AN: I think this is a slightly longer chapter, just seeing how it goes... :) leave a review if you have questions, suggestions or just want to say this that bad :P
"Zoey is a bit of a socially awkward person. She is easily distracted." Kim explained as Ross nodded in an exaggerated form.
"Yeah, but she's great!" Ross hastened to add as Kim rolled her eyes at him. Echo had a sudden idea and pulled a concerned face. Ross looked at her worryingly.
"Hey, Echo? You alright there?" He asked, Kim turning to look at Echo. Echo glanced at Kim, who immediately narrowed her eyes in suspicion at her. Echo shook her head, in a response to both of them, and sighed.
"Ross, can I ask you something?" Echo asked, Ross nodding hesitantly. Echo paused for a moment, thinking. "I spoke with Rythian today, and he seemed really nice. He also spoke of you guys really well... I was just wondering, what to you think about the rumours?" Echo asked hesitantly as if she was really struggling to ask the words. Ross looked at her uncertainly, glancing between her and Kim, who had a sad expression on her face too.
Ross smiled gently. "Personally, I think Rythian wouldn't harm anyone intentionally... But he is definitely hiding something." Ross paused for a moment before glancing at Kim. "I also think... That something might be going on which we don't know about."
Kim instantly straightened up. "Why, what do you mean?"
Ross hesitated. "There has to be a reason Rythian isn't denying it, right? Maybe we should be focusing more on what might be preventing him from talking rather than accusing him... I don't know. Lewis, Duncan and Zoey seem pretty convinced after all..." Ross looked at them reluctantly, refusing to meet Kim's gaze as he looked at Echo.
Echo nodded. "I agree with you. So does Kim." Kim nodded slowly, looking at Ross thoughtfully.
"I'm assuming Alex and Trott don't know about this." Kim said gravely, Ross shaking his head.
"Kim, you know them. You know us, we're family. Nothing we don't know about the other." Ross grinned cheekily whilst winking at them as Kim rolled his eyes at him, smiling back at him anyway. Echo laughed for a moment until she saw movement by the fire escape. She managed to keep the smile on her face and gave a friendly wave as Kim and Ross turned around. There, looking highly shocked, was Rythian.
Rythian tried to keep his breathing even as he looked over at Echo, Kim and Ross staring at him. It was made much harder when Echo waved. The traitor. Rythian paused for a moment. Was Echo motioning to him? Was she now friends? Just waving?
Rythian realised he had already walked halfway towards them before he finally came to his senses. He couldn't. Not here. Not yet. He gave Kim a small smile which she couldn't see before nodding at Echo, glancing quickly at Ross as he made his way through the double doors. Ross and Kim stared at the door whilst Echo tutted to herself.
"Well, I am definitely talking to him about that later." Ross and Kim turned to her, still partially stunned, as Echo looked at them. "What?" She asked, looking between the two of them.
"What did you say to him?" Ross asked in amazement as Echo shrugged. Ross wasn't put off, however. "We haven't heard anything from him in months, not a look, a note, nothing. You arrive and all of a sudden he isn't afraid to look at us. So what did you say to him?" He sounded suspicious as he glanced between Echo and Kim.
Echo hesitated, looking at Kim. Kim looked miserable as she replied "Rythian mentioned how alike Echo and I were to each other. He also said that all of us were seriously misled. I think it might be because he knows Echo believes he is innocent. That's all I know Ross."
Ross looked at Kim carefully, looking annoyed for some reason. "I know, I know... I'm always going to listen to Alex and Chris, aren't I?" Kim looked at him sadly and Ross nodded. "Well, I do have my own thoughts Kim, even if I can't follow them through. Rythian is definitely not guilty... But I don't think he's completely innocent either." With that, Ross picked up his bag, walking off towards the fire exit and out of sight. Kim leaned back and sighed.
Echo nudged her, raising her eyebrows. "So, you and Ross then?" Echo grinned as Kim rolled her eyes at her.
"Of course not. Even if I was, with that conversation, not likely." Kim said dryly as she stuck her tongue out Echo, who continued to nudge her until she laughed. Giggling, the two girls got up with their bags, heading outside the building. Echo started chatting to Kim about her obsession with the colour purple, which they shared, as Kim and her made their way to English. They were about 10 minutes early but Echo knew there had to be a reason why Kim was taking her there, so kept quiet and didn't mention it. As they entered the abandoned classroom, Kim turned to Echo.
"Right, Rythian sits over here..." She said, walking over to a series of desks near the back, "... So put your stuff next to it. Trust me, Rythian would have done everything in his power to ensure you couldn't sit next to him, and he always arrives early." Echo obeyed, neatly setting her books on the desk before Kim motioned to the ones in the next row.
"Now this is where it gets interesting. Teep and I take English too and we sit directly in front of you. The other times Rythian has worked with us, he gave us the answers and then turned on his headphones. However, Teep has asked for us to have to have some special lessons for a while, based on his sign language being a problem recently in the classroom and that he doesn't feel comfortable working alone. Therefore Rythian won't have the answers and he will be forced to work and talk to us." Kim looked at Echo smugly before Echo shook her head slowly.
"You've been planning this for a while, haven't you?" Echo accused as Kim nodded.
"Around a month... It's purely good timing you're also here." Kim looked at her for a moment before giving her a hug. Echo, surprised, merely stood still. "I know that you're still coping but I want you to know you are an amazing person. Okay?" Kim stood back as tears formed in both Echo's eyes and Kim's as Echo nodded, sniffing.
"You okay?" A voice emitted from the door as Kim and Echo quickly turned, eyes widening, as Rythian looked at them with a concerned look. He quickly shut the door behind him and made his way over to the pair of them.
"Kim, please don't tell the others that I spoke to you, but I'm sorry. I am." Rythian looked at Kim as tears rolled down her eyes, Kim hastily wiping them away. With that, Rythian made his way to the back of the classroom, sighing loudly when he reached his seat.
"You're really not giving up, are you?" He asked Echo quietly as Kim collapsed into her seat, slightly pale whilst Echo sat beside him.
"Nope. I like your voice by the way, you should speak more often." Echo smiled as Rythian rolled his eyes, pulling his hoodie on and taking out his earphones from his pocket. Kim spun around, glaring.
"Why are you doing this?" Kim demanded as Rythian paused.
"I'm not at liberty to say..." He said carefully as Kim looked at him, slightly confused.
"So not only are we 'seriously misled', you're 'not at liberty to say' or talk to us?" Rythian looked at Kim, then Echo, shaking his head. Echo frowned at Kim.
"Kim, even I've worked this out already, I thought you were just pretending in front of the others..." Echo trailed off as Rythian nodded slowly to himself, Kim looked highly frustrated.
"Maybe Echo is new and a gossip, but she has picked up on a lot more than any of you have. The only reason I'm even talking to you know is to check you and Echo were okay. Apart from that... Well, I'm sorry. Unless I'm forced to talk to you..." Rythian plugged in his headphones and pulled his books towards him just as the bell went. Instantly there was a rumbling as students burst into chatter, walking past the door and on the floor above them.
Kim looked at Echo in pure anger until Echo handed her a piece of paper as the students started to fill in. Kim opened it slowly, fuming at the words written there.
I'll text / tell you later, alright? Please try and look normal.
Kim rolled her eyes, managing to plaster a look on her face of utter boredom as Teep entered, making his way towards Kim. He nodded, smiling slightly at Echo before sitting beside Kim, who immediately presented him with a pad of paper as she began writing. Echo sat up straight, leaning forward slightly in her chair. She could make out some names but the rest was too scruffy to tell. She could only guess Kim was updating Teep on what had just happened.
Rythian watched her with a touch of interest as he finally noticed she was left handed as she turned to him, getting her pad and paper out from before, turning it to a new page. She instantly wrote something down and handed it to Rythian carefully. More students were filing in, chatting noisily, but Echo swore she heard a noise emit from Rythian as he read the words on the page.
I think you're being blackmailed.
If I was, to you really think I'd be at liberty to say?
^ that phrase again = yes.
Take it how you will. So are you telling everyone what I say in our conversations? I should have known you'd be spying for the others. Should I start using emojis too so you can show them exactly what my face looked like at the time of writing?
Rythian thrust the pen and paper back at Echo firmly, opening his copy of Shakespeare and reading through a random passage intently. He had thought she was being honest with him... But after seeing her with Ross and Kim, and later comforting Kim in the classroom, he knew that she was closer to Kim than she had previously suggested. She had lied. Maybe she did believe he was innocent but that didn't mean she wasn't reporting everything he did to the others... Which was exactly what Rythian didn't want. He couldn't risk it.
Echo paused for a moment before writing something down aggressively, taking her time before placing it next to Rythian. Rythian ignored it. Annoyed, Echo placed it directly on top of his book, forcing him to look at it.
Kim believes your innocent. So does Teep for your information, and they have been working so hard standing up for you against the others. I also believe you're innocent so yes, anything you say we will be gathering as evidence and hoarding between us three until we can find something that either tells us you're innocent or gives evidence that you're innocent.
And what if I'm not?
Echo gasped at Rythian's words as she looked up at him, shocked. Rythian kept his face neutral, watching Echo look at him carefully. She eventually smiled and wrote a reply. Rythian gasped at the words on the paper.
You are because you wouldn't be talking to me if you weren't. I'm your ticket to telling the truth to people who want to help you; you'd ignore me if you had nothing of value to say.
Again, take it as you will. Rythian paused between writing before hesitantly writing but scribbling it out. He started again, passing it to Echo again as the teacher walked in.
Is Teep okay? I was wor... Teep thinks I'm innocent?
Echo smiled as the teacher sat in front of desk and began talking, causing her to be unable to reply.
"Hello class! For the sake of our new student..." The teacher smiled kindly at Echo before continuing "... I am Mrs Green, but as you all know, I'd like you to refer to me as Minty." She beamed at the class, allowing them a chance to look around at Echo as she turned slightly red. Kim turned towards her and stuck her tongue out whilst Teep rolled his eyes. Rythian caught Teep's eye for a moment before glancing back at his book again; Teep looked at Echo with an eyebrow raised before turning back to Kim, motioning to her and writing something down.
"Now, we are going to do something a little different today!" Minty announced as the class looked up, interested. "We will not be using our books, and we will not be staying in this classroom." Everyone began to chatter excitedly as Echo turned towards Rythian, who looked terrified for some reason, clutching his copy of Shakespeare to himself almost protectively. Echo smirked as she wrote a quick question on the pad of paper.
Oh dear. I don't suppose you know what this lesson will be about then?
Rythian looked at her suspiciously before replying.
You seem oddly relaxed and smug for someone who's been told we will be having an unusual lesson.
Well, I am new! :) it's not unusual to me yet :D
"...so now I want you in groups of three or four..." Minty was saying, glancing around the class. Instantly, Teep and Kim spun around immediately to face Rythian, who started slightly in surprise.
"We already checked with Minty; she said you needed to be in a group in order to get a grade, so we asked for you. I guess you'll be forced to talk to us..." Kim said innocently as Teep nodded, looking remarkably happy with himself. Rythian glared at the pair of them before packing his bag, ignoring them.
"... Teep's group at the back, where are you going to be?" Minty called over as groups started leaving the class, Minty handing instructions to them on a printed out piece of cardboard as they passed. Teep started to sign but turned as Rythian rose from his seat, waving his hand.
"By the oak tree." Rythian said dully as Kim looked at Teep, confused, and Teep looked at Rythian with a stunned expression. Minty shrugged.
"That's a bit far away, but if Teep wants to be there then that's fine! Kim, look after Echo, alright?" Minty handed Rythian the piece of paper as he walked past her. Teep looked at Rythian, making a writing gesture. Rythian sighed dramatically.
"Yes Teep, we have enough paper." Rythian said humorously as Teep looked at Kim in dismay, holding his hands up and shaking his head. Kim and Echo merely smiled as they walked past Minty, who looked confused, until they were out in the corridor, where the two boys were already far ahead of them and Teep was signing to Rythian who, to Echos surprise, was seemingly nodding.
As they started to walk to them, Rythian started walking slightly quicker with Teep, causing Echo and Kim to speed walk as they made there way over to a large tree next to the Art building. Once there were there, Rythian sat down on the grass, Teep sitting beside him, smiling but seemingly shocked. Echo noticed immediately as she sat on Rythian's other side.
"You alright, Teep? You look... Stunned." Echo frowned as he merely pointed to Rythian, signing something. Kim, who had taken the time to set her jumper on the grass before sitting down, looked at Rythian furiously.
"I'm pretty sure Teep said to go to the gym, Rythian!" Kim said angrily as Teep nodded, still smiling slightly.
"Why? Can you understand sign language now Kim?" Rythian asked with sarcastic surprise whilst Echo was unable to hide her smile as Kim visibly faltered.
"No. Can you?" She shot back at him, leaning back on her hands as she looked at Teep who was nodding. Kim looked confused. Rythian paused for a moment before slowly nodding his head.
"Actually... I can."