Young Love Lost

Chapter Six

Ben charged in and yelled, “Get your sick hands off of her!”

Riley stepped away with his hands up looking like he was guilty. I wiped the tears off my face and tried to stay composed but I thought I was going to faint. His kiss- it was tingling my lips and I was getting warm all over.

Calvin’s kisses were always something I treasured each moment, but Riley’s was hot, passionate, and fiery. How could I be so stupid and childlike? Riley had always loved me. I thought he had gotten over it when were little, but everything came into full view.

He had killed all those people for ME. I wanted to scream, rip my hair out, and kill myself. I was a horrible person. I was worse than that. I was dirt, gross brown stuff on someone’s shoe.

I collapsed on the floor and started bawling while Ben started yelling swear words at Riley and the police came in to restrain Ben.

“Just let it play out Ben, “one police officer said.

“Don’t ruin this Hunting. We’re making a breakthrough,” another one pronounced.

Ben glanced at me and looked like he wanted to cry.

“We can’t leave her here with this-this fucking sick kid!” he screamed.

I cried harder and thought about how wrong Ben was. I was sick; I was the one causing it all. I was nothing-disgusting really. Instead Ben walked over to me and started stroking my hair.

“Leave the girl. She’s helping the cause, “the chief whispered loud enough for Ben and me to hear.

Ben stroked my hair one more time, sighed, and then left.

By now my knees were curled up to my face, and I could feel myself slipping away from reality-into a dream-like state.

“Hi, my name’s Jill. What’s yours?” I exclaimed to a cute green-eyed new boy. He had brown hair and a toothy smile.

“Calvin,” his voice cracked. He looked embarrassed about his voice, but Riley came to the rescue.

“Sup, man? Name’s Riley. Guess you met my girl Jelly?”

They were like any other thirteen year old boys who wanted to show up each other, but Calvin just held out his hand and both of them ‘man-hugged’. I laughed and wondered why boys were so strange.

“Come on! I’ll show you around this place,” I smiled proud.

Yeah, I’d be the first friend to Calvin. I linked arms with him and walked down our driveway. He had moved only a block away from Riley’s house, and his mother sent him here to hang out with Riley and me.

Soon, Calvin became part of the crew and after he was established as a regular kid and not the new kid, I showed him the Fields myself.

“Come on,” I grabbed Calvin’s hand and pulled him toward the Fields. The golden setting drew me in and I didn’t think twice about exposing a secret hideout.

“It’s beautiful,” Calvin whispered once he saw it.

I giggled like my thirteen year old self and looked up at him dreamily. He was so cute.

He gave another toothy grin and we ran through the Fields like we owned it. Then Riley showed up…

“Jelly! What are you doing?”

I turned my head guiltily toward him and said, “Oh. But I just thought-since he was part of us…”

I let go of Calvin’s hand as he stood there confused. I ran towards Riley and grabbed both of his hands looking at him with puppy dog eyes.

“Don’t be mad, okay? I just wanted to share it. Sharing is caring right?”

He stared at me looking ready to blow a cap.

Behind me Calvin yelled, “It’s okay Jelly. I won’t tell, I promise. This place is so cool!”

“Why’s he calling you Jelly?” Riley growled.

I ruffled his hair playfully. “Come on Riles. I know you don’t hold grudges. Plus, you know you will always be my very best friend.”

He smiled a little with a faint of sadness. Huh, that was weird.

“Yeah, best friends until the end.”

I let go of his hands and reached for his arm to pull him towards Calvin happily. Life was amazing with such great friends.

Snapping back to reality was hard but all I could manage out of my mouth to Riley was, “Best friends until the end…but you thought more than that?”

I looked up at Riles, and saw his heart breaking face. He nodded, stuffing his hands into his jean pockets.

Suddenly I thought of Calvin and got mad. Calvin never did anything wrong. Riley was always jealous and he never he even told me.

“Why didn’t you tell me? And Calvin never did anything to you! Why would you ever kill all those people? I never asked for that!”

He looked at me pissed and yelled, “Oh come on. Not everything’s about you Jelly! Don’t you get it? I tried every way a guy can to show you I was better than Calvin. I wanted to show you that it hurt to see you in his arms every waking moment. And what do you do, you show him the Fields! It was our hang out, and sanctuary. How could you betray us? I was pissed, you know that? But I loved you with all my heart. All that mattered was you. Look where that got me, huh?”

Emotions were exploding from every pore of my body but I shut all of them off, and stood up determined. I came here to get answers, and yelling at Riley would do nothing for me. I may be scum, and stupid, and naïve but I had to get this over with.

I let my eyes droop over, as I sat down on the chair and put my head in my hands whispering clearly, “Was it wrong that I wanted you to kiss me right there and then?”

I could feel the surprise emanating from Riley, from the stillness in my heart, and in that room. I could even feel surprise in the room with Ben. But I didn’t stop talking.

“I’ve always loved you Riles as a friend, but I’ve also wanted to know how it would be with you, but I never wanted it to end up this way, okay? Those people…you know Cindy Lid? She can’t cheerlead anymore. She’s absolutely heartbroken. And Lila…she was mean…but to kill her?”

I heard the scratch of a chair being pulled over to where I was and Riley sitting down next to me. I lifted my head and stared into those guilt-stricken blue eyes. What went wrong?

“If you had just given me a chance…” Riley whispered.

“But why?” I asked determined for an answer.

Riley looked deeply in my eyes and I almost forgot there was an audience watching me. I wanted to jump in his arms forever. It was wrong.

“There was never a purpose,” Riley whispered.

And then it was over. The door whipped open and Ben came rushing in, pulling me along.

The last image was of Riley staring longingly at me, and me staring right back at him. I was certainly going to hell…