'Oh god, turn around; go, go, GO!' I muttered to Abbie, as I spotted Mason coming our way in the corridor, quickly grabbing Abbie and spinning her around to walk back the opposite way.
'You're going to have to face him sometime,' Abbie said.
'Amelia!' Mason called, from behind us. 'Wait!'
'Oh shit,' I groaned.
'Just deal with it,' Abbie said, patting my back. 'Meet you at the gates.'
She quickly spun around and headed back up the corridor, giving Mason a small smile as he looked at her curiously and continued walking towards me.
'If you're here to start up an argument, save it,' I sighed.
'About what?' he asked.
'I know you've seen the video,' I said. 'Everybody has.'
'Yeah, I saw it,' he said. 'What the hell were you thinking? They could have done anything to you!'
'But they didn't,' I sighed, rolling my eyes.
'No, because it was cut short but they were definitely heading towards something,' Mason said. 'It was Ryker that intervened, wasn't it?'
'How do you know?' I asked, frowning at him.
'The video cuts off just as someone walks in the room,' Mason said. 'Not before you hear his voice start yelling for a split second; I recognised it was him right away.'
'Yeah, well, they were Ryker's idiot friends,' I said, shrugging. 'I'm your girlfriend, he knew it was the right thing to do.'
'My girlfriend?' he repeated, his face lighting up.
'Sorry,' I said, gritting my teeth in annoyance at myself. 'I mean ex-girlfriend. Habit and all.'
'Amelia, I really want us to talk and fix this,' Mason said, his face remorseful and desperate. 'Since we broke up you seem to just be acting up even more so than you did before. The girl on that video is not you and I think it's because of what's going on between us that you're acting this way.'
'Trust me, you didn't know me before we were together,' I told him. 'I was a lot worse than that video.'
'That's the past,' Mason said. 'We were good together; you were happy!'
'Exactly, past tense,' I sighed. 'Was happy.'
'Ryker isn't that bad, Amelia,' Mason said. 'He's certainly not bad enough that we should stay broken up because of him. I mean he saved you at that party; does that not show you that there is some good in him?'
'Sure,' I replied. 'That's the thing; I've realised Ryker isn't the problem. Ryker is Ryker and always will be and I can't change that but why would I? He isn't my boyfriend. He isn't the one that changes around his best friend. You will always put him before me and I'm tired of having this conversation now.'
'Give me the chance to show you it won't be like that anymore,' Mason said, in an almost begging tone.
'I don't want to, Mason,' I sighed. 'I just want to be on my own for a bit, okay?'
'Fine,' he replied, nodding quickly. 'That's okay. I know you'll come back to me. I'll wait because we are meant to be together.'
'Well, if we are meant to be together then we'll find our way back naturally,' I said.
'Then I'll give you the space you want,' Mason said. 'I'll prove to you that I love you by waiting and still being here when you're ready to start things up again.'
'Okay,' I said, nodding slowly. 'If you want to wait for me then that's your choice, but I'm not making any promises.'
'You don't have to,' he said. 'I know you'll come back to me; you love me.'
'I won't deny that,' I said, quietly.
'Then I won't beg or harass you anymore,' he said, caressing my cheek with his palm. 'I'll be here when you're ready.'
Without another word, he walked right past me and continued down the hall, leaving me stood there feeling guilty and like a complete bitch. I did feel bad, but I had to be honest with him. The way he had been acting had made me rethink our relationship and I did just need some time apart from him.
Shaking my head and putting the conversation to the back of my mind, I headed up the corridor and out of the main doors to meet Abbie at the gates.
'What was that all about?' she asked.
'Nothing,' I sighed. 'I'll tell you later. Let's go get some food.'
'Pizza parlour?' she suggested.
'Where else?' I chuckled, as we crossed the street and headed towards the town centre.
An hour later, we were both sitting feasting on the biggest pepperoni pizza ever and downing the most amazing shakes you could ever get. I'd filled Abbie in on the Mason conversation, only for it to set her off about Ryker again.
'Abbie, will you please stop saying that there is something going on between us,' I groaned.
'I'm not saying something is going on,' she replied. 'I'm saying that I think there are some small feelings there on both sides.'
'Are you forgetting who Ryker's best friend is?' I asked. 'Best friend since they were kids!'
'I know,' Abbie said. 'That's what makes this so complicated.'
'It's not complicated,' I said, throwing my arms up in the air. 'Ryker absolutely loves Mason to pieces; he would never ever cross a line by even slightly crushing on his girlfriend.'
'Ex-girlfriend,' she mumbled.
'That's even worse!' I cried. 'As for me, stop saying I like him. He's an arsehole.'
'Then why does he keep playing the hero when it comes to you?' she asked. 'He just kicked the shit out of someone for what they did to you.'
'That is hearsay,' I told her. 'Based on Cassie's information. It's not reliable.'
'Well, we will find out, won't we?' she replied. 'Nothing stays secret around this town. If Ryker beat him up then we'll know for sure soon enough.'
'Okay, okay,' I sighed. 'It is likely that it's true; I can quite believe that Ryker did beat him up, but not for me! He warned those guys about getting out their phones and clearly one of them didn't listen to him. He kicked that guy's arse because he didn't listen to him.'
'Convince yourself of whatever you want, Amelia,' Abbie said. 'I know what I'm seeing from the outside.'
'And I know exactly what is going on on the inside,' I told her. 'He doesn't have feelings for me, he doesn't like me, he doesn't care about me, he doesn't even want to be friends with me.'
'What about you then?' Abbie asked. 'Where do you stand with all of those things?'
'Well,' I sighed. 'I don't have feelings for him or like him. I don't care about him and I don't really want to be his friend either.'
'Amelia,' she said, in a serious tone. 'I'm your best friend. I wouldn't judge you if you wanted to be honest and tell me the truth. That's what I'm here for; best friends are supposed to tell each other everything.'
Her words set off a very deep sense of guilt inside of me and I immediately wondered why I was feeling that way. It was as if I was hiding something from her and feeling bad about it but the words I was speaking felt like the truth. I had been curious of Ryker lately. I had went all the way to that party just to see how things were between us. There was something going on with me, but I just didn't know exactly what.
'That face says it all,' Abbie said. 'What are you thinking?'
'Okay,' I sighed. 'I don't know.'
'Don't know what?' she asked.
'I don't know what's going on,' I said. 'I know Ryker is a prick, he's mean to me, he broke up my relationship, he doesn't give a shit about the words he says and how they hurt me...or anyone for that matter. Then he just...turns around one day and surprises me. He goes and does something really nice and it makes me think I had him all wrong. Maybe the prick is a front and there's a decent guy somewhere.'
'If you're developing feelings for him, that's okay,' Abbie said. 'It's understandable.'
'It is?' I asked, not sure how anyone could understand anybody growing feelings for someone like Ryker Jordan.
'You guys have developed some strange little relationship over fighting and giving each other shit and threatening each other,' she chuckled. 'But in between all of that, when shit has hit the fan he's actually been there for you. You guys come from similar backgrounds; you're so alike in so many ways. It makes sense for you both to gravitate towards each other but because you're both stubborn as hell and frankly, both arseholes, it's not really going to be the smoothest of things is it?'
I chuckled softly and thought it over. 'Maybe I do...feel something.'
'Oh my god!' Abbie laughed, erratically. 'I can't believe it!'
'Abbie, why are you acting so surprised?' I asked. 'You're the one who has been telling me that I do!'
'I know but hearing you say it!' she cried, before letting out a squeal. 'You like him!'
'I didn't say I like him,' I mumbled. 'I said maybe I feel something!'
'So, does that mean you feel nothing for Mason anymore?' she asked.
'Of course not!' I replied. 'I love him still, of course. I just need time to think.'
'To see who you want to be with more?' she asked.
'Okay, stop,' I laughed. 'Too far; I would never ever be in a relationship with Ryker.'
'Why not?' she asked.
'This weird, little thing I'm feeling, it's a passing phase,' I told her. 'Like I could ever go serious with someone like that. Anyway, it would never happen because he will never ever tie himself down to one girl. He said so himself; he prefers to go through different girls and discard of them once he's done.'
'That's disgusting,' Abbie scoffed.
'That's Ryker,' I laughed. 'Whereas Mason, he is a forever boy. He is husband material. He's serious about life and his future and he isn't a guy who makes me worry or not trust him. He doesn't go for other girls and we're both virgins who promised our virginity to each other. I'm silly to give up on that right?'
'All that matters is how you feel and what you want for yourself,' Abbie said. 'He said he would wait for you so take advantage of that and use the time to really think about what you want. Don't rush back into it with him just because you've justified him as a good boyfriend. You need to be sure because if you're not and you end up leaving him again, it will hurt him more second time around.'
'Yeah,' I said. 'You're right.'
'On the other hand,' she sighed. 'If you do think you have feelings for Ryker, this is the time to try and figure that out.'
'Can we stop talking about them now?' I asked. 'I'm sick of talking about it.'
'Sure,' she laughed, grabbing another slice of pizza. 'No more boy talk for the rest of the day.'
We continued stuffing our faces and refrained from discussing any topics about Mason or Ryker or anything related and after finishing up and paying the bill, we headed out the door.
'So, how did that test go that you were worried about?' I asked Abbie, as we exited the pizza parlour to head home.
'Oh, not good,' she sighed. 'Well, I won't know until I get the results back but honestly, I already know I've fai-.'
I looked as Abbie stopped talking, following her gaze to the outdoor benches of the pizza parlour where Ryker was sat on the table top, shoes on the seat, smoking a cigarette.
'What are you doing here?' I asked him.
'I just wanted to check everything was okay at school after I left,' he said, staring at everybody around us and refraining from looking at me.
'Umm...yeah, it was fine,' I told him.
'I just thought that maybe you would have gotten a harder time off everyone because of what happened in class,' Ryker said.
'No, everything was fine; I don't care about what anybody has to say about me,' I replied. 'However, I did hear about what you did.'
'I thought you might,' he said.
'Why did you do that?' I asked him.
'Well, I warned them, didn't I?' he said, shrugging. 'I told them what would happen and he chose not to listen. I would have looked like a dick if I didn't step up to what I'd threatened him with.'
'I suppose,' I mumbled. 'How did you find out?'
'Not hard to ask around the group and scare at least one of them into confessing,' he said. 'Anyway, it appears it's been taken down now.'
'Yeah, it has,' Abbie said, as I glanced at her. 'I checked.'
'Good,' Ryker said, jumping down from the bench and flicking his cigarette butt away. 'Now that's sorted, I'll be off.'
'Okay,' I said, feeling the urge to say thank you to him but somehow I knew he wouldn't take it well.
I glanced at Abbie as she nudged me in the back and widened her eyes at me, nodding her head at Ryker as I frowned back, unsure of what the hell she was doing.
'What?' I whispered.
'You need to talk to him,' she whispered back.
'There's nothing else to say,' I muttered.
'I disagree,' she said. 'Hey, Ryker!'
'Abbie, what are you doing?' I hissed.
Ryker turned around and took a few steps back towards us, looking impatient and bored as he waited for Abbie to say whatever the hell she was planning to say.
'Why didn't you just call?' Abbie asked.
'What?' he replied.
'I mean...how did you know we were here?' she asked.
'I saw you check in online,' Ryker replied, shrugging with a confused expression.
'Oh,' Abbie said. 'Well, why did you come all the way here just to ask her that?'
'I don't know what you're talking about,' he said. 'I just came to check everything had been fine at school; I'm guessing she told you how I embarrassed her in class.'
'You didn't embarrass me,' I told him, speaking without thinking as he and Abbie turned and stared at me.
'Well, you're fine so I can go now,' he said, rolling his eyes and turning to leave again.
'Did you sit outside the pizza parlour the whole time until we were finished?' Abbie asked, making him freeze and turn back, this time his expression was twisted and annoyed.
'What?' he asked, abruptly.
'Abbie, shut up,' I muttered.
'Did you wait outside the whole time?' she asked.
'Not the whole time,' he said, diverting his eyes away and shifting in an irritable manner.
'But you waited for her?' Abbie continued.
'Oh my god; what are you doing?' I whispered, feeling my face going red.
'Well, yeah, obviously I've been fucking waiting; is that not obvious by the fact I was outside when you came out?' he replied, his tone sounding completely vexed at this point. 'What the fuck's your point?'
'Nothing,' she said, awkwardly. 'I was just wondering why, that's all.'
'You know why; I just told you,' he muttered, shaking his head.
'It was just nice of you, that's all,' Abbie said. 'Sorry for bringing it up.'
'Nice of me?' he questioned. 'I wasn't being nice by coming here and waiting for you guys. I'm just trying to save myself a load of shit from Mason for embarrassing her and dragging her out of class. I'm just trying to do the right thing before he finds out and jumps down my throat.'
'That's the only reason you're here?' Abbie asked.
'Yes,' he replied. 'What the fuck are you trying to suggest here?'
'Abbie, stop,' I hissed, loudly.
'Saving her at the party, saving her from the embarrassment in class, beating that guy up and getting the video taken down and coming here to check if she's okay,' Abbie said, making Ryker's eyebrows furrow furiously and his nostrils flare as he glared at her. 'All of that was...for Mason?'
'Are you suggesting that I care about her or something?' he asked, his tone low and quiet but still slightly scary.
'I'm just curious,' Abbie replied.
'Well, let me clear that up for you,' he said, walking towards us as he breathed heavily. 'I pulled her out of class because they were all pissing me off. I couldn't be arsed listening to it anymore and I didn't think she should have to either; she made a mistake and it was nothing to do with any of those pricks. I kicked the shit out of Parker because I told him not to record that and he didn't fucking listen to me and I came here to see if things were okay so I can be reassured that I don't have to waste my time saving her arse anymore!'
'Oh,' Abbie mumbled, as he turned to leave again before turning back around one last time.
'Oh, and as for saving her at the party?' he said. 'It's called Hook a Hoochie. It's a fucking game where they take turns to lure a girl in at parties to see how many of them she will let fuck her one after the other to tally up their points!'
'What!' I cried, my face twisting up as nausea hit me right in the stomach.
'I saved you from getting taken advantage of and having it recorded for every single one of those guys to watch back whenever they want,' he said, finally looking me in the eye for the first time. 'Mason fucking worships you; fuck knows why, but when I walked in and saw you'd been hooked, I didn't have much fucking choice to step in, did I? It doesn't mean I care! Honestly, I don't give a shit what you do; I just did it for Mase.'
Without another word, he spun around and crossed the street disappearing into the crowds of people as I stood still and frozen.
'I am so sorry, Amelia,' Abbie said. 'I didn't know he was going to start saying all those mean things.'
'They were all planning to try and have sex with me,' I mumbled. 'God, I'm such an idiot.'
'You heard Ryker, it's a game to them,' Abbie replied. 'It's fucking disgusting. Please don't feel stupid about it; they've probably fooled tons of girls.'
'I just want to go home,' I sighed.
'Ryker was out of line to talk to you that way,' Abbie said. 'It was clearly him just getting defensive because I hit a nerve. I think it means he knew I was right in everything I said!'
'Abbie, please, just...' I sighed, as I held up my hand and shook my head. 'Don't talk to me about Ryker caring about me or anything like that ever again.'
'Okay,' Abbie replied, nodding softly, with an apologetic expression.
'Once again, I got him all wrong,' I said, as I pulled her away from the pizza parlour to head home. 'Besides Mason, Ryker doesn't give a shit about anyone...especially not me.'