Riley's Box

Part 42

I really hoped that Jason was right, but I had a funny feeling that I could trust him anyway. 

He was my best friend for a reason. That wasn't going to change any time soon. The two of us continued to walk out across the school grounds. 

We had some time to kill before out next class, so we settled down on some fresh, green, grass and cloud gazed for a couple of moments. The sky was a gorgeous cerulean above our heads. I knew that I had to make sure not to stare at the sky for too long, just so I wouldn't end up with green spots in my vision. 

"How are you so good at reading me? How did you know I was worried?" I blurted. 

More importantly, did he know anything else that I was peacefully unaware of him knowing? 

"I'm a telepath," he said. 

"Not funny, Jason," I said.

"Hey, I'm not laughing. I'm good at reading you because I have known you for so long. You are my best friend. Besides, it's my job to look out for you...not that I consider looking out for you to be a job. It's easy. Good. Makes my heart feel at peace knowing that you're alright." 

I loved having these kinds of conversations with him. They reminded me of the times we used to ramble on to each other, staring up at a star-scattered sky when we had our backyard camping sleepovers. They were always great and accompanied with the most perfect hot chocolates, of course. 

"You make me alright, Jase," I whispered. Hell, did I actually just say that? 

Yes. Yes I did. 

"You make me happy, Riles," he said. 

So, why was he with Susie? 

I wasn't even sure if he actually was 'with' Susie, at this point. Matters were confusing, as was my head. 

"You make me warm. You're like the sun. Golden, bright like a candle flame. When you're near- you fight away the darkness," he said. "And I really should become a poet." 

A small chuckle escaped my lips. 

The bell rang, signalling an end to our conversation time. 

"Time to leave you," I said, standing up and meeting him with a small bittersweet smile. 

"How could you?" Jason joked, as he pulled me into another warm hug. His chest had become so firm recently. I really needed to start working out more. "I'll see you in a while, Riles the crocodile," he teased. 

"See you soon, Jase," I replied. 

The two of us then walked off in opposite directions towards our next class, and I took the only free seat in the room- right next to Eric Reos. 

It's strange the way fate works sometimes. 

"Hm? I thought you were going to be with Jason? Who's this cutie?" Adina asked, as she went to sit in the only free seat behind me. 

Did the Sins really have to come to class with me? 

Apparently so. 

"Eric," I said in greeting, but he was too focused on copying down equations from the board to reply to me. I decided to try again. "Reos," I said. 

I had a feeling he was going to exhale in indignation any second now, but it didn't happen. 

His eyes were filled with concentration. 

I was going to have to advance to new attention-getting tactics. Ones that didn't involve me taking off my shirt. 

"Erico," I said. 

Finally, his head snapped in my direction. 

"Ruby," he said. 

It wasn't quite a greeting, but it was halfway there, I supposed. 

"Only you would come up with a nickname like Erico," he said to me. "Call me that again and I'll throw another chocolate bar at your head." 

"You didn't-" I was about to say, but then I remembered that in one of our earlier student council meetings, he had definitely thrown a chocolate bar at my head. Deciding to change the subject, I spoke again. "Is this what being seventeen is like? You're now in your old age," I said. "So, you've become so serious." 

He raised an eyebrow at me. 

"You're sixteen. How the hell did you even get into this class?" he asked me. 

"I was so good they moved me up a class," I explained. 

It was the truth, but curiosity flickered in Eric's eyes regardless. 

Eric then drew out a long breath. 

"Well, I'm currently working above average, so I'll probably be moving out of this class soon enough myself," he said. 

"Because you're so worldly and wise?" I asked him. It was meant to be a joke, but Eric's face was dead serious, when he answered.

"Yes," he said. 

I suppose that I really should have expected as much from him. 

"It's conventional in my family to work hard; be proper; be polite," he said. 

"Politeness? I don't think you've heard of the word," I said. 

"Good afternoon, Ruby, how are you doing today?" he asked, forcing a small smile upon his lips. 

I felt like rolling my eyes but managed to suppress the urge to do so. 

"It's Riley," I reminded him. 

"My apologies," he said. 

"And there's a difference between being well-mannered and sounding, I don't know, regal," I said. 

Eric adjusted his tie, as he sat up straight in his seat. It was probably one of the only straight things about him. 

"I like to think of myself as royalty," he said. 

"Well, you are the King of the School," I said. 

Then, when I caught onto his smug expression, I quickly tried to amend my statement. 

"I didn't mean it like that. It was supposed to be a joke," I said. 

I had a funny feeling Eric was going to choose to have selective hearing in this moment. 

As I tilted my head to the side, resting it in the palm of my hand, I realised that I had another question to ask him. 

"Why did you break up with Whit?" I asked him. 

Eric turned to me then and surprise flashed in his eyes.