Chapter 7

Riley's POV

The floor seemed to teeter with every step I took. As I advanced warily, the rustling slowed. Whatever was on the other side of the bed knew I was coming.

Sudden tremors shot through my hand which was holding the blade. Sweat sat lazily on my neck. I was inches away from the bed.

Drawing my hand back, I squinted my eyes in fear. I drew it back to increase momentum so I could cause adequate damage.

I elevated my height by going on my tippy toes. A fuzzy grey head stuck out---hissing vehemently at me. It's strikingly green eyes stared deep into my soul.

I dropped my hand as I exhaled, "Ok... you've seriously got to stop doing that."

The stupid stray cat and I have made too many encounters. First, when my backpack got stolen. Second, when I needed to escape. The third time was at the portable washroom.

It showed up at the most inconvenient, unpredictable times. Irritation gnawed at the back of my head. I needed to get it out of my room.

I crawled on all fours to the other side the bed. I could only see it's head from where I had been standing.

As I crawled closer, I found a pair of long slender arms wrapped protectively around the cat.

I remained stagnant in place. My breathing ceased as if it would protect me from getting noticed by the owner of the arms.

Brown locks of hair shifted inadvertently behind the cat. The person's face was curtained by their curled, silky hair.

A hand brought strands of hair to the back of their ear. When the person saw my proximity, their nearly bulging blue eyes illuminated sheer terror.

It was the girl who got kicked out earlier, Kate!

Our vocal chords were given no clemency as we screamed in unison. Kate flailed her arms rapidly like she was drowning. That motion caused my blade to unintentionally graze her arm.

A tiny laceration appeared on her skin. Ruby blood droplets crept out. The droplets landed on the carpet---claiming its territory with its daunting crimson shade.

"Like... ouch!" Kate yelped as she gripped her arm. Subtle sobs escaped her lips when she noticed the blood.

"Great... you got blood on the carpet." I said with a deadpan tone. I cringed at her excessive whimpering over such a tiny cut.

My eyes narrowed as I demurred, "wait... what are you doing here? Didn't you get kicked out?"

Her reddened eyes reluctantly tore their gaze away the cut. Wiping away tears, she explained, "I like did... but I like snuck in... and in like here because like this room was like empty."

Her pink lips curve into a shy smile as she bent down to glide her fingers through the cat's fur, "this like little guy like showed me a like way in."

"Don't like tell anyone I'm like here." Kate said with a sense of seriousness.

"Didn't you practically threaten me?!" I loudly asserted, throwing my hands in the air. The cat scurried away into a nearby vent.

"Oh like... but like forget it please?? I won't like do anything I like promise if you like don't alert anyo---," Kate endlessly rambled until I disrupted her.

"Shut up!"  I barked, blocking my hearing with my palms.

Kate appeared as if someone chopped off both of her arms, "like what?"

"Stop using the word like every second!" I snapped as I released my accumulating agitation. In attempt to suppress my vexation, I hop off the bed---backing away.

Kate's jaw dropped faster than a sprinting cheetah. Her hand automatically landed on her heart, as if it were a magnet. Jagged intakes of air were taken.

The stunned girl squeaked in her valley girl accent, "Are you like insulting like me?"

My eye involuntarily twitched every time the word 'like' was used.

"Riley, just breathe in and out. Compose yourself before you murder her. Find your inner Chi." I prudently said to myself out loud.

Blackness blanketed my sight as I closed my eyes. My thumb touched my index finger---I did this to both of my hands. I opened my eyes to reality, dropping them.

"Just stop. Please." I said in tone which implied that I was about to reach my breaking point.

"Fine! I. Half. Twoe. Ta-talk. Like. Yew. Ba-base icks!" She pouted as she struggled to enunciate every word. It was like she was learning a foreign language.

When Kate completed the sentence, her hand landed on her forehead. Her eyeballs rolled back leaving white part visible. A thump hung in the air as she plopped onto the bed.

Kate lay there with her arms stretched out. Her eyelids were rapidly fluttering about as she "gasped" for air.

What a dramatic.

I pursed my lips in a straight line as I shook my head.

"Please. D-d-don't. Tall. Them I'm here!" She begged as she jumped off the bed to my feet.

Her dress fluttered from the sudden movement, revealing scabbed knees. She latched her fingers around my ankles.

"On one condition," I grunted as I pried her fingers off my ankles.

She vigorously nodded.

"Be my friend."

Kate instantly stood, tilting her head in an awkward position. "Out of like all the like things you could like make me do... you want like me to be your friend?! Ew. Like hell no."

"Okay then." I nonchalantly said as I waltzed over to the door. My fingers were about to come in contact with the handle, but Kate interjected.

"Fine! Fine... I'll be your friend." She feigned a gag when she said friend.

You may be wondering why I want her to be my friend. In case you haven't noticed, the only people that are my "friends" are male. One is apparently being revived. The other is too idiotic.

It would be nice to have a girl to talk to.

At least, I don't have to worry about her ditching or disrespecting me.

"Honey! You like look a like---" she stopped when shot her a death glare, " I mean... wha-wha-hat. Ha-happened. Twoe. Yew?"

I abandoned my glare, and welcomed a wave of sadness. It's not like she actually cared if I told her anyway. I basically forced this new friendship.

Just as I was about to explain, a buzz of distant voices evaded my hearing. The source was behind the door.

Kate scanned the room to find a spot to hide. Her dress fluttered in the rigid air as she futilely spun. I frenziedly pointed to the closet as angst nearly unhinged me.

She shot me a thumbs up, then made her way to the closet. Meanwhile, I had my ear compressed against the door. Hopelessly straining to hear, I stopped breathing but only heard my heartbeat.

The voices were there, but it was like someone purposely muffled the conversation.

My heartbeat became less fierce, slowly regulating. That's when I started to pick up the once incoherent words.

"Did you tell."

"No."

"--you never--"

"Course not."

"You'll end up like him!"

The door flung wide open, catapulting me to the ground. Ryan loomed over me with a look of confusion. He reached his hand to me.

"Are you okay?" He asked as he hoisted me to my feet. A wrinkle found its way between his eyebrows.

"Er... yes! I'm perfect! Great! Sooo fine!" I chirped with a nervous laugh.

Ryan muttered an okay, then shut the door. He faced to me with his eyes boring into mine. "We need to talk. You might want to sit for this."

He kept his gaze strictly down as he slowly walked to my bed. Ryan froze when he saw something amiss.

"Is that blood on the carpet?" He asked with thick skepticism as he met my gaze.

"Pshhh... no." I awkwardly drawled, observing his condemning eyes. Ryan gave me a straight-faced look.

Falsely giving in, I rambled, "Okay. Okay. Okay. Fine... it's from my lady days."

"Huh?"

"That time of the month."

"What?"

"The big scarlet rainfall!"

"Not getting anywhere."

I blurted out in frustration, "Period! It's my period!" Then continued, "for someone who is around girls 24/7, you sure know them as well as a stone can talk.

"Oh..." He replied without a trace of interest.

As realization smacked him with a brick, he scrunched his nose, "OH... gross! Get in a washroom!"

Ryan was about to make a run for it, but he paused. "I must know girls very well since Stones do talk. Exhibit A, Emma Stone." He jested as wide smirk stretched across his face.

"Shut up smartass." I angrily muttered under my breath.

Ryan's smirk grew, then he shook it off.
"I'll get you a change of clothes in the closet."

He lifted himself off the bed, moving towards the closet. I firmly planted myself between him and the closet.

"No no no!" he lifted one eyebrow, "I'll do it myself!"

"Why are you acting so... so..." Ryan trailed letting the word 'so' hang in the air.

"So?"

"Perky all of a sudden? I mean aren't you mad at me?"

"Do you want me to be mad at you?"

"No."

"Then leave... go on with your dirty duties." I commanded, pushing him out by his lower back.

Ryan abruptly twisted his front to me. It didn't even realize that my hands were touching his lower abdomen.

He smirked, looking at the placement of my hands. In embrassmemt, briskly put my hands behind my back.

"My dirty duties are here. Now. With you." He rasped as his hot breath wafted my face. I would have told him his breath stank, but that would be a lie. Peppermint slowly entered my nostrils.

While he inched closer, I backed away. This ended when my back collided with the wall.

Ryan blocked both sides by placing his arms against the wall. I felt like a caged bird. I needed to fly away---and fast.

"Ryan...," I lustfully said, biting my lower lip. A corner of his mouth tilted upwards when he saw I reciprocated his feelings.

My fingers travelled from his wrist to his arm. Gliding them seductively, I made a comment on how firm his arm felt. For a second, Ryan looked at me hazily... as if he was dreaming.

The closet door creaked open to a tiny crack. Instantly, he whipped his head backward. I placed both of my hands behind his neck, and pulled him closer to me.

"Did you hear that?" Ryan asked with concern. My grip at the back of his neck tensed.

I frantically blabbered, "pshh what. No. Whaaat? No. Nothing."

His eyebrow shot up in the air. I took a breath in as I tried to say in my most seductive tone, "I'm the only thing that should matter right now."

That sentence alone hooked him right into our realm. Slowly closing his eyes, he leaned his hungry lips toward mine.

___________________________

Author's Note:

Chapter Question: What are your thoughts on Kate?
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I would love to thank sad_masquerade for creating the new cover of this book! The new cover is the picture above.

If you're confused by the people on the cover, don't worry a cast list with pictures is in makes!

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