•Chapter 15•
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Ryder," I call from behind him as I watch him eat his lunch like a pig. I roll my eyes to the back of my head in annoyance when I know he hears me and he doesn't respond. "Ryder, I need to—"
"Why are you over here?" I hear Ethan rudely interrupt from across the FFF Squad lunch table... with the exception of Natalie, who was still out because she was too embarrassed to show up to school after being beat by me.
I raise my eye gaze to look at Ethan, who is looking at me with raised eyebrows, obviously waiting for an explanation as to why I was near their table. I plaster a fake innocent smile on my face before speaking. "Because I need to talk to Ryder and it's none of your damn business." I snap in response.
Ethan instantly shoots me an icy glare and I ignore it by looking back down at Ryder. "Ryder, I need to—"
"Alright! Geez, you're so annoying." He mumbles before getting up from the table and walking out of the cafeteria with me.
Thankfully everyone was too engrossed in their conversations to see Ryder and I walking out of the cafeteria together.
When we are finally out in the hallway, away from the lunch crowd, I grasp Ryder's wrist and pull him to the corner of the hallway.
"What do you need to talk to me about?" Ryder asks curiously, giving me his full attention.
I sigh before speaking. "Your dad showed up at my house yesterday... He's looking for you."
"What?!" Ryder yells to the top of his lungs before peeking in the cafeteria to see if anyone heard him. When Ryder sees that no one is looking, he turns back towards me. "Okay, tell me exactly what happened."
"Okay, so... I went home yesterday and a couple minutes later, someone rang on my doorbell. I answered the door and the man said he was your dad–"
"What did he look like?" Ryder interjects.
"Uh, he had dark hair, blue eyes, freckles—"
"That's him!" Ryder yells in a marginally angry tone before letting out a huge sigh and leaning his back against the wall. "Why was he looking for me?"
"He didn't say. He just asked if I knew where you were, and I said no." I explain.
Ryder looks at me and gives me a hopeful smile before putting both of his hands on my shoulders. "Thank you," he says, obviously over the moon happy that I didn't tell his dad his whereabouts.
"He also told me to tell you that he said he's sorry, for everything." I add, just now remembering that he said that.
Ryder rolls his eyes and shakes his head. "He's not sorry, for anything."
I furrow my eyebrows in immense confusion. I still don't have enough information. I need to know what's so bad about Ryder's dad and what's going on between him and his family, because I know for a fact that there's more to the situation that I needed to know. Because now I'm dragged into the situation, and I need answers.
"What's going on between you and your dad, Ryder?" I ask in a serious manner, crossing my arms over my chest. "Why are you running from him? Why don't you want him to know where you are?"
Ryder sighs before looking down at me. "Riley, I really can't—"
"Ryder," I whine, just wanting to know what I'm getting myself into. His dad freaking showed up at my doorstep yesterday! So I'm practically in the mix of this drama now, so I at least want some background information.
"Fine!" Ryder yells in an annoyed tone, grasping my scrawny wrist and pulling me further into the corner of the hallway.
I knew I was annoying the hell out of Ryder, but ten seconds did not compare to the ten years he's annoyed the hell out of me.
Ryder lets out a long sigh before looking down at me and beginning to cough up and explanation. "My dad used to live with my mom, my little sister and I. He was... the worst father I could ever imagine having in my entire life. He was abusive, he was hurting my family, making my mom cry, making my sister cry... He used to come home drunk almost every night, he used to smoke around us, causing Callie to get sicker. He hates my mom, he hates me, and he hates Callie. And he topped it off by divorcing my mom and leaving us."
I look into Ryder's hazel-blue eyes, noticing how they darken as he continues the story. I also notice the despondency in his tone and I can't help but feel a slight pain in my heart as he continues to speak.
"My dad has been gone for about three years now. The fact that he's back... is not good. When he left, some of the stress was finally lifted off my moms shoulders, and there was no more of his abusive, heinous parenting. I don't know how my moms gonna react when she finds out that he's back." Ryder finishes, frustratingly running his fingers through his dark hair.
I cast my eyes down to the floor, having no idea how I'm supposed to respond to what he just told me. "Wow, I'm... really sorry." I quietly state before looking back up at Ryder. "What are you gonna do?" I ask curiously.
Ryder sighs and shrugs his shoulders. "I don't know, I guess I'll just have to avoid him as much as I can." Ryder finalizes.
I slowly nod my head at his response.
At this point, I don't know what to think. Ryder's dad is obviously a pretty bad guy, but... what if he's changed? What if he really is sorry for everything that he's done to Ryder and his family, and what if he really is back to make amends?
"What if he's changed?" I ask, speaking my thoughts aloud.
Ryder lets out a small laugh and shakes his head in disagreement. "He hasn't changed. He's still the deadbeat father he used to be and he's probably here to start all over again." Ryder implies, the venom clear in his tone. "I'm not letting him step into my life again, Riley."
I look at Ryder for a few more seconds, taking in his previous words before nodding my head. "Okay," I softly say before Ryder and I lapse into silence again.
"Can I ask you something?" I suddenly blurt out after about an awkward five seconds of silence.
"Uh yeah, sure." Ryder says, giving me his full attention.
"Um..." I begin, looking down at the floor as I continue to talk. "My Aunt's funeral is tomorrow... Do you uh, do you wanna come?" I awkwardly manage to ask.
I honesty have no idea why I want him to come. I just kind of figured since he was there to witness me finding out about her passing, he should be at the funeral. And plus, no one was gonna be there but the rest of my family members, I need someone there who I know that isn't a family member.
"Oh, yeah, sure," Ryder agrees. "So do you want me to—"
"You can just come to my house by one o'clock p.m. and ride with us to the funeral home... if that's okay with you,"
"Yeah, it's fine," Ryder says, nodding his head in understanding.
"Okay," I put a small smile on my face.
I open my mouth to say something else, but I get interrupted by the loud sound of Mrs. Dwelling's voice. "What are you two doing out here during lunch period?!" She yells, giving us both stern looks. "Back inside!"
Without another word, Ryder and I follow her orders and head back inside the cafeteria.
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