all my wishes?" she asked. She couldn't quite bear to use the word die about herself.
"Someone else would be in charge a lot sooner." he told her. Megan was relieved to hear he didn't sound very excited about the thought.
"So...you were just being nice?" Megan never would have thought she'd see the day.
"Why not?" he shrugged. "I mean, you let me come to this great party."
He flashed his most obnoxious smile at her. Megan was about to tell him to be serious, when she remembered what he always said about lying.
"Really?" she asked incredulously. "Because I let you hang out?"
"It doesn't actually happen that often." he told her, turning serious.
"Oh, really?" Megan rolled her eyes, unable to help herself. "'Cause I mean you seem like so much fun."
All she could think about was the absolute joy in his face every time he got to her and how it'd been that way since day one.
"I know, right?" he grinned, choosing to ignore her sarcasm. "Come on – we should probably get you cleaned up."
"Well, I don't know..." she trailed off. They both knew she wouldn't waste a wish on just looking better.
"Consider it part of your first wish." Jake shrugged.
"What?" Megan asked, confused. A slow grin started to spread itself across Jake's face, and Megan was instantly suspicious.
"I just don't think you should go back to the party with twigs in your hair. I mean, you'd still be loved either way, but I'm just not sure I want to go to a school where the popular kids look like they could be homeless."
"You're too kind." she said, rolling her eyes.
"Why thank you." he grinned. He looked at her intently for a minute, and Megan had to smother a sudden nervous giggle.
"Are you ok?" he asked. The look of concentration on his face broke as he peered at her with – was that a hint of concern on his face?
"What?" she asked defensively.
"You just seem...off." he said finally.
"I did just fall off the second story." Shouldn't that give her the right to be a little weird?
"And landed lightly in a bush." he pointed out.
"Yeah – a rose bush."
"It was not." he told her. "Besides, there wasn't much I could do about that with all those people around."
"I know." Megan admitted grudgingly. "It was kind of weird to not fall for a second there."
"I bet." Jake grinned. He reached up to touch her hair. When he pulled back, he had a twig in his hand.
"For you." he said, handing it over.
"Oh, thanks." she grumbled, but she took it anyway.
As he fixed her up, Megan thought back to what he'd said. Had he really helped her just because he wanted to? Maybe he wasn't quite as bad as she'd always kind of thought.
"So why are you so obnoxious anyway?" she asked him.
"What?" He looked at her, confused.
"I mean, you seem like you're actually a pretty nice guy. Underneath tons of layers of annoyingness, of course." she added. No sense in letting him get a big head or anything – especially since he really wasn't that nice.
"Nice doesn't actually work out very well for... my situation." he told her, shifting uncomfortably.
Suddenly, Megan felt bad for him. She could see how maybe it was a little harder to be him than she gave him credit for. She thought about that – how he was always so careful, so in control. But today, something was different. Today he was almost human. Who knew when she'd ever see him like this again?
Megan's mind intently flashed back to that time in the arcade – when she'd thought he was going to kiss her. He had that very same look on his face again. But why would that be?
Megan didn't know, and she decided she didn't care. This was the second time she'd seen that look on his face – it had to mean something. She knew in the back of her mind that she should probably shouldn't do anything. She definitely shouldn't act on it. But she'd had enough to drink by this point that she was having a hard time remembering exactly why it would be such a bad idea.
Megan leaned forward, ready to take the chance. And if it didn't work, she could always blame it on the beer in the morning. She was just about to make her move when she heard Jen call her name from across the yard.
"Come on." she said, grabbing his hand and dragging him back towards their friends.
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