COLD TO THE TOUCH || RILAYA

S I X T E E N // P A R T T W O

TRIGGER WARNING: MENTIONS OF SELF-HARM

"What the hell happened?" Lucas painfully asked, staring into my eyes. I couldn't speak, I just let the tears flow from my eyes.

"Maya, please talk to us! I'm sure Riley didn't mean that!" Zay stated as he grabbed my shoulder.

"Y-you heard?" I stuttered through the sniffles.

"We watched everything. It has to be Missy, we need to stop her before anything gets worse!" Farkle yelled, dragging me by my arm.

"Anything gets worse?" I sternly asked, dragging him back. The four of them turned and glanced at each other, giving each other worrying looks.

"What happened to her. What did you assholes not tell me."

Farkle took a deep breath and spoke up.

"Riley cut herself. I went over to visit her the night she did and I found her sobbing in her bathtub with little splotched of blood on her shirt. I helped her stop Maya, I-"

I broke free of Farkle's grip and punched him in the stomach. He hunched over, giving me the option to knee him. I felt Lucas and Zay grab my arms as Smackle pushed me away. I tried to fight their grip, but the Texas boys are the strongest out of all of us. Of course I was trapped.

"Let her go," I heard him say in a winded tone, "I deserve more than a punch."

I felt Lucas' and Zay's grips loosen enough for me to break free. I clenched my hands together, forming fists, but holding them back.

"No," I whispered. "Missy does."

I ran past Farkle, breezing his shoulder with mine, all the way back to Riley's apartment. As I was climbing up the fire escape, I stopped.

She wouldn't be home...

I took a moment to think and snapped back to reality and scurried down the steps. Once I reached the bottom, I sprinted to the abandoned park, the one I vandalized.

I slowed down as I entered the park. I looked around, spotting the statue of the four best friends. I rested my hand on the one that represented Riley.

I may lose you as my girlfriend, but I won't lose you as my best friend.

I wiped a tear from my eye and snapped my head towards the bushes. I slowly approached the pile of twigs and old trash, where the quiet rustling sounds were coming from.

"Riley?" I asked aloud, pulling through the branches. "Honey, please answer me."

"Go away."

I stood back up and charged through the bushes, ignoring all the spiky prickers puncturing my skin. I found Riley curled in a ball, shaking uncontrollably and hysterically crying. I kneel down next to her and she jumps up, aiming a pistol at my nose.

"Riley-"

"You should've listened when I told you to go away the first time."

"What's going-"

"Stop. Don't say anything. The next word coming out of your mouth will be your last, you understand me?" she yelled through tears.

I turned around to find rest of our friend group in shock, too shocked to move.

"Riley, put that thing down before someone gets hurt," Lucas protested, slapping the gun out of her hand.

"You wanna be next?" she screamed, charging at him.

Before anything happened, I grabbed her and kissed her. It wasn't the smartest thing to do, but it's all I could think of. She didn't resist, she kissed back, then snapped back to the psychotic state she was in.