Unsteady

34. You Are the Reason

I turned on the AC and sighed as it cooled my heated face. The beads of sweat that were forming on the back of my neck dried up due to the blast of cold air and I tied my hair up into a messy bun so that it was away from my face.

I gave myself a once over in my floor length mirror and smiled at my reflection. I frowned and tried another smile, this time without teeth feeling like the previous one looked a bit too forced. I narrowed my eyes at the tightness of this one and sighed.

Have I forgotten how to smile?

I really need to get out more.

I eyes my messy bun atop my head and wondered what I would look like with shoulder length her. I made a mental note to cut it when graduation was over.

Just as I was about to leave my room, I stopped as my phone pinged with another message. Thinking it must be Violet probably telling me she'd be late I made my way back to my desk and picked up my phone, still bright with the new message which had appeared.

Dylan Andrews:
Hey Riley, can we talk?

Again?

Dylan had started to message me every single day since the day I had went to Kyle's house and asked, well practically begged, Ryder to take me back. It seemed like so long ago but in reality, it's only been a week since.

We've established I am a clearly pathetic excuse for a female, we can move on with our lives now thank you.

I had just got back from seeing Ryder and there was a message from Dylan asking if we could talk. He asked the same thing everyday and I had ignored him since. I wasn't interested in anything he wanted to say and I didn't want to know either.

I swiped my thumb across my screen and cleared the message, before placing my phone back onto my desk and making my way to my living room.

My eyes found the television remote lying on the couch table and I pressed the power button, turning the blank screen on.

I placed the remote back onto the table and hummed as I crossed to the kitchen, searching the cupboards for something to eat.

Didn't I just go grocery shopping?

I thought as I stared at the empty, opened cupboards in confusion. Empty except for a packet of Italian Linguini as the packet read. I didn't even remember buying the linguini and wondered if maybe I might have given my groceries away, knowing me I would probably unconsciously do something like that.

"International psychopath and criminal Cody Mason, reportedly captured just yesterday by female FBI Agent Nova Luther who was captured by Cody Mason just earlier this year."

My ears perked up at the news coming from the television screen. It was funny, this psychopath was an international psychopath and yet I have had no idea about this guy until now.

"Cody Mason now resides in Everton Winston as a patient and will be under extensive treatment to reform himself and once complete, will be sent straight into Grey's Town Jail with a life sentence and no bail. I am Fredericka Thompson reporting live from Everton Winston."

I grinned in excitement as I realized I still had an unopened bag of pretzels lying on my desk in my room.

I skipped past the television screen but stopped in my tracks once I heard the next words out of the reporter's mouth.