Chapter 26- Realizations
"Here, Riley. Try these on." Topanga threw a pair of jeans over the dressing room door. As Riley grabbed them, she was suddenly frozen. In her mind, she saw herself at the party, and she was dancing with Evan. Flashing forward, she was eating and walking toward her was not Lucas, as she previously thought, but Evan. She shook the image out of her head, continuing with trying on clothes. The pants fit perfect, which was disconcerting; considering they were a size bigger than last year's jeans. Apparently, it was time to lay off the snack foods, to get rid of this pudge. As she tried on item after item, she was getting frustrated. The sizes she used to wear were just not fitting anymore. Attributing to puberty and growing, she tried on one last item. A blue dress with hibiscus flowers printed on it. As she pulled the dress over her head, she had another flashback. She was lying on the bed, Lucas' face between her legs. She looked down and it wasn't Lucas anymore. Evan's tongue was caressing her clitoris. She gasped in realization. She had not had sex with Lucas, but with Evan. Shaking, she sat on the bench seat in the dressing room. Putting her hand over her mouth to stifle her sobs, she hugged her knees to her chest. She would have never done something like that. Did Evan put something in her drink? Where did he disappear to the next morning? Realizing where she was, she stood up and wiped her face. She got dressed in her own clothes. Exiting the dressing room, she headed for the bathroom, careful to avoid Maya and her mother, who would ask questions if they had seen that she had been crying. She splashed cold water on her face, to bring down the puffiness and the redness. Satisfied with the results, Riley emerged from the bathroom, ready to assist Maya with her school clothes.
After school shopping, Topanga took the girls out for lunch and back home. Cory was waiting for them to come home. While Riley put her bags in her room to organize later, Topanga and Cory talked in the living room.
"What are we going to do about this, Topanga?" Cory asked. "First she skips school, and now she is staying out all night?"
"I know, honey. We will figure this out." Topanga replied. Riley walked into the living room and took a seat in the living room chair.
"What were you thinking, Riley? Were you giving any thought to anyone but yourself." Cory lectured. "Do you know how worried we were? Do you realize what could have happened to you?"
"What do you think your punishment should be, Riley?" Topanga asked, raising an eyebrow. "And be serious about it."
Riley thought for a moment, trying to decide on the perfect punishment to appease her parents and not to be too harsh on herself.
"How about grounding me for 2 weeks?" Riley suggested. "Only school and back. But I will need my phone. I have to call you when I get to school, and when I leave school." Cory and Topanga looked at each other, contemplating her offer.
"Fine, Riley." Cory replied. "But mess up again, and the punishment will be harsher." Topanga handed Riley's phone back to her and Riley headed for her room. As she closed the door, she looked at her phone. 2 missed messages. One was a picture message and the other was a voice message. She opted to listen to the voice message first.
"Hey Riley, It's Lucas. I don't know what you are talking about, but I would like to talk as well. I was definitely not with you last night, I can tell you that. Call me back." Riley's head was spinning as she hung up the phone. If Lucas wasn't here last night, then… She felt like she was going to be sick. She shook her head and opened the picture message. There was a picture of her black lace panties with the caption: 'You left these here last night. Call me. Evan. She suddenly felt dizzy and room was spinning. It was Evan she was with last night. School started in two days and she would have to face him sometime. She may as well get this over with now.
'Evan, we need to talk.'
'Riley, you disappeared. What happened?'
'for one, I was only supposed to be out til midnight. And two, what happened is right. I would like to know that myself.'
'what do u mean?'
'did u put something in my drink?'
'NO! y would i?'
'I woke up and could not remember anything. I had no underwear on and I was alone in ur room. I thought I was with lucas last night.'
'so u didn't want to be with me?'
'of course not, I barely know u.'
'well, this talk took a sour turn. Bye Riley.'
'Evan. Please don't do that. I need to talk to you.' Riley waited for 5 minutes with no response and tried again.
'Evan?' No answer. Riley threw her phone across the bed in frustration and screamed into her pillow. She cried herself to sleep and woke up somewhere in the middle of the night to a phone call from Evan.
"Hello?" she answered sleepily.
"Riley, it's Evan." Riley sat straight up in bed.
"Evan?"
"Yeah, look, I'm sorry about earlier. I was just really hurt that you would think I put something in your drink, and I thought you actually wanted to be with me."
"I do, just not like that. Not yet. I'm sorry I accused you, but I don't know what happened and I am just really confused. I do like you. I am just getting out of a relationship, and I was not ready to start again so soon."
"I understand, Riley. All you had to do was explain it to me. I like you, too. I wanted to be with you. But if you aren't ready, then we can wait."
"I appreciate that, but I think it's a little late for that, Evan. What's done can't be undone, right?"
"I suppose you're right about that, Riley. But we can start over."
"That sounds okay. Listen, its really late, and I am supposed to be grounded. We will talk at school, on Monday."
"All right, good night Riley."
"Good night, Evan." Riley hung up the phone, feeling a little better about the situation at the party, but still confused about who would have spiked her drink and why. At least she could be sure that Evan was not part of it. He had not lied to her yet.