Chapter 4

Middle of the night…

Riley POV

I woke up crying from my nightmare. Dylan had tried to kill me, and I had just relived it again.

"R-Riker?" I whispered.

I gently shook Riker's shoulder until he woke up. He seemed really concerned when he saw that I was crying.

"Riley, what's wrong? Are you ok?"

"I had a nightmare with Dylan!" I whispered.

"Awww. It's ok."

Riker pulled me into a hug, and I softly cried into his shoulder.

"Riley, it's ok. Try to calm down, ok?"

Riker wiped the tears off my face, and looked into my eyes.

"It's just not fair!"

"What's not fair?"

"He's ruining everything, and he isn't even here! I can't go through the day without thinking about him, and now he's showing up in my nightmares! This isn't ok!"

"Riley, just try to calm down right now. When we get back home, maybe your therapist can do something to help."

"No, Riker. You don't get it. No one can help me! Nothing will make this go away! And it's killing me inside!"

"Shhh! Riley, calm down! Just breathe, ok? Breathe."

I held onto Riker tight, trying not to cry even louder and wake up Ross and Rydel. I tried to calm down and take deep breaths like Riker said.

"Riker, I want to go home."

"Riley, we're on a mountain."

"I want to go home."

"Riley… I don't think we'll be home for 2 more days. Can you try to make it until then?"

I sighed. There wasn't really anything I could do. He was right. We're on a mountain…

"I guess so…"

"Riley, you'll be fine, I promise. I'll help you through, ok? If you have any more nightmares, wake me up. And if you ever want to talk, just let me know."

"Ok. Thanks Riker."

"No problem."

"I love you."

"I love you too, Riley."

"Really? Even though I'm not the same girl you met a few weeks ago? I'm not a normal girl anymore!"

"I don't like normal, Riley. I like you."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Even though I wake you up in the middle of the night for something stupid?"

"First of all it's not stupid. And second, Riley, I'll always love you, no matter what. Now come on. You should really try to get some sleep."

"Ok…"

Riker made sure I was comfortable before he laid down next to me again. I loved how he cared about me so much. Especially since I was going crazy thinking about Dylan. Riker had so much patience… Well… Until the next day… That's when everything changed…

The Next Day…

Riley POV

I decided I wasn't going to take my pills today, even though my therapist said I should take them every day. I didn't want to be so tired today. And I wasn't really. But it felt like my brain was going to explode from all of my thoughts about Dylan. I was on edge, and I was just plain paranoid! But I wasn't tired…

Riker pulled me aside for a minute.

"Riley?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you ok? You seem a little weird today."

"Riker, we have to keep walking. Otherwise we'll lose them."

Riker and I continued walking, but we were far enough behind that Ross and Rydel couldn't hear us.

"Riley, please answer me. Are you ok?"

"I'm fine. I'm not even tired."

"Why?"

"I don't know… I must've gotten a lot of sleep last night."

"Wait. I didn't mean that you weren't tired. I meant… You just seem really jumpy. And you keep looking around, and behind us, and… Why?"

"I don't know…"

Riker suddenly looked worried.

"What?" I asked.

"Riley, did you take your pills today?"

"Uh…"

"Riley, answer me."

"You said I didn't have to if I didn't want to."

"Riley, this is important."

"I don't care."

"Riley, you need to tell me. Did you take your pills today, or not?"

"Why do you even care?"

"Riley, I just want to make sure you're ok."

"I'm fine!"

I started running closer up to Ross and Rydel.

"Riley, wait!"

"What!?"

"Please answer the question."

I ignored him, and kept walking. Riker grabbed my hand, and stopped me.

"Riley, answer the question."

"Riker, let go of me."

"I will as soon as you answer the question."

"Riker!"

"Just answer it!"

"No, I didn't take my pills! Are you happy!?"

I pulled away from Riker as I started crying. I ran up behind Ross and Rydel, who turned around to see what all the noise was about.

"Riley, are you ok?" Ross asked.

"I don't want to talk about it right now."

Ross hung back to walk with Riker, so I walked with Rydel.

Later… Lunchtime…

Riley POV

We stopped to have lunch today. Again, sandwiches… I sat far away from Riker, and ignored it when he kept looking at me. But when lunch was over, he pulled me aside to talk.

"Riley, please stop giving me the silent treatment."

"But you're being mean to me."

"Riley, I wanted you to tell me because I care about you. Why didn't you take your pills?"

"Because I was tired of being tired!"

"Riley, it doesn't matter. If you're supposed to be taking them every day, then you need to take them every day."

I rolled my eyes and walked away. I didn't care what he thought. But little did he know, I was about to get some revenge…

We kept walking. Ross and Rydel walked in the front. Riker and I walked in the back. But I still wasn't talking to him. Riker was looking at the ground, and I knew he was upset, so I took advantage of him while he literally wasn't looking. I started walking closer and closer to him, making him move over. I kept doing this until I saw a spider web hanging from a tree branch. My plan worked perfectly, and he walked right into it.

"AHHH! GET IT OFF!" Riker screamed, swatting at his face.

Ross and Rydel came running over.

"Riker, what happened?" Rydel asked.

"There's… Spiders!" Riker shouted, still swatting at his face.

"You totally deserved that," I said.

Riker was apparently satisfied he had gotten the web off of himself, and turned to face me.

"What do you mean I deserved that?"

"You've been so mean to me all day! You deserved to get a face full of spider web!"

"Riley, I'm terrified of spiders!"

"I know. That's why it was perfect."

"Riley!"

"Oh stop already! It's over. You got it all off. Stop yelling at me."

"Riley, I was terrified!"

"You're just being a big baby!"

"I am not!"

"Yeah, you are!"

"How can you say that!?"

"Because it's true!"

"Riley!"

"You guys, enough!" Rydel shouted.

I glared at Riker.

"Riley, you walk with Ross. Riker, you walk with me," said Rydel.

Ross took my hand, and pulled me forward to start walking.

Later…

Riley POV

"Ok, I think we should stop for the night," Ross said, turning around to face Rydel and Riker.

"Ok. Let's set up our tents," said Rydel.

Riker whispered something to Ross, and then Ross whispered something to Rydel. What was he saying now?

"Riley? Can I talk to you for a second?" Rydel asked.

"Sure."

Rydel pulled me into the woods a little bit.

"Uh… I don't know how to tell you exactly, so I'm just going to be honest and tell you straight out."

"Ok?"

"Riker doesn't want to share a tent with you tonight."

"He what?"

"Yeah… I'm sorry. But you can share one with me. Don't worry, you won't be alone."

Rydel and I set up our tent and sleeping bags. I laid down facing away from Rydel, and cried myself to sleep.

Morning…

Riker POV

"Riker get up! RIKER!" Rydel shouted.

I opened my eyes, and was surprised to see my sister crying.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Riley's gone."

"She's gone!?"

"I can't find her anywhere!"