I Fell Anyway

Chapter 2

“Hailey?” Ryder’s voice sounded from downstairs. I heard him jog up the stairs.

“Hailey, you can work on your story later. School is over, so don’t you want to do something fun?” Ryder yelled through the locked door.

“High school may be over but I need to prepare for college. I need to focus.” I replied hoping he would just leave.

Ryder has been a good friend to me. Earlier this year I would even have called him my best friend. Now, I guess he’s the closest I have to a best friend.

“Hailey, I know you want to be a writer, and I know you get these writing frenzies, but it’s never been this bad. Tell me what’s wrong.”

“You wouldn’t understand,” was all I could say.

“Help me understand then,” Ryder pleaded, “Is this about Joe?”

“Not everything is about that douche.” I said with venom laced in every word.

“You liked him before,” Ryder pointed out.

“I did, and I was blind, naïve, and an idiot.” I spat out not wanting to remember how I could ever have liked that…thing.

“Hailey, I don’t get why you’re so mad. All he did was say one bad thing about-” Ryder said before I cut him off.

“I say bad things about people, but never did I say it for a stupid reason. That thing didn’t even know the person he was talking about” I screeched.

“Do you know everyone you say bad things about?” Ryder questioned me smugly, thinking he gained the upper hand

“Yes, in case you haven’t noticed, I’ve been friends with all the people I dislike. I couldn’t put past their bad qualities, so I don’t like them” I told him truthfully.

Ryder sighed and said, “Hailey, you can’t expect everyone to think like you.”

I mockingly sighed and responded, “Ryder, you can’t expect me to like everyone you do.”

“I give up, you try,” Ryder mumbled.

“Is this about that boy?” Ally questioned. Why did I have to tell her about you?

After getting no reply, she said, “I know you know who I’m talking about, and Ryder went downstairs to watch River.”

I got up and unlocked the door. Ally seemed  surprised as I hugged her and sobbed, “I just need him.”

“He’s just some boy, you have Ryder, your best friend, and Joe, who you like, chasing after you.”

I screamed in frustration, “You don’t get it! Ryder isn’t my best friend anymore! He doesn’t understand me! And that thing? I haven’t liked him since he was so into you he didn’t notice.” Maybe she would understand more if she knew you were gone, but even then she’d just expect me to move on. But how could I? You were the only one that understood me.

I couldn’t take it anymore and ran. I ran to the park. I stopped and cried. Everything around here reminded me of him. The stories he shared with me. The stories I told him. The park where we raced. The street our paths crossed as we walked our separate ways. The stores we visited. The courts we played on. The memories of us. The memories of you. The miles we ran. The games we played. The losses we shared. The wins we celebrated. The walks we took. The rants we told.

I hop the fence leading to our school. Everywhere I look I see him. More memories of you. The halls we walked. The smiles we shared. I cry remembering everything we’ve been through. I miss you, but you’re gone, and it hurts knowing that we were what never could’ve been.