Status: Very Active

Study of Life and Love

Secrets and Dates

Riley

The weather was warm, the sun halfway raised but the dew on the ground was already dried. Caydance groaned from next to me.

“How do you do this?” She growled out. I rolled my eyes and moved out of position and turned to face her, folding my legs on the yoga mat.

“You aren’t even trying.” I told her, as she lay star fished across her own mat.

She turned her head and glared at me. “That’s because I don’t want to do this. You and Sidney blackmailed me into it.”

“It’s good for your foot.” I explained, stretching the muscles in my arms and enjoying the pop and burn though my biceps.

“Come on, I want to go for a run.” Caydance was on her feet in minutes, rolling the yoga mat up from underneath her and trying to nudge me off mine.

I glared at her when she yanked it out from underneath me. “You need to strengthen your foot before you start running on it.” I protested but she had already rolled my mat up and wrapped the strap around it.

“I’ll take it easy. Come on.” She shifted from one foot to another; she had suddenly found the energy she was lacking earlier.

I decided to result to plain childish protesting. “I don’t like running.” I whined, staying seated on the ground and folding my arms over my chest.

She only rolled her eyes and tugged on my arm until I had no choice but to stand up before I face-planted the grass.

I groaned loudly as she began tugging me along, our feet picking up the further we moved until she deemed it okay to let go of my hand and race me around the Great Court.

I was wheezing by the time we were done, stealing the water bottle from Caydance and collapsed on the grass outside of Grace house. I guzzled down the bottle and tried to wipe away the sweat that had been steadily dripping from my hairline. It was one of those humid days where you could start sweating just by staring out of the window of an air-conditioned house.

“We should do this a lot more.” Caydance bounced next to me, stretching out her thighs before moving on to her arms.

I groaned and shut my eyes briefly still trying to gain control of my breathing. “Leave me alone.” I mumbled causing her to laugh loudly. I sculled more of my drink before finally sitting up. I was desperate for a shower before classes today.

-

I sighed frustrated. My hair was still damp, cold against my scalp and I knew it would frizz into a blonde pompom before I reached my first class of the day.

I was never going running with Caydance again. I was exhausted, all my energy zapped for the day. Usually yoga created energy for me to use throughout the day, running seemed to take it all right out of me.

I ran into a group of people and spun to the side to dodge them before continuously moving to my morning lecture.

I screamed when hands wrapped around my waist and I was pulled to the side of the building I was aiming to enter. My eyes widen when my back hit the wall. My mouth opened ready to scream when Liam’s smug face appeared in my vision.

I let out a gasp and deflated, my heart still racing wildly. “You idiot.” I said, smacking his hands off my shoulder.

His smirk only grew, both hands coming to rest on the brick wall, either side of my head. I froze, wide eyed, when I realised how close he was to me. His face slowly inched closer and closer.

“I was thinking,” he began slowly, his voice soft and smooth, gradually closing space between us, “ that we should go on a date, tonight.” His nose brushed mine and I breathed in sharply.

“I-I can’t.” I stuttered out awkwardly, my hands flailed at my sides, unsure where to sit.

Liam seemed to expect my answer. “I was thinking maybe dinner and then see where the night takes us.” He continued as if I hadn’t spoken.

I wanted to say yes. Every part of me wanted to say yes. “I can’t Liam.” I groaned out, closing my eyes and resting it back against the brick wall. If I couldn’t see Liam then maybe I wouldn’t be weak to everything that he was.

“Come on Riles.” Liam’s lips brushed my ear, across my cheekbone. His nose nudged mine before his lips met mine; I pushed up to meet him. My eyes staying closed and my hands finally had purpose. They rose up and wrapped their way around Liam’s neck, tangling in the back of Liam’s hair.

I could feel his smirk against my lips, so I tugged on his hair. He pushed me harder against the wall, our bodies aligning from the toes of our feet, passed our touching hips and towards our meeting lips.

Liam pulled away first, keeping two hands on my face when I tried to follow his lips. There was a crinkle around his eyes, and the thumb of his left finger ran across my bottom lip. Pressing down on it before he raised his eyes to meet mine.

“Meet me at the Great Court entrance at seven tonight.” He said softly. Liam moved closer, his lips pressing to my forehead before he let go and disappeared out of the alleyway.

I thumped back against the brick wall behind me and closed me eyes. For the second time today I had trouble getting my breathing back under control. I groaned loudly, knowing I was so screwed and I knew I was going to be caught tonight. I just knew it.

I was also late for my lecture and I did not want to know how suggestive my lips looked at this moment. I was pathetic.

I moved through my classes today on autopilot. My mind focused on tonight and all the ways it could go wrong. But if any of those ways involved kissing Liam, all my protests fell on deaf ears.

By the time I was finished for the day there was an hour before dinner and I was debating between what outfit to wear tonight and also considering baling on Liam.

“You are not, not going.” Nina argued from where she sat on her bed. There were books sprawled around her but she hadn’t been studying since I got back to the room and told her everything.

“You’ve already got the outfit I picked you.” She gestured over to the short red dress and brown leather jacket lying over her desk chair. “And we already have a plan for your great escape.”

I fell onto my back on the bed, my eyes staring at the ceiling above us. I had never snuck out before and the idea was absolutely terrifying.

“Look, I’ll go to dinner, tell everyone you’re sick. You’re going to make a lump in you bed in case anyone peeks in when I get back. I’m going to stay in here all night like the best friend I am and keep everyone out. Telling them that you’ve taken medicine to sleep it all off. While we are at dinner you will then sneak out through our window, which is happily on the first floor, it’s like they wanted us to sneak out, seriously. And then you will be on your merry way with your handsome prince charming.”

The plan seemed entirely too easy. But I did as Nina said. I stuffed blankets and pillows under my sheets and tried not to feel like a teenage movie sneak out about to go horrible wrong. Could this get any more cliché? And those movies very rarely ended without them being caught.

My hair and make-up had already been done by Nina, so I rushed to get dressed, slipping on the comfiest boots I had. There was still half an hour until I had to meet Liam but I was leaving now, knowing I would have to take the long way to the Great Court, not wanting to be seen by anyone else that we knew from Grace house or not.

I pushed the window open; staring at the gap I had to fit through. I sighed and through my clutch onto the ground before placing both legs out the window so I was sitting on the windowsill. I slowly slithered until my bum slid down the wall and the top part of my body bent backwards under the window. I could feel my dress pulling up around my thighs and I went red at the thought of anyone catching me like this.

I had pushed myself as far as I could go so I shimmied a little, a weird movement of limbo that helped me fall the rest of the way out the window without hitting my chin against the pane. I landed on the patch of dirt below my window and quickly looked around the backyard. I couldn’t see anyone around so I hurriedly grabbed my clutch and booked it out of the backyard and around the back of the house. It was mostly dark and I cursed when I realised I had left my phone back in my room. There was no use going back now. I could never sneak back in and then back out again.

I resigned myself to stumbling along in the dark, using the building to guide my way. Occasionally I walked a few well-lit paths before sneaking behind buildings and in different alleyways until I ended at the front of the Great Court. I had no idea what the time was and I couldn’t see Liam anywhere.

I hesitated standing near the front. But a car pulled up, the headlights blinding me. I made a move to step back closer to the shadows when I realised it was Liam stepping from the car.

I slowly walked towards him, my hand holding tightly to the clutch in my hand. I pulled my leather jacket closer to my body while I surveyed Liam’s tight black pants, the loose grey shirt and the black jacket over top. He wore white high tops and his hair was messily styled above his forehead.

I tried not to feel utterly out of place going on date with a boy this hot.

“Sneak out alright?” Liam asked, there wasn’t one ounce of uncertainty when he stared at me, his eyes raking over my body.

I sighed at the shiver that jolted down to my toes. “I do this all the time.” I tried to act confident, walking past Liam and opening up the passenger door. I turned to meet his eyes, before gesturing to the driver side door. “Are we going or not Payne?” I smirked back before sliding into the passenger seat and closing the door.

Liam walked around the car, his strut was confident and he held his shoulders high. I tried to stop the shaking of my hands as they rested in my lap.

We stopped at a diner and I glanced at the place before looking back at Liam. It probably wasn’t my first guess for a first date. He laughed when he saw my reaction.

“Trust me. They have the most amazing burgers.” Liam paused before getting out of the car. “You eat meat right?”

I laughed and nodded, watching Liam’s face turn to one of relief.

I was surprised at the warm greeting that Liam received from the staff. Even waving into the kitchen before directing me over to a booth near the windows. I watched him, bemused, giving a few older patrons a wave.

“What is this place and why do you know everyone?” I demanded of him, taking a seat and sliding my jacket onto the space of the booth next to me. Liam slid across from me.

“King’s house comes here a lot.” Liam stated as if this was enough explanation. I waited for more. “I think it was because someone’s family might have owned this place at one point? Not really sure. All I know is that it’s tradition and this is the place that most King’s boys come to when we ever leave the Campus area. Also not many other people from Campus come here so we should be good.”

I smiled, thankful that Liam had thought about anyone seeing us. It wasn’t him that was at risk for getting in trouble. I was the only one risking something by coming tonight.

We ordered our food. Liam practically strong-armed me into the chocolate milkshakes, claiming they were the best he had ever had. The waitress blushed and stuttered at his compliment before disappearing.

This whole thing, the diner and the atmosphere, that Liam had brought me into had blown me completely off. I didn’t know much about Liam but what I had assumed was completely wrong. Here I was, on a date with an older guy that I shouldn’t be with, and he brings me to a diner and demands I get a milkshake while praising everyone else in the place.

It was a whole lot better then I had been hoping for.

“So Riley, what is your deepest darkest secret?” Liam asked me once we got our milkshakes. I snorted and sucked some of the shake into my mouth. It was good.

“A little serious for a first date, don’t you think?” I joked with him. His foot nudged mine under the table and I could feel the heat rise in my cheeks.

“It’s best to get these things out of the way now.” He smirked, slurping up some of his own drink.

I debated his question, eyes flittering around the diner before I settled back on Liam. “My deepest darkest secret,” I began slowly, “would be when I was eight and I ate all of my brothers Easter chocolate but I blamed it on the dog.”

Liam snorted into his milkshake.

“Hey.” I said indignant, smacking his arm lightheartedly. “My Dad’s a cop you know. I couldn’t exactly get away with a lot of things. This is the first time I’ve ever snuck out.”

Liam’s laughter turned into a small fond smile. “I’m honoured that you decided to do this just for me.”

I rolled my eyes and focused back on my milkshake.

“Well what about you? Mr. Rebel? What is your deepest darkest secret?” I asked him. I started when he loud out a loud “Shit.”

I turned to follow his gaze and saw two familiar people walk into the restaurant. Niall’s loud voice boomed throughout the place.

“Shit, holy God, shit.” I cried, sliding down the booth so no one could see me. I couldn’t believe out of anyone to come into this Diner, it had to be Sidney. “I’m so dead, like the literal definition of dead. My father is going to be furious if he has to investigate my murder and on top of that I’ll be kicked out of the sorority and my Mum was in the sorority and he will be so disappointed. I’ll be dead and he’ll be disappointed in me.”

I was working myself into a panic and Liam was leaning over trying to calm me down.

“It’s okay. They haven’t even seen us yet.” Liam tried to placate.

I shot him a glare. “This is your fault.” I hissed at him. “You had to look all good and confident and whatever.” I was an idiot for coming out tonight. Absolute idiot.

“Look we can still sneak out the back. Sidney is facing the door. We can sneak out behind her.” Liam grabbed my hand. Beginning to nudge me towards the edge of the booth.

“What about Niall?” I hissed, quickly grabbing my bag and jacket.

“We’re part of the same brotherhood. You don’t tell on your brother.” Liam said sternly, like this was a rule that I should have been aware of.

I could have cried as Liam began to stand up, pulling me with him. We were in such plain view and there were not enough people in the diner for us not to be obvious.

I could see the back of Sidney’s head; she was staring down at the menu. Niall was already talking to the waitress and I felt like I was going to vomit. Sidney was going to look up in any second and I was done for.

I glanced towards Liam, wondering if there was a way I could play this off. Studying but we had no books, just hanging out as friends but we were all alone and Liam wouldn’t let go of my hand.

I held in a sigh and waited for the inevitable. Niall saw us first. His expression frozen as his eyes darted between the both of us. We were only halfway to the kitchen and I could feel my heart beginning to beat rapidly. I really didn’t want to see Sidney’s reaction. I didn’t know if she would be furious, disappointed or just not care. Just kick me out of the house right here, right now. I think the uncaring reaction would be the worst.

Liam was making wild motions with his hand. Gesturing to the both of us then back to Sidney.

I stayed motionless, waiting for Sidney to turn around. I had accepted my fate and now I was about to receive my punishment.

Niall’s eyes finally seemed to comprehend what Liam was trying to say but it was too late. Sidney had noticed Niall’s distraction and had begun to turn around.

I closed my eyes, wanting to block out the world. Liam tugged on my hand, pulling me through the place again. I threw my eyes open and watched the kitchen door come closer. Confused, I glanced behind me to see Niall half out of his chair, leaning across the table and planting a kiss on Sidney.

“She didn’t see us.” Liam whispered into my ear as we were pulled into the loud kitchen.

Liam apologised after him and ran through everyone, dodging plates and food and a yelling cook. We burst out of the back of the diner and the fresh breeze hit us. I took in a large gulp of breath and slumped against the brick wall of the diner.

“Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God.” I couldn’t say anything else until Liam was grabbing my shaking hands and pushing them together, a worried glint in his eye.

“Are you okay?” He asked, worriedly.

I choked out half a laugh before almost sliding down the wall and to the ground. Liam grabbed my waist before I could. “Are you kidding me? I could have died in there. I almost died. I can’t believe she didn’t see us.”

My heart had begun to slow down but the adrenalin was still pumping through me. My head was floating and I couldn’t control my words. I suspected this was what being high was like.

“Come on. Let’s get you some food, from somewhere far away from here.” Liam was laughing, pulling me against him and out of the back alleyway. It had begun to spit rain and Liam helped me pull my coat on before we began walking down the street. Despite the cold rain and my still shaking hands, I clung onto Liam, falling into his stride and relishing his body warmth.

-

I ignored the two thumps that sounded from the chairs in front of me. I was still focused intently on the page in front of me, scouring for the information that I was after.

I spotted the line and quickly grabbed the neon yellow highlighter from my mouth and ran it over the three-lined quote. I then looked up at Harry and Luke, both waiting patiently in front of me.

“Yes.” I greeted them both with a smile.

“What are you reading?” Luke twisted his neck, trying to read the writing on my textbook.

“Racial differences in the classroom. Just explaining what I will encounter and how to work with it. Especially when it’s a child’s racial prejudice. Obviously if I was racist I really shouldn’t be influencing kids.”

“Obviously,” Harry nodded seriously.

I smiled at him and shut my textbook. “So what do you both want?” I asked them.

“Just wanted to see if you and Nina wanted to hang out, get some lunch.” Luke said, relaxing back in his chair before looking around. “Where is Nina?”

I snorted. “We aren’t attached at the hip you know.” I told him, reaching to grab my phone from my bag. “She should be finished her class though so I can text to see if she’s hungry.”

“Great.” Luke said smoothly.

Harry and I made eye contact. I tried not to laugh at Harry’s fake gagging. Luke slapped him in the back of the head.

Nina replied almost instantly, saying that she was already on her way to get Subway. I packed up the rest of my things and headed out of the library between Luke and Harry who bickered over my head. I felt extremely short and extremely unnecessary in the conversation.
“Stop arguing about whatever you are arguing about.” I whined to them both and sped up once I saw Subway’s sign.

“Harry snores.”

“Luke sleepwalks.” Both boys announced at the same time.

I groaned and pushed my way into the shop, burying my head straight into Nina’s shoulder. “Children, absolute children.” I whined to her.

“Hey stop hogging Nina.” Luke whined, ripping me out of Nina’s arms, she blushed and I rolled my eyes at Harry as we went to line up. We had been watching those two dance around each other for a couple of weeks now. It was getting pathetic, on Luke’s part.

“Just because you’re into older boys doesn’t mean the rest of us are children.” Harry protested, smiling at me to show he was joking.

I froze, unsure of what Harry knew. His smile faltered and fell from his face before he shifted on his feet.

“I uh may have overheard a conversation early this morning between Liam and Niall.”

My blood ran cold and I weakly leant against the wall we were waiting next to.

“I won’t tell anyone I promise. Really I only heard because I was sneaking out to sneak into the Grace house before anyone woke up. I’m sneaking around too and I won’t tell anyone, I swear. You’re my friend Riles, I wouldn’t do that to you.” Harry pulled me into a hug.

I let him, my shoulders slowly relaxing but I still felt on alert, this was just one more person who knew. Now Niall and Harry were in on it and they were both only a couple steps away from blurting it to Caydance or Sidney.

“You would never, ever tell on Nina right? Or any of your sisters? It’s the same with us. You’re my friend and Liam’s my brother and he’s even more of a brother to Niall. It’s what they teach us, just like they taught you. You don’t betray family. You don’t tell on each other, you don’t intentionally hurt one another. I got Liam’s back because he’s my brother and you’re my friend. “ Harry explained when he realised that I was still worried, my bottom lip already red and swollen from where I was worrying at it.

“Okay,” I murmured, choosing to believe him.

We ate lunch with the boys before heading home. We passed a few Grace girls along the way, Thea walking up the stairs in front of us, heading for the door when we waved goodbye to Harry and Luke.

We reached the top of the stairs when Thea screamed. Nina and I shared a look and rushed into the house. We lost our footing, our feet coming out from underneath us and sliding across the floor until we landed sprawled in the middle of the floor close to Thea.

“What the hell?” Sidney called, heading in after us before she too slipped and landed on her arse.

I groaned, trying to stand up but my feet and hands slid out from underneath me again.

“I think its butter.” Caydance was slowly sliding her way from the direction of the back door. “It seems most of us were pulled from the house in some way or another so they could cover the floor in butter.” Caydance looked unhappy and she was holding her newly fixed ankle worriedly. I hoped she hadn’t slipped too hard.

Another wave of girls pushed through the door before Sidney could stop them; they were a tangle of limbs, screams, and groans.

Louis appeared in the doorway behind them. His smirk was, of course, present. Thea groaned and dropped onto her back, seeming to not care what she was laying in.

“Don’t worry you girls weren’t the only ones.” Louis laughed before Camden Vardell and Daniel Alston joined Louis in the doorway, they were the leaders of the two other fraternities.

“I thought Louis hated those guys?” I murmured to Nina.

It was Thea who answered. “He does but they always band together at times to prank the sororities. I can guarantee you that both Mary’s and Francis have been butter pranked too.

Nina didn’t seem to care. She only glanced around the room unhappily. “You do realise we have to clean this up right?”

I almost felt like crying. We were left alone; the laughter from Louis, Camden and Daniel could be heard through the front door.

“This is ridiculous.” Caydance growled out, trying to use the wall to stand. Other Grace girls began sliding their way in from various parts of the house that we had ended in. Everyone was waiting for instructions from Sidney.

She stared at everyone before shrugging. “Guess this is as good as time as any to announce that the new sisters are officially off probation. Welcome to Grace and all the shit that comes with it.”
♠ ♠ ♠
So a terrible injustice has been made today for Michael Brown and his family. And I know that none of you come here to read my stories and a little social justice comment. But I believe that this needs to be talked about at every opportunity and to every singly human being. Racism and prejudice should never be tolerated and it should not be allowed to exist or to fester. The loss of life should never be accepted and the loss of a black persons life should never be weighed less than a white person.
Please, even if you don't live in America, don't let racism live around you. Stand against it, whether it's your own parents racial remark or racial bullying at your school. No matter how small or big it is don't let it grow. We are the next generation and we have the opportunity to create a better world for ourselves and our children.
Allow people like Michael Brown to grow up and be able to change the world in his own way with no limitation. Racism is never tolerable. R.I.P Michael Brown.