Chapter 25: Living cliché
It's been a week.
A long week filled with new and much more exciting ways to exercise. Nick squeezes my hand and I glance up at him, he's smiling down at me fondly. I grin back up at him. “What? “ I ask shyly.
“I love you, you know?” My heart squeezes at the emotion in his voice, he sounds almost melancholy.
I frown slightly, but still smile. “Of course I know. I love you too”
He grins, his laid-back smile. “Good. I want you to remember that” My brows pinch together in confusion as we continue to walk into school, confused with his random confession.
My attention is quickly stolen, the moment we enter. The halls are crowded with florescent yellow jackets, students milling on the sidelines, whispering obnoxiously to one an other. We both pause haltingly at the door, taking slowly tentative steps further.
One of the officers, turn toward us. His face hardens as we approach. “Nick Branigan?”
My hand gripped his tighter, dread seeping deep into my gut. With wide-eyed confusion, I snapped my gaze between them.
Nick's jaw tightens, his frown turning prominent. “Yeah …?” He replies confusion and worry obvious in his tone.
The man takes his shoulder, turning Nick's back on us both and taking his hands, securing them in cuffs. My heart sinks and I want desperately to reach out for him again. My heart was pounding so loudly in my ears that I almost didn't hear the officers next words.
“Nick you're under arrest for the assumption of trafficking and consumption of illegal substances” His voice was cold and stern, each word hitting me like a punch in the gut.
My lungs began to burn with the need for air, as I momentarily forgot how to breath. I stared unseeingly back at Nick's wide desperate eyes, too numb to process what was truly happening. It wasn't until Nick's voice filtered through the haze that I blinked back into reality.
“Ashley” He pleaded over his shoulder, resisting the two officers trying to pull him away. “You know me I wouldn't do it. I didn't do it. Ashley you have to believe me”
I couldn't find any words to reassure him. I craved to run after him but my feet were glued firmly to the ground. My body taking longer to respond to my mental demands. By then it was too late.
Suddenly everything was silent, I felt the heavy burden of judging eyes burning into me. Then their whispers started, their words plaguing me like a vile disease consuming me from the inside.
It wouldn't surprise me if he did it. It wouldn't be the first time.
I heard it was cocaine.
There's always one and it's no surprise that it's Nick.
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.
“What have you done to yourself?” I sputter shocked and perplexed.
“What have I done to myself?” He laughs loudly, bitterly. “It's more like what have you done to me”
“Me?” I scoff in disbelief.
He laugh ruefully. “Don't seem so shocked. You're not so innocent any more Ashley. How do you feel knowing you've done this to someone you were meant to care about. I'm nothing like I used to be and I hate it. I hate myself every minute because of it – but I hate you more. No. No – I hate Nick more”
“Riley” I breathe cautiously. “You're not thinking straight. I don't understand what I have done”
“Everything – no nothing. That's exactly what you've done, nothing. It used to be just me and you and that was the way it was supposed to stay. I loved you like a sister and was always there for you when you needed me, but where were you when I needed you? Running off with someone you barely even know and leaving the people you're meant to care about behind. I didn't know you were so easy, it's not a fucking fairytale Ashley. Wake up”
Guilt consumed me, as I began to realise how selfish I was being. Not even stopping to consider the needs of anybody else but myself. I was too determined to latch onto the only time in my life that I've ever felt truly happy, to notice anything around me.
Did I really do this to him? Could it really have been my fault or was it Riley looking for someone else to blame – so he didn't have to face the truth? I just didn't know.
“Riley-”
“I was there for you through everything you've ever been through but not any more. What are you going to do when that piece of sh*t leaves you as soon as he's had enough of you – because I certainly won't be there to pick up the pieces”
“An how the f*ck would you know?” I snap, becoming defensive.
“Anyone with eyes can see what's bound to happen. You really went for the living cliché. The bad boy and the good girl, just won't last. You all think you can be the one to change him but people can't really change”
“Stop making this my fault. I wasn't the one sniffing coke on school premise! What's gotten into you?”
He smirks bitterly. “Everyone knows what's gotten into you”
I gasp, anger overcoming the guilt I suddenly wasn't sure I should feel as bad as I did. “And you said people couldn't change”
“But I haven't changed and neither has your boyfriend. I didn't think he could stoop any lower, but palming his drugs off onto me just so he didn't get caught, is not exactly noble”
“Bullsh*t!” I rage.
He glares, squaring his shoulders and invading my personal space. “You're even sticking up for him now. What? You don't believe me?”
“No one would believe your innocent. Look at you! You're the prime example of a coke addict” I exclaim. Suddenly everything fell into place.
“You!” I growl, pushing his chest. “You set him up! You knew that he'd been sentenced before so it was easy to pin him as the dealer. No one would ever doubt the lie for a second. You'd be let off with a light sentence in juvie, with all the help you need. But Nick – Nick he'd get it worse”
He scoffs, shaking his head. “It doesn't matter. No one would believe he's innocent and what proof do you really have? The word of his doting girlfriend won't mean anything to the court”
An officer comes round the corner and my profanities dying on my tongue. I didn't remove my murderous glare from him even when the officer asked him to come down to the station and give a statement.
No one would believe me. I hardly believed everything myself. I had to do something – anything to prove he was innocent.
**************
Hi everyone (guilty face)
Please don't hate me!!!!!!!! I won't bore you all with any other excuses except for the true fact that I have had the worse case of writers block EVER! I tried to make it long for you guys. It's wrapping up to an end soon enough.
I'll get the next chapters up ASAP – especially with my friend helping me with my case of writers block.
Said friend is also the person who I am currently writing a trilogy with. One which I am very and extremely excited to share with you beautiful people incredibly soon. By then I aim to have this one wrapped up.
So don't worry. You'll have something to read once it's done.
I love you all. Sorry again for the millionth time. A YEAR is inexcusable, Jen (my friend) has beaten me up for every single one of you. It was painful but necessary I hope you don't expect a harsher punishment because I can't take any more.
I'm a wimp that way. The guilt is punishment enough.
Once again SORRY and I love you!
P.S. If you like 5SOS you should really check out my friend Jen's story. You'll love it :) at _jenifaithx