Because of the end of school rush, Rylan arrives late for detention. She enters Mr. Quinn's classroom, an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. Dani sits at her regular spot, furiously scribbling in a notebook. Mr. Quinn barely looks up and glares beneath his eyebrows.
"I thought I told you not to be late."
Rylan shrugs her shoulders helplessly, a good excuse failing to enter her thoughts.
"We're really not starting out the school year on a good note, are we?" He says sourly. "Well, sit down."
When Rylan lowers herself into her seat she notices Dani's scribbling is just that: scribbles. She's furiously pretending to do work. Dani ignores Rylan which is probably for the best considering this is supposed to be a punishment and any talking might get them into more trouble. Rylan copies Dani's example and focuses on getting through the detention period. But it is difficult for her to focus since Mr. Quinn's glare never leaves her face.
She stares at the same sentence of the Aeneid she started on five minutes ago. What did he have against her to make him despise her so much?
Rylan hasn't gotten anything done by the time the one hour detention ends. Dani scurries out of the room, leaving Rylan behind. She wonders if it's because Mr. Quinn said something to her before she arrived. Rylan follows her, not wanting to be in this room any longer than she has to, but Mr. Quinn grasps her wrist, stopping her. Rylan's heart beats fast and she tenses although his grip isn't as tight as before.
His expression is calm when Rylan faces him. "Let's try to avoid any fights in the future, shall we Ms. Winchester?"
Rylan can't help thinking he must be bipolar. Either that or he's a crazy bastard. "Yes."
"Sir." He states matter of fact, inadvertently squeezing her wrist tighter.
"Yes, Sir." Rylan amends haughtily.
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Rylan stares down the hall in dismay, her hand resting lightly on her open locker door as she pauses from the act of gathering her books. The corridor is empty, but she can easily guess what's waiting for her on the other side of the double doors at the end of it. Rylan can even see faint shadows crossing in the light shining beneath the doors.
Blake.
Now that detention is over, he'll want to have that "talk." Rylan can't seem to figure him out. He is rude and mean, sure, but is he really as dangerous as everyone paints him to be? His threats could fill a book, but Rylan has yet to see him actually do anything violent aside from grasping Dani's shirt. Was this when she would finally find out his true nature--what makes him so terrifying?
High school. It's supposed to be exciting and fun. That's what Rylan had been hoping for when she moved here, but Mr. Quinn and Blake are slowly making her regret agreeing to move. Rylan taps her foot on the floor nervously, glancing around for an idea--anything to pop out of thin air and get her out of this situation. She could probably handle Blake, for a short time, as long as he didn't have his goons with him. That is unlikely though.
Why did Dani have to leave her all alone? Where did she go? Rylan understood her need to escape the gaze of Mr. Quinn, but Dani had been the one constantly standing up for her since the beginning and now, to just leave her when she could use a friend the most...
Rylan sighs in exasperation and slams her locker shut. She spins around and a hand gently skims her shoulder. Rylan squeals in fright.
"Woah. Shhh. Keep it down. He'll hear us." Dani says as she tries to calm Rylan's nerves.
"Sorry." Rylan whispers.
Dani smirks. "You sure are jumpy."
"Yeah, I wonder why?" Rylan replies sarcastically. She turns serious. "I thought you left."
Dani pauses from scoping the corridor and shakes her head. "Why would I leave without you? I'm not a coward, Rylan. This afternoon's events just shook me up a bit." She smiles halfheartedly. "I'm sorry about detention, by the way. It was stupid of me to think calling him out to his face would solve anything."
"Yeah, well, hopefully he'll just forget about us and we can move on with our miserable high school lives." Rylan mutters.
"Hey. We're not miserable. A little shaken, but not stirred. Besides, right now we've got a bigger problem than Mr. Quinn. Blake, Liam, and Tyler are waiting outside."
"I know." Rylan groans. "Blake wants to have a "talk."
Dani frowns. "There's no way in hell that's going to happen."
Rylan smiles. "I agree entirely. But how do we get out of here?"
Both girls glance down the hall at the double doors.
"It's a school. There has to be more than one exit. We'll just have to find another one." Dani says hopefully.
It doesn't take them long to find another exit. Around the corner and down the hall and after a left turn, they find one. They exit the school. Dani lets out a breath she must have been holding in, but the hairs on the back of Rylan's neck rise.
"Wait." Rylan pleads, stopping. "What if they knew we'd pick a different exit and they're waiting around the corner?"
Dani knots her brow. "I don't think—"
Tuck bursts from behind the bushes surrounding the entrance and grabs Dani around the waist. She screams. Rylan panics, not recognizing Tuck and backs into Cas, almost having a heart attack as she does so.
Tuck laughs long and loud. Then Rylan realizes who the two boys are.
"That wasn't funny, Tuck!" Rylan warns angrily.
Tuck's laughter dies down. "Relax. I thought you were talking about us when you came out."
He releases Dani and she smacks him on the shoulder, half angry and half relieved. Tuck gives her a what was that for look.
"You weren't talking about us then?" Cas inquires, concerned.
"No." Rylan replies.
"Who then?" Tuck asks.
"Oh, you know, our pals from the video store. They can't seem to leave us alone." Dani sarcastically rants.
Rylan gives Cas a halfhearted smile. "Having an altercation with Blake didn't seem like much fun after detention with Mr. Quinn." He stiffens slightly at her comment, but makes no other indication of his feelings.
Tuck turns serious. "Oh, that's right. Was it bad?"
Rylan reluctantly switches her gaze to Tuck. "Well, I've never had detention before, but I doubt it normally feels like the worst thing to ever happen to you. Mr. Quinn glared at me the whole time." Rylan explains.
"It was torture." Dani mutters.
"You survived." Tuck states, trying to cheer the mood. "Anyone want to go get something to eat?" He suggests, changing the subject.
"Only you could be hungry after scaring us half to death." Dani says snippily, crossing her arms in contempt and turning away from him.
"Aww, c'mon, you know I'm sorry." Tuck pleads and attempts to tickle Dani to get her to loosen up.
She spins around, smiling and playfully taking off after him down the block. Rylan peeks at Cas quickly, then follows after them. Cas matches her pace. Food sounds really great.
They enter a Chinese restaurant literally called, "The Chinese Restaurant." Rylan orders a rice and noodle bowl, Dani a Kung Pow Chicken dish which she shares with Tuck, and Cas orders an egg roll and some soup.
They are enjoying their meal when a familiar face walks into the restaurant.
"Hey, Tuck, Cas." Richard calls.
He is tall with broad shoulders and has dark green eyes. His physique is the epitome of a model or an athlete. Rylan wonders how the boys could possibly know this guy. He seems much older than them and neither Tuck nor Cas are the sporty type, at least as far as she knows. Richard walks over to their booth.
"Hey, Richard. Coincidence seeing you here." Tuck replies.
"Yeah. Actually, I was picking up some food for my party. The football team and a bunch of other kids are hanging out at my place till midnight."
So she is right about the sports background. Rylan looks at Dani, her eyebrow raised questioningly. Dani shrugs and mouths I'll explain later.
"Maybe you guys would like to come?" Richard offers.
Rylan looks around at each of her friends. Are they really going to stay out that late on a school night? The only parties she'd ever been to were of the cake and carnival variety. Rylan wonders if this is a good idea. If her friends go, she'd probably have to go too. Did she want to? Rylan thinks about it.
"Sure. Sounds like fun." Tuck answers, lightly kicking Cas under the table to see what he thinks.
Cas shrugs. "If Dani and Rylan want to go, then I'm game."
Dani asks Rylan with her eyes if a party is really something she's up for. She wants to say no, but there's so much pressure with this decision and she can feel it all riding on her shoulders. Rylan doesn't want to seem like a loser to any of the people staring at her. Maybe they do this all the time. She nods and forces a smile. "Ok. Yeah."
"Great. So I'll see you guys there then." Richard says just as the waiter comes out with his food. He waves and makes his exit.
"I'm just going to text my dad."
"Shit, I didn't think about that. Is he going to be okay with you going out?" Tuck wonders.
"Think I could stay with you for the night, Dani?" Rylan asks.
"Sure." Dani smirks. "We probably won't stay the entire time, but I get it if you don't want your dad to know."
Hey Dad. Spending the night at friend's house if that's ok? Rylan texts.
The reply is quick. On a school night?
I need help on my homework and she's offered to assist.
Ok... But plan things ahead next time. I love you, Rylan.
I love you too, dad. <3
The four arrive at Richard's house around 5:45 P.M. The place is bustling with noise and neighbors are peeking out curtains in either annoyance or curiosity. High school students are everywhere: in the front yard, playing horseshoes; in the house dancing and snacking; and in the backyard in the grounded swimming pool.
Richard greets them as they enter the house. "Hey, guys! There's a room upstairs where you can put your backpacks. Second door on the left." He points with his free finger since his hands are both occupied with plastic red solo cups.
Dani and Rylan ascend the stairway and enter the room Richard told them to. The library-esque room is faintly lit with a red glow from a lamp in the far corner.
"Well, I won't forget I left my homework in here." Rylan says and grimaces.
"Ye-ah." Dani drags out the word. "This certainly is a strange room."
They dropped their bags in the corner next to the lamp.
"So how do you know Richard?"
"I don't. Cas tutors his little brother in math and Tuck's older brother is friends with Michael, Robert's older brother. It's sort of a long story. Robert's a nice guy, though. He's a jock, but he tries to include everyone in whatever he does."
"Oh."
The two exit the room and close the door behind them. Tuck and Cas seem to have disappeared so Rylan takes the opportunity to ask Dani more questions.
"Do you guys go to parties a lot?"
Dani scrunches her nose and shrugs. "Nah, not really, but Tuck thinks they're super fun so when he gets the chance, he jumps on it."
Rylan surveys the mess of bodies, trying to find somewhere she and Dani could be comfortable. Her eyes lock onto Cas's silky black hair. He converses with Richard and a few other guys. Tuck is a few feet away, eating at the snack table. Rylan giggles and Dani glances curiously in the direction of Rylan's stare. She giggles too when she catches sight of Tuck accidentally dropping half his cracker on the floor and stepping on it.
"Are you thirsty?" Dani asks as her soft green eyes search Rylan's face. "I bet I could scrounge up something non-alcoholic."
Rylan peers at Dani in surprise.
"You don't have to drink if you don't want to, Rylan. I know you didn't really want to come. To be honest, I'm not a big fan of these kinds of parties anyway."
"Thanks. I'll have whatever you can scrounge up, even if it's only water." Rylan relaxes a bit. This isn't so bad. Dani has her back if she decides she wants to leave.
Dani disappears into the sea of people on her mission. Rylan stands awkwardly in the same spot by the front door. It's the only space she has room to move without feeling boxed in. She resorts to surveying the crowd again as she awaits Dani's return. Most of the kids look a few years older than her; juniors and seniors most likely. Rylan shifts from one foot to the other. Should she dance? Parties really aren't her thing.
Rylan makes her way to the backyard, deciding to check out what people are doing outside. The pool is filled with bodies which are splashing, diving, and paddling. The patio creeks under the weight of the mass of people jumping and thrusting atop it as a speaker in the corner blasts Tik Tok by Ke$ha so loudly you can feel the words vibrating into your skull.
"I didn't realize you were going to be here, Cupcake." Blake hums and leans back against the side of the house with his arms crossed.
Rylan freezes, her fascination at the scene before her disappearing. "Please, no." She mutters under her breath. Rylan turns around stiffly.
Blake smirks in greeting. It really is him. Just her luck.
"I just can't get rid of you, can I?" Rylan sighs in a sarcastic tone.
Blake clucks his tongue. "Guess not. Of course, I was bound to catch up with you eventually, and seeing as this is an upper classmen party, I think I have you to thank for this surprise meeting. It's really a godsend--don't you think?" He rakes his eyes down Rylan's body and back up to her eyes. "Since you missed our earlier meeting."
"I didn't come here to see you. This isn't some act of fate or whatever!" Rylan snaps. "But I guess it's just like you to assume that." She moves to go back inside, but Blake pushes off the house and steps in her path.
"C'mon, cupcake. Why are you always trying to avoid me? All you're doing is delaying the inevitable."
"And what's that?" Rylan spits, annoyed. She doesn't want all this attention. Why can't he just find another girl to pester? There are plenty dancing around this party.
He brushes her hair gently behind her ear. Rylan flinches when Blake's hand makes contact with her skin. "I enjoy taking what I can't have, especially when it's a challenge. I want what I want. And you...are something I desperately want."
"Find someone else. I'm not your girl." Rylan objects angrily and tries to maneuver around him.
Blake clasps his hand around Rylan's bicep and prevents her from entering the house. "I'm not very patient, Rylan. This little "dance" we're doing will get old quick."
"There is no "dance," Blake. I don't know what you think is going to happen here, but as far as I'm concerned, it's nothing. So you better let me go right now."
Blake scoffs. "I'm trying to be nice about this, Rylan. I can go as far as you're willing to take me. You think I don't see the little budding romance between Blondie and Tuck? I can destroy that. Tyler has had his eye on her since we talked in the video store. It would be pretty devastating if something were to happen to her. And I see the way pretty boy stares at you. He thinks he's tough. He can't protect you, cupcake." Blake leans in so his hot breath skims Rylan's ear. "So you better think. very. carefully. about how you want this to go."
Rylan glares at him and pulls against his hold. Blake narrows his eyes and tightens his grip.
"You're hurting me." Rylan raises her voice. "Let go!"
"Hey! Leave her alone!" Cas says, sauntering over. He breaks Blake's grip on Rylan's arm and places himself between the two.
"Don't worry pretty boy. We were only talking." Blake states with mock innocence, eyes still on Rylan.
"Like hell you were!" Cas grits his teeth.
"Cas, I'm alright. Let's just go." Rylan begs and pulls on his arm.
"Think about what I said, cupcake." Blake grins and then gives Cas a dirty look. "Until next time."
Cas takes a step forward and Rylan clutches his arm again. Blake disappears inside the house. Cas doesn't pay notice to Rylan until he is sure Blake's gone.