Riley's Box

Part 16

On another note, was Eric Reos ever going to use my actual name? He didn't see me going around calling him 'Reos' now, did he? So, what was with him? Maybe he just liked to wind people up...He had been doing a brilliant job of it the past few years, anyway. 

"Hi everyone. I'm so glad that you picked me to be a part of the school council! Obviously, I've been working so hard to get here for the past few years. You know, like when I helped raise money for that charity with the cake sale. There was also that time when I directed the whole school performance! And remember that time when I..." I cut off then because Jason was giving me a signal. 

He was adjusting the collar of his shirt, in the way that he did whenever I had a moment of being too boastful. 

Right, right. Shut up, Riley, I thought to myself. 

My mouth and vocal chords had other plans. 

"Anyway, it's such an honour to be here and to be such an important part of this student council. With me here, we're going to get so much done," I said. 

When my eyes travelled to meet Eric's again, I noticed that his were narrowed. 

What was it? 

What had I done? 

"Of course, we are though! That's why I wanted to be head girl. I think I could have been pretty damn brilliant, actually. Speaking of which-" I wanted to continue, but a sudden noise stopped me. 

"Riles," Jason said through a cough, causing me to cut off abruptly, then. 

"Anyway, that'll be all. I'm just incredibly proud of everything that I- I mean we, of course- have achieved so far," I said. 

One of Eric's eyebrows shot up at me, then. 

"Is that so, Miss Ruby?" he asked. 

Miss Ruby? What the heck? 

"Yes," I replied, with a friendly grin. 

"Even though you only just got here?" he continued. 

Well, I supposed that he did have a point there. 

"Nice chocolate bars!" I said, in an attempt to change the subject. "Plus, it's nice to have all of you here," I continued, as Susie Caern walked in. "I was getting a little lonely in the library. Thanks, Eric, for reminding me about the meeting." 

In truth, I hadn't wanted to come to this meeting. 

I mean, I had at first. Jason and Whit were here and the both of them weren't so bad. 

On the other hand, Susie's presence made me want to do anything other than attend. 

It wasn't as though I hated her. No. I didn't. I just hated the fact that she had been picked for head girl over me! 

I had worked harder than anyone, for it. I deserved it. 

Whether anyone else would recognise my achievements or not, I was damn proud of myself and nothing anyone could say would change that any time soon.

After Susie came in and sat down, I became quiet. 

She and Eric started to discuss very important, very necessary head girl and boy things, I was sure. 

Was this how she had got the post? 

Surely not...

Maybe. 

Maybe she had managed to become head girl, not through hard work, but through a secret and shocking relationship with Eric! 

Perhaps, that was the reason why Eric had broken up with Whit. 

Perhaps, I was a secret genius investigator. 

I must have had a rather sad expression on my face during the first part of that meeting because nobody was approaching me, then. 

Their eyes glanced between Susie and me, but nobody said anything. 

Smart people. 

In an ideal world, I would be head girl and this wouldn't be happening. I was living in an actual nightmare. 

Alright, maybe that was a little hyperbolic, but it did feel that way in the moment. 

I started to imagine a tiny version of Susie getting thrown in the bin along with my chocolate wrapper, when I finally got up to dispose of it. 

The chair was so creaky on the floorboard of the student council room that now everyone was looking at me. 

In response, I released a small nervous laugh and then sat back down immediately. 

My anxiety levels were rising, so I was doing my best to keep them under control. However, I couldn't help but feel fidgety with my hands, when I realised that Susie and Eric were still talking. How much could they possibly have to say? 

I soon realised why some other members of the student council were looking at me. 

They all had their notebooks out and were frantically scribbling away. 

I decided, in that moment, that it was probably a good idea for me to do the same. 

Therefore, I grabbed my book out of my bag and started to write away, too, taking down many of Susie's and Eric's school improvement ideas. 

"So," Susie said then. It was the first time that she had spoken at a speed under a hundred words a minute, I believed. "The point is that we need to start thinking about how we can combat bullying in this school." 

There were a few murmurs of agreement, then. 

"And aside from that...I know how hard everyone has worked for their posts here. I think it's about time we give some recognition to the other new members of the team- Riley and Jason," she said. 

The others turned to us, so I simply smiled and waved. 

When I noticed Jason wasn't smiling, I stepped on his toe. 

He was smiling then. In some pain. 

Why did Susie have to keep maintaining eye contact with me, though? Seriously, it was almost as though she knew, by the powers of intuition, that I was annoyed with her. 

Annoyed? Was that the right word? 

I knew I was envious of her. 

For someone that hadn't felt much envy up until this point, I did now. I supposed that now was the time. 

She didn't need to know about that though. That would remain my secret, I considered, as my eyes glanced between her and Eric, again.