I'm Home

Chapter 9

The next day when I woke up, I just kept to a strict routine. I got up, changed into a navy sundress and silver flats, and went to put on my make-up. At various points during my routine, I heard some knocks and shouts from the other side of the bay window, each one from a different person. I knew that they would all be showing up at the door, so I walked into the kitchen with my bag.

"Hey Riley. Are you okay?" My mom asked me while making breakfast.

"Yeah, I'm just really tired. Didn't get much sleep last night. I had to study for a biology quiz. Speaking of which, I'm gonna head out early so I can get some extra studying in before class." She thankfully just nodded and gave me a banana and breakfast bar. The last part of what I had said was true; I did have a bio quiz, but I had gone to bed at 9. I turned around to go back to my room when I saw all of my friends in my apartment. Lucas, Zay, and Smackle had come in through the downstairs window, while Maya and Farkle were by the door since they both had keys. I did my best to pretend like I hadn't seen them, and continued towards my room, where I went down the fire escape alone.

The whole way there, I felt like I was in a daze. I had to eventually put my earbuds in so that I wouldn't keep hearing my friends calling my name. When we got on the subway, it was impossible for me to avoid picking a seat close to them, so I instead took out my notes and did some review. Once I got to school, I made a bee-line for the biology classroom so I could ask my teacher a quick question about the quiz. When I walked into history, I just walked to my desk, took out my notes, and looked straight ahead at the board. I saw two different notes on my desk. I decided that I would wait until the lesson had started to read them so that no one would be looking at me.

"Wars affect every country, culture, and person differently. Some people come out victorious and feel proud of themselves. But the majority of the time, people come out weaker. They have to rebuild after losing everything, most of the time to a cause they might not have even supported. This also applies to those who stayed neutral. They will always feel guilty, thinking that maybe there was something they could've done. But the most important thing to remember is that, just because you might have missed one opportunity to help, doesn't mean another one won't come along."

While my dad finished up the lesson, I read the two notes:

I don't care about the cause. All I know is you are officially the strongest person I have ever met. 💜

Hope you didn't tell on me, cause I want to do it again and I can't if you ratted me out.

The last note broke me. I just grabbed the notes and my backpack and ran straight to the bathroom. I locked myself in a stall and collapsed from crying. After what felt like forever, but was probably only a minute or so, I heard the bathroom door open and a few people walk in.

"Riley, are you okay? It's just Smackle and Maya. The boys are waiting by the entrance. Do you want to talk?"

I unlocked the door to reveal my sad crying self to them. I looked up and saw that the boys had come over when they heard the door open.

"What just happened? Why did you run in here?" Zay asked calmly. I couldn't bring myself to explain, so I handed Smackle Charlie's note. She gasped and threw her hand over her mouth as I saw the tears start to form on her eyes.

"Smackle, what is it?" Farkle asked her, gently wrapping his arm around her back.

"I-it's Charlie. He wrote her a note: 'Hope you didn't tell on me, cause I want to do it again and I can't if you ratted me out'." I had never seen Smackle cry before, but no sooner had she finished reading the note than she was full blown sobbing into Farkle's shoulder. Maya, who seemed to be in a state of shock, just scooted over and held me in her arms while I continued to cry. I am convinced that in literally any other place Lucas would have stormed right up to Charlie and beaten the living daylights out of him, but we could hear people approaching the bathroom, so we had to hide all of the boys. Lucas, me, and Maya stuffed ourselves into the stall I had been in, while Zay, Smackle, and Farkle took the one next to us. I heard the steady click of heels enter the bathroom.

"Jaz, I don't know if I can go to math today."

"But Erica, we have a test today. Is this because of Gardner?"

"Don't mention his name! And yes, it is. The bruises still haven't completely faded yet, and I know if they're showing through at all, he'll hurt me again."

"Look, I know what you mean, but just remember you're not alone. He did the same thing to me."

"I think he also did it to someone else."

"What? Who?"

"I went to the library yesterday to return a book. While I was there, I saw him with another girl in the corner. I waited to see what would happen. It was exactly like with us; one minute completely innocent, the next straight out of a nightmare. When he left her, I saw how shocked and terrified she was. I could see the mark on her neck from across the room."

I was completely and totally shocked. He had done this to others?! I quickly turned my head around to Lucas, who was becoming redder by the second. I placed my hand on his arm in an effort to calm him down before I stepped out of the stall.

"I'm not the only one?" I whispered out, wiping away any remains of tears. The two girls snapped their heads to me.

"Are you the girl who was with him in the library?" One of them asked me. She was about my height in her heels and had strawberry blond hair. Based on her voice, I could identify her as Erica, which meant the olive-skinned brunette next to her was Jaz. I silently nodded, letting my shame overtake me for just a second. Both of them rushed over to me and gave me a huge hug.

"What's your name?" Jaz asked me as they broke away from the hug.

"Riley. I'm Mr. Matthews' daughter."

"Oh. I'm so sorry you had to go through all of this. You clearly don't deserve this suffering."

"The thing is, I think I know why he became like this."

"W-what do you mean?" Erica asked me, confusion clear on her face.

"Back in middle school, he tried to date me a couple of times. Every single time, I ended up gravitating back to Lucas. I think eventually, when he realized he was getting nowhere playing the part of the nice boy, he became more violent and aggressive."

"All of this has been happening because he was jealous of one guy?" Erica asked in disbelief.

"I think so. The good thing is, I think I know how to stop him."

"But if any of us say anything, he'll hurt us again. Or worse." I had never seen true terror on someone's face until that moment. Erica and Jaz looked completely and absolutely terrified.

"But if we don't say anything, he'll just keep on hurting us and other girls." I was about to say something else when I realized the bell would be ringing in just a couple minutes. "Look, we still have to go to class today. Come to Topanga's Bakery after school. We'll talk then." They gave me a couple of hopeful smiles and quietly walked out of the bathroom. No sooner had they walked out than my friends seemed to spill out of the stalls.

"Riles, I know he needs to be taken down, but are you sure you don't want us to help you and the girls?" Maya asked as she walked up to me.

"No Maya. I'm not sure of anything. I'm not sure that they will show up or that they won't tell him anything. But the one thing I'm sure of is that I will take him down, even if it's by myself, so that no other girls have to go through what Erica, Jaz, and I had to."