Worth The Risk

Chapter One

"When the lights go out, we'll be safe and sound-" Riley softly sang as her feet padded across the dark hardwood floors of her bedroom as she got ready for school. Her hair was clean and she'd blown it out so it fell in long waves down to the small of her back. She'd already applied her light makeup and she bounced on one leg as she tried to get the other through her skinny jeans. She buttoned them and then stood in her jeans and bra, hands on her hips.

She scrunched her nose and looked around her room, "Where did I put my--oh!" She smiled and lunged at her oatmeal colored sweater, pulling it over her head and appraising the outfit in the floor length mirror that was against the wall across from her bed.

The jeans were a dark wash and were distressed tastefully. Her sweater was loose but flattering with it's boat neck and sleeves that stopped past her elbows. She pulled the necklace she never took off out from under her shirt so it fell between her covered breasts and tugged on a pair of brown leather boots with a small three inch heel that would boost her height to a grand five foot five.

After a couple moments primping she grabbed her satchel and threw it over he head so it fell across her torso and clutched the keys to the car her dad had bought her for her eighteenth birthday, a BMW X5. It was the same as the car he'd given her for her sixteenth birthday, only it was the new model. I don't know why he bothered. The old one was perfectly fine.

"Bye, dad!" She called out as she pranced down the hardwood stairs that curved into the foyer.

"Did you eat breakfast?" Her dad's voice carried down the hall and she knew he was in his study.

She rolled her eyes. "No!" She called back and left before he could reprimand her and make her eat breakfast which would make her late for school. As an honor roll student with near perfect attendance, she wasn't going to miss school unless she either has a fever or it is Senior skip day--which today is not.

She drove off to school, pulling up at the large campus of rolling hills and immaculate brick buildings that is Loren High School. Loren is a small but prestigious small town about an hour outside of Boston. This time of year the vivid reds and golds of the leaves captured Riley's attention as she got out of her car and locked it behind her.

"Riley!" Aubrey screamed the name of her best friend and tackled her in a hug.

Riley laughed and shook her head, returning the embrace with a pat on the back before she pulled away to smirk at her. "What has you all hyped up?"

Aubrey bit her lip and her pretty storm cloud colored eyes were shining brightly with excitement. Curiosity welled within Riley and she was about to slap her friend if she didn't just come out with whatever had her so wound up this early in the morning. "Steven asked me out!"

Riley stared at her friend blankly for a moment before her lips curved up in a small smile and she felt her spirits lift. Aubrey had been crushing on our friend, Steven, since seventh grade. Aubrey and I met in kindergarten and have been best friends ever since, but Steven moved her from North Carolina when we were in seventh grade and the three of us have been inseparable ever since.

It took a moment, but when it finally registered completely in Riley's mind she couldn't help but squeal--something completely uncharacteristic for her, but this was her best friends! She'd known of their mutual feelings for each other for years, but both had never done anything, too afraid of ruining our friendship.

I'd allowed them to make their own choices and allowed them to remain ignorant of their feelings for each other--well semi-ignorant. They never dated anyone else and the three of us always attended dances together... though Steven and Aubrey often wound up being more couply when we did. "Oh my gosh, Aubs!" I tackled her back in a hug, now understanding what was up with her enthusiastic greeting.