Happening >>Riley Matthews<<

Chapter 17

"So......" I started. "My house after school today?"

Maya, Lucas, Farkle, Zay, and I were standing at my locker. We had just finished lunch and we decided that we would stop at my locker so I could rest for a little bit. Life with crutches is harder than you would think.

Lunch today was mashed potatoes, corn, and some kind of meat. I know I spent a week in the kitchen, but I still didn't know what was in the meat. I had a stomach ache and didn't feel too good. I don't think the others felt too good either.

I had lunch to forgive Maya, but I really didn't want to. So you know what I did? I didn't tell her that I was the one who overreacted and that I forgave her. Even though she didn't support my decision on change, I needed to realize that what I was doing was a complete and utter sin.

I brought all of my friends into this situation that I didn't need to bring them into. What kind of a friend brings their friends into drama. Not a very good one, I can tell you that.

I need to work on my people skills because let's be honest here...

I have a neighbor that I can't get to go away. He has taken over my house and I'm just too nice to say no. Why can't I say no? Why can't I tell him to get out? Maybe I just need to work on being mean.

"Not meanin to sound rude or anythin, but we usally had to your ma's restaurant or bakery or cafe or whadever the heck she has. Why don't we just head there?" Oh Zay. Oh Zay you're so funny. You actually made me forget my crappy life for a minute. You talk funny you know that? I love your accent. You're still so Texan. Don't stop being you, Zay. Cuz once you stop, it's hard to come back. I know...

"Zay, I think she just wants to stay off her foot. If we go to Topanga's, she was to walk more to get there and then walk more to get back to the subway. It's just easier if we head straight to her house." Lucas had put his arm around Zay's shoulders and pretended like he was having a deep meaningful conversation with him. We all kinda laughed. I got that fuzzy feeling in my stomach that I can only describe as Lucas. Ya know?

"Yeah," Zay laughed. "Hey how you do that anyway?" He pointed toward my ankle.

"I... fell," I said as if I were talking to a baby.

"Hate to break it to ya Sugar, but you do dat every dang day and dis is da first time dat happen." He meant my injury. It's the first time I actually got hurt from being clumsy. Well, unless you count cheerleading but I don't.

"Well..." I couldn't think of a response. This was embarrassing... "Just let it go, Zay," I finished. I really wanted to have a snappy comeback but hey. I can't even do that. Just loving life down here in this hole right now.

It really is a great hole. It has lots of holish things in it. A pile of dirt. A dead deer. A pile of dirt. A moldy banana. A pile of dirt. My neighbor. And a pile of dirt. It's all I could ever wish for in a hole.

Lucas' eyes dimmed. He knew that what Zay said was true. I think he felt that my injury was his fault. He scared me so I ran. It's not though. I was overreacting to the entire thing. I just needed to take a chill pill. My neighbor controls my eyes and makes sure I see the truth. He shows me the truth. Which is the one good thing about him.

He shows me everything as it is. Lucas was trying to help me and I ran away like a scared little girl.

Maya was trying to comfort me and I shot it all down.

Farkle was trying to rationalize everything and I yelled at them.

Zay was trying to point out to obvious and he did just that.

Love life. I fall every single freaking day and by chance I fell and badly sprained my ankle on the worst day of my life. Sigh.

"So my house sound okay?" I asked again.

Everyone nodded. I breathed. Now Zay would know. I wouldn't have to hide it from him anymore. Half a day has already stressed me out enough. I just hope that he won't stop being Zay. Maya, Farkle, and Lucas make me smile. But Zay is the only one that makes me really laugh. That's what I love about him.

"Okay. Great." I really took a moment to look at all of them. What made each of them different.

Maya had beautiful golden hair.

Lucas was big and strong.

Zay had his smile.

Farkle was... Farkle. He was just Farkle. Everybody knew it. It didn't have to be restated.

And I was me. Your average teenage girl, well, at least on the outside. On the inside I'm dying. Just nobody can see that so they treat me the same. They keep teasing me about being a klutz. I could take it when I wasn't broken.

As if on cue, the bell rang.

The rest of the day was painfully slow. I had a pass to leave early from every class, but I decided not to. Actually, I didn't decide that. My nameless neighbor did. It was so much more painful to walk through the crowds. It was so much more painful to get to my next class two minutes late. It made me feel more stupid. I loved it and hated it at the same time.

The bell rang after sixth hour and everybody ran out of the classroom. Everybody except for me and my trusty ol' crutches. I ever so slowly and painfully picked up my backpack that was full of rocks. My foot seemed to weigh tons as I hobbled out of the room. I think my neighbor was sitting on it.

Maya, Farkle, Lucas, and Zay were waiting right outside the door for me. I swear, as soon as fraction of me was in the hallway, everything seemed to disappear. My backpack was non-existent. My crutches turned into a vapor. I wasn't on the ground.

I had to blink a few times to make sure I was seeing what I thought I was. Well, I wasn't.

Zay had taken my backpack. Farkle and Maya each grabbed a crutch. I was on Lucas' back. Maya was laughing hysterically. I'm going to assume at my reaction to the whole thing. Cuz I was not expecting that.

I started laughing too. Not because I thought it was funny. I was still mortified. I started laughing becuase if I didn't, either Maya or I would look stupid and Zay would be even more suspicious than he already is. He may not look intelligent, but he's smarter than he looks. Soon we were all laughing as we were walking out of the building.

Farkle would shoot me a worried glance every once in a while and I don't blame him. I was laughing. After what I told them, something probably didn't seem right about it to him.

Well ya know what?

He's right.

Ya know why?

It wasn't right.

It wasn't me.

It wasn't real.