King || Betty Cooper

01 - Return

The River's Edge
01 - Return

"That he shouldn't have picked you as his charity case,"

Crash! Ryan felt his body crashing into the ground after a moment of weightlessness of being thrown. His body flinches as he feels pain flooding through him. "Asshole," cursed the figure which loomed over him. Suddenly he felt the figure striking his ribs hard with his foot. Laying on the dirt path motionless, unable to move let alone fight back against the attacker. In an effort to protect him he curls up into a small ball to reduce the damage.

Another kick stuck him this time the back of his head was the target. The familiar feeling of warm blood was trickling down the back of his neck. Ryan squirms in disgusted. He just wished and prayed for the relentless assault to end before something ended up broken.

"Someone... help... me..." his voice whimpered out a pleaded for help. Fingertips digging into the dirt and mud he tried to claw his way from the brutality. The effort was in vain he only moved an inch away before the dull throbbing pain became unbearable.

"Ryan!"

The voice that called his name left a faint ringing in his ears. Familiar to him but he couldn't place it. His mind slipping away into the darkness that began to cloud his head. "Ryan," the voice called again but this time it was still male but it warped into an older man's voice.

Without realising it Ryan had found himself snapping out of the memory which was constantly replaying in his mind. Like a video that the reply button was broken. The whole time he had been staring blankly at his laptop screen headphones covering his ears. They get yanked from him by his father who's voice was muffled by them.

Now back in the present, he glances to his right-hand side where his father stood. Arms crossed and his lips forming a firm line as he looked down at his son. A sigh escapes his lips as his features soften "I have been calling you for supper but I can see why you didn't hear me," he explained his presences in his room as he shook the plastic headphones in his hands. A faint beat could still be heard from them as the music hadn't stopped playing. Gently Richard sets them back onto the desktop.

Ryan's brown eyes watch his father's every movement as he spoke still keeping his body facing forward. His expression hadn't changed it was still blank avoid of emotion "I'm not hungry so eat without me," he replied avoiding his father's gaze. Richard shifts on the spot hearing his answer. Clearly, there was something on his mind that he wanted to speak to Ryan about over supper.

A heavy thick silence fell over the two making the small single bedroom suddenly became rather claustrophobic.

"Ryan, if you don't want to go to school tomorrow I'll understand," Richard spoke breaking the silence. He had been avoiding this topic for some time now but he couldn't hold it off any longer. With the beginning of a new school only a matter of hours away he would have to face the students talking about what happened. "It's fine," he simply replied his eyes fixated on the laptop in front of him. "Are you sure? I know it's been hard for you since..." his father's voice and gaze trailed off as he couldn't bring himself to speak a simple name.

Tightening his grip on the small black mouse Ryan refused to look at his father as he muttered "since Jason just disappeared? You can say his name it's not going to kill me,"

"I was just making sure that you would be ok." He spoke in a soft tone that gave away his concern for him. Though he was worried Richard let out a frustrated sigh as he took a step backwards towards the open door. "Sounds like you are so I'll let you get back to brooding," he muttered.