Until Next Time

Chapter 6

- - Riley - -

Waking up in a different room on a Saturday morning freaks me out. Where am I? The furnishing of the room was too hard to make out in the dark, and the softness of the bed was more to harder than mine. Wait, am I being hold as hostage right now?! My mind is instantly wide awake and panic begins to kick in.

I get up, trying to find a light switch in this dimly lit room just as I trip over a figure sprawl on the floor. I let out a little yelp, and someone moans in pain. "What the heck..."

The lights immediately flickers on, and Chase stands there holding his head.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" I squeal, "I didn't see you there! Hold on a second, I'll get you an ice pack."

He grabs me by the arm and shakes his head, "No need, it should be fine, I've been through worse pain than this," he chuckles, "It's partly my fault I chose to sleep in probably one of the worst locations ever."

"Why were you on the floor?" I question.

He gives me a puzzled look, "you don't remember?" I shake my head slowly, "You um, had breakdown about Gordon, so you fell asleep and I didn't want to wake you up. Mom says it's fine you that can stay overnight, if that's what you're wondering. Plus, there's no need for you to freak out in the morning either with me in the bed, so I camped out on the floor." He rambles on.

I scratches the back of her head, "Sorry about taking up about bed, I feel really bad about it. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about that," he stretches and gets up, "it wasn't half as bad as getting a kick in the head," he jokes.

My face flushes red, "Sorry."

"It's adorable that you keep saying 'sorry' again and again," Chase teases.

"Shut up," I mumbles. He directs me to his private bathroom, and leaves me to refreshen up. As I take my clothes off to shower, my mind racks up a million of thoughts. The memory of Gordon and Tamara together yesterday feels like a punch in the guts. Why her? Was I not good enough for him, just like she told me hundreds of times before?

I remember the day she pushed me against a locker, the way her eyes was a dagger piercing my heart. She told me that Gordon had higher standards than easy pick ups like me. The way she scanned my figure and smirked, saying my smaller chested area than hers could never satisfy the needs of his. As if one part of the body could ever define what a person is.

Then, Tamara whips a line of names that no girl ever wants to hear about themselves, and you know what? As honest as I can ever be, she made me feel insecure. Insecure about my body and sexuality, and who Riley Matthews really is. I felt like a complete idiot, forgetting the actual side of Gordon in the few weeks that we were dating. He is a player and I won't be by his side for long.

It took me days after that conservation to muster the courage to be around him again. It felt so stupid that a few words could have the power to put me down just like that. That I made Tamara feel success that I was hurt because of her.

Tears sting my eyes, and washes away with the showering hot water. I turn off the water and dry my body when I realize I forgot to bring in a change of clothes. I bang my head on the wall, and grumbles, even though it's probably really unlady like for me to be doing that.

Opening the bathroom door, I peer outside with a towel around my body to see that the door was closed. I walk over to my bag just as I hear Chase's voice, "Uh, Hazel?"

I turn around to see him with a sheepish look, and I squeal, holding the towel tighter than before.

"What are you doing here? I thought you left the room."

"I didn't, and what a surprise..." He quickly averts his eyes, looking down.

I take a moment to calm my pulsing heartbeat and burning face, and ask, "Do you have anything I can borrow to wear?"

He keeps his head down, "Yeah, hold on..." He scuffles around his closet and throws me a grey hoodie with 'GREENS' on the back. "Here." The hoodie was twice my size, making me feel tiny in this giant shirt. It smells like him too...

Quickly, I put the hoodie over my head and adjust the towel to cover the lower portion of me. "Thanks."

"I'll be, uh, downstairs, " he says before exiting.

My body temperature was rising just being in a room with him. Any second longer, and I'd be up in flames. I slip on a pair of leggings and brushed my hair out.

That was a bit embarrassing, but I am glad he didn't check me out shamelessly like any other guy would.

- - - - - -

"The strong doesn't put others down, they lift them up."P

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