Chapter Eight: Alone at Seven
Here we go, the next chapter of Be Careful What You Wish For, also I want to thank all of you who have favorited, followed, and commented and to the guests as well, thank you so very much for supporting this story and waiting through my tormenting wait times. But as always this series will continue until it's completion. Now feed your craving...
Last Time:
"She's so—" Hunter trails off.
"Goofy, yeah, she is, but you gotta love her."
"She reminds me so much of my friend Cory, it's like they're one in the same, it's almost uncanny."
As soon as Riley reaches me a voice rings out across the restaurant. "Where is she at!?" his voice rings throughout the room, filled with annoyance and anger. Turning to the door that's when I see him.
Harley Keiner, of course.
Sucking in a deep breath of air, I glance over at Riley who is practically paralyzed in fear with her body immobile after Harley Keiner shouted my name, not that I blame her. Riley doesn't have the calm outer demeanor that I do and besides, I schooled him once, in school, so I bet I could do it again. My main focus then was to protect Riley which is always my goal.
Besides, who knows what Harley might do to Riley and the rest of them if I loose? No, I'm not willing to take that chance so if it comes to a fight I cannot, no will not, loose. I'll protect Riley with my life, or in this case, the attractiveness of my face for her. If I'm bloody and bruised, which is no different than any normal day at home, it'll be fine so long as Riley is.
He won't boss me around, especially since he's the janitor at Riley and my school so clearly his life must not have been to great after high school so it won't matter anyway. Riley's innocent brown eyes meet mine and I can see the fear for my well-being in them but she knows, from her posture and the shaking of her hands, that I'm not going to back down from Harley, and she's right.
"I'm right here Keiner!" I shout, shoving the Q-stick into Shawn's hands and step away from the pool table and back into the main part of the restaurant where Harley stands just off of the stairs. His usual black leather jacket present, his dark hair slicked back with far to much gel for it to be even remotely heath for his hair or anyone with the unfortunate of being to close and having to breath his that crap.
"Hmm..." he hums, stepping closer to me. "If it isn't the rebel with a cause. Where's your best friend, goody-miss-two-shoes, or is she to scared to be here to support her dear friend," he comments, sarcasm heavy.
"I actually want her far away from you, who knows what she could catch, especially what with all the rats that nest in your hair and survive by consuming all the crud you put in it, I'm a girl and I don't use nearly as much products, that means something Keiner," I mock, throwing out as much sarcasm I can into each word I speak, his eyes narrow.
"Funny, youze must think you're a comedian, what with the million dollar words and all, but I have a better way to settle this once and for all Harke," he says, glancing from me to everyone around. He walks forward to where I sit and I get ready to throw a punch but then he leans down to my ear and whispers something to me.
"Meet me by the railroads alone at seven, if you don't, I'll hunt you down and I'll hurts you and your bestie, got it?" he backs away and calls to his lackeys who follow behind him like they're lost puppies.
"Oh wow! That was so intense," Riley sighs. When I turn around she has one hand on her hip and the other on her stomach, leaning back against the pool table as if the weight of the world has just been lifted off her shoulders. Shaking my head I run my hands through my hair, trying to decide if it's really a good idea to meet up with Harley like he asked.
Of course not idiot, but you have to. You don't have a choice...
My inner thoughts were right of course, it was an all around bad idea to play into Harley Keiner schemes but if I didn't he could hurt Riley and I'm not willing to take that chance so I have to go, I'll have to sneak out when Riley goes to sleep and based on how exhausting this day has been, there's no doubt that she'll be passed out and dreaming about sheep before six.
All I have to do is play it off that nothing is up until then and pretend everything is all right and then I'll sneak out. Currently we're staying in an old, abandoned warehouse that I found which must have doubles as a hotel due to all the bedrooms about the actual store part so with all the rooms it'll be easy to make an escape for the night.
I head back to where Riley is and Shawn stands before taking back the Q-stick back from Shawn and handing it to Riley without saying a word as to what Harley said to me and apparently that seems to bother Shawn more than it does Riley as when I head to where the rest of the Q-sticks are he follows me.
"What just happened out there?" he hisses, annoyed.
Spinning around to face him, pool stick in hand, I reply. "What was what, you were there, did you not see what just happened?"
"Of course I did but then he leaned down to your ear and whispered something, what did he say to you? And don't say that it was nothing because I know that's a big fat lie, obviously it wasn't seeing as how hard you're trying to pretend it didn't happen," he finishes.
"You wanna know what it is? Well you don't need to, it's none of your business Hunter because I can take care of myself and besides don't you think you should be meeting up with red head, you know the girl you were making out with rather then stand here grilling me about something that honestly doesn't even concern you. I know you're trying to help, I get that, but I don't need it," I push past him.
Our shoulders knock together and I continue without a hitch, instantly feeling his eyes burning holes in the back of my head. Oh well, he can't get involved with this and neither can Riley, I have to do this on my own to keep everyone around me safe, Riley more than anyone else because she's already terrified of the guy and I'm the one who had t stare him down.
How could she handle us being alone with him at a railroad track?
It would backfire horrible and I can't have Cory or Shawn or Topanga get involved because I don't know how or even if our involvement in the past will even effect the future. All I know is that this is bad and that I have no choice, just like I don't have a choice in my time when I have to go back home. Riley will be safe and that's all that matters to me.
It's all that has ever mattered to a rebel like me.