R I L E Y

It's been over a week and a half and it's finally Friday again. I was kind of in a grumpy mood, not just because it was that time of month, but also because Mrs. Lethung, the school principal asked me to talk to her this morning. I was scared I was in trouble, I mean I literally haven't done anything. I walked up to my locker, yawning, before opening it up. Suddenly a note fell out of locker and onto the ground. I raised my eyebrow, glancing around. Nobody was looking at me. I bent down and picked it up, before shutting my locker.

' would you do me the honor of going out with me? ;) '

And a number was on the button of the note.

I looked around again and suddenly Charlie was standing down the hall, smiling at me. I grinned. I nodded yes towards him, and he smiled even wider. I blushed before internally squealing. I felt my phone buzz in my hand, but I ignored it. I shoved the note into my back pocket and headed towards the principals office. Charlie Gardner.. Asked me out? Oh my gosh. What is life.

I knocked on Mrs. Lethung's door. She turned around. She wasn't particularly nice, but also wasn't super rude. She was kind of in-between. She must of heard me, because she swiftly turned her chair around.

"Ah, Ms. Matthews. Take a seat." She said and I did so. I couldn't hold it in any longer, I just busted. "Am I in trouble?" I quickly asked. She let out a light laugh and shook her head. "No you are not in trouble. I just had a question for you." She said. I felt the weight lift off of my shoulders. "Yes?" I said in relief. She scooted up in her chair.

"You're one of the best students in the 9th grade, and I was wondering if you wouldn't mind tutoring one of the failing students? I would ask Farkle Minkus, but he is already tutoring four people. You will get extra credit." She said. I smiled, setting my phone down on my seat and standing up. "Sure, I'd love to help anyone that I can." I smiled. "Great! Wonderful." She said. "Who will I be tutori—" I was cut off by a knock on the door. I turned my head, and I instantly felt my stomach drop down to the floor. You have got to be kidding me.

"Oh good. You're just in time Mr. Friar, here is your tutor, Ms. Matthews." Her mood dropped also once he walked into the room. At least me and the principal have one thing in common, we both hate Lucas. He smiled at me, but I could clearly tell that it was fake.

"Ms. Matthews, this is Mr. Friar, you'll be tutoring him for a month, and if he improves over the span of the month, you're off the hook. Thank you again, Ms. Matthews." She said, before giving Lucas a sharp look. I glared at Lucas before storming out of the office. My once so called good mood, vanished into thin air. All I wanted to do was to get away from him. I was storming down the hallway, before I heard him call after me.

"Riles!"

"RILEY! Wait!" He yelled. I quickly turned around. "What!?" I spat. I was furious. I was done with his shit. He raised his eyebrow at me, laughing. "Could you be anymore prissy." He said. "You're an ass." I hissed, before turning around, but he grabbed my arm. "God dammit, I'm just trying to tell you that you left your phone back there." He said. I looked at him, then looked down to his hand. "Oh. Well, thanks..." I said quietly, as I went to grab my phone, but he wouldn't let go. "Can I please have my phone back?" I sputtered. He let go of the phone, as I slipped it in my pocket, but as I went to walk away he then grabbed my hand. I turned back to him.

"Can you let go of me?" I said. He smirked. "Please, just let go." I said in annoyance. "Oh, so you don't like this?" He asked, suddenly getting closer to me. He took grazed his thumb over my hand, and suddenly those butterflies that I felt from the first moment I met him, came back. I started to back away. He took his other hand and cuffed my small one with both of his large ones, as his thumb grazed over my wrist. I suddenly felt my back hit the locker behind me. "You don't like it when I do this?" He asked, as he looked into my eyes. His face was centimeters away from mine, and I was lost for a moment, before I did something that even surprised me.

I took my other hand and slapped him straight across the face. His jaw clenched together. I pushed him off of me, before storming off furiously. But suddenly, I heard him.

"See you tonight, tutor!" I heard him call after me, and I could just tell he was smirking. I just lifted up my middle finger behind me, not even caring to look back at him. I stormed into my English class, flustered. He doesn't even know where I live. I heard my phone buzz as I looked down.

Unknown:

'Cant wait ;)'

That bastard put my phone number into his phone. Great.

>>>>>>

I was standing in the lunch line with Maya, telling her everything that happened. "That's bull crap." Maya said. I nodded my head, as we scooted further down the line. "I just can't get away from him, no matter what I do." I sighed as the lunch lady plopped the so called 'food' onto my plate. She gave me a glare and we both quickly moved out of line and over to her drink machine. "I don't know what to tell you. But hey, look at the bright side,Charlie Gardner asked you out!" Maya smiled. I blushed slightly. "I'm going to text him tonight." I said. "He must really like you." Maya winked as we walked to try and find Farkle.

"Maybe there's hop—" I was cut off by someone tripping me down to the floor. I heard laughter erupt all around me. "Riley!" Maya exclaimed, helping me off of the floor. I had food splattered allover me. I glared over to see who it was that tripped me.

Missy Bradford.

Her and her bitchy friends all laughed at me. Conner, Zay, and Lucas were sitting at the table. Lucas was the only one who wasn't laughing. He was just staring at me.

"Sorry, I was just stretching." Missy smiled at me. I felt tears form in my eyes and I raced out of the cafeteria. I heard Maya call after me. I ran into the girls bathroom, trying to hold back my tears. I locked myself in a stall.

"Riley. Please, come out." Maya said. I shook my head, but then realized she couldn't see me.

"I'm going to kill her." Maya growled. I unlocked the stall, and looked at Maya. I normally wouldn't cry at something like this, I never cry. But the fact that Lucas was right there made it even worse. I couldn't hold back the tears. I started crying, and Maya engulfed me in a hug.

"I'm so sorry Riley." Maya whispered. I wiped my tears. "It's alright, it happens." I said, trying to sound happy but I failed miserably. I looked down at my hands, as one more tear trailed down my cheek. I felt Maya wipe it off. "Don't listen to Missy. She's rude. She's always been that way." Maya said. I nodded, as I wiped my last tear. I looked at Maya.

"Can I go home?" I asked. Maya gave me a sad smile. "Yeah, I'll take you home." She said. And with that, Maya took me back to my house.

>>>

I lied down on my bed, staring at my ceiling. I ran my fingers through my slightly damp hair, since I had just gotten out of the shower about two hours ago.

Maya went back and told the school that I didn't feel well and that she needed to take me home. I just couldn't stay there for the rest of the day.

I just lied there, as I listened to Ed Sheeran quietly. Today brought up so many memories of middle school. I sighed, before checking the time on my phone.

6:03pm.

Lucas should be here any minute. Lucas texted me, asking where I lived. I didn't want to tell him but I promised Mrs. Lethung that I would tutor him, besides it is extra credit. So there was no backing out of it now. I heard a doorbell ring, and I let out a deep breath. He was the last person I wanted to speak to right now.

I sat up from my bed and walked out to the living room. I didn't even bother to put on makeup, I just threw on a Florida hoodie and some skinny jeans. My parents and Auggie were at Auggie parent teacher conference tonight, so it was just me and Lucas. Again.

My parents knew that I was tutoring someone. I just left out the little detail that it was a boy. Besides, I really wasn't in the mood to have my dad question Lucas. I just wanted to get this over with.

I walked over to the door and opened it. There stood Lucas, in dark jeans, black converse and a black t-shirt. He didn't have a smug expression, he looked kind of shocked.

"Hey." He said softly. I fumbled my hand on the door knob, pressing my lips together, as I looked at him. "Hi." I said quietly. It seemed like for once, he didn't know what to say. He just looked at me. I pulled a piece of hair back behind my ear, before gesturing him to come in. He waltzed in and I shut the door behind him.

"Ready to get started?" I asked. He shrugged. I covered up my face before glancing at him. "This isn't a joke to me. This is only tutoring, so I'd appreciate it if you'd please just give me your cooperation." I said. I could tell he was trying to hold back a cocky comment, but he just replied with; "I can only try."

I raised my eyebrow at him, before I gave him a light nod. "Alright let's get started."

I sat down on my couch, patting a seat for him to sit down, and he did so. He tried sitting close to me, but I glared at him and sat farther away.

"Let's start with statistics," I said. As I was explaining things, he would throw in a snarky comment every once in awhile. I'd either roll my eyes or lightly hit him.

"Alright I'm taking a break." I said. I got up to make some popcorn.

"What are you making?" He asked, kicking his feet back on to the table and stretching his arms behind his head.

"Popcorn." I replied back, but as I turned around he was right there. I gasped. "Stop doing that!" I yelled, hitting his chest. "Stop standing in front of me." He said with a grin. "Ugh." I said, taking a breath. I wanted a glass of water, but I was too short that I had to try and step on my tippy toes to reach it. I suddenly felt a hand on the small of my waist, reaching up to grab the glass that I was so helplessly trying to grab. He handed the glass to me. I looked up to him and gave him a light smile. "Thanks." I said. I just then realized his hand was still on my waist. He moved it away.

"Anytime." He said, stiffening up slightly. Suddenly the microwave beeped, making us both slightly jump. I laughed lightly, as he chuckled. I set the glass down on the counter as I walked over and took the popcorn out. I didn't realize that it was so hot until I accidentally drop it on the ground. I hissed In pain, as my fingers turned red. Lucas ran over to me.

"Are you okay?" He asked, grabbing my hand. I quickly nodded my head, before grabbing a towel and wetting it down. I immediately put it on my fingers. I felt Lucas wrap his hand around my fingers, apply pressure to the burn.

I looked up into his eyes. Why was he doing this? His eyes moved up and down from my lips to my eyes.

Suddenly Lucas's phone rang. He cleared his throat, before walking back over into the living room to pick up his phone. I just stared at him. I could see it in his eyes, I can see the good in his eyes. He's not lost forever.

I checked my fingers. They should be alright. I quickly picked up the popcorn bag, and opened it up carefully, pouring it into a bowl. I hopped back over to Lucas. He ended the phone call once I walked over with a "Yeah. Whatever, bye." And stuffed his phone into his pocket. He looked at me.

"We can finish now." I said. We sat back down, eating popcorn and reading through. He flirted at least fifty times.

"Keep your flirting to yourself, or at least to Missy." I said.

"Missy is a bitch." He said. "Sure you say that now, but probably when you're in bed with her it's a complete different story." I snapped.

"You think you know everything about me, don't you?" Lucas snarled. I turned towards him. "You make it seem pretty obvious, yeah." I replied back. "Maybe try and get to know me, instead of judging me so harshly, Riles." He winked. I rolled my eyes. "You don't make it very easy to get to know you." I spat, before writing something down.

"Spitfire questions then, Ms. Matthews." He pursed his lips together. I glared at him, before setting my pencil down and leaning back on the couch. "Okay." I said.

"Favorite color?"

"Black, duh."

"Favorite food?"

"What are these, kindergarten questions?" He remarked. I grabbed a pillow and threw it at him, making him laugh. I adjusted myself again.

"See you don't make it very easy." I responded. He shrugged. "It's not in my human nature." He replied. "Okay fine, I'll tell you my deepest, darkest secret.. I'm scared of teddy bears." He pouted. I whacked him on the shoulder, as we both fell into a fit of laughter. Were we actually getting along? Did I actually not want to rip his head off right now? This was odd.

I smiled, shaking my head. "Whatever, let's get back the work." I said. I started explaining something, before my phone started ringing. I looked over to it.

'Charlie Gardner<3'

Showed up on the screen. I quickly snatched my phone. "If you'll excuse me.." I said quietly Lucas. He didn't look me in the eyes, he just solemnly nodded. I shook it off, before walking into the hallway and answered it.

"Hey, Charlie." I smiled to myself. Me and Charlie have been texting all evening.

"Hey, gorgeous." He replied. I couldn't help but blush. "So in reply to my note earlier, I was just wondering if you wanted to go out tomorrow night to the movies?" Charlie asked. I tried holding in the squeal. "I'd love to go out won't you tomorrow, Charlie.."

Suddenly my voice trailed off at the end, as my eyes caught with Lucas's. He looked away, back to his papers. I shook it off.

"Great! I'll pick you up at 7:00 tomorrow night." He said.

"Awesome, it sounds.."

I just glanced at Lucas, as he focused on his work.

"Perfect." I said.

Charlie snapped me out of my daze.

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow beautiful. Bye." He said. "Bye." I replied and hung up the phone. I thankfully contained my excitement, and walked back out into the living room.

"Let's finish the work no—" "Look, I need to go." Lucas cut me off. "Oh, um okay. I thought that we were going to fini—" "We've done enough tonight." He replied. I furrowed my eyebrows, slightly confused, before nodding. He gathered his stuff up and shoved it into his backpack, before standing up. I walked him over to the front door, opening it up. "So, I guess I'll see you Monday then." I said. He ignored my eyes. "Yeah." He said softly, before glancing into my eyes. "Goodnight, Riley." He said, before walking off. I just stood there, confused.

"Goodnight, Lucas..."