Riley's Box

Part 55

"I think it's just a storm," I said. At last, I found my words again, though an uncomfortable nervous sensation was growing in my stomach. 

"Interesting. You might be right," he said. "I mean...nothing else makes sense." 

No aspect of my life over the past month had made any sense. At least I wasn't in this alone, anymore! 

"But I'm going to work out what's going on here!" he said enthusiastically. 

Yeah. Good luck with that one. 

As Whit's gaze locked on mine again, he tilted his head to the side. Curiosity shone in his eyes. 

"You look as though you know more than you're letting on," he said then. 

I offered him a friendly smile. I needed to deflect that statement. "No. In fact, a lot of people think I'm smart but most of the time I'm completely clueless! I don't even know what day of the week it is today!" 

"Monday," Whit told me. 

"Well, that explains everything," I said. "Nobody likes Mondays." 

Nobody I knew did, anyway. 

I supposed that there were some good aspects- like the fact that I got to see Jason again. 

Now was not the time to think about that! 

"You're deflecting my statement," Whit said. 

He knew too much! 

"Whit..." I trailed off. 

"Riley." 

"Whit. Nothing is going on here. Don't go looking for answers. As your friend, I can assure you that this is all going to be over soon." 

One way or another. I had never felt more tempted to gulp. 

I managed to refrain from doing so, though. I really didn't need Whit's suspicions to spiral any further. 

"Just tell him. He won't believe you either way," a familiar voice said, as Invidia sat down on the table beside me. 

"What are you looking at?" Whit asked me. 

"My imaginary friend," I said. My voice was perfectly deadpan. 

The wind continued to howl outside the window, as giant rain droplets acted like bullets against it. You know, apart from the whole going through the surface thing. 

By some miracle, Jason wandered over to the table then. 

He caught my gaze and his expression was a concerned one at first, but when he noticed that Whit was sat with me, a small smile rapidly formed on his face. 

"Hey! There you are! Let's go study," he said. 

"Perfect!" I said. 

"But-" Whit tried to say, but was quickly interrupted. 

Sooner than Whit could ask any more questions, Jason reached out to grab my hand and pulled me out of the cafeteria after him. 

Eventually, we found a quiet space in the school corridor. 

I sunk down onto the floor. 

"This is all my fault. I opened the box," I said. 

Jason whipped around to look from the window to me, then. 

"Don't say that. If you hadn't opened the box, then the Sins wouldn't currently be trying to save the world from complete destruction," he said. "I can tell that this is making you upset." 

"Call it intuition?" I asked him. 

"Well, yeah. That and the fact that you're not smiling and that kills me." 

"Jason..." I trailed off. 

"Yeah, Riley?" he asked me. His voice grew a little softer when he noticed the fact that some irritating damp matter was forming in my eyes. 

He came to sink down onto the floor beside me and offered me a tissue. 

"Hey, what's going on?" he asked me. 

"I'm supposed to be the friendly person that everyone comes to for help, but I don't know what to do now. This storm...it's crazy. The fact that the shadow spirits might be behind it is crazier still," I said. 

"We don't know that," Jason said. I knew that he was trying to console me. 

I liked him so much for it. 

"Actually, yeah, we do," Adina said. "They're causing it," she continued, as she came to sit down on the other side of me. 

Well, that idea was somewhat shattered. 

"They're getting stronger," Avidicci said, as he wandered down the hall towards us. "Most of the students have been sent home due to a dangerous weather warning. I think we should get home, too." 

Jason nodded. 

"I'll drive. How many of you are going to be able to fit in my car?" he asked. 

"Some of us can walk home. The storm will cause a lot less damage to us than it would to the both of you. Be careful," Avidicci said. 

I stood up and hugged him. 

Nobody was around, so it was fine. 

I then drew back from the hug, and heard another voice speak. 

"Don't worry. Do you want a chocolate croissant?" Guttur asked, as he held one out to me. 

Despite everything that was going on around me, I wiped the tears from my eyes with a chuckle. 

I then accepted the croissant from Guttur and took a bite out of it. 

"Now, let's go!" Avidicci said and rushed on down the hall. 

Jason and I ran to keep up with the Sins, while Guttur trailed behind us. 

Adina exhaled and rushed back to grab his hand so she could get him to catch up with the rest of us. 

A few moments later, we were back in the bitter, icy weather. 

The wind swept my hair back and fat droplets of rain cascaded upon my forehead. 

I wiped them away hastily and then got into the car, as soon as Jason had unlocked it. 

"We need to figure out why this is happening," Jason said, as he started to drive us back home. 

The drive back was in the worst weather conditions I had ever seen in my sixteen years of life, but Jason managed to get us back home without so much of a scratch on his windshield and for that, I was so impressed with him. He could be a total badass when he needed to be. 

"Let's get inside now," he said and grabbed my hand and led us over to the door. 

I unlocked it as quickly as I had ever unlocked any door before, and the two of us rushed inside and slammed the door behind us. 

We then leant against it, as we sunk back down onto the ground.