R's

Chapter 4

Today is a day I really want to distance myself from the world, I mean yesterday I found out my biological mother hates me and wanted to only give me up for adoption.I feel like I'm smarter than Ray, and I'm more of a ray of sunshine, Ray is just a dark cloud of pain.
"Meet you at the bus" Eli asks grabbing her backpack for school
"actually, I'm riding with mom today" I tell Eli
"oh, meet you at lunch?" she asks
"I'll be at the library I need to work on some school things" I reply. "School things?" just tell her the truth, you wanna be by yourself. I don't want her to get mad at me and think I don't want to be with her.
"School things? what do we have?" she asked suspicious, we do go to the same classes.
"I'm behind on somethings Eli, I'll see you at school or here, you'll miss your bus" I tell her, she runs to the bus stop.
"Riding with me like old times?" mom asks
"only if we carpool Aladdin" I reply
"Guess what?" she asks
"You ain't never gotta friend like me" pun intended
As mom drive and sings with me Friend like me, we get to school, I missed this, just mom and I singing and not thinking about the real world, a beautiful distraction.
"Mom, I love you with all I am" I tell her before leaving the car, she grabs my hand.
"I love you with all I have baby" she replies. I do think the love my mom has for me is infinite, that's why I can't be mad at her.
...
The bell rings announcing Lunch, I'm not really hungry so I hide from the world at the library. I'm sitting there just looking at my phone.
Eli <3
- Hey, where are you? 12:03
RIIILEEEEEYY!!!! 12:03
pls I need u!!! 12:04
RILEY AVERY!!!!! 12:04
   i don't want to reply, I do need time for myself so I put my phone on Do Not Disturb and put it aside. She really needs me, but sometimes she's just scared to be alone, she'll survive for today.
"You're not gonna get that?" A dark-haired girl with green eyes asks
"No, need some alone time" I reply
"ha! been there, library is my bunker, people don't read anymore"
"I bet..." I reply awkwardly
"My name is Eliza, you are Riley right?"
"Yes, how do you know my name lol?
"You are an extension of Eliana Morgan, we used to have English together and she did a project about your friendship on the 5th grade" she laughs
"hahaha aw Eli being Eli, but I'm not an extension of her lol"
"Don't get annoyed, you are always with her"
"I'm not with her right now, am I?"
"Ok... you are sensitive girl"
"Sorry, tough week"
"Anything you want to share?"
"lol I literally don't know you"
"exactly, I won't judge you"
"fair point, well long story short, Im adopted and I tried making Eliana happy and she loves investigating so I told her to look for my mom so we went and met her and I found out that she only wanted to give me up for adoption and not my older sister Ray"
"Shiiit... you look out too much for Eli"
"She didn't ask me, and I'll do anything for her"
"Even if it hurts you?"
"That's on me"
"No, she's your best friend she should look out for you"
"Why are we discussing Eli?"
"Because she caused that"
"No she didn't, I did"
"As her best friend she knew there was a risk about you getting hurt, these subjects are not child's play" she replies, and she does have a fair point. It's not Eli's fault though.
"Ok"
"Eliana sounds selfish" she says
"hey, stop it, what is it with you and her?"
"nothing, it's just my opinion on the subject"
"Ok"
"OK, sorry I overstepped a bit"
"A bit?"
"ok, a lot" She laughs and so do I, I feel like I can connect with her. Potential friend. Judgmental but cool.
Eli walks through the library door and sees me laughing with Eliza. Her face is red and puffy, like she's been crying.
"Riley, I've been texting you" she tells me in an angry tone
"Sorry. I told you I was going to be here and I turn off the notifications"
"You saw my text, I saw you online, whatever, Can I talk to you?"
"Yes" I stay seated waiting for her to sit down
"In private..." she says
"Eli I'm talking with Eliza once we are done I'll be with you"
"So much homework huh?" she leaves with her angry face. Why is she so angry? I need time for myself and tonight I will listen to everything she has to say.
"Controlling" Eliza says mocking
"Quit it"  I stared her down
...
School's over for the day, I'm waiting on Eli to finish her writing elective. only two more minutes, I know she's mad at me but, she has to understand sometimes I really do need to be alone and that Eliza just started talking to me. Eli walks out of the class.
"Eli" I yelled and wave to get her attention, but she keeps walking. Yep, definitely mad. I follow her until I get to her.
"Hey, how was class?" I ask her
"Good" she replies in a dry tone.
"Eli..." she turns around and tells me:
"Riley I needed you today and you were nowhere to be found"
"You knew where I was, I told you before leaving"
"If you want to hangout with Eliza, FINE!"
"omg Eliana, are you serious?"
"Leave me alone"
"Eliana, what happened?"
"nothing"
"Then why are you fighting because you needed me? what happened?"
"It's too late"
"Eliana" I'm getting frustrated, why she doesn't just TELL ME.
"I do so many things for you and you can't even answer one text, and now you are all worried?"
"Excuse me? Are you fucking kidding me?, you are so selfish" omg... Eliza was right... I am so angry with Eliana right now, my face is getting hot. don't say it, don't say "You want to make everything about you Eli, yesterday I had one of the worst days in my life and you don't even care, I told you to find my mom but I did it for you Eliana, because I know how much you love mystery solving and I wanted to see you happy no matter what, even if it costed my own happiness or even Ray's"
"I never asked you to do that" she replies. That one sentence, hurt me, I felt a slap on the face.
"Fuck you Eliana" I responded as I walk away. Since Eliana and I been best friends I always call her Eli, but when I'm mad I call her Eliana, so she knows I'm mad. I can't believe her. Eliza was so fucking right, how can she be so selfish? I knew she didn't ask me to do it for her, but so ungrateful? Seriously? I decided to walk home, as I come out the school doors, Ray is waiting for me outside.
"What do you want?" I ask her while walking away
"Riley stop it, let me explain" she follows me
"No. I don't want to talk to you ever again" I tell her angrily
"Please Ri Ri listen to me" Ray yells out of frustration
"Ray, I looked up to you all my life, I love you innocently, I took you to see mom and I was worried every second about how were you feeling thinking I took this too far unfairly for you and I probably did, but since we knocked on that door the only person I was thinking about it was you, I was trying to be strong for you Ray, and it turns out you knew I was walking into a whole life changing experience and you didn't say anything or try to protect me? Ray you had so many opportunities to tell me" I tell her crying out of frustration.
"I know, but I stayed with the Kent's for you, because I wanted to protect you"
"Well Ray, you failed because when I really needed protection you threw me to the wolves" I walk away, she stays behind.
I don't want to go home, I want to stay away from everyone as possible, so I go to the park, to the rock and I started crying, what's happening? My life is turning upside down, I don't know where to go or what to do. I've never fought with Eliana and Ray like we just did.