To Break Free
Chapter Four
For the rest of her first week at Briarcliff Regional High School, Aiden James Clifton insisted on walking the new girl, Riley, to class. The girl was gorgeous but shy. She kept to herself and Aiden longed to be the first person the girl would open up to. It also helped that Riley didn't know Aiden, didn't know of his reputation. He had worried a bit on the first day of school, when he had seen Shayla speaking to Riley at the end of the day, but after Riley didn't mention the conversation, he chose to brush it off. Deep down he still wondered what Shayla, who was his ex girlfriend, had told her, though. He worried that she had warned the new girl about him, and that Riley would be more cautious around him. She was already cautious enough, hardly speaking to anyone. Aiden planned to change that, to convince her to open up to him.
Riley sort of enjoyed her first week of school. Aiden had walked her to each class every day. She couldn't help but feel that there was something bad about her new friend. Could she call him a friend? She thought he could be a friend. He walked her to all of her classes and tried to make conversation with her no matter how quiet she was. She liked that about him, that he didn't give up on her despite her shyness. It made her so angry that she couldn't just talk to him. She had to stutter, to look away. Each time she tried to continue a conversation and failed, she silently cursed herself. She hated her stutter. She just wanted to be confident, to be able to speak, something.
On Saturday of the first weekend of the school year, Riley ventured back to the woods. She had explored the town a bit, with her mother, but there were too many people. She thought Briarcliff was supposed to be a small town! A population of 900 people does not qualify as a small town, she thought. Technically, she guessed, but she thought less than 100 people would be better fitting.
This time when she ventured off into the woods, she wanted to leave the path and find her own way through the woods. She would have, had she not remembered the gorgeous pond awaiting her at the end of the path. The pond was the only thing keeping her on the marked path. She hurried through the woods, eager to get to the water.
However, when the girl finally made it to the pond area, she considered turning back. Aiden was there, staring intently at something across the water. She wasn't sure what, he was just gazing off into the distance. When he heard her footsteps, though, he turned around. She couldn't turn back, he had already spotted her. Why was he there again? For a second she entertained the possibility that he could be stalking her, but dismissed the thought upon realizing that there weren't many places to go in the small town.
"Riles! Come sit with me!" He called to her. When the girl didn't move, he called again: "Riley? Come on," and he walked towards her.
Her instinct told her to run away. She wasn't sure why she was scared, though. It's just Aiden, she told herself. Aiden wasn't a threat. He was a friend. And so she walked towards the boy. Her body tensed as he wrapped his arms around her in a hug, but after a moment she started to relax and hugged him back.
She sat with him at the pond and tried to make conversation for an hour. They talked about school, and he asked a bit about her life in California. She asked about the town, how long he had lived there, and about his family.
Riley was amazed and proud of herself for being able to ask the boy questions. She didn't stutter as much as usual, she had even hugged him again! Riley Maddox has a friend. She liked the feeling.
Riley sort of enjoyed her first week of school. Aiden had walked her to each class every day. She couldn't help but feel that there was something bad about her new friend. Could she call him a friend? She thought he could be a friend. He walked her to all of her classes and tried to make conversation with her no matter how quiet she was. She liked that about him, that he didn't give up on her despite her shyness. It made her so angry that she couldn't just talk to him. She had to stutter, to look away. Each time she tried to continue a conversation and failed, she silently cursed herself. She hated her stutter. She just wanted to be confident, to be able to speak, something.
On Saturday of the first weekend of the school year, Riley ventured back to the woods. She had explored the town a bit, with her mother, but there were too many people. She thought Briarcliff was supposed to be a small town! A population of 900 people does not qualify as a small town, she thought. Technically, she guessed, but she thought less than 100 people would be better fitting.
This time when she ventured off into the woods, she wanted to leave the path and find her own way through the woods. She would have, had she not remembered the gorgeous pond awaiting her at the end of the path. The pond was the only thing keeping her on the marked path. She hurried through the woods, eager to get to the water.
However, when the girl finally made it to the pond area, she considered turning back. Aiden was there, staring intently at something across the water. She wasn't sure what, he was just gazing off into the distance. When he heard her footsteps, though, he turned around. She couldn't turn back, he had already spotted her. Why was he there again? For a second she entertained the possibility that he could be stalking her, but dismissed the thought upon realizing that there weren't many places to go in the small town.
"Riles! Come sit with me!" He called to her. When the girl didn't move, he called again: "Riley? Come on," and he walked towards her.
Her instinct told her to run away. She wasn't sure why she was scared, though. It's just Aiden, she told herself. Aiden wasn't a threat. He was a friend. And so she walked towards the boy. Her body tensed as he wrapped his arms around her in a hug, but after a moment she started to relax and hugged him back.
She sat with him at the pond and tried to make conversation for an hour. They talked about school, and he asked a bit about her life in California. She asked about the town, how long he had lived there, and about his family.
Riley was amazed and proud of herself for being able to ask the boy questions. She didn't stutter as much as usual, she had even hugged him again! Riley Maddox has a friend. She liked the feeling.
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Getting somewhere!