Opposites Attract

Ryan shook his head, "No! Stop twisting my words." He said as he stood up. "I just wanted to be mean enough to scare you off. It wasn't suppose to be like this and you can't completely blame me for you cutting yourself. That isn't all on me so don't try to make me feel like it is all me." He said, glaring.

@ katahdin

@ XXGhostyXX

Finley frowned as he yelled at her, lip trembling as tears began to roll down her cheeks while she looked up at him. "Y-You said you'd make them stop... You said you'd make them stop being mean, a-and then you didn't.. Y-You said that you wanted to be my friend, and you didn't care that I was weird, a-and then said all those awful things, and that you hated me.." she frowned as she turned away from him, scooting back to reach for the razor on the shelf above the bath. "But it's not your fault... It's my fault for believing you. I deserve this."

Ryan frowned as she moved away then knocked the razor out of her hands. "Stop or I am calling my mother and I will take you to the hospital. Is that what you want? Huh? Is it?" He asked.

@ katahdin

@ XXGhostyXX

Finley flinched as he knocked the razor from her hands, staring up at him with fearful eyes as he yelled at her, cowering as she sunk lower into the tub. She wasn't afraid of his threat to bring her to the hospital, she didn't care. She was afraid that he'd hit her, like her parents did when she was little. "P-P-Please stop yelling.." she stammered, voice barely above a whisper as she looked up at him with wide eyes a she cried.

Ryan frowned, "I can't help it. You are seriously trying this when I am trying to apologize. Do you not give a fuck about what I have to say?" He asked.

@ katahdin

@ XXGhostyXX

Finley whimpered a bit as he yelled again, burying her face in her hands as she tried to hide from him, hoping that maybe he'd go away if she sat there long enough. She wept soflty into her hands, rocking back and forth to keep herself warm, the water in the tub having gone cold.

Ryan texted his mom to let her know what was going on. "Finley, finish washing up so we can get you changed." He said, giving up on the whole argument.

@ katahdin

@ XXGhostyXX

Finley tensed as he practically ordered her around, shaking her head a little. She didn't want to get out of the tub with him here. She felt safe in the tub, because she could splash him if he tried to grab her, but our of the tub he could hit her or kick her or do whatever he wanted to do, and it scared her. For all she knew, he'd texted his friends and told them to come back so they could beat her some more.

Ryan walked away when his mom got there and let her in. He stood downstairs as he let his mom help Finley. He was hoping that she of all people could help.

@ katahdin

@ XXGhostyXX

It took some persuading, but eventually Ryan's mom was able to help Finley finish washing up before getting her out of the tub. Once she was all dried off they went to her room so she could put on clean pajamas for bed, and it wasn't long after she was tucked comfortably into bed that she began to drift off to sleep, struggling to keep her eyes open.

Ryan sat down in Finley's living room as he waited for his mom to come downstairs. He looked at her, "I didn't do that to her I swear." He said. He didn't need his mom thinking he would punch someone like Finley. He got to his feet, "Is she okay?" He asked.

@ katahdin

@ XXGhostyXX

Ryan's mother came downstairs once Finley was asleep in bed, scowling at her son as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Ryan Valentine, what have you put that poor girl through?" She asked sternly, although she kept her voice low as to not wake Finley. She'd managed to get most of the details from Finley, and already knew about the bullying from her visit to the principal's office a few days ago, but to get called in the middle of the night to help calm Finley down enough to go to sleep after God only knows what Ryan and his friends put her through. "I thought you two were friends, she seems so lovely. I don't understand what she did to deserve that sort of treatment from you." She frowned.

Ryan frowned, "I didn't put her through anything. I tried to push her away because I knew that if she hung around me stuff like this would happen. Mom you really think I would hurt someone like that?" He asked.

@ katahdin

@ XXGhostyXX

"What if pushing her away was what hurt her? That girl has never had a friend, and she put her trust in you after you told her that she could trust you, and then you went back on your word and ruined that trust. It's a miracle she even let you in the house to help her." His mother frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm disappointed in you, Ryan. You should have known better."

Ryan frowned at his mom, "Well, I don't know better and it's no my fault she doesn't have friends. It also isn't my responsibility to look after her!" He said, raising his voice.

@ katahdin

@ XXGhostyXX

His mother frowned at him, staring at him for a long moment before speaking. "If it's not your responsibility to look after her, then why did you come back to check on her after you left with your friends? Why did you call me here to come help you? From what she's told me, she has no friends or family. But for those few days a few weeks ago you stepped up and acted as her friend, told her she could trust you, and then stabbed her in the back. It is entirely your fault that she has no friends, because you were her friend before you selfishly pushed her away." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Ryan Valentine, you helped bully a girl to the point where she is ready to take her own life. I expect you to take some responsibility for that. But if you really don't care about any of this like you've been telling me, then fine. We'll leave. We'll pretend none of this ever happened, and leave Finley to do whatever it is she decides to do with herself when she wakes up in the morning." She moved to grab her coat.

Ryan frowned at his mom, "You act like it was just me. It wasn't!" He snapped. He frowned at her words. "I want to go home." He said. He walked out of the house and started walking back to his house. He didn't want to be near his mom because all she did was make him out to be awful when he decided to help.

@ katahdin

@ XXGhostyXX

"I'm not placing all of the blame on you, but just because you were one of many does not mean you can push your share of the responsibility off on them." His mother frowned as he started to leave. "Ryan don't you dare leave. This is serious, as in getting expelled from school serious, or going to jail serious, or losing your chance to go to Stanford serious. I can tell that you're drunk and not thinking straight, but I need you to calm down and put yourself in this poor girl's shoes for a minute. How would you feel in her situation?"

Ryan was already down the street by the time she finished talking. He cut down a street and decided not to go home. He didn't want to deal with it. Ryan walked until he got to the bus stop then grabbed his wallet from his pocket. He bought a ticket to the next town over then got on it and found a seat. He rested his head against the window as the bus headed out of town. He needed time to clear his head.

@ katahdin

@ XXGhostyXX

Ryan's mom sighed as he disappeared, figuring she'd give him time to clear his head, when she turned around she saw Finley awake and sitting at the top of the stairs, staring at the open door where Ryan had left.

"..I didn't mean to make him mad... I'm sorry, I didn't know.." she spoke soflty, a few tears leaking down her cheeks, but she was too tired to fully cry.

Ryan's mom frowned, hurrying up the stairs to bring her back to bed. "None of this is your fault, Finley, and I don't want to hear you apologize for anything those boys did to you, understand? They should never have hurt you, and I ought to apologize to you for not raising my son better, he should have known to stop them." She sighed, helping the girl back into bed and tucking her under the blankets. "I'll sleep on the couch tonight in case you need anything, alright? But you go ahead and rest." She said, offering her a kind smile before shutting the door to her room and heading back downstairs to sleep on the couch like she'd said.