Littleton Colorado, September 30th 2006
Friday, 8:00 p.m.
Riker's P.O.V.
The dance was still going full swing when I left Mckenzie in the corner with her friends to get some punch.
I thought I would be happier tonight with her, but I wasn't. Maybe it was the way she was dressed, I certainly didn't expect her to come in something like that. Maybe it was how I've caught her falling back into her old ways since the third date we went on. Truth is, I don't feel what I thought I felt for Mckenzie anymore. And watching Iris tonight, who looked beyond beautiful in her simple outfit, confirmed it for me. I just wasn't ready to break up with her yet, I thought maybe I'd get that feeling back eventually.
As I got to the punch table I heard Rydel and Lora talking, I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I couldn't help overhearing.
"I wish she would have stayed longer." I heard Rydel say.
"Me too. It's just not as fun without Rissy. Do you at least think she had a good time?" Lora asked and I listened for Rydel to answer.
"Yeah I think she did. And she deserved it." I decided to make myself known and cut into the conversation.
"What's wrong with Iris?" I asked and they both turned to look at me.
"As if you care now?" Rydel said with a tone she had been using a lot lately.
"Oh shut up, Rydel. Iris lied to me and tried to break me and Mckenzie up." I said back with another tone to my voice that had started showing up around the same time we'd been dating.
"She wasn't lying!" Rydel said.
"She cares about you, Riker! Mckenzie is the one who's been lying!" Lora said.
Rydel started a retort back to me but her eyes lost focus behind me then re-focused with a sly smile on her face.
"If you don't believe us, why don't you go and ask her yourself?" she questioned smugly.
"I will." I said then turned around to find her.
But that proved harder than I thought because she wasn't at the table where I left her.
She wasn't out in the hallways either.
And she wasn't in any of the classrooms.
I walked back through the gym and set my drink down at my table before swinging open the large double doors and walking out into the slightly chilly air. As I almost rounded the corner of the gym I heard a voice.
"I'm telling you, Riker will never find out!"
That was Mckenzie's voice, but her tone was so secretive, I ducked back behind the corner and hid. I knew eavesdropping is wrong, but I had a feeling I needed to hear this.
"Why don't you dump him?" I heard the voice of Rodrick Carter say. I had a bad gut feeling I knew where this was going.
"Because as long as I'm dating him Iris is miserable and I win!" she exclaimed and I was furious.
"What exactly do you win? Huh?" I exclaimed angrily stepping out of the shadows. Mckenzie looked more scared than a deer caught in the headlights.
"Riker I-" she started but I cut her off.
"You didn't answer my question. What's the big prize Mckenzie? What are you all about?"
This seemed to take her by surprise and she remained silent.
"That's what I thought." I said then turned to leave.
"Riker I swear, I can explain!" she yelled taking a few steps towards me. I couldn't help but laugh in a non-humorous way. It was pathetic how desperate she was being.
"But you can't, Mckenzie. The games over, you lost." I said over my shoulder then walked away, to go straighten things out with Rissy.
How could I have been so blind and stupid?
That was the only clear thought I could hear in my head at the moment.
I pretty much ran back into the gym and almost plowed Rydel and Lora over.
"Whoa, watch it!" Rydel said to me as I grabbed her shoulders to steady her.
"Where did Iris go?" I questioned out of breath. Rydel gave me a funny look.
"She went back home, why?" she asked but I ran away from her before I could tell her.
I ran out of the school and started down the sidewalk breathing heavily. I started to get an ache in my side from running so much but I didn't even pay attention to it.
I slowed down and composed myself before knocking on the Acker's front door. The wave of nerves that hit me almost made me feel nauseous.
"Riker?" April said in shock when she saw me. I snapped my head up to attention.
"Y- yeah, I need to talk to Iris." I stuttered out. She smiled knowingly and stepped aside to let me in and I saw Martin walk up behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder and smiling.
"Hey, Riker! Long time no see! How's it going?" He asked me and I smiled faintly.
"Not so good. I made a mess of things with Iris and I'm here to make it right." I had determination in my voice and they noticed it too.
"She's in her room. Go on up." April said with a smile and I thanked her.
I took a deep breath and walked up the stairs slowly. When I came to the familiar door, I shifted from one foot to another before knocking quietly.
"Iris?" I asked.
I heard slight shuffling and quiet footsteps to the door. The door knob jiggled a bit.
"It's me, Riker." I said. And that made the jiggling stop.
I sighed. She hates me. I would too.
"Tonight at the dance, I found out about Mckenzie's plan." I said hoping it would cause some sort of reaction on her side but it didn't. I sighed and leaned my head against the cool wood, resulting in a small thud.
"I know. It still isn't an excuse for how I've been treating you, Rissy. I could tell you I'm sorry every day for a hundred years and it still wouldn't express how I feel right now. I let you down, I know. I told you I'd never leave you and I did. I don't deserve you or your forgiveness, Rissy. But if you'd give me a chance, I swear I'll never let you down again."
I heard some more shuffling, and a sniffle thrown in there. I had almost run out of ideas.
Almost.
I looked behind me and saw her acoustic guitar. I tuned it a little and started strumming a tune I know she knows.
Iris's P.O.V.
My eyes were damp with tears as I listened to him apologize. I had forgiven him. I had forgiven him a long time ago actually. But my hands were frozen on the doorknob, my voice wouldn't work, and my feet felt like they were nailed to the floor. And I think it was from the shock that went through my body, that someone actually cared enough to go the extra mile for me. That he cared to give me an apology that was straight out of a fairy tale, and to make me feel like I was straight out of a fairy tale.
It certainly felt that way when I heard him strumming the opening to a certain song bearing my name as the title.
"Iris if you're listening, I really am sorry." He said then started singing.
"And I'd give up forever to touch you, cause I know that you'd feel me somehow. You're the closest to heaven, that I'll ever be, and I don't want to go home right now."
His voice sounded beyond perfect, and every emotion he felt was being poured into every word of the song.
"And all I can taste is this moment. And all I can breathe is your life. When sooner or later, it's over. I just don't want to miss you tonight."
I smiled despite myself; leave it to Riker to secretly miss me so much he listens to my favorite song that has my name in it while we were fighting.
"And I don't want the world to see me, cause I don't think that they'd understand. When everything's made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am."
"And you can fight the tears that ain't coming. Or the moment of truth in your lies. When everything feels like the movies
Yeah you bleed just to know you're alive!"
"And I don't want the world to see me, cause I don't think that they'd understand. When everything's made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am."
He strummed his heart out on the instrumental and I put my hand on the door, thinking he would feel it on the other side. I laid my head on the wood then, and listened intently.
"And I don't want the world to see me, cause I don't think that they'd understand. When everything's made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am. And I don't want the world to see me, cause I don't think that they'd understand! When everything's made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am."
"I just want you to know who I am."
"I just want you to know who I am."
"I just want you to know who I am."
"I just want you to know who I am."
He stopped playing an I heard him get up to leave when I slung the door open.
"Wait!"
Riker's P.O.V.
I turned around on the first step of the stairs and my face lit up.
She was standing in the hallway, the moonlight glowing onto her from her room. Her clothes were rumpled, her hair was messy, and she looked pale like she hadn't seen sun light in weeks.
She looked beautiful.
I noticed her eyes glaze over with tears and I walked over to her and we gave each other the biggest hug in the world.
"I'm sorry." I said in her hair.
" I know. I am too." she said back.
"Lets never ever fight again, I need you too much to stay away from you for so long." I said, and she nodded.
"I need you too." she said and I smiled.
"Rissy?" I asked.
"Hm?"
"You forgive me, don't you?" I asked, unsure and needing closure.
She pulled back and put her hand on my cheek, before kissing the other one sweetly, I felt my face heat up immediately. And it was better than any kiss Mckenzie ever gave me on the lips.
"Of course I do Riker. I love you too much not to forgive you." I smiled and wrapped my arms around her again.
"I love you too, Rissy."
They finally made up! Yay!:) I'm sorry it's been so long. Lizzie tried to send me the chapter and it deleted on her so she had to type the whole thing over again. I hope you guys understand! Once she sends me the next chapter I'll upload it as soon as I can! Thanks for the support! By the way the song is "Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls!
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Lots of love!
-Lora & Lizzie