Chap. 7 Alleyways and Identities
"Liam I'll be fine," I groaned as I double checked my dance bag to make sure that I had every possible dance shoe that I owned. "Now go off and..do what everything you do and I'll see you tomorrow."
"Are you sure?" Liam's voice asked through my phone for the billionth time.
"Yes!" I said also for the billionth time. God Liam's annoying.
"Call me when you're done and I'll come to pick you up," he said.
"No it's fine," I said as I zipped up my bag and slung it over my shoulder. "It's only a seven-minute walk from my house. I'll survive without a car."
Liam's side was quiet for a while, making me think that he'd hung up, before I heard a sigh, letting me know that he'd given in. "Fine," he grumbled. "But let me know when you get home."
"Gosh, Liam, you're not my dad," I groaned once more and I could practically feel him rolling his eyes.
"Let me remind you again, that I am the one your father put in charge of you, so I have to do this or he and his whole brigade will be up my butt."
"Yeah, yeah," I sighed as I looked at myself in the mirror to make sure that my hair was in a perfect ballerina bun.
"Talk to you in a bit," he said.
"Bye," I said before the line clicked dead. I picked my phone up off the sink edge before I tucked it into my bag and headed downstairs. As soon as I stepped outside, a cool autumn breeze washed over me, causing a small smile to appear on my face. I popped my earphones in my ears as I started on my short journey to the dance studio.
I quietly hummed along with Matty as Someone Else by the 1975 blasted into my ears and through my soul. Four minutes and two songs later, I pulled open the doors to my dance studio and was welcomed by the familiar sounds of music, tap shoes, and dance moms being dance moms.
Home sweet home.
"Cat!" A familiar voice called out causing me to smile as my eyes landed on who it belonged to.
"Hi Mrs. Kate!" I greeted as I pulled her into a hug. I'd known Mrs. Kate ever since I was three, which is when I started dancing, and ever since, she'd been like the mother I never had. She was a few months older than my father with chestnut brown hair that had a few gray hairs here and there, she had warm brown eyes, and she stood at about 5'5.
"How have you been dear?" She asked as we broke the hug.
"Good," I replied as my eyes scanned over the five studios that we had until my eyes landed on a vacant one. "Is studio four open?"
"All yours, dear," she said, causing a smile to take its place on my face before I pulled her into another hug before running into the studio.
After I closed the door and synced my phone to the stereo, I quickly peeled off the North Carolina sweater and gray sweat pants I was wearing leaving me in my black leotard and pink tights. I quickly put on my pointe shoes and turned on my Dance playlist before I grabbed the bars and started stretching.
After about thirty-five minutes of stretching, I moved the bars and practiced a few combinations consisting of pirouettes, soutenus, fouetté turns, and much more. Once I felt thoroughly warmed up, I turned on Twenty One Pilots's cover of Cancer and closed my eyes, allowing the music to tell me how it wanted to be represented.
I felt my heart swell as my body moves and twists. Once the song was over, I felt a few tears fell down my face, but I quickly wiped them away. After about fifty more minutes of ballet, I switched over to lyrical, then tap, then finally contemporary. By the time I was done, it was 9:57 and sweat was running down my face.
"Oh snicker doodles," I muttered under my breath as I quickly placed all of my things in my bag before I slipped my clothes over my head and rushed out of the studio. I yelled a goodbye over my shoulder to Kate before I rushed into the cold night. "Dang it," I grumbled as I wrapped my arms around my body due to the cold air.
I speed walked down the sidewalk past multiple sketchy alleys, hoping that no thugs noticed me.
I nearly jumped out of my skin when my phone noisily rang in my pocket. I quickly answered it and was greeted my Liam's voice. "You home yet, Cat?"
"No," I said in a low voice.
"What do you mean no?!" He yelled on the other side of the line causing me to remove the phone from my ear and wince due to the volume of his voice. "It's freaking ten o five and your walking through alleyways?! Seriously Cat, what were you thinking?!"
"Sorry," I muttered. "Time just slipped away from me."
"Cat...." he groaned, irritation evident in his voice. Where are you? I'm coming to get you."
"In between that bar and the Oakgreen Apartment complex," I explained.
"Okay," he said. "Just go into the lobby of the apartment complex and I'll be there in three minutes."
"Okay," I nodded before the line clicked dead.
Liam was mad.
I quickly retucked my phone in my pocket before I wove myself between the junk that laid between the two buildings. I was almost to the street when suddenly, I was pinned against the cold brick wall, causing a scream to escape my lips, but it was cut short when a dirty hand slapped itself over my mouth.
"Shut up," a man whose breath recked of smoke and alcohol spat in my face, causing me to squeeze my eyes shut to prevent tears from escaping as my heart pounded in my chest.
"Now, where is he?" He growled as he slowly removed his hand from over my mouth.
"I-I don't know who you're talking about," I stammered out. "J-Just please l-let me g-go!"
"Quit lying to me!" He barked then I suddenly felt cold metal being pressed against my temple. "We know that you know Riverdale, now tell us where he is or I'll shoot your brains out!"
"I sw-swear that I don't k-know a R-Riverdale! P-Please-"
"That's it!" He snapped as I heard the click of a revolver.
"Let her go, Andrew," a familiar voice lowly said, causing both of our heads to turn to the one and only River.
"You okay, Cat?" River asked, not taking his eyes off of Andrew.
I opened my mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the gun being pressed deeper into my head. "Where's our money, Riverdale?" The man growled. "You owe us two grand. We've been gracious and gave you an extra month and told you if you didn't have it, someone else will die."
"I don't owe you crap," River growled as a darkness fell over his face that sent a shiver down my spine. "Now let my girl go." Andrew threw his head back and laughed and my heart strangely fluttered at him calling me his.
"Oh Riverdale, you crack me up," Andrew said as he slowly ran the gun down my face, causing me to immediately tense up as fear ran through my veins. "You got yourself a pretty one here. I'd hate to have another incident like-"
"Don't speak her name you bastard," River growled, his shoulders steadily rising and falling as he slowly made his way towards us.
"Uh, uh, uh," Andrew said as he quickly returned the gun back to my temple. "One more step, and you'll have one more death on your hands."
River's eyes darkened as his hands balled into fists, and deep in his eyes burned pure fury and hatred for the man holding me.
"You know, it would be a shame if another pretty girl lost her life today. Maybe I'll just bring her with me. I'd love to see her dance," I could practically hear the smirk on his face, causing a disgusted shiver to weave itself down my back. "Without her clothes on."
And that's when River lost it.
It was like time went in slow motion. As River charged toward us, I closed my eyes, preparing myself for the inevitable, but instead on going through with his deed, the man raised the gun and pointed it at River.
I screamed as the gun went off. The bullet flew through the air at high speed, but managed to barely miss his shoulder. Within a second, River snapped the gun from Andrews hold and pulled me into his chest, shielding me from what was happening.
Suddenly, broken glass screamed out and I felt tiny sharp objects fall down my back and when I looked, River had a huge gash on his head with a large piece of glass sticking out and smaller pieces littered across his forehead. "Oh my God, River..." I whispered as I reached up to try to pull it out, but River beat me to it, pulling it out without a blink.
"I'm fine," he said coldly, his eyes still trained on Andrew. "Are you okay?"
"Yes," I immediately responded.
"Now get behind me. I don't want you getting hurt."
I followed his instructions without protests and squeezed my eyes closed. I heard the men fight, curses and grunt coming from both sides until it all fell silent.
I held my breath, scared to see who's come out on top. "Cat," a voice said as a hand touched my back, causing me to scream as I finally opened my eyes.
"Whoa, Baby Girl, everything's alright," River softly said as he wrapped his arms around me.
I closed my eyes, relieved that he was alright and focused on the sound of him breathing. "Who was he?" I softly asked.
"A messed up low life that deserves way worse than what I did to him," River coldly said.
"What did you do..." I started asking, but when I saw the man laying there not moving, a shriek escaped my lips.
"Calm down," he said as he brushed the rest of the broken glass off his forehead.
"Calm down?!" I shrieked. "You're telling me to calm down after a man just tried to kill us in the middle of the night and is now laying right over there dead?!" I said pointing to his limp, none moving body slowly going hysterical.
"He's fine," River said as if it were no big deal. "I didn't hit him that hard."
I looked at him in pure shock. What was wrong with him?
"Now come on," he said grabbing my arm and leading me away from the man.
"No, we have to call an ambulance!" I said trying to pull myself out of his firm grip, but failing due to my lack of strength.
"No," he snapped, "They'll notice he's gone and call one for him and when they find him, I don't want to be here and neither do you."
"Who are-"
"Cat, listen, the less you know, the better," he said. "Now let's just go so no more people get hurt, okay?"
I looked at him. Sweat had formed all over his forehead and a look of urgency was written all over his face. Blood was now leaking from the nasty cut on his forehead and looked like it would need some serious tending.
I looked between him and the guy laying on the ground.
I'm probably going to regret this later. I thought to myself as I took a deep breath before nodding and without a second thought, he continued pulling me away.
He led me through the alley until we were in front of the apartment complex where Liam had told me to meet him. I immediately recognized Liam's car and River pulled me to it before throwing me in the backseat and crashing in next to me.
"Is everyone alright?" Liam asked, looking at the both of us through the rear view mirror.
"Yeah," River answered for the both of us.
"I swear, River if I get shot tonight, I'ma come back and haunt the life out of you," Mason said as the car began moving.
"Shut up," River grumbled before he gave Liam some directions in Spanish. Liam nodded before the car jerked to life and sped down the road toward the unknown.
My heart was beating out of my chest and my brain was fried. "Hey, Baby Girl," River whispered as he used his index finger to lift my head up so that I was looking at him. "Are you okay?"
Instead of answering, I burst into tears and buried my face in River's chest. River just stroked my back and let me cry. "Everything's alright, Baby Girl. They won't hurt you, I promise."
"B-But he almost-"
"I know and I'm so sorry that you were dragged into this. I should've been more careful, but I wasn't and I'm so sorry." He said before he rested his chin on the top of my head, causing my heart to flutter at the simple gesture despite the situation I was just in.
"I swear, River, if Cat gets hurt I'ma cut your balls off, shove 'em down your throat and laugh as I watch you die choking on them," Liam said as he drove past my block, causing Mason to chuckle at the visual.
"Nothing will happen to her, I promise," River said as he held me impossibly closer.
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"Something like a safe house. That's where you're going to stay until we're 100% sure that you're safe," River explained.
"I'm staying there by myself?" I asked as I pictured a dark underground bunker with dusty canned food and no wifi. Aka the super sketchy bunkers from the movies.
"Of course not," Mason said. "You'll have the three of us there to protect you."
"What'll happen when my dad returns?"
"We'll figure that out when the time comes," River answered. "But for now, we need to make sure that you're safe."
I nodded before I placed my head on his chest once more. We drove in a loud silence, everyone consumed in their own thoughts.
Who was he?
What did he want from River?
What would've happened if River hadn't shown up?
I sighed as I push all those thoughts into the back of my mind and focused on the soothing sound of River's heartbeat.
"River, what's your real name?" I asked, breaking the silence. The man referred to him as Riverdale, but I wanted to hear it from his lips. I felt him tense underneath me before he sighed.
"Riverdale," he said, barely above a whisper. "My real name's Riverdale."
"I like it," I softly said
"I was named after my dad," he explained. "He's the one who got me into this," he said bitterly. "He's dead now."
"I'm so sorry, River," I said.
"Don't be," he shrugged. "He was dead way before his heart stopped beating."
I bit my bottom lip debating whether or not I should ask him more questions like who that guy was, what he wanted, and what exactly had his father gotten him into. But based on how his jaw was set and how his eyes glazed over and how tight he was holding me, I could tell that he didn't want to talk about it. So I let it go and closed my eyes and once again focused on the lullaby his heartbeat was making. I felt myself slowly drifting off to sleep but as I did, one question burned in my mind: Who was River really and what was he not telling me?
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Hey guys, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and sorry it took so long for it to come out, I was busy, but hopefully by November these updates will have a weekly flow of every Friday or so.
Teaser: IDK yet, but you'll find out soon.
Love y'all- Jordan🦄
PS if you're still reading this, comment your favorite seasons. Mine are Fall and Winter. IDK why but I just love them so much.
M'kay. Bye.