BEFORE THE TRIO WALKS ANY FURTHER DOWN THE STAIRS, AT THE BOTTOM OF IT CHRIS SUDDENLY COMES TO A STOP, and it makes riley come to a pause wondering why her friend wasn't following all of a sudden. Though, she got her answer when she saw what was happening right beside her.

     Chris turned to the red haired girl sat on the steps, her arms crossed over her knees pulled to her chest, the only thing besides her clothes keeping her warm from the icy environment around them.

     "Hey, Ash." The male greeted softly, a smile lining his lips that had Riley groaning under her breath behind his figure, and moved out from behind him.

    "Hi, Chris." She grins back lifting up a hand, and waved it at him, both of their faces softening on one another which further more showed their mutual feelings they shared.

      Riley sighed heavily, and watched them from out of the corner of her eye. If she was being honest.... she was happy for Chris that he gets to talk with Ashley again, and that he wore his heart on his sleeve for the girl-- she wished she was like that with Mike, but it was different and much more difficult considering who Mike was.

      Out of everyone in their little group, she rarely talked to Ashley and nor would she ever try to make effort to do so. The only reason she put up with the girl, is because of Chris and that's it. Even before the prank Ashley was one of her least favorite people.

      She snapped out of her thoughts when a warm hand touched her shoulder, and jumped startled feeling the sudden touch. Her eyes flickered behind her, spotting Josh standing there with a half worried and curious look in his dark gaze.

    "You alright, Rilz?" He asked taking his hand off her shoulder, and brushed off some snow from her red jacket as he spoke concerned, "You kinda dozed off there for a minute."

      The brunette blinked rapidly, not expecting him of all people to be asking her that, but she nodded her head regardless, "O-oh, yeah. I'm good, just cold is all." She answered smiling up at him, gaining one back that didn't reach his eyes like it normally would around her.

     "Let's get this show on the road then." He coaxed her along beside him by the shoulders, Chris falling in step behind them once he was finished talking with Ashely back at the staircase.

      The three of them way their way up the trail, the snow soft under their boots as the wind gently blew through the pine trees around them. Riley was walking in the middle of the boys, and fiddled with her butterfly necklace to stop herself from looking into the dimly light forest on either side.

      "Ashley was looking pretty hot today, right?" Josh breaks the silence between them, instantly gaining a nose srunch from Riley, and a side eye from Chris, "She's like a 'sleeper hit' kind gal, you know? Now I just wanna rip that parka right off her... make some snow angels right?"

     Riley lifts her hand up to gently smack the side of his arm, and sent him a scolding stare hearing Josh's amused chuckling, "Enough of that. Don't be a meathead, Joshua."

     Completely ignoring the girl, Chris nods along with Josh and crossed his arms over her chest trying to look cool, as he would per se, "Yeah... absolutely." He agreed, and Riley furrowed her brows at them both.

      "When are you gonna take her to the bone zone?" Josh continued on with his questioning, and raised his brows up at Chris expecting him to give them a straight answer.

     "Sheesh... like that could ever happen." Chris drawled out his words, confidence fading away now seeing the knowing stare Riley was giving him and only shakes his head at her to not say anything more.

      Josh scoffs not impressed with the answer he got, and shakes his head, "Come one man. She practically spends her entire life with you as it is." He pressed on smiling wickedly that flashed his teeth.

      Riley decided to step in again, noticing how Chris was shuffling in his spot and uncomfortable he looked, "You wanna pipe down on the commentary, Josh?" She shot him wide eyed stare, arms crossed over her chest.

     He gave her a cheeky smile as his apology, and then turned back to their other best friend, "Look around you! Look at the beautiful mountains, do you see any parents? I mean can you imagine a more perfect, ripe scenario, just dripping with erotic possibilities?" He goes on a ranting tangent now, overly excited for something that didn't involve him, "You and Ashley, alone at last... You've laid all the groundwork, you've been a perfect gentleman. Now you come in for the kill!"

      Riley stared at him like he had two heads, and ran a hand down her face exhausted already, "Can we please just figure out a way inside already?" She huffed out breaking the conversation, her jewellery clinging as she shakes her head to fix up her fringe, "It's really cold, and I'm sure the other's feel the same."

      Chris sent her a thankful glance for the interruption, and Josh throw his hands up in surrender with a smirk looking at Riley. She scrunches her nose up at them again, and then turns on her heels to start walking up the trail.

      The boys join her on either side once more, providing a bit of warmth for the girl who shivered from the icy chill she felt up her spine. It was quiet for a few minutes, the only sounds being heard from the woods, until Josh broke it like usual.

     "So, how are we planning on breaking into my parent's lodge?"

     Chris pursed his lips suddenly looking sheepish, and waved a finger in the air, "Wait, I didn't say I had a plan--"

     "You sounded like you had a plan." Josh cut the male off, a grin forming that he looked at Chris with, and narrowed his eyes playfully, "You better deliver, Cochise, Rye Rye."

      Riley's brows creased together hearing her name included, and bumped her shoulder into Josh's, "Hey, neither of us said we had a plan." She defended herself and Chris, just as they arrived at the back of the lodge, "But, there has to be some other way inside around here."

     When they came to a stop, the girl's dark eyes landed on something on the brick wall, and moved closer to inspect it. There was a metal cabinet underneath one of the windows, where once an axe was placed and now it was missing for some random reason.

      She immediately reached down to touch her butterfly necklace, doing that a lot since stepping foot on the mountain for some reason, and mutters to herself curiously, "I wonder where it went?"

      Shaking her head she got rid of those thoughts, and turned back around to see the boys at work. They began to grunt loudly trying to move the rubbish bin under where the window was, and eventually placed it right underneath so they could get inside.

     "Guess I'm going first." Chris announced before Riley could say something, both boys knowing how reckless she was when it came to things like this.

      The girl bit her bottom lip, watching Chris climb up onto the bin's lid, both her and Josh raising their arms up in case he fell from how wobbly he was standing on it. Next he throws his legs over inside the window, tipping over slightly before his body falls through also, and lands inside with a loud thud.

     Groaning and grunting followed right behind, causing the best friends outside to share a slight amused but concerned look. Josh helped Riley up onto the lid next, him jumping on after and they peered down at Chris, as he laid like a star fish on the floor winicing.

     "Chris? You alright down there?" Riley called out worriedly, trying not to laugh at how badly their friend landed on the hard floor, and watched how his face scrunched up at her question.

      "I'm okay!" He reassured them both, still not moving from his position on the floor and groans a bit now realising his mistake, "I should have paid more attention in climbing class."

      Josh frowned confused before glancing at Riley, both of them wearing matching amused smiles, "You mean 'gym'?" He stated, leaning his elbows on the windows ledge.

     "Yeah, you know with the climbing up the rope--" He confirmed, slowly pushing himself up from the floor and held onto his sore back. Just as he did that, the light bulb in the room suddenly shattered, making the room go darker.

      Josh gapes in shock at what happened, while Riley starts to feel uneasy for some reason, and Chris, nevertheless oblivious asked out loud, "Did I do that?" He eyed the light above them, before shaking his head and coaxed his hand out to Riley, "Rye, let's go."

     Her eyes widened in fear, but swallowed it down with a sigh, "If I trip, I'm killing you both." She grumbles causing Josh to chuckle knowing she couldn't even hurt a fly let alone them, "Josh, help me up."

      The male does what she asked, his hands hovering over her back in case she fell backwards. Her palms pressed on the window ledge, shifting her body sideways and swinged her legs over it, before pulling the rest of her body through.

     She lands inside with a grunt, wincing to herself at hearing her knees crack and stood up straight with a croaked smile, "Well, that went well."

      Chris just huffs knowing she handled that better than him, and their attention moves to Josh who called out, "Here, use this." He digs around in his pocket, and pulls out a lighter to throw it through the window.

       Riley was the one who caught it in between her palms, fumbling a bit to get a grip on it and sighed relived when she did. She held it up in between them, inspecting the metal and flicks the flame on, holding the object to try lighting up the room so they could see inside.

       "Whoa, guys, I just got an awesome idea," Josh gains their attention once more, the duo raising their brows up at him curiously, "Okay, so, I'm pretty sure that I've got some deodorant in one of the bathrooms.... you could use that with the lighter."

     "I don't-- I don't follow." Chris stumbles out now holding the lighter, and looked to Riley for help who groaned annoyed at his reply, "How's a stick of deodorant gonna help?"

     Josh leaned forward from the window seal, and lifted his hands up to emphasise what he meant, "Spray on, it's a can."

      "Ohhh... yeah, now I gotcha!" Chris nods along with a bright smile, finally understanding what the other male was talking about as Riley shakes her head at the two.

      "Yes, a flamethrower." She confirmed further, sending him a deapanning glance through her bangs as she brushed the snow lingering on her red jacket.

      Josh pointed finger guns at Riley hearing her comment, and grinned widely like a mad man, "Just point the spray-can at the lighter and--"

      "Bye-bye frozen lock." Chris finished with a beaming expression, waving the lighter around the room which made Riley touch his arm to pause his movements.

      All of a sudden Josh moves his head back, almost like he was looking for something that was out of their view. He turns to them afterwards, confusing Riley more at his now frantic need to leave, "I'm gonna go sort something out -- you up for hunting around in the dark for a little bit?"

      Riley grimaced not liking that idea, and wrapped her arms around herself to keep warm and to ease her nerves, "I mean, do we really have a choice?" She replied breathily, watching the expression in Josh's face change, "But, yeah sure."

      "Godspeed, pilgrim!" Josh voices in a weird tone, faking a sault to them both before jumping off the bin and disappeared from view, leaving the other two friends together in the dark.

      Riley scrunched her face up at the way he sounded, shaking her head not amused and turned around to Chris, "May as well get this over and done with, right?" She nervously says, arm latching onto his forearm, "I rather not be stuck in the dark forever."

       He chuckled softly, and used his free hand to pat hers gripping onto his arm for dear life, "Don't sweat it, nothing is gonna happen to us in here." He reassured just as they start to walk out of the storage room, the lighter only providing so much.

       They walk into another room connected to the storage one, which seemed to be more place for the family to keep their old stuff. Riley's eyes did pick up a weird wooden statue on the ground, a sudden pit forming in her stomach seeing the small object, but decided to ignore it.

      Another hallway ends up on the other side of the door they walked through, and the duo continued on through that, giving her a small glimpse of the Washington family portrait. Her stomach twisted even more, and tried to keep looking ahead even if she felt the stares from the sisters lifeless eyes inside of it.

      Out of nowhere the door up ahead suddenly creaked closed all by itself, causing the trio to stumble in their tracks and gape in fear at the door now flying shut. Riley grips onto Chris' arm more tighter, and pushes her smaller figure into his side, seeking reassurance.

     "What the hell was that?" Chris mumbled with wide eyes, holding up the lighter more above them and shared a nervous glance with Riley who shakes her head not knowing either.

       The two were more on edge then ever, and their walking paced picked up also, all the way until they arrived in the main room where the staircase was leading to the upper level of the lodge.

      Riley came to a slower stop, pausing at a table which made Chris slow down also, and held up the lighter for her to see the picture. Her fingers trembled a bit, lifting up the photo which had her, Sam, Mike, and the twins together all posed in their formal outfits.

      Her heart swells in pain, but also felt bittersweet seeing it again after so long. She remembered that day like it was yesterday, their senior prom. She also couldn't help the way her heart clenched next, noticing how Mike's arms were only tightly wrapped around her figure, and not anyone else's in the picture.

      Those were the happier times, where they all could share smiles and laughs with one another without consequences. She wished she could reverse time, but there was no undoing what was already done, and going to happen.

      She placed the photo back down gently, before she spiraled downwards again. She blinked back the burning sensation in her eyes, glancing to Chris who gave her a knowing look and a reassuring arm squeeze, before they were walking again.

      Eventually they reached the bathroom, Riley grabbing the lighter from Chris so he could bend down to the cabinet. She raised her arm up to give him light, as he crouched down to grip the small handle and pulled it open.

      Before he could grab the deodorant, something jumps out from the darkness of the cupboard with a loud screech. Riley squeals at the creature that looked like a wolverine, and stumbled back with Chris as it bolts out of the room, knocking them both over in the process.

      "Son of a--" Chris curses, holding the spray in his hands as Riley placed a hand over her heart to stop the pounding of it, and crouched down to help him up.

      She held him by the arms gently, both trying to shake the scare of, "Let's just get this door open, Chris." She breathes out, gaze wide on alert still, and nods towards the hallway leading out, "C'mon, before any more jump scares appear."

❪ ✏️ ❫ 𝚆𝙾𝚁𝙳𝚂 : 2866
─►☆ AUTHOR'S NOTE :
short asf chapter my bad guys but i wanted to get this part done and written so i can get to the more interesting parts... which is next chap since the em and jess fight is gonna happennnn 😈

juicy tea next update tbh but my girl riley will support em through and through so don't be surprised of she sticks up for her in the fight