Riley's Box

Part 38

My father considered my suggestion for a moment and at last gave a nod of his head in agreement. 

"Alright, then," he said. 

Ira and Avidicci nodded and climbed up and in through the window. 

His eyes then drifted back to me and narrowed a fraction. 

"Wait a minute. Something is telling me that this isn't the first time you've done this," he said. 

I offered up my most affable smile, before I replied. 

"That would be because it isn't. This ain't my first rodeo," I joked. 

He sighed. Faint lines appeared on his forehead. They were the lines of someone who loved their daughter, but who was also a little tired of everything going on. 

"Riley," he said. 

"Yes dad?" I asked him. 

"Let's go back inside and have some lunch," he said. 

I couldn't agree more that this was the time to eat something. My stomach grumbled again.

 About half an hour ago, I had been seconds away from remaining at the hospital and asking one of the nurses for some toast, but my father's sandwiches were definitely much more desired.  

We made our way into the house and wandered through the decorated hall into the sunny kitchen. 

The warmth of the sunlight fell upon me, as I watched in eager anticipation while my father made me up a cheese toastie. 

Once he had finished preparing it, he placed the sandwich onto a plate and passed it to me. 

I eagerly dug in and was so glad that I had. You honestly couldn't beat a cheese toastie! 

After I had finished, I glanced around the room to realise that my mother was nowhere to be seen. 

"Is mom not having lunch?" I asked him. 

"She's working different hours," my father explained. 

I hoped that 'different hours' wasn't code for 'skipping lunch' because otherwise I would be having some serious words with my mother! 

My dad finished his own cheese sandwich and the two of us then walked into the living room, so we could take the time to watch some relatively bad daytime television. 

It was a comforting distraction from how crazy the world had been recently, though. I couldn't deny that. 

Once I was done watching television with him, I explained that I was going to go upstairs to check on some things. 

My father understood my point and could read from my face that these 'things' were related to my newly acquired friends. 

Friends? 

Yeah. I suppose that I could call them that. 

I went over to him to give him a quick hug and then promptly made my way back upstairs and into my bedroom. 

None of the Sins were in sight, now, so I presumed that they had all gone back into the box. 

I didn't want to leave them for too long, but it seemed that the universe had other plans for me. Plans that involved my best friend. 

My phone buzzed in my pocket with a text from Jason. He was asking me to meet with him and I knew that it wouldn't be right to turn him down. 

Recently, it felt as though we had hardly seen each other. I had always been so busy. 

He had been busy with Susie, sad, and busy with Susie. 

I didn't even want to begin to think about what that would entail but I swore if I found out that he had been playing Monopoly with her behind my back, I would positively riot. 

In that moment, I felt as though I was at a crossroads. I could either stay with the Sins and try to retrieve another one of the shadow beings, or I would leave and go and see Jason. 

On this occasion, saving the world was going to need to wait. 

I needed to see my best friend. 

I put on my comfier white sneakers and then rushed downstairs and out through the front door, to find that Jason was waiting a short distance away outside for me. 

"Hi," I greeted him with an amiable expression. 

"Riles," he said. 

My heart warmed. 

I had really, really, missed that nickname. 

More importantly, I had missed him. 

"I missed you," I said. 

His eyes grew a little larger at that. 

"Don't look so stunned," I continued, taking a step towards him. "You're my best friend, Jason. You are always missed, when you're not around." 

Jason smiled but the happy expression only lasted a mere moment, before it dissipated again. 

Time felt as though it had slowed. A moment passed. Then another. 

At last, Jason spoke again. 

"I missed you too," he said, placing his hands in his jean pockets.

The warmth in my heart grew and I quickly took a step forward to wrap my arms around him. 

"Is everything alright between us, Riles?" he asked me. 

I knew what he was referring to, or at least I could make a guess. 

The Susie situation. 

And I had been trying so hard to forget about it...

"It's always okay!" I said with a bright smile. "I'm your friend, Jason. I'm happy for you!" I said. 

I hoped it didn't sound too over-the-top. 

I could tell from Jason's smile that it didn't. 

In part, I was happy for him. I just didn't want to lose my best friend, but I could tell from the expression on Jason's face that maybe I had been so worried over nothing. Something told me that nothing could ever drive us apart, not even a relationship. 

"So, is she your girlfriend?" I asked him. 

"We're still just seeing how things go," he replied. 

Why did that make me feel hopeful? 

Devil, Invidia was right. I really could be an envious person. 

"But...I don't know. There's things that I can't always talk to her about. I suppose it's because we haven't known each other for as long." 

I gave an understanding nod of my head, but all I was really hearing was I trust you more than I trust her. 

Whether or not that was true was neither here nor there, but it made me smile again.