riley walked into the girls locker room, feeling all eyes fall on her. thinking they weren't actually looking at her, she brushed it off as she walked to the side where her locker room was located.

"so.. what are you doing with ethan?" she heard a girl question making her freeze. the tone of her voice made riley nervous.

"w-what?" riley looked up, seeing a few other girls walk her way. of course they were the popular ones if you wanted to even say that.

"i said, what are you doing with ethan?" christen said as if she was genuinely curious. again, the tone of her voice said otherwise.

"we're friends." riley simply said.

another girl scoffed. "because as a friend he would give you his jersey? right. if you're messing around with him for attention just say it."

"i'm not." riley chocked out. at this point she was truly scared at what else they had to say. where was cleo when she needed her?

"but you are. you're a nobody, riley. all of a sudden you're messing around with ethan and everyone knows your name."

by then riley wasn't hearing any of it when more girls came over. a few girls were telling the mean ones to stop but nobody was really defending riley. she's seen this in movies too many times and it always happened in locker rooms to girls like her.

riley took a deep breath, shakily clutching onto her backpack straps. "i'm not messing around with him."

"have you kissed him?" the girl smirked, instigating the situation.

"i- what? no." riley stuttered causing the girls to snicker.

christen rolled her eyes. "you're going to make that boy catch a case for you. for what? he has plenty of scholarships on the line and you're going to be in the way to mess that up. how selfish can you be, riley?"

"i'm glad that you think she'll listen to you. like whoever she's talking to is any of your business. you sit in here harassing everyone for their interests that you know nothing about. by the end of the day ethan is not with you so stay bitter. maybe you should catch his attention next time." riley looked up seeing a girl by the name of eyndia literally coming to save her.

"thank you." riley said once the girls went their own way.

eyndia quickly shook her head, brushing off riley's thank you because she would've helped her either way. "she only listened to me because we had our time before. i know we're not close or anything but whatever you do please don't worry about them."

riley nodded, giving her a small smile but she couldn't promise that.

✧.*

"hey riley." mrs. mitchell greeted riley as she slowly walked in her mom's classroom.

"mom, can i go home?" riley nearly begged.

"why? honey, what's wrong?"

"i don't feel good." it wasn't a lie. she felt terrible about herself and it was like the sad side of her was coming back.

mrs. mitchell frowned, setting her palm on riley's forehead. "i suppose i can take you home. are you sure you can't finish out the rest of the day?"

"i'm sure." she nodded.

"come on, i have to get back before lunch is over. don't have any friends that can drive?" mrs. mitchell said jokingly.

"no." riley shook her head, walking out into the hall. at that moment she wished she hadn't because lo and behold stood ethan walking down the hall with a few friends.

his eyes lit up, falling upon her. even not wanting to see him it still made the butterflies in her stomach active. "hey riles where you going?"

"home. i'm not feeling good." she said, trying to sound like she was genuinely sick.

"i can take her, mrs. mitchell. that way you don't have to rush to get back here." ethan suggested to her mother.

no, no, no, no. riley internally groaned. as much as she likes ethan she couldn't bare to be alone with him at the moment. he was the problem to start with.

"that would be so great, thank you. riley, you know where the medicine is. take some and go to sleep please. love you." mrs. mitchell squeezed riley's shoulder before going back into her classroom.

"love you too." riley muttered. she turned to follow ethan out of the school who was already leading the way.

riley kept her distance, not wanting people to see them together in the first place. in that moment riley just wanted to throw up. she was definitely not used to the attention and was going crazy.

"you okay? don't fall out on me back there." ethan chuckled, walking alongside riley and grasping her hand.

the ride to her house seemed to take forever. ethan seemed to take in mind that she wasn't feeling well so he kept quiet holding her hand or rubbing her thigh from time to time.

the sight of her house made riley relived. as ethan parked she got her key out of the small pocket of her backpack, quickly getting out of the car and going up to the door. but before she even knew it tears were falling down from her eyes and she was furiously trying to get her key in the door.

"riles, stop let me get it." ethan spoke, quickly taking the key from her and opened up the door. he grabbed riley's hand in the process, leading her into the house.

ethan was lost when riley full on started bawling. he had no idea what to do and it hurt his heart to see his baby so vulnerable. where was her angelic laugh that he loves?

"riley, come here." after stubborn attempts from her he swiftly got her from off the ground carrying her into her room.

ethan sat her on her bed, taking her backpack and shoes off. he pulled the smaller girl into his chest, just wanting her to stop crying for whatever reason she felt so hurt at. he did everything he could to soothe her by rocking them back and forth to caressing her hair.

when nothing was working he lifting her head up, wiping away her tears. he kissed her lips softly letting her know he was there. "baby what's going on?"

"c-can you just hold me? p-please?"

"of course. when you're ready talk to me so i can understand this?" he questioned her, pulling her near the top of the blanket.

riley took a deep breath, grabbing onto ethan's hand. "one of the many things i fear happened to me."

"did somebody mess with you?" ethan asked, trying not to get mad in front of her. he knew riley couldn't handle having so much attention on her and he hated the fact that's what being close to him came with.

riley explained what happened, ethan quietly listening to her feeling for the way she felt. "everyday there's something wrong. just one tribal thing that can make me unhappy for just a moment. it's like it's not even possible to have a day without one bad feeling." riley groaned, dropping her head on ethan's shoulder.

"i know how you feel, baby. i know you're younger but you have to realize that whatever they say or think about you you have to ignore them. i promise you it's not worth it in the end. i really hate to see you so upset like this. the only thing that matters in our friendship is us, alright?"

++

this chapter
sucks i'm sorry