[ nine ]

“Riles!” Harmony yelled out my name, a wide smile on her face. She tackled me into a hug and a short laugh escaped my lips as I wrapped my arms around her. She pulled away with a small pout, “It feels like I haven’t seen you in forever! I’m sorry I couldn’t visit you in the hospital, I was bombarded with work from the student council. But, are you feeling okay?” Her brown eyes stared at me. I smiled, patting her cheek, “I’m fine now. Just that my hand’s still healing and my head sometimes gets headaches.”

She reached out my left hand and squeezed it, “I’m sorry I couldn’t be there when you needed me the most. But on the bright side, Casey Taylor has been expelled and her little gang is suspended.” I squeezed her hand back, “Yeah, so don’t worry about it too much, Harm.”

She nodded her head, face still a little doubtful as the bell rang. Shooting her one last smile, I said as reassuringly as possible, “It’s okay, seriously. I don’t blame you, okay? I’ll see you at lunch.” Harmony raised her hand and waved before I pivoted on my heel and got to my first class of the day.

“Ah, Miss Summers, you’re back,” Mr Smith said in a pleasant tone. A polite smile formed on my lips as I took my seat. River strolled into the classroom and I turned to look out the window, not interested in him. However, he pulled the chair out beside me and sat down.

Before I even said anything, he spoke, “Don’t question it. Mom practically forced me to be your slave today.” I didn’t, and class officially began.

Mr Smith displayed his PowerPoint slides on the projector and it was then that my head started pounding. My brows knitted together and I shook my head, trying to ignore the sudden pain, hoping it would subside quickly. River noticed as I had stopped taking notes and he glanced at me silently.

Another wave of sharp pain struck my hand and I dropped my pen and held my head. With my elbows resting on the desk, I held my head with my eyes staring at my notebook. My breathing became heavy and I could feel a drop of sweat trickle down my forehead. My head throbbed and it felt like it was going to burst.

The chair beside me scrapped against the ground and in my peripheral vision, I saw River stand up.

“Mr Jones, is there a problem?” The teacher questioned.

“Riley’s head is hurting, badly. I’m going to take her to the infirmary.” River didn’t hesitate as his hand wrapped around my forearm. He tugged me to my feet and before the teacher responded, he exited the classroom, dragging me along.

The students who didn’t have class, shot us curious looks as we walked down the hallway. I looked down, not wanting the attention.

And then I bumped into River’s back.

“This isn’t working,” he muttered to himself.

He released my arm and came around me. He hooked an arm behind my knees and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. Without any warning, he literally swept me off my feet and into a princess carry.

My cheeks immediately warmed and I could hear murmurs surfacing. Not even thinking about it, I buried my face in his chest to shy myself from the curious eyes.

“What the hell Jones. My head hurts not my legs,” I mumbled into his chest. I could hear his heartbeat. “Well, your short legs were taking too long.” Despite my pounding headache, I was now more concerned about my pounding heart.

I struggled in his hold before smacking his chest, “Damn you.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

The nurse wasn’t in the infirmary when we entered. River gently laid me down on an empty bed as he searched the medicine cabinets for painkillers. I sat up on the bed and stared at him quietly.

He finally found the painkillers and he tossed it to me along with an unopened bottle of water. River dragged a chair in front of the bed and turned it such that the back of the chair was facing me. He plopped himself down, “Take the medicine and go to sleep.”

“You know what I’ve realised? You haven’t changed at all since we were little. Well, maybe except for the girls and cooties part but, yeah. You’re still the you, you were thirteen years ago.” I commented as I popped a pill and swallowed it with a gulp of water.

River stretched out his hand for the pills and bottle and I gave it to him. He placed them on an empty table before turning to me with an impassive expression, “Yeah well, you should go to sleep now.”

Not rebelling, I nodded and laid back down on the bed. I pulled the blanket over my body and stared up the ceiling, “Hey, do you ever wonder how we became like this? I mean, we’ve pretty much known each other for almost our whole life and yet unlike our parents, we’re not really friends.”

I heard a sigh escape from his lips, “I don’t want to be friends,” he muttered lowly. I laughed, a wry one, “Ouch, it’s one thing to know it subconsciously without any confirmation but it’s another to actually say it out loud and confirm my suspicions.”

He rose from his seat and came over to my side with arms folded against his chest as he stared down at me, “Just go to sleep Summers.” I closed my eyes, “Right, I wouldn’t want to see your face anymore. It’ll just give me nightmares.”

A few minutes passed and the sleep still didn’t overcome me yet but I still kept my eyes shut. I heard River shuffle back to his seat. Another quiet moment passed before I heard him mutter to himself.

A phone rang and he picked it up.

“Hello? …Yes, she’s fine, she’s resting now…Okay, bye.”

I heard him shuffle again and I knew he was right beside the bed this time as I felt his presence. His hand gently brushed my cheek and I felt more alert than I initially was. What was he doing?

“And you’re still as blind as you were thirteen years ago Riley,” he mumbled.

What? What was that supposed to mean? Did I hear that correctly?

I pretended to stir as I turned to the side that didn’t face him. I could feel his hand stroke my hair and my body heated up.

What the heck?