whisper | rilaya

ten

The hallways were far too crowded for my liking. I winced as I squeezed through a crowd of freshman blocking the entire corridor. They were all collectively gossiping about something that I couldn't care less about.

The number 108, written in blue pen across my palm was smudged when I tried to read it.

When I came to my locker, Danielle was already there, slumped against it. She was checking some sort of social media on her phone to pass time until the person she was waiting for arrived.

"Hey!" She smiled and waved at me.

I was ready to turn around and sprint the other down the hallway. Why was this girl everywhere? "Uh, hi?" I greeted, deciding that it was too early in the morning for me to be an asshole.

"They needed a volunteer to show the new student around the school. Guess I had the luck of being assigned to you!" Her voice was forced and unnaturally preppy.

"Got it." I opened my locker door and started putting my essentials in. Danielle stood to the side with her arms crossed, watching my movements like a hawk.

"What is your problem with me?" She asked.

Her nerve was unbelievable. "Is that a joke?"

"One of the first things you said to me was a ignorant comment about my new dad." I snarled, almost taken aback by the fact that I was defending Shawn.

Danielle stepped forward and shut locker for me. "I was just warning you."

"What are you saying?"

She bit her lip and looked me straight in the eyes. "Shawn dated my mom 3 years ago. He moved in and everything, just like he's doing with you. Trust me, he doesn't care about you, or your mother." Danielle tried to be sympathetic but I could see the jealously burning in her eyes from the fact that I took something away from her.

"Shut the fuck up." I replied, shoving her against the locker and pinning her against it by her wrists.

"Stay out of my personal life, and you can shove your so called advice up your ass." I let go of her wrists and turned around to look for my first class, not believing what she just said to me.

It was difficult to keep my emotions hidden, because once again, Danielle was right. Shawn probably didn't care about me as much as he claimed he did.

Danielle still wanted a fight. Her voice called out from behind me while I tried to storm away. "You're not helping her. Riley deserves better than you!" She shouted across the hall.

My pride always overpowered my common sense. I backed up slowly, until we were standing face to face again.

"W-what?" My voice came out as a whimper, the emotions that her comment invoked in me were evident. For the first time ever, someone has said the biggest fear hidden in the back of my mind aloud. There were too many restless nights where I laid  awake, not sure if I was helping Riley by taking her in or holding her back from the world that she used to be in.

It was selfish to admit, but I almost didn't want Riley to gain her memory back. Once she did, I would be nothing to her. Why would she stay when she has the opportunity to go back to her perfect life? She would leave me, just like everyone else did.