•Chapter 8•
"Ryder...are you sure you don't want any breakfast? No toast? No eggs?" My dad asks at the dining table, giving Ryder a concerning look.
Ryder refuses the offer, shaking his head. "Nah, I'm good, thanks."
My dad nods his head before looking back at the newspaper he was reading before.
"Well, Riley, Ryan, you both need to eat quick because the bus will be here in a few minutes." My mom states, pointing at both of our plates.
I shake my head. "Ryder and I are walking to school, after the bus leaves."
My mom puts a confused look on her face and shrugs her shoulders. "Why?" She asks curiously.
"If people see me get on the bus with Riley, they would know I spent the night here last night and another rumor would go around school. So we don't really like to be seen around each other." Ryder explains.
"Okay..." My mom trails before getting up from the table and walking off to another part of the kitchen.
She might have thought it was weird, but she didn't know how high school worked these days. There was already one rumor about Ryder and I, we didn't need people knowing that Ryder slept over my house last night. That would just create a bigger mess.
When the bus finally arrives, Ryan leaves the house, and when the bus drives away, Ryder and I leave a couple minutes afterwards.
Ryder and I exit the house and begin walking down the sidewalk. As usual, Ryder and I were silent for a couple moments before he broke the silence. "Layla told me you were trying out for soccer." He states, turning his head and looking down at me.
"Did she?" I sarcastically ask, raising my eyebrows. It's like the entire FFF Squad just always needed to know what I was up to. What was so freaking special about me that they always wanted to bother and know what I was doing?!
"Yeah... I didn't know you played soccer,"
"Yeah..." I trail, looking up at Ryder's face, which was still terribly bruised up.
It's not like I've never seen his face bruised up before though, because Ryder had gotten into plenty of fights at school, and they were all pretty rough. Which made me question... Why was Ryder always getting into fights? It was almost like he got into a fight every month.
"Why are you always fighting someone?" I ask, speaking my thoughts aloud.
Ryder shrugs his shoulders. "Fighting is the only thing I know how to do," he quietly states.
I furrow my eyebrows in marginal confusion. "What do you m—"
"Look, stop asking so many damn questions," Ryder suddenly snaps, picking up his pace of walking speed.
I stop walking and grimace at Ryder's sudden attitude change. I can't believe he just said that. All I wanted was a simple answer to a simple question?!
Well, maybe the answer wasn't so simple, I thought to myself.
I mentally roll my eyes at myself and continue walking.
•••
"Also known as the Seven Years' War, this New World conflict marked another chapter in the long, imperial struggle between Britain and France. When France's expansion into the Ohio River..." the boring man in the history video spoke, momentarily drowning in and out of my focus.
I was trying my hardest to listen to the video without sleeping, but I started dozing off a couple times, and I already knew the crap anyway, so after a couple seconds of debating with my tiredness, I just decided to go to sleep.
I put my head on the desk and close my eyes, the mans voice drowning away in the background as I slowly drift to sleep.
I was lightly sleeping for about ten seconds before I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. I let out a mental groan of aggravation before reaching my hand in my back pocket and clicking my phone on.
At first, I was pissed that whoever the person was that was texting me had woken me up from my classroom sleep session, but that was until I saw the text message was from my Aunt Taryn.
My Aunt Taryn was my moms sister and the best aunt in the entire world. Ryan and I loved it when she came over because she was basically just a cooler, younger version on my mom...
No offense mom.
Aunt Taryn looked very similar to my mom, given that they were sisters. She had the same long, blonde hair and gray eyes like my mom.
I look down at my phone screen to read the message.
Aunt Taryn: I know you're probably in class right now, but I'm on my way to your house! Staying for the weekend!
I put a huge smile on my face after reading he message and reply.
Me: Yess, can't wait!
I click my phone off before shoving it back in my pocket and drift back into my sleeping.
•••
"Thanks, come back again," Ryder says, handing the customer her ice cream. When the customer turns around and leaves the shop, Ryder lets out an exasperated sigh and leaned his back on the counter.
I put down the broom I was using the sweep the floors and sigh before walking over to Ryder. "Hey..." I trail, walking up to him and looking at him. "I'm sorry about this morning,"
I honestly didn't even know why I was apologizing. He was the one that snapped at me, so he was the one that needed to be apologizing. But I was the one asking him all the personal questions...
"It's okay... I shouldn't have snapped at you."
Now that was more like it.
I might have apologized, but that didn't stop me from being curious. I still had so many questions about Ryder. And they might have been super personal, but I wanted to know!
_
Sorry for the slightly short chapter. I didn't have much to write but I got a bunch of ideas coming up!!
Keep reading and vote and comment! Love you guys!