"Riley, you don't look so good. Do you have the flu?" Tiffany asks as the three of us sit in the lunch room, my fork spinning absent mindlessly in my over cooked spaghetti.
"I don't think that I have the flu." I look up at her and Denis who stare a glance at each other before looking back at me; but when Denis's eyes flicker to behind me and turn cold, I can already tell I am not going to like what, or more like who is coming over.
"Gregory, you need to back off. I don't know what you did, but obliviously you did something really bad this time to get ignored for a month." Tiffany says pointing her spoon at him as he walks up and stands at the end of our table.
"I really need to talk to her." He says in a sad tone, his glance shifting to me, but I just look away and push my food away from me.
"Well, too bad." She says harshly, "Now get lost."
Gregory stands there for a little longer before sighing and walking away, Tiffany looks back at me for an explanation; but I just shake my head and grab my tray walking to the garbage can and placing my tray on top before exiting the cafeteria.
Since that night, I haven't heard anything from Aiden and I've been completely ignoring Gregory when he tries to make himself sound like what he did was the "right" thing to do.
What is even the right thing to do in this situation?
I don't think that this answer is that easy to find, our situation was complicated and fragile to begin with.
"Riley!" I turn half way and see Tiffany jogging towards me. "Tell me what's going on." Giving me a gently bump on the shoulder, we head outside to the bleachers.
Going to the top, we take our normal seat and I close my eyes relishing in the sun light, the warm breeze and the distant sound of many conversations back in the school flowing out the opening and closing doors.
"Please let me in Riley," I open my eyes to see Tiffany looking at me with concern. "It makes me scared when you get this quiet." She puts her hands on mine and I smile at her.
"I'm sorry," I take in a big breath and let it out, "I just don't know what to do."
"Tell me about it, maybe we can come up with something together."
Starting from leaving school that day, I tell Tiffany everything that happened and how this past month I have just been trying to keep myself sane. To not think about what Aiden might be doing with other girls and how Gregory won't leave me alone. How much physical pain I am in to be apart from Aiden, how lonely I am. How nothing I do will stop the need to be with Aiden that I have now that I got to be close to him once.
"I can't believe Gregory did such a thing." Tiffany says once I've finished, she leans back on the fence and stares up at the sky.
"Me either." I lean back too and close my eyes again.
"Hey, school is almost over; why don't you skip last period and just go home. You haven't been able to sleep very well recently, have you?"
"I haven't." I open my eyes lazily and for a moment, I feel really exhausted. It is as if telling someone everything that has been happening let some of the pressure escape, though the kettle is still boiling over. per say.
"Go home, I'll handle Mr. Slansky." Tiffany scrunches up her face and I laugh a little.
"Thank you."
"No problem," She smiles and we walk back towards the school, once I've dropped my things off in my locker we hug quickly just as the bell rings for the students to get to last period. "Riley, things will work out. I know they will. Just hang in there."
I nod and give her a small smile before turning and walking out of the school; when I get to my house, I go straight to my room and flop down on my bed. My ear buds in and music already playing before my brain can even get the chance to think of anything.
Before I know it, I drift off to sleep; but again it is empty and no thoughts come to mind.
My body is used to the slightly cool texture of my sheets, but when I nuzzle into something warm, my body craves it; slowly I open my eyes to see a broad chest covered in a black t-shirt and the smell of old spice.
Looking up and pushing back a little on the chest in front of me, I try to get my tired eyes to focus on the person in my bed.
"Aiden?" My voice is thick with sleep.
"Hey darlin."
"Wha- how?"
"Tiffany called me." his hand comes up and moves some of my hair away from my face.
I shake my head, "That girl."
"Don't be mad at her, she was worried." His voice taking on a guilty tone, "I'm really sorry about how things are going Riley."
"How do we do this?" I ask honestly, hoping that he has some magical advice he can give me.
"I guess we just take it one day at a time." Feeling tears raise, I shake my head and bury my face in his chest.
"I don't want to talk about it." I say quickly. I look into his eyes and it feel like the first time in forever that I have gotten to feel at peace. "Let's just be here."
"Ok." He whispers and tucks my head under his chin and holds me tightly in his arms, my eyes and body going back to sleep against my will; but the rhythm of his heartbeat is like my perfect lullaby and I can't help but drift off to the sound of it.
~~~Ok my lovely readers :) I was already planning on writing a separate book in Aiden's POV called "Faded To Be Hers". But I would like to know that it will be read if I write it, so I thought I would ask you all to leave a comment if you would like that. So Please comment and give me your thoughts on that and any other chapters in Faded to be his, because I love hearing from you all. Thank you and thank you for reading :)~~~