One Second: Chapter 14 – Better In Time

Her mother waltzed around the house, drinking a bottle of vodka and snacking on crackers. She swayed her hips to the beat, moving her arms as a conductor to the violins on the specific piece. She didn't even notice that Riley had been out of the house for the last hour or so.

Now she waltzed, as it started to turn dark outside. It may have only been about six but they were calling for a huge thunderstorm on the weather channel. Her mother didn't care. She was lost in her world of vodka and messed up marriage to notice anything.

When the phone rang, her mother just yelled into the empty house for someone else to get it, not wanting to deal with speaking to anyone. When it continued to ring, she answered it, realizing that no one was in the house.

"Samuels Residents, how may I help you?"

It was another one of her mother's fronts. She didn't want people to think she was poor or anything, even if she wasn't. She wanted to be prim and proper, hiding the truth behind a façade.

"I'm looking for Riley." Jack's voice sounded in her ear. She didn't know exactly whom she was talking to but she figured it was one of the Mercers; Riley was friends with all of them, wasn't she?

"Sorry she's not here." Her mother replied. She really had no idea where her daughter was, nor did she care.

"Do you happen to know where I could find her?"

"No, sorry young man. Can I take a message?"

Her mother had put the vodka between her arm and stomach, squeezing it to stay put. She pretended her palm was a pad of paper and her other hand was a writing utensil. She had never actually taken messages before.

"When she gets in, can you have her call Jack?"

"Of course."

"Thanks."

There was no goodbye from her mother, she simply hung the phone up and laughed. Like hell she was going to tell Riley he called. She only spoke to Riley when she felt like picking on someone. If everything went according to plan, her mother would be passed out cold on the couch within the next hour and a half.

XxxxxxXxxxxxX

Evelyn watched as Jack paced the kitchen. He had tried her cell phone, no answer. He had tried her house phone, no such luck. He was running out of ideas, running out of hope.

"Jack I'm sure she's fine."

Evelyn was only trying to calm her youngest son. He had been pacing the kitchen for the past fifteen minutes, trying to think of a way to contact her. It wasn't like her to just disappear without being able to be contacted. Plus, they had plans. Jack and Riley were supposed to hang out. She was supposed to be at his house just after five. She had yet to show up and it was just past six.

"Jackie you need to relax. Sit down."

"Until I talk to her I'm not going to relax ma. This isn't like her."

Evelyn sighed. She had to admit, she raised him well. Bobby would have said 'fuck it' and called it a night by now but Jack wasn't going to give up on her.

"I have to run to the store, I'm going to go now and try and beat the rain. I'm going to take Bobby's car in case you need to use mine."

Jack caught on to her hint. She was letting him have her car to go look for her. She gave him one last sad smile before walking out of the kitchen to get ready to go to the store.

Jack leaned his elbows on the counter and set his hands in his face. Where could she possibly be? He stood back up and made his way out of the kitchen, heading right for the living room, right to where Bobby was sitting.

"Hey Fairy, where's the girlfriend?" Bobby asked, tearing his eyes off the television for all of two seconds.

"Shut-up Bobby!"

"What? Did she dump you?"

"Bobby!"

"Oh I get it, she's uncomfortable with the fact that you're gay?"

Jack smacked Bobby on the arm before flopping onto the couch beside him. He was angry now.

"Come on Jackie, I'm just joking."

Jack refused to speak to him now. He wouldn't understand.

"Seriously Jack where's Riley?" Bobby wasn't going to let him get away with not talking.

"I don't know!" He retorted.

"I would say you should try the police station but we're all here." Bobby joked.

"You're so funny." Jack replied sarcastically.

"Man lighten up. Maybe she's out with the Mackenzie kid."

Jack's eyes widened. He jumped up off the couch and up to his room. Peeking out the window, Jack spotted the start of a drizzle. It was just spitting but the sky was almost black.

He grabbed his leather jacket off of the end of his bed before running back down the stairs. Jack was pulling his shoes on, sitting on the stairs, when Bobby walked in.

"Where you going?" He asked his little brother.

"Out."

"Alright, alright, just don't go getting yourself into too much trouble."

Jack glared up at Bobby before turning his attention back to his feet. Bobby gave him a chuckle as he continued his journey for the kitchen.

When his shoes were on, Jack jumped up and whipped the front door open. He ran at the car, pulling the door open fast. He knew exactly where she'd be.

XxxxxxXxxxxxX

Jack pulled the car up to the front of the high school and spotted her. She was sitting on the front steps. The rain had started to pour when Jack was halfway to the school; she was easily soaked to the bone.

He pushed the door open and ran at her. Of course she would go there, it was where she was when Jack and Kevin got into the fight in tenth grade. It was the only time Kevin had gotten what he deserved, a hell of a beating.

He stopped in front of her, already soaking wet. He had only been out of the car for a minute or so but it was like a torrential downpour outside. He stood in front of her, his arms hanging at his sides, not knowing what to do. She looked up and him and uncrossed her arms, his eyes landing on her wrapped up knuckles. The blood was soaking through the sheet.

"Fuck Riley what happened?"

He didn't move closer to her, he didn't sit down beside her, he just stood in front of her, not wanting to make the wrong move. She looked at him, his eyes moved from her hand to her face. He could tell she had been crying, her eyes were shiny but the tears mixed in with the rain.

She stood up on the step. They were eye level with each other; he was on the step below her. She let her arms hang at her sides with her fists clenched.

"You fucking left me!" She screamed at him.

He didn't move his body but he did move his head back slightly. Why was he suddenly being blamed? After all he did for her, he was going to get blamed.

"You couldn't do anything about it could you?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" He asked back, confused by her.

"You couldn't have told me that he was an asshole? You couldn't of been a better friend and not let me go to that party where he raped me? You just let me get what I deserved is that it?" She stepped down, forcing him to move backwards. She was cornering him.

"Riley stop." He was pleading with her.

"Fuck Jack, do you think I asked for it?" She was accusing him now.

"Look I-"

"I deserved it right? Is that what you think?"

Jack stopped moving backwards, he wasn't going to let her corner him. He wasn't going to stop her from what she was going to do though. He could see it coming.

"Kevin Mackenzie gave me what I asked for!" She screamed, raising her fists.

Jack took a deep breath and braced himself. He closed his eyes as her fist met his chest. He barely moved.

She punched him again, slightly harder, grunting as she did so. He just stood there. The third punch was weaker; it hurt her knuckles too much to hit him like she had the first time. He held a breath as she screamed at him before punching him a few more times. The punches were growing weaker but her anger was the same.

"You think I deserved it. I got what I wanted didn't I."

He didn't say anything. She punched him in the chest a couple more times. It was only starting to hurt him from being hit in the same spot repeatedly.

"I fucking deserved it!" Her scream was louder than it had been before.

She punched him but it barely made a sound. The rain pounded down on the two of them. Riley couldn't even feel the rain, her body was numb, her mind was numb. She started to sob.

"I'm sorry I'm not Angel." Jack stated honestly.

Riley met his eyes and choked off a sob before shaking her head. She didn't want an Angel, not now at least. He may have beaten up Kevin but that wouldn't mean anything years from now when she needed someone to talk to.

"I don't want you to be." She stated, extending her hands out to rest on his shoulders. He just stood there, looking down at her. She looked back up at him.

"Riley-"

"I don't want Angel right now," she moved her body closer to his but still looked up at him, "I want Jack."

Jack let out a breath as she collapsed against him. He slowly wrapped his arms around her, hugging her, holding her tight.

"Come on, let's get you fixed up." He whispered.

He only moved when she loosened her grip on him. She only let go when he reached the car, opening her door for her. As he climbed in, he took one final look at the stairs, Kevin Mackenzie had gone unpunished for far too long.