I don't own anything.
No one noticed anything was wrong. It always was this way. She kept smiling the whole time, and no one thought it was hiding anything. After all, it was Riley. There was no way she couldn't be smiling.
That's all she was good for. Smiling, being happy, convincing others to be happy. Riley sighed. She looked up at her friends. "What am I good at?" She asked.
Miya looked at her. "What do you mean, 'what are you good at?'" Riley looked down for a second. "You know, Farkle and Smackle are genius's, Lucas is good with sports and looks, you're an amazing artist. What am I?"
"You're…" Lucas trailed off. "You're very optimistic and you help us feel better when we're unhappy." Farkle suggested. "You're Riley. You're our little weirdo."
Riley smiled, but it was fake, like it had been for the past couple of weeks. "Thanks. Hey, want to hang out in our window tonight?" She asked hopefully.
"Sorry, I can't. Me and Lucas are going on our second date tonight." Miya said with a smile as she loked at Lucas. Riley turned to Farkle. "Lucas and I." He corrected.
"Anyway, I can't come either, Smackle and I are going on our first date. Maybe another time, sorry." Riley's fake smile grew wider. "No problem, maybe another time."
Her hope and will diminishing quite a bit as they just nodded and started their own conversations. They had been really distant lately, right after everyone started dating she had became a fifth wheel, worn and about to fall of the bike.
Riley never got any dates. She wasn't the type people wanted to hang out with apparently. She stood up arruptley, "I have to go." She said. Miya just said "K."
Once she got home she saw her parents and her little brother putting together a puzzle. "Hey mom, dad, Auggie." She smiled geniunly.
"Hmm. Oh hi Sweetheart. There's some food in the microwave waiting for you." Her mother said. And there goes her hope. "I'm not hungry at the moment, thank you."
Riley entered her bedroom and flopped down on the bed. She thought about herself. No one cared about her. And why would they? She looked average, smiled to much, and she was clingy.
She was also very stupid. She had seen her IQ, it was borderline mentaly disabled. Her parents payed more attention to her brother. Looking back on when she complained about her dad being her teacher, she wish she had embraced it now that he was always with Auggie.
Now her family and friends had forgotton her own birthday. She had made up her mind. She left the apartment without even putting on a coat.
- o O o -
Meanwhile, on their double date Miya frowned. "I feel like we're forgetting something." Lucas frowned as well, looking at Smakle and Farkle.
"Me too. Maybe it's a test, or an event…" Lucas trailed off. Smackle whispered something to Farkle and his eyes widened. "It's Riley's birthday!" He exclaimed.
Miya gasped. "Oh no, I completely forgot! We have to go and apologize!" They left at once. When they crawled through the window, they were surprised to find the bedroom empty.
They went out to Riley's parents. "Mr. Mathews, do you know where Riley is? We want to wish her Happy Birthday." Miya asked. The Mathew's both looked shocked.
"It's Riley's birthday!" Yelled Mrs. Mathew's. "She went up the stairs towards the roof." Said Auggie. They all ran up the stairs as fast as possible. They opened the door to the roof just as Riley fell.
They all ran across the roof screaming.
- o O o -
Riley heard her name being yelled and saw faces at the edge where she lept. She smiled. They had finally remembered. The wind whipped her hair in her face as she twisted in the air.
Happy memories of her life flashed in her mind while the ground closed in. As she plummeted towards the ground she smiled the biggest she had ever smiled, and it was real.
Because for once in her life, she actually felt free.
I know that was poorly written and depressing, but you're gonna have to deal with it. It's my cousin's story, not mine. I can't spell, so don't judge. She wouldn't let me correct it. I don't trust anyone but myself. Whatever. Signing out, RS. And her cousin, Lea.