Framed

Chapter 12 : Scary School

Chapter 12

The next day...

Riker POV

My legs were shaking as I walked into school. I was almost positive I was going to throw up. I was so nervous!

The first half of the day had gone ok. I'd gotten a lot of work I had to make up. But the walk to lunch wasn't so fun...

"Look! It's Lynch! He's out of jail!" Bryan, one of my bullies shouted.

I tried to ignore him, and just walk past him, but that didn't end up happening. He pinned me up against the lockers. I started to shake really hard, scared to death. This is where I die!

"How'd you do it, Riker? How'd you kill that guy and get out of jail?" Bryan asked, inches from my face.

"I-I didn't k-kill him," I said, quietly.

"Oh really? Then who did?"

"I-I don't know!"

"I think maybe you do!"

Before I had time to react, his fist came in contact with my cheek, and I was knocked to the floor. My jaw was burning. Bryan and his obnoxious friends started kicking me all over. I managed to get up, and run to the boys' bathroom. I locked myself in the handicap stall, slid to the ground, brought my knees to my chest, and cried.

It turned into a panic attack, and everything was fuzzy.

All of a sudden, I heard banging on the door, and my breath caught in my throat.

"Riker, open up!"

"No!"

"Riker, it's Rocky. Please open up!"

I crawled over to the door, and unlocked it. Rocky came in, and locked it again.

"What's wrong?" Rocky asked, sitting down next to me.

He put his arm around me, and I leaned into his touch.

"M-my j-jaw..."

"What happened?"

"B-Bryan p-pushed me. A-and he p-punched me. A-and I w-want to g-go home!"

"Riker, it's the middle of sixth period. You have to wait until the end of eighth. But you're almost done."

"N-no! I n-need to go home! P-please!"

"Riker, you'll be ok."

"M-my j-jaw!"

"So then let's go to the nurse."

"No! W-what if we see B-Bryan?"

"Riker, you can't be like this! You need to either suck it up, or we can go to the nurse. Your choice."

"I want to go home! Please!"

"Riker, you can't go home."

"I need to!"

I cried into my hands, and Rocky rubbed my back slowly.

"Riker, it'll be ok. I promise. Please can we just go?"

"Where?"

"We can go to lunch or the nurse. Your choice."

"Lunch. I need to be with Rydel."

"Why Rydel?"

"I trust her."

"Ok."

Rocky pulled me up, and led me to the cafeteria. I sat next to Rydel, and she noticed something was wrong.