Behind Closed Doors

Chapter 36

James's POV

I couldn't stop thinking about what happened in the music room days ago.. How upset Riley sounded and how she acted. She just wasn't herself.

I turned down Michelle's offer of driving me to dance today. I just needed time on my own to walk. I had been leaving earlier in the mornings lately so I can avoid walking with Riley.

I made the turn, when I surprisingly seen Riley leaning against the stop sign, waiting for me. I kept my head down, and slightly picked up my pace as I walked right past her. But I immediately hear her trailing behind, trying to catch up with me.

"Hey." She says. I give a small nod, keeping my head down.

"Can you slow down a bit? I can't keep up with you." She asks. I don't reply, and keep my pace. I hear her sigh heavily and she picks up her pace until she was walking alongside me.

"I haven't seen you walking lately." Riley comments. I shrug.

"Um, today's my birthday actually, and I was wondering if you wanted to hang out after dance? My dad is supposed to be working late tonight, so it will be safe." She says. I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye. She was smiling at me, hope in her eyes. I shake my head in response. Her smile fades.

"Are you mad at me or something? Because all you have been doing lately is ignoring and avoiding me." She says. I keep walking, trying to avoid her questions as well, until she grabs my arm and making me look at her.

"James!" She cries.

"What?" I snap.

"Why have you've been ignoring me It's like you don't want anything to do with me anymore." She questions sadly. I sigh.

"Riley..."

"What?"

"It's not like I want to ignore you, or avoid you, because I don't. But Michelle doesn't want me to have anything to do with you at all anymore." I explain. She stares at me before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. It looked like she was trying to keep herself from crying.

"Oh." She says quietly when she opens her eyes.

"Yeah." I sigh.

"Why don't you go on ahead of me so it looks like we weren't together?" She suggests.

"Really?" I ask in disbelief.

"Yeah." She mumbles.

"Thanks Riley, you're the best!" I exclaim before running ahead.

••••••••••

I shoved my bag in my cubby and than went to the floor and warmed up. Riley walked in a few minutes later.

She looked like a little lost puppy. I carefully watched her as she put her things in her cubby. She was sniffling and would wipe away a stray tear every now and than. She looked like her heart was shattered into a million little fragile pieces.

"James." Michelle giggles, taking her place beside me. I look down at her, and she gives me a sweet kiss.

It didn't feel right that Michelle had everything and Riley had nothing. Michelle had both parents who love her, proper living standards, and not to mention that she was spoiled rotten. Riley, on the other hand, has a cruel and barbaric father, terrible living standards, and now a broken heart.

All I felt was guilt. I had let Riley give me her trust, something that was hard to do. But than I just ripped it out from under her.

Riley's POV

Luckily, my father wasn't home this evening. I cooked myself a nice little supper, and than I baked a cupcake. I rummages through drawers upon drawers until I finally found an old birthday candle from years ago. When mom and my sister were still alive.

I stuck the candle into the cupcake and lit the candle with a match and placed it on the table. I turned off the lights and sat at the table. I looked around the room dully, the small burning light casting faint shadows in the wall.

"Happy birthday to me." I sigh. I take in a breath and blew out the candle.