Enigmatic Photographs (Deleting Soon!)

4: The Date

4: The Date

"He asked you what?!" Trey exclaimed loudly, smashing his fist on the hard wooden table. He and RIley were at the coffeehouse - surprisingly void of much other customers for such a cold day - each with a steaming cup of hot chocolate in their frosty hands. 

Riley, who knew that such a dramatic reaction was to be expected of Trey, especially because he loathed Matthew with every fiber of his being. She sighed and rolled her eyes, feeling a sense of irritation flow through her like hot, sticky magma. 

"Yes Trey." She sighed, almost defeatedly. "He asked me on a date...well not in so many wordso but you get the point. What's the big deal?" 

Trey knew he had to get a handle on his anger before things got out of control and he said something that would make Riley upset with him. He took a deep, calming breath. Suddenly, he didn't' feel so cold anymore. His body, much to his dismay, was reacting defensively. 

"The big deal is that he's a bad guy! I told you this Riley, he's not a smiles and charm, he actually has a dark past too. Why aren't you listening to me? I'm your best friend remember?! You knew me long before you knew him!" 

Trey couldn't help the fact that he sounded jealous. He knew it too, but there was nothing he could do to change that. His best friend was slowly slipping through his fingers, and he didn't know what he could do to stop it. 

"Trey what has gotten into you?! You've never acted like this before, so what's going on?" Riley folded her arms across her chest, a look of confusion dancing across her features. 

"It doesn't even matter, forget I said anything." Trey stood up, threw some money on the table, and walked out of the coffeeshop witout a second glance. Riley stared at his back, befuddlement clouding her every thought. Although she felt bad - she didn't understand why, she did nothing wrong - she didn't get up and follow him. 

She just sat there, stirring the marshmallows - tiny and melting - into little white clouds of sugar. Lost in her own confusing, and mildly irritating thoughts, she'd not realized that someone was sitting right in front of her. 

Until a set of large fingers were snapping, directly in her docile face.

Her initial thought was that Trey had come back to apologize, or even to forgive her or offer an explaination, but when she heard the person speak, her stomach dropped. It wasn't that her new company wasn't appreciated, it just wasn't the company she wanted the most at the moment. 

"Hey! Rileeeeey? Anyone home?" A deep voice was calling to her, bringing her attention to the squinted eyes that were scrutinizing her carefully. 

"Oh. Hi Mr. Fries." Riley wasn't surprised to see him there, the coffeeshop being a common place to go to for everyone in the small town and all. He kept looking at her, though her eyes had dropped down to the half-finished Poptart on her plate. 

"Everything alright Ms. Jordan?" Mr. Fries - at least in RIley's mind - sounded genuinely concerned about RIley's well being. She wondered if she could really tell him what was on her mind, and decided she could. He would make a good confidant. 

"Well, it's my best friend, Trey. He's not talking to me." Even as Riley said it, she could feel the warm, salty tears brimming her downcast eyelids. She and Trey had never gotten into a n argument - not a serious one anyway - and evem though she knew they'd be talking by the next day, she'd still felt so guilty. 

"Why on earth would he stop talking to you?" Mr. Fries asked almost as if the very thought was simply ridiculous. 

"Well I got asked on a date...with a guy Trey isn't very fond of. He was here earlier, but he walked out a while ago."