Littleton Colorado, September 16th 2006

Friday 2:25 p.m.

Iris's P.O.V

After the big falling out Riker and I had, I didn't talk to him for a lot of the summer. It's not that I didn't want to, on the contrary, I wanted to, I needed to, but he needed his space, and then there was the whole McKenzie thing. Her name alone sent chills up and down my spine. They are still dating, and I've been trying to get it out of my head. It was already sophomore year and I would at least have Rydel with me. Talking to Riker, looking at Riker, it hurt just so much. I wasn't ignoring him on purpose, it was just too painful. I started noticing things Riker and McKenzie did now. They sat even closer to each other at the lunch table, to the point where I got up and ate outside on the abandoned picnic table by myself. They held hands everywhere they went, to the point where I would purposely walk behind five or six more kids in the hallway just so I couldn't see their hands. In the classes we all three had together she would scoot her desk close to him and play with his hair. I felt sick everytime I saw it, like I would vomit at any given second, but that wasn't where the pain hurt the most. It hurt in my chest, where my heart was. They say the real heart, the heart beating inside of you can't feel emotions, that all your emotions come from your conscious and soul, then why do I feel this unbearable ache and dull throbbing in my chest whenever I see them together? I've been so miserable the past few weeks. Rydel and Rocky came over as often as they could, to try and comfort me, but I had slipped into a depression. The most they did was just sit on the bed, around me where I was laying, and stroke my hair or back, anything they could to let me know I wasn't alone. They haven't come in a few days, and they've been acting secretive lately, I couldn't help but wonder what was up. All in all I hid my emotions well at school, and at home, mom and dad knew to some existent what was happening, but they didn't know it all. I was slowly starting to re-build my walls, the walls he all but demolished, and they were stronger than ever. I never showed any signs of crying, nor did I break down in front of anyone.

That all changed when we had gym class outside on the football field. Riker and Mckenzie went missing about halfway through our game of two-hand touch football. The coach, considering I was standing the closest to him, told me to go find them. I wanted to protest, but I didn't. This was a personal situation, he wouldn't care anyway. So I sucked it up and went searching. I was just planning on saying something like, "Coach needs you." Or as little words as possible when I found them. I wasn't prepared for what I saw when I rounded the back part of the bleachers. They were kissing, no not kissing, making out. My lips started aching when I remembered the times he kissed me like that, and how I longed for it again. The blood was pumping in my ears, my vision started getting spotty, then wet from the tears pooling into my eyes. I ran out of there before they could spot me. I ran across the field, ignoring the concerned voices of the coach and fellow classmates. My ponytail flopped back and forth and my feet pounded the ground as I ran back into the school building. I accidentally knocked into a girl on my way into the bathroom. I muttered a choked apology as I raced into a stall and slammed and locked the stall door. I slid down the side of the door until I felt the cold tiled of the floor on the back of my thighs, still exposed by the shorts we had to wear for gym. I sobbed, I tried making it quieter by covering my mouth, but they were so violent I couldn't get air to breathe. I heard the door sling open and two pairs of feet stop in front of my stall door. A quiet, somehow comforting knock was heard.

"Rissy?" Rydel's soft, sweet, comforting voice was what I heard. I stopped sobbing for a moment, long enough to stand up.

"Is she going to be okay?" I heard another unfamiliar voice say.

"I don't know yet." Rydel answered her.

I unlocked the stall door and opened it, revealing Rydel, as I thought, and the dark headed girl I saw a while back, Lora. They both had sympathetic looks on their faces, and Rydel opened her arms up for a hug, which I fell into and started crying softly again. Lora put a comforting hand on my shoulder, and I appreciated it.

After I had gained a bit of self-control I let go of Rydel and wiped at my red eyes.

"Why is he doing this to me, Rydel? I thought we were best friends..."

She just shrugged as if saying she didn't know either and said," I don't know Rissy. He's been acting odd at home too. He's not the sweet caring big brother he used to be, he's kind of a jerk now."

"Uh, do you guys want me to leave-?" Lora asked thinking the conversation was none of her business.

I smiled as kindly as I could at the time at her and said, "You can stay if you want to. We're just talking about my best friend Riker and his new girlfriend Mckenzie."
Her eyes widened in recognition of her name and she said, "Wait, is that the girl that knocked me down on my first day of school?" Rydel and I nodded and she looked confused.

"And Riker is your friend's name?" Rydel and I nodded and again.

"Yeah why?" I asked confused.

"Because I caught her in the hallway with her friends talking about a boy named Rodrick. I guess I just figured that was your friend's name."

Rydel and I looked at each other in shock and Rydel asked," What were they talking about?"

Lora scrunched up her face trying to remember and said, "I can't remember a lot of it, her friends were asking her why she wouldn't date Rodrick and just dump Riker. She said it's because as long as she is with him you'll be miserable, but she likes Rodrick, not Riker, so she was just going to see Rodrick behind his back."

Our eyes all widened in realization and I had to resist the urge to walk right up to her and roadhouse kick her in the gut. I started pacing and my face grew red.

"That..that... THAT LITTLE-"

Rydel covered my mouth with her hand and yelled, "Keep it G Iris! Keep it G!"

I removed her hands from my mouth and grasped onto the white porcelain sink taking deep breaths.

"We HAVE to do something!" Rydel said.

"I can't do anything," I said through gritted teeth.

"What do you mean you can't do anything? There has to be something you can do." Lora said.

I shook my head "no". "Riker didn't believe me last time I tried to tell him about Mckenzie's schemes. He won't believe me this time."

"He will if he has proof!" Rydel said, fruit to lift my spirits.

I just washed my face with water, then dried it on one of the brown paper towels and walked out the door saying, "You guys do what you want, but I'm not gonna be apart of it."

The door shut behind me and I walked to the gym to get my clothes, wondering how there could possibly be this much drama in a Colorado high school.

Rydel's P.O.V.

I paced around the bathroom with Lora, thinking of ways to expose Mckenzie. "I suppose we could just get her and Rodrick alone on camera somehow..." I said thinking out loud.

"Uh I want to help Iris out as much as the next guy, but don't you think it's better not to get involved." Lora said and I shook my head "no".

"It would be if this was anybody else but it's my brother, my best friend, and the school jerk. I know Riker; he's blind when it comes to things like this. That's why we have to do something."

She nodded in understanding and said, well, it's too late to do anything today. School is almost over anyway. The dance is in a week right?" She asked and I nodded.

"Next Friday night." I told her.

"Well if you ask me she's gonna be careful about being seen with Rodrick during school. I think we should wait until the dance, when she figures everyone else will be too distracted to notice." she said and I nodded. We heard the bell ring by then.

"I guess there's really nothing we can do about it until next Friday then. See ya later." I said walking out of the bathroom to go home.

"Bye." Lora said then we parted ways.

Two weeks later

Iris's P.O.V.

I had the dress, and the things that went with it, out on my bed. It was a black and white bandaged stripe strapless top and a black bubble skirt that maybe came about three or four inches above my knees. My hair was already curled with the flat iron and I would wear a little headband that had a feather design on it. My shoes would just be my knee high converse and any more accessories will be a black lace fingerless glove and a charm bracelet that Rydel had gotten me a while back. My makeup was a simple silver smoky eye and some cherry chap stick. I did feel like I was getting way too involved in something. I didn't want to go to but it really made Rydel happy to see me all dressed up.

She was wearing a simple pink dress that had a tutu like skirt and a strapless top. Her hair and make up had been done much more fancy then mine but I didn't care and she said I looked good anyway. Rodrick had called me yesterday asking if I would still want to go to the dance with him and I told him off. I told him I knew all about him and Mckenzie and that I was sorry but he'd just have to cough over fifty bucks to his stupid friends.

We walked into the gym where loud music was playing and everything was decorated with blue, silver, and green decor with soft blue up lighting. Everything sparkled and shined and I had to hand it to the people who helped out because it really did look magical. Rydel pulled us over to the drink table where we met Lora, who was serving punch. She was wearing almost the same dress as I was, except hers was purple and black and she chose regular black converse instead of my knee high ones. We laughed upon seeing each others matching outfits and hugged, she took of the apron she was wearing and motioned for another girl to take her place at the punch table.

"So what do you guys think of the gym? Pretty sweet, huh?" she said and we both nodded.

"It really is Lora. You guys did an amazing job!" Rydel complimented.

"I know! I can't believe just last week this was the same smelly gym that all these poor kids were getting nailed in the face with dodge balls by Mckenzie and her friends." I said and they laughed.

"Speaking of the Wicked Witch of Colorado, have you seen her yet?" Lora asked us.

"No, why? Is she not here or something?" Rydel asked.

"No she's here. And she's wearing the showiest dress she could find." Lora said and nodded with her head over to where they were. I wasn't sure if I wanted to look but I did anyway.

And my goodness! She was wearing a pink, very form fitting dress, that stopped just centimeters below her butt. It had a deep sweetheart neckline and her shoes consisted of 6 inch silver stiletto heels that I knew she couldn't walk in. Brittany and Ashley were wearing the same thing but in their signature colors of orange and yellow.

"Oh my goodness!" Rydel exclaimed upon seeing her.

"Yup." Lora stated popping the "p"

"It's a wonder they don't get kicked out wearing those dresses!" I exclaimed in utter shock.

"Riker doesn't seem to happy with it either. Every ten seconds a different boy whistles at her and he turns red." Lora said again motioning her head over this time to Riker who was standing by Mckenzie. She had a good two inches on him with those ridiculous heels and judging by his facial gestures he wasn't too happy with how she looked, no matter how hard he tried to hide it.

Riker on the other hand looked. Amazing. Wearing a black short-sleeved button up shirt and a white tie, dark jeans and converse, we were matching. I almost lost it when I saw him look over at us, or more specifically me. He looked me up and down then turned back to the little group he was with. I wanted so desperately to just walk over there and hug him but I knew it wouldn't be welcomed.

A fast beat song that all three of us liked came on over the speakers and Rydel and Lora dragged me to the dance floor. We danced and jumped all over the dance floor, laughing when we saw Mckenzie and her clan envy us for the fun we were having. I saw Riker smile slightly, and I could tell he really wanted to join us, and I wish he did.

"Oh look there's Rodrick and his friends!" Rydel shouted over the music and we all turned to look. He was wearing a black shirt and tie, white jeans, and black converse. He didn't see us and thank goodness he didn't because I didn't want any more drama.

I surprised myself at how much fun I was having with Rydel and Lora. The loud music pumping in my ears drowned out all the dark and worrying thoughts in my head and I actually smiled and laughed for the first time in weeks.

When a slow song came on and we went to sit down for a bit, I was hoping beyond hope that Riker and Mckenzie wouldn't dance, especially in front of me.

But of course they did, and wouldn't you know she dragged him right in front of me. To make matters worse the song was, "This I Promise You" by NSYNC. The song Riker and I danced to, that seemed so long ago. The memories came flooding back and I could tell they did for Riker too, who seemed lost in thought. I decided to leave then, not wanting to cry in front of Rydel and my new friend Lora. I stood up as confidently as I could, and excused myself to walk home. Rydel and Lora understood and let me go.

I didn't turn back to see Riker's eyes following me out.

I made it home safely and immediately walked out to my spot on the roof, I cried, but this time it wasn't out of pity, and it wasn't because of Riker.

I cried because I was angry with myself for letting everything get so messed up. I was mad at myself for not trying harder to keep the only real best friend that I had since Amanda. I was just mad at myself for everything. After getting restless and bored of sitting out on the roof I climbed back inside, turning off the light and laying in my bed, not bothering to change out of my dress, and not bothering to actually go to sleep.

Okay so this is the end so far. At this point it's up to Lizzie, because I'm awaiting chapters for her to send to me:) Also I know I promise I would upload Friday, and I had every intention on doing so. But my friend showed up as I got home from school and dragged me out to her place for two days, so I'm really sorry:/ The story does get better though! Elizabeth and I have big plans:)

Yep and Lora is me so … she has the same personality and all that as I do.

We'll try to upload as soon as we can!

Twitter: LoraR5

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Lots of Love!

-Lora & Lizzie