𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙋. 𝙏𝙒𝙀𝙉𝙏𝙔 𝙎𝙄𝙓 ─── 𝖲𝖤𝖠𝖲𝖮𝖭 𝟮
❝ 𝖠𝖫𝖤𝖷'𝖲 𝗦𝗨𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗗𝗘 𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗘 ❞
❪ 𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝙁𝙄𝙍𝙎𝙏 𝙋𝙊𝙇𝘼𝙍𝙊𝙄𝘿 ❫

𝟤𝟨. ╱ ✷ ❝ maybe he 𝗶𝘀,
maybe he 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 ❞

𝗥𝗜𝗟𝗘𝗬 𝗪𝗔𝗟𝗞𝗘𝗗 down the stairs of her home, finding her aunt looking out of the large window that overlooked the street in front of the house. "Aunt Lainie, why are you just staring out of the window?"

The front door comes open, and Clay steps inside.

"Never mind."

"How's Skye?" Lainie questions her son.

"She's good." Clay answered.

"You should invite her in." Lainie says, causing the cousins to share a confused look, "We haven't seen her since what? Seventh grade?"

"She hasn't really changed." The cousins say in sync.

"We'll have her over for dinner." Lainie said, "Along with Zach. He's a nice boy." She winks at Riley.

"I don't like, nor have I ever, had feelings for Zach." Riley rolled her eyes.

Since the night Riley got the phone call from Zach about Alex, the two of them had been spending a lot of their time with the Standall boy. And when Zach picked her up one night, Lainie took that as them dating.

But that wasn't the case.

Riley guessed that's what happened when you were in a three year long relationship and no one knew, well except for Monty and Zach.

"That would be like kissing Clay, and that's just nasty."

Clay shoots his cousin a look of offense before looking at his mom, "Uh, Skye doesn't really do dinner."

"She doesn't eat?" Lainie pressed.

"I mean, no, she eats." Clay tells his mom, "Just not in situations with parents."

"Kids, I need to talk to the both of you about the trial." Lainie stopped the two from going up the stairs.

"What?" Riley shot her aunt a look.

"What trial?" Asked Clay.

"Hannah's trial." She says, Clay and Riley looking at each other with unreadable expressions on their faces, "It's moving forward."

"What? You told us it was settled." Clay walked through the table where his mom sat, Riley choosing to stay closer to the stairs.

"We thought it was. But the Baker's rejected the District's final offer today." She tells them, "It starts tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? How is that possible?" Riley asked.

"They were up against the trial date, and at last minute, the Baker's rejected the settlement." Lainie explained to them.

Riley moved to stand behind her cousin's chair.

Clay motions between him and Riley, "So, we'll get to testify about Bryce?"

"Sonya did tell me that neither of you are on either witness list." Lainie looked up at her niece and son.

"Why not?"

"Clay, each side chooses witnesses based on a variety of factors." She said.

"Bryce raped Hannah!" Riley exclaimed, "Why is nobody talking about that?"

"You heard his confession." Clay argued, "You heard everything before you dropped out of the case."

"I didn't drop out of the case. I withdrew myself before you and Riley's involvement created a conflict of interest." Lainie tells them.

"Well, we're not involved anymore, so can someone do something?"

"If we knew the girl on the tape." Lainie tried to persuade her niece and son into telling her who had been on the tape, which she had been doing since they were made known.

She had also been trying to persuade Riley into telling her who had written her name on the 'Hot & Not' list, but she had refused to tell her anything. Hell, she honestly didn't know who had put her name on it.

"We've already told you that we couldn't tell you." The blonde tells her aunt, rolling her eyes.

"Mom, it's not my place to tell you that." Clay says, "And it's not Riley's either."

"If she would come forward-,"

"This is a fucking joke!" Riley threw her hands into the air, cutting Lainie off, "A sick fucking joke!"

"He confessed!" Clay yelled.

"Clay, I'm worried about your anger."

Clay turned his head to look up at his cousin in disbelief before he turned to look at his mom, "You're worried about my anger? That's what you're worried about? I'm not angry mom, I'm fine."

"That's why neither of you are ever home?" Lainie asked before looking at Riley, "or why you spend days away from the house with God knows who?"

"I'm never home because I want to make sure my friends are okay after the shit they've gone through! I'm never home because I don't want to be somewhere where parents don't trust me!" Riley exclaimed.

"How do you expect Matt and I to trust you when you keep giving us reasons not to, Riley?!"

"I risked everything to take up for Clay over some fucking weed even mine! That wasn't even Clay's! So that your son wouldn't get into much trouble! I told you that it was neither of ours, and you still don't trust me?" Riley lets out a bitter laugh, "What a great aunt you are."

"Riley, hon-,"

"I'm going to bed." Riley spits, "Jess and Alex are coming back to school."

Clay turns to his mom as Riley slams her bedroom door closed, "We had a deal. I've had a perfect attendance. I kept my grades up, I get to have a life of my own."

"The deal was that you and Riley would be safe." Lainie tells him, "The two of you put locks on your doors."

"Which you found out by trying to open them?" He asked, standing up from the chair.

"Clay, I know this guy is going to be very hard for you and Riley."

"It's not." Clay shakes his head, "I haven't thought about Hannah in months. So, I'll just keep on like that. Along with showing my cousin that at least one person in this house trusts her."

ミ⛧ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ⛧ミ

"𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗬 are!" Riley runs towards Jessica and Alex with a smile on her face, "I've missed you both so fucking much!"

"Has it really been that terrible without us?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow at the blonde to the left of him.

"For me, it has." She shoves her hands into the pockets of her - Scott's - blue jean jacket, "I've been hanging out with only Zach and Clay, and sometimes on the rare occasion I'll go see Tyler. There is only so much baseball, robots, and photo development that I can handle before I check myself into a psych ward."

Jessica and Alex laugh.

"Well, the two of you look beautiful today." Alex complimented the two of them, "Though, that jacket looks a little big on you, Lee."

"Oooh, does Riley Jensen have a new man in her life?" Jessica smirks at the blonde, "Or is it the same guy that you would never tell Hannah and I about?"

Alex raised an eyebrow, "There's been a guy?"

"Yes." Jessica nodded, "Way before the two of us moved down here."

"I don't kiss and tell, sweetheart." Riley smirked, "Besides, didn't I tell you and Hannah that you just have to pay attention to those around me? You'll find out real quick."

"Does he even go to this school?"

"People are looking at you, Alex." Riley changes the subject with a wink thrown in Jessica's direction.

"They're checking Jessica out." Replied Alex.

"She's pretty and sad," The blonde shrugged,nudging the brunette next to her, "People love that."

"You have a cane and a scar." Jessica directed her comment towards Alex, "All my scars are on the inside."

Alex scoffed, "We're definitely going to hell for joking about this."

"Alex, my friend, we're in hell already." Jessica says, "Riley and I plan to look like we're enjoying it."

Riley smirked, handing the Davis girl a red sucker as they walked into the school, students looking between the three of them.

"They're looking at you two more." Alex tells the two girls.

"They're looking at you both more." Riley laughed, causing the Standall boy to scoff.

"Which one of us is more tragic?" He asked the two, "Ryan should do another one of his stupid polls."

"I'll take that." Zach runs up behind the three, taking Alex's bag from his shoulders.

"I can carry my own books." Alex tries to tell him, but Zach doesn't listen.

"Well, clearly you can, so let me help you. Don't be a dick." Zach tells him, "And welcome back."

Jessica stops in front of her locker, "Thank you!"

"I meant to ask you guys about my note." Alex looks between the three.

"What note?" Zach and Riley question in sync."

"Please, don't ever do that again. It's creepy." Alex tells them, "My suicide note."

"Jesus, put that away." Zach says, looking around to make sure there wasn't a teacher lingering around the halls.

"I'm not radioactive."

"No, he knows that. It's just - we're not allowed to talk about suicide." Riley explained to him, "Or you and Hannah."

"Says who?" Jessica asked.

"Says the school." Zach answered, "They made a rule the day after you...after that day. And if you talk about it on campus, you get suspended."

"That's so fucked up."

"Yeah."

Jessica turned her head to look down the hallway, "Oh, shit."

Walking down the hallway were Bryce, Monty and Scott.

"Let's go." Zach grabbed Alex's arm to turn him around, "Who do you have first period? Mr. Wood?"

"Yeah. I can't turn that fast."

"What are you running from, Zach?" Jessica questioned the taller boy.

"Nothing."

"Hey!" Bryce exclaimed as he and the other two got closer to them, Scott smirking over at Riley as he took in the sight of her wearing not only his blue jean jacket but as well as a gray t-shirt that he had left at her place. "Jess, Alex; welcome back, you guys."

"Sup, Alex?" Monty looks at the two before kissing Riley's cheek, "Morning, Lee."

"Seriously? 'Welcome back'?"

"Alex, stop." Jessica tells him, "I'll see you guys after third. Riley and I are going to take the long way. It's gonna be a good day."

The two girls link arms before walking off in the direction of their first period class.

"I saw that." Jessica grinned as the two turned around the coroner.

"Saw what?"

"The way Scott Reed just looked you up and down." Jessica tells him, "Is he the guy?"

"Maybe he is." Riley smirks, "Maybe he isn't."

"I'm watching the two of you closely." Jessica squints her eyes playfully at the blonde.

ミ⛧ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ⛧ミ

"𝗛𝗘𝗬!" 𝗥𝗜𝗟𝗘𝗬 yelps as she was pulled around the corner, "You ass! You scared the hell out of me!"

Scott laughs as he leaned his back against the wall, pulling Riley against his body, "I'm sorry." He leaned down and kissed her, hands cradling her face "Hi."

"Hi." The blonde grins, "I thought we made the agreement not to talk to each other during school? Bryce almost caught us in the locker room last time."

Her relationship with Scott still wasn't on the outs yet. Both were tired of hiding their relationship, especially since it was Scott's last year before he went away to college, but both had agreed to wait until Hannah's trial was over.

"We can't talk in school, but you can come wearing my clothes?" He asked, hands snaking down into the back pockets of her jeans. "I've worn that jacket around the guys enough for them to notice it's mine."

"If you don't want me wearing them, then don't leave them in my room when you leave." She says, wrapping her arms around his neck, standing on her tiptoes to peck his lips.

"Baby, I'm climbing out of your window, remember?" Scott looks down at her, "Your aunt was knocking on the door last night so I had to hurry out of the window."

"You could've hid."

"Where? Your bedroom is small as hell!" He laughs.

"The closet. I didn't want you to leave." Riley pouts, "I really need to get to second before I'm late. Again."

"Hey, no. Wait, wait, wait, wait. Come back." Scott pulls her back to him as she goes to walk away, "No kiss goodbye."

Riley playfully rolls her eyes at her boyfriend, pushing away from him, "In your dreams, Reed!"

"Every time I close my eyes, baby!"

ミ⛧ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ⛧ミ

𝗥𝗜𝗟𝗘𝗬 𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗦 in her desk, tapping on the wooden surface as she listens to the teacher talk nonstop as she went over their lessons plan. Next to her, Monty was half asleep as he sat with his arms crossed over his chest.

The sound of her phone buzzing on the desk catches her attention, and once she sees the teacher isn't looking, she picks the phone and smiles softly at the message on her phone.

I'm doing okay. I promise, I'll see you soon. :) - Jay