The Elastic Heart Trilogy: Until It's Gone

"Aren't you suppose to be doing your homework?"

Looking up from her iPad Riley saw her mom standing in her doorway. "Yeah but.. I can't help it Mom. I want this so bad."

Jen set the laundry basket down and walked over to sit down beside Riley on her bed. Her Mini Yorkie Harper jumped onto Jen's lap excitedly. She had been a Christmas present from Brian the year before. "You want a Chanel bag huh?" She joked. Riley was just as obsessed with Chanel as she was with Louis Vuitton.

"You know I do Mom! Can I get it for my birthday?"

"Riley those bags are almost three thousand dollars."

"But I've been good." She didn't care how much it was. She wanted it. "Please. I'll never ask for anything else for the rest of my life."

Jen chuckled. "Uh huh and what about when the next one comes out? Are you going to pay for that one?"

"You know I don't have a job."

"Exactly. Money doesn't grow on trees honey." Jen got up and went over to the abandoned laundry basket to put Riley's laundry away.

"Well technically it done. It's made from paper which comes from trees." She set her iPad down and sat up. "Please Mom it's all I want."

"According to your Christmas list you want a lot of things."

"That's different. This is my birthday. My sixteenth birthday at that. Shouldn't it be special?"

Jen turned to look at her daughter. "Every birthday is special Riley. Let me talk to your Dad about it but I make no promises. If you don't get it I don't want to hear you complain."

"Okay!" Riley's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree.

"One more thing." Jen shut the dresser drawers and turned around with the empty basket in her hands. "If you get it.. it will be the only thing you get, understand?"

She nodded. "I understand."

"Good. Now put the laptop away and finish your homework. It's just you and I for dinner tonight. Your Dad took Brayden and Addison out to get your presents from them."

With a sigh Riley put her iPad away and grabbed her back pack to start on her English paper. Jen walked out of her room and exhaled a breath she had been holding in. Riley hadn't been able to stop talking about the black Chanel Boy Bag that she wanted. The truth was Jen had already gotten it for her but was keeping it at her Dad's so Riley wouldn't find it. She herself had a Chanel bag but now that she had three kids she didn't carry small bags very often. Crossbody and shopping totes were her thing now.

She had lied to Riley when she said she wouldn't be getting anything else. Brian was out purchasing a few other small things with their two children. Their daughter Addison was five and a half and their son Brayden was a few months away from turning three.

When Riley had turned thirteen Jen had given her the Louis Vuitton Mini Pochette she had let her use the night Brian had proposed. She didn't use it anymore and Riley had been begging for it. Now that she had it she used it all the time.

The second Brian got home he took the bags of presents into his home studio and hid them. Riley was notorious for sniffing out presents but she knew better than to go snooping around in his studio. She'd tried it once before and got banned from stepping foot in there for a year. Now she wasn't allowed inside without permission.

Since her birthday was on a Friday she opted for a family dinner but only if she got to choose the restaurant and who could come. Ever since she found out that Mike was her biological father she insisted that he be at every birthday celebration. She refused to celebrate if he wasn't there.

Cali came over the night before to give Riley her birthday present. She'd been begging for a pair of black leather boots. Brian said having boots with a heel would make her look slutty but she wanted them anyway. Her style had drastically changed over the years. It went from graphic tees and shorts to mini skirts and heels. Brian hated it. In his eyes she was still his little girl and he wanted to shelter her from the teenage boys that did nothing but stare at her. He knew what those boys were thinking. He used to be one of those boys.

Riley wore her new boots to her birthday dinner. Mike, his wife Anna, and their son Otis were meeting them there. She loved both of her younger brothers but she wasn't so keen on having a little sister anymore. When Addison was born Riley loved being the big sister but when Addison started following her around and going into her room without permission Riley began to hate her. She found Addison to be annoying and would yell at her when she pissed her off. It was happening more and more often and both Brian and Jen were tired of it.

"Happy birthday honey." Mike pulled Riley into his arms and kissed her cheek.

"Thanks Dad." She smiled. She hugged Anna next before moving onto Otis. She knelt down and hugged him giving him a kiss on the cheek like Mike had just done to her.

Mike and Brian had split the bill to rent out the entire restaurant. They had put aside their differences and actually got along now. They still had their moments but always did their best to not upset Riley.

The now sixteen year old told everyone where she wanted them to sit. She wanted Mike on one side and Brayden on the other. On the other side of Mike was Otis then Anna, Brian, Addison, and Jen. It was a circular table so Riley would be able to see everyone. Addison was disappointed that Riley didn't want to sit by her. She looked up to her sister and wanted to be just like her. Addison climbed up into her chair and smiled at her dad when he smiled at her. Riley had been pushing both of them away lately and he wanted to know why.

Riley's style and attitude weren't the only things that had changed. As a kid all she wanted to eat was french fries, pizza, and chicken teriyaki. Now it was anything that was grilled, seafood, and pasta. She still had no interest in cooking but she also had no interest in art anymore. All she cared about now we're her friends, the way she looked and the boy she liked. He was a senior and Riley had liked him since she first saw him on her first day of freshman year. She had invited him to her party and hoped that he would actually show up.

After everyone had finished dinner it was time for presents. She received a pair of silver Tiffany earrings and a Tiffany bracelet from Mike and Anna. She thanked them and wasted no time putting them on. Her next gifts were from Brayden and Addison. It was a Paris gift set from Bath & Body Works. It had a bottle of body spray, lotion, and shower gel. The next gift was from Brian. Riley was constantly loosing her house key so with Jen's help he went into Louis Vuitton to get her a Key Holder. Not only could she use it for her keys but it could also hold money, change, or cards.

There was one present left and Riley looked at Jen with hope in her eyes. She quickly tore the paper off of the box and nearly squealed at the Chanel box staring back at her. She knew anything could be in the box but she prayed that her mom actually got her the bag she wanted. Riley couldn't get the ribbon off fast enough or the lid. She undid the draw string on the dust bag and pulled out the black Boy Bag. It was the exact one she wanted.

Getting out of her seat she ran around the table and right into Jen's arms. "Oh my god thank you Mom!"

Riley knew that this wasn't a bag she could just toss around. If she didn't take care of it the bag would be taken away from her and she wasn't going to let that happen. She'd waited too long to get it just to lose it.

The next evening Riley had spent nearly an hour in her room getting ready. She didn't care what anyone else wore as long as they didn't look better than her. It was her party and if all of the attention wasn't on her she was going to be pissed. She was ready except for her make up. Walking across the house she walked into her Mom's bathroom and saw that she was sitting at her vanity doing her own make up.

"Mom?"

Jen looked over at Riley who was standing in the doorway. "You look beautiful."

She blushed. "Thanks. Um.. could you help me with my make up?"

"Sure." She smiled. "Have a seat."

Just like she wanted all eyes were on Riley that night. She loved all of the attention she was getting but she couldn't help but glance at the doors every five seconds waiting to see if Jack was going to show up. Her two best friends Peyton and Olivia were talking to her but she didn't hear anything they said. Her attention only belonged to the group of guys that had just walked in.

Jack, along with his friends walked in like they owned the place. They were the most popular boys in school and every girl wanted to date them while all the guys wanted to be friends with them. Riley watched them closely and did her best to hide her excitement when Jack headed in her direction.

"Hey Riley. Happy Birthday."

She smiled. "Thanks Jack."

"Who the hell is that?" Brian asked Jen from where they stood on the other side of the room.

"I would assume it's someone she goes to school with."

Brian gave Jack the once over and he didn't like what he saw mostly because Jack reminded him of his teenage self. He wanted nothing more than to toss the kid out the door but it was Riley's night and there was already enough tension between them. He didn't want to add to it if he didn't have to.

"Thank you for my party Mom." Riley hugged Jen tight once everyone had left.

"You're welcome but there's still one more surprise."

"There is? What is it?"

"Well.. you know your Grandpa is off shooting the next Pirates movie but he didn't want you to think he forgot so he asked me to give you this."

Riley took the small box in her hands and assumed it was a piece of jewelry. Tearing off the paper she opened the box and stared down at a key.

"Is this what I think it is Mom? Did Grandpa buy me a car?"

Jen nodded. "He did. Go outside and take a look."

Riley kicked off the heels she was wearing and ran for the nearest exit. As soon as she got outside she saw a navy blue hard top four door Mini Cooper.

"OH MY GOD!!"

Racing over she practically pushed Brian out of the way to get inside.

"This is so cool!"

"He thought you should learn in what you'll be driving. Now you won't have to keep asking to use someone elses car when you go out."

"Can I call him?"

"Not tonight. It's late where he is so you can in the morning."

"Alright." Riley looked at the inside of her new car and squealed with delight. For a while she thought she might not get a car but her Grandpa Johnny came through for her and she couldn't be happier. As happy as she was to have her Chanel Boy Bag it was nothing compared to having her own car.



Riley was so happy that the school year was now over. Since her birthday she had gotten her license and was thrilled to not have to have her parents take her anywhere anymore. She had been given ground rules about her car from not only her parents but her Grandpa as well. She had to keep her grades up and stay out of trouble or she'd get the car taken away.

Over the last five months she had stopped hanging out with her friends and started hanging out with an older crowd. She felt that Peyton and Olivia were below her now that she had Jack and his friends to hang out with.

In May she went to Prom with Jack who she had been secretly seeing. She loved being on his arm for those five months they were together but it all changed when she wouldn't sleep with him. He dumped her on the spot and went off with another girl he had been seeing behind Riley's back. She was devastated and would take her anger out on anyone that got in her way.

Walking into her bedroom she narrowed her eyes at Addison who was playing with her Chanel Boy Bag. She danced around in front of Riley's mirror and it was only when she was caught that Riley noticed Addison had make up all over her face.

"What the hell Addison? How many times do I have to tell you to stay out of my room?" Riley grabbed the bag out of Addison's arms and roughly pushed her into the hallway.

"I'm sorry."

"I don't care. You know you aren't suppose to be in here unless I say it's okay. Stay the fuck out of my room!"

"Hey, what's going on?" Brian had heard the yelling from downstairs and went up to see what the girls were fighting about.

"Addison won't stay out of my room. She even ruined all of my make up. I hate her."

Brian sighed as Addison's eyes filled with tears. "Riley don't talk to your sister that way."

"I'll talk to her anyway I damn well please."

"No you will not. As long as you live in this house you'll do as your told."

Riley glared and crossed her arms over her chest. "Says who? You? I don't have to listen to you. You're not my father." She saw the hurt look on his face but it didn't stop her. "You got the family you always wanted with mom anyway right? Addison's the daughter you always wanted. You haven't given a damn about me since she was born."

Addison ran downstairs with tears streaming down her cheeks.

"That is not true Riley and you know it." Brian was hurt by her words but he tried to remain as calm as possible. "I know that I'm not your biological father but I raised you. It never mattered to me if you were mine or not."

"I don't believe you. The only reason you raised me was to get closer to Mom. She's all you ever gave a damn about. If it weren't for me you'd still be single. You'd still be off fucking every whore that looked your way."

Brian took a few deep breaths and clenched his fists. He'd never hit her but he was about to punch a whole into the wall. "Riley.."

"It's true isn't it? If Mom hadn't gotten pregnant with me she'd probably still be with my Dad. My real Dad."

"No Riley. The broke up for a reason. Mike is happy with Anna and your Mom is happy with me. We're a family. All of us."

She rolled her eyes. "No we're not. You're nothing but my step-dad and I am not going to listen to anything you say. I am going to live my real Dad. You are nothing to me Brian. You're dead to me."

Brian just stood there as Riley stomped passed him. He was glad that no one was around because he couldn't hold back his tears. He didn't know that one person could hurt him so badly so he did the only thing he could do. He stood there and cried.