The Bad Boy's Wishes (DISCONTINUED)

Chapter 25: Living cliché

I suppose it was only a matter of time.

I know he can be cruel – but smuggling them onto someone else to take the blame is just too far.

“All of you just stop!” I suddenly bellow, losing my patience with their lies. “Someone tell me what the fuck is going on here! Why has my boyfriend just been arrested?”

Once again I was met by baffled silence, everyone gaping at the harshness in my cold tone. My fist shook at my sides and I glared around the circle of people surrounding me, daring them to answer. No one did.

“Answer me!”

A shy girl tentatively stood forward and stammered. “Well -I, erm … It's only a rumour. I, err don't know if it's true-”

Quickly growing irritated, I interject. “Just spit it out!” I growl.

“He planted cocaine on Riley” She blurts nervously, shrinking back into the crowd as I fumed. My whole body froze, blood running like ice through my veins. For once even my mind betrayed me, offering not even a snarky remark.

“What?” I whisper.

Yet again I was met with silence. Two things ran through my min. Firstly: Riley was found harbouring cocaine. My Riley. Second: It was Nick's fault. However nothing added up. Nick wasn't guilty, that much I was sure of.

Riley. I had to find Riley.

Wordlessly I push through the crowd who parted around me warily, like the red sea. I search frantically for my best friend, my burdened thoughts weighing me down. After thoughtless searching I decided to go to the head teacher's office.

If he was to be anywhere, it'll be there.

Arriving just on time, a pale sunken version of the boy I knew and loved, emerged with a dark, unreadable expression which looked foreign on his face.

“Riley” I shout his name, watching as his shoulders bunch and his fist clench. He doesn't turn to face me and my frown deepens. I run up to him, gripping his bony shoulder and spinning him toward me with too much ease.

His skin was colourless and drained, his forehead sleek with sweat. His once vibrant eyes were dark and empty. His bloodshot eyes were the last thing I needed to see for the answers to become clear – it was him. It was Riley who was doing drugs.

All the signs had been there in front of my eyes but I had been too entrap in my own life, to even notice. I could have stopped this. Stopped all of it. I choked on a sob.

“Riley” I choke out, unable to form a coherent thought.

“What?” He spits nastily, ripping himself out of my limp hold. I blanch, withdrawing my hand and rubbing my aching chest.