She's A Trouble Maker

Chapter Twenty-Four

-Ryder Rivers-

"She's been miserable, Ryder. This is the first time in a week that she's left her bed." I hated to know that Harley was not doing ok. It pained me to know. "Today at school she nearly got suspended again because she punched a guy."

"She what?!" I went from looking at my hands to looking at Hunter with a concerned face. I had told Harley I was going to go out of town when I reality o had been staying here at the beat.

"She punched him because they've been saying... stuff about her." My blood started to boil.

"What kind of stuff?"

"They've been calling her a skank and that you only used her for sex." It's my fault they've been saying those things. After all we did argue about it in school. "There's a video. Someone recorded the fight." He hands me his phone and I press play on the video that was loaded on the screen.

There she was totally beating up that idiot. He disrespected her, he got what he deserved. I'm honestly kind of proud of Harley, she never lets anyone talk shit about her and she doesn't tolerate rumours at all.  Many people at school fear her, after all she's a troublemaker. People at school think that all she does is pick fights but they don't know the reason why she fights people. They don't hear them spreading rumours like wildfire, they don't know anything about her.

Harley is strong, people just think she's strong physically but she's strong both physically and mentally. She's been through so much. From James cheating on her, to nearly punching Joshua to death, but she overcame all of that and is standing proud and tall. It's one of the many things I love about her.

God...she's changed me so much. I don't know whether I hate it or love it.

I really want to go to her house and see her but she asked for her space and as much as it pains me to be away from her, I respect her too much to not give her what she wants.

"I miss her so much." I sigh, giving Hunter back his phone. "I can't believe that it's only been a week and it feels like I've been away from her for years." My hands tangle in my hair as I tug at it, in frustration.

"I know how you feel, Ryder. When I had to fake my own death in order to protect Madeleine, I felt like a piece of me was gone. But I did it to protect her and that's what kept me going, you're just giving Harley the space she wanted. She'll want to speak to you, eventually."  Hunter reassured me.

"I just...I miss her."

Harley West:
After I introduced Justin to the floor, I went home. Molly being the caring friend she was, she followed me. I ran to my room and Molly chased after me.

"Harley, are you ok? You weren't meant to come into school until all the rumours dialled down." Dustin was right, I should've stayed at home.

"I'm fine, I just don't appreciate it when people call me a skank." I wasn't fine. I felt like I was breaking slowly. I needed to take my mind of Ryder asap, and what better way to do that than street race? "I need to get ready."

"Where are you going?" Molly asked as she looked at me rummaging through my closet.

"Street racing, I need to get my mind of Ryder and those stupid rumours." She didn't reply instead she asked if she could go with me. I, of course, agreed.

I get changed into something decent, I get into a striped tank top and some high waisted shorts along with high top vans. After I'm ready we get into my Audi R8 and drive off to the site where the street race would be. It was almost 2 hours from my house but I wanted to go anyway.

Once we arrive, I instantly noticed how there were much less people. Probably because it was still school time and most people that race are teens. I tell Molly to wait by the track as I went to speak to the referee.

"Who's my opponent?" I ask.

"Adrian Micheals." As if on cue Adrian appears waving a huge amount of cash.

"10k"
"Is that all? Are you afraid you're going to lose? 70k." I smirk as I try to get Adrian to place a higher bet.
"90k" bingo, got him.

I drove my care into the starting position and waited for the gun to go off and when it did, I raced like there was no tomorrow.

As I raced my mind became flooded with even more thoughts. My mind went back to the first time Ryder and I kissed.

I had kissed him to prove a point to my brother, yet when we broke the kiss, I felt breathless almost like I wanted more...needed more but I'd never admit that to my self when it happened.

And then there was the slow dance. I remember that day as if it was yesterday. The day we had to dance to show our parents, back then I hated the idea of being that close to him but now I can't stand the idea of not being close to him.

The day were I almost killed Joshua. He held me in his arms even though I was splattered with Joshua's blood all over my clothes, my fists. He held me and hushed me soothingly as I balled my eyes out. I had felt safe in his arms, I trusted him.

And then there was that day. The day where he told me he loved me. It wasn't the best time to say it but I had to admit it, it brought a feeling inside me that I had never felt before. It was so unfamiliar.

Then there was the best day of my life. Or so I thought at the time. The day where I gave him my body. I had let him kiss my stomach, I had let him take away my virginity. I trusted him and it became the best day of my life, I remember waking up so happy.

My eyes filled with tears at the memories. I missed him so much. I need him by my side but he betrayed me. I closed my eyes and let the tears stream down my face. Until I heard a crash and glass breaking on top of me. I opened my eyes and that when I realised that my car was flipping. I tried to move but I couldn't, it hurt to move. All I could hear was a loud ringing noise in my ear and my name being called out. The last thing I saw was the car crashing into a tree, making the car stop flip. Then all I saw was blackness.