•Chapter 4•
I let out an aggravated groan when my cell phone alarm rings in my ear. I would naturally put the alarm on snooze and continue sleeping, and that would result in me making Ryan and I late to school. So to change that, I put my phone on the opposite side of my room, forcing me to get up to turn the alarm off.
I slapped my pillow over my face and lied in bed for a few more seconds before forcibly rolling out of my bed and trudging to the other side of my room. I grab my phone from the purple bean bag it was sitting on and turn the alarm off.
Thursday morning, the beginning of a terrible day of school.
I threw my phone on my bed before walking to the bathroom. I began my morning with taking a hot shower, washing my hair while I was at it.
When I step out of the shower, I wrap my body in a fuzzy towel and begin to blow dry my hair. After my hair was blow dried, which took about five minutes, I quickly brush my teeth and walk back to my room to change into some clothes.
I swings open my closet door and scan my eyes over all my clothes. I settle on a short sleeve, black top, maroon skinny jeans, and a pair of white converse.
Once I was done changing, I run back to the bathroom and brush through my blonde hair before putting it up in a high ponytail.
I overlooked my self in the mirror of a few seconds before running back to my room and slinging my plain, black book bag over my shoulder and grabbing my phone.
I walk down the hallway and begin to walk downstairs, making my way to the kitchen. As I walk down the stairs, I could already smell a mixed aroma of pancakes and eggs, making my mouth water. I quickened my pace down the stairs and walked to the kitchen.
"Good morning honey," my mom greets, turning away from the stove and kissing me on the forehead. "You and Ryan have to eat quick. The bus will be here in any moment."
I nod my head before grabbing a paper plate from the cabinet and stacking two warm pancakes on the plate. I then grab a bunch of huge spoonfuls of eggs and plopped them on my plate before sitting at the dining table next to Ryan.
I reach over and grabbed the maple syrup, drowning my pancakes in a never ending puddle of syrup. I then pick my fork up and shove some eggs into my mouth.
I saw from the corner of my eye that Ryan was giving me a look of disgust. "You're a pig," Ryan stated, shaking his head.
"Says the one who has ketchup on his pancakes," I reply, pointing my fork at his ketchup covered pancakes.
Ryan ignores me and continues to eat his breakfast, so I did the same.
Right as we got done eating, the bus comes to pick Ryan and I up. We say our goodbyes to our parents and got on the bus. When we get on the bus, I walk down the long aisle and notice that everyone was staring at me when I got on.
I furrow my eyebrows in confusion as everyone followed their eye gaze with me as I walked. Still drastically confused as to why everyone was staring at me like I had two heads, I slowly walk down the aisle until I was at the very back seat where Alec was sitting. I weakly smile at him before taking a seat next to him.
Instead if saying hi to me or something, Alec gave me a stern look. I raise an eyebrow at him and waited to see if he was gonna say anything. "I am not happy with you," Alec states, crossing his arms over his chest and shaking his head in disappointment.
I furrow my eyebrows in extreme confusion and shrug my shoulders. "What are you talking about?" I ask curiously.
"You know what I'm talking about."
I scowl at Alec. "I obviously don't know what you're talking about if I just asked!" I told him in a frustrated tone. The morning just began and things are already at it's highest level of weird.
"I can't believe you lost your virginity to Ryder last night and didn't even tell me."
My eyes instantly bulge out of their sockets at his words. "What?!" I yell to the top of my lungs, causing everyone to look at me. "What the hell are you talking about?! Where did you get this information from?!"
Alec gives me an eerily, frightened look, due to my tone. But I didn't care about how frightened he was, or how many people were staring at me. I want to get to the bottom of this crap.
"It's all over Instagram..."
"How?!"
"I don't know... I heard someone saw you leave school with Ryder yesterday." Alec explains and I grit my teeth in anger.
I knew this was going to happen. All these people at my school have absolutely no lives and find a simple way to spread rumors about somebody!
Knowing Ryder, he's probably already lost his virginity. But the fact that people think I lost mine to him is just sick. Never in a million years would I sleep with Ryder, so this rumor had to be stopped.
I shake my head and get up from my seat, standing in the middle of the aisle. "Riley, what are you doing?" Alec whispered.
I ignore him and stand in the middle of the aisle, getting everyone's attention. Ryan glare at me and shakes his head, giving me a look that said "you're such an embarrassment" but I quite frankly did not care about Ryan.
"All of you who think I lost my virginity to Ryder are wrong! Because that's not what happened!"
"Riley Simmons! Sit down while I am driving this bus!" The bus driver yelled.
"Yes ma'am," I quietly mumble, walking back to my seat next to Alec. That whole speech most likely did nothing. Everyone probably still believes I slept with Ryder. But that's just fine. I didn't care what everyone thought. The whole rumor was gonna blow off by next week, and everyone will be taking about some other stupid high school shit. I had nothing to worry about.
•••
"I can't believe Riley Simmons had sex with Ryder Martinez."
"Did you hear about Riley losing her virginity to Ryder?"
"Ryder really took a step down by sleeping with Riley."
"Can you believe Ryder and Ri-Loser had sex last night?"
All the conversation was loud and clear. That's what everyone was talking about. I didn't care what anyone else thought, but however, it was the fact that they were all talking about something that wasn't true!
And Ryder didn't even show up for school today, so I couldn't even get his insight on the situation. All I know is that he better show up for work today. Or—
Cutting me from my thoughts, I felt something flick me on the back of my head and heard a small thud noise. "Ow," I mumble before turning around to see Layla Dawson. I put a look of disgust on my face and waited for her to say something.
"Did you serious sleep with Ryder last night?" Layla asked, causing me to roll my eyes.
"No! It's not true!" I yell, causing the entire cafeteria to look at me. This was probably like the fifth time that's happened today.
"Stop yelling, your causing a scene!" Layla yells just as loud as I yelled before, which didn't make any sense with what she just said, because she was just making the situation worse.
"Your brain is literally the size of a walnut," I state giving her a glare of hatred. Alec, who sat across from me sat back and watched us argue in amusement.
"You know what Riley?! You—"
"If you have a problem with me, please kindly write it on a piece of paper, put it in an envelope, fold it, and shove it down your throat." I snap, leaving Layla in silence before gathering my books and storming out of the cafeteria.
•••
I impatiently tapped my foot on the floor as I stood behind the counter, boring my eyes at the glass door to see if Ryder would walk in any moment.
If Ryder came in, that would make him twenty-five minutes late, which is inexcusable. My mom is already making me do Ryder's cleaning jobs and serve the ice cream, and be the cashier. Ryan supposedly got "sick" at school today, so he didn't have to work. Knowing Ryan, he was most likely faking it to get out of class and working. So now since Ryder was late, I was stuck doing all the jobs.
Today has overall been a horrible day for me. I already have the entire school saying that I slept with Ryder last night, now my parents are making me run the entire shop like a slave! This whole things is just ridicu—
My thoughts are cut off when I hear the door open and Ryder walks in. "You're late!" I yell as soon as he stepped foot in the shop. "Thirty minutes late, to be exact!"
"I know, I'm sorry. I got caught up at the hospital."
My angry face instantly dropped and I purse my lips. "Oh... Sorry."
"It's good," Ryder blandly states before walking behind the counter and grabbing cleaning supplies from the cabinet.
"Um... Have you—have you heard the rumors?" I ask curiously.
Ryder looks up at me and nods. "Everyone thinks I took your virginity last night. I don't really care, people think what they wanna think, it'll all bow over by next week." I look at Ryder for a few more seconds and nod my head in agreement. "Oh, and I studied the menu last night. So don't hesitate to take me off janitor duty."
I put a small smile on my face and shrug my shoulders. "I'll think about it," I say, walking back behind the counter and waiting for more customers to arrive.
I watch Ryder as he begins to wipe down the counters. I definitely wasn't expecting Ryder to take the job that seriously, so it was kind of impressing that he was actually doing the job. Knowing him, I highly expected him to take the job for granted and slack off... but he's actually doing the opposite.
I furrow my eyebrows as I watch Ryder stare through the glass door as if he sees someone thats about to bust in and kill us all. "Is that who I think it is?" Ryder asks, squinting his eyes as he narrowed them through the door.
I turn my head to see what he's talking about before I notice the three other members the FFF Squad walking in. "Ugh," I say in disgust, crossing my arms over my chest and rolling my eyes. The FFF Squad rarely ever came into to the shop, which was a blessing since I hated their presence anyway. But it was like whenever they did come in, they of course found a way to bother me.
"Shit that's them," Ryder says in alarm before scurrying to the back kitchen in intentions of hiding.
I shake my head before watching Natalie, Layla, and Ethan walk into the shop. "Hey, Ri-Loser," Natalie greets with a sickening smile. "Are you glad we came by?"
"Not really," I bluntly and truthfully state, shaking my head and returning a fake smile to Natalie.
"Whatever, uh...make me a cup of raspberry sherbet with rainbow sprinkles." She demands, crossing her arms over her chest.
I put smirk on my face and nod my head. "Hey, Ryder! You wanna come out here and make Natalie her ice cream?" I call out so Ryder can here me loud and clear from where he was hiding in the kitchen.
This was the only job Ryder could get and he was embarrassed to be working here? Well it's time he payed and got his embarrassment from his little friends.
Ethan furrows his eyebrows in complete and utter confusion. "Ryder?" Ethan then takes a few steps to the right and looks further into the kitchen until he finally spots Ryder. "Ryder what are you doing here?" Ethan asks with incredulity.
Ryder lets out a gigantic groan of disappointment before slowly walking out of the kitchen and confessing. "I work here,"
Natalie's mouth widens in shock. "Ryder, what is up with you? First you have sex with her, and then you work for her?"
"I did not have sex with her!" Ryder yells, causing the entire shop to go silent and look at the five of us.
I then slap my hands over my face in embarrassment and shake my head. This day couldn't possibly get any worse.
"Why are you working here?" Layla asks curiously.
"I don't want to talk about it, so can you guys just get out of h—"
"What's going on out here?" We all whipped our heads behind us when we hear the voice of my mom.
"Oh nothing," Natalie says in an all to well fake innocent tone, switching her eye gaze back to me. "Riley was just about to make me some ice cream."
I shoot Natalie a cold glare letting her know that I really hate her before making her dumb ice cream. When I was done, I shove the cup in her hands. "Ten dollars," I mutter. The price was actually just five dollars, but I doubled the price just for her.
"Your prices are ridiculous," she mumbles before digging through her dumb designer purse and slapping a ten dollar bill on the counter.
"Leave," I demand before Natalie and Layla roll their eyes and exit the shop along with Ethan.
_