Exchange with New Hope Club

Chapter 13

Riley's POV

After i got off the phone to Jade I headed up to my room as i wasn't feeling like talking to Blake. Everyone we had seen today had thought there was something going on between the two of us and i knew Blake would want to talk about it. It just made me feel more and more homesick for my actual family and my friends back home.

In my room i pulled out my phone and dialled my home number hoping that someone was up at home. The phone rung for 4 rings and on the fifth i was going to hang up but i heard a voice on the other side.

"Riley is that you?" i heard them say.

"Yes it is. I miss you guys so much," I started and couldn't help myself from getting teary.

"Oh I love you so much. You don't know how quiet it is at home. Even Xavier misses you and wants you back home," my mum said on the other side of the line. "Do you even know what time it is here right now?"

"No, but it's 4pm over here now," I said actually wondering what time it was back home.

"It's 11 pm here and i was just going to bed when you rang," said my mum.

"Oh I'm sorry mum. I just miss you guys so much," I said again. I was so happy that I was speaking to someone from my family again. "I should let you go to sleep as i know you will have lots of work to do again tomorrow."

"Ok Riley, I love you so much, have fun and don't worry about me back in Australia," she said comforting me.

"I love you too," I said. Then i heard the beeping that the line had ended, though i kept my phone up to my ear for a full minute before i took it down. I then decided i would try to see if any of my school friends were actually up. I tried about 3 numbers but non picked up. I then decided i would ring my old neighbours and see whether they were up which they normally are. Luckily for me they picked up.

"Hey Riley. How you going?" I heard Jack's voice on the other side.

"Yeah good, just phoning everyone from home cause i miss everyone so much," I said as Jack and his sister Tyler had always been my best friends when i was little. I was able to tell them how i felt.

"Aw, Riley, don't think like that. I know it is amazing over there and you will make so many new friends you won't want to leave," he said being the person he is.

"Yeah i know but I don't know, everything is so different over here and i won't even be at home for my birthday next month. It's all so weird," I said as i really was hoping I could have a great birthday but it wasn't with my own family.

"Don't worry about that, just have fun." There was a short pause. "Well i probably should go to sleep as it is like 11:30 here and i have school tomorrow. Have fun. Talk to you later."

"Ok, it was nice just hearing a voice from home. Bye, I'll talk to you later," I said feeling a little bit more happy.

After I spoke to Jack, i decided to scroll through some images on my phone of home. I got to a photo of me and Jade getting ready for our social which made me laugh so hard. Then i looked at Instagram to see what everyone at home was up too. A few minutes later i heard a knock at my door and Blake saying "can i come in?" I allowed him, though i still didn't take my eyes away from my feed on instagram though i didn't actually look at what i was looking at.

The mattress on my bed sunk as Blake sat down near me.

"You ok, Riley?" he asked quietly. I just nodded cause i didn't want him to see i had actually been crying looking through the images of home.

Blake just sat there for a few minutes then he moved some of the strands of hair away from my face and asked whether I'm ok again. This time i looked at him cause i knew he wasn't going to tease me or be mean or anything like that. He just wanted to make sure i was ok as well as comfort me.