How Do We Do This?

Thirty Seven

Trigger warning: this chapter talks a lot about Riley's mom, and her grieving her death.

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"Maybe? Then I won't shut up," Bristol shrugged, adding a chuckle at the end of her sentence.

"You are relentless," Riley sighed, facepalming as she got to her locker.

"You still love me," She shrugged, throwing a few books in her locker before slamming it shut, "You need to just give it a chance Ri, take a risk!"

"Again, if I say yes. Will you stop?" She asked, slamming her own locker shut.

"Not if you say maybe," She chuckled, walking towards her next class with her best friend.

"Finnneeeee then yes," She sighed, giving in to her best friend begging.

"Okay good, maybe you'll actually listen to me and see I was right," She shrugged, " I'll see you later. Are you good to give me a ride home?"

"Yeah, I still can't pick Pais up. Can't lift anything over 10 pounds," She explained, shrugging as Bristol stood at her classroom.

"Alright, thanks girl," She nodded as she actually entered the class.

Riley sighed and went to her class, sitting through it as she found herself thinking. It was almost a year now since she'd come to live with Hailey and Jay and her life had changed so much. She missed her mom but she knew that she had a guardian angel watching over her, and knew she was safe with Hailey and Jay.

She finished her day after lots of thinking and lots of not paying attention to her classes or the assignments she was given for homework. She went right to her car and waited for Bristol to get in so she could drive her home before she went home herself.

"Riley!" Bristol yelled, knocking on the passenger side window as the door was locked and she couldn't get in.

"Sorry," She sighed, unlocking it so Bristol could get in.

"You okay? Looked like you were staring off into space," She chuckled a little, setting her bag on the floor by her feet as Riley started the car.

"Yeah, just thinking," She nodded, starting to drive out of the parking lot and toward Bristol's house.

"About anything in particular?" She asked as she set her phone in her lap.

"Well, it's almost one year since I lost my mom and I just keep thinking about how much my life has changed since I came to Chicago," She sighed, pulling onto the main road as she left the school grounds and headed for Bristol's home.

"But it's all good right?"

"Yeah, I just keep going back to that day. I can't get it out of my head," She told her best friend, "And I don't know what to do about it,"

"Did you ask your parents if you can take that day off school?" She asked, looking at her best friend for an answer.

"I'm going to later, I don't think they'll have a problem with it," She shrugged, stopping at a red light and looking over at her best friend.