Wild Secrets Within
Seven
Riley and I sat together on the bench for a long time. There was a silence between us that came from Riley, considering he was now leaning forward with his eyes trained firmly on the game. It was a comfortable silence though, so I just sat back, leaning my head on the bleacher seat behind me and enjoying the warmth of the sun. If Aidan was here, I was quite sure my response would be different; I would at least have someone to watch if I wasn’t paying attention to the game itself (since I probably wouldn’t know what was going on anyways).
It wasn’t until Maddi came back and bumped her hip against mine that I sat up. Just as silently as she had disappeared, she had reappeared. The domino effect had caused my hip to bump into Riley’s and he turned to look at me, wondering what I was up to.
Needless to say, the look on his face didn’t seem too pleased. He met eyes with Maddi and I couldn’t help but sense a disapproval in those dark brown eyes. I wondered if it had anything to do with Maddi crossing the border of there, but I surely wasn’t one to judge – and I hoped that Riley would understand that. I didn’t care where she had come from – she was a good friend to me; I could tell that in the first few moments that we had spent together. Riley and I had been stuck together – though I certainly had good feelings about him too – but Maddi had actually approached me and I sensed a good friendship from the very beginning.
It wasn’t only Riley that was looking so questioningly, dictated by the knowing stare in Maddi’s eyes. It was a two-sided stare-off for a long time until I finally broke the silence.
“Riley, this is Maddi!” I said through a mouth so tight it was as if I was clenching my jaw. It felt awkward to be the one breaking the silence, but I finally did it.
He let his face calm into a smile finally and he stuck out his hand to her – which made Maddi stare at his fingers in confusion for a moment. “So, this is the Mysterious Maddi that Julie was telling me about!” He said with a smirk present in his eyes more than on his face.
“Is there any other?” She asked in an acidic sarcastic tone and I rolled my eyes.
“Listen up. You two had better get along or else!” I finally warned after another minute of them sizing each other up. “I like hanging out with both of you and I’m not choosing sides!”
Both slightly frowned, whether in annoyance that I was saying so or because they felt guilty for first doing it. Rile finally smiled at me, and Maddi gave me a nod.
“Thank you,” I said in a relieved voice that was much different from the one in angst before. “I don’t know what I would do without you guys!” I wrapped both of them in a hug and the rest seemed like long-gone history. Both Riley and Maddi ended up laughing about the whole thing and they finally finished the handshake that Riley had initiated before.
Another boy approached from the end of the bleachers with his eyes set right on Maddi. He smiled down at her before letting his eyes wander over to me and Riley.
Riley had been in the middle of asking, “First is almost over. Shall we start heading inside so I can give you a little tour quickly?” I had turned my attention away from him after a moment though; this guy resembled Aidan – in a not so attractive way (at least for me) – and he had caught my attention. I wanted to know what he wanted with Maddi.
He turned his eyes back to Maddi who had already responded by twirling her hair around her finger flirtatiously. When he finally spoke, it’s in a masculine voice as if he’s flexing his muscles to impress her. If I weren’t so close to them, I probably would’ve snorted and laughed. Ah, the age-old tale of boys trying to impress girls – it left me wondering if Aidan would be trying to impress me if he was here. “Hey Maddi,” he said with a wink, completely tuning me and Riley out, though we were both paying deep attention to the conversation.
“There’s a party tomorrow night, at James’s place.” The sideways smile on his face was surely making Maddi swoon and I rolled my eyes; I hoped I was never like that. “I certainly hope that you’ll be coming?” Then his eyes flickered to me and Riley. “You can bring your new friends too – if you like.”
Maddi smiled and nodded her head vigorously before he turned and walked away. She turned to me again with her cheeks red in excitement and looked as if she was about to burst. “Did…you…SEE THAT?” She breathed heavily, giggling anxiously. “Zane Morgan is the hottest guy around” – cue the incessant fanning of her face – “Well? We are going right?”
I bit my lip and shrugged weakly. “I don’t know… I’m not much of the ‘partying’ t – “
“Oh come on!” She argued. “Please, please, please!” Then she got closer to my ear and lowered her voice so that only I could hear. “And you never know… A special Aidan Starling could be there to entertain you.” I turned in time to see her wink and I turned a bright red.
“F-fine. I’ll go.” I answered. Hell, I had no idea what I was getting into with this one… And why was Aidan my decision factor?! He probably wouldn’t give me a second glance – or we wouldn’t get along or something…
Maddi was satisfied though, and as the bell rang, she pulled me into a quick hug before hurrying off to whatever class she had next. Riley and I walked up the pavement walkway more slowly. I was contemplating this whole party thing in my head, and I was quite sure that Riley was too.
“I don’t think we should go,” he finally broke the silence. “It’s not a good idea… I’ve heard rumors of James Wilder’s parties to get a little…unruly. Maybe we shouldn’t put you in danger for your second night here. We could have a movie night or do something where there won’t be sex and booze.”
I chuckled but shrugged. “Well, if I’m in danger by going to the party, I’ll have you there to protect me, won’t I?” I asked with a slight pout.
Riley let out a groan but nodded his head to give in. I knew he was a good friend to me… He would protect me if anything went wrong. But one way or another – whether he liked it or not – we were going to that party.
Strange… I had never seen myself as the type of party girl that I usually could only laugh at for her stupidity… Maybe there were a lot of things that this school would reveal to me. It was different, but for the first time, I was ready to find out. And first things first, I was going to the party.
It wasn’t until Maddi came back and bumped her hip against mine that I sat up. Just as silently as she had disappeared, she had reappeared. The domino effect had caused my hip to bump into Riley’s and he turned to look at me, wondering what I was up to.
Needless to say, the look on his face didn’t seem too pleased. He met eyes with Maddi and I couldn’t help but sense a disapproval in those dark brown eyes. I wondered if it had anything to do with Maddi crossing the border of there, but I surely wasn’t one to judge – and I hoped that Riley would understand that. I didn’t care where she had come from – she was a good friend to me; I could tell that in the first few moments that we had spent together. Riley and I had been stuck together – though I certainly had good feelings about him too – but Maddi had actually approached me and I sensed a good friendship from the very beginning.
It wasn’t only Riley that was looking so questioningly, dictated by the knowing stare in Maddi’s eyes. It was a two-sided stare-off for a long time until I finally broke the silence.
“Riley, this is Maddi!” I said through a mouth so tight it was as if I was clenching my jaw. It felt awkward to be the one breaking the silence, but I finally did it.
He let his face calm into a smile finally and he stuck out his hand to her – which made Maddi stare at his fingers in confusion for a moment. “So, this is the Mysterious Maddi that Julie was telling me about!” He said with a smirk present in his eyes more than on his face.
“Is there any other?” She asked in an acidic sarcastic tone and I rolled my eyes.
“Listen up. You two had better get along or else!” I finally warned after another minute of them sizing each other up. “I like hanging out with both of you and I’m not choosing sides!”
Both slightly frowned, whether in annoyance that I was saying so or because they felt guilty for first doing it. Rile finally smiled at me, and Maddi gave me a nod.
“Thank you,” I said in a relieved voice that was much different from the one in angst before. “I don’t know what I would do without you guys!” I wrapped both of them in a hug and the rest seemed like long-gone history. Both Riley and Maddi ended up laughing about the whole thing and they finally finished the handshake that Riley had initiated before.
Another boy approached from the end of the bleachers with his eyes set right on Maddi. He smiled down at her before letting his eyes wander over to me and Riley.
Riley had been in the middle of asking, “First is almost over. Shall we start heading inside so I can give you a little tour quickly?” I had turned my attention away from him after a moment though; this guy resembled Aidan – in a not so attractive way (at least for me) – and he had caught my attention. I wanted to know what he wanted with Maddi.
He turned his eyes back to Maddi who had already responded by twirling her hair around her finger flirtatiously. When he finally spoke, it’s in a masculine voice as if he’s flexing his muscles to impress her. If I weren’t so close to them, I probably would’ve snorted and laughed. Ah, the age-old tale of boys trying to impress girls – it left me wondering if Aidan would be trying to impress me if he was here. “Hey Maddi,” he said with a wink, completely tuning me and Riley out, though we were both paying deep attention to the conversation.
“There’s a party tomorrow night, at James’s place.” The sideways smile on his face was surely making Maddi swoon and I rolled my eyes; I hoped I was never like that. “I certainly hope that you’ll be coming?” Then his eyes flickered to me and Riley. “You can bring your new friends too – if you like.”
Maddi smiled and nodded her head vigorously before he turned and walked away. She turned to me again with her cheeks red in excitement and looked as if she was about to burst. “Did…you…SEE THAT?” She breathed heavily, giggling anxiously. “Zane Morgan is the hottest guy around” – cue the incessant fanning of her face – “Well? We are going right?”
I bit my lip and shrugged weakly. “I don’t know… I’m not much of the ‘partying’ t – “
“Oh come on!” She argued. “Please, please, please!” Then she got closer to my ear and lowered her voice so that only I could hear. “And you never know… A special Aidan Starling could be there to entertain you.” I turned in time to see her wink and I turned a bright red.
“F-fine. I’ll go.” I answered. Hell, I had no idea what I was getting into with this one… And why was Aidan my decision factor?! He probably wouldn’t give me a second glance – or we wouldn’t get along or something…
Maddi was satisfied though, and as the bell rang, she pulled me into a quick hug before hurrying off to whatever class she had next. Riley and I walked up the pavement walkway more slowly. I was contemplating this whole party thing in my head, and I was quite sure that Riley was too.
“I don’t think we should go,” he finally broke the silence. “It’s not a good idea… I’ve heard rumors of James Wilder’s parties to get a little…unruly. Maybe we shouldn’t put you in danger for your second night here. We could have a movie night or do something where there won’t be sex and booze.”
I chuckled but shrugged. “Well, if I’m in danger by going to the party, I’ll have you there to protect me, won’t I?” I asked with a slight pout.
Riley let out a groan but nodded his head to give in. I knew he was a good friend to me… He would protect me if anything went wrong. But one way or another – whether he liked it or not – we were going to that party.
Strange… I had never seen myself as the type of party girl that I usually could only laugh at for her stupidity… Maybe there were a lot of things that this school would reveal to me. It was different, but for the first time, I was ready to find out. And first things first, I was going to the party.