A/N:Chapter 17

Never Give In

Chapter 17

Everyone

Part 1

"Riley," Simon called out. Riley looked up from the book that she was reading. Days had passed by since the talk that she had with Elaine. Her thoughts were all consuming and she had distracted herself through the activities. She had voiced out that she did not want to think to one of the girls that she was roomed with; Raven. Raven like her name suggested, had jet black hair that she could see fall in curls but had been pixie cut giving her a look of someone who while still young had seen too much. Had seen it and preserved on. She was three years older than Riley and had allowed Riley to be on her own, not pushing her to talk about things like some of the other adults did.

And when Riley said she wanted to stop thinking, Raven left the room appearing 10 minutes later with a thick book two inches thick and said, "It helped me to be distracted for a while. You can't stop thinking but you can give yourself a break." So Riley started on the book, and as Raven had predicted, she was able to shift her thoughts.

"Yes Simon," Riley said as she closed the book and set it aside.

"The other kids want pizza for dinner, me and Raven are heading to the town. Is there anything that you would like?" Simon asked.

Getting pizza meant that Simon had to go to the town nearby. Riley had been there once before and she had seen boutiques, shops and dinners at the area, "Can I come with?"

Simon shrugged, "Go get you coat."

...

Isadora was standing with Zay waiting for Farkle to finish speaking with his chemistry teacher. She spotted Ms Delcie, the lab technician wheeling in a trolley that held various equipment, probably for the next class, and had waved to her. Ms Delcie was one of her favourite adults in school.

She was well aware of the dates, well aware of how everyone seems to be tensing up and waiting for a heavy blow. It was nearing a year. A few more days to be exact till it reached a year since Riley's disappearance. So she decided to take a leaf out of Riley's book and try to make everyone more relax.

"Let's go meet the others," Farkle said as they headed to the direction of the cafeteria. Zay had spotted a trio sitting down; Lucas was at one benches talking to Josh who had his arm wrapped around Maya's shoulder. Maya was leaning in, paying attention to the conversation.

"We are here," Isadora announced the obvious. Maya's mouth quirked up slightly. They had been come more closer after what had happened in the hallway.

"And since we are all here, do you mind telling me what it's about?" Josh asked. He felt slightly awkward. The only reason he was here was because Maya had asked him to and even she did not know what they were meeting for.

Farkle looked at Isadora for a moment before saying, "It's almost a year."

"Are you giving up," Maya asked sharply. She had shrugged her shoulders, removing herself from Josh's touch.

"No," Isadora intervened before things could go wrong, "More like honoring. Is it so wrong to remember her more on one particular day?"

"What are we doing?" Lucas asked. He was looking towards the ground.

"Staying together," Zay replied easily.

...

"You know which place has the best pizza, San Francisco," Simon said as the trio stepped out of the car they borrowed. The parking lot was warm and Riley could feel the crunch of gravel even through her shoes.

Raven snorted, "In your dreams."

"Oh yeah, what's the best pizza that you had," he shot back.

"New York," Raven said easily.

"I've lived in New York," Riley said suddenly before grinning, "I can attest to that."

"Well you are heading back there so you are incredibly bias," Simon said as if she were a child that needed placating. It was true that she will be heading back to New York. She could remember bits and pieces of her life before. They were all murky as if someone had fogged up her memories. It was hard to wrap her head around.

Simon had offered to show her her file. That was another thing that was hard to wrap around. She had a file. A file that my hold all the answers she was looking for. But she was afraid of flipping through the pages and finding what lies inside.

"It's okay Riley. He will eat back his words when he takes a bite of New York pizza," Raven said.

Simon only made a noncommittal sound before he headed to the direction of the pizza shop. Riley smiled even wider. She watched as Raven was about to step in the direction that Simon took. It was now or never. She took a deep breathe and called Raven.

Raven turned back to look at her inquiringly. Being here made her think more about the months that she had spent fending for her life. She thought about Dr Savannah, wondering if she was still alive and if so where was she now. She thought about Aiden and his desire to keep his younger brother Ethan safe. Even making Riley promise to find him when Aiden was at his deathbed. She thought about Faye; the girl who had the potential to change the world but never did.

She thought about the others like her here, broken and piecing each other. Some did not get to return to their families. She was lucky in that sense and very anxious. But Riley knew that the kids like her, were strong. They will find a family in one another. She had only been here for a while and she felt a kinship. She knew she would never forget. And her mind drifted to that one store that held her attention.

"I need you to let me do something," Riley said to Raven.

"You let her what?" Riley heard Elaine shout furiously. Riley was just dismissed a moment ago by a very pissed of looking Elaine. Suffice to say Elaine was not happy with what she had done. Riley had of course expected it. She knew out of the three of them, Raven would be the easiest to win over.

"Elaine calm down," Simon reasoned.

"Where were you?" Elaine said as the glare shifted from Raven to Simon. Riley almost felt guilty. Simon had no clue to what she was planning to do. And when he did find them, well Riley saw the suprise beforehe quickly compose it and told her that she was going to be the one to tell Elaine.

"I was getting pizza."

"How are you so calm? She is still a kid," Elaine started her rant before being cut of by Raven.

"You know very well she isn't just a kid anymore," Raven could picture Elaine locking her jaws allowing Raven to continue, "That all these kids aren't just kid anymore. It was important to her."

"But a tattoo? She's only sixteen," Elaine whispered, "What if she regrets it in the future."

"I don't think she will. I saw the tattoo," Simon spoke up, "If anything it will be a reminder for her in the future just how far she has come."

"You can't protect all these children Elaine," Riley heard Raven say soothingly. Riley felt as if the three adults had had this conversation before.

"I know I can't," Elaine replied, "But that doesn't meant that I won't try."

...

"Auggie!" Dewey screamed out as he ran towards the boy, "Your girlfriend is bullying me."

"I am not," Ava said as she skipped towards them.

Auggie heard his mom sighed before asking the what was wrong. Almost immediately both his friends launched onto two very different accounts of what had happened. He was constantly playing mediator to the both of them.

"I like you guys," Auggie announced.

"I like you too," Dewey beamed at him, placing his argument aside, "Them not so much. You, you're okay."

They was a protest of heys which Dewey ignored.

"When is Riley coming back?" Dewey asked.

Auggie flinched and muttered, "When they find her."

"She's coming back you know," Dewey said conversationally, "This lady with a parrot told me. Then again she didn't pronounced my name right."

Auggie stared at Dewey who had his brows furrowed together. Dewey was like Uncle Eric; he saw the world differently, that was why they were friends. Because they both wanted access to a world that only the other had. That and their teacher paired them up for a project and they like the same things.

"Well, you can tell her how to pronouce it when you see her again," Auggie heard his mom say.

...

"You have everything you need?" Elaine asked her.

The anxiety bubbled in her. It was becoming a bit too much. They were in her room packing whatever she had, which was not that much. There was the book that Raven gave her, some pices of clothes, and pictures. Pictures of her time here. All of them fitted the small haversack.

"What if I'm not what they expect," Riley said as she paced before turning sharply to face Elaine, "Maybe it's better if I went to the other place."

"Come here," Elaine wrapped her arms around Riley. It was comforting. Alot of the kids here were not comfortable with touches. Elaine was one of the exceptions. Riley did not know how Elaine did it, but she didn't feel the need to flinch or attack. "You get a chance to be with people who love you. It's going to be different. But it always is."

"Will you stay the night with me?" Riley heard the words come out of her mouth before she could stop it. Elaine had her own room or maybe there was another kid that needed her attention more. She was being selfish.

"Of course dear," She heard Elaine say. They shifted so that they were in bed. Elaine's arm was around her and Riley thought that maybe tonight she would not have her usual nightmares. Because Elaine was there and she felt like she was protected. It was a first in a very long time.

Okay. So I decided to split this in two parts because it was kind of long. Thank you guys for being so patient with me and this story. Hopefully this long chapter makes up for it. I really don't know what to say so... see you all next chapter :)