It had been ages since he lost the love his his life to his worst enemy, Charlie Gardener. It was his fault, he made her choose between the two people she cared about the most in life.
Lucas
It was Friday morning, 6:30 am two hours before I had to head to school. I wanted coffee and I knew my coffee pot was broken. So I walked to Topanga's, before the large fall out between Charlie, Riley and I, we used to hang out there everyday. It was senior year, I hadn't talked to Riley in months. Maya had to take her side, of course that's what best friends do. But Zay and Farkle distanced themselves from me as well. So I, Lucas Friar, was all alone in New York, again. Riley had fallen onto my lap I thought as I walked down the street. Why would she choose him. I was the one there the night Maya and her got into a fight, I was the one who comforted her when her second hamster died, I was the prince she had been waiting for, or at least I was until Charlie came along.
I finally arrived at Topanga's and what more could I expect than Riley sitting there, beautiful as always, in the seat where we had our second date next to him, the boy of all girls' nightmares. I continued to walk at a slightly faster pace towards the counter, ordered my coffee from Mrs. Hart and sat at the counter. I observed Riley for most of her time with Charlie. Her laugh was forced, I could tell she didn't have the shine in her eye she had when Maya or I told her a joke. She almost looked uncomfortable. But after watching for ten minutes it became to uneasy to watch her. I walked out my coffee mug half full. I tried to walk as fast as I could so she wouldn't notice me. But me, being Texas boy with the cowboy boots, Riley heard and stopped me.
"Lucas, wait up," I heard her voice say my name, something she hadn't done in a while she finally caught up to me, "man you walk fast." I knew the small talk was out of politeness but I didn't need her pity. But it was nice to hear her voice.
"Hi Riley," I said faking a grin "aren't you on a date with Charlie?" I tried not to sound too mad but that clearly failed when she replied, "Yea but he can wait. Are you alright?" Was I alright, was I alright. Okay let's review the girl I had been in love with since seventh grade when she fell into my lap chose they boy I hated the most and was on a date with which I accidentally crashed, was I okay? No of course I wasn't but I didn't need Riley trying to nurture me.
"I'm fine Riley," I thought it sounded believable but she didn't buy it considering the curiously and her brows furrowed "how are you Riley is everything you hoped he'd be?"
"Yea, yea he really is." I heard the shakiness in her tone almost as someone was forcing her to say that. I turned back and Charlie was a few feet away at the doorway to Topanga's.
"Are you sure, Riles?" I hadn't called her that in forever I missed it, I missed her.
"Yes, Lucas I'm fine." she wasn't she knew she wasn't I knew she wasn't. We both knew but words wouldn't convey that just the shattered look on her face every time she thought she had convinced me of her being "fine". "Okay, there is one thing Lucas."
"What is it Riles?"
"I can't tell you here. He's too close."
"Meet in the library after seventh period then?"
"Sure."
"Riley what the fuck are you doing talking to this low life you know I don't like waiting now come on." As he said that he yanked her arm tight I saw the pain in her eyes but she tried playing it off cool. It was Charlie, the boy that ruined love for me.
Seventh period was finally over, right as the bell rang I headed to the library where I was to meet Riley. She was there I looked through the glass door she was sitting their quaint, yet beautiful as always. I grabbed the seat next to her I could tell it startled her.
"Are you alright?"
"Lucas," a huge sigh of relief came from her mouth "thank god it's you and not him I thought he found me."
"Who?" I knew who it was I was just trying to play nïeve to make her feel better.
"Charlie."
"Why is he concerned where you are?"
"He doesn't exactly know I'm here, talking to you. He was pretty upset this morning."
"Riley, what do you need?"
"Someone to talk to."
"Why?" As soon as I asked I glanced down at Riley's royal blue chiffon dress and her hand was resting her thigh, she was rubbing it as if it was hurting. I looked back up into her chocolate eyes they had a piercing pain look to them.
"Just you know life. I miss talking to you."
"Riley," I inquired as she noticed I had been examining her eyes for quite some time "are you okay? You keep rubbing your thigh, did something happen?"
"No Lucas nothing happened."
"Are you sure?" I looked at her arm that she was covering with her brown army jacket every girl had in the fall. I put my hand out until it met her arm and slowly began to move her sleeve back. It was purple, her whole forearm along with under tones of blue and black. I was familiar with that color being all over my body. It was not a good color, not for me and especially not for the sunshine dancing princess that was Riley Matthews.
"Riley," I softly raise my voice, as we were in a library I didn't want to be kicked out "did he do this to you?" My voice became a little louder with each word.
She mumbled something under her breath, softly.
"Riley." My tone slowly raising. "Did he do this to you?" I could see the tears flooding in her brown eyes. She slowly lifted her dress up to reveal similar colors on her thigh. With tears now streaming down her face she nodded her head. Immidietly, I wrapped my arms around her shoulders as her small head nuzzled in. We sat there, for what felt like hours. But was abruptly interrupted by the librarian announcing they were closing and we had to leave. Riley sniffles as she lifted head turned it towards me and gave a small smile to me, a thank you smile. We got up out our backpacks on and walked out the door into the crisp air of New York. I put my arm around her waist and pulled her in tightly.
"Riley you aren't going anywhere near him ever again, you know that right?"
She quickly pulled away stopping us both to face me. "What am I supposed to do? He threatened that if I leave he'd break every bone in my body!" I was already on the brink of beating whatever came in front of me but this infuriated me.
"Riley what you're supposed to do is get help."
"From who?" Tears were forming yet again in her eyes. I pulled her close in for a hug wrapping my hands around her neck and resting my head on hers. I remembered that her mother had died a few years ago in a car accident and her father isolating himself from his kids. And my parents were no help considering my dad was in prison for domestic violence and my mother so depressed she could never get out of bed.
"From Shawn and Katy or Mr. Minkus and Jennifer." These two were the only couples of our parents who were together and helpful.
"How they'll never believe me, they think Charlie is the most gentlemanly of them all."
"You have proof Riley." I pulled away slowly, coming eye to eye level with her.
"Okay. But I don't know where to stay."
"My apartment. We have a spare room." We walked hand in hand down the cold streets of the city roaming around her head rested upon my shoulder as we walked. We finally reached my apartment. I grabbed my keys rattled them until I opened my door. My apartment wasn't the the greatest but it had room, running water and electricity you couldn't ask for much more than that. The walls were painted brown as can be. Then we went to my room which was just to the right of the entrance. Riley's phone kept going off from texts from Charlie of why she wasn't answering. She started panicking and hyperventilating but I said just to ignore it and say her down on my bed while I grabbed spare clothes from my closet. I grabbed my favorite blue v-neck and some nice gray sweatpants I got from my grandmother for Christmas last year.
"Okay, so the bathroom is down the hall on the left. You can change in there or the guest bedroom is right next to mine your choice."
"I don't really want to be alone."
"Um, you can sleep in my bed and I sleep on the sofa." The sofa, specifically the love seat sofa I had got from a flea market a couple years ago it was brown, worn.
"I don't want to be alone." She said yet again. But this time she was giving me a hint.
"Okay um, well I usually sleep on the right side of the bed. So I guess if you want you can sleep on the left side." She nodded her head in agreement her chocolate hair bouncing as she nodded. I went and changed in my closet while she changed in my room.
"Is the coast clear, everything that needs to be concealed is, right?" I said teasingly covering my eyes with my right hand.
"Yes Lucas it's okay to come out now." I walked back to the right side of my bed lifted the covers and got in, while Riley did the same on the left side of the bed." I could tell she was cold. Just the way she started to nuzzle into the covers. I stared at her eye to eye for s bit before rolling over and facing the other way because I knew if I had stared at her for another minute I couldn't have slept.
It was Saturday. I had woken up before Riley so I quickly got out of bed and started to make eggs and bacon. I set the table for two with the nice red dishes and white napkins and put the napkins in a sunflower ring holder. I got out the orange juice and poured it into two glasses. Riley in my blue shirt and gray sweatpants emerged from the hall rubbing her eye. She smiled as she saw I had made us breakfast. She walked over and gave me a large hug. We sat down facing across from each other and ate in silence for a bit before I started conversation.
"We need to tell Shawn and Katy today."
"Why?" She sounded upset.
"Because you can't go to school on Monday pretending everything is fine. You never lie Riley. Never."
"I'm scared Lucas."
"I am too. But you trust Shawn and Katy they would help you through anything at all, you know that." She shrugged, but she knew I was right. Right after breakfast we took our turns showering and brushing our teeth.
Riley didn't have any clothes so I snuck into my moms closet and grabbed a couple blouses and some shorts, pants and skirts. It was surprising how similar my mom and Riley dressed. I hope it was Riley dressing her age and my mom just dressing young. I grabbed a blush pink chiffon shirt with a black a-line skirt that went down to her knees. It looked like what Riley would wear. Again, I went into my closet changed into a blue v-neck and jeans with my favorite boots. I grabbed my keys from the front table and began to walk with Riley. I grabbed her hand and she didn't pull away. The Hart-Hunter apartment was only a floor above us so we walked the stairs and knocked on their apartment door. Katy answered. She looked surprised a) Riley and I were walking together and b) We were holding hands.
"Hi Riley, hi Lucas!"
"Hi Mrs. Hart." I politely said as she gestured for us to enter.
"So Maya is at art class she'll be back in two hours you're welcome to wait." She said as she closed the door behind her.
"Um, actually we need to talk to you and Shawn."
"Oh okay of course," Riley and I sat on the couch her hand still clutched to mine. While Katy took the seat adjacent to us "Shawn, honey would you come in here for a sec?"
"I'll be right out." Shawn's voice said presumably coming from the bathroom. He walked out his hair still damp and sat on the arm of the chair, next to his wife.
"Hey kiddos, what's up?"
"Hi Uncle Shawn" Riley said shakily "uh um well." she lifted up the blouse to reveal the bruises and did the same with her skirt shortly after.
Shawn and Katy gasped.
"Where did these come from sweetie?" Katy asked impusively very concerned.
"Charlie, I got them from him." The tears came from her eyes again as she burrowed her face in my chest and I put my arm around her back and let go of her hand and put the other one around her back as well. Katy and Shawn came rushing over, hugging her.
"I'm so sorry sweetie. We will call the police right away."
"No please don't, he said he'd break every bone in my body if anyone figured out where I got these from."
"Shawn call the police!" Shawn escaped from the hug. But Katy grabbed onto Riley tightly in case Riley tried to stop Shawn.
"911 What's your emergency?"
"Hi yes. I need to report someone for domestic abuse."
"Please give the name of the alleged assaulter and the name and age of the victim."
"Charlie Gardener he's 17. And Riley Matthews she's also 17."
Katy got up to comfort her husband, while I stayed and hugged Riley for a long time.
"Is it over now?"
"Yes Riles it's over now. You never have to see him again." I hugged her for at least two hours before Maya came home and took over.
Domestic abuse is something that happens everyday to men and women all around he world. Unfortunately only a minority of cases are reported and tried fairly. Many victims still know their assaulter is out on the streets. If you or someone you know is a victim of assault (any kind) please report it to authorities. Or if you're a child go to a trusted adult and tell them. If you are young chances are you cannot handle the situation on your own. You need someone. So please go to someone.
