Chapter Nine: A Proposition
Yes! I am in fact alive and writing still, I know it has been forever since I updated but I am still an incredibly lazy person so I will give you this chapter to have and hold closely until my next update which will happen eventually, hopefully not such a long wait. Maybe I'll start writing after posting this... Anyways, is there anything, any adventure or shenanigan you all would like to see of our crazy duo while the story is in the works? If so comment below and I may just add it in!
My nerves are buzzing but I push them at bay and jeez why is so freaking dark in Philadelphia? The sky looks like someone painting it midnight blue mixed in with black paint remaining in their paint bucket. Starless night of course, and the chirping crickets really aren't helping my keep a clear head. Riley's back at the tree house, asleep of course, she'd have a panic attack if she knew what I was doing.
That girl really needs to find a way to manage her stress otherwise she'll be gray-headed by the time we reach high school. As I slowly head down a nearly empty road I listen to the lively night with the creatures squawking and the owls hooting. That'd make an amazing sketch, a lone owl sitting on a bare tree branch, all the leaves dying near the trees trunk.
"Very symbolic," that's what Riley and my art teacher would say. "Is it based on personal feelings?"
I shake my head, ignoring the wind the whistles past me. A street light flickers overhead as I cross the jagged sidewalk with cracks in the cement and often offset that sometimes trips me up. All I can think about is home and the situation Riley and I are in, not even worrying so much about Harley Keiner but about Riley's sanity, sure she's hanging on but I can tell when I look into her eyes.
She missed her mom and dad and younger brother Auggie and I can't say that I blame her for it. Mr. Matthews is the closet thing to a father figure I have which is downright pathetic that my best friends dad and history teacher is the only father-figure in my life. I would never in a million years admit this out loud to him and never to Riley but I like that he care.
It's the only attention of any sort that I get without ending up bloody and battered with purple bruises decorating my skin and a busted lip to go along with it and I know it's cliche, the rebel girl with the abusive parent, but she wasn't always that way. Before, before she cared about me and worked at the Nighthawk Diner without ever vanishing for days on end.
Now it's like living in prison and I feel relief and giddy when I open the door to our apartment and find that she is nowhere to be seen, that she's vanished for who knows how long. The less she's home, the less broke and worthless I feel. Riley can't ever find out, that's the only thing that has ever motivated me to keep fighting to keep going.
If not for her, I don't know what I would do or if I'd even be here right now in this horrible, messy situation she's landed us in because of her anger-fulled wish but at least we're together and not doing this all alone. I'm tired, just so tired and Riley keeps me grounded to reality and I cannot imagine a life without my best friend by my side, especially with my home life.
She is my escape from the reality of my life, the door to free myself from it all. The hurt, the loneliness, and the sheer sadness that my world seems to be enveloped in. Riley wanted to live in her world but she didn't realize how lucky her parents world was and she seems to occasionally take her family for granted partially due to having both of her good parents, not one awful one like I got.
I make my way through the dimly lit street before stepping off the sidewalk and making my way through a semi-wooded area leading towards the train tracks. My heart in in my throat and I can feel the lump that had decided to block my airway. Even as far back from the tracks that I am, I can see three silhouettes in the near complete darkness.
The tallest one in the middle, obviously Harley, to his left the larger one, and to his right is the weird ferret looking one that talks like he's in some stupid sitcom, I just want to smack that one whenever he opens his mouth. Gravel crunches beneath my feet as I move towards them, still it seems that they haven't heard my arrival because the continue speaking in hushed whispers.
"I'm here Kiener, now what do you want!" I shout, stopping about five feet from him and his wannabe thugs but bite back a sneer threatening to emerge from sheer annoyance of their presence. He glare at me, leather jacket still present. He tips his weight forward like that will deter me from another fight or scare me away but it's not gonna work.
Not if Riley's in danger I won't.
"You see, their ain't been many of youze lower clansmen that have the, how you'd say, guts to stand up to me. While that irritated me to begin with, some other idea crossed me mind," he stops. Oh my gosh, his stupid thug voice makes me want to shove him onto the tracks behind him, how can any of his lackey's even stand to listen to that annoying voice of his?
I'd be ripping my hair out in a matter of minutes if I had to listen to that on a daily basis. In fact, most likely be bald by the end of the first day because of how truly annoying he is. I'm surprised more people don't want to throw him in the nearest trash can just to get him to stop talking because obviously there's no peace and quiet at the school. Not with him around at least.\
He steps forward, throwing an arm over my shoulders before I shove him away from me and let the scowl emerge. "You've got a minute to tell me what you want before I decide that I'd rather risk getting you run over by a train so start talking." Crossing my arms over my chest, I lean my weight to my left and cock my head in a rebellious pose.
"Fine kid, that'z how you want this to be?" he growls, anger flashing through his eyes before falling away and being replaced with some other emotion. Amusement maybe? "I know you care about that quirky girl, the one like Johnny Baboon so either zip it and listen up, or I can make her life a living hell. And I am capable of doing that by the way."
"Leave her out of this..." I hiss through gritted teeth. "And tell me what it is that you want. Why you forced me to come her when I could be..." not home, "asleep right now."
"Lets say that I've gotz an amazing proposition for ya," a smirk flashes across his lips before falling away in a flash. "Turns out a gurl like you, with the attitude, is something me and my guyz could use. I've got a wonderful position in my crew for ya. Be an honorary thug and we;d be more than happy t leave your little friend alone."
Narrowing my eyes, I bite back a scoff and my immediate urge to tell him to screw off but I can't help but think it over for a second. Riley would be much happier if she didn't have to worry about Keiner and his lackey's but I'm not into the who group bullies thing. Never had much of an interest in it, always thought it was ignorant and below me.
"What happens if I say no?" I raise an eyebrow.
"Then you'll have to be shown the error of your ways kid," he replies almost instantly. His voice is cold, emotionless.
"And what if I say yes?"