CHAPTER ONE

Spring Break Heartache

Tuesday, April 14th
Living alone in New York City as a
twenty-year-old female is not easy. The cost
of living is out the roof, especially for a
college student, and even though the city is
safer than the stereotype believes, there's
still some shady stuff that happens there.
The hustle and bustle can get exhausting,
too, so I come home to the mountains every
chance I get.
I’m a sophomore at New York University,
merely by chance. Being from a middle-class
family in rural North Carolina, my family
was adamant that I a end college in-state.
In my usual fashion, I decided to reach for
the stars, and somehow, years later, I find
the stars, and somehow, years later, I find
Falling Twice

myself a ending a school with a $70,000

tuition. Be er yet, I’m only having to pay a
fourth of it. I still don't know how to this
day. I guess “hard work pays off” is an
accurate statement, no ma er how annoying
it is once you’ve heard it repeatedly.
Instead of spending my spring break at
the beach ge ing drunk and whoring
around, I ventured home to spend time with
my family and friends. I hadn’t been home
since my birthday, and even though that
was a short three weeks ago, my family had
been emotionally greeting me as if I’d from
years at war. One afternoon, I was surprised
to find myself on a pool float away from
throngs of family members. I was relaxing
with my closest friend, Davis Ritenour.
“How much fuel does it take to drive
home from the city?” Davis asked, pulling
the brim of her sun hat back to reveal her
sunburned cheeks.
“I have to stop at a gas station every five
minutes.” I joked. “You’re asking a lot of
questions. You must be excited.”
“Of course I’m excited. Just think… If I
get in, we’ll get to take on the city together.”
Davis and I have been friends since Jesus
and Moses roamed the Earth. Our parents
1
and Moses roamed Falling
the Twice
Earth. Our parents
were friends in high school and remained
close, raising their four children side-by-
side. We were all more like siblings than
friends. Going to college together was our
dream. Through the course our lives, we
discovered every experience was be er if we
did it together, but when I was accepted to
New York University, our dream became
more unrealistic. Davis's parents were like
mine- they didn't want to pay for an out-of-
state education. Our dream couldn't come
true unless Davis enough financial aid. We
had been on edge since the moment she
submi ed her application – relying on the
government for money was like relying on
Peter Pe igrew to be your secret keeper. It
isn’t going to end well.
“I'm just worried I won't get the
scholarship.” Davis sighed.
“Hey, whatever happens, happens.
Right?” I said ma er-of-factly. I knew my
words weren’t much consolation – it’s much
easier to say when you’ve already been
accepted.
“Right. I've done all I can do.”
“Exactly.” I realized by the knot in my
stomach that I was just as anxious for my
friend as I had been for myself two years
2
friend as I had beenFalling
forTwice
myself two years
ago. Eager to change the subject, I shifted in
my float. “How's Sean doing?”
“Fine.” She said, pulling her hat back over
her face and sliding down into her float.
“I don’t like that tone. Elaborate.”
“I’d rather not.” She was always reserved
on the topic of relationships.
“That wasn’t a question.” I said,
narrowing my gaze. Davis responded with a
sigh.
“Fine.” She said dully. “Last week, Sean
was desperately trying to make plans with
me for Spring Break. He wanted to go to the
zoo, he wanted to go hiking, he wanted to
go to the movies, he wanted to ride off into
the sunset…”
“Let me guess. He made other plans.”
The predictability of this relationship was
ge ing old.
“Exactly. You're a genius.” Davis said,
shaking her head in mock disbelief.
“It’s just the best friend instinct.”
“Oh please.” Davis laughed. “Anyways,
Monday afternoon, while I was ge ing
ready our night out, he texted me and told
me he was at Myrtle Beach with his friends
and would have to cancel.”
“Oh, wow.” I said, chuckling. “He
3
 Fallingchuckling.
“Oh, wow.” I said, Twice “He
could’ve at least had the decency to stay in
state.”
“Stop it.” She said flatly.
“I’m sorry. This is just like the punchline
to a long-awaited joke. When does he get
back?” I asked, pretending to care. I never
liked Sean. I enjoyed the negative stories,
because every tragic tale got Davis one step
closer to dumping the douche bag.
“Sunday afternoon.”
“What a shame. I’ll be in New York by
then. I hate I won’t be able to give him a
warm welcome.”
“Very funny.” She didn’t seem amused.
Discussing Sean killed the momentum of
our conversation. After another five minutes
of near silence, we toweled off and headed
inside.

Friday, April 15th

“Don’t wreck, Olivia. Watch your
mirrors. If you get sleepy, pull over, and
stretch your legs every 100 miles. Use your
navigation system.” Mom said frantically as
my dad loaded my suitcase in the back of
my car. “Oh – and watch your gas gauge!
Make sure to check your blind spot before
merging.”
4
 Falling Twice

“Okay, mo-”
“And don't play your music too loud.”
“That completely contradicts the 'don't get
tired' rule.” I responded sarcastically. This
safety briefing happened every time I was
leaving home after a visit.
After I bid my farewells to my mom and
dad, I visited my grandparents and decided
to pay Davis a final surprise visit. As I
drove up their street and neared their house,
I noticed an unclean black Hummer in my
parking space.
Sean's Hummer.
Sean wasn't supposed to be back until
Sunday. Maybe his friends got sick of him
and sent him home. I seriously debated on
turning around and heading straight for
New York, but I told myself that Davis
would appreciate the visit. In the end, the
only thing that convinced me to park the car
was my need to use the bathroom. Man, I
despised Sean.
I walked in to Sean and Davis spooning
on the couch watching TV, her parents
nowhere in sight. As soon as Davis noticed
me at the door, she hurriedly separated
herself from Sean and muted the TV. I
cringed when I noticed what they were
5
 Falling Twice
cringed when I noticed what they were
watching – The Notebook – it must’ve been
Sean’s suggestion. Disgusting.
“Olivia! Hey!” Davis said, wringing her
hands. Sean had yet to turn around and
speak.
“Hey.” I said, shifting my gaze to Sean. I
stared at him for about ten seconds, causing
the vibe in the room to get extremely
awkward. He was choosing to ignore me.
“Sean.” I said firmly, clearing my throat.
Sean turned his head with a false look of
cordiality pasted onto his tanned
countenance. I noticed his dark brown hair
was lighter than normal, bleached by the
sun.
“Yeah?” He said, smiling innocently.
Davis had a blank look on her face.
“Long time no see.” I said in a
monotonous tone that I a empted to mask
with mock elation.
“How is school goi-”
“Going great, Sean. Just like every time
you ask.”
“So, Olivia!” She changed the subject,
narrowing her gaze at me in warning.
“When are you leaving to head back to the
city?”
“Funny you should ask.” I said, checking
6
 Fallingask.”
“Funny you should Twice I said, checking

my wristwatch. “I was just coming by to say

goodbye before hi ing the road.”
“My parents are at lunch, but I'll tell them
you stopped by.”
“You're home alone?” I questioned. Not
likely. When Sean was around, a chaperone
was always within ten feet of her.
“No. Isaac is home, but I believe he's in
the shower.” Davis said.
“Oh.”
How awkward. Davis was talking to me
like I was an acquaintance. Who could
blame her, though?
“Sean, I need to borrow your girlfriend
for a minute, if that’s okay.” I said,
beckoning Davis to the door with a blank
expression.
“Not a problem.” He said, straight faced,
awkwardly focusing his a ention on the
muted television.
We walked away from the house so Sean
couldn't hear our discussion.
“Break up with this asshole.” I said as
soon as she stepped outside. The door
wasn’t even closed.
“Olivia! Talk lower!” She grabbed my
wrist and pulled me a few feet away from
the house.
7
 Falling Twice

“I was going to break up with him, but-”

“Cuddling is not a conventional break-up
method.”
“Let me finish.” She said, glaring at me
impatiently. “He apologized, Olivia.
Sincerely.”
“Don't fall for his tricks, Davis.” I was
practically preaching to her now.
“He sounded sincere.”
“Don't be naïve.”
For a few moments, we blankly eyed one
another.
“I don’t know what to tell you, Olivia. I
accepted his apology. It was my choice.”
She said, breaking the silence. “This is our
first real fight. We love each other. I want to
give it a chance.” Davis said, looking down.
She knew she was making a bad choice…
She was afraid of change.
I decided not to waste my words and
ended the discussion. “It's obvious I'm not
going to change your mind.” I said. “You
know Sean be er than I do. I just hope
you're making the right decision.”
“Thank you.” Davis said. “I'll always be
open to your advice, but it's my choice.
Thanks for… respecting that.”
“No problem.” I said, nodding with
8
 “No problem.”Falling
I said,Twice
nodding with
worry. I’d been through relationships like
my friend’s and was trying to stop history
from repeating itself. I had done all I could
do. “Anyways, I'm going to hit the road. I'm
running behind.”
“Give me a hug, you dork.” Her eyes
teared up – we always got emotional when
we had to part ways.
“You read my mind.” I laughed and
embraced my friend, towering over her.
“I'll miss you, Liv.” Davis said, breaking
away from me as I went to get in my
Volkswagen.
“I'll miss you too, but it's only three
weeks. Call me every night.” I said.
“You can count on that.” Davis said,
walking back to her front door. “I love you,
be safe! It's a long drive!” She smiled, giving
me one final wave before I rolled out of the
driveway and headed towards my city.

9
 Falling Twice

CHAPTER TWO
Birthday Bash
Wednesday, May 6th
A birthday may seem like a stupid reason
to drive twelve hours home, especially
during exams, but Davis was turning
eighteen.
Davis. Eighteen. An adult. Wow.
I was dog tired. I am not a morning
person, and I had woken up at five o’clock
to make the drive home. As soon as I pulled
into the cracked driveway of my ranch-style
home, I tried to make a beeline for the living
room couch. That plan was foiled by my
mother, who tackled me with a hug.
“Let's go visit your grandparents!” My
mother excitedly planned from the kitchen
as I drifted off to sleep.

10
 Falling Twice

For the record, I didn't go see my

grandparents that night. In fact, I didn't
wake up until eleven o’clock the next
morning, and I was lying in my bed. The
hours before Davis’s birthday dinner were
spent similarly.
When we arrived at the restaurant later
that evening, the table was beyond full. My
entire family came to celebrate, as did all
Davis's family- aunts, cousins,
grandparents, parents, brother- only one
chair was empty.
Davis had rightfully taken the seat at the
head of the table and had saved the seat to
her left for Sean. She has insisted we wait on
him to order, but after ten minutes,
everyone was ge ing fed up.
“Where is that boy?” Davis's
grandmother Gladys called from the center
of the table.
Davis nervously checked her phone, and I
could hear her foot anxiously tapping. “I
don't know.”
Everyone was against him, including her
parents. I looked across the table, and her
mom was whispering something into my
mom's ear. Her dad's expression fla ened,
and her aunt Lori's expression was-
11
 Falling Twice

“Tell him that his invitation is rejected.”

Davis's Aunt Lori snapped from the
opposite end of the table. Lori was a sassy
woman, and she always had an opinion she
wanted to share.
“Now Aunt Lori, I don't think-”
“Davis, if he doesn't have the decency to
show up on time, he shouldn't come at all.”
“That's right.” Davis's mom said.
“Amen.” I asserted my opinion, per usual.
“I'm not waiting on him any longer.” Lori
added. “Renae, can you get the waitress?”
At 5:15, Davis got a text from Sean.
Hey baby! I am so so sorry that I couldn't
make it. I had to come in to work at 4, and I
work until 8. I still want to see you, so could
I come to your house later? Don't be mad,
Love you! Happy 18.
“Sean has work.” Davis said to everyone
at the table, seemingly less stressed, but also
disconcerted. The family exchanged glances
and cleared their throats, resolving not to
push the issue.
“Respond to him.” I whispered to Davis
during the uncomfortable silence. “Hit him
where it hurts.”
After five minutes of feverish typing,
Davis passed me her phone.
12
 Falling Twice

You know my celebration started 20

minutes ago, right? Maybe next time, you'll
be considerate and LET ME KNOW before
you stand me up. My whole family was
expecting you. You've found yet
ANOTHER way to humiliate me. I'm sick
of your stupidity. Stop finding excuses. If
you're able to randomly take off a week
from work to go to the beach with your
friends, then you can easily take off ONE
night to celebrate your girlfriend's 18th
birthday. I don't want to see you tonight. I'd
rather spend my evening with the people
that care about me enough to show up.
I high-fived Davis with a sense of
triumph, but her expression was less
celebratory.
“I don't know how I feel anymore.” Davis
said, pu ing her phone in her purse and
si ing up straighter in her chair.
“Feelings are silly things, you know.” I
said. “How about we forget about feelings
until tomorrow. You only turn 18 once.”
And with that, we put Sean behind us
and had an enjoyable celebration.
We didn't even ask for the check until
eight o'clock. Apparently, everyone needed
three hours to catch up. The whole party
13
three hours to catchFalling
[Link]
The whole party
drifted to the door in a loud mob. After we
all paid, we hopped in our cars and made
the venture to Davis's house for gifts and
cake.
After the hour drive, we lined our cars up
the street due to the small driveway and
made our way inside. The excited cha er
among Davis’s family told me that she
would be opening a big gift this evening… I
wondered what it was.
“A ention everyone!” Renae yelled over
the crowd. Everyone slowly quietened
down. As suspected, Davis's sassy Aunt
Lori was the last one to stop talking - that
woman can gossip. “Thanks to everyone
who came to celebrate Davis's eighteenth
birthday!” Renae said. “It's hard to believe
my last baby is an adult now!” She said,
trying to laugh it off.
“She's trying not to cry.” Davis whispered
into my ear.
“I can tell.” I whispered back.
Apparently, my mom noticed too, because
she walked over to Renae and placed a hand
on her back to console her.
“I know it's ge ing late, so we're going to
cut into this cake in a few minutes! Make
sure to stay after for gifts!” Renae
14
 Falling
sure to stay after for TwiceRenae
gifts!”
concluded.
Everyone disbanded as my mom and
Renae prepared drinks. Davis went back to
the freezer and pulled out Turkey Hill
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream,
our favorite.
“This is exclusively for us.” Davis said, as
we both laughed like goons. We grabbed a
few spoons from her kitchen drawer and ran
upstairs to her room, closing the door.
We made our way downstairs after
pu ing a considerable dent in the tub of ice
cream, and conspicuously returned it to the
freezer.
“There you are!” Renae said, calling
everyone to the kitchen. Everyone circled
the kitchen table. Davis stood in front of her
cake. Eighteen candles were stuck around
the circumference of the vibrant, two-tiered
cake. “Everyone ready to sing?”
Davis awkwardly giggled as everyone
around her sang. Sean would've been off
work by now, but nobody seemed
concerned about his absence.
“Davis, we all love you and can't believe
how far you've come. I know you'll be
embarrassed, but just know that we're very
proud of you and your accomplishments!”
15
 Falling Twice

“Oh hush, mom.” She blushed a li le.

“As your second mom, I agree
completely!” My mom said. Everyone
chuckled.
I ate three slices of cake. Anybody that
wants to discourage me can line up at the
dumpster out back.
“Let's get these gifts opened.” David
announced to the crowd.
Davis mostly got money, a great
eighteenth birthday gift. She got heaps of
cash from her grandparents and relatives,
and my family pitched in $100.
“I think that's it!” Davis stood up happily,
thanking everyone for their generosity.
Everyone started laughing. “Why is
everyone laughing?” Davis was u erly
confused. Li le did she know, she had yet to
receive her best gifts.
“Davis, you still have a gift to open.”
Renae said, chuckling along with the happy
family.
“Wait, where is it?” Davis looked around
the room and under the table. Everyone was
still laughing.
“Just wait and see.” Her mother smirked
and led her through the kitchen towards the
back door. I had no clue what the gift was,
16
back door. I had noFalling
clueTwice
what the gift was,
but I instinctively covered her eyes.
“Don't trip and fall, you klu .” I joked as
Davis was guided onto the back deck. As
soon as my eyes focused to the darkness, I
saw the gift – a burgundy Ford Focus. She
was going to love this.
“Yeah, yeah. Can I open my eyes now?”
Davis said, smiling so wide that her cheeks
were going to get sore.
“Yes!” Lori cheered from the yard. In
response, I excitedly pulled my hand away
from her face.
On sight, Davis's jaw dropped to the
floor.
“A NEW CAR!” She hollered and ran
down the deck steps to look at it. “THIS
DAY COULDN'T GET ANY BETTER!”
She was crying again. But hey, I couldn't
blame her. Ge ing a new car isn't something
that happens every day, unless of course
you're a member of the Kardashian/Jenner
family. After seeing Davis’s initial reaction,
many of the guests began to walk back
inside.
“Wait just a minute!” Renae hollered, as
the family turned around to face the yard
again. “Davis, aren't you going to get inside
of your car? Test it out?” Renae shot a look
17
of your car? Test itFalling
out?” Twice
Renae shot a look
at my mom, and they were smiling.
“Oh, yeah! I almost forgot!” Davis
skipped over to the driver door and sat in
the seat. I watched her take it all in. She
fiddled with the controls on the dash, played
some music, and did all the run-of-the-mill
car testing things. I glanced at Renae and
my mother, who were looking inside as if
they had a secret. They both had their
cameras out, but they weren't taking
pictures yet. Mysterious...
I peered in the window, and Davis
noticed. “Olivia, come sit in the passenger!”
Davis requested in a chipper voice. I jogged
around to the other side of the car, but
before I sat down, I noticed an envelope
lying in the seat. My heart skipped a beat.
Davis was still playing with the radio.
“Uh... DAVIS?!” I screamed ecstatically,
finally noticing the purple NYU le erhead
at the top of the page.
“Yeah?” She said, still not looking.
“LOOK IN THE PASSENGER SEAT!”
I had a hand over my mouth, and my eyes
were blurry with tears of joy.
“What's wro-” Davis said, before noticing
the paper herself. She went silent, and the
biggest smile of the night grew across her
18
biggest smile of theFalling
nightTwice
grew across her
face. She snatched up the le er and read the
first line. “I'M GOING TO NEW YORK
UNIVERSITY!” She screamed, jumping
out of her car, le er in hand. Everyone was
cheering and clapping. If another surprise
gift is pulled out of the family bag of tricks,
Davis may topple over dead from a heart
a ack. Davis nearly tackled me, but I didn't
care- her acceptance into NYU was my gift
too. Everything that we had dreamed of
since a young age was finally being realized.
God is real. This was a prime example of an
answered prayer.
It was about 10:30 and all the guests had
left except for my family, who stayed to
clean up.
“Are we able to room together?” Davis
asked. This was probably her 200th question
about college life. “I thought that freshmen
couldn't room with upperclassmen.”
“I'll arrange it with the housing
department.” I said, picking up a cup with
condensation dripping down the sides and
tossing it into the trash.
“Thank God for that.”
Just as Davis began to ask about study
abroad opportunities, the doorbell rang.
“Who could that be?” I heard Renae say
19
 “Who could that Falling
be?”Twice
I heard Renae say
as my dad and David walked into the living
room. “It's too late for this.”
I looked at Davis, and her excited
expression had partially faded into a
straight-faced look as her dad answered the
door.
“It's Sean.” David yelled flatly into the
kitchen. I put an arm around Davis, who
instantaneously looked sad. My mother and
Renae walked into the living room, as if they
doubted Sean were there. “Sean, we're
cleaning up.”
How could he have the nerve to stop by
after making no effort to celebrate earlier?
This dickhead never ran out of ideas to ruin
someone's day.
“I know, sir.” Sean mu ered. I moved
around to the doorway to get a closer look at
him. His hair was a mess, and he was
dressed in dark gray sweatpants and a black
t-shirt that read ‘back-to-back champions.’
This bastard had been off of work since
eight, and his a ire suggested he’d been
relaxing at home for the past three hours.
“You do know it's eleven o’clock, right?”
David said.
“Yes sir, but I wanted to see Davis on her
eighteenth birthday.” David had his arm
20
 FallingDavid
eighteenth birthday.” Twice had his arm

propped against the doorframe, blocking

Sean from entering the house.
“I can't take this.” Davis whispered,
rolling her teary eyes. I still had an arm
around her.
“If you wanted to see her, you should've
come at a decent time. We've been
celebrating since five o'clock. Now, the party
is over, and we're all about to go to bed.”
“But sir, I-”
“All our party guests already left, Sean.
The party is over.”
I was smiling. David was killing Sean's
ego. I was enjoying it. All I needed now was
an extra-large bucket of popcorn.
“I know sir, and I would've come, but I
had work.” Sean was ge ing visibly
frustrated but tried to keep a mannerly face.
“So, you mean to tell me you just got off
work?” David pried at Sean, who was still
standing outside.
“No sir, but I-”
“Oh! Really? When did you get off?”
David said, as Sean hesitated.
“I- I-”
“Don't stu er.”
“Eight.” Sean looked down.
“Eight? And you just now decided to
21
 “Eight? And you Falling
justTwice
now decided to
show up at my house? At eleven?” David
crossed his arms and Renae's eyebrows
scrunched up in u er disappointment.
“I'm very sorry sir, but I didn't know the
party would be over.”
“Don’t give me that. This isn’t a night
club. Most of the guests were grandparents,
or adults with small children. They went
home an hour ago.”
“I didn't know.” Sean said, lamely
defending himself. I was sick of this. Davis
was staring at the floor, tapping her foot.
“Can I come in?” Sean asked, inching
towards the door.
“No no. You could've come in two hours
ago. I'm not taking guests.” David said,
dumbfounded by the ignorance standing in
the doorway.
“Sir, I'm very sorry, but I have something
for Davis, and I want to come in.”
“I don't want a gift from you, Sean! You
heard my dad, go home!” She was pissed.
Thank God.
Sean's expression morphed into an angry
one. Apparently, he expected Davis to
defend him.
“Davis, I got you a ring!”
“I am NOT in the mood, Sean!” Davis
22
 “I am NOT in Falling Twice Sean!” Davis
the mood,
hung back, and Sean was still in the
doorway.
“I think you'll like it!” He pushed forward
more, but David left his arm on the
doorframe.
“Get off of my porch, Sean.” David said
firmly. My mother went into the kitchen,
hoping to stay out of the situation. My dad
followed.
“Davis, it's a PROMISE RING!” Sean
yelled into the door. The room went silent.
Sean took advantage of everyone's shock
and silence and tried to step into the living
room. Davis didn't say a word - she just
stared at the ring box he was holding.
“Davis, I got you this promise ring
because I am not perfect. I make mistakes.
I've wronged you in many ways.”
“Add this to the list. Get off my property.”
David moved his arm, but only to shut the
door in Sean’s face.
My parents returned to the living room
after the drama calmed down.
“You’re breaking up with him.” Renae
said, staring at her daughter with resolute
anger. “We’ll talk about this later.”
Everybody was so busy recounting what
had just happened they failed to notice
23
had just happenedFalling
theyTwice
failed to notice
when I crept out the back door. What was I
doing?
I walked angrily towards Sean's
Hummer. He was preparing to back out the
driveway when I beat on his overly-tinted
windows with my fist.
“What the hell do you want?” He bit as he
rolled down the window.
“I want you to put a sock in it and listen.”
I spat.
“Oh, do you have something to say?” He
mocked in a beli ling voice.
“If I didn't, I'd be inside, consoling my
best friend you just mortified!”
“I just gave her a RING!” He yelled.
“You didn’t give her anything! You
couldn’t even get through the damn door!” I
shouted with somewhat of a maniacal laugh.
“You’re such a piece of shit! Her whole
family thinks it!”
“Shut the fuck up! You’re going to wake
up the whole goddamn neighborhood!”
“Oh, now you’re concerned about waking
the neighbors! Maybe you should’ve
thought about that before you marched over
here so late!” I snapped. “Nobody wants
you here. Get out.”
“Only if you go lay under my back tire,
24
 “Only if you goFalling Twice my back tire,
lay under
bitch.”
Before my mind could even process it, I
hauled off and smacked Sean so hard across
the face that his head jerked to the side and
he grunted, grabbing his cheek afterwards.
“WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT
FOR?!” He yelled.
“Quiet down, Sean! You’ll wake the
neighbors!” I said. He was staring at me
angrily, yet he didn't move. “GO! NOW!
TAKE THAT RING WITH YOU!”
I stomped back into the house preparing
to tell Davis all the details of what just
happened, but I thought be er of it. I
walked into the living room, discovering
Davis si ing on the couch. She had red eyes
from crying, but she was happily reading
her acceptance le er.
“I've decided not to let Sean ruin my
day.” She said. “This was one of the best
days of my life before he stormed in.” She
smiled, seemingly content. I knew her
parents had talked her through it.
“Good for you. Always take the high
road.”
Sometimes, things are be er left unsaid.

25
 Falling Twice

CHAPTER THREE
South for the Summer
Tuesday, May 26th
The most bi ersweet day of the year had
come once again.
It was the day I leave New York City to
return home to rural North Carolina for the
summer. My college summers are different
from my high school summers. Since my
time with my family is limited, we use each
day wisely. In high school, there were lots of
lazy days, but not now- we want to make
great memories in the short two months that
I'm home.
I have no clue what my family has
planned for our summer, but I'm ready for
it. My dorm room was beginning to get
cramped. Amber had packaged all of her

26
cramped. Amber Falling
had packaged
Twice
all of her
belongings into cardboard boxes, and
instead of keeping them stacked and
organized, they were sprawled all through
the dorm. In the kitchen, dining space, and
near my bed. There was even a box in the
way of the bathroom door. I would've said
something, but decided to stay on good
terms with her since school was about to
end. I, on the other hand, keep my stuff
pristinely organized. When I got a piece of
luggage packed, I pushed it into the back of
my closet to keep it out of the way. I guess
some people don't think these minuscule
things through.
I'd packed most of my stuff, but I needed
to take down my dorm decorations. I had
photos and other memorabilia from home
pinned onto my cork board over my bed,
and several sit-arounds decorating my
counter. I had one wall decal, and it was
posted above my closet. I started scrambling
around to remove my decorations and
tossed them into a tote bag.
It was 5am, and I was ready to leave, but
the parking deck where I store my car
doesn't open until 6am. Until then, I busied
myself by eating a quick bowl of cereal and
doing one last check through my bags.
27
 Falling Twice

As I peeled through my luggage, I

noticed that one thing was missing- my
NYU sweatshirt. It was one of my favorite
clothing items, and I wouldn't have lost it...
Maybe I packed it elsewhere. I started
digging through my other bags, and it was
nowhere to be found. I sat down on my bed,
pondering. Where could I have left it?
Ah. Anthony's apartment.
We had broken up two months earlier,
and I didn't want to go back to his
apartment, but I wasn't leaving New York
City without my favorite sweatshirt.

An hour later, I made the brisk 10 minute

walk to the parking deck. The city was
already bustling, as many people dressed in
suits and work a ire were filing their way
into the subway entrances. The sun was
rising, and the air was cool but humid.
Despite the people on the sidewalks, there
was a subtle peacefulness on the city streets.
When I walked into the parking deck, I
went to the a endant's desk. I signed a few
forms confirming that I was the driver of the
2012 Volkswagen Beetle. The a endant
motioned for the valet, who came to the
desk, got my keys, and went up the elevator
28
desk, got my keys,Falling
and Twice
went up the elevator
to retrieve my car.
I payed my parking deck bills, which
weren't terribly unreasonable. I chose the
parking deck with the lowest rates, because
I didn't have a job. I had way too much
schoolwork to hold a job, so I had to save
money in as many ways possible. A few
minutes later, I saw my car roll around the
corner, and the valet parked it beside me. I
hopped in and cranked it, taking a deep
breath.
You could leave right now.
I thought to myself.
You don't have to go get that sweatshirt.
He probably threw it away or sold it. He's
probably gone on his morning jog. What if
his roommate answers the door? What if
another woman answers the door?
No. I need to be responsible and
courageous. I wheeled my Beetle out of the
parking deck.
First, I went back to my dorm, parallel
parking on the street side. I made four trips
upstairs, collecting my two large suitcases,
tote bag, hair supplies, makeup, shoes,
decorations, keepsakes, and snacks for the
road. Packing all of this in my car was no
struggle. Despite its small size, Vivienne has
29
struggle. Despite Falling Twicesize, Vivienne has
its small
quite a spacey truck. On my final trip
upstairs I checked my room one last time. I
was thorough, checking every nook and
cranny of my sophomore dorm. Before I
left, I noticed a faint smell of alcohol
lingering in the bathroom, and Amber was
nowhere to be seen. I just rolled my eyes,
not expressing a bit of concern. This was the
norm, and I wasn't waiting on her to return.
I'd rather text her my goodbyes instead. To
be cordial, I left a note on the counter. That's
as far as I was willing to go.
After I was completely moved out, I went
downstairs to turn in my key. The
receptionist didn't come in until 7am, so I
left the card on her desk with a note,
speeding out.
Freshman year, I was a lot more
emotional when I was moving out. I cried
when I was packing, and Katy and I shared
our final sentiments and memories through
tears. It was a day I'll never forget. This
year, however, I was just ready to get home.
I closed my trunk and got into the driver's
seat of my car, relieved that I was packed in
such a short time. After one last ba le with
my conscience, I pulled out of my parking
space and went to Anthony's apartment. To
30
space and went toFalling Twice apartment. To
Anthony's
boost my confidence, I played See What
You On by Dreezy. She's the ultimate bad
bitch and can easily boost your confidence.
It's self-explanatory why I was upset.
What girl would want to go to her ex-
boyfriend's apartment at 6am to ask for a
sweatshirt that she left there two months
earlier?
Just suck it up.
Anthony majored in health sciences, so his
dorm was about fifteen minutes away by car
in midday traffic. The streets were calmer
than normal, so I made the drive in ten
minutes. I parked curbside, feeling
significantly more confident due to my prior
jam session. I exited my car and headed into
the dorm. The receptionist recognized me as
an ex-love interest of one of the students,
and she shot me a peculiar look, but I
brushed it off and continued up the elevator
to floor 5.
I paced my way down the hall to
Anthony's room- the third door on the left.
Was it rude to knock on someone's door at
6am?
Was it rude to break up with your
girlfriend because she's a hard worker?
I knocked hard on the door, looking down
31
 I knocked hardFalling
on theTwice
door, looking down
at my feet and waiting impatiently. I looked
casual- I was wearing workout shorts and a
Yankees T-Shirt, paired with an old pair of
Birkenstocks. My hair was thrown up in an
effortless bun, yet I didn't care. I wasn't here
to impress.
A minute later, Anthony answered the
door. He was shirtless, wearing only a pair
of light gray sweatpants. His dark brown
hair had grown out too long and was a
mess, and his blue eyes were glazed over,
just having woken up. When he saw me at
the door, he blinked several times, almost as
if he needed a double-take.
“Olivia?” His head cocked slightly to the
side. “What are you doing here?” He was
still royally confused.
“I came to get my NYU Sweatshirt.” I
said conclusively. “I was packing this
morning and realized I lost it. Your
apartment was the only place I could think
of.” I crossed my arms, trying my hardest to
keep a pleasant look on my face.
“I...” He mussed his hair. “I think it may
be in my dresser. Let me go check.” He
turned around and walked back to his
bedroom. “You can come in, I guess.” He
awkwardly said, still trying to register the
32
 Falling
awkwardly said, still Twice to register the
trying
situation. I walked in and sat at the kitchen
chair as he dug through his dresser drawer.
His roommate was still soundly asleep.
A few moments later, he stood up and
held it out, making sure it was mine.
“That's it.” I said, ready to leave. I wanted
to get this over as soon as possible.
Anthony nodded and tossed it over his
arm, sleepily stumbling into the kitchen and
handing it to me. “I was certain you'd go en
everything from me.” He said with a
meager smile. “I guess not.” He chuckled
silently, watching me fold it carefully and
place it in my lap.
“Obviously not.” I said, looking up at
him. He was propped against his kitchen
counter, almost observing me.
“You must have wanted that sweatshirt
pre y bad, Liv.”
The nerve he has to call me by my
nickname. I shuddered a li le.
“Yeah, I wanted it back! I spent forty
bucks on it.” I smiled, keeping things
positive.
“It must've meant a lot to you, since you
came to my dorm to get it.” He said, lowly.
“Well, I guess so. I just didn't want to-”
“I figured you'd never want to be in my
33
 “I figured you'dFalling
neverTwice
want to be in my
presence again after the way I treated you.”
He was right, but I still gulped. The final
memories of the relationship weren't fond
ones.
“I didn't come to be in your presence. I
came to get my sweatshirt.” I nodded
decisively, standing up. “And now, I've got
it. I'm sorry for barging in so early, but I'm
about to head home for the summer. There
was no other time to stop by.” I headed for
the door, trying to maturely avoid
conversation. Afterall, randomly walking
out of his dorm would be more polite than
telling him to shut his mouth. I wasn't quite
in the mood for the reconciliations.
“No, Olivia, it's perfectly okay.” He
headed over to me. I felt like he was chasing
me.
“I know.” I said, smirking and tilting my
head sassily to the side.
Oops.
Anthony laughed. “You still haven't lost
your sarcastic edge, I see.”
“And I never will.”
“Listen, Olivia...” He pursed his lips in
consideration. “I know it's been two months,
but I want to tell you this while you're
here.”
34
 Falling Twice

Oh God.
“What?” I asked.
“I left you for all the wrong reasons, and
I'm sorry. The qualities about you that
bothered me were the qualities that I
should've admired.”
“Thank you.” How else was I supposed
to react? I'd moved on. It was nice of him to
apologize, but I was ready to leave. This
was making me uncomfortable.
There was a few moments of silence, and I
saw this as my opportunity. I turned to go.
“I'm glad you stopped by, Olivia. I've
been wanting to get that off my chest for a
while.” He said, clearing his throat, still
watching me keenly.
“I forgive you.” I said, still standing in the
doorway. I wasn't lying- I did forgive him.
It felt like a weight was lifted from my
shoulders. He seemed genuine about it.
Anthony's expression said the same- I
could sense his relief that I'd accepted his
apology. He smiled warmly from the
kitchen.
“I'm glad we could be adults about this.”
He said.
“It took us a while to reach that point.” I
sassed, maintaining a polite tone to the best
35
sassed, maintainingFalling Twice tone to the best
a polite
of my ability.
“I know, I know. But hey, we can put it
behind us now, right?” He said. It was
almost like he was still digging for the
apology I'd already given.
“Yes, we can put it behind us.” I was
becoming a li le impatient. I didn't come
here for therapy hour.
“Good.” He turned to his cabinet, pulling
out a cereal box. “Want some cereal?”
“I've already eaten.” I smiled, masking
my dumbfoundedness. At least he was a
good host. “In fact, I should probably get
going. Thanks for the offer, though.”
“Anytime, Liv.” He said, as he poured
milk into the bowl. “Have a safe trip home,
alright?”
“I will.” I smiled, becoming used to his
cordiality as he came to the door to see me
out. Reluctantly, all of this act was
completely ruined when he grabbed me up
for a hug.
“Don't put a dent in that perfect
Volkswagen!” He joked, as I was pressed
against him just like the old times. All of our
memories came flooding back into my head,
and I was gasping for air. I needed to leave
before I drowned.
36
 Falling Twice

“I won't.” I sheepishly said with a modest

smile, turning to leave after he released me
from the hug and closed the door softly
behind me.
I rushed back down the elevator and out
onto the city streets. My head was
swimming, and my emotions were on the
rise. I scurried to the driver door of my car,
locking myself inside. After a moment of
quick contemplation, I decided to let the
tears fall. After all, nobody was watching.
No, I don't miss Anthony... I miss the
feeling he gave me.
I was lonely.
Wow, this was going to be a long drive
home.

37
 Falling Twice

CHAPTER FOUR
Graduation Day
Monday, June 1st
After a week of anticipation, Davis's
graduation day was finally here. We were so
ready for her to get this over with so we
could move. She'd been ready to move to
New York City since her birthday, when she
received the scholarship. Sadly, leaving high
school before graduation most likely
wouldn't fare well on anyone. I'd been home
since the 24th, and I'd had plenty of time to
kick back and relax. Most of my rest was
interrupted by overwhelming amounts of
excitement. That's just a fact. Sadly, we still
had to wait until orientation week in August
to move, but Davis's High School
Graduation got us one step closer.

38
 Falling Twice

So, as you can imagine, when her

Graduation Day finally arrived, we were
more anxious and ji ery than ever before.
Yeah, sure, I'd gone to New York
University for two years, but I was just as
excited as Davis. I finally had the chance to
experience city life with someone I actually
knew, thank God. I was sick of having a
skanky, unfamiliar roommate. It's not my
job to judge other people, but when you still
wear a tube top, low-rise jeans, platform
jelly sandals, and wax your eyebrows to the
size of a thread, something needs to be done.
It is NOT 2002 anymore. During college,
you do mature, but you never stop having
obvious intuitions about people. Some call it
judging, I call it observing.
Forgive me, Lord.
I fell asleep in the pool again. When I
woke up, it was 6 o'clock. Graduation was at
7. All of my chances of looking nice were
just flushed down the toilet. Regardless, I
took the fastest shower of my life and threw
on makeup faster than a drag queen on hot
coals. I actually didn't look half bad- I wore
my Silver Metallic J. Crew skirt and a
simple white top. My hair was straightened,
and I finished the look off with Platinum
39
and I finished theFalling
look Twice
off with Platinum
Jack Rogers sandals. A classic combination.
I piled into the family SUV at 6:45, and
we sped towards the school. The school was
only five minutes away, but we needed to
get there early to get a parking space and
decent seats. I was hoping and praying that
Davis's family had saved us seats... Let's just
say that my mother couldn't be on time,
even if her life depended on it. Luckily, they
thought ahead, and we got chairs in the
front row.
My leg was bouncing like mad- that was
my nervous habit. Most of the time, I wasn't
even aware that I was doing it. It's just
second nature. I examined the pamphlet of
names, and Laura Adler's name stuck out
like a sore thumb at the top of the list.
Laura Adler was a cheerleader. She was
extremely short with overly-dyed hair, and
was popular without good reasoning. In all
honesty, she was a small-town Paris Hilton.
Davis despised her, especially after cheating
rumors circulated about her and Sean's
hook-up after a Friday Night Football
game.
However, Davis was able to put all of this
behind her. She had broken up with Sean
two days after her birthday. The promise
40
two days after herFalling Twice The promise
birthday.
ring scene was too much for her to
comprehend. All she knew was that Sean
disrespected her father, and she wasn't
having it. That incident was the push she
needed to leave him. In all honesty, my
favorite part about the breakup was ge ing
to tell her that I slapped Sean. I was never
going to let myself live that down.
Everyone applauded Davis for leaving
him. In fact, her a itude improved greatly.
She became increasingly more positive, and
less worrisome about pe y things.
However, she hadn't been single for a while,
and I could tell that she might have been
missing him. In mid-May, she told me that
she'd messaged him briefly after the
breakup, and after prodding her, she
admi ed that she may have some remaining
feelings for him. I reminded her that only
time could erase these feelings. It's the run-
of-the-mill process after every breakup.
But forget him.
At 7 o'clock, the principal of my alumni
high school stepped onto the stage and
made his way to a podium centered in the
middle. The stage was decorated nicely-
there was a table with a black and orange
tablecloth, topped with a piece of paper for
41
tablecloth, toppedFalling
withTwice
a piece of paper for
every graduate. These papers are formally
known as diplomas- the sheet of stationery
earned after four years of blood, sweat,
tears, headaches, and sleepless nights. What
an achievement. After seeing the diplomas, I
immediately flashed back to my own
graduation.
--

--

--

--

“Congratulations, Honey! We are so

proud of you!” Mom said for the fiftieth
time.
“I know! So impressive. Wow, I worked
42
 Falling TwiceWow, I worked
“I know! So impressive.
four years for a piece of copy paper!”
“Now, Olivi-”
“You could've printed this off of Google!”
My brother interrupted, relating with me
entirely. My brother, a freshman at the time,
may be three years younger than me, but we
shared the same sense of humor.
“I would've done that, but I'm pre y sure
the printer's out of ink.”
“That's a shame.” Pierce said, as mom
rolled her eyes and laughed under her
breath.
After Principal Johnson's simple
commencement speech, the Graduation
March blared through the gym speakers.
They must've lost the volume bu on. I
crossed my leg, correcting my posture in my
chair and waiting for the graduates to file
into the chairs reserved for them.
Moments later, I watched the graduating
class walk through the doors, all matching in
their black robes and caps, adorned with a
white and orange sash. They still hadn't
changed the design of the robes from when I
graduated two years earlier. I watched,
trying to identify the faces of the graduates,
but I could only distinguish a few. I never
43
 Falling Twice a few. I never
but I could only distinguish
really familiarized myself with the
underclassmen. I was always too focused on
my work, and on breaks during the school
day, I only associated with my close friends.
Unfortunately, cliques continued on from
Middle School.
A minute or two later, all the graduates
had filed into their chairs. There were a few
missing, meaning they were either down
with a case of the Swine Flu, suffering from
3rd-degree burns, or orbiting through space.
The most likely option, however, was that
several kids had dropped out. The school
system was required to place one chair for
every student that ordered a cap and gown
in January, five months ago. A lot can
happen in five months. Our county was
quite impoverished, and this was the root
cause. Deadbeats that refuse to complete
their high school education.
I couldn't help but reminisce on my
graduation ceremony. Everything had gone
smooth sailing. I had graduated with two
diplomas- a diploma from my local high
school, as well as a diploma from the North
Carolina School of Science and
Mathematics. This was an academically
strenuous program I'd started as a junior-
44
strenuous program Falling
I'd Twice
started as a junior-
two years of classes reaching beyond AP
level. It was all online, and I'd practically
died of stress. As result, I'd go en a tad
emotional on my graduation day. I'd
graduated as Valedictorian, tied with three
other people, who happened to be my
closest friends. When I accepted my
diplomas, it was like a tremendous weight
had been lifted from my shoulders. I teared
up as soon as I got back to my seat.
I flashed back to real time as names
started to be called. Abbo , Adams, Adams,
Adams... Good GOD there were a lot of
Adams in this county. At this point, I'd
spo ed Davis si ing towards the back.
She'd turned around and waved at me
ecstatically, whooping and hollering silently
like an imbecile. I kept my eyes trained on
Davis as Laura Adler's name was called
next. Davis held a secretive grudge against
Laura, with good cause. At least she wasn't
outwardly dramatic about it. Luckily, I'd
found a friend that was just like me- low
drama. It was a great quality to have in a
friend. You didn't always have to put up
with complaining.
Laura's name was called in a chipper tone
from the stage, and she stood up in the front
45
from the stage, andFalling
sheTwice
stood up in the front
row. Lord, the girl was wearing pumps so
high that they could've been stolen from a
hooker in the Bronx. I watched her intently
as she walked up on stage, swaying her hips
back and forth so hard that her legs could've
easily dislocated from her hip joint. She was
striving way too hard to look sexy, and her
overly bleached hair looked almost gray. It
was enough to blind anyone if exposed to
direct sunlight. As she made her way to the
assistant principal to retrieve her diploma,
her heels were clomping so loud that they
could be mistaken for a stampede of
wildebeests. I glanced at Davis, who was
bearing a faintly smug look. We were si ing
diagonally from each other, so I was able to
see part of her facial expressions.
Laura accepted her diploma and turned
on her heel to smile for her family, who was
cha ering a few rows behind us. I heard
cameras snap, taking pictures of the Barbie
doll posed valiantly on the makeshift stage. I
looked at Davis with a grin on my face,
expecting to see her rolling her eyes or
holding back a laugh, but what I saw was
the exact opposite. Davis's jaw was dropped
wide open, and her face bore a look of total
and u er shock. She looked nearly close to
46
and u er shock. SheFalling Twice nearly close to
looked
tears. I wanted to run over and ask what
was wrong, but that obviously wasn't an
option. My head was swimming with
potential causes for Davis to be upset. I
looked up at Laura, who was still on the
stage. She was taking way too long. She'd
been smiling so long that her cheeks were
likely to rip in half. She had her hands
sassily perched on her hips. I examined her
stance for a brief moment.
Oh. My. God.
On Laura's left hand, there was a silver
ring, with a diamond that was reflecting all
of the camera flash. If I had to guess, it was
probably a 1/6 carat diamond ring in white
gold, the same one Sean had offered to
Davis just a month earlier.
My look suddenly mirrored Davis's. All
the rumors were true. Sean had cheated on
Davis with Laura. Everything Davis had
worried about for the past seven months
was suddenly made a reality. And think
about this- If Laura got the promise ring,
she must have dated Sean quite a long time.
The nerve.
So many emotions ran through my body,
the most prominent being anger. I wasn't
afraid to say anything to anyone, especially
47
 Fallingto
afraid to say anything Twice
anyone, especially
a 5'3” cheerleader that's as skinny as a
beanpole. I was 6 feet tall with a
motormouth, and to anyone who crossed
me, I was pre y intimidating. I didn't start
or continue drama. I ended it. No, I'm not a
tacky, foul-mouthed redneck. In fact, I'm
sweet, clean-cut, and love Jesus with every
drop of my human soul. But if a situation
ever needed to be handled, by God, I
handled it. And sometimes, that may
include one or two dirty words. Forgive me,
Father.
Nobody screws around with my friends,
especially Davis. Sometimes, however, you
just need to realize- 'Hey, this isn't my ba le
to fight.' This is an important skill needed to
discern drama from necessity.
Laura finally stepped off of the stage, and
the round of applause began. This applause
was mixed with one loud cheer from behind
me. I turned around, only to find Sean
si ing a few rows back, completely lacking
etique e. I had a lot of insults on my brain,
but decided it was best to keep them at bay
and focus on the graduation. Thinking
about how my best friend had been
wronged was only going to stress me and
send me into beast mode. I didn't want that-
48
send me into beastFalling
mode. Twice
I didn't want that-
not today. I didn't want my excitement
about college to be interrupted by an
immature and ungodly high school boy.
Davis had a hand over her mouth, still
soaking in the details. Poor thing.
About ten minutes later, Davis had
mostly collected her composure, which was
good. She was strong, and I knew the
thoughts running through her head were the
same as my own- 'Don't let Sean's
immaturity ruin one of the best days of your
life. You're away from him now. It's all over.
You're be er without him.' I know Davis
knew these things, but the shock of such a
discovery can really be a low-blow. It hurts
to think you've been played for seven
months of your life. I know she was going to
beat herself up for staying with him.
A minute or two passed, and Davis's
name was finally called. She stood up
confidently, looking completely
undisturbed, walking to the front in her
tasteful shoes. She strode to the stage, her
brown hair perfectly fla ed and placed,
accepting her diploma with a smile and a
handshake. She paused for pictures briefly,
beaming a smile. I was glad she was calm
and collected. I was quite a proud best
49
 Falling
and collected. I was Twice
quite a proud best
friend. Davis walked down the stairs and
returned to her seat, smiling at her excited
family during the round of applause, and in
turn, making a hilariously awkward face at
me.
'Good for you. Don't let their actions
bother you- it's only a reflection on them. It's
not your fault you were cheated on.' I ran
these things through in my head, knowing
I'd have to console her with them later. I
was glad that she had put it behind her in
the moment. You only graduate high school
once.
After everyone, including the graduates,
were excused to go, Davis made a beeline
for us in the front row.
“Congratulations! I'm so proud!” I smiled
ear-to-ear, eyes tearing up. Davis was teary-
eyed as well. She had reached an important
milestone and was closing a chapter of her
life, so who could blame her for crying?
“Thank you!” Davis hugged me. I knew
she felt that burden lifting, just like I had
post-graduation. I advised Davis to enjoy
that feeling while it lasted, because then
college greets you. Yay for newfound
independence!
50
 Falling Twice

We didn't have time to start conversation

yet, as Davis had lots of guests left to greet.
Everyone did the run-of -the-mill
celebratory things. Hugs, congratulations,
pictures in the moment to add to memory
lane. Davis's mother started crying, and so
did mine. Davis was like her second child.
Davis's dad teared up- his youngest child
had just graduated. I didn't blame him, I'd
be crying too. Davis's brother Isaac just
rolled his eyes and laughed. He was a brick
wall. Stonewall Ritenour.
The whole group migrated outside in a
flock. It was likely that Davis's group of
graduation a endees was larger than
anybody else's. We all laughed, observing
this. We looked like a pack. This was the
same with my graduation two years ago.
Cheers to an overly supportive family.
As expected, the next half an hour
consisted of expected photo-ops. Davis and
I probably spent ten minutes alone on our
pictures- we duplicated every picture taken
of us on my graduation day, but we
switched places. It was symbolic, and we
were crying. It was an emotional day, to say
so in the least.
“Mom, if you take many more pictures,
51
 “Mom, if you takeFalling Twicemore pictures,
many
you're going to fill up the memory card on
your camera.” Davis said, ge ing evidently
tired of smiling for pictures. I was too, but I
wouldn't dare interfere with the moment.
“I'll just empty it when I get home.”
Renae said, snapping three pictures in a
row.
Finally, we noticed about a third of the
crowd had cleared. It was approaching 9
o'clock, and it was ge ing dark. My feet and
back were starting to ache from standing
around. Everyone conclusively decided that
enough pictures had been snapped, and we
made our way to the parking lot.
“We might as well have taken video
footage.” I whispered to Davis, who agreed
sarcastically. I was wondering when she was
going to mention Sean and Laura- it was
coming. I knew that she wouldn't keep such
a thing at bay. For now, though, I was glad
it was off of her mind.
“Do you want to spend the night?” Davis
asked, knowing I likely wouldn't have plans
for a muggy Thursday afternoon.
“I'd love to.” I said, realizing I didn't have
to ask my parents like the old days. I made
my own rules now. “I'll have to go pack my
stuff.”
52
 Falling Twice

“Okay!” Davis said smiling, then

considering. “Make sure to pack a carton of
eggs, containers of pepper spray, and maybe
some car paint.” There it was.
“You and I both know that's not the way
to handle it.” Usually I would've
sarcastically agreed, but this time, I knew it
wasn't a joking ma er. I'm sure she was
genuinely upset this time.
“I know. But hey, I'm gonna keep it off
my mind until I'm out of the gown.” She
plastered a smile on her face. I could tell it
was probably fake. She'd put on a face all
evening.
“Hey, it'll be okay. This just shows you
how much be er off you are now.” I put a
consoling arm around her shoulder as we
continued the long trek to the parking lot,
still passing families with cameras.
“There's only one person that'll never give
me up.” Davis said.
“Or let you down.” I caught on
immediately.
“Or run around...” Davis dwelled on that
lyric, realizing it applied to her. I quickly
broke her daze with the next line.
“Or desert you!”
And right then, Laura and Sean popped
53
 And right then,Falling
LauraTwice
and Sean popped
into our field of view, almost as if they were
cued by the song we were reciting.
“Holy Jesus.” Davis huffed, averting her
eyes. I noticed that Laura was hawking
Davis with a demeaning look, like she had
triumphed and won the 'Prince'.
“Davis, she's staring at you. You can't
look away. It makes you seem weak.” I
mouthed quietly, taking my gaze from them.
Out of my peripheral vision, I saw Laura
elbow Sean and mumble about us. “Sean
sees you.”
Davis let out a low grumble, more angry
than sad. “Surprised he's looking. He finally
got the girl he'd been wanting all along,
you'd think all of his a ention would be on
her now.”
Yes. Davis had finally go en the fire that I
wanted her to have. With this a itude, she
could get things done. I was going to say
something, but then that thought came back
into my head- this isn't your ba le to fight.
I eyed Laura again as we got closer, and
she was trying her hardest to make her ring
visible, tackily flaunting it. Sean shot me a
look, as if he'd rather me be dead than
walking. Anger bubbled in my stomach, but
I kept it back. I'd done all I could do. I
54
I kept it back. I'd Falling
done Twice
all I could do. I
glanced at Davis, who had corrected her
posture, and improved her gait to reflect
confidence. She almost looked cocky. This
was the stance of a rightfully angry person.
This was a good sign. We kept walking until
we were close enough to talk to them
without yelling, screaming, or using a
flamethrower, which would be Davis's
preferred method of communication.
And just like nothing, Davis opened her
mouth.
“Congratulations on the graduation,
Laura! And Sean- congratulations on having
two girlfriends with the same ring size! I'm
sure that saved you a lot of money.” Davis
piped, as if she'd been planning the remark
for weeks. It was a perfectly executed a ack-
she got her message across. Laura's jaw
dropped and her eyes widened. Sean's jaw
visibly tightened before he put a mask of
anger and slight shock over his face. We just
kept walking, slowly enough to hear their
reaction.
“Babe, did you hear what she just said?!
Are you going to do something?!” Laura
freaked out, dramatically gesturing towards
Davis and I, who bore smug smiles on our
faces.
55
 Falling Twice

“No, he's not. Trust me.” I said over my

shoulder, flashing back to our li le
conversation on Davis's birthday. “Have a
great summer, you two! It'll be much more
fun now since you don't have to be so
secretive!” I couldn't help myself. It was in
my nature to say something. I smiled and
waved, as Davis mimicked me, blowing a
sarcastic kiss at a red-faced Laura.
And just like that, we walked to our cars
like the most justified, bad bitches of the
year. We deserved an award, and we got
one- we went on a late night ice cream run at
our local creamery, staying until they closed.
At the creamery, we spilled all of our
emotions on the ma er. Davis told me all of
the things I had expected to hear.
“I can't believe I stayed with him this
long.” or “I should have listened to
everyone's advice.” or my personal favorite-
“I should've cut off his penis when I heard
the first rumor.”
Jokes aside, Davis also poured her heart
out to me, even ge ing a li le emotional.
She knew this wasn't her fault, but it made
her feel like she wasn't good enough. It
made her wonder if she was boring, over-
56
made her wonderFallingif sheTwice
was boring, over-
critical, no fun... None of these things were
true, and it hurt me to hear her question
these things about herself. Luckily, however,
she did make a positive, firm remark-
“I will NEVER get back with him ever
again.”
That put all of my fears aside. Some girls
go back to the boy that hurt them, and I was
glad to see Davis join me on the other side
of that fence. Later into our evening, though,
she said something that bothered me.
“Olivia, Sean has about ruined it for me. I
don't think I'll date for a while.” She flicked
her balled-up napkin across the table
insecurely. “In fact, if all men are like this,
then I'm be er off alone.”
I sighed and rolled my eyes. “That's a
li le drastic, don't you think?”
“I'll put it this way.” She said, popping
her knuckles. She never pops her knuckles.
“All of my boyfriends have been total
douche bags, and this one tops them all. My
dating experiences haven't been that great.
I've almost lost all hope for the male
specimen.”
“There's a man you're destined to be with
out there, and you'll never find him with
that a itude.” I was being serious. This was
57
 Falling
that a itude.” I was Twiceserious. This was
being
a li le berserk.
“I don't want to find him. Love sucks. I'm
not interested.” She said conclusively. I was
ge ing sick of all of this nonsense. I was
trying to be empathetic, but I had to shut
this down. I didn't want Davis to be a cat
lady. Shoot, she didn't even like cats.
“That's where you're wrong.”
“I'm never wrong.”
“Then this is a first.” I said, looking her
square in the eye. “Love does NOT suck.
True love is one of the greatest things you'll
ever experience. The keyword is true.” I
enunciated. “True Love is amazing, but you
have to find the person that sparks it. Dating
is a trial and error ma er. The boys you've
dated suck, yes. But once you find the one
that doesn't, then you'll realize that you
never knew love until that very moment.”
Wow, I might as well be a motivational
speaker.
“You're right.” She said, looking down.
“But the thought of making myself
vulnerable again makes me sick.”
She's a lost cause for now. I'll have to
work on this problem later, after the feeling
of betrayal and disappointment fades.
Another hour ticked by, and before we
58
 Falling Twice
Another hour ticked by, and before we
knew it, it was 11 o'clock. We stood up,
courteously cleaned our table, and walked
out the door to my car. I hopped in, cranked
it, and turned the music down. It was
blaring earlier. It wasn't like me to turn
down my music. Apparently, I
subconsciously had something I needed to
get off my chest.
“You know...” I started, not even knowing
what was about to tumble out of my mouth.
“All of this talk is a li le discouraging to me,
too.” I said, pulling out of the near-empty
parking lot and turning up the road. “I
mean, think about it. My last boyfriend
dumped me because I focused too much on
my work. Imagine how that made me feel. I
asked myself questions I would've never
asked before. Should I stop working so
hard? Am I an introvert? Do I need to see a
specialist about my lack of social skills?” I
said. Davis laughed.
“Olivia, if there's anything you lack, it is
DEFINITELY not social skills. You are one
of the most extroverted people I know.”
“Exactly!” I said. “My point is, a bad
relationship can make you think differently
of yourself and your previous opinions. For
example, before dating Sean, you wanted to
59
 Falling Twice
example, before dating Sean, you wanted to
find love, but now, you're questioning if you
ever want to date again.” I said firmly, as
Davis took in my comments. “And trust me,
those feelings fade. Time heals. You'll return
to your normal self after all of this blows
over.”
“I know I will, but I'm just afraid I'll get
with another disappointing guy and have to
repeat this again.” Davis laid her head
against the headrest as we drove towards
her house. I was ge ing frustrated with her
lack of motivation.
“You and I are in very different places
right now.” I said.
“What do you mean?” Davis asked.
“You don't want love at all, and I'm... I'm
lonely.”
“You're lonely?”
“Not all around lonely.” I said. “I have
lots of friends and family. I just want a man.
I want to be loved. I miss the feeling. I want
a man that can respect my drive and work
ethic. One that is rational. One that can love
me. A man like that can be hard to find, but
I need to find him soon. I'm twenty years
old. I need to at least have a lead on
someone.” I said, being totally honest. “For
God's sake, I don't even have a prospect. It's
60
God's sake, I don'tFalling
evenTwice
have a prospect. It's
ge ing a li le late to find a Prince
Charming. I know love doesn't work on a
time schedule, but I'm ready to meet
someone. Soon.”
“Wow, we are on different playing fields.”
Davis laughed a li le. “Don't worry, you're
great. God has a plan. You'll find him soon.
New York City is full of lots of people.”
“You make a valid point.” I said,
considering. “Maybe you'll even find your
man there.” I laughed a li le, luckily finding
a subject to break up the seriousness.
“I'm not looking.”
“Ah, but sometimes, the best things
happen when we aren't seeking them out.” I
said, smiling.
“You're right.” She sighed, hesitating a
moment. “You do realize that you just
solved your own problem, right?”
“How?”
“Stop stressing over finding a man! The
best things happen when we aren't seeking
them out, or, in your case, OVER-
THINKING!” She playfully yelled, and we
both chuckled. I was a notorious over-
thinker.
“I guess you're right.” This felt like a
good place to end the gloomy yet heartfelt
61
good place to endFalling Twice yet heartfelt
the gloomy
discussion. “Why don't we pull the curtain
on the relationship talk.” I said. “It can be
quite depressing.”
“You're not kidding.” Davis said, happily
ending our dismal conversation.
After a moment of peaceful silence, we
both became aware that we were glad to
have those things off of our chest. It was
good to have a friend to vent to and spill
your heart out with, but sometimes, it was
refreshing to be with someone that could
comfortably sit in silence with you. Luckily,
our friendship possessed both of those
qualities.
Silence can fare well on the mind and
soul, and in my case, the thought process. I
suddenly had an epiphany.
“Say, I have an idea!” I practically
shouted from the driver's seat as we got
closer to Davis's house on the other side of
town.
“It must have been a pre y good one!”
Apparently I had scared her a li le.
“It was an excellent idea.” I smiled
excitedly. “All of your relationship drama is
centered in this county.” I said. “Wouldn't it
be nice to have an escape?”
“Yes, but what are you saying?” Davis
62
 “Yes, but what Falling Twice
are you saying?” Davis
asked, intrigued.
“Instead of moving into college on
Orientation week, why don't we move in
now?!”
“NOW?” Davis was astounded by the
idea.
“Yeah! Like...” I pondered. “Next week!”
“That would be amazing!” Davis said,
elated. She'd been ready to leave since she
got the scholarship. Shaving two months off
of her wait time would be a good thing for
her patience. Suddenly, her smile partially
faded. “My parents would never allow
that.”
“Why not?” I asked, concernedly.
“They'll want to spend the summer with
me. It's the last time they have to enjoy with
me before I move away.”
Maybe she was right. “You never know
until you ask.” I said, hoping she'd be
willing to a empt the early move. “We
could turn it into a positive thing. Your
mom is all about safety in the city... We can
tell her that two months would give you
plenty of time to learn your surroundings
and enjoy the city before school.”
“I don't know if it will work, but I'm
definitely willing to ask. We have a 50/50
63
definitely willing Falling
to [Link]
We have a 50/50
chance.” Davis said, trying to remain
positive. We were dead-set on making this
work.
I pulled into her driveway, parking my
car and ge ing my overnight bag from the
trunk. “Time to do some convincing!” I said
happily, internally praying that our plan
would work. This would be a good thing-
two months would give Davis ample time to
learn the city, and it would allow us both
time to enjoy it before being bogged down
with school assignments. It would also get
her away from Sean and Laura's drama,
which was likely to haunt her for a while.
She could start a new life. It would likely be
healthy for her, considering her state.
We marched into the door, greeted her
parents, and sat my bags down.
“Mom, Dad? I have a question for you...”
And just like that, we were theoretically
one step closer to our college life in the city,
all because of a cheater, a ring, and a penny.
You might be wondering- what do I mean
by a penny? Laura, of course- a girl that's
two-faced, worthless, and in everybody's
pants.

64
 Falling Twice

CHAPTER FIVE
New York, New York
Tuesday, June 9th
Well, our plan worked.
This was pre y shocking to us. We
walked into Davis's house with the most
broad and unlikely idea possible.
“Mom, Dad? Can we move to New York
two months early?”
Yeah... Not likely. Davis's parents would
rather have her at home all summer,
enjoying their last child's company before
she moves away. They wouldn't sell
themselves short.
I was apparently wrong. Before their
convenience comes safety, and apparently,
the two extra months to familiarize Davis
with the city sounded appealing to them.

65
with the city sounded appealing to them.
Falling Twice

Their only argument was money.

“Davis, how do you plan on paying for
this? This is two extra months of
independent living. We aren't going to pay
you.” Her dad argued from his leather chair.
“I get a monthly supplement from my
scholarship. I can pair that with some of my
personal savings.”
“Doesn't sound like a secure plan to me.
You don't have much personal savings.”
Renae sassed with reason.
After five more minutes of discussion,
however, David and Renae had decided to
give Davis $800 to live on. This was all
shocking to me, but God has his ways.
Thirty minutes after founding this insane
idea, it was approved, and we started
frantically planning what to pack.
One week was hardly enough time to get
completely packed. Packing for college was
a strenuous process. There was so much to
consider, and since we were going to be 600
miles away, we had less 'accident-
forgiveness' if we left something at home.
I'd done this before, so it didn't take me as
long. I packed clothes, accessories, and
shoes for autumn and winter, considering
every scenario. These things went into two
66
 Fallingthings
every scenario. These Twice went into two

large suitcases. All of my dorm decorations

went into a carry-on sized suitcase.
Toiletries and hair appliances had a separate
bag, as did electronics. All of these bags
filled the trunk of my Volkswagen to the
brim.
Davis was a lot more extravagant with her
packing. I'd learned over the years to travel
light, but Davis had yet to gain this
knowledge. She soon realized this- the trunk
lid of her Ford Focus wouldn't close. I told
her to lose two pairs of boots.
“But these are my favorite pair...” Davis
reluctantly said, placing her black riding
boots back in the floor of her closet.
“You do realize that New York City is one
of the shopping capitals of the world, right?
I can assure you that we'll go shopping.” I
said. “Pack a li le less clothes, too.”
Eventually, I helped Davis simplify her
amount of baggage, and everything fit into
the trunk.
Our families would obviously accompany
us to the city. As a parent, it was their innate
duty to help move their child in to college.
We'd decided on driving arrangements
earlier in the week- My luggage would be
67
earlier in the week-Falling
MyTwice
luggage would be
packed in the trunk of my Volkswagen, and
I would drive. In order to keep me awake,
Davis would ride with me. Her luggage
would be packed in her Ford Focus, and
Davis's dad, David, would drive it. My dad
would ride with David to keep him
company. My mother would drive her
Dodge SUV, and Davis's mom would ride
with her. Upon arriving to New York,
Davis and I would register our cars into the
parking deck nearest our dorm, and when
our parents left New York, they would all
ride home in the Dodge SUV. As you can
tell, it was a carefully articulated plan that
would require quite a lot of gas money.
Since we all planned to ride together, we
figured it would be easiest to leave from the
same place. To lessen the hassle, Davis's
family decided to stay at our house the night
before we left. Davis and I slept in my room,
and her parents were given my brother's
room. My brother was booted to the living
room couch. He was overjoyed.
The night before, we tried to sleep, but
couldn't. The anticipation was killing us. I
needed sleep, especially since I was driving.
Luckily, Davis said that she would be
willing to take the wheel at any time.
68
 Falling Twice

I am not a morning person. I would

usually be reluctant to wake up at 3am, but
today was a different story. At the ring of
our alarm clock, Davis and I rocketed out of
our bed and scu led around the house
making last minute preparations. Our
parents weren't quite this excited, especially
Davis's parents. This was the day they
would drop their youngest child off at
college. What a parenting milestone. Woo
Hoo.
We'd put our luggage in our cars the night
before, so essentially, we were ready to leave
the house at 3:45am. We posed for a picture
by my car in our matching New York
University sweatshirts. Mine still smelled
like Anthony's apartment. Wretched.
I pulled my car out of the driveway at
4:02am. Yes, I was so excited, I remembered
the exact time.
“I know it's 4 in the morning, but can we
go through the McDonald's drive-thru or
something?” Davis asked, scrolling through
Spotify to find a song to play.
“Are they even open?” I questioned,
alertly head bopping to Guidance by Travis
$co . We planned on playing obnoxiously
69
$co . We plannedFalling Twice obnoxiously
on playing
upbeat music until the sun rose. We needed
something to stay awake.
“Duh! 24 hour service for less.” Davis
said. “I'll text your mom and tell her we're
stopping by.”
“She won't be happy.” I said, surely.
“She's on a roll with her driving and she
won't want to stop for a while. I'd just about
bet money on it.”
“Oh well. Girl's go a eat.” We laugh,
seeing the golden arch glowing in the dark
sky as Davis changed the song to
Fergalicious.
Two hours later, the sun started to rise.
One minute, it was dark, and the next, I was
legitimately blinded by an intense ray of
light that came out of nowhere.
“God Almighty!” I flinched, hanging my
arm out the open window as we continued
up the interstate. It was only 6:30am, but we
had the windows open, including the
sunroof.
I'd memorized the way to New York, but
Davis turned my car's GPS on “Just for
good measure.” In all reality, she just
wanted to know how far away we were
from the city. Sure, I had to hear the
70
 Falling
from the city. Sure, I hadTwice
to hear the
occasional (unnecessary) navigational
command being barked through the car
speakers, but it was be er than Davis asking
“Are we there yet?!” every 2.5 seconds.
Many people would be disheartened
when they saw “441 miles remaining”
marked on the GPS, but for us, it was
nothing. We had 10 hours to have deep
conversations, talk about the city, reflect on
the past, and jam to our favorite tunes. In
fact, as we passed by Shenandoah Valley,
Davis had the perfect music choice.
“Wow, that's really pre y.” She said
leaning out the window.
“It definitely is.” I responded, remaining
focused on the road.
“You know what would make it even
pre ier?” Davis said, leaning back inside the
car.
“What's that?”
“Hannah Montana.” And just like that,
we were listening to True Friend.
Don't ask me how Shenandoah Valley
and Hannah Montana are correlated in any
way whatsoever. Apparently, Davis found a
connection.
At around 11am, we were in Carlisle, PA.
71
 At around 11am, Falling
we Twice
were in Carlisle, PA.
My dad called us.
“Olivia, if we don't stop for food soon, my
stomach is going to physically invert.” Dad's
voice reverberated through my car stereo.
“That doesn't sound healthy.”
“It definitely isn't. Are you up for
Arby's?” Davis and I both cringed.
“I would only eat there if I were
intentionally trying to make myself sick.” I
laughed, reminiscing to my bad experience
with the beef and cheddar.
“McDonald's it is.” Dad said, hanging up
the phone. David and my dad were driving
the Ford Focus in front of us, and about five
minutes later, they merged off the exit and
drove towards the golden arch majestically
suspended in the horizon like a beacon of
hope.
“McDonald's twice in a day! We're on a
roll!” Davis sarcastically hollered as we
pulled into the parking lot and rolled up the
windows.
By 1pm, we were all ge ing mighty sick
of driving. Davis had offered to drive after
our lunch in Carlisle, but I just decided that
I'd finish the drive.
We were passing through Bedminster
72
 We were passing Falling Twice Bedminster
through
Township in New Jersey, about an hour
away from the city. On I-78, the traffic was
ge ing pre y bad. To a certain extent, I can
control my road rage, but when I'm sleep-
deprived, it becomes more of a challenge.
When the speed limit is 75mph and
someone is riding my bumper, there's a
chance you will see a not-so-nice finger
flying out of my sunroof. However, since
my mother was a few cars behind me, I
decided to spare myself a lesson on morals
and channeled my anger to the gas pedal. I
think I got up to 97mph.
At this point, we were overwhelmed with
excitement, nearing New York. When you
reach the New Jersey - New York state line,
the traffic always gets bad, and sometimes it
makes me pre y anxious. Luckily, I had
Frank Sinatra to calm my nerves- Davis and
I had conclusively started playing strictly
Frank Sinatra music about ten minutes
earlier. That's all we wanted to listen to
when we were within an hour from the city.
Frank had been our go-to for classy jazz
music since we were younger.
About 45 minutes later, we were driving
through Weehawken, which was the last
73
through Weehawken, Fallingwhich
Twice was the last

New Jersey town you drive through.

Driving up the interstate, you can see the
city on the horizon.
“THERE'S THE EIFFEL STATE
BUILDING!” Davis excitedly yelled.
The Eiffel State Building.
That's a new one.
“Davis!” I laughed so hard I could barely
see. “Don't you mean the Empire State
Building?”
“That's what I said, isn't it?” Davis said,
hanging out the window and gazing at the
city. I was still cackling like a witch.
“You said EIFFEL State Building!” I was
pre y much crying at this point.
“HA! Cut me some slack, I'm tired. We've
driven so long, we might as well be in
France!” Davis said, taking blurry pictures
of the skyline as we approached the Lincoln
Tunnel Toll Booth Entrance.
“Legit. My plane ride to Paris was shorter
than this drive!” I'd gone to France four
years earlier.
“Seriously?” Davis asked, still chuckling.
“Yes! This car ride is ten hours... My
plane ride was eight.” I proceeded closer to
the toll booth. When we approached it, I
paid with my E-ZPass. I drive New York
74
 Falling Twice
paid with my E-ZPass. I drive New York
tolls so often that I decided to invest in a
pass. Smartest decision of my college life
thus far.
This part of the ride is always my favorite.
When you see the city in the distance, you're
ready to be there. The whole ride is straight
interstate for countless hours, and finally,
you see it- New York City. The place where
anything is possible, except avoiding traffic.
The Lincoln Tunnel is the first iconic
a raction you experience on the way to the
Big Apple. It's totally submerged in water,
and it goes on for miles. You even cross the
state line while driving through the tunnel.
You enter the tunnel in New Jersey, and
when you exit, you're surrounded by
skyscrapers. It's like pulling a rabbit out of a
top hat.
The Lincoln Tunnel was the most intense
part of our drive. Davis and I were both
filled with so much excitement that we could
hardly contain it. It was almost like we were
opening a gift.
“The Frank isn't loud enough.” I said.
“Crank up the Frank!” I yelled, as we
bumped my stereo up six more notches and
blared New York, New York through the
open windows. The music was so loud that
75
open windows. The Falling Twicewas so loud that
music
it echoed off the walls of the Lincoln Tunnel,
serving as a celebratory introduction for our
entrance to the city. We held our hands out
the sunroof in pure bliss, singing to the top
of our lungs.
“These are the days!” I yelled happily
over my stereo, beaming a smile and taking
in the essence of the moment in its entirety.
Our mothers apparently got a kick out of
this, too. They were driving behind us and
took a video of us cruising along. The
echoing engines of the cars reverberated
loudly in the video, but you could still
vividly hear us screaming the lyrics to our
favorite Frank Sinatra song as we exited the
tunnel and cruised into the city. It was our
perfectly planned grand entrance.
When you enter the tunnel, you're in a
normal town, but when you exit, it's like
you've teleported to another land. And man,
were we excited to be here. Our anticipatory
talk immediately morphed into overly-
excited relief and discussion about college.
“How far away is our dorm from here?”
Davis asked, turning down the music.
Luckily, it was a bright and vibrantly sunny
day. Yellow taxis already spo ed my
windshield like bugs.
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 Falling Twice

“We haven't been assigned a dorm yet.” I

responded, taking in the view that I had
become so familiar with, that still amazed
me every time I saw it. “We have to go to
The Office of Residential Life and Housing
Services.”
“That sounds official.” Davis responded,
observing the city for the first time in years.
“It's where you go to ask for pairings and
deal with all of your problems and concerns
with housing. Since we got here early, we'll
probably get a nice dorm.” The New York
University Campus was South of here. I
wheeled my car through the complicated
system of entry ramps and our families
followed behind.
“I don't see how you know this city so
well. It's so complicated.” Davis analyzed
my GPS, still u erly confused as I flung my
turning signal on every thirty seconds like it
was second nature.
“It's been my home for two years. You'll
learn it soon enough.”
Twenty minutes later, I pulled into a
street-side parking place by the Housing
Office, which sat on the side of Broadway in
the midst of traffic. I really hoped someone
77
the midst of traffi[Link] Twicehoped someone
I really
wouldn't plow into my car while we were
inside.
“We made it!” Davis cheered. “I'm
surprised you didn't fall asleep!” Davis
looked over at me, but I had my eyes closed.
“I spoke too soon.”
“I hope our parents don't stay long,
because I'll probably go to sleep as soon as
we put the sheets on my bed.” I took a deep
breath and rested my head on the headrest. I
hadn't slept for almost 24 hours.
“They got a hotel in New Jersey. My dad
told me that they're staying one night there
to get rested up for the drive home.” Davis
said as we watched our parents parallel park
behind us. We opened our doors and
stepped out onto the street. I took a deep
breath of New York air and watched as
Davis marveled at the city around her.
“Feels good to finally stretch my legs!”
Renae said, as my mom yawned. Our dads
caught up with us and we all filed into the
housing office.
The housing office was on the seventh
floor of a modestly elaborate building. In the
seventh story window, there was an NYU
flag perched in the window. We all went
inside and boarded the elevator.
78
 Falling Twice

When you enter the office, there is a

rather large desk placed beside a small
si ing area. At the desk sat Nancy
Manzuarte, the secretary of the Residential
Life. She was fair skinned with curly red
hair, and luckily, she was understanding
and cordial. She dealt with people all day
long.
“Do you know what you're supposed to
do?” David asks Davis as we approach the
desk.
“No, but Olivia does.” We all laughed
and I proceeded to the desk. Davis stood
next to me anxiously. “Do you think we'll
get a good dorm?”
“We'll get what they have available,
especially since summer classes are going on
right now. Let's hope we get a good one.”
Nancy was on the phone, and she politely
signaled for us to wait. Moments later, she
concluded her phone call and placed the
receiver back on the hook.
“Hello! How may I help you today?” She
asked, noticing we had a large group of
people, but smiling regardless.
“We're here to get our dorm room
assignment.” I said with an affectionate
smile.
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 Falling Twice

“Are you here for summer classes?”

Nancy asked. “Those started last week.”
She clicked on her computer.
“No, we're fall students, but I called
earlier this week and told you we'd be
coming early. I'm Olivia Benton, and this is
Davis Ritenour.”
“Oh! Olivia, Davis! Hello!” She smiled
and greeted our parents as well. “I didn't
know it was you at first. Let me check the
database to see what we have open.”
“Alright.” I said. Davis and I both
watched as Nancy scanned the database of
available dorm rooms.
After a few more moments of examining,
she looked up from the computer. “Olivia,
you're a returning junior, correct?”
“That's right.” I responded.
“And Davis, you're an incoming
freshman, yes?”
“That's correct.” Davis responded meekly
as Nancy looked back down at the screen.
Davis and I exchanged nervous looks,
knowing Nancy was 'determining our life or
death.' Keeping her eyes trained on the
screen, she asked us about our major.
“Olivia, you're an English major and a
Creative Writing minor, correct?”
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 Falling Twice

“Yes.” I've always loved writing. “Davis

has the same.” I responded, killing two
birds with one stone. Nancy looked up with
a smile.
“Wow, two best friends going into the
same field!” She joked, chuckling happily,
clicking the computer mouse again. “That's
the definition of a perfect friendship, is it
not?” She spoke to our parents, who were
si ing in the chairs by the desk. They all
laughed in agreeance and nodded.
“It sure is!” My mom agreed cheekily.
“Our girls have always been a ached at
the hip!” Renae added.
A few seconds later, Nancy stopped
typing and smiled at us. “We have three
available buildings that are in the correct
vicinity for your major.”
“Awesome!” Davis said. “Where are
they?”
“One is Rubin Hall. The downside? Most
of the residents are freshmen. Good for
Davis, but not so good for Olivia.” Nancy
said, scrolling on her computer mouse.
“Yeah, scratch that.” I said, joking around.
“However, it's near Washington Square
Park.”
“That's a great place to be.” I said.
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 Falling Twice

“Any other dorms around Washington

Square Park?” Davis asked.
“Of course!” Nancy said chipperly.
“There's a lot of housing in the Greenwich
Village Area. Let me check and see which
would be the best for you two.”
It's almost like she was determining our
fate. I swear I felt my heart rate increase.
Moments later, Nancy's expression
lightened.
“I've got it!” She smiled. “Greenwich
Hall. It's perfect for your situation.” She
said, bubbly tone in her voice. “It's for both
first year students and upperclassmen, it's
near your education buildings, and it's quite
close to Washington Square Park!”
“Win win!” I laughed.
“What's it look like?!” Davis asked
curiously, propping her elbows on Nancy's
desk.
“There's several suite types.” She
responded. “Luckily, it's air conditioned.”
“Thank God.” I said. Nancy laughed.
“I know, trust me. When I came to NYU,
I had to cope with the heat.” She said before
continuing. “It's apartment style, and each
suite has bath, kitchen and dining.”
“Sounds like Greenwich Hall is a gem.”
82
 Falling TwiceHall is a gem.”
“Sounds like Greenwich
Davis said.
“It sure is. There's a lounge, study room,
practice room, and a game room. Plenty of
things to do.” Nancy read from her
computer screen.
“Will we have another roommate?” I
asked, hoping not. Davis and I were quite
close, and we'd probably struggle with
including a new friend. Not that it'd be
impossible, but they'd definitely feel
excluded with the inside jokes and intense
connection that roots all the way back to
Genesis 1:1.
“There's a two-person suite option, so it's
your choice.” Nancy said, giving us a
moment to think on it.
“We'll take the two-person suite. It's
easier, more fun, and we have less people to
share the shower with.” Davis kidded. I'm
glad we were on the same page.
“Agreed.” I concluded. Nancy took this
into account and went back to her computer.
I turned around, seeing our parents still
contently si ing in the lounge area behind
us.
“There's eight floors, and a room available
on each. Which would you like?”
“Eight.” Davis and I said in unison.
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 Falling Twice

“At least you're in agreeance!” Nancy

chuckled and looked at the screen briefly.
“Want a nice view?”
“Room with a view.” I responded.
“Wow, for showing up during summer
classes, I'm surprised we have so many
options!” Davis claimed, obviously happily
overwhelmed by the college experience so
far.
“You guys got lucky.” She said cordially.
“You'll be in room three on the eighth floor.
You have an excellent view of the Freedom
Tower.” She smiled chipperly. “Let me grab
the key.” Nancy pushed her rolling chair
away from the desk, scu ling back into a
small room with a locked door. Moments
later, she came out with two purple key
cards.
“Fancy.” Davis said. I rolled my eyes
sarcastically.
“When the school year begins, you'll get
an Identification Card that doubles as a
room key, but until then, these keys will do.
Keep them through the year, they're helpful
to have just in case you forget your ID
Card.” Nancy handed us each a card. The
card was a li le scratched but shiny, and on
the purple background, there was a white
84
 Falling Twice
the purple background, there was a white
torch. The card looked modern, essentially
embodying the University itself. “Oh! Also-
Greenwich Hall's address is 636 Greenwich
Street, and the zip code is 10014. Let me
write it down.” We watched happily as
Nancy scribbled the address to our new
home onto a sticky note.
We thanked Nancy for helping us choose
a good dorm and gathered onto the elevator
in a mob, gliding to the bo om of the tower
and heading back onto bustling Broadway.
We hopped in our cars and prepared to fight
the midday city traffic.

The drive to the dorm from Broadway

was ten minutes and fairly smooth sailing,
despite some brief traffic on West Houston
Street. Before we knew it, we had arrived to
our dorm building, parking on the street-
side.
Greenwich Hall was a modest yet classy
apartment building that was purchased by
New York University and dubbed a
“dorm.” I wasn't buying it. I was ge ing an
apartment vibe through and through. It was
a medium height building stacked with light
tan brick, and the large windows had AC
units hanging from them. There was a ramp
85
units hanging from Falling
[Link]
There was a ramp
leading to the double doors, which were
covered by a pristinely kept green awning.
There was an American flag perched on top
of the building, and luckily, there were a few
trees planted nearby. That always spruced
things up. (Pun intended. 100% intended.)
“I feel like we just bought a house.” Davis
said, stepping from my car and admiring the
building from the sidewalk.
“Isn't it nice?” I said happily. I was
content with it so far, and I couldn't wait to
see the inside.
“I love it!” She said, happy enough to
burst. We continued to take in the dorm
until our parents arrived, parking behind us
and checking out the dorm themselves.
“What do you think?” My mom said,
ge ing out of the SUV and locking it.
“We love it so far. I hope the inside is as
good as the outside.” I said, heading for the
stairs.
“I'm sure it will be.” Renae optimistically
added. “The best part of this experience will
be loading your luggage into the elevator.”
“It'll be especially tough for Davis.”
David joked. “She packed so much that I
felt it weighing down the car.”
“Oh, come on now.” Davis giggled. “I
86
 Falling Twice
“Oh, come on now.” Davis giggled. “I
didn't pack that much.”
“We'll see if your opinion changes when
you have to carry it upstairs.” David fooled.
We all headed up the stairs, entering the
lobby of Greenwich Hall.
Upon entering the double doors, you're
instantly smacked in the face with school
spirit. The white washed walls are lined
with purple banners, all supporting
academics and athletics. Straight through
the lobby towards the back of the room is a
large desk built into the corner where the
Resource Manager sits.
We walked back to her, an African
American lady with shoulder length hair
named Kim Thompson. She handed us a
pamphlet describing the dorm's amenities
and informed us of their location and
operating hours, and finished our brief chat
by registering our names and showing us
where the restrooms were. Some of us
(myself) have small bladders.
We trailed back out to our cars and
grabbed suitcase after suitcase, hauling,
carrying and rolling different assortments of
bags onto the elevator. We had to make
several trips.
I was glad we got the eighth floor. The
87
 Falling
I was glad we got theTwice
eighth floor. The
first floor may be a lot more accessible, but
we wanted the views. My freshman year, I
got a dorm on the second floor. My only
eccentric view was the top of a double-
decker bus full of unknowing tourists.
I remember when I was on the top of the
tour bus. I first visited New York when I
was thirteen, and I begged my parents for a
ride, perched above all of the traffic and
bustle of the city. It's amazing how much I'd
learned since my first time here. I'd turned
New York City from a vacation spot into
my home.
“If I had to lug one more bag up to the
dorm, my arm is going to snap off.” I
exaggerated, receiving an eye-roll from my
mother, who has never understood my
sarcastic comments. “Somehow, even with
six people, we have to make three trips
down to retrieve bags. The college life is
exhausting, especially for girls. Our
unnecessary vanity adds about three bags.”
“Amen, Livvie.” Davis said, huffing and
closing her trunk.
We boarded the elevator for the third time
and made the ascent to floor eight, room
three. We had placed our luggage around
the door, so we hadn't even gone in to see
88
 Falling even
the door, so we hadn't Twice gone in to see

the room yet. Davis and I were kinda scared

that the room would look like a hole in the
wall, much like my freshman dorm.
“This is like playing the Price is Right.
You never know what's gonna be behind
that door.” I said, pre y freaking terrified.
This is always a tense moment.
Luckily, when we opened the door, we
were greeted with something the exact
opposite of a disappointing dorm. Our room
looked like a straight up apartment. When
you first walk in, you notice new cherry
hardwood floors laid throughout the dorm.
The first room you enter is the kitchen. It
had everything we'd need. An oven,
microwave, full sized refrigerator, and lots
of counter space. It wasn't newly updated,
but it was still nice and spacious. In the
corner of the room was a table for four and
another cabinet pressed against the wall.
After exiting the kitchen, there was a
small hallway leading back to three doors.
On the right was the door to the bathroom,
to the left was a coat closet, and straight
back was our bedroom. The bedroom had
two twin beds pushed against opposing
walls at the back of the room with a light
brown nightstand beside each. Facing the
89
brown nightstandFalling Twice
beside each. Facing the
beds was a spacious closet for each of us. It
was a luxury in college to get considerably
sized closet space, so we were pre y lucky.
There were two desks at the back of the
room, and gladly, there was lots of floor
space. This was great, because when I began
to throw my dirty laundry in the floor, it'd
look less clu ered. A small TV was
mounted over the door, and there were two
windows overlooking the city with an
impeccable view of the Freedom Tower, just
like we'd been promised.
Across the hall from the bedroom was our
bathroom, which was likely the most
updated section of our dorm. The shower
and toilet were both new, as well as the sink.
The counter-top was faux marble, and the
walls were covered with the same material.
The floors where white tile. For a standard
issue dorm, the bathroom looked like one
out of a five-star Marrio Hotel.
We were super impressed with our dorm,
and so was our family. My mom even said
that it looked like a Penthouse in
comparison to hers from college.
“Well, my first order of business is to put
my sheets on my bed and take a nap.” I
sarcastically declared, unzipping one of my
90
 Fallingunzipping
sarcastically declared, Twice one of my
large suitcases in the bedroom. Davis
plopped one of her suitcases on her bed and
started to unpack as well.
“No ma'am.” My mom said. “You're
hanging these clothes up.”
“And Davis, you'd be er unpack your
snacks and put them into the kitchen. If you
keep throwing your suitcases around, they'll
get crushed.” Renae said to Davis. Davis
and I exchanged looks, noticing that we
were still being micromanaged, even as
adults. At least they had good intentions.
Two hours later, the dorm was really
coming together. Our bathroom was totally
stocked, and every drawer was filled with
makeup, hair products, and soap. In the
kitchen, we had filled one set of cabinets
with snacks, which is essentially three boxes
of Cheez-Its and a family sized box of Pop-
Tarts. My mom and Renae made a grocery
list of college essentials, and had sent our
dads to the grocery store to retrieve them
thirty minutes earlier so we could stay
behind and help decorate.
In the past two hours, we'd almost
unpacked everything. Davis and I both had
Lilly Puli er bedding in complementary
91
 Falling in
Lilly Puli er bedding Twice
complementary
pa erns, and our wall art, sit-arounds, and
other decor tied in perfectly. We were pre y
proud of our insanely bright and optimistic
dorm room. To be brutally honest, the colors
would probably keep me awake at night.
Our dads arrived home and we stocked
the cabinets and refrigerator before heading
to dinner. We locked the door behind us and
piled into my mother's SUV, deciding to
have a meal at Ka 's Delicatessen before
our parents headed to their hotel for the
evening.
After eating, we went back to the dorm. It
was ge ing dark, and I was so tired that I
could honestly take a nap in the middle of
the damn road. Sadly, however, we had to
make our sad goodbyes to the parents. Let
me restate that- our parents had to make
their sad goodbyes to us. Yes, it was bi er-
sweet to have your parents leave you, but
I'd done it twice before. Davis's family, on
the other hand, might take a while to say
their goodbyes.
As I suspected, it took about half an hour.
Hugs and kisses are fine, but they get a li le
old after you've had well over ten of them.
Don't get me wrong, I understand
completely. Parents hate to have an empty
92
completely. ParentsFalling
hateTwice
to have an empty
quiet house. I always told my mom when
we were younger to enjoy the mess... That
usually got me punished.
“We're going to miss you so much. Be
careful, and contact me every day! Tell us
your adventures!” My mom said, cradling
me in her arms even though I was at least a
foot taller than her.
“Any words of wisdom, dad?” I
sarcastically asked, breaking away from
mom to hug my father.
“Don't be stupid, and don't spend all of
your money.” Dad joked.
“Amen!” Davis's dad hilariously agreed
from across the dorm. I was glad to have a
good laugh to break up the emotion.
“But in all honesty, we love you, and be
safe.” Dad said, and I kissed him on the
cheek. I noticed across the dorm that Renae
was crying, and her dad looked upset as
well. I remember my freshman year, and it
didn't look much different.
Fifteen more minutes passed by. Renae
was crying like her entire family had been
shot dead, and my mom was also teared up.
Our dads were evidently trying the keep
their cool, as were Davis and I. We couldn't
help but tear up a li le, though.
93
 Falling Twice

At about 7 o'clock, we all descended down

to the lobby onto the elevator and said our
final set of goodbyes, giving familial hugs
and kisses for the three-thousandth time this
evening. Davis was evidently more upset
than I was, but we both just really wanted
sleep and independence. The goodbye was
so drawn out that it seemed as if our parents
were clinging onto the last bit of us they
had. Kinda depressing to think about.
“We love you guys so much!” Renae said,
ge ing into the passenger side of my mom's
Dodge SUV.
“We love you too!” Davis responded. I
was in a daze, trying not to fall asleep
standing up. This was my third rodeo, and I
was just wanting rest. It's not like we're
saying goodbye to them forever. I may seem
a bit emotionless, but that's not the case. I
legitimately hadn't slept in two full days.
The window began to roll up and our
parents waved passionately one last time,
pulling away from the sidewalk.
And just like that.
We stood on that New York City
sidewalk and watched as the piercing red
glow of the SUV's taillights faded away up
the street
94
 Falling Twice

Independence.
In that brief moment, Davis and I were
left alone. We knew no one. It was me, her,
and the open road. Did this bother me? No.
Not one bit.
“Well, that's that.” I said cynically.
“Yeah.” Davis sighed, still overwhelmed,
clinging to her Complete Magnum P.I.
DVD Set that her dad gifted her as a joke
before leaving. Davis loved Tom Selleck,
and that's a fact. She collected herself,
clutching the box to her chest. I watched as
her expression sporadically changed to pure
excitement. “Olivia! We did it! We're here!”
She jumped in the air once. If only I had
that energy.
“Maybe I'll do a celebratory dance in a
few days, when I wake up from my nap.” I
said, laughing and turning for the stairs
leading into our dorm building.
“That wouldn't be a nap. That would
scientifically be considered hibernation.”
Davis replied in a sarcastically silly tone.
“The school year is still two months away.
Don't be talking about science yet.” I said, as
we slowly stumbled to the elevator. I was so
tired that I was uncoordinated.
“If I can't talk about science, I'll talk about
95
 Falling science,
“If I can't talk about Twice I'll talk about
history instead.” Davis said.
“Why's that?”
“Because this day is going down in
history as the day our dream came true!”
Davis put on a corny smile.
“That is the most lame thing I've heard all
day long.” I said, as we both chuckled as our
elevator glided up to the eighth floor.
“We both need sleep.” She said.
“You weren't the one that drove twelve
hours, Missy.” I sarcastically countered.
“Put a sock in it, why don't you? Being
stuck in a car with you for twelve hours is
pre y tiring.” She joked.
“Suit yourself. Next time you need a ride
back down to North Carolina, ask a cab if
they'll take you.” We laughed as our
elevator stopped. We unlocked our room,
and a brisk wave of cold air pushed against
us.
At least the A/C works.
I thought to myself.
Davis went to the bathroom to brush her
teeth and get ready for bed, and I went to
the bedroom to change my clothes. I must've
lost track of what I was doing.
“Olivia, can you bring me my hairbrush?”
Davis asked, toothbrush hanging out of her
96
 Falling Twice
Davis asked, toothbrush hanging out of her
mouth.
But by then, I was fast asleep, clothes and
all.

97
 Falling Twice

CHAPTER SIX
Tourist Stops and Shops
Saturday, June 13th
I was in the middle of a lovely dream. Not
sure what it was, but it was lovely. And
then-
“OLIVIA! WAKE UP!” I hear Davis yell
from the kitchen of our quaint dorm room.
The tone in her voice quickly made my
dream transform into a gripping nightmare.
I rolled back over and snuggled into my
fluffy comforter, trying to slide back into my
deep sleep. “OLIVIA! EMERGENCY!” I,
being the deep sleeper that I am, ignored
her once again. Dreams started reappearing
in my head. I was on the verge of slumber.
All I remember from this dream was
flames. Lots of them. I soon realized that

98
flames. Lots of them. I soon realized that
Falling Twice

this dream was probably initiated by the fire

alarm, which was harping loudly and
echoing off of our dorm walls.
How annoying is that. I thought bi erly
in my head, forcing my eyes to remain
closed before realizing-
THE FIRE ALARM?!
I have no sense of urgency in the
morning. In fact, I probably wouldn't even
get out of bed if Leonardo DiCaprio was
pleading me to have sex with him. Nothing
can pull me away from the loving arms of
my bed. Except maybe the fire alarm.
I rocketed out of bed, flinging my
comforter into the floor and rocketing into
the kitchen, dressed in an over-sized New
York Knicks t-shirt. Don't ask me where my
pants went. “WHY IS THE FIRE ALARM
GOING OFF?!” I scrambled around like
mad, and as I neared our kitchen, the smell
of burnt bacon hit my nose.
Sure enough, there Davis was, standing
on a kitchen chair with a towel, fanning the
smoke alarm over the stove.
“Can you please put that pan in the sink?”
She said, evidently exhausted, gesturing to a
pan on the stove-top that was billowing
smoke.
99
 Falling Twice

I moped tiredly over to the pan and slid it

lazily into the sink, turning on the faucet
and hi ing it with a stream of cold water.
Davis didn't seem apologetic whatsoever, it
was known between us that she was a
horrible cook. No explanation needed.
I finished with the pan, and Davis had
finally shut up the obnoxious smoke alarm.
“Morning, Sleeping Beauty.” Davis said,
pu ing the chair back in its spot.
“Morning, Lieutenant. At least we know
the alarm works. I'll be returning to base for
another hour of shut-eye.” I saluted
sarcastically and marched off towards the
bedroom.
“Not so fast.” Davis said, scooping the
un-scorched components of our breakfast
onto plates. “While you're up, we're
deciding what to do today.”
“Take 'em from the trenches.” I said, still
sticking with my acerbic references to the
military. Davis rolled her eyes and we both
plopped down at the table.
“For real.” She said, sipping orange juice.
“This week has been fun, but we haven't
seen all of the a ractions.” Her neutral
expression morphed into an anticipatory
gaze. “We haven't seen Lady Liberty yet!”
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 Falling Twice

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. As a New

York resident, the tourist traps are the last
place I want to go. We'd spent the last week
revisiting every tourist trap in the damn city.
It's the duty of a New York City resident to
appreciate the unappreciated. Places like
Sunset Park, The Grey Dog, and The
Brooklyn Inn will give you be er
experiences than jam-packed restaurants
and hour-long lines ever will.
We'd visited the Empire State Building,
the 9/11 Memorial, the Top of the Rock,
Central Park, Grimaldi's Pizza, and the
Freedom Tower. Don't get me wrong, I
enjoy the a ractions, but the tourists are
rude and I honestly feel like elbowing them
in the face. They act like they own the city,
and they don't know how to drive in city
traffic. There's a method to the madness,
people.
“You've already seen the Statue of
Liberty, Davis.” I droned in response.
“I know, but that was years ago, and we
only saw it from the Harbor. I want to go
inside.” She stabbed a piece of scrambled
egg with her fork. “I want the full tour this
time.”
I felt my eyes roll at that one. I really love
101
 Falling
I felt my eyes roll Twiceone. I really love
at that
Lady Liberty, but the a raction museums
were jam packed with inconsiderate
travelers. I'd rather admire her from a
distance. It's more picturesque that way.
“I'm not going.” I said, much to Davis's
shock. “We've been to tourist traps all week.
I want you to know the other side of New
York. There's more to this city than
sightseeing. Since you're living here now,
you need to learn that.” I was firm, so she'd
know I wasn't being sarcastic or cynical.
“Our last week here has felt like an actual
vacation. Why don't we relax?” I said,
hoping to convince her. “How about we go
shopping?”
Davis plastered a fake look of
consideration on her face, but I knew she
was already sold on the idea. “Hm... Okay. I
guess you're right. Plus, I've been wanting
to visit some high profile shops, anyways.”
“Thank God you agreed.” I sighed of
relief. “If you made me go onto Lady
Liberty's torch today, I'd probably jump
over the side.” We both laughed, finished
our breakfast, and threw open the windows
to rid our room of the smell of burnt bacon.

Dressing up in fancy clothes was not on

102
 Dressing up in Falling
fancyTwice
clothes was not on
my agenda. We were just going shopping.
“What're you wearing?” Davis asked,
brushing her hair in front of the bathroom
mirror.
“Not sure. I'm tired, and I feel like
relaxing. So probably nothing eye-catching.”
I replied, running my straightener through
my hair.
“I feel you.”
Fifteen minutes later, I stood at the door
wearing my trusty New York Yankees T-
Shirt and a pair of denim shorts. The
Yankees had played Detroit the day before,
and sadly, they lost. I had to give them my
full blown support. I finished my outfit with
a pair of Nikes. It was truly a casual day.
The walk to the J. Crew store on 5th
Avenue was twenty-five minutes, and we
decided that we'd rather hail a cab than
exercise. It was around 10:30am, so traffic
was minimal.
“This is one of my favorite stores.” I told
Davis as we split the fee for the cab. “It's the
classiest J. Crew store you'll ever visit.”
“Really? I would've never guessed. Stores
on 5th Avenue are usually total trash.”
Davis retorted sassily, reciprocating my
sarcasm in a manner that was much
103
 Falling
sarcasm in a manner Twice
that was much
overdue.
We both giddily walked to the door of the
elaborately modern building, walking inside
determined to buy at least one thing. We
didn't have much to spend, but didn't want
to penny-pinch all summer.
We left J. Crew an hour later with one
modest bag each. Stifling our desire to blow
our money would be harder than we
expected. Not feeling hungry, we decided to
go on to the next store, hightailing it to Polo
Ralph Lauren, which proved to leave us
empty-handed. Davis and I got bored of the
shopping idea pre y quick, but I had yet to
show her one of my favorite stores in the
city.
“I'm hungry.” Davis said, pa ing her
stomach jokingly.
“Did that big breakfast finally wear off?” I
said, observing the sunny day around us. It
was just one o'clock, and the beckoning
smells from the nearby food trucks were
calling my name. I saw one stand selling
Gyros, followed by another selling Philly
Cheese Steaks. There were so many heart
a acks to choose from. To fight the urge,
Davis and I ran past, acting like a bunch of
fools.
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 Falling Twice

“Tell you what.” I said. “We can eat lunch

after we go into one more store.”
“What store?”
“One of my favorites.” I said, scuffling up
the sidewalk next to my best friend.
“That didn't answer my question.” She
retorted with a laugh.
“The Brooks Brothers Flatiron Shop.” I
said. “It's super classy and unique on the
inside. It's decorated like the Playboy
Mansion. I'm pre y sure Hugh Hefner fills
in as the Shift Manager sometimes.”
“Sounds intriguing. I'm in.” We giggled,
continuing to trudge up the sidewalk into
flatiron district, heading towards the shop.
When we arrived, we didn't see any
discounts on the window. This was a
definite downer for poor college students.
We still went inside, not preparing to
purchase anything.
The store was as exactly as I'd described.
Wooden bookshelves lined the walls, and
several aspects of the interior were
intricately carved with elaborate engravings.
The ceiling towered, and from it hung a
single golden chandelier. The windows
were fi ed with ginormous curtains, and
historical artifacts and pictures were
105
historical artifactsFalling Twice
and pictures were
displayed throughout. The store screamed
“America, Hell Yeah!” in a classy and
distinguished way. It was great.
“This is definitely the best one yet.” Davis
agreed, pawing through the women's
section, which was near the wall with the
bookshelves. Davis soon turned from the
clothes and pulled a book from the
decorative display.
“Pre y sure that's for decoration.” I
teased, snickering and picking up a few
bu on-up shirts to try on. “I'll be in the
dressing rooms if you need me.” I said.
“I'll be here!” Davis replied
unsurprisingly.
Having been here before, I knew you
needed a key to get into the dressing rooms.
I pranced to the back of the store to a big
oak desk where the transactions were made.
As I approached the desk, my eyes were
immediately drawn to the man behind it. He
looked college age. He had immaculately
combed and gelled chestnut hair, and olive
skin so tan that even I, the tanning goddess,
envied him. His face was sharp, stern and
cu ing, yet had an unmistakable radiance of
warmth and welcoming. It seemed as
though he was intentionally looking away
106
 Falling Twice looking away
though he was intentionally
from me, but as I walked closer, his eyes
finally met mine and he smiled. Man, that
dude had some nice teeth. He also had facial
hair. God almighty, at least he kept it nicely
groomed so he didn't look like a mountain
troll.
“Can I help you with anything?” He
asked as though he were reading from a
script.
“Yeah, I just need a dressing room.” I
said.
“One second.” He said, disappearing
under the desk like a rabbit in a hat and
retrieving a set of keys.
The man walked from behind the desk,
and I immediately noticed his outfit. He was
wearing a white bu on-up shirt, ironed
perfectly, along with olive green shorts, a
brown leather belt, and matching brown
boat shoes.
Just as I thought. I speculated to myself.
This man is the epitome of a trust-fund
baby.
I examined him more thoroughly as he
led me back to the changing rooms and
stuck the key in the lock. However, he didn't
unlock the door. He stopped for a chat.
“Yankees, huh?” He said, smirking at the
107
 “Yankees, huh?” Falling
He Twice
said, smirking at the
sight of my shirt. “I wish I could wear my
Yankees shirts to work. I'd wear one
everyday.” He smiled, running a hand along
his jaw line and smiling.
“I don't blame you! Though I was pre y
ashamed to wear mine after their loss last
night.” I said, returning the small talk.
“No joke. They could've beat Detroit.” He
said firmly. “They've been on a losing streak
lately. If they keep this up, I'm switching
from baseball to the Rock Paper Scissors
World Championship.”
I laughed. This guy was a hoot. “No
kidding. I also hear that Dwarf Tossing has
become a thing in Canada. Maybe that
would be worth our time to watch.” I
laughed, and so did the man. He reached
down to unlock my dressing room.
“If the Yankees lose one more game, I'll
move to Canada.” He said, still laughing at
the thought of dwarf juggling. I was really
feeding off of this sick humor. “Here, let me
take those for you.” He took my armful of
shirts from me as he opened the door,
hanging them inside cordially.
“Thank you.” I said with a chipper smile.
“No problem. My name is Jeremiah if you
need anything.” He walked off with one last
108
need anything.” He Falling Twice off with one last
walked
exchanged glance as I filed into my stall.
None of the shirts fit. Not one. The
sleeves were too short. I guess it's
impossible for Brooks Brothers to make
shirts to fit lanky, long-armed women.
I left my stall empty-handed, but
subconsciously, I kept telling myself to buy
something. I don't know why, I guess my
money was just burning a hole in my pocket.
I looked to my right and saw that Davis was
still reading the decorative books. What a
nerd.
I began to thoroughly pace each aisle to
find something to buy. Everything was far
too expensive, so I looked for the cheapest
thing I could find. In a glass bowl that
looked like an a fishbowl sat an assortment
of cheap bracelets. I found a gold and navy
one for only fourteen dollars.
Did I even need that bracelet? Lord, I
don't know what was going through my
head. All I know is that I was driven to find
something to buy, and as soon as I did, I
was off to the cash register.
“Back again.” I mu ered in a cute but
mocking tone, passing the bracelet off to
Jeremiah.
“Long time no see!” He sarcastically
109
 “Long time no Falling Twicesarcastically
see!” He
replied, scanning the bracelet. Noticing
nobody was coming to the counter to check
out, he started more small talk. “So, I'm
assuming that you live in New York?”
“Yes, I go to NYU. I live in the
Greenwich District.” I replied as I slid my
debit card across to Jeremiah on the counter.
Instead of taking the card, Jeremiah looked
at me with an impressed look.
“Really! I do too. I'm going into my
fourth year.”
“Glad to hear you've survived so far.” I
joked. “I'm a junior, and I major in English.
I'm going to be an author.” As I spoke, he
seemed to be wholly intrigued, staying
engaged in the conversation by keeping his
piercing blue eyes trained on me. “I've
wri en books for fun since the sixth grade.
Call me a nerd.”
“Hey, America needs its intellects. You're
definitely in the right place for that.” He
said, pu ing my bracelet in a small bag and
sliding it to me. “Have you ever thought
about journalism?”
“Yes, and I nearly applied for a New York
Times Internship. Then I realized- if I'm
going to write for a living, I'd rather write
my own stories instead of predetermined
110
 Falling Twice
my own stories instead of predetermined
ones. What's your major?”
“I'm in law school.” He said, somehow
perfectly balancing pride and modesty. “My
job as cashier for Brooks Brothers is really
giving me a lot of prospect for jobs after
graduation.” We both laughed.
“Hey, at least it's Brooks Brothers and not
Taco Bell. You have to keep your glass half
full in this unfortunate society.” I
sarcastically added.
“Beautifully said. Now, would you like a
free side of nachos with your bracelet?” He
asked, pu ing a hilariously childish look on
his face.
“Hey, I wouldn't complain in the
slightest.” I said through laughter as Davis
walked up.
“Hey Olivia?” She said, holding up two
different colored bu on-up shirts. “Which
shirt should I get?”
“The pink one.” I said in certainty.
“Trick question! I'm not spending this
much on a bu on-up.” Davis said,
chuckling and turning to put them back on
the rack.
“Who's that?” Jeremiah asked, still
smiling at mine and Davis's complementary
sense of humor.
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 Falling Twice

“That's my friend Davis. She's an

upcoming freshman.” I replied as Davis
walked back up beside me.
“I love meeting New York University
people.” Jeremiah said. “Have you
registered yet?” He asked Davis.
“No, but we're going to the registration
office this week to choose my classes.” she
said happily, obviously ready to start the
school year.
“That's good! I have to go to the
registration office soon too. There's a major
flaw on my schedule.” Jeremiah said,
absentmindedly drumming his fingers.
“Three of my classes are missing.”
“That may be a bit of a problem.” I
smiled, noticing a distinguished older
couple approaching the desk with a handful
of clothing.
Jeremiah noticed as well, mu ering “Oh
God, Constance and Kenneth.” inaudibly
under his breath. Davis and I prepared to
leave, collecting our things. “Well, I hate for
our talk to be cut short,” Jeremiah said, “but
duty calls.” He smiled at the couple as they
placed clothes on the counter, and he began
scanning. I chuckled a bit, knowing his
distaste for the couple. Apparently they'd
112
 Falling Twice
distaste for the couple. Apparently they'd
given him trouble in the past.
“Relatable.” I said conclusively with a
smile. “It was nice talking to you!”
“Maybe I'll see you around campus
sometime!” He gave another dashing smile.
“Jeremiah, honey, focus on the task at
hand.” The woman, apparently named
Constance, said to him in a condescending
tone. Jeremiah swallowed hard, raised his
eyebrows in silent disapproval, and shot us
one last wave and a smile as we headed for
the door.
When we pushed the shop door open, the
midday heat drowned us instantaneously,
and the hot sun shone down tortuously. I
grabbed my Ray Bans from my purse.
“Do you know him from school?” Davis
asked as we made a beeline to a food truck.
“No, just met him.”
“Duly noted.” Davis said, looking up at
me mysteriously as we both speed walked
ecstatically towards our lunch.

113
 Falling Twice

CHAPTER SEVEN
There's Two of Them?
Monday, June 15th
“You know what? We need a tradition.”
Davis said, in a tone that questioned why
we didn't have one already. I contemplated
a response as we walked through our dorm
building lobby and onto the sidewalk,
hailing a cab. The summer air was warm yet
pleasant, and we had been blessed with
another beautiful day.
“I have an idea!” I said, piling into the
back of a canary yellow Toyota Camry. I
told the cab driver to take us to the NYU
registrar's office. We were headed to get
Davis registered for classes.
“Oh goody.” Davis said, hopping in the
seat next to me and closing the door. She

114
seat next to me and closing the door. She
Falling Twice

was still figuring out the taxi hailing process.

“What is it?”
“We can start sleeping past 8am!” I said
sincerely, rolling my eyes at my watch. It
was almost 9am, but I'd only go en five
hours of sleep. “It sounds like a great idea to
me!”
“I mean good traditions. Real traditions.”
Davis said in a monotone voice. The taxi
driver made a sharp left and began weaving
through rush hour traffic.
“It's too early for my brain to operate. Ask
again later.” I said, yawning and discreetly
glancing down at my navy and gold bracelet
from Brooks Brothers.
In fifteen minutes, we pulled to the curb
next to the registrar's office. We paid the taxi
driver twenty dollars. How appalling.
“That is an outrageous amount of
money.” I said, staring conspicuously at the
cab as it pulled from the roadside. “If every
taxi we take is going to cost that much, I'd
rather take my car out of the parking deck.
It'll be cheaper than ge ing a cab every
day.”
“What would cab drivers do if we refused
to pay them?” Davis stupidly asked as we
left the warm summer morning and entered
115
left the warm summerFalling morning
Twice and entered
the office.
“You don't want to know.”
The inside of the registrar's office was
terribly boring. It was legitimately white
washed, floors and walls, with a singular
desk complex placed in the center. There
were four chairs placed to the side of the
desk, along with a cheap coffee table with
magazines perched on it in a tidy stack.
“Do you need any help?” I asked Davis as
we walked in. The registrar was already
busy with a male student that seemed to be
frantically complaining about his summer
classes.
“No, I've got it from here.”
“Okay.” I responded with a faint smile,
navigating my way to the chair nearest the
wall. I picked up an outdated People
magazine. Davis stood daintily behind the
student and waited patiently for her turn.
Twenty minutes passed, and I was
seriously debating on taking a nap. I lacked
patience. Davis had just started scanning a
list of classes. This was going to take a
while. I placed the People magazine back on
the table and rested my head against the
wall behind my chair. I was insanely tired,
which was likely because Davis and I stayed
116
 Falling Twice
which was likely because Davis and I stayed
up until 3am watching Harry Po er and the
Goblet of Fire. My legs were ge ing restless
and I was hardcore resisting the urge to
sleep in the floor.
Five minutes later, I was still engaged in
an intense staring contest with the starch-
white wall. The registrar was going on about
optional but highly recommended
adolescent literature seminars and creative
writing courses. Just as I was about to start
beating my head against the wall, a familiar
face walked through the door, making the
boring room a bit more interesting.
In the doorway stood Jeremiah, the
Brooks Brothers cashier with a sparkling
personality and quite possibly a trust fund. I
knew he had to fix his schedule, but how
coincidental that he showed up at the same
time as us. He was wearing a light blue
bu on-up shirt and a pair of khaki shorts
with a brown leather belt, sporting the same
dressy look that I'd seen him in earlier. As
he came into the door, he smoothly pulled
off his black Ray-Ban sunglasses and held
them in his hand, almost as if he didn't want
to mess up his hair by pushing them onto
the top of his head.
He came in and examined his
117
 He came in andFalling Twice his
examined
surroundings, looking around instinctively.
Moments later, he noticed me in the waiting
room. I gave a small wave from over the top
of my magazine, which I had picked up
again a few minutes ago to entertain myself.
“Olivia! What do you know!” He said,
smiling his charming grin and coming to the
si ing area, noticing Davis was still busy at
the front desk. “How coincidental.”
“I know! Who knew we were both insane
enough to wake up early for this?” I joked.
“God, I know.” He sat down beside me,
taking a semi-deep breath as though he was
relieved to finally get off of his feet. “I've
been up for four hours. I already need a
nap.”
“Four hours?!”
“Yes, my brother and I share an
apartment, and he persisted on me
'accompanying him for a morning jog.'“ He
said in a sarcastically formal tone, evidently
mocking his brother. “The only reason he
ran is because he ate a sixteen ounce steak
for dinner last night.”
“You have a brother?” I asked, in
exchange for reacting to his sarcastic story.
“Yes, his name is Jonathan.” Jeremiah told
me. “He's twenty. A bit younger than me.”
118
 Falling Twice

“Gotcha. I have a younger brother too,

but he's still in high school. I don't have the
luxury of sharing an apartment with him.” I
said with a light laugh, thinking of Pierce.
“Oh really?” Jeremiah said, intrigued. I
appreciated his conversation etique e. It
was though he was interested at every word.
“What high school does he go to?”
I hadn't yet told Jeremiah that we were
from North Carolina. Apparently, he
couldn't tell that I was southern. I viewed
this as a compliment.
“We're actually from North Carolina.” I
said. “Doubt you'd know.” I smiled
jokingly, as I saw Davis wrapping up at the
desk. For once, I internally wished that
she'd ask another question or present
another concern.
“North Carolina? Wow, you're pre y far
from home!” He said, impressed. “Did you
fly here?”
“No, I drive every year.” I said, smiling at
his disbelief.
“God bless America, I'd fall asleep at the
wheel.” Jeremiah stated. “I drive too. In
fact, I hate taxis so much that I keep my car
with me. But then again, my family lives on
Long Island. That's only two hours away.
119
Long Island. That'sFalling
onlyTwice
two hours away.
Much be er than having to make a year-
long expedition to get here.”
“At this point, I'm a professional driver.” I
said, playing off of his sarcasm.
“You should join NASCAR. I hear they
pay good.” He said in a facetious tone that I
admired. I related to his sense of humor
greatly.
“I'll definitely have to consider. I do need
some more spending money.” I remarked as
Davis walked over.
“Hey again!” She said, recognizing him
from the store.
“Hey!” Jeremiah said, standing up,
schedule in hand. “How'd registration go?”
“It went good.” Davis responded. “I'm
pre y much imitating Olivia's freshman
year schedule. We're majoring in the same
thing. Might as well.”
“You make a good point.” He said
conclusively, standing up from his seat.
“Well, I guess it's time to go haggle with the
registrar.”
“You have fun with that.” I said, smiling
and standing from my seat, stretching. It
seemed that I'd been si ing there for hours.
The three of us walked from the si ing
area. As we headed for the door, a wave of
120
area. As we headedFalling
forTwice
the door, a wave of
uncertainty hit me. I wondered if I'd ever
see him again. These crazy coincidences
don't happen every day.
“It was good to see you again!” I said
politely. “These happy accidents have their
benefits sometimes.” I quipped.
“No truer thing has ever been said.”
Jeremiah responded, making eye contact
with me and smiling. For a moment, I saw
the same reflection in his eyes, almost as if
he were debating the probability of another
accidental meet-up.
“Have fun with your schedule!” Davis
said. “I know I had fun with mine.”
“No promises on that one.” Jeremiah said
as we shared a laugh. Davis and I waved
and turned to the door. She was already
onto the street searching for taxis when
Jeremiah got my a ention yet again. “Hey,
Olivia!” He inquisitively called.
“Yes?” I curiously responded, turning
back to face him. He had his iPhone in his
hand, and was examining something on his
screen.
“My brother and I are meeting up for
lunch in a few hours.” He said, apparently
reading from a text message. “You and
Davis can both come if you want.”
121
 Falling Twice

“You mean you're going to eat after a

grueling morning run?” I joked.
“Oh I know.” Jeremiah played along. “It
took a lot of strength to make the plans.”
I laughed. “Our only plan for the day was
a Food Network marathon.” I smiled.
“We'd love to come.”
“Well, I'd hate to tamper with such a
crucial event in your schedule,” he played.
“but, if you find time, we'll be eating at
Rubriosa at 12:30.”
“I'll ask my secretary if I'm able to
a end.” I said as Jeremiah laughed
genuinely at my deplorable sarcasm.
Understanding and reciprocating my nearly
caustic humor was an admirable trait. “I
could use some pizza, though.”
“We do have to give coincidence a break
at some point.” Jeremiah said, making a
valid point as his phone dinged. He read the
text. “Wait, change of plans. Jonathan just
said he'd rather have Lucali.”
“Never been.”
“You've never been to Lucali?” Jeremiah
said, as his phone rung yet again. He rolled
his eyes. “Now he's saying Lombardi's.”
“I love Lombardi's. It's my favorite
besides Grimaldi's.”
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 Falling Twice

“Now he's saying he wants to eat at

noon.” Jeremiah said, approaching me. The
woman at the desk had realized that we
were busy, and went back to work. “He's
being wishy-washy.”
“Davis and I are down for whatever you
guys decide. Anything is be er than a
pimento cheese sandwich.” I said, noticing
Jeremiah was still texting his brother with a
flat look on his face. “Why don't you just
text me if anything changes?”
“That sounds good.” Jeremiah pulled up
his contacts on his phone and handed it to
me. I typed in my number. “I'll let you
know what we decide.”
“Sounds good to me!” I said, turning to
leave. “See you soon, don't banter too much
with the registrar.”
“No promises on that one.” Jeremiah shot
a hand up and waved at me as he turned to
the desk.
I walked outside with a smile on my face,
registering the occurrences in my head. I
had yet to notice that Davis was standing
expressionless by a taxi. Apparently, she'd
hailed it a while ago.
“What were you doing in there?” She
asked, turning to the cab of the taxi and
123
asked, turning to Falling
the cabTwice
of the taxi and
saying something to the driver. She got
inside the back of the car, and I slid into the
seat next to her.
“Making lunch plans.” I said sprightly,
closing the door to the dinky taxi. Davis had
intentionally hailed a cheap one.
“With Jeremiah?” She said curiously.
“Nice.”
I looked out the window, watching the
people on the sidewalks. People-watching
was one of my favorite things to do in New
York. Suddenly, my phone buzzed.
We're sticking with Lombardi's at 12:30.
Finally got him to make up his mind.
I laughed quietly under my breath and
added Jeremiah's number to my contacts as
the taxi sped towards Greenwich Street.

On our way home from the registrar's

office, we were cussed at, lied to, and almost
killed by the taxi driver. When he asked us
for twenty-five dollars at the end of the trip,
we had a hard time paying it. This
experience drove us to get my car from the
parking deck. (No pun intended.) During
my freshman and sophomore years, taxis
were much cheaper than this. Too much of
our spending money was going towards
124
our spending moneyFalling Twice
was going towards
travel.
That being said, at 12:10pm, we piled into
my Volkswagen Beetle and wheeled onto
the busy street. The drive to Lombardi's was
ten minutes, and we didn't want to be late.
Traffic was unpredictable.
I had changed clothes. Earlier that
morning, I was wearing my usual
“sweatpants and t-shirt” combo. It seemed
that Jeremiah always dressed up, so I did
the same. I decided to wear a blue and white
seersucker bu on up and khaki shorts with
my Jack Rogers sandals. Instead of
resembling a New Yorker, I looked like a
Bay Stater. Davis dressed nice as well,
donned in her favorite Tommy Hilfiger
shirt. We looked pristinely distinguished.
At 12:25pm, I parallel parked on the curb
beside Lombardi's Pizzeria in Li le Italy.
“I've never eaten here before.” Davis said,
taking in the authentic restaurant.
“Oh really? I would've never guessed.” I
said, smiling. I was pre y excited. I couldn't
deny that Jeremiah was great. I had finally
branched out and made a new friend. “Let's
go inside and see if they're here. I don't
know what they drive.”
“That might've been a nice thing to
125
 “That might'veFalling
been Twice
a nice thing to
know.” Davis said, stepping onto the
sidewalk. I joined her, and we headed to the
door of America's first pizzeria.
Lombardi's smelled remarkably of wood-
fired pizza, and the smell of the cheeses,
pepperoni, and marinara wafted into your
nose as soon as you opened the door. This
was authentic Italian cuisine- Li le Italy
was known for its genuine Italian heritage.
I skimmed my eyes around the restaurant
looking for Jeremiah, but to no avail.
“Can I help you, ma'am?” A waiter asked,
approaching us.
“We just need a table for four.” I asked
with a smile. “The rest of our party will be
here shortly.”
“Alright!” He asked chipperly. “Take a
seat at this table here.” The man ushered
Davis and I to a table covered in a red and
white checked table cloth. Davis and I took
seats beside of each other.
“What time is it?” Davis asked, checking
her watch. “Don't tell me these guys are the
'late-type'. Nobody likes late men.”
“Like them?”
“Yes. Lateness shows a lack of
responsibility. And nobody li-”
“Nobody likes irresponsible men. Got it.”
126
 “Nobody likes Falling Twice
irresponsible men. Got it.”
I cut Davis off short and we laughed,
glancing over our menus before the bell rang
on the front door, indicating that someone
had arrived.
Davis and I instinctively looked up at the
door, and sure enough, there was Jeremiah,
laughing along with the man that
accompanied him. I automatically assumed
this was Jonathan. He was tall, but not as
tall as Jeremiah. His hair was a darker shade
of walnut brown, and his skin was a few
tones paler than his brother's. As expected,
he was nicely dressed, wearing a navy blue
polo and salmon shorts. The two of them
strolled in, both sporting a pair of Ray-Bans
and boat shoes. It must run in the family.
“There they are.” I said to Davis.
“They look so different! If it weren't for
their clothes, I'd never be able to tell they
were related.” She said, obviously studying
Jonathan.
“You should ask which one of them is
adopted. I bet it's Jonathan. He could pass
as a Russian.” I said sarcastically. We each
stifled a laugh and tried to get their
a ention.
Jeremiah scanned the restaurant and
immediately locked eyes with me, pulling
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immediately locked Falling
eyesTwice
with me, pulling
off his glasses and waving.
“There they are.” Jeremiah said to his
brother as they both removed their
sunglasses. They each looked mightily
distinguished, and their presence alone
controlled the room. Just the way they
carried themselves made them look
invincible.
“Where?” Jonathan said, obviously not
recognizing us.
“Right there.” Jeremiah pointed at us, and
we waved. Jonathan finally saw us. I could
already tell he was just as dorky and
sarcastic as his brother.
“Those two girls?”
“Yes, the two girls at the table for four.
Make sense?” Jeremiah rolled his eyes
jokingly and led his brother to the table.
“Glad you finally helped me put two and
two together. Literally.” I heard Jonathan
say with a laugh. Jeremiah shot him a blank,
unamused expression as they approached
us. Jeremiah took the seat across from me
and Jonathan took the other.
“Hey guys!” Jeremiah said, scooting his
chair in. Davis and I returned the greeting,
looking over at Jonathan, who looked a bit
stranded. “This is my brother Jonathan.”
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 Falling Twice

“That's my name!” Jonathan said, picking

up his menu.
“You guys act the exact same.” Davis
said. “Sure you're not twins?”
“We might as well be. We have the same
opinions and ambitions.” Jonathan said,
browsing his menu while simultaneously
staying engaged in conversation.
“You major in law too?” I asked,
intrigued. Small talk wasn't my strong suit,
but I was genuinely interested.
“Yes.” He said. “Jeremiah calls me his
protege.” I couldn't help but consider that
comment. Didn't that mean Davis was my
protege?
“God almighty. Two lawyers in one
family. Do you have any other siblings that
are lawyers?” I sarcastically asked.
“We have a sister, but she's still in high
school.” Jeremiah said with a laugh. “I think
she's going into business, maybe finance.”
“She broke the streak.” Jonathan joked.
“I debated on going into business, but that
career pathway was too risky for a small-
town girl.” I said, truthfully. I knew that an
English major likely wouldn't get me 'rich
quick', but I had decided in high school to
follow my passion, which was writing. As a
129
follow my passion,Falling
whichTwice
was writing. As a
beginning writer, I kicked job security to the
curb, but I had a superb amount of
ambition.
“We were pre y much expected to be
businessmen. Our whole family is based
around business. Our dad is the Chief
Financial Officer of J.P. Morgan Chase.”
Jeremiah said.
I had to stop my jaw from dropping open.
Chief Financial Officer? Yep, they
definitely had trust funds.
“Are you serious?” Davis asked.
“That's insane! What does your mom
do?” I followed.
“Ever seen Good Morning America?”
“Haven't all New Yorkers?”
“You make a point.” Jeremiah laughed,
glancing down at his menu, almost as if he
were hesitating to finish his thought. “Our
mom was an anchor on that show in the
90s.” He said, smiling semi-nervously, as
though he felt he were bragging.
I'm sure our eyes widened at this point in
the conversation.
“No way.” Davis mu ered.
“Remember Katherine Jarvis?”
“NO WAY.”
“That's our mom.”
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 Falling Twice

“Your mother is famous.” I said, still in

shock. Jeremiah and Jonathan both laughed.
“We always enjoy seeing people's reaction
when they hear that for the first time.”
Jonathan chimed, obviously amused at mine
and Davis's awestruck expressions.
The waiter approached our table and we
ordered a large pizza to split. Our
conversation continued effortlessly, and we
soon uncovered more shocking facts about
their family. Their mother's maiden name
was Vanderbilt, meaning she had a wealthy
heritage. Also, in addition to being Chief
Financial Officer of J.P. Morgan Chase,
their father was also a founder. We were
incredibly interested in their lifestyle and
continued asking questions. We discovered
that they lived in a mansion in the
Hamptons, and their sister, Meredith, had
also been accepted to New York University.
After a few minutes, we realized that
Jeremiah and Jonathan probably felt
interrogated. They soon returned the
questions, both of them seeming equally
interested in our past. It seemed like we
were all making up for lost time. We'd only
known them for a short time, yet they felt
like old friends.
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 Falling Twice

“Do you own a yacht?” Davis asked

sarcastically. At this point, we were all
asking each other silly questions.
“Do you own a rusty pickup truck?”
Jonathan returned. Davis cringed.
“We may be from the south, but we are
not rednecks.” Davis said. We were all
laughing obnoxiously over the stereotypes.
The four of us shared many laughs and
bonded incredibly. It was a great feeling to
finally have some friends from the city. For
the past few years, I'd kept to myself. I'd
consider myself an extrovert, but I felt
somewhat out of place in the beginning of
college. The only people I really got to know
we were my roommates. Having friends
outside of class to socialize with was a
refreshing feeling.
After we finished eating, the waiter
brought the check.
“Let us get yours.” Jonathan said,
chivalrously pulling his wallet from his
jacket pocket.
“Heck no.”
“Never argue with a lawyer.” Jeremiah
said, bringing out that sarcasm that I'd
already become so familiar with. He shot me
a wink.
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 Falling Twice

“He's got a point.” Jonathan said,

glancing at his wallet, and back up at his
brother. “Wait a minute, Jeremiah.”
“What?”
“You invited us, you should buy
everyone's. Including mine.” Jonathan
satirically said. “Thanks for the pizza, man.”
He stood up and pa ed his brother on the
shoulder. These guys were an ongoing
stand-up comedy show, and Davis and I
both dug it.
“Not so fast, Jonathan. You have to leave
the tip.”
Completely satisfied, we all stood up from
the table and headed to the door. After lots
of persisting, we finally realized that they
wouldn't allow us to pay for our own lunch.
Secretly, I wasn't complaining. I'm certain
Davis felt the same way.
“Thanks again for the pizza.” Davis said
as we made our way out of Lombardi's and
into the smoldering two o'clock heat of
Manha an.
“Yes, we really enjoyed it.” I added,
engulfed in the heat radiating from the
sidewalk.
“No problem, as long as you promise to
return the favor. Afterall, we do live in a
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 Falling Twice
return the favor. Afterall, we do live in a
give-take society.” Jeremiah joked with a
smirk, reaching in his pockets. I assumed he
was going after his car keys.
“And now you see a demonstration of
Jeremiah's abstract thinking.” Jonathan said
professionally.
“What can I say, I'm a true businessman.”
“You guys are cut-ups.” Davis said,
chuckling at their back and forth humor.
“So are you and Olivia.” Jonathan said.
“Especially Olivia.”
“That's me!” I proclaimed it proudly.
“Hey, the fact that we can reciprocate
sarcasm makes us a great team.”
“Good point.” Jeremiah said. “What do
you drive? I forgot to ask you.”
“I drive that Volkswagen Beetle.” I said,
pointing to my car. “Vivienne has been my
trusty car since I was sixteen years old.”
“I like it. It suits you.” Jeremiah said,
before taking a double-take. “Wait-
Vivienne?”
“Oh, come on, Jeremiah! Didn't you get in
on the car naming trend?”
“Sadly not. You may have to help me on
that one.”
“I will. Which car is yours?” I asked
curiously
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 Falling Twice

“It's this one.” Jeremiah said.

I watched him as he pulled is keys from
his pocket, clicking the unlock bu on on the
key fob. I scanned the cars lining the
sidewalk, and my jaw dropped when I saw
the lights of a ma e gray Audi RS7 flash on.
“THAT is your car?!” I'm sure I was
drooling, as well as Davis.
“Yes.” He said. I could tell he felt bad. He
felt like he was showing off, when in all
reality, he and his brother were the most
modest people I'd ever met, considering the
circumstances.
“I love it.”
“Thanks! It's the only thing that I own
currently.” He playfully and falsely claimed.
“I'm sure.” I stared longingly at the car,
wanting to hop in and steal it. (Obviously
sarcasm) “It's stunning. You definitely need
to name it Ace.” That name came to the top
of my head instantly. It fit.
“Where can I go to put that on a birth
certificate?” Jeremiah asked, a sincere look
on his face, before Davis posed the question
that she and I were both wanting to ask.
“If you drive this, what does Jonathan
drive?”
“Saw that coming.” Jonathan said,
135
 FallingJonathan
“Saw that coming.” Twice said,
clicking his keys to unlock a black
Mercedes-Benz S600 Sedan.
“My God.”
“Also saw that coming.” Jonathan was
obviously uncomfortable with people doting
over him. I couldn't blame him- we'd
essentially been doing so over our lunch. We
wouldn't be like this from then on. We just
wanted to get our personal lives out in the
open. Small talk, everybody. It's great. (In
case you haven't determined so at this point,
that was also sarcasm.)
“I'm sure these cars get you all the ladies.”
Davis asked, breaking the ice on the subject
of dating. This was probably the only thing
we failed to discuss over lunch.
“Obviously not!” Jonathan laughed.
“Hey, don't worry.” I assured. “Davis
and I are both single too. I'm surprised that
my stunning looks and amazing body
haven't a racted any men. Apparently the
best of us get ignored.”
“Olivia, you're an idiot.” Davis said as we
headed to our cars.
“We had a great time!” I said, waving
from the driver door.
“We did too! It was nice to meet you
guys!” Jonathan said, from his
136
 Fallingfrom
guys!” Jonathan said, Twicehis

unsurprisingly luxurious car.

“It was nice to meet you too. Thanks
again for lunch, I'm going to sit down in the
air conditioning now.” Davis said. I rolled
my eyes.
“I'm with you there.” Jonathan said,
snickering. “I'll see you guys.” He sat in his
Mercedes and closed the door. I looked up
to see Jeremiah, wiping off his Ray-Bans
and pushing them onto his face.
“Thanks for the invite.” I said, waving
conclusively with a smile. I wished we could
stay longer. The rest of mine and Davis's
day consisted of two things- napping and
napping.
“Anytime!” he said. “I wish we could stay
longer, but Jonathan and I have work.”
Apparently, Jonathan also worked at
Brooks Brothers alongside Jeremiah.
“We'll just have to meet up again to make
up for the lost time.” I said, joking yet
sincere.
“No kidding.” He said.
“I'll be expecting a ride in Ace soon.”
“That may just be a wish I can grant.”
Jeremiah said with a wave and a sly smile,
crouching into his sporty ride. “I'll see you
soon, Olivia!”
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 Falling Twice

“See ya!” I closed my door and buckled

up, navigating us back to Greenwich Street.
“That was lots of fun.” Davis said. “I like
those guys.”
“Me too.” I said reflectively, thoughts
running through my head as I recounted
our lunch conversations. I soon found
myself a empting to shield an unsolicited
smile. “Me too.”

138
 Falling Twice

CHAPTER EIGHT
Fun and Games, Vice-Versa
Wednesday, June 17th
Instead of spending the morning lounging
in our twin beds while watching Forensic
Files, we found ourselves at the Manha an
Plaza Racquet Club.
“Let's go play tennis.” I'd said that
morning over my fruit salad breakfast.
“Where?” Davis said, mouth full.
“I used to have a membership to the
Manha an Plaza Racquet Club, we could
go there.”
“Why'd you cancel your membership?”
Davis asked curiously.
“I realized that tennis wouldn't help me
graduate.”
“I never knew you were so good at

139
 “I never knew you were so good at
Falling Twice

managing your time.” Davis said

sarcastically, knowing that I frequently
tuned out my responsibilities until the last
minute.
About an hour later, we'd thrown on
athletic clothes, grabbed our rackets, and
cruised over to the facility. Sure, I couldn't
find time for my sport during the school
year, but since it was summer, we needed a
hobby. Even though we'd graduated high
school and no longer played on a team, we
wanted to stay practiced. We'd also need the
exercise if we kept eating from food trucks.
The Club was a glorified YMCA. There
were newly surfaced indoor tennis courts, a
glass-enclosed pool, a spacious sauna and a
gym. We were especially glad for the pool,
but sadly we'd forgo en our bathing suits at
the dorm.
“Let's warm up.” Davis declared, placing
her bo led water down on the bench by the
net. There were five courts in the facility, but
we had the whole place to ourselves. This
wasn't surprising- it was Wednesday. Most
adults were at work, and most college kids
were in summer classes. It was sunny
outside, so it's likely that the fitness freaks
were jogging, walking their dogs, or doing
140
 Falling their
were jogging, walking Twice dogs, or doing

pointlessly aggressive jumping jacks in the

park. The facility was so empty that our
voices echoed from the walls of the dome-
shaped room. I'd brought my Bluetooth
speaker, and since we were alone, we'd be
able to play whatever music we want. As
result, I shuffled my rap playlist without
remorse and paced to the opposing side of
the court.
We started from the service line, hi ing
the ball softly over the net. It'd been a while
since we'd played together, so we started off
easy. Soon, we backed to the base line and
began to hit full forehands and backhands.
We progressed to overheads, and then to
serves. We'd progressed so much as a team.
During Davis's freshman year, we were
laughable. She'd just joined the team, and I
was a third year player. When we'd go play
together on the weekends, we'd do more
talking than playing. On one particular day,
Davis and I even laid down on the courts
and listened to Snoop Dogg instead of
playing. Now, we were lobbing back and
forth like 'professionals'.
“You ready to play?” I asked, sweat
already forming on my forehead.
“Sure.” She said shortly, placing her
141
 “Sure.” She saidFalling Twiceplacing her
shortly,
hands on her hips. “Wanna keep score?”
“That's fine.” I said. “I'm going to get
some water.”
“Me too.”
We both navigated to the bench and
guzzled down our cool drinks to the tune of
Goosebumps by Travis Sco . I picked up
my phone to check for texts. Sure enough,
Jeremiah had messaged me twice.
Hey!
Are you guys busy today?
I grinned minutely, taking another sip of
my water.
“Davis, are we busy today?”
“I wouldn't call it busy.” She said smartly.
“Why?”
“Jeremiah asked.” I pushed a few loose
hairs from my face. “Apparently they
wanted to make plans.”
“Invite him and Jonathan to play tennis.”
She said, stopping to consider. “I'm sure
they know how.”
“Such a stereotype. Not all rich people
play country club sports.” I joked, grinning.
“Well, Jonathan did tell me he plays golf.”
Davis declared playfully.
“You make a good point.” I concluded,
unlocking my phone to respond to Jeremiah.
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 Falling Twice

We're at Manha an Plaza Racquet Club

about to start a game of tennis. You and
Jonathan can come on over if you want. We can
sign you in as guests.
“Davis, did you notice how much the
guest fee was?” I droned. Of course,
expensive establishments would have a
guest fee.
“Thirty-Five bucks, I think.” She
responded. “Entirely ridiculous.”
“Agreed. At least they can pay it.” We
derived far too much entertainment from
our rich people jokes.
Update: Guest Fees are $35 per person. Bring
your trust fund.
He'd already become familiar with my
sense of humor. A minute later, he'd replied.
Only if you bring your trusty red wagon for
me to tote it in.
I smirked as Davis and I returned to the
courts to warm up more intensely. We had
our minds set on defeating the Jarvis boys,
but we knew inwardly that we were
probably facing a challenge.
Half an hour later, Jeremiah and Jonathan
came stru ing into the courts. They looked
hysterically charismatic, and the way they
were dressed was hilarious. Both donned
143
were dressed wasFalling Twice Both donned
hilarious.
athletic shorts that rose above the knee, and
their hair wasn't gelled like normal.
Jeremiah was wearing a white t-shirt that
read “Ross East Hampton” in blue varsity
le ering, and Jonathan was wearing a gray
t-shirt that said “NYU Law” in purple
print.
“Like the shorts?!” Jeremiah hollered
obnoxiously as we all laughed.
“Definitely expressive!” I said, amused at
their dramatic entrance.
“That's what we were going for.”
Jonathan said, chuckling and swinging his
racket through the air.
“When we win, we want to be
remembered as 'the two sexy guys in the
speedos.'“ Jeremiah said laughingly,
heading to the bench and placing down his
things along with Jonathan.
“When you win?” Davis said snappily.
“We came to win.” Jonathan taunted.
“Well, you came prepared for
disappointment, then.” Davis sassed,
twirling her racket, as I jogged to her side of
the court to join her.
“Someone's cocky!” Jonathan joked, as he
and Jeremiah headed to the other side.
“Let's put this trash talk to the test, shall
144
 Fallingtalk
“Let's put this trash Twiceto the test, shall

we?” I tossed the ball into the air, and a

powerful, low serve followed- the best kind.
I expected some sort of modified dance
move in a empts to dodge being hit by my
ball, but Jonathan returned it like he'd seen
it coming. After hi ing a powerful forehand
to Jeremiah's left, he returned with a
gracefully powerful backhand.
“I rest my case.” Jonathan said, bowing
playfully.
We started our game after the Jarvis boys
declared they needed no practice. We made
sure that they were advised on how big of a
mistake they were making, but they seemed
trustingly reliant on their previous
experience.
We got first serve, called the “sympathy
serve” by Jeremiah and Jonathan. Davis and
I simply referred to it as an advantage.
The game went as we'd inwardly
suspected- they were really good at tennis.
We decided to play a Pro-Set, which
consisted of eight games. Towards the end
of this set, the score was 7-6. Davis and I
were winning, but barely. We were losing
energy and she'd almost tripped over her
shoelace. We were thrilled to find out that
Jeremiah and Jonathan liked the same kind
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 Falling Twice
Jeremiah and Jonathan liked the same kind
of music as us, and the only thing keeping
me motivating during the match was the
Migos music that was approvingly blaring
through the speaker on the bench.
“Deuce!” Jonathan called. He was
currently serving, which wasn't a good thing
for our sake. The alternative wasn't much
more promising. They had such good serves
that I began to contemplate their potential
connection to Rafael Nadal.
“We know the score, Jonathan!” I called
mockingly from my stance on the base line. I
was receiving. If Davis and I took this game,
we'd win the set, but if not, Jeremiah and
Jonathan would have the advantage.
“In case you don't remember, this is ma-”
“Shut up and serve, Jonathan.” I said
with a laugh, crouching down to receive. He
threw the ball high into the air, struck it
down faultlessly, and I returned it with a
graceful swing. Jeremiah, who was 6'3”,
reached up and volleyed the ball out of mid-
air so easily it was as if he were removing a
cookie jar from the kitchen shelf. Jeremiah's
shot got nail-bitingly close to hi ing Davis,
which would've been their point. Luckily,
she dodged it and punched it over the net
without fault. They didn't expect this to
146
without fault. TheyFalling Twiceexpect this to
didn't
happen, and Jonathan was unprepared
when the ball skidded lowly across the court
and bounced twice, giving us the point. It
was now add-in for us. If we won the next
point, we would win the game and the
whole set.
“Well played!” Jonathan said, popping his
knuckles.
“You're telling me!” Davis mocked, as her
and I traded positions on the court.
“No pressure for this next point, okay?
This is only the deciding game, don't be
nervous.” Jonathan chuckled, stationing for
his serve.
“You're asking for it, Jarvis.” Davis
fooled, giggling and staging for the return. I
rolled my eyes at their smack talk.
“Add-Out!” Jonathan called, repeating his
form exactly. Davis returned the ball with a
backhand, but it was weaker than it
should've been. The shot cleared the net, but
its slow speed allowed Jeremiah ample time
to stage his return. I saw him line up and
approach it, and knowing this was the
match point, he swung the hell out of it. I
heard the ball pop when it hit the racket
face, and it was going straight back to Davis.
Reacting quickly, she defended with her
147
Reacting quickly,Falling Twice
she defended with her
racket, clearing the net yet again. Jonathan
got the ball this time, and spiked it back over
with a difficultly charged return. We both
had accepted our deaths at this point.
Jonathan's ball came straight towards me in
an arc, and it was apparent that he'd tried to
get it over my head. However, I jumped as
high as I could, and I felt my racket face
scoop the ball. I slammed it downwards,
straight over at Jeremiah. While I expected a
return, the ball had gone straight for his feet,
giving us the point. We'd won.
“Get told, Jonathan.” Davis said, giving
me a high-five and sticking her tongue out at
our shocked but accepting opponent.
“Would you look at that.” Jonathan
laughed with sportsmanship. “Good game,
you guys. That was fun.” He proceeded to
the bench to retrieve his bo le of water.
“Women are superior beings, Jonathan.
This is the only explanation.” I said, finding
some hilariously spaced-out cause for our
triumph.
I glanced over at Jeremiah, who was
silently and contemplatively poised in the
same position he'd been in. He had a look of
playfully mockery on his face. “I think I'll
charge for assault and ba ery.”
148
 Falling Twice

We all left the Racquet Club that day with

smiles and extreme loss of energy. Jeremiah
joked that he was out of fuel. We all walked
up the sidewalk to a food truck, and I used
my new-found will power to order a salad
instead of a deluxe Gyro.
“This 'health guru' a itude will probably
only last you until dinnertime, won't it?”
Jeremiah said sassily with a broad smile,
Ray Bans pushed back into his unkempt
hair. The four of us were si ing on two
shady park benches. When I rolled my eyes,
he winked at me, and I shockingly found
myself begin to smile. My unsolicited
response threw me off guard. My smile was
prompted by a flu ering I felt in my heart.
My mind drifted as I tried to come in
contact with my feelings, suppressing my
grin by biting my lip.
The four of us paced around the city for
half an hour before parting ways. When
Davis and I were back on the road to the
dorm, I was immediately pelted with
questions.
“I saw that.” she said teasingly, and my
face contorted into another subdued smile.
Why did my heart flu er when he winked
at me? I had never looked at Jeremiah that
149
at me? I had neverFalling Twiceat Jeremiah that
looked
way before, but now that I thought about it,
maybe we had a spark...
The memories of my failed relationships
suddenly flashed before my eyes, and the
moments that made me feel inferior stood
out the most. I tried to blink them out of my
head, but my vision continued to blur with
the past. My chipper smile faded into a grim
expression.
Davis noticed.
“What's that look for? You have no reason
to look like that.” She joked, and I laughed
slightly. I wasn't angry or sad, I was just in
deep thought. “We won the match, and
Jeremiah winked at you. Not that it's a big
deal, but still...” Davis rambled on, but I'd
stopped listening. “Olivia?”
“Yeah, something just hit me.” I said
firmly, certain of my consensus.
“What's that?”
“I may like Jeremiah.”
“Really!” Davis shrieked, and I flinched.
“Yes.” My look was still stern. “Don't get
carried away.”
“And why are you frowning about that,
exactly?” She seemed confused.
“I was just thinking back on the past.”
“Don't do that.” She shook her head.
150
 Falling Twice

“Think about it, though!” I said,

a empting to convey a point. “All of my
mediocre boyfriends have stopped loving
me, and if they won't love me, then how
will-”
“Olivia, it takes more than a mediocre
man to love you. You're complicated, but in
a good way. It takes someone smart to
understand you. That's why we're friends.”
She chuckled.
“Maybe you're right.” I said,
unconvincingly. Davis shook her head, still
laughing at her remark, and cranked up the
music in an evident a empt to distract me
from overthinking.
But somewhere, deep down, I felt that my
notions were correct. Jeremiah was wealthy,
a ractive, and intelligent. He had a great
sense of humor and a beaming smile.
Essentially, Jeremiah could effortlessly woo
any woman. I was a ractive and smart, but
my status caused my modest beauty to go
unrecognized. I continued to play the
question in my head- if an average guy
won't love me, then Jeremiah certainly
won't, right?
In about five minutes, I'd covered my
blissful aspirations of love with a blanket of
151
blissful aspirationsFalling Twicewith a blanket of
of love
condescending and beli ling thoughts about
my own self-worth. I had forced myself to
accept the condemning thoughts running
through my mind. By the time I pulled my
Volkswagen onto Greenwich Street, I was
entirely convinced that Jeremiah Jarvis
could never love me.

Saturday, June 20th

Three days helped me forget the wink,
accidental glances, and my pointless grin.
None of those things had any meaning, and
didn't take me long to realize that I'd
overthought the whole situation.
“Is it going to rain today?” Davis asked
from under her blankets. It'd poured the last
two days, and we had stayed inside. I felt
like I was going mentally insane. I needed to
see the light of day. It was nearing
lunchtime, but our curtains were drawn. We
had no clue what the weather was.
“The curtains are drawn. I can't tell.” I
concluded from my bed.
“Get up and pull the curtains.”
“You do it.”
“I'm not ge ing up.”
“I'll just check the weather, then.” I said
with a disapproving shake of my head.
152
with a disapproving Falling Twiceof my head.
shake
Neither of us were exactly pleasant in the
mornings. Or afternoons. Or whatever time
it was.
I turning on my phone, immediately
noticing a message from Jeremiah firmly
grounded onto my screen.
Now that the monsoon is finally over, are you
up for that cruise in the Audi?
I hesitated before clicking off my phone
and rolling back over and sighing loudly,
trying to get Davis's a ention.
“What? Is it raining?” Davis questioned.
“I don't think.”
“Why the sigh, then?” She said, eyes
closed.
“Jeremiah invited me to go cruising.”
Davis threw her covers off dramatically.
“I repeat my question. Why the sigh,
then?!” She said urgently. “Did he invite me
too, or just you?”
“Just me.”
“Olivia.” Davis raised an eyebrow
suspiciously.
“What?”
“I know you're excited that he invited
you, and I know you want to go with him.”
“I am not excited.” I said sharply and
surely, nodding with conviction as if to
153
surely, nodding with Fallingconviction
Twice as if to
convince myself. “I- I just don't want to send
Jeremiah the wrong message.” I looked
down to avoid Davis's condemning glare,
hearing her clear her throat haughtily.
“Fine.” A grin similar to my earlier one
broke across my face. Davis's interrogatory
face was replaced with a warm and excited
one.
“Adorable.”
“Not that what I'm going for.” I said,
rising out of my twin bed and drawing back
the curtains, revealing a beautifully sunny
day. “As I told you, I have no intentions of
pursuing him. It wouldn't work.”
“You're talking about this like it's a
science experiment, Olivia. Tell him you'll
go, and take it easy. You're overthinking
again.” She said, and I considered.
“But I thought you wanted to go to-”
“Don't worry about me.” She said, still
laying in her bed, covers tucked to her chin.
“I'll find something to do.”
“If you say so.” I began my reply to
Jeremiah, and when Davis rolled back over
and went to bed, I got the sense she was
encouraging me to spend time with
Jeremiah for a reason.
I'm up for it. I'll be ready in half an hour.
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 Falling Twice

And a few minutes later-

Don't get too dolled up. I'll be there soon.

Jeremiah stuck to his word, pulling to the

curb in his sleek Audi half an hour later. I
was waiting in the lobby of my dorm,
dressed in a flowy floral shirt and shorts,
hair pulled into a perky bun at the top of my
head. I walked quickly and excitedly from
the dorm building onto Greenwich Street.
Jeremiah smoothly exited the car, walking
around to greet me.
“My rates are higher than other cabs.” He
said. “Just thought I'd clarify before I give
you a ride.”
“If I recall correctly, cab drivers don't
invite their customers on a ride.” We both
smiled happily and he walked me to the
passenger side of the car, opening the door
for me politely.
Jeremiah's Audi was easily the most
impressive car I'd ever been in. The interior
was black, with sporty seats and a pop-up
touchscreen. The dashboard was covered
with many bu ons and switches, and the
technology appeared to be insanely
advanced. I slid into the seat with u er
precaution, as if I were touching breakables.
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 Falling Twice

“Question.” I said, still examining the

sports car with an impressed gaze plastered
on my face.
“Okay, shoot.” he replied, turning the key
in the ignition. When it cranked, it sounded
like an exotic car.
“Am I si ing in a space shu le?” I said
seriously, ge ing a smile from Jeremiah.
“Yes.” He said, after several calculated
moments of hesitation.
“Fly me to the moon.” I said, referencing
Sinatra as we took off up the street in a car
so luxurious it made my head spin.
Within half an hour, we were leaving the
city. Jeremiah still hadn't told me where he
was driving, and I'd been guessing stupidly.
“Would you be taking me back to North
Carolina, by any chance?”
“That's the last place I'd want to take you,
Olivia.” He pulled onto the highway and
accelerated. The car's fierce engine roared
like a wild animal.
I felt the flu er again in my chest- it was
light and fleeting. With a faint smile and
inner acceptance, I brushed it off.
“Where to then? Lunch?” I hadn't eaten
all morning.
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 Falling Twice

“I find it funny that you ask for lunch

after we've left the city.” Jeremiah remarked
with a playful eye roll, turning onto an exit
ramp.

We'd made it to Long Island, and we

were cruising through Hicksville. We'd been
in the car forty-five minutes.
“Was that your stomach growling?” He
asked in response to the whale call that
came from the passenger seat.
“No, Jeremiah. It was the car engine.” I
joked, leaning my head out the open
window of the Audi, my hair whipping in
the hot and humid summer air.
“It sounded like it.” He shot me a grin.
“We'll be there in less than an hour. There'll
be good places to eat.” he said conclusively,
mouthing along to the R&B playing on the
radio. We were listening to Usher.
At this point, I'd stopped pestering him
about our destination. I felt like I'd get more
out of the experience if it remained a
surprise.
“Are we there yet?” I was itching with
curiosity.
“Not yet.”
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 Falling Twice

“Are we there yet?”

“No.”
“Are we there yet?” I teased for the third
time.
“If you keep that up, you'll find yourself
on the side of the road trying to catch a
ride.” A comical smirk appeared on his face.
“I'm a lot of things, but a hitch hiker isn't
one of them.”
Jeremiah pulled into a drive-thru in
Riverhead. We were on the coast of Long
Island, near Montauk. At this point, I had
no clue what tricks Jeremiah had up his
sleeve. We grabbed our food from the drive-
thru window and stopped in the parking lot
to eat.
“What exactly do you have planned,
Jeremiah?”
“I don't want to tell you, it'll ruin the
surprise.” He said firmly but sweetly,
chowing down on his lunch and glancing
out of the car window.
“It must be pre y spectacular to make
you drive me all this way.”
“The destination doesn't have to be
spectacular,” He responded, pausing. “it
just has to give me an excuse to leave the
city and drive.” I smiled at his logic.
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 Falling Twice

“You're making it sound bad.”

“Lots of people think it is. You won't,
though. You'll love it.”
“What makes you so sure?” I asked
curiously.
“Because you have a stupid sense of
humor,” he grinned. “just like me.” We
locked eyes and our eye contact lasted a few
seconds too long, but I'd lost the ability to
care. From that moment forward, I knew
Jeremiah Jarvis was from a rare breed.

It was a duck. A giant cement duck.

“I love this.” I was dying of laughter
when Jeremiah wheeled his Audi into the
small, graveled parking area of the big duck.
“Want to go inside?” Even through his
sunglasses, I was able to picture the gleam
in his eye- I knew it was there.
“Inside?!”
“Yeah! It's a store!” He turned off the
ignition and we both rose out of the car
chipperly, walking briskly to the door of the
duck.
Though it was only a cramped room with
a few small shelves and the words “World
Famous Duck Architecture” stuck on the
walls, it provided me immense thrill. I was
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walls, it providedFalling Twice
me immense thrill. I was
in Long Island, inside of a giant duck with a
guy.
That sounds odd.
Despite the peculiarity of the situation, I
was blissfully happy.
When I arrived home at 4 o'clock, I found
Davis si ing on her bed reading. Though
she was an intensely avid reader, my arrival
home still managed to distract her from her
novel.
“How'd it go?” Davis's eyes were filled
with hope and interest. She didn't realize
that the question she'd asked had a twenty-
minute answer.
After my lengthy recount of the day's
events, I noticed the grin that was spread on
her face.
“Is it something I said?” I joked, in a tone
of mock defensiveness, unwinding from my
storytelling session.
“Yes, actually.”
“What?”
“You said you felt the bu erflies again.”
she wiggled her eyebrows ecstatically.
“Yeah, yeah.” I rolled my eyes. “I don't
know how I feel about hi-”
“Is his car nice?” Davis wisely changed
160
 Falling
“Is his car nice?” DavisTwice
wisely changed
the subject, suspecting that I was about to
second-guess my feelings again.
I hesitated. “Too nice.” I gazed at the
floor, my lips pursed.
“No car can be too nice, Olivia.” Davis
giggled, joking about our addiction to
luxury.
“I didn't just mean the car.” I furrowed
my brow, as though I'd encountered a new
revelation. “I meant... everything. His
clothes, his a itude, his intelligence, his
smile, his jokes, his appreciation of minor
things...” My voice faded out and my vision
fell into a blank stare as my mind drifted off.
“Olivia, it sounds to me like you might be
in love.”
“I'm not in love, Davis.” I said, firmly.
“I'm contemplating ways to get out of it.” I
nodded conclusively, ignoring the
troublesome look on the face of my best
friend.
Though Davis had a empted to prevent
this from happening, she'd failed. My
thoughts had once again plunged into an
abyss of chaotic over-thinking, and it'd be a
while before they resurfaced in-tact.

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 Falling Twice

CHAPTER NINE
Denial, but Worse
Friday, June 26th
This auditorium was so hot and stuffy
that breathing steadily would've been a
luxury. I looked to my left, seeing that
Jeremiah's sleeves were pushed up. To my
right, Davis was fanning herself with her
pamphlet. Jonathan was beside Davis, and it
looked as if he were asleep. Couldn't say
that I blamed him- the auditorium was
completely dark. The only light was a
blinding spotlight that was trained on the
speaker pacing the stage.
We were at the Tishman Auditorium,
walking distance from our dorm. Instead of
going out on the town for Friday night
dinner, we were required to a end an

162
dinner, we were required to a end an
Falling Twice

information session for the upcoming school

year. I'd contemplated staying behind, but
Jeremiah assured me that the University
staff would hunt me down and arrest me if I
didn't a end. This was obviously an
unlikely story, but Jeremiah didn't have to
do much to convince me.
The last week had been eventful. We had
turned to Jeremiah and Jonathan practically
every day for entertainment, and we'd hit
the city every evening for an outing. My
favorite night of the week was Tuesday. The
four of us went to the Clover Club in
Brooklyn and munched on Oysters on the
Half Shell. Jeremiah, being twenty-one, was
the only one eligible to order alcohol, and he
let me sip on his Legionnare. It took me a
while to convince him, but he finally
realized that it wasn't worth the argument.
He reasoned that I was wiser than my age,
so I was technically older than twenty-one...
mentally. At the end of that night, I'd
determined that my earlier suspicions about
Jeremiah may have been slightly
outrageous.
Another five minutes in the auditorium
would've suffocated us all. Luckily, the
nameless speaker, who was introduced after
163
nameless speaker,Falling
whoTwice
was introduced after
I zoned out, made her long-anticipated exit
off of stage left. The lights began to slowly
flood the room when an announcement
boomed from the audio system.
“There will be light refreshments in the
lobby.”
“Holy shit, really?” Jeremiah lit up. “A
nap and free food. I may have to spend the
night.”
Everyone began to rise from their seats,
stretching gladly and proceeding to the
food. This announcement even managed to
wake Jonathan up.
“How long was I asleep?” Jonathan
asked, yawning.
“Long enough for you to start snoring.”
Davis rolled her eyes playfully.
“I'm headed to the free food. If any of you
wish to accompany me, I'll be by the cheese
cubes.” Jeremiah said, in a tone of mock
professionalism. Jonathan stood up and
followed behind him.
“We'll be there soon.” I called after him,
gesturing Davis to follow me to the
bathroom.
As Davis hurried out of our row in the
auditorium and headed towards the
restroom sign, I sighed and decided to
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 Falling Twice
restroom sign, I sighed and decided to
confess. “Davis, I think I was wrong about
Jeremiah.” My face bore an unmistakable
smile.
“Really?!” She responded, obviously
excited about my conclusion.
“Yes.” I was giddy. “We were cha ing
tonight about everything under the sun.” I
glanced to the floor, happily reflecting on
the evening. “I've never been this
comfortable with a man in my entire life.”
Davis was donning a rather large grin in
response to my realization.
As we entered the bathroom, my mind
had already shot into a blissful place. My
wishful thinking and had caused me to
reminisce on my previous conversations
with Jeremiah, and I soon realized that our
memories were some of my happiest
thoughts. I stared back at myself in the
mirror and immediately noticed how lively I
looked. My eyes were bright, my grin could
not be retained, and I radiated a glowing
sense of positivity.
“You haven't been this happy since we
went to Harry Po er World.” Davis said,
emerging from a bathroom stall.
“That was nearly three years ago.” I said
with a blank expression. I hoped she was
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 Falling Twice
with a blank expression. I hoped she was
being sarcastic.
“My point.” She laughed. “Flirt with him!
Let him know you like him!”
“I think I will.” I said, sure and
determined. I finally saw the silver lining.
“This has lots of potential. Don't let it
reach the friend zone.” Davis gasped
dramatically as we both exited the restroom
and headed for the lobby, acting as silly as
children.
I ran my line through my head over and
over. I was an over-thinker, and everything
I said flirtatiously had to be mentally
rehearsed. I was hoping Jeremiah wouldn't
be standing by the cheese cubes, because
then I'd probably say something about a
'cheesy pick-up line.'
Being a tall, clumsy blonde had its fair
share of disadvantages, but even though I
was physically awkward on occasion, I
could turn on the charm. In addition, I
definitely had a way with words, which was
one perk of being an English major. I'd
mentally concluded to bring up one of our
previous conversations- Jeremiah had
promised to take me to Le Bain for a
strawberry crepe, and mentioning this
would give me an opportunity to suggest a
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would give me anFalling Twice
opportunity to suggest a
date night. This seemed like a valid
conversation starter, and I was actually
feeling confident that my plan would work.
I tugged the hem of my shirt nervously as
Davis and I approached the lobby.
“Act natural.”
“Davis, I am a grown woman.”
“Just because you're twenty doesn't mean
you've stopped freaking out over simple
things.” She raised her eyebrows at me, and
suddenly, I knew she was right.
“Yes, mother.” I said, and Davis rolled
her eyes and snickered.
We entered the lobby, whose walls were
sca ered nonsensically with purple NYU
banners. There were five tables in the room,
each covered in a purple tablecloth and an
intense amount of finger-foods. The area
was crowded with over one-hundred
people, all cha ering over miniature plates.
“How in the world are we going to find
them?” Davis remarked. She was several
inches shorter than me and was struggling
to see through the crowd.
“Just look for the cheese cubes.” I said
jokingly, navigating my way through the
maze of people. Filled with love and
timidity, I shoved my way around the lobby
167
timidity, I shovedFalling Twicearound the lobby
my way
to no avail.
“So sorry.” I said to the twelve-
thousandth person I bumped into. “Pardon
me.” I craned my neck to see. Thankfully,
the crowd finally cleared and we were able
to scan the room.
“There they a-” I heard Davis stop mid-
sentence. I turned to face her to see what
was wrong. Her exuberant expression had
been replaced with a sympathetic frown and
when she locked eyes with me, her glance
dropped to the floor. “I'm so sorry, Olivia.”
What did she mean? “W-What?” I said,
worried but confused.
“Just... Just look.” She pointed to her left.
My heart sunk into my stomach. Sure
enough, we'd found them, but suddenly, I
wished we were back in our dorm. I wished
I'd gone with my initial instinct. I wished I
would've never cruised to Long Island. I
wished I was at home in my bed. My
happiness broke, and my confidence
sha ered into shards of glistening glass.
Jeremiah was embracing a beautiful girl.
Her hair was voluminous and blonde, and
her complexion was gorgeous and clear. Her
makeup seemed professionally done, and
she wore extravagant clothing. She
168
 Fallingclothing.
she wore extravagant Twice She
legitimately looked like she could've been
the daughter of Michelle Pfeiffer.
I'm not a jealous person, or at least I
wasn't until this moment.
His smile, his glowing eyes. Her laugh.
The interest they showed towards one
another. The hug.
All of this was entirely unexpected. I
examined the situation before looking away
shamefully. He was standing by the cheese
cubes. At least I expected that.
I drifted away, thoughts still blurry. Davis
was by my side with a hand on my
shoulder, but I couldn't feel it. Thoughts
began to swarm in my head, blurring my
senses. I'd finally put my insecurities behind
me and had come to peace with my
emotions, but they had been right all along.
From that moment, I knew to always trust
my first instinct.
“Olivia!” Davis snapped.
“What?”
“Stop staring. Come over here.” She
guided me to a cushioned bench against the
wall of the lobby, out of view from the
saddening scene I'd just witnessed. “Don't
be angry at him, Olivia. That's very
important.”
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 Falling Twice

“This isn't...” I couldn't make myself say

'fair', because I knew it was perfectly fair.
We'd never discussed dating before. He'd
never mentioned another girl, or the lack
thereof. The whole subject had never been
discussed. The moments we shared must've
been in a different context. I'd mistaken a
friend for a potential love interest. This was
totally fair... Everything troubling me was a
personal misconception. The whole situation
was in my head. “How embarrassing...” I
said, voice wispy like a ghost's.
“Olivia, come back to Earth please.”
Davis said positively, trying to interrupt my
glazed over look. “Did you hear what I
said?”
“No.”
“You can't be mad at him for this.”
“I know that, I just thought-”
“That's the problem here. You and
Jeremiah both thought different things.” She
compassionately placed a hand on my back
in a empt to console me. “That's just an
unfortunate truth that you'll have to accept.
You don't want this situation to end your
friendship.”
“Davis, I can't be around-”
“Olivia! You value his friendship too
170
 “Olivia! You valueFallinghis
Twice
friendship too
much to end it over this- this
miscommunication. Do you understand?” I
nodded. I was finally coming to.
“Yes, I get it. I'll try to put it behind me.”
“Good. You'll feel be er in a day or two.”
“Doubtful.”
“Just give it time.” Davis said.
“Everything repairs itself in time.
I considered for a moment. “Maybe I'm
just being dramatic.”
“No, I don't think you are. You got your
feelings hurt. It's okay to overreact
sometimes.” Davis advised.
“That's the stupidest thing you've ever
said.” My face contorted, and we both
chuckled.
“I agree, that made no sense.” She shook
her head before noticing the genuine look of
sadness on my face. “Come here.” She said,
pulling me into a hug.
“Thanks for being my backbone.” I said
grimly. “It's nice of you to finally return the
favor.”
“Good to see your sarcasm is returning.”
She stood from the bench. “I'm going to
grab some food, do you want anything?”
“No, I think I'll stay here.” I said, as
Davis turned with a nod to fill a plate.
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 Falling Twice

I dropped the act. My false smile fell from

my face, and I resumed a blank expression.
My earlier positivity now reflected the
opposite. I felt weak, and I was u erly
vulnerable. And then, I felt a dark feeling
return to me. Just like the day I visited
Anthony, loneliness began to envelop me. I
wanted someone to hold, and sadly enough,
I'd been looking in the wrong place.
I got up from the bench and headed over
to the drinks, noticing a sparse crowd.
People were beginning to leave the
auditorium, and the thinning crowd made it
easier to spot a potential conversation. I
suddenly craved the need to satisfy my
loneliness, and looked for someone to
approach.
I scooped some punch into a glass from
the drink table, looking up to find that
someone had connected with my desire to
socialize. As I sipped from my glass, I
noticed a tall, athletic man eyeing me from a
few feet away. When we locked eyes, I
smiled and headed in his direction.
“Couldn't help but notice that you were
spying on me from afar.” I said sarcastically
with a cute smile, examining the man. He
was modestly muscular and wore
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 Falling Twice
was modestly muscular and wore
sweatpants with a red Adidas t-shirt. His
brightly colored basketball shoes didn't
coordinate with his outfit, but it was evident
that he took pride in them. Overall, his a ire
was inappropriate for the information
session, but he definitely pulled off the
athletic look pristinely.
“Oh, yeah.” He smirked, running his
fingers through his blond hair. “I was just
looking for somebody to talk to.”
“I guess you just got lucky.” I smiled and
raised an eyebrow.
“I definitely did.” He returned my smile,
quickly drawing his eyes from my face,
examining me briefly. “I'm Josh Sawyer.”
“I'm Olivia Benton.” I responded quickly,
glancing around me.
“Are you a senior? Junior?”
“I'm a junior. English major.” I grinned,
watching as Josh brushed his fingers
through his hair again. That must be his tic.
“What about you?”
“I'm a senior.” He nodded conclusively.
“I'm here on a sports scholarship.”
“Basketball?”
“No, football.”
“You had me fooled.” I said sarcastically,
before realizing that I probably sounded
173
before realizing thatFalling Twice
I probably sounded
rude. I covered it up with a chuckle before
gesturing to his shoes. He responded with
an unmistakably fake laugh, most likely
taking offense to what I said. I brushed it
off.
“Did you come here alone?” He asked
curiously.
“My friend Davis came with me.” I
responded. “I wish we would've stayed
home, though.” I joked.
“No kidding, I was bored out of my
mind!” He laughed. “But hey- I'm all good
now. I love meeting new people.”
I felt a bit uncomfortable, but Josh was
nice. In my moment of vulnerability, I was
enjoying having the a ention of a man. I
decided to play it up- what was the harm?
“Oh, me too. Especially someone of the
opposite gender.” I laughed. “Go a
broaden your horizons.”
Josh immediately received my signals. He
brushed his fingers through his hair and bit
his lip, tilting his head back a small degree.
He was eyeing me with curiosity and
interest again, as if I were some foreign
object. On a normal day, I would've been
exhausted with such behaviors, but tonight,
the a ention was exhilarating. Flirting with
174
the a ention was Falling Twice Flirting with
exhilarating.
Josh was a game that I felt like playing. He
came into view at the right time and place,
and we were both taking advantage of the
moment. Though our topics of discussion
were limited, our conversation continued,
deepening quicker than I'd expected. Within
ten minutes, we'd exchanged phone
numbers, and he'd mentioned meeting up
later in the week.
While Josh was talking to me about the
New York Knicks, Jeremiah and Jonathan
were preparing to leave on the other side of
the room.
Jeremiah straightened the collar on his
shirt and paced towards Davis, who was
si ing on the bench she'd now become
familiar with. I was completely oblivious to
the fact that Davis had been confusedly
watching me for the past few minutes,
trying to figure out who I was talking to.
“Are you ready to go?” Jeremiah asked
Davis, who furrowed her eyebrows in
response, still focused in my direction.
“Davis?”
“Huh?” She asked, looking up at
Jeremiah.
“I didn't think it was possible to connect
175
 “I didn't think itFalling
wasTwice
possible to connect
with the dead.” Jeremiah joked, making a
reference to Long Island Medium.
“Oh hush.” She laughed, breaking her
stare at Josh and I.
“I haven't seen Olivia all night.” Jeremiah
said, as Davis stood up apprehensively from
the bench. “Where is she?”
“She's been talking to that guy for the past
fifteen minutes.” Davis responded, quietly
gesturing towards us. “Do you know who
he is?”
Jeremiah looked over at Josh and I
impassively before covering his expression
with unfamiliarity. “I have no clue.” He
turned to Davis with a shrug.
“Neither do I.” She concluded. “I guess
I'll get to hear about it later.” Davis gave a
fleeting laugh, stopping abruptly when it
echoed around the room. At this point, the
lobby had almost emptied.
“Yes, I guess so.” Jeremiah gave a meek
smile, turning to his brother.
“Olivia, come on!” Davis called, and I
turned around to see her waiting at the door
with Jeremiah and Jonathan.
“I'll hopefully see you soon, Josh.” I
concluded, lightly touching his upper arm.
Over the years, I'd learned that the small
176
Over the years, I'dFalling Twicethat the small
learned
gestures ma ered the most. I received a grin
in response.
“Oh, you definitely will.” Josh said,
nodding. “See you around, Olivia.”
I waved and turned to go, hurrying to
meet up with my friends. Shockingly, there
was a smile on my face, even as I walked
straight towards Jeremiah. I had rebuilt my
confidence. I had internally accepted the
unfortunate truths of love. I had assumed. I
had acted on impulse and emotion. I had
realized that, and I still decided to live
dangerously. I had single-handedly changed
my fate in fifteen minutes.
Maybe Jeremiah should've let me stay
home.

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 Falling Twice

CHAPTER TEN
Meeting, Greeting, Lack of Sleeping
Sunday, June 28th
I was briskly walking down the sidewalk.
The sun was shining, and Washington
Square Park's lawn was sca ered with
people, most of which were exercising. I was
about to do the exact opposite. The last
thing I needed was lunch from another food
truck, but apparently, that was Josh's idea of
a hot date. At least he liked casual se ings.
As I approached the taco stand, I saw
Josh si ing on a nearby park bench. He was
dressed similarly to the night we met, but he
now donned a New York Mets hat.
“We're gonna have some conflict.” I said,
wearing a smile. “I'm a Yankees fan.”
“That's terrifying.” He laughed and stood

178
 “That's terrifying.” He laughed and stood
Falling Twice

from his seat. “How've you been?”

“These past two days have been
absolutely rigorous.” I said sarcastically.
“Really? How?” Josh seemed genuinely
concerned.
“Not really.” It was so annoying when I
had to explain my sense of humor. “I was
joking. In all honesty, I've done nothing but
watch TV.”
“That's cool.” He cracked his knuckles
and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Do
you want to grab a bite to eat?”
I found it odd that he asked me for lunch
after I agreed to meet him for lunch.
Logical.
“Yes, sure.” I smiled and stood in line,
prepared to order a chicken soft taco. I was a
hardcore fan of chicken soft tacos.

We sat in the grass by the Washington

Square Arch and munched on our food.
Josh was pleasant company, but he was
much quieter than I expected. Even though
his topics of discussion were limited, he still
proved to be entertaining.
“I was on the Varisty high school team for
all four years of high school.” He said.
“What position were y-”
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 Falling Twice

“Kicker.” He seemed proud, but he

obviously noticed the look on my face. I
hated being interrupted. “Sorry for cu ing
you off.”
“Not a problem.” I said, glad that my date
was apologetic. “Did you play other
sports?”
“I played basketball, but I was cut from
the team junior year.” He nodded his head
regretfully.
“I'm sorry, I'm sure you were great.”
“I was a good player, but honestly, I
wanted to dedicate my time entirely to
football. It's my passion. I hope to play
professionally.”
“You can send me a check by mail if you
end up in the NFL.” I joked. He responded
with a laugh.
“So, what're your hobbies? Do you play
basketball? You're really tall.”
There it was. If I had a nickel for every
time I was asked that question...
“No. I hate basketball.” I cantered
sharply.
“That's a sin.”
“The devil can have at me, then.” I took a
large bite out of my taco.
“You're sassy, Olivia.” He concluded,
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 Falling Twice
“You're sassy, Olivia.” He concluded,
leaning back onto his palm.
“I like to think of it as one of my best
traits.” I sipped on my drink defensively.
“Do you- have hobbies?” He asked again.
“Of course I have hobbies.” I laughed,
thinking he was joking.
“Just checking. Some people don't.” He
said smartly. “Either that, or their hobby is
stupid.”
“I like to write.”
I proudly proclaimed this in order to see
Josh's less-than-impressed expression. Sure
enough-
“That's... interesting.” Josh plastered a
faint grin on his face. “Any sports?”
“I've actually wri en a book.” I
intentionally droned. “I'm always tapping
on my keyboard in my spare time. It's hard
to find time to write nowadays.” I
deliberately avoided his question. He was
ina entively looking at me.
“Nice.”
“I also love to read. My favorite book
series is undeniably Harry Po er, and right
now I'm totally in love with The Hobbit.
J.R.R. Tolkien is a pure genius. Well, he
was... He's dead now.”
In all honestly, I was not this passionate
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 In all honestly, Falling
I wasTwice
not this passionate
about books. Writing was my hobby, and I
loved reading, but I never felt guided to
sermonize someone about it. I was simply
doing this to return Josh's favor-
Uninteresting conversation had to be
reciprocated for the sake of the listener.
“What's your favorite book?” I asked,
desiring to make this manipulative
experience an interactive one.
“Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition.” He
chuckled.
You have GOT to be kidding me.
“That is not a book.” Luckily, Davis
texted me before I had the chance to argue.
Where are you? I just woke up.
Without thinking, I proposed a question.
“Josh, do you mind if my friend Davis stops
by to eat with us? She'd like to meet you.”
My sweet voice could convince anyone. I
could act as a Siren when I wanted to.
“Oh, that'll be fine.”
Come to the taco stand by Washington Square
Park. I want you to meet Josh.

Another half hour of pra ling passed by.

I now knew that Josh came from a divorced
family, liked Star Trek, and failed freshman
math. He proudly declared that academics
182
math. He proudlyFalling Twice that academics
declared
weren't his strong suit, and he was glad to
have football as a backbone. He also gave a
lecture on why the Philadelphia Eagles
deserved more a ention and respect. Josh
also liked Meek Mill's music, which was a
capital sin in the rap world.
Davis spo ed us in the grass and paced
over, si ing down beside me.
“Josh, this is Davis. We're sisters.” I
joked.
“Are you really? I thought you were just
friends.”
“We are.” Davis cut in.
“We might as well be sisters.” I added.
“Well, it's nice to meet you, Davis.” Josh
politely said.
“Nice to meet you too.” She answered
with a quaint smile.
Davis brushed her hair out of her face. It
was obvious she'd go en ready in ten
minutes flat- like me, she was dressed
stupidly casual, but instead of a neat
ponytail, her dark brown hair was thrown
into a chaotic bun. Davis stood to get a bite
to eat, returning minutes later with the same
chicken tacos I'd ordered.
“So, Josh.” Davis said in between bites.
“You came into the picture pre y quick.”
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 Falling Twice

“No kidding.” He smirked. “It's almost

like we were drawn to each other.”
“So you're a chick magnet?” Davis
retorted jokingly.
“I guess you could say so.” He laughed
and raised an eyebrow. In that moment, I
was proud of his sarcasm.
The three of us cha ed for an hour. Josh
made sure to inform Davis of all his good
qualities. He spoke of religion, elaborated
on his interest in DC Comics, and
uncovered his unexpected ability to play the
piano. Upon discovering that Davis was a
bookworm, Josh smartly excluded his
'favorite book' from our discussion. After
building up his reputation, Josh decided it
was advantageous to tell Davis his history in
sports, and I was forced to endure the
lecture all over again. Bragging on himself
didn't really benefit him in any way. In fact,
Davis only collected that he was dropped
from the basketball team and still had the
audacity to wear basketball shoes. She
found that pre y hysterical.
I hugged Josh goodbye, noticing the smell
of his cologne. It was strong, but he applied
it tastefully. This was a plus. He smiled
genuinely at me as I turned to go.
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 Falling Twice

“I'll call you.” He winked.

I suppressed a grin as Davis and I paced
the sidewalk. Winking was my weakness,
but I didn't want to share my opinion until
Davis gave her feedback. I was always
receptive to the insight of a close friend.
“So, what'd you think of Josh?” I asked
curiously.
“He's very nice.” She nodded slowly,
building her mental assessment.
“Right.”
“Very mannerly.”
“Right.” I was glad for the positive
evaluation.
“Overly athletic.”
“Right.” No denying that.
“He's sweet.”
“Right.”
“He's not your type.”
“Ri- Wait, What?”
“Josh is not your type.” Davis reiterated
effortlessly. I was mildly speechless. “Your
personalities don't match. You're very
intelligent and calculated, and he's very
athletic and shallow.”
“Shallow?”
“He doesn't have much to say.” Davis
said. “He's too quiet.”
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 Falling Twice

“I'm sure he'll be more talkative when he

gets to know me be er.”
“Can I point out one more thing without
you ge ing defensive?” Davis asked.
“Sure.” I permi ed in a monotone voice.
“He talks about himself too much.”
I knew she was right, but I wanted to give
Josh a chance. Unexpectedly, I found myself
defending him.
“He does have a lot to be proud of.”
Davis shook her head and sighed. It was
evident she was trying to make a point.
“You hate prideful men.” On that note, I
stayed silent. There was no sense in
defending myself anymore. Davis was right.
“You need to end this relationship before it
goes any further.”
“Shouldn't I give it a chance, though?” I
was never one to give up easily, but then
again, I was never one to act on impulse.
Usually, my relationships weren't formed on
a whim.
“I don't know if it'd be worth your time.”
She said, nodding conclusively. “You need a
man that values intellect.”
“You're still stuck on intelligence, aren't
you? Look past that. Josh is very kind.”
“Kindness is important, but it's not
186
 Falling Twicebut it's not
“Kindness is important,
everything. You need someone that can
support you, make you laugh, enjoy your
compan-”
“I'm not marrying him, Davis.”
“I know that, but-”
“Do you think I'm picking my soulmate?”
“No. I just-”
“I just want to date for fun. I'm lonely. I
want someone to be with. I want a
companion. Josh is my companion now.
End of story.” I was becoming frustrated,
but I didn't know who I was mad at. Was I
mad at my friend or myself? I would never
be sure- much like my emotions, I found my
thoughts conflicting. I realized I'd been
harsh- I'd asked for feedback, and snapped
back when it was given.
“Olivia, I need you to take a deep breath
and listen to me.” Davis said, reaching out a
hand and placing it on my shoulder. We
both stopped walking, and I decided to
count to ten. I needed to learn to take
constructive criticism.
“I'm listening.” I sighed.
“First of all, you've literally only known
him for two days.” She said monotonously.
“Secondly, you already have companions.
You're not lonely. Yes, we're out on our
187
You're not [Link] Twice out on our
Yes, we're
own. You and I are in a big city, and we
only have two close friends. Our lifestyle
may lead you to think you're lonely, but
you're not. You have me, and you have
Jeremiah and Jonathan. You don't have to
have a boyfriend to call a 'companion'.” she
paused and smiled. “You have us. Don't
make rash decisions like this.”
Leave it to a friend to ease your mind.
“God, why is life so confusing?” I grumbled
exhaustively.
“I know, I know.” She chuckled. “Here,
let's go catch a movie at the Empire. You
need to get your mind off of this.”
“I'm in.” I said with a genuine smile. I
truly needed a distraction. In times of
confusion, an honest, tender-hearted friend
is always the best remedy.

Sunset found us tucked into our twin beds

with a bowl of Rice-A-Roni. School hadn't
even started yet, and we were already
relying on college foods.
I had trusted Davis with the responsibility
of cooking the meal, which was a fearful
moment for me. I didn't feel like entering a
lawsuit with New York University over an
oven fire that evolved into an apartment fire.
188
 Fallinginto
oven fire that evolved Twicean apartment fire.

Luckily, she managed to prevent such

occurrences, and she even perfectly followed
the directions on the box.
Or at least that's what I thought. Then I
took a bite.
“What flavor is this?” I asked, trying my
hardest to decide.
“Oh, it's beef flavored.” She said
confidently, turning on the TV.
“This is not beef flavored. It can't be.”
“That's what the box said it was.” She
seemed unconcerned.
“Davis, have you tasted it? It tastes like...
Like nothing! Try it!” I laughed as she
reluctantly downed a spoonful.
“Lord, it tastes like- like-”
“Water. It tastes like water.”
“Why? God, this is disgusting.” Davis
stood up dramatically.
“I'll tell you why.” Of course Davis found
a way to mess up the rice. Hysterical.
“Because water is all you put in it!”
“That's what I was supposed to do, wasn't
it?” She hollered from the bathroom,
running to the kitchen to check the box.
“Yes, but then you were supposed to add
the flavor packet.”
“Flavor packet?” She said curiously,
189
 “Flavor packet?” Falling
SheTwice
said curiously,
tilting her head into the doorway from the
kitchen.
“Yes!” I chuckled. “The rice isn't infused
with the beef flavoring, you idiot!”
The two of us cackled over this incident
for a while. As a preventative measure, I
decided to remake the rice, but
unfortunately, we were out. It was time to
go grocery shopping.
“I'll just have to mix in the flavoring. It'll
probably taste like shit.”
“Be er than it is now. Serve me up.”
Davis offered her bowl and I
rambunctiously dumped half of the packet
into it.
A few minutes later, we were back into
beds with our revised dinner. An episode of
Friends played, and as I ran the day's events
back in my head, I realized that I needed to
have patience. Not everything works itself
out instantly. Why would I stress myself if I
could relax and enjoy life as it happened?
I took this in, and decided to stop
overthinking.
Josh, thanks for a great day! It was great
to see you, and thanks for agreeing to meet
Davis. She really enjoyed having lunch with
us. Listen- I'd love to go out again soon, just
190
us. Listen- I'd loveFalling
to goTwice
out again soon, just
let me know, and I'm there.
I clicked send. Any regretful thoughts
were pushed into the back of my mind.
It was ten o'clock, and Davis and I were
playing online pool while brushing our
teeth. It wasn't working out as well as we
hoped.
Mid-shot, my phone rang. Jeremiah was
calling.
“Hello?” I said sweetly, kicking back onto
my bed. Davis looked confused.
“I figured you'd still be awake.”
Jeremiah's distinct voice smoothly rang into
my ear.
“You know me!” I laughed. “Total night
owl.”
“No kidding.” He said. “Anyways, I'm
calling because I have a royal decree to
make.”
“A royal decree? Sounds fancy.” I
grinned.
“That's a glorified term for 'my mother
has announcement to make.'“ Jeremiah
joked. “Our family hosts a huge July fourth
party every year. All of our family and
family-friends come, and my dad even
invites his colleagues. As you can imagine,
191
 FallingAs
invites his colleagues. Twice
you can imagine,
it's a pre y big crowd.”
“Sounds like it.”
“Long story short, my mother invited you
and Davis.” He said, cu ing to the chase.
“Jonathan and I would love for you to come
if you don't have plans.”
“Us? Have plans? Ha! Good one.” I
chuckled. “Let me ask Davis.” I hesitated.
“She said yes.”
“You didn't even ask her, did you?” He
said pleasantly.
“No. I'm the man of this household, I
make the decisions.” I said sarcastically.
“Technically, I'm the oldest man, so I
make the decisions.” He reasoned. “I'll let
you in on a li le secret- if you turned down
my invitation, I was going to force you to
a end.”
“Someone's feeling assertive today!” I
smiled into the phone.
“Some things never change.” He said
sarcastically. “The party is at my house-”
“Mansion would be a more proper word.”
I teased, revitalizing my rich kid jokes.
“The party is at my double-wide on
Saturday at noon. Jonathan and I will stop
by to pick you up, so you'll need to be ready
by ten.”
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 Falling Twice

“What's the dress code? Formal? Suit and

Tie? I'm sure I can find one laying around
somewhere.” Davis was shaking her head
humorously at the phone conversation.
Judging by my sarcasm, she'd probably
inferred that Jeremiah was on the other end
of the phone.
“No, the dress code is actually oriental.
The women are required to dress like
Geisha girls, and the men are going for a
Bruce Lee look.”
“Like Karate Kid?”
“Exactly.” His laugh crackled through the
phone speaker. “But no, dress is casual.”
“Sounds good. We'll be ready by ten.” I
concluded.
“Alright!”
“And- Jeremiah? One more question.” I
said, pondering.
“Shoot.”
“How does your mother know about us?”
“Let's just say that lots of things are
mentioned at Thursday night dinner.” He
smartly answered, handling the question
pristinely.
“Gotcha.” I smiled. The thought of
Katherine Jarvis knowing I existed warmed
my heart. She was practically famous,
193
my heart. She wasFalling Twice famous,
practically
especially in New York. Everyone loved
Good Morning America, and everyone
loved Katherine Jarvis. “We'll see you
Saturday, then! Thanks for the invite.”
“Oh, no problem!” He said cheerfully.
“Goodnight, Olivia. Tell Davis I said hey.”
“Will do. Goodnight!” I said, hanging up
the phone and sliding into my blankets.
I stared at the TV screen, where our
Friends episode was paused and waiting on
me to finish my call.
“Was that Jeremiah?” Davis asked
knowingly.
“Yes.”
“What did he want?” She was obviously
giddy.
“He invited us to their family's July
fourth party.”
“Awesome.” She said simply before
resuming our episode. “That'll be fun.”
To Davis, the invitation was just an
invitation, but to me, it was more. Jeremiah's
simple phone call had the ability to confuse
my previous notions and conclusions. Once
again, I found my head swirling with
words, moments, and unmade decisions.
My mind was a trap, and my thoughts were
harshly blaring. As I bewilderingly stared at
194
harshly blaring. As Falling Twice
I bewilderingly stared at
the ceiling, I realized that overthinking was
going to prevent me from sleeping. Sadly, I
didn't realize that overthinking was going to
change everything. Overthinking was going
to be the death of me.

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 Falling Twice

CHAPTER ELEVEN
An Unwelcome Surprise
Thursday, July 2nd
Girl time! Finally!
Our past few days had been spent
surrounded entirely by testosterone. Our
only friends were guys, and while we
couldn't complain, it was relieving to spend
a day with a female. Guys were undeniably
exhausting.
One day, we hit the tennis courts with
Jeremiah and Jonathan for a rematch. We
lost the bet and ended up buying dinner, but
Jeremiah secretly slipped me thirty dollars
under the table to pay with. He'd heard
Davis and I complaining about our
budgeted living.
Later in the week, I went for coffee with

196
 Later in the week, I went for coffee with
Falling Twice

Josh, even though I despised coffee. We had

a pleasant discussion, but the highlight of
the day was when Jeremiah and Jonathan
invited us to Society Billiards for a game of
pool. Feeling gutsy, Jeremiah and I put
money on the game, and I won seventy
dollars. Jeremiah and Jonathan had always
boasted about their abilities in billiards, but
I had a secret- I had a pool table as a
teenager, and Davis and I played and
practiced together all the time. Jeremiah and
Jonathan were definitely good, but they
didn't come prepared. I made sure they
knew that I had several hidden talents.
To retreat from the hustle of gambling
and competition, Davis and I reserved
tickets to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Shockingly enough, I'd never been, and this
would be a first for the both of us. I was
dressed nicely in a bu on-up shirt and long
pants, despite the summer heat. My makeup
was neatly applied and heavier than normal,
and my hair was blow-dried to its full
potential. I always snatched an opportunity
to dress up, and I wanted to look nice.
Something about museums always makes
you feel professional. Davis and I were
about to leave our dorm and catch the
197
about to leave ourFalling
dormTwice
and catch the
subway, and I was brushing my teeth in our
bathroom. Suddenly, I heard three loud,
unexpected raps on the door.
“Davis, can you get that?” I hollered over
the sound of running water, finishing my
morning routine.
“Sure thing!” She said, running from our
bedroom to the front door.
I wiped my hands down on one of our
neatly folded hand towels before leaning out
of the bathroom to see who was behind the
door, which was just thrown into the wall.
Sure enough, Josh came barreling into our
dorm room, completely unannounced. I
would've been fine with a surprise visit on
any other day, but we had to leave in five
minutes in order to arrive punctually to the
museum. We were part of a tour group that
was scheduled at a specific time.
“Josh...? What are you doing h-” I asked
before being enthusiastically interrupted.
“COME GET IN MY CAR, BABY!
WE'RE GOING TO THE METS GAME!
WHOOP!” Josh bellowed, marching
uninvited into our kitchen.
Holy shit was my first thought. Davis
obviously had a similar notion, as she was
staring at Josh with wide and disbelieving
198
staring at Josh withFalling
wideTwice
and disbelieving
eyes. Josh was noticing my lack of
excitement, because my expression showed
blatant astonishment.
Part of me paid a ention to the sweetness
of this gesture. Josh had surprised me with
tickets to a ball game. However, a majority
of me focused on the rudeness of the
situation. Josh barged in, interrupted me,
and demanded that I a end a sports game
for a team he knew that I disliked. The
thought was kind, but the way it was
presented was ill-mannered.
“I can't go.” I said flatly, staring at him in
incredulity.
“Come on, now. I know you don't like the
Mets, but be a good sport! Come support
my team!” He persisted. “The game starts in
an hour!”
“Josh, please just li-”
“You can't go to a baseball game dressed
like that either! It's not a funeral. Go change
clothes!” He roared in laughter, obviously
soaking in his 'hilarious' one-lined insults.
In that moment, I lost my temper. I had
an extremely short fuse.
“Josh! Can you shut the hell up and
LISTEN to me?!” I yelled over him in an
a empt to drown out his rudeness. He got
199
a empt to drownFalling Twice
out his rudeness. He got
quiet and his confidence faltered. His
posture sunk modestly, and he was stunned.
I just wanted to get his a ention... Mission
accomplished.
“I can't go, Josh. I have other plans.” I
shook my head.
“Oh...” He hesitated. “Cancel your other
plans! Any Mets game is far more important
than-”
Then Davis got involved, noticing that he
was entirely disregarding what I was
saying.
“Josh! She can't go! We have tickets for
the Metro Art Museum, and we have to
leave right now in order to make it on time!”
She crossed her arms and gave a sigh so
loud that our whole floor could've heard it.
“Art? Pssh!” Josh laughed, being entirely
inconsiderate. “Baseball is art! Come on,
Olivia! I have a ticket right here! It's going
to be great, they're playing the Marlins!”
“I have never been in the presence of
such-”
“Davis-!” I stopped her quickly. In just a
few seconds, this had spiraled into a three-
way argument.
“Olivia, come on. We're going to be late.”
She marched across the room and pulled her
200
She marched acrossFalling
theTwice
room and pulled her
purse from the closet, heading to the door.
“Excuse me, Josh.” She said, a tinge of
bi erness in her voice. She wanted to say
something, but decided to leave the
discussion in my hands.
As soon as Davis left the room, Josh
seemed to finally realize the mess he'd
caused.
“Well, guess I'll just go alone.” He said,
with a mild scowl on his face and a twitch of
his jaw.
“I'm sure you know someone that's
willing to change their plans at the last
minute.” I retorted. “I'm not that girl.” I too
went to the closet and grabbed my purse,
preparing to leave.
“I wanted to surprise you.”
“Well, you definitely did.” I said
rancorously, crossing my arms. “I
appreciate surprises, but not when I'm
insulted, interrupted, and disregarded.”
“I didn't-”
“Don't start with me.” I snapped. “I'm
grateful that you thought of me, but you
have to respect my plans. I have a life,
Josh!”
“I know.” Josh was suddenly quiet.
“I need to leave.”
201
 Falling Twice

“Me too.” He swallowed hard and

refused to make eye contact with me,
walking from the room and heading to the
elevator in silence.
The elevator ride down the stairs was
intensely awkward. He stood behind me
and didn't speak for the entire ride
downstairs. When we arrived to the lobby,
he sped around me and walked back out
onto the city street, avoiding me completely.
Davis was si ing on a bench against the
lobby wall waiting, and she rolled her eyes
when he stormed out.
“Sweet thought, but despicable a itude.
Despicable.”
“You're telling me.”
The two of us exited the building,
confidently walking up the street towards
the subway as Josh flew by angrily in his
Subaru, driving way too fast for a city street.
The art museum was impeccable, and a
great distraction from the drama that just
played out at the dorm. Our tour lasted two
hours, and we saw pieces by Claude Monet,
Thomas Cole, and Johannes Vermeer.
Davis's personal favorite was a tapestry
named “The Unicorn is A acked”. We
202
named “The UnicornFallingisTwice
A acked”. We
debated if this was an ancient Harry Po er
reference.
We left the museum in the evening and
paced back to the subway. Though the
daylight was spent, the city was lively.
Traffic and congested sidewalks reminded
me of a weekend, though it was only
Thursday.
The relaxing day at the art museum
assisted me in forge ing about my fight
with Josh, and though the argument was
pre y intense, it didn't seem to phase me.
We'd just met six days earlier, and had only
been on three dates. I wasn't exactly
a ached to him yet, so I was able to move
past the morning's events in order to enjoy
my day with Davis.
“Do you want to go out for dinner?” I
asked, checking my watch as we ascended
up the elevator to our floor. “It's almost
seven o'clock.”
“Well, think about it this way.” Davis
began to reason, her voice accompanied
with elevator music playing at an oddly
loud volume. “We've done one productive
and memorable thing today, and that's all I
can handle in twenty-four hours. Let's say
we make Chef Boyardee and-”
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 Falling Twice

“Let's say I make Chef Boyardee.” I

added, chuckling.
“I'm not arguing with that. Let's watch an
Adam Sandler movie.”
“I'm in.” We concluded as the elevator
doors slid open. However, as we stepped
into the hallway, my blissful oblivion was
put to an end. Down the hallway, Josh was
standing by our door holding four bright
red roses and leaning against the wall,
waiting. I stopped dead in my tracks and
sighed.
“Josh, what are you doing here?” I called
down the hallway, walking towards him.
Davis seemed equally shocked. Josh waited
to speak until we met up with him at the
door.
“I wanted to say sorry. I also brought
flowers.”
“Thank you.” I said, taking the flowers
from Josh and watching him, waiting for
him to speak and explain himself.
“Yeah...” He started, shifting
uncomfortably and looking down. “So...
The game was good. We won.”
“That's good.” I pursed my lips, noticing
Josh didn't plan on elaborating. “So, who'd
you go w-”
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 Falling Twice

“My brother.”
“You have a brother? I didn't know.” I
said, withholding my disapproval of his lack
of manners.
“Yeah, his name's David.”
“That's cool.” I glanced at Davis with
wide eyes, realizing that this was the most
awkward conversation I'd ever been
involved in. A few more moments of silence
passed.
“I'm going inside.” Davis said, unlocking
our door with a key retrieved from her
purse. “Olivia, I'll start dinner.” She said
with a wink. I would've disputed as a joke,
but realized this was my excuse to escape
conversation.
Canned spaghe i took two minutes to
heat up, but apparently, my conversation
with Josh was going to take much longer.
When the microwave alarm rang, Josh was
uncomfortably listening to my recount of the
art museum, shifting left and right and
staring blankly up the hallway.
“Well, there's dinner! I'll be going now.
Thanks for the apology.” I turned to the
door. “Oh, and the flowers. They're nice.” I
said over my shoulder with a faux smile,
sliding into the dorm.
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 Falling Twice

“Wait- Olivia?” Josh said, still leaning

against the wall.
“Yes?”
“Why don't you come to my cookout on
July 4th? My friends from high school
always come over to my house in Brooklyn
for the day. My roommate comes too, so
you'd get to meet everyone, including my
family. My dad makes the best ribs, he
makes homemade barbecue sauce and
everything. It's at noon.”
I thought quickly. “Thanks for the
invitation, but I'll be going to a cookout with
my family on July 4th.”
I lied. Why the hell did I lie?
“Oh, that's too bad.” He said. “Well, I'll
head out.” Josh concluded, coming to me at
the door and grabbing me into a big,
unannounced hug, which was also
unbelievably awkward.
I watched Josh pace the hallway and
trudge into the elevator. His walk was
dreary- it appeared that he was aware of the
mess he'd caused. Josh had managed to
cause a huge disagreement and had stepped
multiple boundaries. Secondly, he was
rushing things way too much. Bringing me
flowers and asking me to meet his family
206
flowers and asking Falling
me Twice
to meet his family
when we'd been dating for six days was
extremely overwhelming. He definitely had
justification for feeling apprehensive.
I stepped into the dorm to find two bowls
of tasty and nutritious microwavable ravioli
on the counter. Davis wasn't in the kitchen,
but I saw the TV switch on in the bedroom.
I closed the door and bleakly plodded to the
table, where I pulled out a chair and sat
down. My brain shot into gear as I began to
analyze my response to Josh's invitation. I
hardly ever lied, but evidently, I felt that
Josh would be jealous and angry if I told
him I'd be spending the day with Jeremiah
and Jonathan.
There was no reason for jealousy. I would
never cheat on Josh, and I couldn't even if I
wanted to. It'd only been a few days since
I'd witnessed Jeremiah hugging that
gorgeous girl at the information session.
Even though Jeremiah hadn't mentioned her
since, I had a feeling that she meant a lot to
him. Regardless, Josh seemed like the kind
of person that would hate competition, and
if he knew his girlfriend was spending most
of her days with two wealthy men, he'd
probably be insanely angry. I didn't want
Josh to be suspicious of me. I wanted him to
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 Falling
Josh to be suspicious ofTwice
me. I wanted him to
trust me.
Oh, because lying was definitely a good
method to gain trust.
My logic seemed dumb, but so was Josh.
It should all work out in the end.

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 Falling Twice

CHAPTER TWELVE
Mansions, Madness, and Men
Saturday, July 4th
Let's just say that we woke up a bit later
than we'd planned. Jeremiah and Jonathan
would be coming to pick us up in half an
hour.
“OLIVIA!” Davis yelled from the
bedroom while I frantically poured two
bowls of cereal.
“WHAT?”
“WHAT ARE YOU WEARING?”
“WHY ARE YOU YELLING?” I
hollered back, chuckling.
“I ASKED YOU FIRST!”
I scurried to our bedroom and showed her
my outfit instead of explaining. I was
wearing burgundy shorts and a white

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wearing burgundyFalling
shorts and a white
Twice

bu on-up with navy jewelry. I even donned

the Brooks Brothers bracelet that I
purchased the day I met Jeremiah. My hair
was pulled into an up-do, and I was wearing
my Jack Rogers sandals to tie off the look.
Patriotic would've been an understatement.
“Adorable.” Davis smiled and turned to
her closet.
“I should've just worn a giant American
flag. Like a toga, you know?”
“Don't make references to Greek culture
on July 4th. That's a crime.” Davis laughed,
pulling white shorts and a blue and red
sheer top from her closet.
“When you're ready, I have some cereal
for you in the kitchen.” I said, leaving so she
could change clothes.
As promised, Jeremiah and Jonathan
wheeled up beside our building in
Jonathan's Mercedes-Benz right on time. As
they knocked on the door, Davis and I were
finishing up our morning routine and
grabbed our bags and sunglasses. It was
bright, sunny and pleasant outside, the way
every July 4th should be.
“Hey guys!” Jonathan said as the two of
them walked into the doorway. “Ready to
hit the road?”
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 Falling Twice

“I was born ready.” Davis lamely joked,

receiving a snicker from the three of us.
“I'm surprised you're ready on time!”
Jeremiah sarcastically greeted me,
referencing the time that I accidentally fell
asleep before meeting him at the tennis
courts, causing me to be fifteen minutes late.
“I almost intentionally put my alarm clock
on snooze.” I grinned.
“I almost forgot to come pick you up.” He
quipped, smiling.
“I wondered why Jonathan was driving.”
“Hey! My car gets be er gas mileage.”
Jonathan defended jokingly. “It gets twenty-
three highway.”
“Jonathan, my car gets twenty-five
highway. You just wanted to drive.”
The four of us laughed before locking up
and heading outside. Jonathan's car was
equally luxurious and impressive- it had
black quilted leather seats and a panoramic
sunroof, which Jeremiah immediately slid
back when he hopped in the passenger seat.
For most of the car ride, Jeremiah and
Jonathan saw it fit to give us some
background on certain members of their
family. They said that it served as a warning
and a courtesy.
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 Falling Twice

“Our father is interesting.” Jonathan

remarked. “He's smart and very
personable.”
“He also says exactly what's on his mind,
and sometimes, it's inappropriate.” Jeremiah
added. “It's how he became successful.”
“Like father, like son, I see!” I retorted
from the back seat. In response, Jeremiah
turned around and gave me the 'I'm
watching you' gesture.
“Our mother- well, you both have seen
her on TV.” Jonathan continued. “She's
quirky, social, and absolutely outgoing in
every way. She'll probably hug you. Be
expecting it.”
“It would be an honor.” Davis said,
laughing.
Jeremiah carried on. “The most aggressive
member of the family is-”
“You?”
“Olivia, if you keep it up, I'll come back
there right now.” He whipped his head
around and shot me a look, holding back a
grin.
“Please do.” I countered. “We have
room.” I gestured to my lap.
“I think the middle seat will fit him.”
Davis reasoned jokingly, laughing at our
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 Falling Twice
Davis reasoned jokingly, laughing at our
constant strains of satirical humor.
“As I was saying before being rudely
interrupted,” Jeremiah continued, clearing
his throat dramatically. “Our family's most
aggressive member besides me is our
grandfather, Victor.”
“Our mom's father.” Jonathan noted.
“He's successful, but most of his wealth was
inherited. He's a Vanderbilt.”
“Your mother's maiden name is
Vanderbilt?” Davis pretended to faint.
“Heavens!”
“Yes.” Jonathan laughed at her shock.
“Even though our grandfather inherited his
money, he's still managed to become a
respected businessman. He's proud of
himself, and you can tell. He's a very nice
guy, just a bit self-absorbed. He's go en a
lot be er with age, though. He's actually
pre y pleasant to talk to.”
“Noted.” Davis said. “What about your
sister? What's she like?”
“A carbon copy of our mother, with a
sprinkle of hormones.” Jeremiah stated,
shaking his head.
“I couldn't have said it any be er myself.”
Jonathan laughed. “Oh, and watch out for
Adaline, our dad's mother. She's a hugger.”
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 Falling Twice

At noon, we were driving up the streets of

Southampton when Jonathan finally
announced our arrival.
“This is our street.”
Davis and I anticipatedly craned our
necks to get a be er view of the house, but it
was nowhere in sight.
“Where's your house?” Davis asked.
“Right behind this row of trees.” Jonathan
said, slowing the car and turning right into
their driveway. We were instantly greeted
with meticulously kept Hampton Privet
Hedges that encased two magnificent, tan
stone columns supporting a locked cast-iron
gate. Jonathan rolled down his window and
reached his hand out, flipping up a panel on
one of the posts to reveal a keypad. The
estate was still blocked from view by the
immense amount of manicured landscape.
“You have an access code? Sweet.” I
wasn't at all surprised, but I was definitely
impressed.
“Yes, and I would tell you the code, but I
don't trust you.” Jeremiah said in a jokingly
pompous tone.
“I am royally offended.” I rolled my eyes
playfully.
“Just kidding. The code is 'Your Mom.'“
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 Falling Twice

“Jeremiah, you have the jokes of an eleven

year old.” Jonathan chuckled and shook his
head as the gates slowly opened, and we
drove slowly up the immaculately
landscaped property.
“At least I'm not the only one in the car
that has an immature sense of humor.”
Jeremiah defended facetiously. “Olivia.” He
said quietly under his breath while giving a
fake cough.
“Now Jeremiah, it's not nice to talk about
people behind their back.”
“You're si ing behind me, so doesn't that
mean you're behind my back?” He winked.
“Oh, let's not get technica-” I started to
say, when the Jarvis estate suddenly
appeared into view. “Woah.”
The mansion was unlike anything I'd ever
seen. Three stories high and immaculately
detailed, the house was perched in the
middle of a huge plot of land. The home
itself left me awestruck. It was covered in
the same tan stone that covered the columns
at the entrance, and the detailed and tasteful
white accents instantly told you that you
were in the Hamptons.
“This is beautiful.” My jaw was dropped
into my lap, no doubt.
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 Falling Twice

“Yeah, what she said.” Said an awestruck

Davis from the seat beside me.
As we drove further up the driveway, I
noticed a elegantly blue pool paired with an
amply sized pool house. A ached to the
house was a separate building that I
assumed to be a garage.
Jonathan continued into the circular
driveway, where over fifteen cars were
parked in the roundabout. He parked the
Mercedes in the driveway behind a shiny,
white, Lexus sedan. As I scanned the
property, I noticed that every car parked in
front of the house was expensively
luxurious.
“We should've driven my car.” I joked,
playing off of the realization that we were
out of place financially. Not that it bothered
me, but everyone here was upper class. It
was pre y intimidating.
“Hey, your car is nice. Seriously.”
Jeremiah said, with an undertone suggesting
that he sensed my mild insecurity. I could
tell he wasn't joking.
“She sends her regards from New York
City.”
Suddenly, Davis gasped. She was looking
beyond the perfectly maintained, vibrant
216
 Falling
beyond the perfectly Twice
maintained, vibrant
green lawn to the far edge of the estate.
“You have a tennis court?!”
“Yes, we can play later if you want.”
Jonathan said.
“How many more crazy things are in this
house?” Davis asserted, not expecting a
response.
“There's a pu ing green on the roof.”
“A PUTTING GREEN?!” She hollered,
amusing Jonathan with her astounded
remarks.
Jeremiah and Jonathan led us through the
maze of extravagant vehicles up the steps to
the elegant mahogany front door.
“We need to go find mom.” Jonathan said
as we congregated on the porch. “She told
me on the phone that she was just as excited
about meeting Olivia and Davis as she was
excited to see us.” Jonathan shook his head
and laughed.
“Wow, we definitely feel loved!” Davis
added cheerfully as Jonathan swung the
door open.
“Holy cow.” I said, entirely
dumbfounded. If at all possible, the inside of
the mansion was even more stunning than
the outside. After walking inside, an
enormously elegant and towering white
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enormously elegant Falling
andTwice
towering white
foyer introduced itself. A grand staircase on
the right lead to a second level, which had a
railed balcony looking over into the foyer.
Hanging from the ceiling was a detailed and
contemporary chandelier that was glistening
in its own reflection. As I looked curiously
around, I noticed that the living room was
back beyond the foyer, and it had an exit to
a terrace outside. Though we were far from
it, I saw extravagant columns and several
people lounging in chairs smoking Cuban
cigars. “We've just walked in and I'm
already in love.” My eyes were wide as I
scanned the large room, taking in every inch
of the clean, white walls, ceilings, and floors.
“My house is the size of the foyer.” Davis
said jokingly.
“Mine too, Davis.” Our houses weren't
painfully small, but our families were both
middle class, and we lived in average sized
homes. An upscale estate like this one was
definitely a change for us.
Jeremiah and Jonathan smiled and
laughed, as though they were accustomed to
people's impressed shock. “Mom's probably
in the kitchen, wouldn't you say?” Jonathan
asked, turning the a ention away from the
house. I could tell that Jeremiah and
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house. I could tellFalling Twice
that Jeremiah and
Jonathan both became slightly
uncomfortable when people drooled over
their possessions, and honestly, it was an
honorable trait. It proved that they weren't
prideful or greedy.
“Yes.” Jeremiah confirmed. “She and
Aunt Cora are probably cooking. She
always likes to give Rosemary a break on
the holidays.” He said to his brother before
turning to us and beckoning us to follow
them. “We're going to a empt to find her.
She's all over the place on the holidays,
greeting people and catching up.”
“We'll try not to get lost.” I joked with a
genuine smile as Jeremiah and Jonathan
took us on an unofficial tour of the manor.
They led us to the left through an archway
into the dining room. It had beige walls and
the curtains were drawn back, casting ample
sunlight onto the sleek glass dining table. At
the center of the table was a brilliant vase of
well-kept, white hydrangeas, and on the
wall adjacent to the table was a large work
of modern art that was set into the wall, as if
it were on display.
After exiting the dining room, we crossed
a hallway into the kitchen, which was jointly
connected with the family room. It was
219
connected with the Falling Twiceroom. It was
family
ornate, decked with designer kitchen
appliances. The cabinets were simple and
white, as to not draw a ention from the slate
marble bar top at the center of the room. The
windows that lined the opposite wall gave a
clear view of a covered patio outside, where
a distinguished man was standing over a
barbecue grill, surrounded by three other
men of the same posture. While the kitchen
was profound, most of my a ention
gravitated to the two women standing
around the bar.
I immediately recognized Katherine. She
was in her fifties, but she looked happy and
young. She had long, strawberry blond hair,
and her skin was tanned perfectly. She was
wearing a navy blue and white striped tee
with a pair of faultlessly ironed white pants.
Even though she was older, she had a petite
figure, and she looked youthful and
energetic.
“Hey mom!” Jonathan exclaimed with a
broad smile.
“Jeremiah! Jonathan!” She pronounced
enthusiastically as her sons gave her hugs.
“We've been waiting for you to get here!”
She pa ed them both on the arm, looking
up to them with a grin. She was
220
up to them with aFalling
[Link]
She was
considerably shorter than them.
Katherine immediately turned her
a ention to us, and her eyes lit up. “This
must be Davis,” She gestured, “and this has
got to be Olivia.” Her happiness was
constant and contagious. “Did I get it
right?”
“You got it!” I affirmed with a smile,
noticing Jeremiah and Jonathan standing
back, whispering and laughing.
“I knew you had to be Olivia. Jeremiah
mentioned how tall you were.” Katherine
said with a playfully smug glance back at
her son, who was talking to the other
woman at the counter.
“I get that a lot.” I kidded, as Katherine
laughed and approached Davis and I,
giving us each a warm and congenial hug. I
glanced back at Jeremiah, who was giving
Davis and I an 'I told you so' look.
“Well, welcome to our home!” She said in
an introductory tone. “We're so glad to have
you. The food will be ready soon enough.
My husband William is outside on the
grill,” she gestured out the window at the
man I'd noticed earlier. “he's making ribs
and steaks.” Katherine then turned to the
blond headed woman at the counter. She too
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blond headed woman Fallingat
Twice
the counter. She too
shared the same figure and stature as
Katherine, and also looked youthful. I
suspected they were around the same age.
“And this is my husband's sister, Cora. She
and I are on kitchen duty today.”
“Nice to meet you!” Jeremiah and
Jonathan's Aunt Cora gleefully greeted
Davis and I, and we sociably returned the
gesture. Suddenly, Cora had an epiphany
and turned to her nephews. “Oh, by the
way, boys- Madeline is outside with the
kids. She's been looking forward to seeing
you.”
“We'll be out to see everyone soon.”
Jonathan responded to his aunt chipperly.
“Boys, why don't you show your guests
around? I'm sure this labyrinth is a bit
overwhelming.” Katherine said,
lightheartedly joking about her house and
returning to Cora's side to finish preparing
the food.
“Will do.”
The four of us left the kitchen and they
walked us through the first level of the
house. Everything was lavishly furnished,
and though the home was large, it gave you
an air of comfort. We toured through the
living room, study, bar and chef's kitchen
222
living room, study, Falling
bar Twice
and chef's kitchen
before I craved some competition.
“Let's see that pool table you mentioned.”
I narrowed my eyes, hoping to impose
competitiveness on my friends.
Jeremiah raised an eyebrow and smugly
shrugged. “As you wish.” he said, with a
mock tone of professionalism in his voice.
“Where is it?” Davis asked, as the
Jeremiah and Jonathan led us in a random
direction.
“It's in the basement.” Jeremiah
acknowledged. I soon realized that we were
headed back to the foyer, and when we
arrived, we descended down a staircase to
the lowest level of the house.
When we reached the bo om of the steps,
we took a right turn into the basement. I
expected to see a nice si ing area, a small
bar, and a pool table next to a large TV.
What I ended up seeing was entirely
different.
A bowling alley?!
WHAT?!
The two-lane bowling alley was perched
conveniently in the midst of a glorified man-
cave. Near the ball return was an exquisite
tan couch, and and bordering this si ing
area was the silver and blue pool table,
223
area was the silverFalling
and Twice
blue pool table,
which matched the glossy, vibrant blue
floors. Neighboring the bowling alley was a
small bar, which had a small television and
about forty selections of various vodka, gin,
scotch, tequila, whisky, and brandy. There
were fancy glasses stored in a glass cabinet,
and near the alcohol selection was salt and
other various garnishes.
“Where's the wine?” Davis asked.
“In the wine cellar.” Jeremiah answered.
“It's further back into the basement.”
“Duly noted.”
“Question.” I asked blatantly, feeling like
pu ing Jeremiah and Jonathan in an
uncomfortable situation.
“Fire away.” Jonathan said, hovering near
the bar.
“How many times have you both secretly
and illegally taken shots in this bar?” I
crossed my arms and gave a sly smile.
Jonathan immediately looked down,
hiding a grin. “I've never done such a
thing.”
Jeremiah, on the other hand, was
undeniably outright. “About three times.
Also, Jonathan is lying. he's been drunk
once. We played a drinking game with our
friends during the 2016 presidential
224
friends during theFalling
2016Twice
presidential
debates.” He reached for a bo le of Grey
Goose, and grabbed a shot glass. “This is
one of my personal favorites.” He poured a
glass. “I never did much underage drinking,
and I've only been drunk once.” He took the
shot. “I'll never do that again.”
“You just took a shot while saying that.” I
pointed out, rolling my eyes contentedly.
“Deliberate irony.” He said simply with a
smirk.
“Where did Davis go?” Jonathan
questioned, craning his neck to find the
fourth member of our motley crew, who had
been hanging by the pool table just moments
ago.
“YOU HAVE A MOVIE THEATER?”
Davis yelled, still hidden from view. Soon
enough, she emerged from a room directly
behind the pool table.
Sure enough, they did. The movie theater
was equipped with a fairly large screen and
tiered seating, with eight cushioned lounges
and three beanbags. The ceiling had stars,
much like the Rolls Royce Wraith. At this
point, I'd come to peace with the fact that
Jeremiah and Jonathan were rich, and
nothing really surprised me anymore. This
was standard living for a Chief Financial
225
was standard livingFalling
forTwice
a Chief Financial
Officer, a famed Television Personality, and
their three children. Generally, this amount
of wealth would spoil a person, but the
Jarvis family amazed me. Jeremiah and
Jonathan were humble, pleasant,
trustworthy, and honorable people, as was
their mother. We had yet to meet the
remainder of the family, but we could
already tell- they were special, rare people.
Not prideful, not snide. Despite their
fortune, they seemed like entirely normal,
down-to-earth people. I loved it.
We headed back upstairs expecting the
food to be ready. In the kitchen, Katherine
and Cora were finishing up their side dishes
and desserts.
“Boys, will you take this extra barbecue
sauce to your father? Somehow, he's run out
already.” She scurried to the stainless steel
refrigerator and retrieved a bo le of sauce,
handing it to Jonathan. “Introduce Davis
and Olivia while you're out there.” She
smiled. “We'll be ready to eat in about five
minutes.”
We walked to the patio doors and swung
them open, immediately hit with intense,
heavy heat. William, Jeremiah and
Jonathan's father, was over the grill finishing
226
Jonathan's father,Falling Twice the grill finishing
was over
up his ribs and steaks. He and the three men
gravitating around him were bellowing
loudly, sipping on scotch, and one man was
puffing a Cuban cigar. From the patio, we
had a view of the spacious backyard. There
were about twelve people in the pool, and
others were congregated in the yard. Some
of the women were dressed sumptuously,
donning sizable sunhats and carrying
handbags like they were a ending the
Kentucky Derby. A few children dashed
through the yard, chasing after a huge black
dog with floppy ears. It was undoubtedly a
Great Dane.
“Hey, kiddos!” William yelled from the
grill. “Don't provoke the dog! He'll tackle
you, ask me how I know!” He cackled with
his friends.
“I'm assuming that's your dog.” I stated
to Jeremiah as we approached the grill.
“Yes, his name is Zeus, appropriately
enough.” He laughed, looking at the kids.
They were now timidly going to the terrace
behind the house because they were scared
of the dog. “Dad! Don't scare the kids off,
now!” Jeremiah called to his father.
“Boys!” William turned to us, grabbing
Jeremiah and Jonathan up in bear hugs. “It's
227
 Falling Twice
Jeremiah and Jonathan up in bear hugs. “It's
been so long! One week! Too long!” He
laughed with his sons, taking the sauce from
Jonathan and quickly laying it on the grill-
side table before returning to meet Davis
and I. William was also in his mid-to-late
fifties, but had a handsome face and thick,
salt and pepper hair. He had distinctive
laugh lines on his face, indicating his
constant humor and enjoyment of life.
William was tall and amicable. Though he
seemed easy to approach at home, I could
also see how he could be an intimidating
businessman. From what I'd observed thus
far, he seemed like a practical, sociable and
likable person. “And here's the guests of
honor!” He exclaimed with a broad smile,
placing a hand on both of our shoulders.
“It's nice to finally meet you both! Welcome
to Twin Peaks! Eats, Drinks, and Scenic
Views for all!” He called boisterously,
turning to his friends, who were roaring
with laughter. Jeremiah and Jonathan were
also chuckling, shaking their heads. I
instantly knew that this was the humor we'd
been warned about, and personally, I
thought it was hysterical. I realized that this
was the slogan for the Twin Peaks
restaurant, a glorified Hooters.
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 Falling Twice

“Just for clarification purposes, our estate

is named Twin Peaks.” Jonathan said flatly,
still laughing at William's dad joke.
“So you don't name your cars, but you
name your house? Got it.” Davis said, still
laughing at William's first impression.
“We're glad to have you here today, girls!
Now we won't have as many leftovers to
eat.” William kidded.
“Yeah, that's the only reason we invited
you. Leftovers are the worst.” Jeremiah said,
continuing his father's joke.
“You and your dad have the same sense of
humor, I kid you not.” I said, grinning at
the realization. Honestly, the personality
traits were uncanny.
“I had to inherit the painstaking sarcasm
from somebody.” Jeremiah reasoned.
William continued. “All jokes aside, you
ladies make yourself at home. I'm sure
you're all hungry.” He turned to the grill.
“In fact, I think we're ready to eat. Boys, go
tell your mother and Cora, please.”
Jeremiah and Jonathan followed their orders
and turned to go back to the kitchen. “Girls,
we'll be eating on the terrace. Just walk
around the yard to the steps, you'll see it.”
William concluded with an authentic smile
229
William concluded Falling
withTwice
an authentic smile
and another pat on the shoulder.
Davis and I followed William's directions
down the patio steps and looped around to
the covered terrace, which spanned the
length of the entire house. There were
several si ing areas, lounge chairs, a
television, fireplace, and a table for six.
Davis and I sat on a couch and waited
contently, and soon, Jeremiah and Jonathan
appeared through the french doors.
They joined us on the couch, and
moments later, the entire family began to
congregate on the terrace. After everyone
was together, William and Katherine joined
the crowd.
“Happy July fourth, everyone!” William
shouted over the crowd of forty people,
quietening them so he could make a brief
speech. “We're so thankful to have everyone
together today. Family, friends-”
“Will, it's July fourth, not Thanksgiving!”
One of William's friends said hilariously,
sparking laughter.
“Wait, what year is this?” Will said,
producing a quick and hysterical comeback.
Jeremiah and Jonathan were also laughing
at their father's wit. “Anyways, in all
seriousness, Katherine and I would like to
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 Falling Twice
seriousness, Katherine and I would like to
thank you all for coming to celebrate with
us.”
“We have a few new faces here today.”
Katherine said sweetly, eyeing us and
fli ing a glance across the terrace. “These
two ladies are Olivia Benton and Davis
Ritenour. They're Jeremiah and Jonathan's
close friends.” she gestured to the two of us,
and everyone's gaze was immediately
drawn to us. “Everyone make them feel
welcome!” Katherine smiled joyously, then
turned to introduce someone else. “This
gentleman over here is Brent Olsen,
Meredith's boyfriend!” She wiggled her
eyebrows playfully. “It seems that our
parties grow every year!” Katherine joked.
“I despise that kid.” Jeremiah said,
griping.
“Oh, come on now-” I a empted.
“Me too, Jeremiah. I don't even see why
he was invited.” Jonathan agreed.
“We're apparently missing something.”
Davis said, as clueless as I was. “Sounds
like story time to me.”
I glanced over at Brent, studying him
closer. He was short and stocky with pale
skin and brown, curly, bowl-cut hair. He
was fairly muscular, and seemed to be
231
 Falling
was fairly muscular, andTwice
seemed to be
athletic. A petite strawberry blond girl
bearing the same characteristics as
Katherine was clinging to his arm, and I
immediately knew this was Meredith,
Jeremiah and Jonathan's sister.
“Long story short, Brent snuck Meredith
to a party. He was entirely wasted, and
pushed Meredith to drink until she was
tipsy.” Jonathan started.
“Then, he pulled her upstairs.” Jeremiah
said in a stern tone. “And there you have it-
the story of Meredith's first time having sex.
A great one to tell the grandchildren one
day!”
“We're making Meredith sound really
bad.” Jonathan said mercifully. “That was a
bad decision, but she was peer-pressured.
She was actually very upset about it.”
“Poor thing!” Davis said sympathetically.
“I don't like him either.”
“Neither do I.” I agreed, as Will and
Katherine began to speak again.
“I'd like to propose a toast!” Will
announced over the crowd of people. Many
adults raised glasses of champagne and
wine. “May this year be plentiful, and may
the ribs be cooked properly!” He joked, as
many of the adults chuckled. Suddenly, we
232
many of the adultsFalling Twice Suddenly, we
chuckled.
all began filing inside to retrieve our food,
gleeful and completely famished.
Our lunch was essentially a feast, and
everything tasted out of this world. Several
of Jeremiah and Jonathan's relatives came to
greet us, including all four of their
grandparents. They'd described them
perfectly- Katherine's parents were friendly,
but less personable, while both of William's
parents scooped Davis and I up into hugs.
At around 5 o'clock, Jonathan, Jeremiah,
Davis and I were lingering by the tennis
courts watching the kids regain their trust in
Zeus, who was rolling around on his back,
enjoying the summer sun.
“That dog is rowdy, but he wouldn't hurt
a fly, honest to God.” Jeremiah said,
observing his dog. “We've had him for
seven years, and the worst thing he's done is
knock a vase of flowers over with his tail.”
The four of us laughed.
“He's ge ing old.” Jonathan remarked
reluctantly as a girl suddenly approached
us.
“Have you guys been avoiding me all
day?” I heard, in a mocking, playful tone.
“Madeline!” Jonathan said happily.
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 Falling Twice

“That was definitely our goal. Always has

been.” Jeremiah added sarcastically.
Davis and I turned to see who was
speaking, and in a moment's notice, both of
us were staring at this girl, wide-eyed in
disbelief. Right before our eyes stood the
beautiful, blond headed woman that
Jeremiah was hugging at the information
session. I was speechless and in disbelief, as
was Davis. We had both misinterpreted the
whole situation.
“Davis, Olivia, this is our cousin,
Madeline Webster.” Jeremiah introduced
us, but we were a bit awkward at first. We
were both dumbfounded and disappointed
in ourselves for misreading the occurrence at
the information session. “Don't tell anyone,
but she's our favorite cousin.”
“She's our Aunt Cora's daughter.”
Jonathan said.
Davis was the first to speak. “It's nice to
meet you, Madeline.” That's all she could
muster.
“I think I saw you at the information
session last week!” I added, still trying to
fathom and accept this new information.
“Oh, yes! I was there!” Madeline
responded, a look of recognition now
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responded, a lookFalling Twice
of recognition now
flooding her face.
“I knew I recognized you.” I smiled,
receiving a quick and covert glance from
Davis. “You look stunning.” I
complimented. She was a bit over-dressed,
wearing a tight pink pencil skirt, sheer
blouse, and several bracelets, but she looked
fla ering and friendly.
“Thank you! You both look very patriotic,
I should've gone for that.” She added,
giggling and watching the kids. “They're
never going to give up on Zeus, are they?”
Madeline continued, turning back to
Jeremiah and Jonathan, her favorite cousins.
The sun began to set shortly after our
meeting with Madeline, and we all began
filing inside to continue celebrating. The
four of us headed back to the basement, and
actually decided to bowl in lieu of shooting
pool.
At around 7 o'clock, Jeremiah and
Jonathan were ready to leave. The drive
back to New York City was tedious,
especially at night, and they were obviously
drained of energy. Family outings always
take a toll on you. We said our goodbyes,
gave out hugs, and graciously thanked the
235
gave out hugs, andFalling Twice thanked the
graciously
Jarvis family for welcoming us into their
home. Even William's mother, Adaline,
came up to Davis and I and said “Make
sure to come back, we like you.” with a silly
grin.
I was quiet on the car ride home. I kept a
happy face for the rest of my evening with
the Jarvis family, but deep inside, I was mad
at myself. The only reason I'd sought out
Josh was because I got my feelings hurt. I
thought Jeremiah was seeing another girl,
and I became sad and impulsive. That's the
only reason I started dating Josh, and now
that I knew the truth about Madeline, I was
angry that I had made such a big
assumption. Davis seemed a bit
overwhelmed, too.
If anything, my day with the Jarvis family
helped me realize something important.
Jeremiah's status and wealth didn't ma er.
Everyone in the Jarvis family was wealthy,
yet everyone was accepting, friendly,
understanding, and loving. July fourth
helped me realize that financial differences
shouldn't keep me from having feelings for
someone. Previously, I'd shied away from
my feelings for Jeremiah because I was
afraid he wouldn't date a middle-class girl. I
236
afraid he wouldn'tFalling
dateTwice
a middle-class girl. I
knew after the family cookout that I was
entirely wrong. I had wrongly decided to
trust the incorrect stereotypes instead of
following my heart.
Sadly, though I'd now realized my
feelings for Jeremiah, I couldn't act on them.
I was dating Josh, a thoughtful yet
painstakingly unintelligent athlete. Lesson
to be learned- never make impulse
decisions.
Jonathan parked his Mercedes-Benz by
the sidewalk of our dorm building. It was a
Saturday night, and the city was bustling.
On any other evening, we would've most
likely joined the throngs of people on the
sidewalks, but tonight, we were just too
tired. We decided to go upstairs to the dorm
room and play a game of poker at our
kitchen table.
Mid-game, Jonathan threw his cards
down.
“Jonathan, might I politely ask you what
the HELL you're doing?” Jeremiah asked,
crestfallen. He was winning, and didn't
want to continue the game unfairly since
Jonathan revealed his hand.
“Have you ever watched Parks &
237
 “Have you everFalling Twice Parks &
watched
Recreation?” Jonathan asked spontaneously
to Davis and I, ignoring his brother.
“No, I watched the Office and I felt like
Parks & Recreation was a spinoff.” I
responded, much to Jonathan's disbelief.
“Same here.” Davis added, laughing at
Jonathan's expression.
“We're going to watch it. Right now. Do
you have Netflix?” Jonathan stood abruptly
from the kitchen table and pat Jeremiah on
the back, signaling for him to get up.
“How would we survive college without
it?” I said, laughing at Jeremiah's annoyed
expression.
“Good point.” Jonathan agreed. “Olivia,
come get him up. He's pouting.”
“Why me?” I complained falsely, walking
over to Jeremiah and placing two hands on
his shoulders. Jonathan followed Davis to
the TV, dedicated to make everyone watch
his favorite television show. “Baby brother
on your nerves again?” I said to him aloud.
“How'd you guess?” Jeremiah looked up
at me and laughed. “Just when I was
winning, too.”
“I have a secret to tell you, Jeremiah.” I
said blithely, leaning down to whisper in his
ear. “You're good enough at poker to whip
238
ear. “You're goodFalling Twice
enough at poker to whip
his ass anytime, so don't fret.” Jeremiah
looked up at me with a smirk, and I found
myself winking at him just as the Parks &
Recreation theme song began blaring
through our dorm room.
“The show is on! Come on you guys!”
Jonathan said passionately. He must've
really loved this show.
My li le pep talk with Jeremiah was
enough to get him out of his chair, and we
just as we convinced him to sit down and
watch the show, there was a knock on the
door. There was only one person who
would have the nerve to randomly show up
at our dorm past 10 o'clock.
“Oh God.” I groaned morosely.
“What?” Jeremiah asked concernedly.
“Not now!” Davis said, realizing who was
at the door and rolling her eyes. “Jonathan,
pause the TV.”
“Why? What's happening?” Jonathan
said, confused.
“Josh is here.” I said flatly. “Do you think
I can just ignore it? Pretend we're asleep?”
“The kitchen light is on. He'd know.”
Davis said. “Not to mention, he probably
heard the TV.”
“You're probably right.” I said,
239
 “You're probablyFalling TwiceI said,
right.”
unfortunately standing. Davis stood to go
with me, and as result, Jeremiah and
Jonathan also followed.
We all walked into the kitchen. Jeremiah
and Jonathan sat back at the table and began
to clean up the poker chips and cards, and
Davis joined them, watching me look
through the peephole.
“Sure enough, he's here. The man
himself.” I sassed acerbically, reluctant to
open the door. However, I knew I needed to
see what he needed, so I pulled the handle.
“Hey, Josh.”
“Hey, baby!” He said, allowing himself in
and closing the door behind him. I glanced
at the table and saw that Davis, Jeremiah,
and Jonathan all seemed dissatisfied with
Josh's entrance.
“What brings you so late?” I asked,
posing a legitimate question.
“Nothing in particular. Since you were
with your family today, I figured I'd come
visit you at night.” Josh said with an
innocent smile. A quick glance to the table
told me that everyone was confused.
Suddenly, I felt terrible for lying, yet I
had no choice but to play it off. “That's
nice.” I said awkwardly. It struck me as odd
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 Falling Twice
nice.” I said awkwardly. It struck me as odd
that Josh had yet to acknowledge the three
people si ing at the kitchen table.
“So, how was your July fourth?” He
asked genuinely.
“It was great, how was your cookout?” I
was trying to avoid questions about me.
“It was pre y good.” Josh said, glancing
to the table. “I haven't met these two guys.”
Josh pointed at Jeremiah and Jonathan. “Are
they cousins? How are they related?”
Oh God.
In this moment, the only thing that
echoed in my mind was
Use the Force, Luke.
However, not even the force could get my
guilty conscience out of a lie. “They're...” I
was struggling to lie. I was always a terrible
liar. “They're my-”
“Friends. We're just friends.” Jeremiah
declared from the table, stepping in at an
inappropriate time with his unfailing
honesty. I shot him a look. Why would he
say that?
Josh looked at me questionably. “Wait.
Really, are they?” He was grinning,
thinking that we were trying to play a prank
on him, but I couldn't keep up a lie.
“Yeah, they're just friends. This is
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 Falling
“Yeah, they're just Twice This is
friends.
Jeremiah and Jonathan.” I looked at Josh
briefly, down at the floor for a few seconds,
then back up.
“So...” Josh seemed shocked. “You... lied
to me?” He furrowed his eyebrows as if he
were trying to wrap his head around
someone's death.
“Well...”
“Did you really spend your day with your
family, Olivia?” Josh was becoming angry,
and it was easy to tell.
“Josh, my family lives in North Carolina!
Was I really going to drive the twelve hour
journey home for the fourth of July?
Really?” I snapped. Even though this was
my problem, I got defensive.
“So you turned down my invitation.” He
nodded, hiding his anger with
ridiculousness. “You turned down my
invitation to spend the day with these
guys?!” Josh angrily pointed a finger to
Jeremiah and Jonathan, and began staring
between me and them.
Just when ma ers couldn't get any worse,
Jeremiah decided to pick his hand up and
sarcastically wave.
“Now isn't the time, Jeremiah.” I said in a
biting tone, giving him a stern stare from the
242
biting tone, givingFalling
him Twice
a stern stare from the
door. Jeremiah was acting absolutely
absurd, and he knew it.
“This one's got an a itude.” Josh scowled
and turned back to me, continuing. “Why
would you lie about that?” He said,
dumbfounded. “What a stupid thing to lie
about!”
“Josh, they invited us to their cookout
before you extended your invitation to me.”
I explained simply to Josh, who looked as
though he felt majorly offended.
“You could've just told me that! I
would've understood.” Josh fussed.
“No you wouldn't have! That's why I
didn't tell you.” I admi ed. “If I told you
that I was spending July fourth with two
other men, you would've been really mad.
You can't deny that.” I said firmly,
defending my lost cause as I saw Josh's jaw
twitch. “You would've accused me of seeing
other men, even though that's not true.” I
made sure to clarify.
“I won't stand for this lack of trust, Olivia.
I won't date a liar.” He spat at me angrily.
“I'm not a liar, Josh.”
“Oh really?! Well, you did a damn good
job of proving otherwise!”
“I didn't want you to think I was cheating
243
 Falling
“I didn't want you toTwice
think I was cheating
on you. I thought that if you never knew,
you'd never be suspicious!” I raised my
voice, hoping to at least cool his anger.
“Your lying is what makes me suspicious,
Olivia.” He shook his head and tightened
his jaw.
“You talk like I lie all the time. I promise
I-”
“Olivia, I don't want to hear it.” Josh
moved towards me, a empting to get to the
door. When I glanced at the table, I saw
Davis, Jeremiah and Jonathan, all staring
astoundingly at the scene that had unfolded
before them. I couldn't tell who they sided
with- their looks were vague and
disappointed, and I couldn't tell who they
were targeted at.
Did they side with me for protecting Josh
from the truth?
Or did they side with Josh, for a empting
to uphold trust in our relationship?
The choice was obvious.
“Josh, stop pushing me.” I said, as he
a empted to get past me to leave the dorm.
The idea of a dramatic exit wasn't working
for him.
“Let me out, Olivia!”
“Josh! Stop!” I yelled over him to quiet
244
 “Josh! Stop!” I Falling
yelledTwice
over him to quiet
him, and then grabbed both of his hands.
“I'm sorry for going against your trust. I
won't make this mistake again.” I looked
into his eyes and tried desperately to
connect with the forgiving side of him, but
his angry expression was taking longer than
I expected to fade.
I glanced back at the table. My friends
were staring at me with mixed looks.
Davis's look was disgust, Jonathan's look
was u er confusion, and Jeremiah's look
was... worrisome. He looked away quickly,
trying to hide his discomfort.
Was Jeremiah sad? Was he mad? Why
was he trying to hide his expression from
me?
In one moment, I made yet another
impulse decision.
When I could've cut my connections with
Josh and resolved all of my emotional
turmoil, I chose to surprise myself instead.
I reached up, placed my hands on Josh's
face, and kissed him.
Hard.

245
 Falling Twice

CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Ceasefire
Thursday, July 9th
“And to celebrate, I will be drinking a
glass of wine, alone.” Jeremiah said, placing
a bo le on the counter in their apartment's
luxurious kitchen.
“No, no, no.” Jonathan called, walking
from the living room to the connected
kitchen. “I get some too.” He announced
ma er-of-factly, strolling beside his brother.
“Jonathan, last time I checked, you're only
twenty. I would never want to assist an
underage drinker.” Jeremiah was obviously
exercising his sarcasm, but Jonathan's
expression displayed blatant annoyance.
Davis and I snickered.
“Jeremiah, I drink all the time.”

246
 Falling Twice

“You do?!” Jeremiah pretended to be

astonished before grabbing an extra glass
and pouring his brother some white wine.
“God forbid!”
We were celebrating an odd cause. Davis
and I had moved to New York City a month
earlier, and of course, we utilized this as an
opportunity to congregate with our closest
friends for a celebratory lunch. Jeremiah
was the best cook out of our group and was
nominated to make the meal, a job he was
actually excited about. He said that cooking
was his secret hobby.
Davis and I were excited to see their
apartment for the first time. It was a twelve
minute stroll from our dorm, so at around
noon, we headed up the sidewalk giddily.
Jeremiah told us not to bring anything, but
we made a batch of miniature cinnamon
rolls to contribute anyways.
Their apartment was stunning. It was a
fairly large penthouse suite in Greenwich
Village, with towering ceilings, an outdoor
deck, and a modern feel. The living room
was open, connecting with the dining area
and kitchen, and from the two story
window, there was an impeccable view of
the city.
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 Falling Twice

When we first arrived, Jeremiah and

Jonathan gave us a tour.
“Before we begin this tour, I'd like for
everyone to know that I sleep in the master
suite.” Jeremiah said, picking on his brother.
“Jonathan's bedroom is plain and regular. I
like to call it the holding cell.”
“Shut the hell up.” Jonathan laughed and
rolled his eyes. “You lived here first, so of
course you got the first pick on bedrooms.”
We all knew Jeremiah was mocking his
brother, and this assumption was reinforced
when we saw the bedrooms. Each one was
impressive, even the extra bedroom in the
loft upstairs. Jeremiah's master suite had a
glass door to the back deck, which is where
we decided to eat.
Davis and I were relaxing at a table
outside under a large umbrella, waiting to
be served lunch. Chill Bill, our summer
anthem, was playing from an outdoor stereo
as the brothers brought out Jeremiah's
culinary masterpiece on contemporary
dishes.
“What's today's special, chef?” I asked
professionally, straightening my skirt and
adjusting my Ray-Bans, practically baking
in the summer heat.
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 Falling Twice

“Funny you should ask.” Jeremiah said,

dramatically placing plates down before us,
shooting Jonathan a nasty look.
“What? What did I do?” Jonathan asked,
confused.
“Take your seat, sir.” Jeremiah gestured.
“Now is not the time to be stealing the
a ention away from your chef.”
“Oh, I hope I haven't offended you.
Please forgive me.” Jonathan replied dully,
si ing down quickly and playing along.
“Today, I've made Pasta with Pecorino
and Pepper.”
“Sounds like a delicacy.” Davis added,
clapping her hands loudly. “What's
pecorino?”
“Cheese.”
“Nice.” Davis nodded approvingly. “I'm
ready to eat. Can I eat now?”
“I don't think our chef is done speaking.”
Jonathan said, continuing Jeremiah's stand-
up comedy act.
“I hope my valued guests enjoy the meal.
I only spit in one of the dishes. Thank you
for your time.” Jeremiah concluded,
laughing and quickly taking his seat beside
Jonathan and I. “This is actually just
Fe uccine Alfredo.”
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 Falling Twice

“Did you spit in mine?” Jonathan asked

genuinely.
“How'd you know? You're so smart.”
Jonathan narrowed his eyes and took a
bite of his pasta apprehensively. “I'm going
to hope you're joking, because I'm hungry
and nothing is going to stop me from eating.
Nothing.”
I twirled my fork in the noodles and tried
to eat as mannerly as possible. “God,
Jeremiah. Are you Bobby Flay?” I said,
astonished at his cooking ability.
He laughed. “No, but he's my uncle. He's
the one that taught me how to cook. I
remember making pancakes with him as a
toddler.”
“Are you serious?” Davis said in disbelief.
Jonathan laughed and nearly choked on his
lunch.
“No, Davis. Bobby Flay is not my uncle.”
Jeremiah laughed, shaking his head. “Am I
really that believable?”
“Your entire family is wealthy and your
mother is famous. Nothing about you
surprises us anymore.”
The four of us chuckled and continued to
eat. I was radiantly happy, and I was
overjoyed to be spending my Thursday
250
 Falling Twice
overjoyed to be spending my Thursday
afternoon in a penthouse as opposed to a
dorm room. For a few moments, we all
quietly enjoyed our lunch and took in the
summer day. The sun was blazing down
onto the deck, and the umbrella was the
only thing protecting us from a third-degree
burn. Momentarily, Jeremiah broke the
silence with a topic I'd hoped to refrain from
mentioning.
“Have you talked to Josh since your
fight?” He placed his fork down and looked
at me.
“No.” I spoke promptly, not considering
my response. “Well, yes. We've texted, but
that's all.” I took a quick sip of my drink,
hoping my brief answer would end the
conversation.
“Is he... mad?” Jeremiah questioned,
drumming his fingers against the table.
Jonathan was looking at me similarly, as
though he too wanted answers. Davis was
pursing her lips and looking down.
Like any girl should, I'd distanced myself
from Josh after the occurrences on July
fourth. In all honesty, I should've ended the
relationship, but something prompted me to
kiss him. Josh had his flaws, but everything
he did was thoughtfully motivated. I was
251
 Falling Twice
he did was thoughtfully motivated. I was
never a person to prematurely give up on
someone, so I'd decided last minute to give
him some space and time to think. I also felt
horrible for lying, and knew a kiss would
make up for it. His behavior disgusted me,
but I still had a sense that he may be worth
my while. Regardless of this conclusion,
talking about Josh to Jeremiah always made
me feel uncomfortable.
“I don't know.” I said, not feeling like
elaborating. I only hoped Jeremiah would
take the hint.
A few seconds of silence followed, and
Jeremiah took a quick sip of his Corton-
Charlemagne. Davis shot me a nervous
glance. Silence wasn't normal with the Jarvis
boys.
“I don't like how he treats you.” Jeremiah
said.
“Jeremiah...” Davis eyed him with a
threatening look. I immediately got the
notion that she'd warned them not to
mention Josh.
“There, I said it.” Jeremiah said, lacking
remorse.
“I told you not-”
“I agree, Jeremiah.” Jonathan piped from
the across the table.
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 Falling Twice

“Jonathan!” Davis was scrambling to

regain control of the situation, but she was
failing miserably. I was staring blankly
down into my lap.
“Nobody should talk to you like that.”
Jeremiah firmly stated. They weren't going
to take a hint, and the back and forth
discussion was making me sick. I took a
deep breath and felt my jaw twitch, but
didn't speak up.
“That's a fact.” Jonathan nodded. “If I
were you, I'd-”
Holding my tongue suddenly became a
lost cause. “I didn't ask for your relationship
advice.” I was ge ing more and more
frustrated by the minute. I looked up and
swallowed hard. “I am an adult, and I can
control my affairs on my own. This isn't my
first relationship, I have enough experience
to make decisions on my own.” Both
Jeremiah and Jonathan were staring at me
silently.
“What did I tell you?” Davis nodded with
an 'I told you so' look on her face.
“I'm sorry.” Jonathan said to me quietly,
continuing to eat his lunch silently, avoiding
conflict. A few more moments of silence
passed and everyone continued to finish
253
passed and everyone Falling Twice
continued to finish
their plate of pasta when Jeremiah had a
sudden burst of confidence.
“I'm not sorry. In fact, I'm the exact
opposite of sorry.” He looked at Davis, who
was wide-eyed and astonished that he was
continuing to run his mouth. I looked up at
him, taken aback. “I'm not going to keep my
mouth shut because this discussion makes
you 'angry and uncomfortable', Olivia.”
I started. “I think you should be-”
“It's my job to tell you what you need to
hear. I won't censor my opinions for the
sake of your comfort.” He said firmly,
pushing his plate away from him. I was in a
state of disbelief, as was Davis, but Jonathan
shook his head with a faint smile. “You're
probably angry.” He continued, his eyes
reflecting boldly as he glanced at me,
a empting to analyze my mood. “At least
I'll know you heard what you needed to
hear.”
Davis looked at me worriedly as Jeremiah
stood up from the table. I tried to be angry,
but I couldn't do it. As Jeremiah came
around the table collecting empty plates, I
found that I only had admiration for his
outspokenness. He had to have a great
amount of courage to say what he did,
254
amount of courageFalling Twice
to say what he did,
especially when he knew I was angry. Being
forward with an angry woman was like
waking a sleeping dragon.
I watched Jeremiah closely. He didn't
seem phased by the scene that had just
played out at the table, and he coolly
collected the dishes and headed for the
apartment door. Jonathan saw this as an
opportunity to escape conflict, grabbing
napkins and empty glasses and following
his older brother inside the apartment.
“Are you okay?” Davis asked, turning to
me concernedly. “I told them not to mention
it, I know this is a touchy subject for you.”
“I'm fine.” I said, dazed, thinking about
the scene that had just played out at the
table. “He's probably right.”
“They stepped a boundary.”
“I need to listen to the opinions of my
friends.” I asserted, finally deciding not to
take offense by what had just happened.
“I'm not mad.”
“Are you sure?” Davis questioned.
“Positive.” I smiled at my friend.
“Oh, good! Well, in that case, I'd like you
to know that Josh is probably the biggest
idiot I've ever known. He's incompetent,
rude, inconsiderate and dull.” She nodded
255
 Falling
rude, inconsiderate andTwice
dull.” She nodded
with a broad smile. “You can thank
Jeremiah for my sudden burst of bravery.”
She stood from the table, ignoring my
confused expression. “Come on, let's go
inside.”
I couldn't help but laugh. As I stood up to
follow Davis, I contemplated. “Davis?”
“Yes?”
“If you, Jeremiah, and Jonathan all hate
Josh, then maybe I should too.” I chuckled
as we headed into the apartment, where
Jeremiah was standing over the kitchen sink
and Jonathan was si ing on the couch with
a TV remote in his hand.
“Maybe you're right.” She affirmed with a
grin.
“Sit down, we're watching Parks and
Recreation.”Jonathan demanded as we came
into view. “Don't ask questions.”
Davis followed Jonathan's command and
took a seat on the white couch in the living
room, but I decided to clear the air with
Jeremiah. I quickly paced to the kitchen area
and leaned against the white marble
counter-top. Jeremiah sensed my presence
and turned to face me.
“What's up?” He said innocently, drying
off his hands with a white dish towel.
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 Falling Twice

“After much thought, I've decided that

I'm not mad at you.” I kept a sophisticated
look on my face, just for show.
“Is that so?” He countered, looking as
though he was impressed with my
conclusion.
“Yes. In fact, I've realized that I agree
with you.”
“I was hoping you weren't blind.” He
responded, placing his towel down. “He
treats you like a piece of shit. You're
definitely not a piece of shit.”
“I'm fla ered.”
“I almost intervened the night he barged
in to your apartment. I can't tolerate the
disrespect.” Jeremiah added.
“I don't condone fist fights.” I joked.
“Damn.” Jeremiah acted disappointed,
shaking his head.
“However, I do allow sword fights.” I
stated with certainty.
“Really? Thank God!”
“Yes. I even have a collection of Valyrian
steel swords in the dorm room.”
“Someone's been watching Game of
Thrones.” He laughed happily, turning to
finish up the dishes.
“I've seen every episode.” I proudly
257
 “I've seen everyFalling Twice I proudly
episode.”
proclaimed. “It's by far my favorite show on
television.”
“Speaking of television,” Jonathan called
from the couch. “why don't you two get
over here and sit down?” He looked
jokingly impatient.
We headed to join our friends on the
couch, but I stopped dead in my tracks.
“Guys? I think I'll take a rain check on the
Parks and Recreation today.” I said,
gathering my things.
“Why?” Jonathan questioned.
“Are you leaving?” Davis asked.
“Yes.” They all turned their heads to me
as I spoke. “I'm going to Josh's apartment.”
“What?” Davis's jaw dropped, and the
mood in the room quickly intensified.
“I'm going to break up with him.”
“Really?” Jonathan added, confused.
“Are you serious?” Jeremiah asked,
clapping. The others joined, and soon, they
were all three clapping ecstatically.
“I get a round of applause, but no
standing ovation?” I teased. “Not at all fair.”
I headed towards the hallway leading to the
apartment door, inching away from my
obnoxiously happy friends before they had
the chance to take me literally and stand to
258
the chance to takeFalling Twice and stand to
me literally
their feet.
“Come back after you're done for a glass
of champagne!” Jonathan joked.
“No underage drinking in this
apartment!” Jeremiah sarcastically snapped
at his brother.
“I think I'll just head home after and take
some time for emotional recovery.” I
responded, laughing. “Thanks for lunch.”
“No problem. Good luck.” Jeremiah
called after me as I headed for the door.
“Don't let him get to you, Liv!” Davis
yelled as I closed the door.
I headed down the elevator, into the
lobby, and out the front doors of the elegant
apartment building and paced my way up
the sidewalk to Rubin Hall, Josh's dorm.
Luckily, it was also nearby, sparing me the
trouble of a long walk in the searing summer
heat. Step after step, my thoughts began to
recollect themselves, and I began to think-
why did I suddenly decide to do this? I
hadn't even contemplated my decision; it
just flew out of my mouth like a bat flying
out of hell. I was walking into this totally
blind. Ten minutes ago, I wanted to give
Josh a chance, and now I was going to his
dorm room unannounced to bring bad
259
 Falling Twice
dorm room unannounced to bring bad
news. It sounded as if we were finally
flipping roles.
“Should I call him?” I said out loud to
myself. My thoughts were becoming so
overbearing that I accidentally vocalized
them. I felt bad for not giving him a
warning. What was I doing? What made me
want to do this?
I finally arrived at Rubin Hall, and as I
swept through the glass doors and into the
wood paneled lobby, I caught a glimpse of
Washington Square Park. Man, a chicken
taco would've worked wonders for my
confidence. I took steps of certainty up the
staircase until I reached Josh's floor, and
when I reached his door, I knocked on it
three times firmly.
From the inside of the dorm, I could hear
the television and loud, rambunctious
laughter. Realizing that Josh hadn't heard
me, I knocked again with more conviction.
The television suddenly muted and I
heard footsteps approaching the door. A
few seconds passed, and I assumed he was
looking through the peephole. A voice I
didn't recognize called from behind the
door.
“Sawyer, there's a girl out here! I think
260
 “Sawyer, there'sFalling
a girlTwice
out here! I think
she might be yours.”
“Olivia's here?” I heard Josh's voice
faintly from the inside of the room.
“Hell, I don't know who she is! Blonde
hair, tan, tall as fuck?”
“That's her!” He said.
“-Tight skirt...” His roommate continued,
and I felt my mouth twitch. I reached down
and yanked the hem of my skirt.
“Nick! That'll do!” Josh raised his voice,
rightfully interrupting the man. “Keep
quiet, too.” Josh flung the door open. “Hey,
baby!” He called, leaning down and pecking
me on the lips. The bi er taste of alcohol
found its way into my mouth, but I
shrugged it off. “Come on in. I didn't expect
you, but I can call in some lunch, or-”
“I've already eaten.” I said hastily. “And
don't worry, I won't be staying long.” I
walked in to his dorm room, which was
white washed, small, and smelled of alcohol.
I glanced at Nick, Josh's roommate, and
mustered a faint smile out of cordiality. He
was holding a beer bo le, and there was a
half empty case si ing on the kitchen table.
“Looks like somebody's been doing some
day drinking.” I said, a tinge of
disappointment buried in the tone of my
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 Falling Twice
disappointment buried in the tone of my
voice.
“Barely.” Josh chuckled. “Just watching
some TV, got a li le bored.” Seeing my flat
expression, he quickly scouted for a subject
change. “So, what brought you here?”
“I just needed to take care of...
something.” I said, making up my case
against him mentally.
“What? Something bad?” He began to
look concerned, leaning against his
refrigerator and crossing his arms.
“That all depends on your perspective.” I
said smartly, nodding. “Can we talk in
private?”
“Sure.” Josh turned to his roommate.
“Nick, lock yourself in the bathroom for a
few minutes please.”
“I was about to do that anyway!” He
chuckled boisterously, bumbling to the
bathroom. “You two behave!” He slammed
the door behind him, and I found my eyes
rolling naturally.
Josh led me to couch, and I sat down
facing him, planning on cu ing to the chase.
“I was thinking back on the past few weeks,
and-”
“I've been a asshole, I know. I'll admit to
that.” He said, cu ing me off mid-sentence,
262
that.” He said, cuFalling
ing meTwice
off mid-sentence,
a known pet-peeve of mine. I tilted my head
slightly and winced, hoping he'd notice my
disapproval of his behavior.
“Can I continue?”
“Yes.” He said modestly.
“We've fought a lot, Josh.” I said
reasonably. “We've never been happy
together, and you're always complaining
about my friends. You make me feel
restrained.”
“I can see how you'd feel that way.” He
nodded.
“Good.” At least he was cooperating.
“You're not considerate, and-”
“That may be going a bit too far.” He cut
in.
“This is exactly what I'm talking about!” I
said, the volume of my voice increasing
along with my frustration. “You keep
interrupting me to defend yourself!”
“I just want to make my point!”
“I want to make my point too! That's why
I came here randomly when we haven't
spoken for a week!” I yelled, and Josh fell
silent. “I think we need to break up. We're
obviously not good for each other. This is a
perfect example.” I stood to go, wanting to
leave before he debated the ma er.
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 Falling Twice

“Wait, Olivia.” He said, stopping me as I

stood and brushed off my skirt.
“Yes?”
“I want to fight for you.” Josh stood up
and walked directly in front of me, placing a
hand on my arm. Our faces were
dangerously close.
“Well, you've been doing plenty of
fighting.” I pushed him back softly and
turned away from him, but his hand
grabbed my shoulder. He spun me around
to face him once again, and he placed his
other hand on my other shoulder. I was
effectively trapped. “Josh, let me leave,
please.”
“No. I won't.” He shook his head and
stared me in the eyes. “Not until you
understand that I'll do everything in my
power to keep you by my side.”
“Damn it, let me go!” I pulled against his
grasp, but he wasn't relenting.
“Olivia! I will change for you! I'll change
for you!” He shook me, and he maintained
his stare into my eyes. “I will change. I will
do anything.”
“You wouldn't sacrifice a sliver of your
lifestyle for anyone.” I said bi erly, growing
more and more angry by the minute. “Now
264
more and more angryFallingby
Twice
the minute. “Now
let me go, Josh.” He continued staring. “Let
me go!”
“I love you Olivia! I won't let you walk
out on me like this!”
“God, you're psychotic!” I tried to resist
him, but it wasn't working.
“Stop fighting me and listen, Olivia. Hear
my side, please!” Josh pleaded, and
something in his voice beckoned me to hear
him out. I remained silent. “You've been
misinterpreting the things I do for you.”
Josh said, his grip on my arms loosening.
“They may seem overbearing, inconsiderate,
or even rude, but it's all out of my feelings
for you, Olivia.”
I took a moment to consider. As I stared
into his blue eyes, I saw a fraction of truth
and emotion, a part of him that was reaching
out to me. Maybe he was right.
“Think about it.” Josh continued. “The
Mets tickets? You got mad because I barged
in. I was excited.” He gave a small, warm
smile. “Sure, it wasn't your team, but I
wanted to share the moment with you.”
One of his hands slid down my arm, and I
had the chance to leave, but I couldn't bring
myself to do it. Hearing his perspective
made me feel like a first class jerk. “I-”
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 Falling Twice

“On July fourth? I was coming over to see

you on a holiday.” Josh added. “Sure, I was
a dick...” He reasoned truthfully. “However,
I was mad because you lied to me. Do you
understand?” He asked pleadingly.
Recounting the events he mentioned, I
realized that he might have been right. I'd
never taken the time to walk in his shoes, I
was always immediately defensive and
irritable. Was I the problem in this
relationship? As I felt Josh's grip soften, I
felt mine tighten. My hand was now in his,
and I was grasping it tightly. His blue eyes
formed an abyss that I thoughtlessly fell
into, and as I felt his arms wrap around my
waist, I didn't care to repel from him. It was
almost as if I were unconscious.
“I'm... sorry.” I said softly under my
breath, as if I didn't want anyone to hear my
moment of weakness.
Josh smiled and leaned down to kiss me,
and as the kiss drew out longer, my mind
worked. Josh hadn't done anything wrong,
it was all me. I'd acted like a total snob to
[Link] hadn't he broken up with me by
now?
As he pushed me down on the couch, I
realized why.
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 Falling Twice

Great.
I hadn't done this in a long time. Anthony
wasn't much of a kisser, and neither was my
boyfriend before him, so I tended to run
from the heated situations. Josh was still
kissing me aggressively, and his hands
quickly moved from one spot to the next.
Being an overthinker, my mind kicked into
overdrive and I suddenly forgot I was even
kissing him, but when I felt his cold hands
on the skin under my shirt, I snapped out of
my trance.
“Wait-”
“Shh.” He mu ered quietly, taking li le
time to lift his lips from mine.
I wasn't uncomfortable. For Pete's sake, a
grown woman shouldn't shy away from
kissing. However, something didn't feel
right... Was it because I didn't want my skirt
to wrinkle? Then I thought- wow, I am
surely not dressed for this occasion.
Unsurprisingly, Josh didn't seem to care at
all. His hand slipped further up my shirt,
and it would undoubtedly only be a couple
of moments before his curious hands found
their way up my skirt.
“Josh.” I stopped him
“What?” He looked up at me with hungry
267
 Falling up
“What?” He looked Twice
at me with hungry
eyes, and we blankly exchanged looks for a
moment.
“Josh, I'm coming out now! If you haven't
done it by now, you're taking too long.” His
roommate made a muffled cry from the
bathroom and emerged randomly. We
scrambled to sit back up straight, but failed
to look innocent.
“Nick, why don't you give a li le more of
a warning next time?” Josh fussed, pushing
his fingers through his hair quickly.
His roommate gave a drunk laugh. “Oh,
did I interrupt?” He joked, before giving
Josh a high-five. “You're the man! Ha!”
Was it just me, or were they acting like
children?
I stood to go, and Josh saw me out with a
brief kiss. He probably would've made it
longer, but Nick was jeering loudly behind
us. “I'm sorry about him.” He laughed.
“It's fine. Might want to take the alcohol
away from him.”
“I might just do that.” He smiled and
laughed. “Hey-” He called to me as I turned
to go. “Thanks for hearing my side.”
“Of course.” I smiled quaintly, and with
one last wave, I turned and walked down
the stairs of Rubin Hall. As I emerged onto
268
the stairs of RubinFalling
[Link]
As I emerged onto
the city street and pushed my glasses onto
my nose, my thoughts ran wild once again.
How in the world would I make my case
to Davis, Jonathan, and Jeremiah?

269
 Falling Twice

CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Par Five, Cloud Nine
Wednesday, July 15th
I woke up to several loud knocks on the
door. Why I couldn't enjoy a peaceful
morning is one of life's many unsolvable
mysteries.
“Olivia, are you awake?” Davis asked, her
tired voice muffled by her pillow.
“No.”
“Oh, okay.” She said, before turning over
and sliding deeper under her covers. A few
silent seconds passed by. Neither of us had
been willing to sacrifice the warmth of our
beds to get the door.
The person outside the door knocked
again.
“Don't get that.” Davis said flatly.

270
 Falling Twice

“Why?”
“We're going golfing. We don't have time
to take visitors.”
“Golfing?!” I sat up straight in my bed.
“You know I've never golfed before.”
“Jonathan invited us to go.”
“I'll make a fool out of myself.” I said, not
at all exaggerating.
“Since when have you cared about doing
that? Regardless, I'm sure someone will be
willing to help you.” Davis said, still
bundled in her comforter.
“Let me guess. Someone isn't you?”
“Someone isn't me. I have to focus all of
my energy on beating Jonathan. You
should've heard all of the smack talk he was
dishing out over the phone.”
“That would be interesting to see.” I
laughed, having intentionally forgo en
about the person at the door. It was before
eight o'clock, and anyone that made a visit
before then was asking to be ignored. To
their knowledge, we were still sleeping. “It
sounds like I should stay behind.” I
reasoned. “I'd love to go, but the three of
you already know how to play. I'd just slow
you all down.”
“Oh, please.” Davis huffed and rolled
271
 Falling huffed
“Oh, please.” Davis Twice and rolled

over to face me. “Jeremiah already agreed to

help you.”
“Easier said than done.” I remarked
before hearing my phone buzz. It was Josh.
Please open your door, I know you're
awake. I can hear you talking.
“Damn these thin walls.” I said, rising out
of bed with an eye roll.
“What is it?” Davis suddenly seemed
more interested, si ing up in her bed to get
a be er grip on the situation.
“Josh is outside the door and he can hear
us talking. He knows we're awake.”
“Who cares?”
“Oh, cut it out.” I said with a laugh. It
had been six days since my a empted
breakup with Josh. All of my wishes to keep
our continued relationship a secret failed as
soon as I walked through the door of the
dorm. Davis had pelted me with questions
immediately, and I couldn't make myself lie
to her. She wasn't pleased with the news.
Then it hit me.
“Davis, I can't go today!”
“Haven't we already had this
conversation?”
“No, you don't understand! Jeremiah and
Jonathan don't know I'm still with Josh!” I
272
Jonathan don't knowFallingI'm
Twice
still with Josh!” I
was suddenly frantic.
“You didn't tell them?”
“No, I didn't tell them! I was afraid of
how they'd react.” I took a deep breath. “If I
go today, they'll probably mention Josh. I
can't lie to them.”
“So what? You need to tell them
eventually. Why not tell them today? The
longer you wait to tell them, the angrier
they'll be when they find out.” Davis said.
“Maybe you're right.” I nodded. “I'll go,
but I'm not telling them until the timing is
right.”
Josh knocked on the door again.
“You'd be er get that.”
I sleepily walked into the kitchen, peering
out of the peephole merely by habit. Sure
enough, Josh was standing outside waiting,
holding a bag of food. He'd brought
breakfast. I pulled the door open.
“Good morning.” I said with a smile,
watching Josh's face light up.
“I would say the same to you, but it
sounds like you've been up for a while.” He
joked, running a hand through his blond
hair.
“Oh, hush.” I responded as Josh bent
down, kissing me. “You have a lot of nerve
273
down, kissing [Link]
“YouTwice
have a lot of nerve
coming here this early.” I laughed, allowing
him inside.
“I know, you're not a morning person. At
least I brought biscuits.” Josh walked across
our dorm to the kitchen table, placing the
bag on the surface before pulling out a chair.
“What are your plans today?”
“Well, I don't-”
“We're going golfing.” Davis said,
interrupting me and entering the kitchen.
“Golfing? I never took you for golfers.”
Josh smiled, facing Davis. “Come and sit
down, I brought you a biscuit.”
“How thoughtful of you.” Davis's face
brightened. I hoped that Josh's kind gesture
boosted his seemingly unpopular reputation
with Davis.
“Oh, this is nothing.” He smiled. “So,
what country club do you guys have
memberships to?” Josh asked, watching us
bite into our breakfast.
“Oh, we don't.” Davis said. “We're riding
on a guest membership today.”
Here we go. I shot Davis a look,
narrowing my eyes and signaling for her to
keep quiet. Bringing up Jeremiah and
Jonathan was bound to raise a li le tension.
Josh seemed intrigued. “A guest
274
 Falling Twice
Josh seemed intrigued. “A guest
membership? Who's taking you?”
I mentally pleaded for Davis to stay quiet,
but there was really no way to truthfully
evade Josh's question. I braced myself.
“Tiger Woods.” Davis said, tilting her
head and dishing a sarcastic smile.
“No, really. Who?” Josh's eyes stayed
connected with hers as if she were about to
tell a life-altering secret.
“Ben Hogan.”
“He's dead.” Josh retorted, raising his
right eyebrow suspiciously.
“Wow, I was never aware that you knew
so much about golf history! How often do
you play?” Davis said enthusiastically. It
was all I could do to hold in a laugh.
“Smooth subject change.” Josh said
blankly. “Now answer my question.”
“We're going with Jonathan and
Jeremiah. They invited us.” I piped in,
deciding to be bold. If he wouldn't approve
of my friends, we didn't belong together. I
finished my last bite of biscuit before
standing to throw away the wrapper.
“Oh, really?” Josh said, nodding slowly.
“That should be good. I've heard the elites
are great at country club sports.”
“I've heard the elites are great at lots of
275
 “I've heard the Falling
elites Twice
are great at lots of
things.” I said, completely pu ing down
Josh's a empt at a barbed comment.
“Also, Olivia, they'll be here to get us at
nine. We need to be ge ing ready. Thanks
for breakfast, Josh.” Davis rushed off,
holding in a laugh. She had to get out of the
kitchen before she started cackling.
“No problem.” He called after her as she
disappeared into our room. I watched as
Josh stood to face me. “I guess I'd be er get
going.” He said softly, placing a hand on the
small of my back. “I wanted to take you out
today, but I guess that can wait until later.”
Josh's face fell slightly. My heart sank.
“Hey, don't give me that look.” I put a
hand on his cheek, and we locked eyes. “I'll
make this up to you later.”
“Promise?” He smirked at me.
“Promise.” I nodded. “And... Thank you
for not ge ing angry at me.” I figured that if
I thanked him for his good moments, he'd
recreate them more often.
“Liv, there's nothing for me to be angry
about. You're just going to be with your
friends.” Josh reassured me before leaning
in and kissing my forehead. “Have fun.”
“I will.” I smiled at Josh. His sudden
sweetness came as a shock, but I was really
276
sweetness came asFalling Twicebut I was really
a shock,
liking and appreciating his maturity. “I have
to get in the shower.”
“Can I come?” He jokingly asked, placing
two hands on my waist.
“Don't be silly.”
“Wow, le ing me down twice in one day?
Go easy on me.” He said with a laugh.
“Now you're just making me feel bad.
Kiss and make up?”
“I'd be stupid to turn that down.” A grin
spread across Josh's face as he leaned
forward and locked his lips with mine. “I'll
see you soon.”
With a final wave, I turned to get in the
shower. I didn't have much time to get
ready, and I assumed he could see himself
out.
“So, let me get this straight.” Jeremiah
said, his voice carrying unmistakable shock.
“You thought I was dating Madeline?” He
let out a hysterical laugh.
“Yes.” I said, humiliatingly. “We saw you
hugging her and jumped to conclusions.” I
tugged uncomfortably on the seat belt that
tightened around my neck when Jonathan
made a sudden stop.
“Don't assume. It makes an ass out of
277
 “Don't [Link] Twicean ass out of
It makes
you.” Jeremiah concluded, cu ing the
phrase short, likely by design.
“I believe the phrase goes 'Don't assume,
it makes an ass out of you and me.'“ Davis
corrected smartly, enunciating the words
Jeremiah decided not to include.
“I know that.” He addressed briefly
before turning on his phone and scrolling
through the music library. “This is probably
an appropriate time to share my favorite
song with you all.”
Suddenly, the car's stereo erupted into
song, playing Kissing Cousins by Elvis
Presley.
“I hate every single one of you.” I
mu ered, his cleverness preventing me from
holding back my laughter.
Minutes later, Jonathan, Jeremiah, Davis
and I stepped out of the car and into the
Long Island breeze. It was an overcast day,
and rays of sunlight were softly penetrating
the thick layer of clouds. Insightfully,
Jeremiah and Jonathan took advantage of
the conditions and dragged us to Sebonack
Golf Club in Southampton.
Jonathan confidently rounded to the trunk
of the car and began to unload the gear.
“Jeremiah, here's your bag.” He said,
278
“Jeremiah, here's Falling
your Twice
bag.” He said,
hoisting an elaborate tan leather bag from
the trunk and into the arms of his brother,
who was wearing a black polo shirt, black
shorts, a black Callaway cap, black shoes,
and black sunglasses.
“Jeremiah, is your outfit's color scheme
symbolic of the loss you'll be taking?” Davis
trash-talked, briefing herself for the
competition. She used to play golf for sport
and was energized for competition.
“Actually, it represents my inner urges to
commit homicide in order to win the game.”
He casually retorted, looking out into the
vibrant and manicured golf course.
“I have never felt more vulnerable in my
life.” Davis said as Jonathan leaned over in
the trunk to collect more golf gear.
I obviously didn't have a golf bag. In fact,
I doubt I was properly dressed. Much like
Jeremiah, Jonathan wore a polo shirt and
shorts. They each donned similar accessories
and both had on golfing shoes. I, however,
was wearing Nike athletic clothes and tennis
shoes. Even though Davis was more
experienced than me, her look was similar.
When she was packing for New York, she
didn't expect to be golfing, so she hadn't
packed her gear. In fact, she didn't even
279
packed her gear. InFalling
fact,Twice
she didn't even
have her clubs, so Jonathan and Jeremiah let
Davis borrow their mother's.
“Here's your bag, Davis.” Jonathan said,
conclusively shu ing the trunk as Davis
swung the bag over her shoulder.
The four of us trudged from the parking
lot towards the clubhouse, though it more
closely favored a mansion. It was a
towering, sprawling, cream-colored building
with several towers, terraces, and an
unmistakable New England feeling. From
what I could tell, the whole club looked like
it could be the subject of an oil painting. The
clubhouse itself was a masterpiece, but
when paired with the expansive green
course, blue skies, and socialite a endees,
the whole scene transformed into a picture-
perfect se ing.
After a minute or two of walking, Davis
already looked bogged down. “Lead me to
your Range Rover golf cart. I can't carry this
around much longer.”
“We'll get to that.” Jonathan said in
response. “First we have to sign you in as
guests.”
“Wait, you actually have a Range Rover
golf cart?” Davis, like me, had stopped
acting surprised. However, even I knew
280
 Falling Twice even I knew
acting surprised. However,
Jonathan was joking.
Jeremiah saw me roll my eyes and laugh
at Davis's comment, and he leaned in my
direction. “Let her believe we do. She'll be
terribly disappointed when she sees the
Jarvis family E-Z-Go Club Car.” He said
quietly, and we shared a laugh.
The inside of the clubhouse was
unsurprisingly as stunning as the exterior.
Upon entering, we were greeted with a
spiraling grand staircase and towering foyer,
and as we toured further back, the elegant
rooms continued to impress me. The
decoration was extremely lavish and well
kept, seemingly untouched by the members
of the club.
“This place must have one hell of a
cleaning staff.” I remarked, taking in my
surroundings.
“It's about the size of an army, to be
honest.” Jonathan said as we approached
the large, oak front desk.
Jeremiah and Jonathan signed us in as
guests before leading us behind the
clubhouse to the golf carts. As predicted,
Davis was less than impressed after she
noticed we were walking towards a
standard issue, six-seater golf cart, but she
281
 Falling Twice
standard issue, six-seater golf cart, but she
was glad to finally get her bag off of her
shoulder. The four of us piled in. Jeremiah
drove, claiming he had the most experience,
and Jonathan sat shotgun. Davis and I were
offered the passenger seat, but we both
agreed it was ten times more fun to hang
our feet off of the back.
As we drove along towards the first hole,
the scent of freshly mowed grass drifted into
my nose. The course covered a huge
expanse of secluded, private property, and
since it was a Wednesday morning, most of
the land was vacant. It was eerily quiet, but
extremely peaceful and serene.
“You two hanging on back there?”
Jeremiah asked from the driver's seat of the
well-used club car.
“Yeah, but a few minutes ago, Davis
almost slid off on accident. Other than that,
we're fine.” I called back.
“She was probably trying to jump off.
She's probably so scared of losing to me that
she'd rather jump off the cart and fall to her
death.” Jonathan reasoned, continuing the
lame trash-talk he and Davis had
entertained all day long.
“This isn't the first time Davis has been
close to death on a golf course.” I added,
282
close to death on aFalling
golf Twice
course.” I added,
reflecting back to a time when Davis was
two and I was four. Our families had gone
on a camping trip and went to play pu -
pu . Davis accidentally fell headfirst into a
pond next to the course. If our parents
hadn't seen her, she could've drowned.
Jonathan laughed. “You'd think she
would've learned her lesson the first time!”
He apparently thought I was kidding. “This
time around, she'll definitely die. Playing
golf with me is a death sentence.”
“Jonathan, she's not kidding. When I was
li le, I almost drowned in a pond while
playing pu -pu . I couldn't swim yet.”
Davis informed him, holding in a laugh.
“Wait- are you serious?” He turned
around the face us, lowering his glasses
down his nose and looking over the top of
them. “That really happened?!”
“Yes.” I affirmed, laughing. “I was there.”
“What the hell!” Jonathan seemed
shocked. “Now I feel like an asshole!”
“You are!” Davis responded as Jeremiah
slowed the cart down. We had reached the
first hole.
“We have arrived.” Jeremiah
ceremoniously declared, throwing the dingy
cart into park and hopping out, throwing his
283
cart into park andFalling Twiceout, throwing his
hopping
bag over his shoulder as the rest of us
followed.
Jeremiah, Davis, and Jonathan all saw this
as an opportunity for competition, but I saw
it as an empty field. Golf had never
interested me, but I was willing to give it a
shot. No pun intended.
Jeremiah pulled a driver from his bag and
practiced a few swings alongside Jonathan
to warm up. Soon after, he walked over to
me. I was hanging awkwardly by the cart,
looking on with dread. I didn't want to
make a fool out of myself, but sure enough,
Jeremiah marched towards me in his all-
black outfit. He looked like the bearer of bad
news.
“Come on, Olivia. I'll show you how to
swing a driver.” Jeremiah said, approaching
me and adjusting his hat.
“I don't know about this.” I said,
reluctance resonating in my voice.
“I'm not giving you a choice. Come on.”
He said assertively but playfully, crossing
his arms.
“I'm just going to humiliate myself, and
I'll slow you down in the process.” I stated.
“I'm perfectly content just watching.”
“Yes, but I'm not perfectly content with
284
 “Yes, but I'm notFalling Twice content with
perfectly
you watching. You're not leaving here today
until you've made a hole in one.” Jeremiah
kidded.
“We'll be here a while, then.”
“That statement holds true every time we
come here.” Jeremiah flatly commented,
turning briefly to watch Jonathan and Davis
complete their warm-ups. “Come on.”
“Jeremiah, I-”
“Don't be stubborn. I always win stand-
offs” He interrupted, facing me and placing
two hands around my wrists. “I'll drag you
over there. The only thing that could make
this be er is handcuffs.”
“If I had a dollar for every time someone
told me that...” I cleverly retorted, receiving
a laugh from Jeremiah.
“Clever, I'll give you that.” Jeremiah said
with a smirk before pulling me to his golf
bag. He obviously didn't trust me to walk
there on my own.
Jeremiah showed me the proper stance
and demonstrated a few swings. I was a fast
learner so I was absorbing all of the
information, but the true test would be
applying my knowledge. I hoped I wouldn't
have to do that for a while.
Soon enough, Jonathan teed off. We both
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 Falling Twice
Soon enough, Jonathan teed off. We both
stopped momentarily to see how his shot
turned out.
“Good one, Jonathan!” Jeremiah cheered
at his brother. “Remember, this hole is par-
four, and there are two sand traps the ball
has to travel over.”
“Tell me something I don't know.”
Jonathan said, laughing at Davis, who was
mocking his cocky a itude.
While Jonathan and Davis took their
turns, Jeremiah continued to show me the
basics.
“I want you to try swinging.” Jeremiah
said. “Come here.” He beckoned me
towards him, placing his driver in my
hands. “Try what I showed you.”
“This is a lost cause.” I said, lacking
confidence in myself as I took the stance
Jeremiah had shown me.
“I don't think so.” He said, coming
towards me to help me with my grip.
“Remember this?” He asked me, taking the
driver and repositioning it in my hands,
referencing the grip he had shown me
earlier. I could tell he really enjoyed
teaching me.
I finally got the right grip. “Good.”
Jeremiah complemented. “Now emulate my
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 Falling Twice
Jeremiah complemented. “Now emulate my
swings.”
“Again, that's easier said than done.”
“It's a lot like a backhand in tennis, just a
bit more extended.” Jeremiah said. “You can
do it. Try it.”
“If you say so.” I tightened my grip on the
driver and swung it up behind me,
following through the best I could. It was
my first time playing something other than
pu -pu , and holding a full sized club and
swinging it up behind you was harder than
it looked on first sight.
“That was good!” Jeremiah said, nodding.
“Let me show you one way to make your
swing feel more natural.” He said. Jeremiah
walked behind me, and at first, I thought he
was hugging me. He reached his arms
around me and grabbed onto the driver.
“Keep your hands on it. I want to walk you
through this.”
I stood and received Jeremiah's
instruction as he taught me how to shift my
weight mid-shot. As he slowly guided me
through the motions, the scent of his cologne
wafted into my nose. We were extremely
close, but there was no other way for him to
demonstrate what he was trying to say.
“As soon as you hit the ball, keep
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 “As soon as youFalling Twice
hit the ball, keep
following through and shift your weight.”
He said, following his words with a guided
simulation. “The more natural the shot feels,
the more successful it will be.” He said in
my ear. “Are you nervous?” He laughed.
“Your hands are fidgeting.”
“Yes, I'm nervous.” I swallowed hard,
pondering his question. I had to think of
why I was nervous. “I'm a perfectionist. I
can't stand to get things wrong.” That
sounded reasonable enough.
“Eh, everyone starts somewhere.”
Jeremiah shrugged. “Plus, I know you hate
golf. Davis told me. I'm surprised you
haven't quit on me yet.” He laughed and
smirked at me, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Hey, I'm actually enjoying it. It's less
boring than I thought it would be.”
“You still think it's boring though, don't
you?” He asked.
“No.” I lied. “Definitely not!”
“Yes, you do. I can tell.” Jeremiah
laughed, obviously reading right through
me. “Admit it.”
“Fine. The sport is boring.” I confessed.
“But spending time with you isn't, so I'm
not complaining.” I ran a hand through my
hair, glancing towards the teeing ground.
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 Falling the
hair, glancing towards Twiceteeing ground.

Davis was lining up and preparing to swing.

“I have a secret to tell you.” Jeremiah
said, coming closer to me and leaning down
level with my ear. Simultaneously, I heard
the tock of the golf ball as Davis swung. “I
think it's boring, too. I just like driving the
golf carts.”
“Jeremiah, your turn to tee off!” Davis
called from the teeing ground, a slightly
agitated look on her face. Her shot had
apparently been less successful than
Jonathan's.
“I'll make this quick.” Jeremiah said,
taking the driver from me. With a wink, he
headed to the tee box, but he didn't make it
far before stopping in his tracks and turning
back to me. “Actually? Come here.”
“Excuse me?” I asked, crossing my arms
and remaining stubborn.
“You're playing in my spot.”
“Ha! Hell no!” I chuckled at the thought.
“Don't make me carry you over here.” He
raised an eyebrow, pleading with me from
the tee box.
“You wouldn't.” I said, seemingly daring
him to do so.
“You obviously don't know me very
well.”
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“Olivia, just listen to him.” Davis said,

watching the playful argument unfolding.
She and Jonathan were standing by the golf
cart. “If you play, I'll have less competition.”
The four of us shared a laugh before I
finally gave in to Jeremiah's request. He
stepped back and let me swing in his place,
and, as expected, it went terribly. He asked
for it. As soon as I teed off, we all hopped in
the club car and drove further up the first
hole of the course to continue the game.
Jonathan and Davis were continuing their
smack talk, shouting at each other over the
noisy electric whir of the golf cart.
Our brief ride ended when Jonathan
jumped out of the cart while it was still
moving. Personally, I had no clue how he
got so excited over a game of golf. Our game
had hardly started, and I already realized
why I always thought it was boring. It takes
forever to play. Watching paint dry might
take less time.
Jonathan was first, so he approached his
ball and strategically analyzed his next
move. Meanwhile, Jeremiah and I hung
back. He decided to quickly give me a few
more pointers.
“You see that sand over there?” He said,
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 Falling
“You see that sand Twicethere?” He said,
over
pointing off in the distance.
“Yes.”
“You're going to have to swing over that.
Sand traps are the worst.”
“Well, you see? There's only one
problem.” I reasoned, biting my lip.
“What might that be?”
“That sand is about four miles away. If
I'm playing, it's going to take about fifteen
turns for me to even reach the sand hole.”
“I'm not even going to correct you on
your golf terminology.” Jeremiah decided,
laughing at my blatant lack of knowledge.
“Good idea.” I looked down at my feet
and grinned.
Jonathan made his shot, which was
unsurprisingly successful. “Good Nelly.” I
heard Davis frustratedly mu er to herself as
she watched Jonathan's shot, walking in the
direction of her ball.
Davis planted her feet adjacent to the ball
after looking out towards the flag, mentally
planning her shot. She took a deep breath,
perfected her grip, and swung. I followed
the ball with my eyes, finding myself
shocked as her ball soared over the sand
trap and landed safely on the turf,
significantly surpassing Jonathan's ball.
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 Falling Twice

“SHIT! DID SHE JUST DO THAT?”

Jeremiah yelled excitedly, eyeing the ball in
disbelief. I was really glad the course was
mostly vacant because it allowed us to be
obnoxious.
“HOT DAMN!” I yelled along. Even
though I didn't know much about golf, I still
knew she was beating Jonathan.
“DAMN IT!” Jonathan shouted from
nearby, evidently not expecting for Davis to
one-up him. Davis stuck her tongue out in
response.
“Suck on that!” She yelled, as Jeremiah
and I chuckled at their relentless smack talk.
“It's your turn.” Jeremiah said,
lightheartedly nudging me with his elbow.
“Don't remind me.”
Jeremiah accompanied me to the ball,
placing his hands on my shoulders to help
properly position me. “This requires aim.”
He advised from close behind me.
“No, it doesn't.” I bravely claimed. “I'm
going to make this shot by randomly
swinging in that direction.” I pointed
towards the flag that marked the first hole.
“Watch me.”
“Ha! Good luck.” He laughed. “This
should be interesting.” Jeremiah crossed his
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 Falling Twice
should be interesting.” Jeremiah crossed his
arms and stepped back as I recklessly raised
the club and swung at the ball with it. It
ended up completely off course, smacked a
tree, and ricocheted into a nearby pond.
Jonathan, Davis, and Jeremiah all burst
into laughter, and I joined them. I wasn't
afraid of laughing at myself. “Holy shit.
That was BEAUTIFUL!” Jeremiah
cheered, clapping his hands. Jonathan and
Davis joined, still cackling at my shot that
went awry.
“I wish I were as great as you, Olivia. You
are my idol.” Jonathan sarcastically added.
“No kidding. Someone put her in golf
clothes and get her in the U.S. Women's
Open.” Jeremiah said. “They need someone
to brighten up the competition.” He looked
at me with a grin, and simultaneously,
Davis shot me a look. I brushed it off.
“Wait, does this mean I'm out of the
game?” I asked, reflecting on my shot and
approaching my friends, who had
congregated by the cart.
“Sadly not.” Davis answered. “It means
you have to play a provisional ball.”
“I don't know what that is, but it sounds
violently boring.” I jokingly concluded as
Jeremiah's phone buzzed.
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 Falling Twice

“It is. Now you see the importance of

aim!” He said, pulling his phone from his
pocket. “Hold on, I'm going to check this.”
He stepped away from the group to respond
to the text message, and Davis, Jonathan,
and I started to load up the golf cart.
The three of us hopped in and waited on
Jeremiah, who was slowly making his way
to the cart, staring down at his phone with a
perplexed look on his face. “Jay, hurry up!”
Jonathan called to his brother. “I need to
finish this hole before Davis, and the longer
we wait, the older I get.”
Ah, great. More pathetically weak trash
talk.
We all expected Jeremiah to laugh, put his
phone away, respond with a sarcastic
comment, and rush back to the cart, but
instead, he ignored his brother entirely and
continued staring at his phone screen with
confusion. He almost looked angry. Soon
enough, he reached the cart and sat in the
driver's seat. He turned the key in silence
and drove up the path without saying a
word. All of us were too confused to speak
at first, but Jonathan decided to break the
silence.
“What's wrong with you all of a sudden?”
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 “What's wrongFalling
with Twice
you all of a sudden?”
He looked at his brother, who was blankly
looking out of the windshield of the club car.
“Nothing! I'm fine.” He said, an oddly
false tone in his voice. When we reached our
destination, he parked the cart, silently rose
from the driver's seat, grabbed his bag, and
walked out onto the turf. Davis and I
exchanged looks. Something was definitely
not right.
“I have no clue what his problem is.”
Jonathan whispered to us. “His mood just
changed all of a sudden.”
“What was he reading on his phone?”
Davis asked. We all knew that whatever
was on his phone screen was the explanation
for his sudden change in a itude.
“Beats me.” Jonathan shrugged.
“Whatever. I need to focus all of my
a ention on kicking your ass.” He said to
Davis. “I'll be over here, figuring out how
I'm going to hit under par.” Jonathan
walked off towards his ball.
Davis and I watched as Jonathan staged
himself for the shot, but most of my
a ention was on Jeremiah. He had moved
back to the golf cart and was leaning against
it, staring at his phone. Davis soon noticed
that I was watching him.
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 Falling Twice

“He was flirting with you.” She said

flatly, as if stating an obvious fact.
“No, he wasn't. He was just showing me
how to golf.”
“Keep telling yourself that.” She crossed
her arms and looked out at Jonathan with an
anticipatory smile plastered on her face.
“You seem to have forgo en that I have a
boyfriend.” I reminded her, amused by her
hilarious expression.
“And you seem to have forgo en that I
don't like him.” Davis added. “Now, will
you go back there and see what Jeremiah's
problem is? Golf isn't nearly as fun without
him shouting smart-ass remarks at us.”
I sighed. “I'll try and get to the bo om of
this.”
“Good luck.” Davis pa ed me on the
shoulder. “Sweet talk him if you have to.”
“Shut up.” I laughed, turning and
walking to Jeremiah, who was still propped
against the golf cart. His expression had
changed and almost looked sad.
As I approached him, he didn't look up at
me. Instead, he tapped his phone screen a
few times, as if readying it.
“Hey, Jeremiah...” I said cautiously as I
approached him. I was trying to handle this
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approached him. Falling
I was Twice
trying to handle this
as gently as possible. “What's wrong? We're
all worrie-”
“I have a question.” He interrupted me
bi erly, throwing me off guard. “When
were you going to tell me you're still dating
Josh?” He made eye contact with me, and it
felt like his eyes were burning holes through
me. I felt my whole body tense up.
“Oh my God.” I put a hand over my
mouth and looked around, rapidly
searching for ways to handle the mess I'd
made. “Jeremiah... I am so sorry...” These
words seemed weak and meaningless, but
they were true. I looked at Jeremiah, and his
gaze had redirected to a nearby tree. It was
obvious he was just blankly staring. I
wanted to know what was going on in his
head.
“I just don't understand, Olivia.” He
plainly stated, making it obvious that he'd
zoned out my apology. “Why would you
keep that from me? It doesn't make any
sense!”
“I just... I don't know. I was just waiting
for the right time. I had plans to tell you
today, but-”
“The right time? That's clichéd bullshit.”
He continued, voice rising in volume. “The
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He continued, voice Falling Twicein volume. “The
rising
right time was a long time ago. If you
wanted to tell me at the right time, you
shouldn't have waited for a week to pass,
Olivia!
“I know! I'm just-” I was flustered, but I
had a thought. “Wait. How did you find
out?”
“Ha! That's a funny story actually.”
Jeremiah said, turning on his phone. I
noticed his hands tremble slightly. It was
evident that he was extremely angry, and it
was scaring me. “I just got this text
message.” Jeremiah asserted, shoving his
phone in my direction.
As I expected, it was a message, and as I
read it, my heart dropped to the turf.
You're lucky I let her tag along today. You
be er watch yourself.
“Oh, God...” A hand flew to my forehead
as my thoughts raced, trying to make sense
of this situation. “How did he get your
phone number?” I asked Jeremiah, who was
sliding his phone into his pocket.
“God, I don't know, Olivia. Does that
really ma er?” He asked forcefully, staring
at me. Though he was angry, in his eyes I
saw a different emotion. Something tamer
and less harsh.
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 Falling Twice

“No, I'm just trying to make sense of it

all.” I pondered, before suddenly
understanding. Josh had go en Jeremiah's
number earlier that morning when I went to
take a shower. That bastard.
“So am I!” He scoffed, dramatically
tossing his hands up. “I'm trying to make
sense of why you're still with that selfish son
of a bitch! He's ignorant and controlling!
Why would you stay with someone like
that?”
“Jeremiah! Who I decide to associate
myself with is none of your business!”
“Yeah, okay. You obviously need
someone to guide you.” He let out a laugh
that had an unmistakable edge. “You know,
you're right. What right do I have to give
you advice? It's not like I'm one of your
closest friends!” He argued before breathing
in heavily and collecting himself. “Did
Davis know?”
“Yes.” I answered reluctantly.
“So other people get to know, just not
me.” Jeremiah was at the peak of his
frustration, and I didn't understand why he
was so fiercely angry. Yes, I should've told
him, but he didn't need to react in this way.
“I just want to be in the know, and I don't
299
“I just want to be Falling
in theTwice
know, and I don't
understand why you hid this from-”
In one quick moment, I collected enough
bravery to overpower his angry rants.
“Enough!” I yelled, grabbing the a ention
of both Jonathan and Davis. “You want to
know why I didn't tell you? I was afraid of
how you would react!” I shouted, tears
slowly creeping into my line of sight. “This
is why I didn't tell you!” I ran both of my
hands through my hair, taking a deep breath
to stop the tears that were forming in my
eyes.
I looked up at Jeremiah, and his angry
expression had been erased. He was looking
at me with pure sadness and remorse. His
eyes were wide, and to my surprise, they
remained trained on me. He seemed to be
reflecting on our conversation, and with
every passing second, it seemed he
increasingly regre ed snapping at me. After
a few silent moments, he looked down and
took a deep breath.
“Damn.” He sighed and looked up at me.
“You're exactly right. I proved my own
point.” He shook his head in self-
contemplation. “Why did I even get that
angry?” He asked himself, evidently trying
to sort out his own motives. A moment later,
300
to sort out his ownFalling Twice A moment later,
motives.
he glanced back up at me and noticed a tear
sliding down my cheek. Smoothly, he
stepped up to me and wiped it away with
one swipe of his thumb. “I can't have you
crying at my expense. I'm sorry Olivia.”
Jeremiah bent down and gave me a much-
deserved hug.
“Thank you.” I said. That was all I could
muster. I was still stunned by the scene that
had played out before me. One moment, he
was intensely angry, and the next, his
emotions flipped entirely. Regardless of
these things, I could tell his apology was
sincere.
“I won't make you play any more golf.”
He said, quickly changing the subject to
remove the tense vibes from the air. “Sorry I
made you play in the first place.” He
reached down and took the golf club from
my hands, walking away to the back of the
golf cart and grabbing an extra ball.
Jonathan and Davis were still staring at us
with puzzled looks, and my face was just as
confused as theirs. Why had he started such
an intense argument, and why had he ended
it so abruptly? How was I able to forgive
him so quickly? I was beyond confused, yet
I knew one thing. I wasn't angry at him. I
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I knew one [Link] Twiceangry at him. I
I wasn't
was angry at myself.
After my argument with Jeremiah, the
smack talk between Jonathan and Davis was
significantly less. I guess they sensed there
was too much tension in the air, and it
would be stupid to add to it. Even though
Jeremiah and I forgave each other, we were
still extremely tense for the rest of the day.
When we did talk, it was oddly awkward, so
I tried to keep my distance.
After we made our way through the
fourth hole of the course, the atmosphere
still hadn't cleared. Davis suggested that we
just play the front nine, cu ing game time in
half. Sometimes, you're most thankful for
the smallest gestures. Davis sacrificed her
potential victory just to get me out of an
awkward situation.
At the end of the day, I'd learned a few
things. Number one? Always shift your
weight when swinging a golf club. Number
two? Hi ing a ball out of bounds doesn't
put you out of the game. Number three?
Something was going on in Jeremiah Jarvis'
head, and I wanted to know what.

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