A Missing Ring

A Warning and a Lesson

Andrea was given the same password as last year, she walked to the identical painting and told them it. "Brave-lion" Andrea spoke and was let in.

The living home was the exact same as last year. Burgundy walls, the living area up front and the fire blazing. Sitting sections to the right of the main living area for studying and reading. Then the spiral stairs to the left of it. "Home sweet home..." Andrea thought and walked to the stairwell.

She was about to head up until she heard her name being called, "Andrea! Come on" Asher yelled. Andrea looked over to see him seated in the lounge, he was sketching as always. His HB pencil in his right hand and the brown paper down on his lap. Asher patted the seat next to him and Andrea walked over.

"What are you drawing?" Andrea asked to see he only just started. "Something" Asher said and she shook her head in dismay. He chuckled and continued to look down and draw. Andrea gave up figuring out what he was trying to do and leaned her back onto the couch.

She looked up to the high ceiling and asked, "Did you talk to Ryker yet?". Andrea heard Asher sigh and looked to her, "He locked himself in his room, I couldn't hear anything". Andrea scrunched her eyebrows and thought about why he would seal himself up. He really had no reason to... he had nothing to hide.

Andrea looked over to the decoration vines and back at the fireplace. The red and orange mixed together with a touch of yellow. The maroon bricked wall reached the top to take in all the smoke. They sat in silence, Andrea couldn't stop thinking about Ryker and hoped he was ok. She didn't know if he wanted to be left alone or wanted to talk.

"Do you think we should talk to him, or at least try to?" Andrea asked. "I'm not sure, he really only got you mad, and believe me he wouldn't want to lose that relationship" Asher said and it made her smile, "He might just want to talk with you".

Andrea thought about it for a second, she didn't feel like fighting but desperately wanted their relationship back. "Maybe we should talk alone, just us two" Andrea thought and nodded her head.

She stood up from the seat and saw Asher look at her. "We will see if he wants to talk, it might be the best for us, I'll see you later" Andrea said and walked away to their same dorm, the one they would keep for the next years.

Andrea walked over to their dorm and walked in. All the rooms were still separated from Christmas time and Ryker's was the first left. Andrea softly knocked at the door and didn't get a response. She waited for a minute before knocking again, "Ryk, it's Andrea. Can I come in, please?" she asked, and still didn't get a response.

"Ryker Lewis answer this door!" Andrea yelled both his first name and middle. Still, she got no reply. Andrea ended up picking the lock herself and barged in.

Ryker was in tears leaning against his desk, Andrea could tell he must've been crying for a long time. He had taken his shirt off, Andrea guessed to cool himself down. "What do you want?" Ryker asked, not daring to look at her. "To talk" Andrea said and didn't move from the door. She couldn't tell why his own words brought him down, maybe because of what he said about his own sister's selection.

Andrea listened to him let out a shaky breath and tears fell on his desk. Andrea slowly stepped up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, and felt him break down. Andrea turned him around and hugged him tightly, and felt him cry into her shoulder. "It's ok, it's ok... come on sit... sit" Andrea said and pushed him down to the bed.

Ryker's face was already stained and his eyes were red from when he left earlier. "Look it's fine I don't care about what you said earlier, it's in the past" Andrea said. It may have hurt my feelings, but that doesn't mean I can't hide it. I want to keep him...