an: HELLO i'm aware this is really short... not even 500 words... but i'm nearly finished with the entire thing! i just decided to take this from a chapter, make it its own chapter and put it up,, idk why but i was so keen? it's prob a bad idea but o well :-/ ig i wanted u guys to know i'm still alive and haven't abandoned this
anyway i got a job and i started uni last month so i rarely have time to do stuff :( thank u for sticking with this story love u hope u enjoy reading this one
"Hey, Riley, wait up."
Riley craned her neck to look behind, surprised. "Ellie! Where were you this morning? I didn't think you even made it to school."
"Sorry." The redhead shouldered past a younger kid to walk next to her. "I got here second period."
"No, it's fine. You okay?"
"Yeah," Ellie answered dismissively. "Let's go home."
Among the crowd of students by the gates, they stepped out into the street, walking side by side in silence. The road was busy, bustling with cars and people under the afternoon sun. Ellie's mind was racing. The day before, she had seen two men in a car idling in front of the school gates, felt their eyes on her until she disappeared inside the building. She'd seen one of them this morning from her window, conspicuously parked across the street. Was all of that just a coincidence? Maybe she was overthinking. Maybe—
"Whoa!"
Ellie was pulled from her thoughts, quite literally – Riley's fist was curled in the hem of her shirt. They had reached the crossing. If it weren't for Riley holding her back, she would've walked right into traffic.
"Thanks," she said, her voice tight.
"Dude, are you sure you're okay?" Riley asked, firm and insistent.
"Sorry, I was distracted."
"Stop apologizing," Riley sighed, her grip on Ellie's jacket coming loose. She took her hand instead. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah. All good."
The sign turned green and the timer began to tick. Ellie looked around their surroundings as they crossed, avoiding eye contact with her.
"So, why didn't I see you at lunch? Are you having a bad day or something?" Riley pressed.
"No."
Ellie heard Riley's sigh of exasperation behind her.
"Okay. Swear you won't think I'm crazy," she demanded, turning around and coming to a stop in the middle of the street. A sea of people passed her by with glaring eyes, yet she stood still.
"I already think you are." Riley urgently tugged at her hand. "What are you doing? Let's go!"
Ellie sighed and willingly let herself be pulled along. "Fine. Never mind."
A car whizzed past right as they stepped onto the curb, packed with other students and pedestrians.
"By the way," Riley said, "before I forget – Winston asked me to give you something."
"So you can stop wherever you want but when I do it, I'm 'crazy'," Ellie deadpanned.
"Ha-ha. Anyway. This one's pretty cool, actually. Wait a sec." Riley slid her bag off one shoulder and rummaged through it as she walked. "Here, since you like them so much… The Beatles' blue album, 1967 to 1970. It's got All You Need Is Love on Side A. Ah, got it. Here we go."
Riley looked up, the boxed cassette tape in her held out hand, but her friend was nowhere to be seen.
"Ellie?"