Unknown Lover

Chapter 11

  Riley woke up the next morning, her arm still aching terribly and the feeling of wanting to puke still lingering. After whining all night about her arm, her mom finally gave in and booked an appointment to see a doctor that afternoon. She just hoped it wasn't broken.

As for James, he woke up perfectly fine. But a weird, twisted part of him wondered how Riley's arm was doing. He didn't like the fact that he was actually considering how she was feeling and almost feeling sorry for dropping her, but he let it be. She used to be his best friend after all, of course he still kind of worried about her.

  But that still didn't stop him from making a point to give her a rough nudge during school in the hallways, right into her arm.

  "Watch it!" Riley snapped at him, holding her arm close to her as tears of pain were selling in her eyes.

  "Oh, I'm sorry. Your arm still "broken"?" James mocked her.

  "I don't know, I'm getting it checked today." The injured girl replied, looking down pitifully at her arm in the makeshift sling. James bit his lip. He didn't remember the last time he seen Riley so vulnerable like this.

  "I'm sure it's not actually broken Riley. Bruised maybe, but not broken." He assured her.

  "I hope." She responded, still looking down at her arm. They stood silently, not a harsh word exchanged between them for a change.

  "I, um, need to get to class." James finally said awkwardly, stretching the back if his neck.

  "Me too." Riley replied quietly, adjusting her book bag. On that note, James left her there whole Riley still stood still, watching the guy she had once called her best friend leave.

• • •

That afternoon, Riley found herself sitting in the doctors office with her mom, waiting for the doctor to come back with her X-Rays. Riley was shaking like a leaf.

"I'm sure it will be fine honey. Probably just a bruise or something." Her mom comforted her.

"Yeah, I hope." Riley muttered, barely believing a word her mother had said. The doctor entered, X-Rays in hand. Riley stood up straight, eager and anxious.

"So, my arms alright, right? Just a bruise?" She questioned the doctor immediately.

"Quite the opposite, really Miss Portman." He sighed.

"The opposite?" Riley inquired, eyes widened in fear.

"Yes. As you can see here," he started, holding the X-Rays up, "there is a clean break in your right arm."

"But I can still dance, right?" Riley asked quickly, looking back and forth between her mom and doctor.

"I'm sorry Riley, but that's a strong no." The doctor told her sympathetically.