Happening >>Riley Matthews<<

Chapter 8

"I'm really sorry, guys. For how I acted and stuff."

"It's okay."

"We understand."

"You didn't do anything."

"Yes, I did. I lied to you guys for two months. I just claimed that you guys never wanted to see me again. I ran away from you. My friends. And I promise you I will never do that again."

"We will never stop loving you. You understand that, right Riles?" Maya took my hand in both of hers.

I nodded my head, tears welling in my eyes again. Man, how many tears did I have? "I love you guys," I managed to squeak out.

"And we love you." The night where Farkle told me that I had to tell Lucas I liked him by New Years flashed through my mind. And I got the sense that his personality would never change. That this was the Farkle I would know forever.

He took my ankle again and I winced. "It's okay." I knew Farkle knew what he was doing. I can trust him. He wraped my ankle with the bandage and then put the ice on top. "I would talk to your parents about it and see if they can take you to a doctor. They might give you crutches to help you stay off of it. Actually, they probably will. It'd be too risky to put weight on it."

Lucas spoke up beforde I could respond. "What would it risk?"

"Making the pain last longer or permanent damage." My eyes widened at the news. I didn't want to be a cripple for life!

"How long do you think it'll hurt?" I ask. Because honestly, my ankle is killing me!

"I have no clue! I'm not a doctor!" He played.

We all kinda chuckled. It was nice to know that these guys still cared about me even after everything I said and did.

I look over at Maya and see her face light up but drop at the same time. "Is this the reason why you were crying this morning?" The boys looked at Maya and at me and I could tell that they all knew that that was the reason I broke down this morning.

"And that's the reason why you weren't laughing with us this morning." Lucas's voice seemed to sing. He always had that affect on me. His touch made me explode. His voice made me float. His eyes made me drown.

I nodded with my head down, embarrassed that we had arrived back at this topic. My neighbor started to creep back into my destroyed heart. But this time, he escaped through an artery out of my heart, into one of the blood vessels, and to my brain. He started to uncoil it all until my brain was mush.

"Hey, do you guys remember when we got the news that Farkle could've had Autism?" Maya, Farkle, and I nodded our heads. "Well, this time, we know the symptoms, not the diagnosis. Riley?"

"Yes, Lucas?"

"Is it alright if we help you?"

I seem to be nodding my head a lot lately, which is what I did once more. Before I knew it, Lucas was sitting next to me again with his laptop ready to go.

"Riley, can you tell us what's been bothering you?" I secretly laughed inside my unraveled brain.

"Are you my counselor?" I asked in the tone of voice I read Are You My Mother? to Auggie in. Lucas smiled at me and I heard Maya and Farkle smirk.

"Riley, we can't help you unless you let us. Capeesh?" Maya was the only one that ever said capeesh to me. She's the only person who I actually know that says it. So whenever I hear the word capeesh I know my best friend is somewhere nearby.

"Capeesh." I sighed defeated. "Maya? You know that dungeon of sadness that you have?" She nodded. "Well, I have one too. Except, it's no longer inside of me. I'm inside of it. And my neighbor is the jailer."

I ended up explaining my whole neighbor situation to them. How he beat me up. How he cut me with a knife. How he cut off the bottom of the rollercoaster. How he left me to die on an operating table. How he got the keys to my soul. How he destroyed and burned my heart. How he cancelled on my roof appointment with him. How he picked apart my brain. And finally how I couldn't keep him out.

None of my friends said anything the entire time. They just listened. Lucas rubbed my back. Maya held my hand. Farkle stared deep into my broken soul and encouraged me to keep going.

Once I was done and it was silent for a few moments, my phone dinged. I took it out from underneath my pillow and looked at my notification.

Mom: ur father wants to go out to eat at a new restaurant in town and was wondering if you wanted to come along.

Riley: I actually have a lot of homework I need to catch up on so can you just bring me home something?

Mom: sure sweetie, what do you want?

Riley: just get me something you know I like. How long are you guys going to be gone?

Mom: maybe another hour? Make sure to get your hw done and NO SCREENS!

Riley: yes ma'am cya, bye

Mom: bye

"My parents aren't going to be home for another hour." They all looked at the clock which now read 5:30. It seemed like only a few minutes ago that Maya, Farkle, and Lucas were climbing in through my window at 3:45.

Wait, that means that your mother lied to you about when they were going to be home! They forgot about you! No, they didn't! They just had more stuff they wanted to look at. Yes, they did! No, they didn't! Yes they did! No, the...

"Riley? Pumpkin? You're sweating." I touched my forehead and blushed. Well, that's awkward. I don't think that has ever happened before.

"Oh, I was just thinking." I scanned their expressions and each and every one of them had concern written all over their faces.