kenopsia | the society

11. WashU

a/n: there is some violence described and there is explicit language in this chapter

Jason and Riley had decided to stop making out and just hang out right before it started to rain, conveniently enough for them. Everyone from outside had come rushing in the moment it started to downpour and Riley was desperately trying to avoid making eye contact with Grizz who was giving her a weird look. 

When the lights flickered and turned off, panic ensued, and Riley felt her heart constrict, scared that this was it. That after this they would have no more power. After moments of panic, and when the lights finally turned back on, the group decided that they should make a run to the hardware store to pick up flashlights and batteries. 

Riley squeezed into the backseat between Luke and Clark, her small frame dwarfed by the much taller and more muscular football players. 

"So, uh, Riley, you and Jason?" Clark asked, clearly oblivious to how tense Riley was about the situation. 

Riley turned her head and glared at him as Jason let out an uncomfortable cough and Grizz muttered a curse under his breath. "What about it?" She asked him back, her voice conveying just how mad she would be if he continued to ask her about what happened between the two. 

Clark swallowed at the threat that was hidden in her voice and shook his head no. "Nothing, I uh, yeah, nothing." 

"That's what I thought, Clark." Riley responded, crossing her arms over her chest. Maybe it hadn't been the best idea to borrow Jason's sweatshirt since it had gotten colder out. 

The hardware store could not have arrived in their view any quicker to cut the tension. However, when they saw that the front door had been smashed open, a shock of fear coursed through Riley's veins. This wasn't good. 

The group jumped out of the car, and ran quickly into the store, trying to see what was left as others grabbed as much as they could. 

"Hey! Hey, hold up! You gotta give us some." Clark called out, noticing that all the flashlights were already taken. 

One of the other teens in the store looked at him, clearly annoyed, "get your own" Greg said. 

"Dude, you can share." Jason replied, shaking his head.

Riley nodded in agreement, "c'mon, don't be an asshole. You don't need that many flashlights." 

"You can eat my asshole, Jason. And Riley, no one cares what a dumb cunt like you thinks." It was Greg again who said this. Bad choice of words. 

At those words, Jason grabbed onto Greg's shirt and threw him out the door as Riley stood in shock. Jason stepped out of the store and started to punch Greg, who was on the ground. Riley ran after him into the rain, trying to pull Jason off of Greg, "Jason! Jason, stop! You're hurting him!" She screamed, only to be met with a punch from one of Greg's friends. 

Riley fell to the ground, the punch having thrown her off balance, her cheek throbbing in pain where she was hit. Grizz quickly helped her up, and sent a punch back at the boy who had hit Riley. "Didn't anyone ever teach you not to hit girls?" Grizz growled under his breath when the boy was finally backing up with his hands up. 

"Are you okay?" Grizz asked Riley, and the teen nodded in response, swallowing back tears. The tears weren't because of the pain, but because of the fear that she felt. This town was quickly falling to shit, and Riley was scared of what they would do to each other. 

The sound of glass breaking was barely audible over the noise of fighting, and Riley didn't think much of it as Grizz walked her across the street. He wasn't one for violence and was more concerned about Riley than the guys at the moment. 

After they had crossed the street, the sound of an explosion had both of them flinching, Jason's car was on fire. The fighting all stopped after that, people staring at the car in disbelief and then running. 

"Oh shit. Fucking hell. This is really turning into Lord of the Flies right about now." Riley muttered before hugging Grizz tightly, needing the comfort of another person. 

Grizz put his head on top of hers, holding Riley close. "Yeah, it is."

"I'm not a dumb cunt, ya know? I was gonna go to WashU next fall." Riley murmured, Greg's comment still on her mind. 

"I know, Ri, I know."

The sound of glass shattering could be heard the rest of the night, as people broke into other stores, not afraid to take what they wanted as chaos reigned over them. 

a/n: i know this is a really short chapter, but I wanted to finish off episode 2 in a separate chapter before beginning episode 3