Ariel

Ryder and me walk slowly along a street I've never been down before. Or I don't remember ever walking this way before. I'm pretty forgetful. Except, usually I forget things like where I put my keys or my homework or my purse or my phone.

I need to phone Kayla and organise what time we're meeting at the game. I wanted to ask her back to mine so we could go together, but now that I suspect my mum is taking pills, I have to spend the next couple of hours searching for her stash and get rid of it like I did with the last lot. It won't stop her yet it's all I can do for the moment.

Yesterday, after figuring out why my mum has been so happy, I was distracted and Kayla could tell so she left after eating a few cookies. There were so many cookies.

Cookies! I take my bag off my back, pull out a container and hand it to Ryder. "I've got cookies for you."

Ryder smiles then arches an eyebrow at the massive container full of cookies. "That's a lot of cookies."

"My mum was on a cookie baking frenzy yesterday." I sigh. "I think she's using again. She had that overly happy, everything is glitter, orgasms and rainbows vibe. She even started talking about how amazing my dad was."

Ryder scoffs. He's aware of exactly how unamazing my dad was.

Me and Ryder first met because my dad went to buy heroin from Ryder's mum. I stood in the living room while my dad sat on a sofa preparing his hit. Ryder came in, saw what my dad was doing and took me into his bedroom. He showed me his card set. I can't remember what cards they were, I only remember when my dad came to tell me we were leaving he was acting strange and I didn't want to go, I wanted to stay with Ryder.

My dad used to take me there regularly after that because he said it was good for me to have a friend. Not that I didn't have friends, but the ones I had never invited me home for playdates. I always thought it was because I was getting into trouble at school and the parents didn't want to look after a naughty kid. Later on, I realised it was probably because my dad often picked me up from school when he was high and they didn't want a druggy's daughter around their house.

"Do you remember the first time we met?" I ask.

"Yes," Ryder says.

"Did you know then we'd be best friends?"

"Of course. I was six and I saw you and thought- that girl is going to be my very annoying but very best friend who I'll never get rid of till the day I die," Ryder mocks

"Haha, very funny." I grab a cookie from the container he's opened and take a large bite. "Why are we following Taylor home?"

I look ahead of us and in the distance, Taylor is walking while typing on her phone. My phone buzzes and I pull it out.

Taylor: My new no.

I flash the screen at Ryder who nods.

"She's been getting calls and messages about free blowjobs." Ryder frowns and takes a bite of his cookie.

I fucking hate Teresa, she did exactly the same thing to me. Except, apparently, I was offering myself for free fisting sessions. The messages I received were disgusting, and for me to say that I know it was bad. I don't get offended easily. "I'm going to kill Teresa."

"Don't do anything stupid, El. It will only get you in trouble and make things worse for Taylor."

I frown. "What exactly is going on between you two?"

"We're friends," Ryder says but it sounds like he's either pissed off they're friends or that was a sarcastic 'friends'.

"Friends? Because I heard you and Tay kissed yesterday, then you dumped her and left her with Faithful who also dumped her. But now, he's back with her because they were seen walking home after school yesterday. It's all very confusing."

"It generally is when it's made up."

I laugh. "Seriously though, why are we following her home?"

"Faithful walked her home because I asked him too. Today is our turn. She had some trouble yesterday morning and I want to know she gets home safely."

"Why didn't you just say that? I thought there was a reason we had to follow her like stalkers rather than walk with her. I'm going to say hi."

"You go over, I'm not coming."

"You did kiss and dump her yesterday, didn't you?" I joke.

"You have to be going out to be able to dump someone and we're not going out because she's with Miles."

"Ry, they're definitely over. He was a fucking dick on Saturday night and she made it perfectly clear it's over."

"Getting drunk and dancing with other people who are not your boyfriend then drunkenly screaming at him before storming off is not making it perfectly clear a relationship is over," Ryder says flatly.

I shrug. "She's into you. You two have that strange connection you always read about in books. You'd be the main characters who fall in love and overcome all the odds to be together forever."

"What is it with you and Taylor comparing real life to books?" Ryder arches an eyebrow and takes a large bite of a cookie.

"It's how we bonded. Our love of stories and Wattpad was our bonding connection in the first chapter of mine and Taylor's story."

Ryder looks at me like I've gone mad. I'm not mad. Taylor would understand me. I love the fact she loves Wattpad as much as me, and she'll read anything. I love that about Taylor, she's always willing to try something different and she doesn't feel like she has to restrict herself into categories. She even reads my mature recommendations where the main characters are gay and I know she isn't into women at all. Taylor admitted to me yesterday that when she drunkenly kissed those girls it didn't do anything for her. None of the kisses did, boys and girls. Taylor said she's always been an overly affectionate drunk, she also admitted she used to get drunk at parties a lot at her old school.

Actually, I need to tell her about the story I'm reading now. The last chapter I read a teenager got really drunk.

"Taylor," I shout loudly.

Taylor turns, frowns and walks towards me. "Why are you walking this way?"

"We..." I look around and see Ryder has gone. What a wimp! I roll my eyes. "I wanted to tell you about this new book I'm reading on Wattpad."

Taylor laughs. "I'm still working through the millions of suggestions you've already messaged me."

"Good thing you're grounded then, you'll have plenty of time to read them." I link my arm through hers.

"Yeah, I suppose." Taylor stares at the ground.

"What did you even get grounded for? I forgot to ask."

"I got home late and didn't call my parents." Taylor shrugs. "They said I could still go to the game tonight because I've never missed any of Miles's games."

"Seriously? My mum would make me miss it. She wouldn't care even if I begged her. I wish I had parents as nice as yours."

Taylor frowns. "Yeah."

Taylor's phone rings. She unhooks her arm from mine, pulls out a phone then pulls another one out of her other pocket. Why does she have two phones? She looks at the caller ID on the ringing one and exhales slowly before answering. "Hey, Jay... Yeah... Can you wait one minute?"

She looks at me and mutters, "I have to take this and I might be a while. I'll message you later, maybe we could meet at the game?"

The game? Oh, yeah. I nod. "Ok."

She gives me a tight smile, turns away and starts to speak into the phone. She looks a little annoyed, also a little upset.

Who's Jay? I've never heard her mention a Jay before. Then again, I don't mention all the people I talk to.

"Who's on the phone?" Ryder asks from behind me.

"A Jay. Do you know a Jay? I don't, and she's never mentioned them before. Also, has she always had two phones?" I turn round to face Ryder.

"Which phone did she use?"

"Just now? Her usual one. The other one I've never seen before."

Ryder nods seemingly pleased.

"You going to tell me what's going on?"

"Nothing. Come, I'll walk you home. Unless, you want to go back to school and I'll give you a lift on my bike. It will be quicker."

"I'd rather walk for days than go on your bad karma pussy magnet."

Ryder laughs. "You're not saying that when you're running late."

I stick my tongue out at him. "I thought we were stalking Taylor?"

"She's two houses away from hers."

"How exactly is she not safe? And how do you even know where she lives? Have you been to her house? Why haven't I been to her house?"

"Because you're the mandatory lesbian character in this story who is only included to show the author is inclusive."

"Fuck off." I push Ryder playfully.

"Don't hate me, hate the author." Ryder smirks and puts his hands up. "If I was writing the story you'd be the most important character, you'd be getting all the action and you'd feature in several explicit sex scenes."

"I don't want to be in your fucked up lesbian fantasies, thanks." I laugh.

"That wasn't what you were saying when you asked me to take your hetero-virginity." Ryder slings his arm over my shoulder, checks Taylor has walked into her house then guides us back the way we just walked.

"You're never going to let me forget that are you?" I huff.

"No. It's the first time someone has wanted to fuck me even though they don't fancy me. It's kind of refreshing."

I laugh. "Yeah, well, I won't ask again. But be warned, you are going to be the father of my baby."

Ryder chokes.

"I don't know why you're surprised. You've got amazing genetics so I'm giving you the heads up now; you will be me and my partner's sperm donor." I smile.

"On one condition."

"What?"

"I get to name it."

"No, fucking way." I shake my head. "You're whole family have some weird name thing."

"What weird name thing?"

"You've all got names which start with R. Your Ryder, your sister is Riley, your others brothers are Rico and Robert. Your mum is called Robyn, your dad is Reece. It's fucking weird. And your family have taken all the good 'R' names. You'll want to call our kid Randy or something shit like that."

Ryder laughs. "I promise not to name it Randy or any name beginning with R."

"Maybe, I'll ask Faithful to be my donor. He's also got could genetics," I say, tapping my chin.

"How about we focus on not fucking up the next few years of our lives and getting ourselves sorted before we think about kids? I want to be happy and be able to provide before I bring kids into the world."

"Me too." I sigh.