Cloud Walking

told me firmly.

    “Thanks, Mom,” I said and she had left not long after that but I didn't forget what she said. Because it had hit home for me. She was right...I did deserve some cloud walking, darn it!

    Daniel called me about twenty times on Sunday. I had hit ignore each and every time. Maggie had called and I had reluctantly answered. She had been all excited and giddy that she and Clay had decided to take their relationship to the next level.

    There was no point in me trying to talk sense into her. To remind her of the ugly side Clay obviously had. Because she wouldn't have listened. And I was through wasting my breath.

    Monday had been borderline painful. I had never felt lonely at school. I was pretty well liked and Daniel and Maggie were a constant source of company. That had very suddenly changed. I was avoiding Danny like the plague and Maggie was so deeply immersed in Clayton Reed land that I barely saw her.

    Daniel had tracked me down right before lunch. I knew it was only a matter of time until he found me. Though I was proud of how effectively I had avoided him up until then. He came jogging down the hallway toward me and I looked around, wondering if I could make a break for it.

    “Hey, is your phone broken? I've been trying to reach you all weekend,” he said, looking at me with confusion and more than a little hurt in those beautiful blue eyes. No! I would not notice how pretty his stupid eyes were!

    “Nah. I just wasn't feeling too great. Spent the day vegging out in front of the TV,” I lied, forcing myself to look at him blankly. Daniel's face showed concern and he put his hand to my cheek.

    “You feeling better?” he asked softly. His eyes looked into mine and I swear I could feel something different there. But then all I had to do was remember him and Kylie kissing on Saturday and I pulled away.

    “Yeah, I'm fine,” I said, grabbing my lunch and heading toward the cafeteria. Daniel fell into step beside me. His fingers casually brushed mine as we walked and I felt my face get warm. We were about to go into the lunch room when he grabbed a hold of my arm and pulled me to a stop.

    “Is that why you left on Saturday without saying anything? Because you were feeling sick? Because you know, I would have taken you home. Hell, I would have made you chicken soup and everything. I can be a good little nurse when I want to.” Daniel's lips quirked in a flirty smile but I couldn't summon my own in response.

    “You were busy. Ray took me, it was no big deal,” I said blandly. I didn't let on at how hurt I had been by him ditching me. I didn't reveal that I had seen Kylie wrapped around him like a vine. No sense in dredging it up.

    Daniel frowned and lifted his hand as though he wanted to touch my face but then dropped it back to his side. “I'm never too busy for you. Look, I'm sorry I left you for a while...but I had to take care of some things,” he explained, his fingers wrapping around my wrist.

    I pulled out of his grasp and looked away. “Yeah, I could see that.” So much for hiding my bitterness. And I had been doing so well too.

    Daniel rubbed the top of his head in agitation. “Rach. Seriously. It's not what it looked like. You see Kylie and I...well...” I held up my hand, cutting him off.

    “Spare me the gory details, please. Let's go eat.” I started to walk into the cafeteria.

    “Rachel, please let me explain,” Daniel pleaded, grabbing for my arm again. Before he could say anything else, we were both pulled up short by the sight that greeted us at our lunch table.

    “What the hell?” Daniel growled. That was a good question. Clay and Maggie sat there, wrapped around each other as though they were one freaking person. Well, this would make for an interesting lunch.

    “Play nice, Danny,” I warned. Daniel had let out a huff but followed me silently to the table. Our earlier conversation had been forgotten as we tried to get used to the fact that Maggie was now part of a “we.” The differences in her were astounding and I tried not to freak out over it. But there was a possessiveness in the way she and Clay were together. A neediness that was a little hard to stomach. It was very obvious that they loved each other. But their love was a little scary. Because it consumed everything around them until that's all either of them saw. They lived in their own little Maggie and Clay world and the rest of us didn't even compute.

    Now that they were