Author's Note at the end~~ But, for now, read on, my friends! (: Enjoy! (Hopefully?) :P
Please excuse any spelling/grammatical mistakes!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 18- Learnt Lessons
Ryder Johnson
“So,” Cole said, like he was talking about the weather. “Charlotte?” I glanced at him before looking back at the road.
“What about it?” I replied.
“It? So she’s an ‘it’ now?” Cole said. His tone of voice made me cringe, though I didn’t let it show.
“It, her, does it really matter?” I said, my voice gruff. Cole didn’t say anything as I continued to drive.
“Cameron called her first.” I clamped my mouth shut, surprised that I’d even said that.
“Yeah, yeah he did.” Cole said, his voice showing that he was amused. Internally, I found myself groaning. “That’s too bad, huh?” Cole smirked. A moment passed.
“Just shut up.” I said grumpily. Cole laughed in response.
Five miles later, when we entered The Zone, the air around us filled with tension. Seconds later, we approached a gate. My eyes went up to the camera at the corner of the gate opening. A few seconds passed, and then the gate opened. My hands tightened on the steering wheel as we drove down the long drive way and into the X Zone. At least, that’s what they called it. Appearance-wise, it could be seen as a giant, white mansion. Inside was a different story.
Eventually, I parked and Cole and I both got out of the car. Nonchalantly, I pressed a finger to the top of my driver window, activating a locating device, and then headed towards the giant, white mansion.
Blake opened the door for us once we’d stepped onto the front porch.
“Hey guys, how are y’all two doing?” He asked his eyes dazed.
“Getting it on again?” I asked, smirking.
“All day, e’er day.” He gestured extravagantly for us to come in. Cole recoiled slightly at the stench of drugs in the air, but the look I gave him forced him to keep it low key, at least for the time being.
We walked straight into the living room, to where all the other guys were. The stench grew stronger.
“Time to get fucked.” I said, adopting a lazy smile. Cole did the same, just before shooting me a tense look.
Just a little while longer, Cole. I thought as I went to the middle where all the ‘goodies’ were. Just a little while longer, and then this’ll all be over.
~~~~~~~~
“Damn it.” Cole said, wiping his face with a towel. “The things you drag me into.” I laughed.
“Goody-two-shoes Cole Adams.” I said, smirking. “Can’t take anything on the other side of the block without going home and rinsing his mouth fifty times.” I gestured towards the sink. A disgusted look appeared onto his face.
“Don’t tell me you actually like that shit, because I know you don’t.” He wiped his tongue on his towel again, as if to wipe any other residue of Blake’s “goodies” off his taste buds. “If it weren’t for you and Cameron,” he said, flinging his towel into his hamper. “I wouldn’t be fucking in this mess.” I rolled my eyes. Cole always got a little cranky after we hung out with Blake, so I’d grown used to it. My phone started blaring then, and I didn’t even need to look to know who it was.
“Cameron.” I said, once I’d picked up.
“Cole and you all right?” I chuckled as I saw Cole starting up his Xbox from my peripherals.
“It was good, nothing out of the ordinary.” I said, planting myself into one of Cole’s gaming chairs as I leant back into it. “Any progress from your end?”
“I got a lead.” I sat back up immediately.
“And?” Cole glanced at me and gave me a questioning look.
“Has Weston contacted you lately?” My eyebrows furrowed.
“No, he hasn’t.” Cameron sighed, agitatedly.
“Well, he’s planning something big for the end of the year.”
“What—,”
“It has to deal with your dad, Ryder.” I inhaled a sharp breath before my jaw grew tense.
“How?” I ground out. “With what?”
“That’s the thing.” Cameron said. “I can’t figure that out. When I hacked into their system, it didn’t say anything else other than what they called ‘Operation XPX’, to be done by the end of the year. I couldn’t find anything else.”
My jaw clenched as I gave Cole a hard look.
“We’ll be there in ten.”
******
“God damn it.” I muttered, angrily, as I looked down at bright-and-blonde Riley Kendalls, batting her not-so-innocent eyelashes at me. “You really don’t get the message, do you?” She blinked exactly like the ditz she wanted to look like, but I knew better. Underneath that ditzy persona, she was like a Venus fly-trap.
Once you’re in, you couldn’t get out.
Well, I did—sorta—but that’s not the point. The point is, she’s vicious. It’s a lesson you don’t want to learn the hard way.
Someone patted me on the shoulder. I didn’t need to look to know it was Cole.
“Got some trouble here?” Cole smirked at my problem, like he thought it was funny.
“Shut the fuck up.” I said, under my breath, though I knew he caught it.
“Come on Ryder.” Riley said, her voice coming out sickly sweet. “Don’t you remember how good we were together? How cute of a couple we made?” Cole snorted, which didn’t go unnoticed by her, because she shot him daggers through her bright blue eyes.
“What?” Cole said, innocently. I felt myself smirked. This was why I was friends with this guy.. Riley, undeterred, then returned her gaze back to me. She stepped forward and put her hand on my chest, looking up at me again with those blue eyes of hers.
“Don’t you remember all the fun we had?” She whispered.
Oh god. I thought, She’s in my fucking bubble. My eyes started searching for an escape, and lit up when they found one.
“Charlotte!” I exclaimed, removing myself from the clutches of Riley Kendalls and walking quickly towards Charlotte.
“Oh great.” Cole muttered. But it didn’t really matter what he said, because by that time, I had my arm wrapped around a pretty girl.
Pretty doesn’t really do her justice, does it? A voice asked in my head. I looked down at Charlotte and inwardly nodded; she looked adorably confused at the moment.
This is the moment, ladies and gentlemen, when Ryder Johnson turned into a girl. A snarky voice in my head commented. I grimaced.
“Hey baby.” I said, kissing Charlotte on the temple. I tightened my grip on her waist, telling her to play along.
“Hey.” Charlotte said, quietly. I returned my attention to Riley then, who’d been glaring at Charlotte the whole time.
“Know when you aren’t wanted, Riley.” I said, my voice harsh, hopefully harsh enough to get her to leave. Riley’s eyes shifted back to mine. Good. “Now is one of those times.” She switched onto her persona in a flash.
“B-but—,”
“No buts,” Cole interrupted. “I’m sorry, but just get the dang message.” I nearly rolled my eyes when Cole said ‘I’m sorry’. Goody-two-shoes Cole Adams at it again.
Her eyes darted between the three of us. Finally, she clenched her jaw and gave me a look that told me that she wasn’t done with me. She stomped away in those high shoes of hers.
“How does she walk in those?” Cole said, watching her walk as he scratched the back of his head.
Charlotte removed herself from my arm, giving me a rush of cool air after she did. I pulled my arm back and ran a hand through my hair.
“I’m..confused.” She said, after a moment of silence. Her eyes dashed from side of side, like she was thinking about what she was confused about at that very moment. When it solidified, she looked back up at Cole and I, a fire now lit in them.
“Tell me what that was about.” She said.
“What?” I said, before wincing at the obvious attempt to act like nothing had just happened. When, really, what I’d just done just solidified the rumors of Charlotte and I dating. I groaned.
“Okay, I can sense when I’m not needed, so I’ll just..” Charlotte put a hand up to stop Cole from sneaking away like he intended.
“No.” She said, “You’re staying.” Her eyes darted to mine for a second. “Let’s talk somewhere else.” Then she turned and walked forward, giving me a perfect view of her ass. In a split second Cole pushed me into a locker, like he knew where I’d been looking. Charlotte turned back around and gave us a look that had us both quiet before she turned and walked again.
I shook my head at Cole and shrugged. Cole laughed as silently as he could while following Charlotte. Some things just never change. I thought, chuckling.
Eventually, Charlotte led us to an empty classroom. By the looks of it, it was a science classroom; beakers, graduated cylinders, and lab tables gave off that vibe. It was weird how it went unused during this time, lunch time, but I didn’t think much of it when Charlotte told us to explain once again.
“I’ve already asked you two about what was going on. So please tell me what’s going on.” She started, a rather attractive flare in her blue eyes. I smirked. She looked like an annoyed kitten. “Stop smirking at me, Ryder.” She all but growled at me. My smirk grew.
“There isn’t that much to tell.” I responded. “She wouldn’t leave me alone and I wanted a way out. Then you arrived, so—,” Hurt flashed through her blue eyes, making me rethink my words. Cole slapped me on the back of my head.
“What the hell?” I said, looking at Cole now. When did he ever feel like he could do that? He rolled his eyes.
“You’ve obviously lost your touch with girls, Ryde.” He said, crossing his arms and leaning back onto the counter behind him. I glanced at Charlotte before anger flared through me again.
“You—,”
“Okay, just stop.” Charlotte said, placing a hand on my chest to prevent me from moving towards Cole. I felt a sharp electric zing transfer from her hand to my chest, making me halt completely.
“I didn’t get the two of you to come here to fight.” She said, giving me a meaningful look. “I want to know what’s going on with Blake.” A moment passed.
“Why?” I asked, staring intensely through her blue eyes. “Why do you want to know?” Her eyebrows creased for a moment, before her hand dropped from my chest.
“I-I don’t know.” She said, her voice small again. I took that time to observe her; I admired the way her eyelashes fell upon her cheeks as she looked down at the floor. Her brown hair looked so soft, curling at the ends down the middle of her back like a waterfall. I inhaled a breath before looking away. Stop it. A voice told me. What’re you doing, Ryde?
“I just hope,” Charlotte said, “That the two of you know what you’re doing.” Her head raised, and her eyes pierced through mine once again. I could see hurt swirling through those ocean-depths she called eyes and wondered why it was present. Maybe because the lack of trust you have in her. A snarky voice told me.
I barely know her. I thought again. Why should I tell her about our plans to take down Weston?
“We know.” Cole said, his voice now serious. “You don’t need to worry about us.” Her eyes didn’t stray from mine as she said her next words. Or, actually, word.
“Okay.”
Charlotte looked away from me and then down at her feet. Seconds later, she left the classroom. Not another word was spoken as she did.
“Char—,” The door closed with a click before I could say anything. I cursed under my breath.
“Smooth.” Cole said. “Real smooth.” I shot him a glare before proceeding to smack him in the back of the head. “Hey!” He glared at me and went to rub the back of his head.
I looked back at the door with an odd sense of regret in my chest. I grunted and attempted to shake it off as I gestured for Cole to go.
The feeling of regret never goes away; it never leaves your head, it never leaves your thoughts. It’s always present, looming in the back of your mind like some sort of ghost. I’d learned that the hard way.
With Faith. A faint voice said to me. Clenching my jaw, I left the science room.
With Faith, my head repeated.
With Faith.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
..So it's been a while, hasn't it?
I know, I know, and I'm formally apologizing right now, via the internet. Finals and AP exams just got caught up with me, and it took a while to get back on this writing track again.
BUT! I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter and stick with me, because I love y'alls support <3 It gives me motivation, as I've said before.
Anyways, since summer's coming--EXCITING NEWS--I'll be uploading more frequently!! YAYY! Hhahah I want to be able to finish His Number before the end of the year, so let's see if I'll be able to do that (:
And, again, since it's been SOO long,
I hope you enjoyed this chapter; Vote/Comment if you did! (: