Riley woke in bed. Without opening her eyes, she stretched and smiled as
she recalled the events of the night before. She had left the dance with
Zeke about 11:30. She remembered riding in his car, his free hand grasping
hers, fingers intertwining. She remembered looking over at him and seeing,
for the first time, peaceful with a faint smile on his lips. When they
arrived at her house, it had taken her forever to get out of the car. They
had kissed again and again, neither willing to leave. She had been dizzy
and lighthearted, warm and comfortable. Her bed had felt like a slab of
rock, even after dancing for hours. It couldn't compare to Zeke's inviting
arms. She wanted to see him again. Soon.
*
Riley stepped off the bus and made her way to the school building. She was surprisingly happy for a Monday, and for unsurprising reasons. She hadn't seen Zeke all weekend but now, she would have a chance to talk to him again. The events of Friday night were still vivid in her mind and had become her favorite memories. The whole world seemed to have changed since she last had been on the grounds of Herrington High. Even the weather had warmed up and the students were starting to dress in the bright colors of spring.
Riley strode down the sidewalk wearing a light olive-green shirt, jeans, leather belt, leather cuff and, on a whim, the same knitted scarf she had worn to the dance. She looked around for Zeke's familiar face, saying "hi" to people she knew as she went along. Then, she saw him. She tried her best to resist the sudden urge to run to him and throw herself into his arms. Riley attempted to walk as normal as possible.
He was standing by the corner of the school with his back to her. Riley found it odd but not unbelievable that she could now recognize him from any angle. As she got closer, Riley could see he was talking to someone, no, a group of people. It was Stan, Stokes, Casey and Delilah. But then, Riley stopped in her tracks, unseen by all, when she heard something she knew was not meant for her to hear.
"You mixed business with pleasure. You used her. We didn't ask you to watch Riley so you could have a little fun with her," jeered Stokely.
"We were trying to make sure something like Mary-Beth didn't happen again," Stan hissed "and you took the chance to womanize!"
Womanize. The word ran through Riley's head again and again like a death knell. She couldn't think. She spun around and ran, ran from all the people she thought had cared.
*
Womanize. Stan had spat the word out like venom. Zeke was so mad at him, he would have pushed Stan up against the brick of the school and strangled him. However, the presence of the others forced him to keep cool.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he responded. Sure, that was a great comeback, he thought to himself.
"We saw you," said Stan. "Stokes and I were coming out of the dance and we saw you two kissing, then you leading her off."
"Stokes?" asked Casey, looking to see if this was true. She nodded solemnly.
"You disgust me, Zeke," said Delilah "You took advantage of her, and the situation."
"Taking advantage!?" Zeke started, "You've got it all wrong-"
"Do we?" snapped Stokely. "Two of us saw you getting more than friendly with her. That should be proof enough."
Zeke stayed silent but his dark brown eyes shot at them like cold daggers. He turned on his heel and stalked away.
"Zeke!" Casey called after him but he didn't turn back.
*
Riley sat at a small table in the café where only a week before she'd had an unfortunate accident with a cup of hot coffee. Her black messenger bag was her only company, occupying the seat opposite her. The café was, except for the guy behind the counter, otherwise empty.
She milled about things in silence. Unwillingly, she had found an amazing love in the school bad boy. Unwillingly, she had lost him. Well, technically, she'd never had him in the first place, since he was only using her to try to get some. That last part made her seethe with rage. She wasn't a toy, just another puppet for him to play with. This was the kind of thing that made her want to listen to Korn CDs for the rest of her life.
The door opened and the next costumer entered. Riley paid no attention and continued to sip her drink, a mocha. Something about beverage had always given it a very redeeming quality. It was her comfort food. Others had ice cream, cookies or cake. She had coffee.
The ring of the cash register told her that the other person had finished their purchase. She silently willed them to go away so she could once again enjoy an all-encompassing silence. No such luck. They walked over towards the table. She could hear their footsteps getting closer and closer.
She didn't care if it was the pope, Riley didn't want anyone near her. Then, she was given the surprise of her life.
"Hey," said a deep voice.
Riley swore inwardly. There was no way she could avoid looking at them now, even for a second. When she finally raised her head, she saw it was the worst person in the world. She would rather have had a mafia hit man standing above her, holding a gun to her head. But it wasn't a trained assassin, at least not in the physical sense. It was Zeke.
She said nothing.
"Is anyone sitting here?" he asked.
"Not anymore," Riley replied, standing up and grabbing her bag.
"Riley, what's wrong?" Zeke asked, looking extremely confused.
Nice try, Riley thought to herself. "I just found out an extra job on your résumé."
"I can explain-" Zeke started.
"No," Riley snapped, cutting him off, "I understand perfectly the circumstances of being a womanizer!"
"Is that what you heard?" he asked, looking slightly relieved.
"That and 'mixing business with pleasure.'"
"Stan didn't know what he was saying-"
"Oh really? Well, I trust him a lot more than you right now."
"Riley," Zeke said and grabbed her wrist as she was about to walk away.
She turned to look him square in the eye.
"Let go of me."
With that, Riley wrenched her wrist from his grasp and left.
*
It was raining outside, Riley tried to fight back the tears that mingled with the raindrops on her cheeks. She had done the best thing, right? Then why did she feel so bad about it?
She shrugged and steeled herself against the cool drops as the wind played lightly with the rain. The sky was dark as the clouds slowly released their contents. Riley quickened her pace and trudged forward.
"Riley!"
She turned around slowly. Zeke ran up to her. Riley gave him a look clearly telling him he was unwelcome.
"What d'you want?" she demanded sharply.
"Last time we were here, I let you walk away. I couldn't do that again."
"Slick," she responded sarcastically, "Which movie did you get that one from?" She turned away.
"Don't do this."
Riley turned to face him again., her anger rising.
"Oh, shouldn't I? Why should I care, Zeke? You don't." She stared at him, oblivious to the fact that she was becoming soaking wet.
Zeke paused, then spoke.
"If I didn't care, why would I be out here chasing after you?"
Riley stared at Zeke, he looked so innocent standing in the rain, water dripping from his jaw, his shirt starting to stick to his chest. He seemed hurt, standing on the sidewalk, arms hanging loosely, deep brown eyes searching hers. She tried to mentally push him away. She tried to find her anger, her agony, but it was fast slipping away. Riley tried to make herself angry at him again. She couldn't.
Riley blinked away tears and stumbled towards him. He put his arms around her and held her tight. She choked back sobs as she buried her face in his chest.
"I-I can't believe I bought what Stan said. How could I ever-ever believe that?"
"It's okay," Zeke responded, putting a hand on her head. Riley looked up at him and he smiled a little, quirky smile. "I think we're going to be alright."
She nodded. He put both hands on her face to bring her closer.
Riley and Zeke kissed, locking lips in a passionate embrace as the cool rain slowly cascaded down.
*
Riley stepped off the bus and made her way to the school building. She was surprisingly happy for a Monday, and for unsurprising reasons. She hadn't seen Zeke all weekend but now, she would have a chance to talk to him again. The events of Friday night were still vivid in her mind and had become her favorite memories. The whole world seemed to have changed since she last had been on the grounds of Herrington High. Even the weather had warmed up and the students were starting to dress in the bright colors of spring.
Riley strode down the sidewalk wearing a light olive-green shirt, jeans, leather belt, leather cuff and, on a whim, the same knitted scarf she had worn to the dance. She looked around for Zeke's familiar face, saying "hi" to people she knew as she went along. Then, she saw him. She tried her best to resist the sudden urge to run to him and throw herself into his arms. Riley attempted to walk as normal as possible.
He was standing by the corner of the school with his back to her. Riley found it odd but not unbelievable that she could now recognize him from any angle. As she got closer, Riley could see he was talking to someone, no, a group of people. It was Stan, Stokes, Casey and Delilah. But then, Riley stopped in her tracks, unseen by all, when she heard something she knew was not meant for her to hear.
"You mixed business with pleasure. You used her. We didn't ask you to watch Riley so you could have a little fun with her," jeered Stokely.
"We were trying to make sure something like Mary-Beth didn't happen again," Stan hissed "and you took the chance to womanize!"
Womanize. The word ran through Riley's head again and again like a death knell. She couldn't think. She spun around and ran, ran from all the people she thought had cared.
*
Womanize. Stan had spat the word out like venom. Zeke was so mad at him, he would have pushed Stan up against the brick of the school and strangled him. However, the presence of the others forced him to keep cool.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he responded. Sure, that was a great comeback, he thought to himself.
"We saw you," said Stan. "Stokes and I were coming out of the dance and we saw you two kissing, then you leading her off."
"Stokes?" asked Casey, looking to see if this was true. She nodded solemnly.
"You disgust me, Zeke," said Delilah "You took advantage of her, and the situation."
"Taking advantage!?" Zeke started, "You've got it all wrong-"
"Do we?" snapped Stokely. "Two of us saw you getting more than friendly with her. That should be proof enough."
Zeke stayed silent but his dark brown eyes shot at them like cold daggers. He turned on his heel and stalked away.
"Zeke!" Casey called after him but he didn't turn back.
*
Riley sat at a small table in the café where only a week before she'd had an unfortunate accident with a cup of hot coffee. Her black messenger bag was her only company, occupying the seat opposite her. The café was, except for the guy behind the counter, otherwise empty.
She milled about things in silence. Unwillingly, she had found an amazing love in the school bad boy. Unwillingly, she had lost him. Well, technically, she'd never had him in the first place, since he was only using her to try to get some. That last part made her seethe with rage. She wasn't a toy, just another puppet for him to play with. This was the kind of thing that made her want to listen to Korn CDs for the rest of her life.
The door opened and the next costumer entered. Riley paid no attention and continued to sip her drink, a mocha. Something about beverage had always given it a very redeeming quality. It was her comfort food. Others had ice cream, cookies or cake. She had coffee.
The ring of the cash register told her that the other person had finished their purchase. She silently willed them to go away so she could once again enjoy an all-encompassing silence. No such luck. They walked over towards the table. She could hear their footsteps getting closer and closer.
She didn't care if it was the pope, Riley didn't want anyone near her. Then, she was given the surprise of her life.
"Hey," said a deep voice.
Riley swore inwardly. There was no way she could avoid looking at them now, even for a second. When she finally raised her head, she saw it was the worst person in the world. She would rather have had a mafia hit man standing above her, holding a gun to her head. But it wasn't a trained assassin, at least not in the physical sense. It was Zeke.
She said nothing.
"Is anyone sitting here?" he asked.
"Not anymore," Riley replied, standing up and grabbing her bag.
"Riley, what's wrong?" Zeke asked, looking extremely confused.
Nice try, Riley thought to herself. "I just found out an extra job on your résumé."
"I can explain-" Zeke started.
"No," Riley snapped, cutting him off, "I understand perfectly the circumstances of being a womanizer!"
"Is that what you heard?" he asked, looking slightly relieved.
"That and 'mixing business with pleasure.'"
"Stan didn't know what he was saying-"
"Oh really? Well, I trust him a lot more than you right now."
"Riley," Zeke said and grabbed her wrist as she was about to walk away.
She turned to look him square in the eye.
"Let go of me."
With that, Riley wrenched her wrist from his grasp and left.
*
It was raining outside, Riley tried to fight back the tears that mingled with the raindrops on her cheeks. She had done the best thing, right? Then why did she feel so bad about it?
She shrugged and steeled herself against the cool drops as the wind played lightly with the rain. The sky was dark as the clouds slowly released their contents. Riley quickened her pace and trudged forward.
"Riley!"
She turned around slowly. Zeke ran up to her. Riley gave him a look clearly telling him he was unwelcome.
"What d'you want?" she demanded sharply.
"Last time we were here, I let you walk away. I couldn't do that again."
"Slick," she responded sarcastically, "Which movie did you get that one from?" She turned away.
"Don't do this."
Riley turned to face him again., her anger rising.
"Oh, shouldn't I? Why should I care, Zeke? You don't." She stared at him, oblivious to the fact that she was becoming soaking wet.
Zeke paused, then spoke.
"If I didn't care, why would I be out here chasing after you?"
Riley stared at Zeke, he looked so innocent standing in the rain, water dripping from his jaw, his shirt starting to stick to his chest. He seemed hurt, standing on the sidewalk, arms hanging loosely, deep brown eyes searching hers. She tried to mentally push him away. She tried to find her anger, her agony, but it was fast slipping away. Riley tried to make herself angry at him again. She couldn't.
Riley blinked away tears and stumbled towards him. He put his arms around her and held her tight. She choked back sobs as she buried her face in his chest.
"I-I can't believe I bought what Stan said. How could I ever-ever believe that?"
"It's okay," Zeke responded, putting a hand on her head. Riley looked up at him and he smiled a little, quirky smile. "I think we're going to be alright."
She nodded. He put both hands on her face to bring her closer.
Riley and Zeke kissed, locking lips in a passionate embrace as the cool rain slowly cascaded down.