Rylin Riddle

chapter 12

November 22 (monday)
THEO POV

        I've hooked up with Astoria Greengrass almost every day the past 2 weeks. She's openly had a crush on me since my third year, her second. I don't like her, actually she annoys the shit out of me. I've just really needed a distraction recently. I've been thinking about what Laney told me since that Saturday.

        I do care about Ry, more than I'd like to care about anyone. I fucked it up completely, and she proved it herself the day after. I apologized, I fucking apologized to her. And all I got was an 'I don't know, got to go'. I put my pride behind me and sucked it up to her and she didn't even care.

        I haven't even seen Ry other than from a distance since that Sunday night. She only shows up to classes half the time, maybe not even half. If she does show up she's in such her own little world of daydreams I barely noticed she's even present. I get why, yeah, but I don't understand how. She doesn't come to any meals, she doesn't come to hang out with the group, she doesn't even come to the common room. I never see her in the halls, or really anywhere anymore. The past few days I haven't even seen her in the classes we have together.

       I've been pretty out of it though too recently. I find myself skipping classes to hook up with Astoria. She provides a damn good distracting service. Still, I manage to have my thoughts filled with Noah and Ry.

        Noah is out of the hospital wing as of yesterday. Maybe Ry knows, maybe not. She might not even know he was in it. That could be why she's fully disappeared.

        Worst part is, I'm pretty sure everyone knows I've been fucking around with Astoria recently. Laney gets tense around me and gives me these looks. She knows where I disappear off to and I think she hates me more and more for it everyday. What do I care? I don't even care if Laney likes me, she's too much of a good girl to get involved with anything anyways.

        The whole group minus Ry all sat in the common room. We'd probably leave for dinner soon. I was sitting next to Mattheo and the group was all separated in their own conversations. That reminds me, Mattheo has been spending a lot of time up in Laney and Ry's dorm. I think he tries to talk to Ry. I'm not sure if they ever get anywhere though. He looks more and more like an aging man every day, even more with each twin visit. He looks like he's stressed out and crazy worried about her, which can't be good for anyone. He might actually know what's going on or if she's even ok at all.

        "So, does anyone know what's been going on with Ry recently?" I asked, might as well just ask directly since half of them already hate me right now. I just know she's been wanting to be left alone. "Back off, Theo. She's out of it and needs the break." Mattheo responded, he seems tired too.

        "Is she at least ok? I haven't seen her in classes for days." If anything he has to at least answer that part. "Ry changed that day, in all her life, she's never reacted like this. She won't sleep, won't eat, won't even talk to me. She's said at most six words a day to anyone." Mattheo spoke in a hushed voice now.

         "Fuck me, it's all my fault too." Mattheo scoffed, "It's not though. If anything you helped her a lot. I can only imagine how much worse it could be."

        Thank god I'm not causing this. "Can I help at all? Something." I just want to do something to help her, even if it's not direct. "You could try and talk to her. She specifically told me not to get Malfoy involved because he doesn't know about it.

        She knows Laney does, but no one else. She won't even talk to Laney though. She's told me she has nightmares about it and she gets sick when she eats. So there's been no progress." Mattheo explained quickly. She hasn't eaten or slept for 2 weeks? How the hell is she even alive? "Laneys told me she sleeps on the floor too. Won't even touch her bed because it makes the feelings worse.