The Cat's Out Of The Bag

Chapter Fourteen

I go to school the next day, just to hopefully catch a glimpse of Riley, although I don't know why. If I were to actually see her, I would probably run away screaming.

But she's nowhere. I look around in all of my classes, but she's gone. Absent.

Hope falls into my stomach, fading into nothingness. I don't know what I was thinking or hoping for. Maybe... maybe we could've talked it out. Spoken. At least an acknowledged each other. But now, nothing.

I have no one.

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The days pass, and finally on Friday Riley makes an unexpected appearance.

At this point I'm so used to not needing to avoid her that I flinch when she takes a seat across from me in history.

I watch her from afar, feeling myself start to sweat. Why is she here? What took her so long? Where has she been? Does she still hate me?

In all my thinking, I miss Mr. Bard announce a new project, and now we are partnering up and I don't even know what I'm doing.

A part of me instinctively starts to walk toward Riley, but I stop, forcing my feet to stay still.

I still don't know what we are. Friends or enemies. And I don't really want to find out, because I'm afraid of the answer. So I just sit back at my desk and watch her intently.

She's looking around, watching everyone else immediately find their partners like a magnet.

She's seeming more distressed by the minute.
Soon everyone is back in their seats, and only then I notice that I don't have a partner, and neither does Riley.

Before I can connect the two, Mr. Bard descends on me like a hawk. "Why don't you partner up with Riley? I hear you two are friends." He whispers, his eyes flashing toward Riley alone in her seat, the other one beside her empty.

"Where'd you hear that?" I ask sharply, not meaning too, because I'm genuinely curious.

Have people been saying stuff about us? Has she? Do they know how I betrayed her, all for my own favor, even putting her cat and dog at risk?

"Oh, just observing. You don't have to, but I can tell you've been zoning out," he smirks, as if he just made some astonishing discovery.

I scoff under my breath, getting up and dropping all my stuff on the desk next to Riley's.

I don't even get to sit down before she speaks.

"This is only for my grade, so don't start."

I start to feel my blood boil, with both anger and sadness at her words.

"Same here." I snap back, trying to push the guilt down. If she wanted to forgive me or at least make amends with me, she would. I shouldn't have to bend over backwards for her approval. If she wants to make no effort, then so will I.

I sit down and stare at my paper, taking quick glances at her. I try to channel my anger, but just watching her write and be so invested in her work melts it within a second.

"So... I kinda wasn't paying attention. Can you please tell me what to write?" I laugh, half at the irony, half to lighten the mood.

"No, I wasn't either." She says briskly, and a wave of frustration comes back, but then I realize she's right.

On her paper is dozens of drawing of cats, no writing done. Not even to write her name down, which sends shock through me.

"Woah. Hardcore." I laugh again. Maybe I'm laughing too much, or maybe I'm annoying her. I should just stop.

And I do. I spend the last few minutes of the period in silence, watching Riley draw and trying not to cry.

It's lunch now, and I sit in the back of the cafeteria, as always. But something new catches my eye.

I can see Riley from afar, and she's talking with someone. Actually laughing with someone.

Like friends.

She's got black hair and seems to be giving her something. I catch myself leaning closer and I see them.

Sweets. Hersheys kisses.

I don't know why, but I feel jealousy surge through me. I know that me and Riley kind of had a fallout, but I never thought she would find a new friend so quickly.

It's as if she was waiting for me to be gone.