The girl next door

Chapter 38

Riley-
My face goes blank as soon as I see James's bloody and bruised face between the people in the crowd. His eyes full of anger and hatred. I shouldn't have left him alone, I should've known this would happen. I drop my back pack on the concrete and run to the cite. I push through all the people until I get to the boys, and start pulling at hunters shirt to get him off of James. "Riley!" Michelle's voice yells from outside the circle of students. "Get off of him!" I yell at hunter, but the yelling of the crowd drowns out my voice despite how close we are. I continue yanking his shirt to get him away from James, it rips a little at the tension. Hunters arm is about to swing into James's face. Instead when I pull him back the hit goes into my face, forcing me onto the ground.

I hold my cheek, tears filling into my eyes and glass shards from my broken glasses on the cement. I look back at them, hunters eyes full of anger, but then softens to regret. "Riley I-." He realizes what he's done and moves towards me, only to be knocked back down by James who was able to get off the ground. "You son of a bitch!" James tells punching him.

"Riley oh my god!" Michelle says pushing through the crowd and pulling me up. West and Eldon manage to pull James off of hunter. School staff take them as the bell rings and the crowd shrinks while they go to class. A teacher comes over to me, directing me to the nurses office to deal with my glasses and the punch I took from hunter. I hold my cheek with one hand, and wipe away the water in my eyes with the other. Everything's blurry nonetheless without my glasses. "We're gonna call your parents just take a seat." She tells me walking me into the nurses office. "Oh my legal guardian is Deborah Tordjman." I tell her. She's a little confused since that's James's mom, but she nods and goes over to the nurse to explain everything.

After a while of sitting and icing my face, I see James walk in with his stuff from the open door. He gets told to sit in the room I'm in and wait until the principal knows what to do next. he walks in, puts his backpack on the ground beside the bench and sits next to me with his head down. "Are you ok?" He asks me looking up after a while of silence. Comfortable silence. It's always been like that with him. I smile slightly. "You just got your ass beat and your worried about me?" I ask turning to the side so I'm facing him, and leaning my back on the wall. He leans back in his chair and smiles. "Hey I beat his ass too." He defends still smiling. "I know, I know." I say. "Are you in a lot of trouble?" I ask him. "No, since hunter hit first, and it's my first fight on school grounds. They don't know about the one at the party." He explains. I'm proud of him when I hear that hunter hit him first honestly. And remembering about what he did for me at the party makes me happy too. He's always been looking out for me. Even when he had only known me for a couple weeks. My smile fades when I look back up at him. He has dried blood all over his face, and shirt. On his hands. I move his chin slightly towards me and place my ice pack on his cheek. He smiles and puts his hand over mine on his face.