Sin

9 | The Ninth Chapter

The Ninth Chapter - Do You Like Chocolate Cake?

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It was only after school when my mind was tugged back to all the shit that was going on. I'd chucked all my stuff back into my locker and was just tugging my bag over my shoulder when I saw Will coming down the corridor. He looked like he was alone, which was a good sign, but I was still hung up over what happened at lunch, so I turned around and pretended I didn't see him, making my way for the school's entrance.

"Hey, River, wait up!" he called suddenly from behind me, and I closed my eyes in frustration as I slowed my pace, turning before plastering a big smile across my face.

"Will," I exclaimed sarcastically, waiting until he'd joined me before I continued walking. "What's up; Tyler got your tongue?"

Will let out a sigh, rubbing his dark eyes with a weak hand. "I'm sorry," he muttered, his voice sounding pained as we pushed the doors to the school open. "River, I'm really sorry; he's just being normal dickhead Tyler. He had no idea that ring meant so much to you; to be honest, no one did. River, I had no idea..."

"It's fine," I replied simply. "It's done."

"I've told him to lay off you; he went too far."

I rolled my eyes, about to open my mouth to tell him that it didn't matter anymore when I saw him coming towards us again, an extra flare in his step. I was about to let a scowl slip onto my features, however my pale eyes scanned his and realised the look in his face wasn't anger, or annoyance; it was panic. Something had changed.

He quickly grabbed my arm, shooting a look at Will that I couldn't quite read, and I was being pulled backwards. When I realised what was going on, I planted my feet solidly on the ground and refused to let him pull me further until I realised what was going on.

"Tyler!" I snapped, my eyes glaring into his. He stopped, glancing over at me before shooting a look over my shoulder quickly.

"You both need to get inside now," he muttered, his voice low and careful. He was glancing between me and Will, but his eyes were lingering on mine. They were stormy, just like always, but I found myself getting lost at sea all the same.

"Tyler?" Will asked, just as confused as me. Even more so; we both thought Tyler hated me. "What do you-"

"Ah, William, there you are!" a loud, sickly-sweet voice called from across the carpark, and I felt Tyler stiffen before me. I looked up, meeting his eyes with my look of confusion and alarm reflecting perfectly in his. I glanced sideways at Will, who was the only one looking up to see the owner of the voice. When I recalled it myself, a cold shiver ran down my spine.

"...Mum?" he asked finally, his dark eyes scanning the space before him as if he were trying to figure something out. He wasn't focused on one figure, though, so I too turned around slowly, my arm still being held tightly by the eldest Slater sibling. If anything, his grip seemed to tighten when we all turned to see who was standing before us. I stiffened.

"Mum..." I sighed, my teeth ground together to stop another bad word from slipping out afterwards. Will's mother, Gen – she had to have tracked my mum down. Surely. There was no way they'd have just ran into each other like that. Maybe she was just so desperate for a friend that she had to find them herself. But even as I thought it, I knew something weirder than that was going on, judging from the expressions on the faces of both Will and Tyler.

"River, I hear you've already met Gen," my mum beamed when they were finally close enough to speak. I glanced around quickly, my mouth suddenly dry and numb. People were watching us, some in awe and others in confusion. This woman never left her house, I just knew it.