Rylan runs, but she can't remember why. Terror courses through her body, making it impossible for her to stop shaking. Where am I, she wonders. Finally she looks around and realizes she is running through the empty halls of the school.
"Cupcake?" Blake's voice wafts down the corridor.
Rylan pushes herself faster, even though her shoes pad loudly on the floor. The noise almost positively gives away her location. She catches sight of the exit doors and slams into them; neither budge because they are locked.
"No!" She slams her body palm against the door a couple times, but they still don't move.
Rylan turns so she faces down the hallway. Any minute now Blake will come around the corner at the other end of the hallway. Rylan can feel it. Her mind screams at her to hide.
Frantically, she glances around the corridor for some place she can conceal herself. The hall branches off to her left and to her right. She notices the supply closet on the left side of the right corridor and quietly tiptoes over to it. She twists the knob and the door swings open. Rylan sighs in relief and slips inside. She pulls the door closed right as Blake turns the corner. She locks it.
Blake smirks as if this is the best game he has ever played. "Are we playing hide and seek now, Rylan?" His voice echoes down the corridor.
Rylan backs against the door and covers her mouth with her left hand in an effort to keep calm and quiet. She listens as the echo of Blake's footsteps grows louder as he gets closer to her hiding spot. After a few moments, the halls go silent. Rylan forces herself to hold her breath in case Blake can hear it. She can't let him find her.
All of the sudden Blake starts humming "Happy Together" by the Turtles. Rylan jumps. It sounds creepy and sinister coming from him.
His footsteps start again, but this time in the opposite direction of Rylan. Rylan lets out her breath. She waits until she can no longer hear his footsteps before she unlocks and opens the door. She peeks out. The hall is empty. Quietly, Rylan slips out of the door and closes it. Now she just has to find a way out of here.
"You should really find more original hiding places." Blake says.
Rylan spins around to face him in terror. Before she can think to start running again, Blake pins her against the wall, his hand closing around her throat.
"I thought I told you to keep your boyfriend out of things." Blake hisses.
Rylan gasps for air and clutches at Blake's arm, trying to pry it from her neck.
Rylan awakens, clawing at her blankets and trying to breathe. Finally she removes the sheet that has tangled itself around her neck, cutting off her air-flow. For a few minutes, she sits there focusing on breathing in and out.
It wasn't real. She tries to reassure herself that she is indeed at home, safe, in her room. A nightmare, it was just a nightmare, she tells herself. Tears fill Rylan's eyes. It isn't enough that Blake terrorizes her at school, now he gets to be a part of her dreams as well.
Rylan turns her head to look at her clock. It is only four in the morning on a Saturday. Rylan knows she'll never get back to sleep after that nightmare. She is glad for the weekend, but only because it means time away from school. Rylan tosses her covers aside and walks to the bathroom. After using the facilities, Rylan goes downstairs to find something to do. Her dad will be up in two hours. So, she has one and a half hours of waiting around before she can start breakfast.
Rylan looks helplessly around the kitchen. Her social life is coming apart, yet somehow she has managed to keep her troubles away from home. Rylan knows eventually she will have to tell her father everything. He's nosy and he knows something is up. Every time she looks at him or she shuts down a conversation, she sees the worry etched into his face. As long as she continues to deny it, his worry will probably get worse.
She moves into the living room and sits on the couch where she stays for the next hour and thirty minutes, staring blankly into space. When she finally takes note of the time again, she's late to start breakfast. Rylan stands and fires up the stove for the eggs, bacon, and sausages. Her dad comes down a few minutes later.
"What are you doing up so early on a weekend?" He asks, sincerely curious. "I've never known you to ever wake up before ten."
Rylan smiles at his surprise. "I guess I'm just getting into the habit of school hours."
"Mhm." Mr. Winchester makes the noise in a disbelieving tone. He slides by Rylan to make a pot of coffee and watches her the entire time he pours himself a cup.
"Breakfast will be done in a few minutes." Rylan says as she scrambles the eggs.
Mr. Winchester watches his daughter from behind, then says, "What happened to us, Rylan?"
Rylan tenses for a split second before gaining her composure again, but it doesn't slip past Mr. Winchester. He won't let her brush this off like she has so many times before. He wants to hear the truth.
"What do you mean?" She asks as she tries to keep her voice steady and emotionless.
"I mean," he pauses to move where he can study his daughter's face, "you used to tell me everything; the good and the bad. Now, it feels like I'm cut off from you. I never know what you're thinking and you never talk about school or your friends. We haven't sat down and talked for weeks." His tone turns almost pleading at the end.
Rylan licks her lips thoughtfully and lifts her eyes to look at her father. His blue eyes search her face.
She almost tells him the truth, but instead says, "There's not much to say."
Rylan returns to flipping the bacon. She tries to ignore her dad's prolonged staring.
Mr. Winchester shakes his head when he can't catch her eye. "Don't do that."
"Do what?" Rylan demands in exasperation.
"That—that thing!" Mr. Winchester gestures randomly, raising his voice while trying to explain what he means. "That thing you do when you want me to leave you alone and stop asking questions!"
He knows her too well; Rylan can see it now. He isn't letting it go this time. She isn't sure how long she can hold him off if he continues to persist. Rylan doesn't want to have to lie, but she can't exactly tell him the truth either.
"Well, then maybe you should take the hint!" She cries.
"No!" Mr. Winchester shouts.
Rylan flinches and he lowers his voice.
"No. Stop pushing me away! It's obvious you want to talk to me, so what's holding you back?"
Rylan looks away from him, tears budding at the corner of her eyes. She blinks them away as much as she can and looks back at his face. She sighs, furious with her dad and with herself. She lets go of the flapjack flipper and lets the food sizzle and burn.
"What is so awful that you can't tell me?" Mr. Winchester demands.
Rylan bites her lip to keep the tears from spilling over and tries to hold on to her anger in place of her fear.
"Nothing." She grits out through her teeth.
"Is this about you skipping class?" He asks.
Rylan glances at him, surprised he knows. How can he know?
"Oh yeah. I know all about that. Your Spanish teacher called, expressing her concern that you'd been absent for four days. Four days, Rylan. Where did you go? What were you doing?" Mr. Winchester inquires.
He watches Rylan sternly, hoping she'll serve up an explanation. Instead, Rylan turns away and stalks out of the kitchen toward the staircase. Mr. Winchester follows and grabs her arm to stop her.
"Don't you walk away from me when I'm talking to you! Answer me! Why were you skipping class?"
Rylan yanks her arm from his grasp.
"It's none of your business!" She shouts.
Mr. Winchester yells back, "It's every bit my business, young lady! I'm your father!"
Rylan can't help what slips out next. Her anger and fear get the best of her. She needs him to drop it all.
"Stop prying into my life! I don't have to tell you shit."
Without thinking, Mr. Winchester swings his arm and slaps Rylan across the face. It is almost as if he is trying to slap some sense back into her; to bring back the daughter he knows and understands. He hates himself as soon as he does. When Rylan meets his eyes, her face mimics the shocked expression on his. Rylan's lip trembles as she holds her cheek. Mr. Winchester opens his mouth, but no words will come out. Rylan turns and runs up the stairs to her bedroom, slamming the door loudly behind her.
"Rylan!" He calls after her. "I didn't mean to."
Mr. Winchester stands in complete shock. He lost control. He can't hold onto Rylan anymore; he can't even talk to her without getting into a fight. He had never used physical violence before and he despised himself for it. Mr. Winchester lets his body drop onto the sofa next to the staircase. He buries his face in his hands and allows himself to cry.
He doesn't hear Rylan coming back down the stairs, but he feels the couch sink in when she sits down next to him. Mr. Winchester removes his hands from his face so he can look at his daughter. Rylan stares at his red-rimmed eyes and gives him a small smile.
"I'm sorry, dad." She whispers.
"I'm the one who should be sorry." He whispers back. "I didn't mean to hit you. I'm sorry."
Rylan tries really hard not to cry. "It's all my fault."
"No, baby, it isn't." Mr. Winchester insists.
He wraps his arm around Rylan's shoulders and pulls her close. Rylan lies her head on his chest and cuddles into his embrace.
"I'm sorry about skipping class." She apologizes.
Mr. Winchester sighs. "I just don't understand why you did it. You've never skipped a class before in your life."
It doesn't sound like he's pushing this time, but Rylan knows he deserves an explanation.
"Some of the kids in my class are distracting. They pick on me a bit." Rylan under-exaggerates. "I thought that if I skipped class for a few days, I could come up with a way to better deal with it."
It isn't a total lie, although picking on her is the least of what they did. Her lie is close enough to the truth to make Rylan feel better.
"I wish you would've told me. I could have gone and talked to your teacher or the school. I'll call your Spanish teacher tomorrow and we'll get this straightened out."
"What are you going to do?" Rylan asks worriedly.
Mr. Winchester considers what to say next. There are many things he wants to do, but after the fight they just had, he isn't ready to pursue them at the expense of this breakthrough with his daughter. "What would you like me to do?"
Rylan looks up at him. "You're asking me?"
"Well, you know the situation better than I do. What would you suggest?"
Rylan considers his question, then says, "You can tell her what I told you, but just ask her to move me to a different seat. It should help solve the problem. They'll have to find someone else to pester."
She knows that won't help with the actual problem, but it may serve to make the class a bit more bearable.
"Okay. I'll see what I can do." Mr. Winchester promises.
He kisses Rylan on the top of her head and hugs her. They both stand up.
"Any plans for today?" Mr. Winchester asks Rylan.
Rylan thinks about it for a moment. She hasn't planned anything, but it's been awhile since she and her dad had a father/daughter day. Rylan wants to hang out with him. She only now realizes how much she has missed his company and talking to him.
"I'd like to go shopping."
"Alone?"
Rylan shrugs her shoulders. "I was actually hoping you might like to come."
"You wouldn't rather ask one of your friends?" Mr. Winchester checks.
Rylan smiles and shakes her head slowly. "Nah. I haven't spent as much time with you lately."
He grins back. "Ok. We'll head out at ten."
Mr. Winchester and Rylan decide to make a trip to the mall.
"Any place in particular you want to visit?" He asks.
"I don't mind wandering around." Rylan replies. Suddenly she has a thought. "Actually, do you want to rent a movie for tonight?"
Mr. Winchester considers the idea. "Sure. That sounds like fun."
Rylan's face lights up. "The rental store is just over there." She points.
"Okay. How about you pick something out and we can meet in the food court in a couple of hours?"
"You don't want to come with me?"
"I've got some shopping I need to do. Besides, I doubt you really want to spend your entire time browsing the mall with your old man." He jokes.
Rylan frowns uncertainly.
"I'll be around if you need me." Mr. Winchester assures.
"Are you sure?"
He nods. Hesitantly, Rylan wanders off to the rental shop. Mr. Winchester watches her go, then scopes out his first destination.
Rylan searches through the comedy films for something that both she and her dad can enjoy. They could both use some laughter in their lives. She scans the shelves. As she passes the C section, Rylan's thoughts shift to Cas. She still hadn't figured out his full name or if it is simply Cas. Rylan tests a few possibilities.
Castor.
Casar.
Casey.
Cash.
Casimere.
Casius.
Rylan scrunches her face up at the ideas as they get increasingly more ridiculous. She hopes none of them are actually his name, although that would explain why he uses a nickname. Rylan thumbs through the T section and stops on a film she vaguely remembers the trailer for: This Means War.
Rylan flips the case over and reads the synopsis. It sounds interesting enough. It most definitely sounds hilarious which is the intention. She decides it's as good a choice as any and takes the film up to the counter to pay for it. Rylan tucks it away in her purse as she exits the shop.
She sweeps the length of the mall with her eyes and tries to decide where to browse next. She still has quite a bit of time to kill before she meets her dad in the food court. Rylan crosses to the opposite side of the corridor and hears a voice calling her name.
"Rylan! Hey!"
Rylan throws a glance behind her. She doesn't recognize any of the figures perusing the shops.
"Rylan, wait up!"
She focuses on where the call originates and finally identifies the speaker. Liam. He jogs, trying to catch up to her. Rylan speeds up her pace and ducks into the nearest store: Abercrombie.
She hides behind a shelf of clothing and peeks around it. A few seconds later Liam appears at the entrance to the store. He peers inside, but can hardly see anything. Liam scowls, spins around once, then disappears from sight. Rylan sighs in relief.
A customer squeezes past her and gives her an odd look. Rylan straightens and pretends to be browsing. She picks up a random shirt, studies it, then sets it back down. When the customer is gone, Rylan rounds the store once and then again, slowly.
She pulls out her cell phone and texts her dad, Where are you?
All she can think about is leaving the mall as soon as possible. Liam will likely cross her path again.
Ready to join me already? There's only an hour till lunch, he texts back.
Rylan swallows the sick feeling rising in her throat. She can handle another hour. She shakes her head, feeling stupid. It is only Liam after all and this is a public place. It's not like he can do anything.
I know. Just checking in. I'll see you then, she sends in return.
Rylan contemplates staying in Abercrombie for an hour. It'll be boring, but she doesn't really want to risk Liam seeing her wandering around the mall. One of the employees approaches her and asks if she needs help with anything. Rylan turns her down, but the young woman won't leave her alone. She reluctantly exits the shop and walks warily toward a music store diagonal from Abercrombie.
A few feet from the entrance, Rylan jumps inside like a firecracker went off behind her. A few customers stare at her guardedly. Rylan ignores them. She doesn't have to explain her actions to them. Her life is one stress-charged action after another these days.
Rylan leafs through the CDs and hopes to stumble across something she likes. Music is one of her favorite things; it's a release for emotions that she didn't want to share with anyone else or can't find a way to put into words. Rylan picks up a case that has an enthralling cover of a girl in a cage looking out at a bird.
"That's ironic." She mutters and drops it back between the others.
"There you are. Enjoying yourself?" Liam questions from behind her.
Rylan tenses and her heartbeat speeds up. She hates how easily everyone can sneak up on her.
"What do you want Liam?"
Rylan keeps calm pressing her nails tightly into her palm. She doesn't turn around because otherwise Liam will see her unease. Liam smirks and leans against the table so he can get a better look at Rylan's face. Rylan moves over to the next table and Liam reciprocates by rounding the table so he stands opposite her.
"I don't want anything... I don't even like you."
Rylan looks up at him.
"I don't know why Blake does. You're annoying and a bitch."
Rylan pinches her lips bitterly. "Well, I don't like any of you either."
Liam leers at her. "So what brings you to the mall today? You finally stop crying over all your problems?"
"I haven't been crying!" Rylan argues.
"No?" He taunts, amused. "How bout yesterday when you went to see pretty boy?"
"How do you know about that?"
Liam ignores her question and leans closer across the table. "What did you tell him?"
Rylan doesn't reply.
"What about daddy? You complain to him too?"
"I'm not scared of you." She declares.
Liam leans back and breathes out heavily through his nose. He shrugs. "Maybe... But I think I know someone you are still scared of, and when I tell him I've seen you, I'm sure he'll be delighted to come hear what you have to say."
Rylan mulls over his response for a few seconds before her brain registers who he means. Her eyes widen without her consent.
"Blake's here?" Rylan chokes out.
Liam grins smugly and says, "Don't go nowhere." Then he strolls out of the store.