Title - In Order To See You Smile
By - PheonixFireBlack
Summary - First installment of a series of fics that I'm going to write. All it is basically is how the couples get together and whatnot. Nothing too big but it might be fun...and we might get to see someone without a shirt *wink* (T/R)
A/N - Well, as you saw, this is one installment of a series of stories I'm gonna write. Hope you enjoy it, I hope this'll be kinda funny. Just to keep from confusion with this and the next installment (Ray & Lily) we're gonna just go with the thought that these are just alternate ways they would get together. (In case you don't get it, this whole thing means: I'm being lazy and I don't want to have to think of another way to put Riley in.)
First bit of this chapter will be in Travis' P.O.V., then another bit will be in Riley's, then I'll go into normal story format. (You can tell when it changes.)
Anyway, enough of my rambling, let's get the story....
~*~*~*~*~
Have you ever met someone, thought it was love at first sight and then turns out, by the time you get to know the person, their nothing like you thought they were going to be? Well....this isn't one of those kind of things but....there is someone, but it's nothing like that. It was anything but that. It all started in October, about a month after she arrived. She was alright, but she's Ray's cousin so, she's a little obnoxious, loud, and to be honest, she's pretty quick to temper. Who is she? Riley Diane Brennon.
~*~
I'm seriously starting to think that maybe we aren't going to be such great friends. I mean, we don't really argue too much and we're not so much alike that we clash but....I don't know, I'm just not sure it's going to work too well. He's practically a genius, too quiet in my opinion, and really hard to annoy. Sometimes I like doing things to annoy my friends, ya know? But there's no doing that with him--Nooooo way, not happening. I'm not exactly a genius but I'm not too dumb either, I'm really loud, and I guess I'm little obnoxious too. See, we're not that much alike. I know there's that whole "opposites attract" thing but I really don't think that's going to be the case here. It started a little bit after I got here in October. Oh, you're wondering who the hell I've been rambling on about here? Travis Anthony Strong.
~*~ 10/6/06 - Friday - 7:52pm
Riley had just finished taking a shower. She grabbed her towel and wrapped it around herself. She had done this all just in time because the door, which she had stupidly forgot to lock, suddenly opened. She didn't know who was coming in until....She saw blonde hair. Blue eyes. She saw a hand fly up to cover those beautiful blue eyes. She heard his voice. "S-sorry...I-I didn't know..." He left and closed the door. Riley quickly walked over and locked it. She flattened herself against the door, eyes wide. She had just seen Travis Strong. And he didn't have a shirt on.
~*~ 10/6/06 - 8:00pm
After the whole...shower incident, Riley had locked herself in her room for an hour. She was really getting thirsty so she decided she'd go downstairs and get a soda. She got off her bed and walked over to the door. Before she opened the door she dove back to the bed and wrote something down in the black journal that was there. She got up and went to the door again and opened it. She ran down the stairs and into the kitchen. Just as she entered, Travis was about to exit, they were right in front of each other. Any closer, and they probably would have kissed. The two just stood there for a moment...staring at each other. Riley licked her lips, it was a nervous habit she had. Travis was blushing like mad.
"Why don't you take a picture of each other? Pictures always seem to last longer..." Ray said from inside the kitchen. "What are you doing anyway?" He asked.
Riley could see him a few feet or so behind Travis. She glanced at him and swallowed. He didn't know. Travis hadn't told him. She sighed inwardly as she made her way to actually be in the kitchen. "Nothing...." She said offhandedly as she opened the refrigerator and grabbed a soda. She moved quickly past her cousin and his friend, but not without glancing back at Travis when she had reached the stairs.
~*~*~*~*~
10/7/06 - Saturday - 10:47am
Riley Brennon was laying in bed, sound asleep until suddenly her personal phone rang. Sometimes Riley really hated having her own phone line. She groaned and tried to ignore it. It was getting really annoying, the phone had already rang about four times. She let out something that sounded like a whimper and rolled over, picked the phone up. "Hello? She answered lazily.
"Hey Riley!" It was Lily Randall. She was one of Riley's three friends and Riley was actually glad she'd called. She needed to talk to her.
"Hey Lils..." Riley said as she sat up, leaning against the headboard. "What's up?"
"Nothing much...you?"
"Glad you called actually. I've gotta talk to you."
"About what?"
"Travis."
"Oh...ok. What's up?"
"Well...nothing really....he's just annoying the hell out of me!"
"Why?" Lily was mouthing what Riley said afterwards.
"He's extremely quiet, practically a genius, and he thinks I'm obnoxious!"
Lily was getting kind of tired of this. Riley had gone on like this for the past week. "Riley...you are obnoxious. And...I don't know what to tell you about the rest...that's just...Travis."
Riley sighed.
"Riley....I think you need a shrink."
"Why?"
"At least they'd be happy. They get paid for saying the same thing all the time with you, I mean...you've been on like this for the whole week! I know what you're going to say for cripe's sake!"
Riley raised an eyebrow. What was up with Lily? She shrugged. "Sorry...if it's been bugging you so much, you should have said something before."
"Sorry...it's just...." She sighed, "Nevermind...."
"Ok, whatever. I gotta go...catch ya later, kay?"
"Kay. See ya 'round."
Both girls hung up and Riley turned, slammed her face into her pillow, and screamed. When she lifted her head she had a smile on her face. "There...that's better."
~*~
10/7/06 - Saturday - 10:50am
Travis was upstairs, sitting in the only chair in his room. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees and let his head drop. He pressed his palms against his eyes and sighed. Why? I don't under-stand...none of this makes any sense.... Travis sighed again and massaged his temple. He stood and walked over to his bed and fell backwards. "This can't be happening..."
~*~*~*~*~*~
10/16/06 - Monday - 10:16am
Riley was running down the hallway to get to her locker so she could get to class. She wasn't going to be late again. She wasn't paying too close attention to the people around her but she had yet to actually hit someone. This luck soon changed. She was coming around the corned at the same time that Travis was. She saw him but didn't have enough time to stop. The two teenagers collided. Riley stood up and offered a hand to him, "Sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going....I--" She stopped. He had taken her hand and he was standing now. She'd caught his eyes and she seemed to loose her voice. "I-I..." She swallowed and licked her lips.
Travis shook his head, "It's alright..."
"But...I..."
"Really, it's..." He was looking at her bright green eyes. He swallowed and continued, "I-it's fine..."
"O-okay...well...uh...later?
"Y-yeah....later..." And the two went their separate ways.
No...no..no, no, no, no! This isn't...this happening...no! I won't let it! I will not...no! I'm sooo not going to have a crush on one of my best friends! Riley thought as she entered her Algebra 2 class.
~*~
10/16/06 - 10:23pm
Travis couldn't concentrate when he was in Chemistry. His mind kept drifting back to his encounter with Riley and what he had felt when they touched. He shook his head. No. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be. Travis was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't even hear the teacher when she called his name.
"Mr. Strong..." Carol Caralosky was walking towards his desk. "Mr. Strong?" Now she was right next to him. "Mister Strong." Her voice was louder and more strict than was normal for her.
Travis snapped out of it and he could feel everyone in the entire class staring at him.
"Mister Strong? Do you know the answer?"
"Uh...I-I don't know the...the question."
Mrs. Caralosky looked shocked but her voice was back to it's normal level of sweetness now. "Travis...I never expected you, of all people, to let your mind wander in class."
"I"m sorry, Mrs. Caralosky...it-it's just I've got a really bad headache..." This wasn't a lie either.
"Go to the nurse's office and take something and come back to class."
Travis nodded, "Thank you."
~*~
"Miss Brennon?" Riley didn't hear Mr. Karakova call her name. "Miss Brennon?" He called again, his voice a little sing-song-like. Mr. Karakova crossed his arms over his chest. He walked to the front of Riley's desk. "Slacking off again I see, Miss Brennon?" He asked, tapping her on the head with his finger.
Riley jumped, "Wha-what? Oh sorry Mr. Karakova...I...I don't feel that great today." This was only a half-lie seeing as how she thought she would be sick just to even think that she might be developing a crush on Travis.
"Do you need to go to the nurses office?"
"If...you don't mind..."
Karakova nodded and continued with class as Riley stood up and walked out the door.
~*~ 10/16/06 - 10:28pm
Riley made as if she was going to the nurses office but she knew that wasn't where she was going, but she knew it wasn't where she was supposed to be going. I can't believe this! I actually have a...crush on....on Travis! This can't be happening! There's no way! This is some crazy dream of mine and I'm gonna wake up and none of this is going to have really happened! One of Riley's fears had always been crushing on her best guy friend, and now that it was happening, she was freaking out.
Travis was slowly making his way back to class from the office. I don't see why this is happening....this is just...too weird....I can't believe I let myself like her...of all people! She's one of my friends! Travis suddenly had a flashback from ninth grade at the RFR make-shift studio when he had told Ray something like "You can't control who you fall in love with." ...Guess it's true...huh?
Riley saw Travis coming towards her in the otherwise empty hallway. She pointed at him and practically shouted, "It's you're fault! This is all you're fault!"
The two met halfway. "What?" "This whole...thing! It's all you're fault!"
"What's my fault?"
"This...crush I've got on you! It's you're fault!" Suddenly realization hit her. In all her rambling. she'd just admitted not only to herself, but to Travis as well, that she liked him. Her eyes went wide and she let out a sound that was similar to a squeak. "I-I...uh...oh..tell me this isn't going to ruin our friendship! I don't wanna ruin what we've got!" Riley Diane Brennon, was close to tears. This was a very rare occasion, and Travis sure as hell hadn't seen it.
Travis didn't speak, he was having trouble letting this all soak in. When he just stood there, staring at her, not saying anything, Riley added, "Say something...please?"
"I-I...I don't know w-what t-to say..." Travis stuttered. He'd never stuttered in his entire life.
"I'm sorry...really...I didn't think...I didn't want...I didn't..." She leaned against the nearest set of lockers, slid to a sitting position and closed her eyes. I can't believe I just did that....
Riley heard Travis mutter something like, "So..this is how fate is..." She also heard him sit down across from her.
Riley opened her eyes and frowned, "What?"
"First there was the..." He swallowed. The thought of that moment from 10 days ago still made cold shivers go up his spine. Travis shuddered at the feeling, "Incident...at your house and now...this.."
"Oh...that..." Riley said, a slight pinkness crossing her cheeks. "So...what do think fate's like...trying to tell us...or....whatever?"
"I..." Was all he managed to say but he shruged so Riley would get the message.
Riley glanced at her watch, "I should have been back in class by now..."
"Yeah...me too..."
"So...later?"
Travis nodded as he stood. He offered Riley a hand, which she took and stood as well. The two walked down the long hallway side bu side until it opened up to go left or right, then they went their separate ways.
~*~*~*~*~*~
10/31/06 - Tuesday Afternoon - After School - 5:00pm
Riley was laying on her bed, staring at the notebook in front of her. Why was it that whenever she needed to be thinking about homework, or schoolwork she got brilliant ideas for her stories, but when she actually wanted to write, nothing came to her? She sighed, closed the notebook, slipped the pen in the spirals and threw the notebook under the bed. She never let anyone read her stuff--Not even her parents had read any of it.
Just when Riley had closed her eyes to day dream about that day a little over four weeks ago, she remembered that she still had her History homework to do. She always left it to last because she didn't like it much, unless of course she had Chemistry homework.
~*~
10/31/06 - 6:07pm
After reading for what seemed like forever, Riley was finally done with her homework. Just when she put her book and notes away, Riley's phone decided it would ring. She rolled her eyes but leaned over from her place on the bed and picked it up. "Hello?"
"Riley, I...."
"Travis?" Riley asked, she wasn't sure if it was him. It kind of sounded like him, but then again....
"Yeah..."
"What's up?"
"Riley, I..." She heard him sigh, "I...No...nevermind." And there was a sound of him hanging up.
Riley blinked and slowly lowered the phone from her ear. She frowned and stared at it, though it did her no good. She heard her door open but didn't look up from her staring contest with the phone. "That's a ph-o-ne, you use it to t-a-lk to pe-po-le." Ray practically spelled the words out.
Riley blinked again and looked up at him. "Ray...what do you want?"
"Just wanted to know..." She didn't hear the rest of his sentence
"Yeah? Well I wanna know how you'd feel having a phone up you're ass..."
"Why?"
"I...don't...know! I'm seriously confused!"
"About what?"
"Travis called...we said hey, I said what's up, he was all 'Riley..I....No...nevermind." and then he went and hung up."
Ray raised an eyebrow. That didn't sound right. "That doesn't sound right...that's not like Travis."
"Does he have some kind of weird twin?"
"Riley...Travis is weird, if he had a twin, he would be normal..."
"Travis isn't weird, he just knows how to be Zen." Riley grinned, knowing the basis of what Ray would say to that, or so she thought.
Ray walked over to her and put his hand on her forehead, "Are you sick?" He lowered his hand, "Or is Travis converting you into some weird-confusing Riley-android?"
Riley gave her cousin a look but laughed. "What?"
"I have no clue what I'm talking about, I can't believe you'd even expect so much out of me."
Riley frowned, "You're strange."
"No, Travis is strange, I'm weird." Riley rolled her eyes, "Whatever...." She paused then went back to the previous topic, "So...what do you think's up with him?"
"I don't have to think, I know...but...I don't know if I should tell you..."
"Why?" Riley asked. She and Ray didn't really keep much from each other, she was kind of skeptical when he did.
"Well, it's just...he kinda told me not to tell you..."
"Oh...ok...well..if you're going to start keeping things from me I'll do the same with you....even if it is about Lily..."
Ray shifted, "That's not fair...You obviously don't have word to keep."
"Life sucks and then you die." She shrugged, "Who said I didn't? She's told me not to tell anyone but...you know...she'd never really know." She paused, "Buuut...you're gonna keep things from me, so it's only fair that I do the same in return."
"U...but..."
"But nothin'. You don't tell me, I don't tell you. That's final."
Ray sighed, "Fiiineee. Just...don't tell him I told you."
"Okay."
"I'm just gonna say it out-and-out." Ray shrugged, "He likes you."
Riley blinked. Travis...liked me? Did I hear him correctly? I mean...the guy I like, the guy of my freakin dreams...likes me as well? That's insane! "Did I...hear you right?"
"I don't know, what'd you hear?"
"Travis likes me...."
Ray nodded, "Yeah..."
"Likes me-likes me...like...wants to date me like me..."
"Yeah..." He paused, "So....what do you have for me in return?"
"I dunno if I should tell you...she seemed really serious about me not breathing a word to anyone, ya know?"
"Riley.....I told you, now you tell me."
"No."
"Tell me."
"No."
"Tell me!"
"Hmmm...no!" "Riley!"
"Fine..." She sighed, annoyed of the idiotic arguing they were doing. "She....she likes you...but you have to swear on you're grave that you won't make like you know!"
Ray nodded, "Alright..."
~*~
11/8/06 - Wednesday - 5:17pm
Riley had asked Travis if he would come over and help her with her Chemistry homework. He had agreed and so they were there. They had already been studying for a little over an hour. And when 'studying' is used in this particular case, it means: Riley reading for thirty minutes and Travis trying to make her understand what she read and get the things she had misunderstood out of her head. Travis sighed and leaned back on the be. "Why don't we just...take a break?" This was half for Riley and half for himself. He knew that if he had to try and explain the same thing for another two minutes, he would snap at her and he didn't really want to do that.
Riley sighed, "Thank you!" She sat up and pressed her palms to her eyes. She lifted her head and stood up. Riley glanced out the window, it had started raining around four thirty or so. She tilted her head to the side and frowned.
Travis looked at her and followed her gaze. He raised an eyebrow at her, "What are you doing?"
Riley snapped out of her daze, "What?"
"Just...wondering what you're doing..."
"Oh..nothing...I just...I just like the rain."
Travis smiled a little, "Yeah...it's nice, isn't it?"
Riley nodded. "Yeah..." She sighed and blinked, tearing her eyes from the window. "I'm gonna go downstairs, want a soda or whatever?"
"Naw, I'm fine..."
She nodded, "Kay." And she went downstairs.
Riley was taking a bit longer than Travis had expected. He shrugged but stood and walked around her room. He stopped at her desk. There was an open notebook laying there. He tilted his head to the side a bit. Travis moved the chair away from the desk and sat down. He flipped to the page that had: "Untitled" across the top. Underneath that was: By - Riley D. Brennon. Travis smirked and started to read what she had written. It was pretty good. Well written, easy to follow, it was just amazing that Riley, of all people, had actually written this. Travis was about three paragraphs into it when Riley came back.
"So, ready to start up with the--" She saw he was at her desk, reading something. Her eyes widened and she dropped the unopened soda she had in her hand, ran over to the desk, and snatched her notebook up. "What are you doing?" She practically yelled.
Travis was looking at her now. He threw his hands up in defense, "I was walking around you're room, it was just laying there, open, I didn't think you'd mind. I'm sorry, I--"
"Don't. Even. Touch or read. This journal. Again." "Ok. I promise. I won't. I didn't know. I really didn't think you'd mind...I'm..I'm sorry."
The look of anger on her face disappeared and was replaced with an apologetic look. "I'm sorry...I just...I don't really like people reading my stuff..."
"I don't know why. I didn't get far but no one in the right mind would think that was written by a seventeen year old girl."
She frowned, "What do you mean?"
"Well, come on. That's....well, let's say, if he was still alive, Sidney Sheldon might have some competition with a seventeen year old."
Riley smiled, "Really? You think it's...that good?"
Travis nodded, "Yeah..."
Those simple words would mean quite a lot coming from anyone, but hearing them from Travis made Riley feel like it was all true, nothing behind it at all. "Thanks..."
"You're welcome."
There was an odd silence between them. Travis' eyes darted around until Riley said, "So...wanna start back up again?"
~*~
11/8/06 - 6:24pm
The pair had been studying for another hour when Riley started to drift to sleep. Travis had just noticed this. She was laying on her stomach, chin in her hands, listening to him. He glanced over at Riley and smiled a small smile. Her eyes were slowly closing and just when they were about there, she jolted back awake. "Riley?"
"Mmm?"
"Are you ok?"
"Mmm..hmm..."
"Tired?"
"No..." She spoke too soon. Riley tried to stifle a yawn but she failed.
"Are you sure?"
She shook her head, then rolled onto her back, her legs going off the width of her side of the bed. Her head was now about at Travis' chest. She closed her eyes, "So..."
"Why are you so tired today?"
"It's the damn rain....makes me tired..."
Travis lay his head down and, without realizing what he was doing, started playing with some of Riley's hair. He was twisting a strand in his fingers. Rile frowned. "What're you doin?"
Travis had suddenly realized what he'd been doing. He closed his eyes and swallowed. What was he supposed to tell her? The truth? How weird would that sound? "N-nothing..."
"You were playing with my hair, weren't you?" She asked, opening her eyes.
Travis swallowed again but nodded slightly.
She smiled up at him, "It's ok...I kina liked it..."
Travis wasn't sure how to react to that. He knew his eyes had widened a little. He heard Riley laugh a little, it wasn't a giggle really but it was close."What?"
"You just looked kinda shocked after I said that..."
"Oh..."
She smiled again. Riley took his hand and put it closer to her head. Then she took a piece of her hair and put it in his hands. She smiled at the look on Travis' face. "Lighten up..."
Travis couldn't help it. Before anything else, he started playing with her hair again. He could have sworn that something had gotten into Riley. She wasn't like this usually, she never was this....loose when they were alone, studying, of course.
"Travis..."
"Yeah?"
"I can't...I can't do this anymore..."
He frowned. "What?"
Riley regretfully sat up. She really liked the feeling of her hair being played with by Travis. She took a breath in, "I have to tell you something..."
"Ok.." Travis had no clue where this girl was going.
"Travis I..." She stopped. Was she really going to do this? She'd already kind of told him last month. Maybe he didn't get it before, he hadn't done anything since. Or maybe he just didn't like her that way. "Travis, I don't know if you got it the other day...when we found each other on the way back to class...but...um...I-I like you. I mean...not just as a friend...I...I like you like you, I wanna...I wanna go out sometime...you know?"
Travis swallowed. He hadn't been very comfortable the last time this was brought up, he didn't know why he had thought it would be any different this time. His opened his mouth to say something but decided against it and closed his mouth once again.
Riley was starting to gather things together. So...he doesn't like me that way.... She closed her eyes and sighed. "It's ok if you don't like me that way Travis...really it is, I mean--"
"No..Riley..i-it's no that. I just...it's...strange...the girl I like actually liking me back..you know?"
"You mean..." He nodded, which made Riley grin. Before she knew what she was doing, Riley leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, then she started laughing.
"What's so funny?"
She shook her head, "You just had the best look on you're face..."
Travis shook his head. Riley was one of the few that found things as simple as that amusing as hell. But that was Riley for you....his Riley. Travis had to admit, he liked the sound of that. Suddenly, an idea struck Travis. He grinned and Riley looked at him strangely.
"What are you doing?" Riley asked cautiously.
Travis said nothing but Riley suddenly found him on top of her. "Tra-" Before she could finish his name, she collapsed into a fit of giggles. He was tickling her. After a few minutes of this, he stopped and let her breathe.
"Why.did you do that?" Riley asked.
Travis smirked, "To see you smile."
~*~*~*~*~
A/N - Well, wasn't that nice? A shirtless Travis would be fine with me anyday. lol Anyhow, reviews would be nice ^_^
By - PheonixFireBlack
Summary - First installment of a series of fics that I'm going to write. All it is basically is how the couples get together and whatnot. Nothing too big but it might be fun...and we might get to see someone without a shirt *wink* (T/R)
A/N - Well, as you saw, this is one installment of a series of stories I'm gonna write. Hope you enjoy it, I hope this'll be kinda funny. Just to keep from confusion with this and the next installment (Ray & Lily) we're gonna just go with the thought that these are just alternate ways they would get together. (In case you don't get it, this whole thing means: I'm being lazy and I don't want to have to think of another way to put Riley in.)
First bit of this chapter will be in Travis' P.O.V., then another bit will be in Riley's, then I'll go into normal story format. (You can tell when it changes.)
Anyway, enough of my rambling, let's get the story....
~*~*~*~*~
Have you ever met someone, thought it was love at first sight and then turns out, by the time you get to know the person, their nothing like you thought they were going to be? Well....this isn't one of those kind of things but....there is someone, but it's nothing like that. It was anything but that. It all started in October, about a month after she arrived. She was alright, but she's Ray's cousin so, she's a little obnoxious, loud, and to be honest, she's pretty quick to temper. Who is she? Riley Diane Brennon.
~*~
I'm seriously starting to think that maybe we aren't going to be such great friends. I mean, we don't really argue too much and we're not so much alike that we clash but....I don't know, I'm just not sure it's going to work too well. He's practically a genius, too quiet in my opinion, and really hard to annoy. Sometimes I like doing things to annoy my friends, ya know? But there's no doing that with him--Nooooo way, not happening. I'm not exactly a genius but I'm not too dumb either, I'm really loud, and I guess I'm little obnoxious too. See, we're not that much alike. I know there's that whole "opposites attract" thing but I really don't think that's going to be the case here. It started a little bit after I got here in October. Oh, you're wondering who the hell I've been rambling on about here? Travis Anthony Strong.
~*~ 10/6/06 - Friday - 7:52pm
Riley had just finished taking a shower. She grabbed her towel and wrapped it around herself. She had done this all just in time because the door, which she had stupidly forgot to lock, suddenly opened. She didn't know who was coming in until....She saw blonde hair. Blue eyes. She saw a hand fly up to cover those beautiful blue eyes. She heard his voice. "S-sorry...I-I didn't know..." He left and closed the door. Riley quickly walked over and locked it. She flattened herself against the door, eyes wide. She had just seen Travis Strong. And he didn't have a shirt on.
~*~ 10/6/06 - 8:00pm
After the whole...shower incident, Riley had locked herself in her room for an hour. She was really getting thirsty so she decided she'd go downstairs and get a soda. She got off her bed and walked over to the door. Before she opened the door she dove back to the bed and wrote something down in the black journal that was there. She got up and went to the door again and opened it. She ran down the stairs and into the kitchen. Just as she entered, Travis was about to exit, they were right in front of each other. Any closer, and they probably would have kissed. The two just stood there for a moment...staring at each other. Riley licked her lips, it was a nervous habit she had. Travis was blushing like mad.
"Why don't you take a picture of each other? Pictures always seem to last longer..." Ray said from inside the kitchen. "What are you doing anyway?" He asked.
Riley could see him a few feet or so behind Travis. She glanced at him and swallowed. He didn't know. Travis hadn't told him. She sighed inwardly as she made her way to actually be in the kitchen. "Nothing...." She said offhandedly as she opened the refrigerator and grabbed a soda. She moved quickly past her cousin and his friend, but not without glancing back at Travis when she had reached the stairs.
~*~*~*~*~
10/7/06 - Saturday - 10:47am
Riley Brennon was laying in bed, sound asleep until suddenly her personal phone rang. Sometimes Riley really hated having her own phone line. She groaned and tried to ignore it. It was getting really annoying, the phone had already rang about four times. She let out something that sounded like a whimper and rolled over, picked the phone up. "Hello? She answered lazily.
"Hey Riley!" It was Lily Randall. She was one of Riley's three friends and Riley was actually glad she'd called. She needed to talk to her.
"Hey Lils..." Riley said as she sat up, leaning against the headboard. "What's up?"
"Nothing much...you?"
"Glad you called actually. I've gotta talk to you."
"About what?"
"Travis."
"Oh...ok. What's up?"
"Well...nothing really....he's just annoying the hell out of me!"
"Why?" Lily was mouthing what Riley said afterwards.
"He's extremely quiet, practically a genius, and he thinks I'm obnoxious!"
Lily was getting kind of tired of this. Riley had gone on like this for the past week. "Riley...you are obnoxious. And...I don't know what to tell you about the rest...that's just...Travis."
Riley sighed.
"Riley....I think you need a shrink."
"Why?"
"At least they'd be happy. They get paid for saying the same thing all the time with you, I mean...you've been on like this for the whole week! I know what you're going to say for cripe's sake!"
Riley raised an eyebrow. What was up with Lily? She shrugged. "Sorry...if it's been bugging you so much, you should have said something before."
"Sorry...it's just...." She sighed, "Nevermind...."
"Ok, whatever. I gotta go...catch ya later, kay?"
"Kay. See ya 'round."
Both girls hung up and Riley turned, slammed her face into her pillow, and screamed. When she lifted her head she had a smile on her face. "There...that's better."
~*~
10/7/06 - Saturday - 10:50am
Travis was upstairs, sitting in the only chair in his room. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees and let his head drop. He pressed his palms against his eyes and sighed. Why? I don't under-stand...none of this makes any sense.... Travis sighed again and massaged his temple. He stood and walked over to his bed and fell backwards. "This can't be happening..."
~*~*~*~*~*~
10/16/06 - Monday - 10:16am
Riley was running down the hallway to get to her locker so she could get to class. She wasn't going to be late again. She wasn't paying too close attention to the people around her but she had yet to actually hit someone. This luck soon changed. She was coming around the corned at the same time that Travis was. She saw him but didn't have enough time to stop. The two teenagers collided. Riley stood up and offered a hand to him, "Sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going....I--" She stopped. He had taken her hand and he was standing now. She'd caught his eyes and she seemed to loose her voice. "I-I..." She swallowed and licked her lips.
Travis shook his head, "It's alright..."
"But...I..."
"Really, it's..." He was looking at her bright green eyes. He swallowed and continued, "I-it's fine..."
"O-okay...well...uh...later?
"Y-yeah....later..." And the two went their separate ways.
No...no..no, no, no, no! This isn't...this happening...no! I won't let it! I will not...no! I'm sooo not going to have a crush on one of my best friends! Riley thought as she entered her Algebra 2 class.
~*~
10/16/06 - 10:23pm
Travis couldn't concentrate when he was in Chemistry. His mind kept drifting back to his encounter with Riley and what he had felt when they touched. He shook his head. No. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be. Travis was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't even hear the teacher when she called his name.
"Mr. Strong..." Carol Caralosky was walking towards his desk. "Mr. Strong?" Now she was right next to him. "Mister Strong." Her voice was louder and more strict than was normal for her.
Travis snapped out of it and he could feel everyone in the entire class staring at him.
"Mister Strong? Do you know the answer?"
"Uh...I-I don't know the...the question."
Mrs. Caralosky looked shocked but her voice was back to it's normal level of sweetness now. "Travis...I never expected you, of all people, to let your mind wander in class."
"I"m sorry, Mrs. Caralosky...it-it's just I've got a really bad headache..." This wasn't a lie either.
"Go to the nurse's office and take something and come back to class."
Travis nodded, "Thank you."
~*~
"Miss Brennon?" Riley didn't hear Mr. Karakova call her name. "Miss Brennon?" He called again, his voice a little sing-song-like. Mr. Karakova crossed his arms over his chest. He walked to the front of Riley's desk. "Slacking off again I see, Miss Brennon?" He asked, tapping her on the head with his finger.
Riley jumped, "Wha-what? Oh sorry Mr. Karakova...I...I don't feel that great today." This was only a half-lie seeing as how she thought she would be sick just to even think that she might be developing a crush on Travis.
"Do you need to go to the nurses office?"
"If...you don't mind..."
Karakova nodded and continued with class as Riley stood up and walked out the door.
~*~ 10/16/06 - 10:28pm
Riley made as if she was going to the nurses office but she knew that wasn't where she was going, but she knew it wasn't where she was supposed to be going. I can't believe this! I actually have a...crush on....on Travis! This can't be happening! There's no way! This is some crazy dream of mine and I'm gonna wake up and none of this is going to have really happened! One of Riley's fears had always been crushing on her best guy friend, and now that it was happening, she was freaking out.
Travis was slowly making his way back to class from the office. I don't see why this is happening....this is just...too weird....I can't believe I let myself like her...of all people! She's one of my friends! Travis suddenly had a flashback from ninth grade at the RFR make-shift studio when he had told Ray something like "You can't control who you fall in love with." ...Guess it's true...huh?
Riley saw Travis coming towards her in the otherwise empty hallway. She pointed at him and practically shouted, "It's you're fault! This is all you're fault!"
The two met halfway. "What?" "This whole...thing! It's all you're fault!"
"What's my fault?"
"This...crush I've got on you! It's you're fault!" Suddenly realization hit her. In all her rambling. she'd just admitted not only to herself, but to Travis as well, that she liked him. Her eyes went wide and she let out a sound that was similar to a squeak. "I-I...uh...oh..tell me this isn't going to ruin our friendship! I don't wanna ruin what we've got!" Riley Diane Brennon, was close to tears. This was a very rare occasion, and Travis sure as hell hadn't seen it.
Travis didn't speak, he was having trouble letting this all soak in. When he just stood there, staring at her, not saying anything, Riley added, "Say something...please?"
"I-I...I don't know w-what t-to say..." Travis stuttered. He'd never stuttered in his entire life.
"I'm sorry...really...I didn't think...I didn't want...I didn't..." She leaned against the nearest set of lockers, slid to a sitting position and closed her eyes. I can't believe I just did that....
Riley heard Travis mutter something like, "So..this is how fate is..." She also heard him sit down across from her.
Riley opened her eyes and frowned, "What?"
"First there was the..." He swallowed. The thought of that moment from 10 days ago still made cold shivers go up his spine. Travis shuddered at the feeling, "Incident...at your house and now...this.."
"Oh...that..." Riley said, a slight pinkness crossing her cheeks. "So...what do think fate's like...trying to tell us...or....whatever?"
"I..." Was all he managed to say but he shruged so Riley would get the message.
Riley glanced at her watch, "I should have been back in class by now..."
"Yeah...me too..."
"So...later?"
Travis nodded as he stood. He offered Riley a hand, which she took and stood as well. The two walked down the long hallway side bu side until it opened up to go left or right, then they went their separate ways.
~*~*~*~*~*~
10/31/06 - Tuesday Afternoon - After School - 5:00pm
Riley was laying on her bed, staring at the notebook in front of her. Why was it that whenever she needed to be thinking about homework, or schoolwork she got brilliant ideas for her stories, but when she actually wanted to write, nothing came to her? She sighed, closed the notebook, slipped the pen in the spirals and threw the notebook under the bed. She never let anyone read her stuff--Not even her parents had read any of it.
Just when Riley had closed her eyes to day dream about that day a little over four weeks ago, she remembered that she still had her History homework to do. She always left it to last because she didn't like it much, unless of course she had Chemistry homework.
~*~
10/31/06 - 6:07pm
After reading for what seemed like forever, Riley was finally done with her homework. Just when she put her book and notes away, Riley's phone decided it would ring. She rolled her eyes but leaned over from her place on the bed and picked it up. "Hello?"
"Riley, I...."
"Travis?" Riley asked, she wasn't sure if it was him. It kind of sounded like him, but then again....
"Yeah..."
"What's up?"
"Riley, I..." She heard him sigh, "I...No...nevermind." And there was a sound of him hanging up.
Riley blinked and slowly lowered the phone from her ear. She frowned and stared at it, though it did her no good. She heard her door open but didn't look up from her staring contest with the phone. "That's a ph-o-ne, you use it to t-a-lk to pe-po-le." Ray practically spelled the words out.
Riley blinked again and looked up at him. "Ray...what do you want?"
"Just wanted to know..." She didn't hear the rest of his sentence
"Yeah? Well I wanna know how you'd feel having a phone up you're ass..."
"Why?"
"I...don't...know! I'm seriously confused!"
"About what?"
"Travis called...we said hey, I said what's up, he was all 'Riley..I....No...nevermind." and then he went and hung up."
Ray raised an eyebrow. That didn't sound right. "That doesn't sound right...that's not like Travis."
"Does he have some kind of weird twin?"
"Riley...Travis is weird, if he had a twin, he would be normal..."
"Travis isn't weird, he just knows how to be Zen." Riley grinned, knowing the basis of what Ray would say to that, or so she thought.
Ray walked over to her and put his hand on her forehead, "Are you sick?" He lowered his hand, "Or is Travis converting you into some weird-confusing Riley-android?"
Riley gave her cousin a look but laughed. "What?"
"I have no clue what I'm talking about, I can't believe you'd even expect so much out of me."
Riley frowned, "You're strange."
"No, Travis is strange, I'm weird." Riley rolled her eyes, "Whatever...." She paused then went back to the previous topic, "So...what do you think's up with him?"
"I don't have to think, I know...but...I don't know if I should tell you..."
"Why?" Riley asked. She and Ray didn't really keep much from each other, she was kind of skeptical when he did.
"Well, it's just...he kinda told me not to tell you..."
"Oh...ok...well..if you're going to start keeping things from me I'll do the same with you....even if it is about Lily..."
Ray shifted, "That's not fair...You obviously don't have word to keep."
"Life sucks and then you die." She shrugged, "Who said I didn't? She's told me not to tell anyone but...you know...she'd never really know." She paused, "Buuut...you're gonna keep things from me, so it's only fair that I do the same in return."
"U...but..."
"But nothin'. You don't tell me, I don't tell you. That's final."
Ray sighed, "Fiiineee. Just...don't tell him I told you."
"Okay."
"I'm just gonna say it out-and-out." Ray shrugged, "He likes you."
Riley blinked. Travis...liked me? Did I hear him correctly? I mean...the guy I like, the guy of my freakin dreams...likes me as well? That's insane! "Did I...hear you right?"
"I don't know, what'd you hear?"
"Travis likes me...."
Ray nodded, "Yeah..."
"Likes me-likes me...like...wants to date me like me..."
"Yeah..." He paused, "So....what do you have for me in return?"
"I dunno if I should tell you...she seemed really serious about me not breathing a word to anyone, ya know?"
"Riley.....I told you, now you tell me."
"No."
"Tell me."
"No."
"Tell me!"
"Hmmm...no!" "Riley!"
"Fine..." She sighed, annoyed of the idiotic arguing they were doing. "She....she likes you...but you have to swear on you're grave that you won't make like you know!"
Ray nodded, "Alright..."
~*~
11/8/06 - Wednesday - 5:17pm
Riley had asked Travis if he would come over and help her with her Chemistry homework. He had agreed and so they were there. They had already been studying for a little over an hour. And when 'studying' is used in this particular case, it means: Riley reading for thirty minutes and Travis trying to make her understand what she read and get the things she had misunderstood out of her head. Travis sighed and leaned back on the be. "Why don't we just...take a break?" This was half for Riley and half for himself. He knew that if he had to try and explain the same thing for another two minutes, he would snap at her and he didn't really want to do that.
Riley sighed, "Thank you!" She sat up and pressed her palms to her eyes. She lifted her head and stood up. Riley glanced out the window, it had started raining around four thirty or so. She tilted her head to the side and frowned.
Travis looked at her and followed her gaze. He raised an eyebrow at her, "What are you doing?"
Riley snapped out of her daze, "What?"
"Just...wondering what you're doing..."
"Oh..nothing...I just...I just like the rain."
Travis smiled a little, "Yeah...it's nice, isn't it?"
Riley nodded. "Yeah..." She sighed and blinked, tearing her eyes from the window. "I'm gonna go downstairs, want a soda or whatever?"
"Naw, I'm fine..."
She nodded, "Kay." And she went downstairs.
Riley was taking a bit longer than Travis had expected. He shrugged but stood and walked around her room. He stopped at her desk. There was an open notebook laying there. He tilted his head to the side a bit. Travis moved the chair away from the desk and sat down. He flipped to the page that had: "Untitled" across the top. Underneath that was: By - Riley D. Brennon. Travis smirked and started to read what she had written. It was pretty good. Well written, easy to follow, it was just amazing that Riley, of all people, had actually written this. Travis was about three paragraphs into it when Riley came back.
"So, ready to start up with the--" She saw he was at her desk, reading something. Her eyes widened and she dropped the unopened soda she had in her hand, ran over to the desk, and snatched her notebook up. "What are you doing?" She practically yelled.
Travis was looking at her now. He threw his hands up in defense, "I was walking around you're room, it was just laying there, open, I didn't think you'd mind. I'm sorry, I--"
"Don't. Even. Touch or read. This journal. Again." "Ok. I promise. I won't. I didn't know. I really didn't think you'd mind...I'm..I'm sorry."
The look of anger on her face disappeared and was replaced with an apologetic look. "I'm sorry...I just...I don't really like people reading my stuff..."
"I don't know why. I didn't get far but no one in the right mind would think that was written by a seventeen year old girl."
She frowned, "What do you mean?"
"Well, come on. That's....well, let's say, if he was still alive, Sidney Sheldon might have some competition with a seventeen year old."
Riley smiled, "Really? You think it's...that good?"
Travis nodded, "Yeah..."
Those simple words would mean quite a lot coming from anyone, but hearing them from Travis made Riley feel like it was all true, nothing behind it at all. "Thanks..."
"You're welcome."
There was an odd silence between them. Travis' eyes darted around until Riley said, "So...wanna start back up again?"
~*~
11/8/06 - 6:24pm
The pair had been studying for another hour when Riley started to drift to sleep. Travis had just noticed this. She was laying on her stomach, chin in her hands, listening to him. He glanced over at Riley and smiled a small smile. Her eyes were slowly closing and just when they were about there, she jolted back awake. "Riley?"
"Mmm?"
"Are you ok?"
"Mmm..hmm..."
"Tired?"
"No..." She spoke too soon. Riley tried to stifle a yawn but she failed.
"Are you sure?"
She shook her head, then rolled onto her back, her legs going off the width of her side of the bed. Her head was now about at Travis' chest. She closed her eyes, "So..."
"Why are you so tired today?"
"It's the damn rain....makes me tired..."
Travis lay his head down and, without realizing what he was doing, started playing with some of Riley's hair. He was twisting a strand in his fingers. Rile frowned. "What're you doin?"
Travis had suddenly realized what he'd been doing. He closed his eyes and swallowed. What was he supposed to tell her? The truth? How weird would that sound? "N-nothing..."
"You were playing with my hair, weren't you?" She asked, opening her eyes.
Travis swallowed again but nodded slightly.
She smiled up at him, "It's ok...I kina liked it..."
Travis wasn't sure how to react to that. He knew his eyes had widened a little. He heard Riley laugh a little, it wasn't a giggle really but it was close."What?"
"You just looked kinda shocked after I said that..."
"Oh..."
She smiled again. Riley took his hand and put it closer to her head. Then she took a piece of her hair and put it in his hands. She smiled at the look on Travis' face. "Lighten up..."
Travis couldn't help it. Before anything else, he started playing with her hair again. He could have sworn that something had gotten into Riley. She wasn't like this usually, she never was this....loose when they were alone, studying, of course.
"Travis..."
"Yeah?"
"I can't...I can't do this anymore..."
He frowned. "What?"
Riley regretfully sat up. She really liked the feeling of her hair being played with by Travis. She took a breath in, "I have to tell you something..."
"Ok.." Travis had no clue where this girl was going.
"Travis I..." She stopped. Was she really going to do this? She'd already kind of told him last month. Maybe he didn't get it before, he hadn't done anything since. Or maybe he just didn't like her that way. "Travis, I don't know if you got it the other day...when we found each other on the way back to class...but...um...I-I like you. I mean...not just as a friend...I...I like you like you, I wanna...I wanna go out sometime...you know?"
Travis swallowed. He hadn't been very comfortable the last time this was brought up, he didn't know why he had thought it would be any different this time. His opened his mouth to say something but decided against it and closed his mouth once again.
Riley was starting to gather things together. So...he doesn't like me that way.... She closed her eyes and sighed. "It's ok if you don't like me that way Travis...really it is, I mean--"
"No..Riley..i-it's no that. I just...it's...strange...the girl I like actually liking me back..you know?"
"You mean..." He nodded, which made Riley grin. Before she knew what she was doing, Riley leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, then she started laughing.
"What's so funny?"
She shook her head, "You just had the best look on you're face..."
Travis shook his head. Riley was one of the few that found things as simple as that amusing as hell. But that was Riley for you....his Riley. Travis had to admit, he liked the sound of that. Suddenly, an idea struck Travis. He grinned and Riley looked at him strangely.
"What are you doing?" Riley asked cautiously.
Travis said nothing but Riley suddenly found him on top of her. "Tra-" Before she could finish his name, she collapsed into a fit of giggles. He was tickling her. After a few minutes of this, he stopped and let her breathe.
"Why.did you do that?" Riley asked.
Travis smirked, "To see you smile."
~*~*~*~*~
A/N - Well, wasn't that nice? A shirtless Travis would be fine with me anyday. lol Anyhow, reviews would be nice ^_^