Girl in a Hoodie: Where the Future Lies

Chapter 45

A/N: This was proof-read for once! Although knowing me there's probably still a vast amount of mistakes - if there is, I apologise. Enjoy though! -Or not since Jiley aren't even working as well anymore... I should probably just stop talking.

Riley's POV:

"I'm not so sure about this," I say, sitting by Alexa as we were in the park with a group of her 'friends' although I've never actually met any of them before, not until now. They weren't the sort of people I'd usually hang out with either. They were all drinking and smoking and I knew what I was doing was wrong. I know that I shouldn't be here right now but I didn't want to leave either.

"It's fine, Ri. Trust me. Just bring it to your lips, breathe down on it and take a puff," she instructs. I bite my lip, deciphering over what to do but as the eyes of everyone else were all on me, I was given no other choice but to do as Alexa had said and I bring the cigarette to lie between my lips. I breathe in, feeling a slight warmth entering my throat before I release it and exhale again, causing me to cough multiple times at the taste and scrunch my face up. Alexa laughs a little then passes me the green glass bottle of beer that was placed directly by her foot and she nods at me. "Go on."

I hesitantly take it from her and take the cap off, bringing the glass to my lips before I sip some, but then they all start chiming the words 'chug it', making me do just that. I know it was wrong. I know it is. But at the same time it feels so good. It's like there was this sort of sensation rippling through me as I drunk more and more, finishing the entire bottle before I wipe the excess of my lips and Alexa cheers, pulling me into a side hug.

"See? It's good, right?" she grins. I nod, chuckling but then she stamps on her cigarette and instead pulls a vape out from her coat pocket. "But... I can tell you didn't like the cigarette so why don't you try using this instead?" I take a look at the smile appearing on her face, prodding me to do as she says and so I give in.

"Okay..."

"Great. It's cherry flavoured anyway. All you've got to do is suck on the mouthpiece and inhale it all, stop when your mouth feels clouded and then let it out, okay?" she says as she passes me the black object. I nod, reciprocating the others' actions with Alexa watching me with wide-eyes whilst she frolicked around with my hair, playing with my ponytail. When I breathe out, a large ball of smoke escapes my lips and fills our surroundings but when I face Alexa, she smirks at me. "How'd that feel?"

"Amazing," I tell her, but just then, my phone starts ringing and when I bring it out from my jeans pocket, I find that I had 5 text messages from Piper, 2 missed calls from Laci and multiple calls from James - it was him calling me in this current moment as well. I wouldn't have answered it but depicting the amount of people who have tried to contact me, I answer it anyway. "Hello-"

"Riley, where the hell are you?" he practically yells through the phone.

"Why? What's happened, apart from you kissing Desirée?" I ask sarcastically, rolling my eyes but his response honestly wasn't what I was expecting whatsoever.

"It's Ellie, Ri. Look, we're at the hospital and we need you here. Please just hurry up because there's a possibility she might have to go into surgery." And then before I even have the chance to say anything else, he declines, so I immediately stand up, worry beginning to take over me.

"Ri? What's happening?" Alexa asks me, also standing up as she places her hand on my arm. I shake my head, lips open slightly agape.

"I have to go. Something's going on with Ellie," I say hurriedly. She takes my hand in hers and looks into my eyes. She's been doing things like that a lot lately...