Purple - A Riff Lorton Love Story

Dine and Dash

It was a sunny afternoon, and I had just finished my classes for the day. As I walked home from school, I held my books close to my chest, lost in my thoughts. Suddenly, I heard my name being called out from behind me. I turned around to see Tony, one of my closest friends, running towards me. Behind him, I noticed Riff dragging his feet with an annoyed expression on his face.

"Jules!" Tony yelled out, gasping for breath as he caught up to me.

"Tony!" I responded, smiling at him. Despite his panting, he had a twinkle in his eye that suggested he was up to something mischievous.

"What's up with grumpy?" I asked, noticing Riff's scowl.

"He's just mad I woke him up," Tony replied with a smirk, turning around to look at Riff.

"It's 4 pm," I chuckled, amused by Riff's grumpiness.

"He was getting his beauty sleep," Tony said, batting his eyelashes at me and making me laugh.

"You know I can hear you two!" Riff yelled out to us, clearly irritated by our laughter. Tony and I exchanged a glance before bursting out laughing even harder.

As we walked down the street towards our homes, we chatted about our day at school and the upcoming weekend plans. "What about you, Jules? Any plans for the weekend?" Tony asked, nudging me playfully.

"I have a book I've been meaning to finish," I shrugged, slightly embarrassed.

"A book? Come on, Jules, live a little!" Riff groaned, rolling his eyes.

I sighed, feeling a little self-conscious about my love for reading. But Tony came to my rescue.

"Hey, reading is cool, Riff," he said, putting an arm around my shoulder. "Jules here is going to be the smartest of us all."

I blushed, feeling grateful for Tony's support. Riff grumbled something under his breath, but I could see a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

We reached the corner where we usually split up to go our separate ways. I watched Tony and Riff walk away, still bickering and teasing each other.

As the night grew darker, we decided to head to a diner nearby. The neon sign outside flickered on and off, casting an eerie glow on the sidewalk. Tony led the way while Riff and I followed closely behind, our stomachs growling in anticipation of some greasy, delicious food. As we entered the diner, the warm, cozy atmosphere enveloped us, and the smell of burgers and fries wafted through the air. We settled into a booth and perused the menu, chatting and laughing while waiting for our food to arrive.

"So, Jules," Riff said, smirking. "What book are you reading that's so important?"

I replied, "It's called 'The Catcher in the Rye'."

"The Catcher in the what now?" Tony asked, looking confused.

"It's a novel," I explained. "It's about this guy named Holden Caulfield who's struggling to find his place in the world."

Tony nodded thoughtfully. "Sounds deep," he said.

Riff rolled his eyes. "Sounds boring," he muttered.

I shrugged, used to Riff's teasing by now. "Well, I like it," I said defensively.

Tony grinned. "And that's all that matters," he said before diving into his burger.

As we finished our meals, the check arrived at our table. Tony reached for it automatically, but Riff snatched it away with a mischievous grin. "Let's ditch this joint," he said, winking at us.

I felt a knot form in my stomach. I knew what Riff was suggesting - he wanted to leave without paying. I looked at Tony, hoping he would speak up, but he seemed lost in thought.

"Come on, Jules," Riff urged. "It'll be fun. We'll be like Bonnie and Clyde."

I shook my head, feeling uneasy. "I don't think that's a good idea, Riff," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Riff rolled his eyes. "What, you're scared of getting caught or somethin?" he taunted.

I shook my head again. "It's just not right," I said, feeling my cheeks flush with embarrassment.

Tony finally spoke up, looking apologetic. "Sorry, guys," he said. "I don't have enough cash on me to cover my share." Against my wishes, it seemed the only option we had was to ditch. I left a small tip and wrote an apology on a napkin.

"Really Jules?" Riff laughed, "That's not how you ditch."

I countered, "I feel bad Riff." I couldn't help my rising heart rate as we exited the diner.

"See? Wasn't that exileratin'?" Riff asked. We finally made it to the corner where we usually split up.

"Jules, we should walk you the rest of the way home. It's pretty late." Said Tony

"I'm a big tough girl, Tony. I can tie my shoes and everything"

"Just be careful," He said before I turned away from him, heading to my apartment. The walk back to the apartment was calm and quiet, the moonlight reflecting off on nearby puddles. I rounded a corner, deciding to take the shortcut through the ally. Suddenly, as I was walking down the dark and deserted alley, I heard footsteps behind me. I turned around to see a group of menacing-looking guys blocking my way. My heart began to race as I realized I was in trouble. I tried to back away, but they advanced towards me, their knives glinting in the dim light.