The Better Life

Chapter 11- Jailbird (Part one)

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"Who was that?" Melissa asked leaning over to me.

"No one." I said plainly.

"Nuh-uh. You looked angry."

"No I think she looked smitten, yet pissed. Now we really need to know who!" Natalie smiled.

"It was no one, okay? I just need to do something. Drive home without me." I waved my hand dismissing anything they might say and walked out of the mall parking lot.

I sat on a near by bench and answered him.

'Why? There is nothing to talk about.'

He answered almost instantly.

'Please, Riley. I just want to talk.'

I snorted. I've heard that before.

'I don't think so Tanner.'

My phone beeped twice.

'Riley, please do this for me.'

'Meet me at the park by my place.'

That is just what I need. To be close to his house of all places. I went to type no, but my thumbs didn't have the strength. I couldn't do it. Ugh, I'm going to have to do this aren't I? I didn't answer, I just got up and walked to the park.

I sat down on a park bench and looked around. He better be here, I thought angrily.

"Hey." Someone said from behind me. I turned around and saw Tanner. With a nod, I turned around and faced the park.

"Hi." I mumbled, annoyed.

"Could you at least look at me?"

"I just did." I pointed out.

"Riley." He said firmly.

I turned to face him and noticed him leaning on a car, twirling his fingers around a set of keys that belonged to it.

"That doesn't look like your truck." I smirked.

His face went pale and his eyes widened. I groaned and stood up.

"Who's car did you steal?"

"Um-"

"Tanner!" I stomped.

"Your brother's." He blurted out.

"What!?" I screamed. "Of all the things you could have done, Tanner. You stole my brother's car? Wonderful just wonderful." I started walking away.

"Riley, we need to talk. Please." He grabbed my arm and looked at me with sad eyes.

"Fine, but don't sit too close." I sat on one end of the bench and he sat close to the other.

Things were silent for a long period of time. I looked at the kids playing at the park, a group of fourteen year olds on their phones gossiping on who liked who and what celebrity did what and best of all, how normal their lives were. I wanted a normal life. With a normal mom and dad and- well Wilson is fine the way he is- for now. I wanted to have a normal teenage life. 2 years of my life were taken away, I missed two years of school with my friends. I missed everything that prepared me for life. Normal. I laughed at myself for thinking my life could ever be that way.

"Look, Riley." Tanner spoke snapping me out of my thoughts. "I don't know what I was thinking kissing you like that, or at all really. I shouldn't have done that considering that Danni and I are back together."