Receiving

Chapter 9

Luke’s POV

I ran into Riley first thing the next morning.

‘What do you want?’ she asked.

I gave her a small smile and she glared. I noticed that she taping around her wrists. I reached to grab them but she pulled away.

‘What are you hiding?’ I asked.

She shrugged and walked away. I can’t believe it. She won’t even talk to me anymore. She doesn’t understand and when I try and explain she doesn’t listen or believe me.

My first class is Spanish with Brent. I suck at languages and Spanish is no exception but you have to take a language. Riley managed to get out of it by having a three hour argument with the Principal. I walk into the class early and I see that Brent is the only one there.

‘Have you seen Riley this morning?’ I asked.

‘Yeah, she wouldn’t talk to me’ Brent said.

‘Did you see the tape on her wrists?’ I asked.

‘Yeah, I tried to look but she pulled away’

‘Same thing happened to me. The only thing she said to me this morning was to snap at me and ask what I wanted’

‘She didn’t say anything to me at all. Her bandages look like ones people would have around their wrists if they cut themselves’ he said.

‘How would you know?’

‘My sister did it a few years ago. Stopped now though’

‘Would Riley want to kill herself?’ I asked.

‘It’s not about killing yourself usually, just hurting yourself’ he said.

I can’t believe that Riley would do that to herself. I had noticed that she seemed more depressed than usual. She is usually really bubbly and talkative but today she wouldn’t say anything. It seemed strange.

My next class was Gym. That meant I have to deal with Thomas and Riley. Luckily Brent is in this class so maybe we could talk some sense into Riley. She might not listen to one of use but she might listen to two of us.

She was standing in a corner alone, fiddling with the tape around her wrist. She heard us approach but she didn’t say anything.

‘Riley, what is the matter?’ Brent asked.

She shrugged.

‘Are you going to say anything?’ I asked.