Happening >>Riley Matthews<<

Chapter 5

Why do people keep asking me that freakin question?! I hate it!!!! I hate it! I hate it! I hate it!

"Yeah, I just had a bad dream." I replied.

I stepped aside and let all of them trickle in. As soon as we were all sitting in the bay window, my mom knocked on my door. "Hey, um... sorry to break the silence, but Lucas? Corey just got home so I suggest you make yourself disappear." Huh, that's funny. That's exactly what I want to do.

Just after my mom said that, a loud Topanga! echoed through the house. My mom quietly closed the door and we heard the clicking of her heels as she ran to go greet her needy, annoying, unbelievably pathetic husband: my father.

Maya, Farkle and I all laughed as we quickly shoved Lucas into my closet. Just as we sat down in the bay window again, my father opened the door.

He saw Maya to my right and Farkle to my left. "Where's Lucas?" He asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, he said he had a bunch of chores to do tonight." I replied quickly without consent from the others.

"And how would you know that if you didn't talk to him since he didn't come here?" My dad questioned as if he was a detective.

"He told me at school today, Sir." Farkle indicated to himself.

"Oh, okay then. Have fun kids!" My dad looked pleasantly surprised and happy as he walked out of my room and shut the door.

"I can't believe we pulled that off," I breathed as I stood up and let Lucas out of the closet.

"Why thank you ma'am," he said in a Texan accent as he tipped his imaginary cowboy hat.

In my best southern accent, which sucked so bad, I said, "Any time, partner." I also tipped my imaginary hat. At that point in time, something happened. He and I stood there, staring at each other. Me? I was getting swallowed up by his gentle eyes. Him? Wait... I liked this feeling. No! I can't be happy. I broke our gaze and sat back down between Maya and Farkle.

Lucas sat down next to Farkle. I put my hands face up in my lap, waiting for somebody other than me to talk.

"Riles, what the heck did you do?!" Maya almost screamed scaring the crap out of me. She was looking at my hands. Farkle and Lucas soon followed her gaze to the black square on my hand.

"Oh, I got to school early and was bored so I drew on my hand." I wasn't lying, but I wasn't telling the whole truth. I was actually quite surprised that I was able to come up with and excuse that fast.

"Oh." She said.

After that, we sat in silence, each waiting for another to speak up. The silence wasn't awkward, it was comfortable.

Comfortable. Wait... No! I can't be comfortable! I have to suffer! If I'm sad, I have to suffer! So I got up, walked over to my bed, and sat on the edge. I got strange stares from all of them. I quickly took out my phone and made a group chat.

Guys, just gimme a minute. Plz dont talk or say anything, just wait for me

I heard all of their phones buzz at the same time. I laughed. I went to a website that I learned about a year ago called Make A Quiz. I started to make a quiz for my friends that I was going to send to them. I can't believe that I am actually doing this. I've built up enough trust with them, right? I think so.

Question 1:
How long has this been happening?

Correct Answer:
Since Christmas

Question 2:
Why does this happen to me?

Correct Answer:
Because I feel alone

Question 3:
What have I tought of doing?

Correct Answer:
Cutting

Question 4:
Who are you going to tell about what I just told you?

Correct Answer:
Nobody

Question 5:
What are you promising me?

Correct Answer:
That next time I go over to your house you will have ice cream for me, you won't tell ANYONE about this, and that you will never leave me alone.

I read through my mini quiz. I copied the link and pasted it in the group message send box. I closed my eyes while pressing the send button. I immediately after texted:

Plz just take the whole thing before you say anything

I can't believe that I just gave away the keys to my soul. And I can't help but think that there are four of them. One for Maya. One for Farkle. One for Lucas. One for me. But now it's missing. My neighbor stole it.

He took the key and instead of carefully inserting the key into my locked soul, he pounded down the door and started destroying everything in sight. He tore down the picture on the wall of me and Auggie. He blew up the room where the bay window and all my memories were. He ate the candy heart that Lucas gave me on Valenine's Day last year. He punched down the statue of my family standing right next to the statue of my friends which he burned. The end product was so horrendous. My soul was so full of smoke that I had to blow it all out.

I exhaled and looked over to the bay window where they were all still looking down at their phones. Oh gosh, I can't believe I actually did that. Now they're going to know. They're going to know why I was crying today. They're going to know why I woke up sweating. They're going to know why I despise the question, "what's wrong." They're going to know why I've been acting so strangely. They're going to know what I'm going through. What is happening to me.

I looked back up at them. Their noses were still in their screens. I started letting my thoughts take over again when I was brought out of them by a gentle voice.

"Riles?"