S I L E N T

S I L E N T | F O U R

S I L E N T | Chapter Four

He doesn't look up when I call his name a second time, and I begin to wonder if he can't hear me or if he's purposely trying to be an ignorant asshole.

"Hey," I raise my voice higher this time and he finally turns around. His eyes graze mine, they're dark but sharp, brown but black, something I just can't seem to fathom. His dark brows furrow in annoyance as he watches me swallow my tongue. I didn't know what I intended to get out of this exactly, but now that I have his attention I need to think of something. Quick.

"Uh-" I croak, my voice suddenly weak and quiet under the glare of his dark eyes. I cringe a step back, suddenly aware of how idiotic I must look. "Y-You're Ryder, r-right?" My stutter is obvious, but not as obvious as my heating face. I knew it was Ryder, everybody knows who this boy is. And being in the 'freak in flannels' presence was nothing but intimidating.

The stories of Ryder Shay are endless. You can't precisely put a mark on what kind of person Ryder is because he is completely unpredictable. And by the stories I've overheard obviously crazy. Guess I'm not alone on the psycho train.

"How'd you guess?" His eyes narrow at his own sarcasm although his eyes look sharp and deadly, his body language tells a different story, there are multiple sides to Ryder Shay, maybe a side that has yet to be unveiled.

His smile is slightly crooked, revealing a single dimple on one cheek. He's amused with me, I can tell, slightly and obviously annoyed by still amused, and as I stand here frozen to the spot with my mouth locked closed I don't blame him, I'd find me ridiculous and slightly crazy too.

"What are you doing here?" I finally say once I manage to actually breathe. I mite my lip anxiously in worry as I watch him slowly sit on the edge of the roof, feet dangling. I join him, my body trembling slightly. I didn't know why I was this nervous to be around him, but talking to an actual human being isn't on the list of things I do daily. I spend a lot of time alone. Human interaction is not my forte.

"It's peaceful, a good place to sit." He mutters, his eyes trained on the ground far below, watching all of the students file into the school.

"You mean on the edge of death?" I raise a brow, biting back a smirk. Ryder turns to me with a brow raised and a wider smirk, behind it a set of white teeth flash back at me. "I mean, one wrong move and your a goner." I continue, nodding my head toward the ground, my eyes still on his.

"That's the point, it's relaxing." He almost smiles at this, something changes in his expression, something crazy something not right. I fidget in confusion and discomfort. I think about all of the nasty things people have gossiped of about Ryder, and I don't blame him, I'd probably go crazy too.

"I don't get it," I nibble on my lip and look back at him. He lets out a pent up breath of air and drags a hand through his dark hair.

"I mean," he begins, his eyes meeting mine once again. "Knowing that death is this close is relaxing. I feel in control of everything that goes on in my life here, this close to the edge." He pauses looking away, and I can tell he's blushing.

"But you have a family." I whisper, by voice hardly audible in my own ears. I don't know if he doesn't hear me or just chooses to not answer my question because he doesn't meet my eyes or respond.

"It doesn't matter if I fall or not." He clears his voice as it suddenly becomes thick, thick with emotion, something that I can tell makes Ryder feel uncomfortable. "I'm a goner anyway."

For the rest of the school day I don't see Ryder, but you'd be lucky to catch Ryder Shay at school anyway. As expected Eli doesn't show up but instead texts me from the mall as she tried on new dresses for the party, and somehow I ended up here with her. I decided I didn't want to go home right after school and figured I might as well suck it up and join Eli at the mall.

I sit on a bench watching as she tries on dress after dress, some too fancy for a house party, others too skimpy, but she doesn't seem to care or notice. Typically Eli doesn't care what other people think of her, probably because most don't think anything other than good thoughts about her. She's a ray of sunshine where I am her shadow. Everybody loves and adores her and I am left unseen, sometimes I don't mind but other times it gets lonely. I always wonder how a person like me ended up with a friend like Eli, but then again I guess opposites get along better?

"Can you pretend to be Lesbian just for like, one second?" Eli walks out of the dressing room fiddling with the top of a short, royal blue dress. It hugs her body tightly and I inwardly cringe at the idea of me wearing something like that.

"You need a girlfriend." I laugh, throwing her the purse she left on the bench. I stand and make my way to the checkout. "Get that one and lets go," I call over my shoulder to her.

"We aren't done hun, don't get to thinking that I forgot that we still need to shop for you."

I stop in my tracks at her words.

Maybe staying home would have been better than going to the mall.

Hey guys :) Sorry if this feels short, most of the chapters in this story will probably be short, but I'll definitely upload LOADS of chapters! Thanks for reading!

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Love, Bree