Enjoy!
-----------------------------------------
The front door to Ryley's old house in Lima slowly crept open. Ryley walked inside with Ryder, Marley, Jake, Ethan and Danielle. Today was the day she was going to look through everything that is left in this house before it is sold.
It had been only last week that Ethan found Ryley and Anna was arrested for abuse and neglect. For the last week, Ryley had been staying with Ethan and Danielle in their hotel room but soon they would have to get back to their lives in Washington DC.
For the week Anna abused Ryley, Anna didn't feed her. Ryder took Ryley to an all you can eat buffet 2 days after she arrived in hospital. It was her first day out of hospital so she ate and ate and ate which made her skinnier body turn into her normal average size.
Now, walking into the home Ryley once shared with her Grandma gave her both the creeps and a large amount of sadness. All the memories of last year that held in this house came back to her; telling her Grandma she got the lead in the musical, introducing her best friends to her Grandma, the times spent with Ryder in her room and Prom.
Her Grandma's lawyer was coming over later to read to Ryley and Ethan along with everyone else the will Emily Stewart left behind.
But for now, all they were going to do was look through boxes and cupboards for stuff that is worth keeping.
"Hey Rye, come look at this." Ryder calls out, looking at a photo. Ryley goes up to Ryder and looks at the photo.
The photo is of Ryley as a baby in her Grandma's arms. Ryley's little sparkling blue eyes stuck out easily when she was a baby and the little layer of brown hair on her head suited her perfectly at that age.
"Keeper?" Ryder asks.
"Yup." Ryley says, taking it out of his hand and then kissing his lips lightly.
After looking through stuff for quite a while, Alistair Montgomery, Ryley's Grandma's lawyer, arrived with the will. Alistair was a short and stubby man with black hair that was balding and beard that didn't leave his chin. They all sit at the table to hear the wills reading.
"If you are reading this will, it must mean I have passed on. Maybe from a car crash, a heart attack, drowning or just natural causes," Alistair says, reading from the letter Emily Stewart left behind as her will, "I updated this during the summer of 2014. To my dearest only granddaughter Ryley, I leave half of my money, the motorbike that is already yours and anything else in our old home that you want. To my dearest only grandson, Ethan, I leave property, anything from my house you want, the other half of my money and my car."
Ethan and Ryley smile at each other and Ethan grabs onto his little sisters hand across the table, giving it a small squeeze.
They think that is all that is on the will but Alistair coughs and reads on, "Lastly, I leave Ryder Lynn and Danielle Crawford my love and the to protect my only two grandchildren. Please love them and protect them at all costs. Yours sincerely, Emily Stewart."
Ryder looks shocked to have heard his name mentioned in the will. He could see Danielle sharing the same reaction as him too. Emily gave him the protection of one of her only two grandchildren. He promises inside his head to Emily that he will protect and love Ryley forever.
------------------------------------------
"I would like th say welcome back to Ryley Bridges!" Will says during the next Glee club meeting.
"Thank you. I just wish I didn't return on such sad circumstances." Ryley says, her eyes looking at one of the bruise still on her arm.
"Now I have recieved the competition for Sectionals this year and we are facing the Dalton Academy Warblers and the Hipsters." Will says.
"Ugh the Warblers." Ryder says.
"Don't worry about them. We will beat them." Ryley says.
"We will if we practice as hard as possible and we be good on stage." Will says.
-----------------------------------------
Ryley heads to the Lima Bean after Glee club alone. She just sits there with her laptop, listing songs for Sectionals while drinking her coffee.
"I don't you should sing that Demi Lovato. She has a better one." A voice says, standing next to Ryley.
Ryley slams her laptop shut and looks at the source of the voice; a good looking boy who reminds her of Zachary Levi. The boy is wearing a Dalton blazer.
"You are?" Ryley asks.
"Casey Dean, Senior and the new Warbler captain. Sebastian Smythe was last years captian but he stood down this year." The boy says sitting across from Ryley.
"I'm Ry-" Ryley starts.
"You're Ryley Bridges. I know who you are. I've seen you perform and you are amazing. I'm also sad to hear about what happened to you." Casey says, glimpsing at a seeable bruise on Ryley's wrist. Ryley pulls up her sleeve to cover it up then looks back at Casey.
"So are you new at Dalton?" Ryley asks.
"This is my first year at Dalton." Casey says. He grins a flirtatious smirk at Ryley.
Ryley coughs and begins to speak, "Just so you know I have a boyfriend who I love a lot."
"I'm not scared of your boyfriend. Sebastian has told me about Ryder Lynn, the dyslexic boy who you call your boyfriend. He's on the football team apparently but I'm not afraid of him." Casey says.
"Well you should be. He's tough, strong and won't be afraid to kick the ass of whoever flirts with his girl." Ryley says.
"Still not scared."
"What do you want from me, Chuck?"
"My name isn't Chuck."
"I know but you just remind me of Zachary Levi who was in that show called Chuck."
"Well, what I want is a duet with you."
"What if I don't want to sing a duet with you?"
"Our voices would fit perfectly together. Here's my number to call me when we could meet up for a duet." Casey passes her his number then gets up and leaves.
Ryley grabs the number and looks at it. Something about Casey draws her to him but she's with Ryder and she loves him so much. She puts the number in her pocket and grabs her laptop then leaves.
----------------------------------------
Marley walks into the kitchen of the cafeteria to talk with her Mom before school the next day.
"Hi Mom." Marley says and wraps her arms around her Mom's neck from behind.
"Hey Marls." Millie Rose says as Marley sits down across from her Mom, "What's up?"
"I have this friend who needs a place to live since she just had a relative die." Marley says.
"Is that friend Ryley?"
"Yes."
"I don't know, Marls. Where could she sleep?"
"Spare room?"
"What about her brother and her brother's girlfriend? Isn't she living with them."
"In a hotel room but Ethan and Danielle have to go back to DC to get back to their lives."
"Does Ryley know you are asking me about this?"
"No."
"Shouldn't you talk to her before you come to ask me?"
"Probably should."
Millie smiles, "Go talk to her first then at the end of the day after you girls have Glee club, come and we can talk about it with Ryley if she thinks it a good idea. Okay?"
Marley nods with a grin. She gets up from her seat, kisses Millie's cheek then leaves, happily.
-------------------------------------------
Ryley walks up to her locker to get ready to start the day. She finds a note inside her locker saying;
Meet me in the auditorium.
Love,
Ryd xoxo
Ryley smiles and closes her locker. She walks of to the auditorium with a smile on her face. She enters to find Ryder standing on the stage. Brad the piano player sits at a large black grand piano. Ryley walks up and onto the stage.
"You wanted me?" Ryley asks.
"Yeah. Sit down." Ryder says, grabbing her hand to pull her over to a stool on the stage. She sits down on the stool.
"What's up?" Ryley asks.
"I have a song I want to sing to you. It's a great that basically describes life for us." Ryder explains.
"I may know the song you're talking about," Ryley smiles, "Mind if I join in at one stage?"
"I don't mind at all. I love our duets." Ryder says and kisses her quickly. He stands behind the microphone as the Brad begins to play.
[Ryder:]
I've been alone
Surrounded by darkness
I've seen how heartless
The world can be
I've seen you crying
You felt like it's hopeless
I'll always do my best
To make you see
Baby, you're not alone
'Cause you're here with me
And nothing's ever gonna bring us down
'Cause nothing can keep me from lovin' you
And you know it's true
It don't matter what'll come to be
Our love is all we need to make it through...
Ryley stands up and begins to sing.
[Ryley:]
Now I know it ain't easy
But it ain't hard trying
Everytime I see you smiling
And I feel you so close to me...
And you tell me:
Ryley stands right in front of Ryder. She grabs her hand and puts it against his chest like people do in romantic movies sometimes.
[Ryder & Ryley:]
Baby, you're not alone
'Cause you're here with me
And nothing's ever gonna bring us down
'Cause nothing can keep me from lovin' you
And you know it's true
It don't matter what'll come to be
Our love is all we need to make it through...
I still have trouble
I trip and stumble
Trying to make sense of things sometimes...
[Ryder:]
I look for reasons
But I don't need 'em
[Ryley:]
All I need is to look in your eyes
And I realize...
[Ryder & Ryley:]
Baby, I'm not alone
'Cause you're here with me
And nothing's ever gonna take us down
'Cause nothing can keep me from lovin' you
And you know it's true
It don't matter what'll come to be
Our love is all we need to make it through...
Oh, 'cause you're here with me
And nothing's ever gonna bring us down
Cause nothing, nothing, nothing
Can keep me from lovin' you
And you know it's true
It don't matter what'll come to be
You know our love is all we need
[Ryder:]
Our love is all we need
[Ryder & Ryley:]
To make it through...
Ryder kisses Ryley and they kiss for about 30 seconds. While they kiss, Brad the piano player leaves them alone.
"I really do love you." Ryder says with their kiss parting and their foreheads touching.
"I love you a lot more." Ryley says and kisses him again, putting her hands behind his head while he places his hands on her waist.
"This is nice." Ryder says, inbetween kisses.
"But we have to go to class." Ryley says, also inbetween kisses.
"We don't have to go." Ryder says, still kissing her.
Ryley leaves his lips, "As much as I love kissing you since your lips are so kissable, we have to head to class. I don't want to get in trouble so let's go." She grabs her bag as he grabs his and they leave the auditorium hand in hand to head to their class.
----------------------------------------
"Ryley!" Marley calls out, chasing after her friend after Glee club.
"What's up, Marls?" Ryley asks.
"I was wondering; you know how you've been living in Ethan and Danielle's hotel room for the last week?"
"Yeah."
"Would like to move into my house? We have a spare room so we can get Ryder and Jake's cars to help us move your stuff into our spare room."
"I'd love to. Thank you."
"All we have to do now is go talk to my Mom."
"Let's go then."
The two friends walk to the cafeteria to talk to Millie about Ryley moving in. In the end, the answer is yes to Ryley moving in so with the help of Ryder and Jake, Ryley moves in that afternoon and then says bye to Ethan and Danielle as they head back to DC.
---------------------------------------
Thanks For Reading!
Songs Used:
Not Alone - Darren Criss (The song of this story)
Vote!
Comment!
Next Chapter: Halloween. Casey and Ryley do a duet. Shock ending! (Shit...will...happen)