Secrets (Rich Goranski x Reader)

Ch.12// No Freakin Way

Rich's POV
Nobody was themselves in this triangle of confusion.
Jake was broken.
I was in exile.
And Y/N was carrying the whole thing on her shoulders.
This was a nightmare.

I know I wasn't supposed to talk to Y/N but I had to. I had to fix this. But I can't even sneak around with her, because even she doesn't want me talking to her.

So I sat at my desk, while everyone worked on their calculus papers, I was working on something much better.
A plan.

*time skip*

Y/N's POV
I was pulling my textbook out of my locker, when I felt a tap on my shoulder.
I turned around and Jenna was standing there, surprisingly with no phone in hand.

"Hey, what's up with Rich?" She asked.
I rolled my eyes.
"I don't know what do you mean?"
"He's asking money and stuff from people."
Wait, what?
This caught me off guard.

"He's what?" I asked her.
Jake strolled over to my locker.
"Hey Jenna, what are ya'll talking about?"
Jenna opened her mouth to explain but I talked over her.
"Just Dustin's weird tattoo he got."

Jake rolled his eyes.
"Ugh, I know. I think it's supposed to be Japanese for 'China', so dumb."
I laughed. "Yah, that's the kind of thing 55 year old men get when they're having an existential crisis."
He laughed and ruffled my hair sweetly, but knocked my hood down.

Jenna gaped at my face, and I fell silent, pushing it back up.
"O-oh, sorry." Jake bumbled.
"It's okay. Dumb basketball." I said to Jenna.
She nodded, but I could tell she didn't quite believe me.
That was the story I was going with, got hit by a basketball.
Not my older brother's flying fist while he was beating up his best friend (my secret boyfriend) right in front of me.

Much better story, don't you think?

The bell rung and I shut my locker, waving bye to Jake and Jenna.
As I walked to class I thought about what Jenna said.
Borrowing money from people?
1- how could he convince people to give him money?
2- why does he even need it on the first place?

That was my final thought before I died.

No I'm just kidding.
Sorry, I couldn't resist.

*time skip*

I sat down at my lunch table, and there was no Rich to be found. That was probably better anyway, seeing as it would be suffocatingly uncomfortable.

Jake plopped down next to me, and we were chatting about mom and dad.
"Wait so, where are your parents?" Jenna asked.
I looked at Jake and we shared the smirk-eye roll stare.

"They laundered money, and they left. We don't know where they went."
Kids asked about them so much. Don't they know the story by now?

Jake handed me a sandwich and I quickly unwrapped it, biting into the (favorite sandwich).
It was delicious, he always made my favorite.
"Thanks." I smiled, my voice muffled with food.

He smiled and reached up to rustle my hair, but quickly drew his hand back.
"No problemo." He said instead.
His face was a wide grin, his signature smile, but I could tell he was sad.
I felt so horrible about this. I couldn't-
"Hey." I heard a small voice behind me.

We turned around and it was Rich.
Oh no.
Instinctively I grabbed Jake's hand, to prevent him from doing anything. He held mine tightly.
"What do you want?" Jake seethed.
Rich sighed sadly.
"Pleathe. I need to talk with you guyth."
Jake growled quietly.
"No."
"Pleathe."

I held Jake's hand tighter.
"Please." I pleaded.
He frowned.
"Fine."
He smiled with relief.
"Tho-*ahem* so can you follow me?"
I stood up to follow, but Jake held me at his side and walked warily.
"Where are we going?" He asked.
"Just the front of the school."

We walked silently, and I wondered what he could be doing. He'd been acting strange, and evidently asking people for money.
I don't know what-
"Here. Now before we go out, I need you two to know that I did this for you. I caused you so much trouble and I broke your trust. There's no way in the world I could apologize enough for that, or fix it." He paused, eyeing the two of us.

"But I found someone who can."
He opened the doors and I stepped out.
I froze with fear and gripped Jake's hand tighter. He gasped as we gaped at the sight in front of us.
No freakin way.

.