Riley rolled on the bed all the while squeezing life out of the pillow he hugged tightly, well, that was if the pillow had any life left.
He had done his best to remain cool back at school, and it worked. Natasha never suspected he was troubled, neither had Richard, who came to pick him up from school. But now that he was all alone, he wanted to let it all out.
But what exactly was he to let out? The fact that he was being given an opportunity he needed but didn't want? The fact that he could no longer trust the seniors in his school because of what he had gone through in the hands of some seniors? Or was it because of the rumor that was circulating among students, that some seniors formed a group in order to complete what the Handsome Maniacs could not?
Riley took a deep sigh, as he was fed up of being so distrusting of others. All he wanted was to live a normal life, just why was it so hard to do that.
"'sighs' I guess I can never have a clear mind. How can I?"
He chuckles sadly
"When I think I can finally be happy, one thing or the other comes up and makes me troubled and worried again. Will I ever have a happy life?" He said, all the while staring at the clouded sky.
*****
Natasha knocked as hard as she could.
"Gosh, seriously, are they all just dead in this family, why won't they ever hear the doorbell ring?"
She was at the Thompson's residence. She had made use of the doorbell for over two minutes and she had gotten tired, she knocked with her fist, but there still was no reply.
"Damn, why open their windows if there is no one at home?"
She kept on knocking heavily. She could see the neighbours looking out their windows or coming out of their houses to see who was making so much noise in the morning. But she noticed them all return to whatever they were doing, when they realized where the noise was coming from.
"Wow! What a beautiful but cold neighborhood. Or are they just used to this kind of thing?"
She raised up her hand to knock again, when the door suddenly flinged open. And standing there was an angry woman.
"Hi, Natasha said nervously as she retracted her hand.
" Who the hell are you? "
Natasha smiled crazily as she decided she had had enough.
"I am the gri....."
"She's my friend."
Riley said as he walked towards them, he was grateful he got there on time to stop Natasha from saying something stupid. Natasha stared at the two of them who were in their bathrobes. Was it a coincidence or was it why Riley skipped school?
"Riley." the woman said as she now directed her attention to him.
"Morning." he said while looking away.
"I don't need your greeting, why are you home?"
"I caught a cold last night."
"Make sure to visit the hospital. I can't take you there, I will be leaving soon, I have some important things to attend to."
Natasha watched the woman leave without sparring her a glance. She scoffed as she turned to look at Riley with surprise.
"I didn't take you for the sugar baby type to let in his sugar mummy when his parents are not home. But why act all cold and indifferent, wait, does she thinks I'm your girlfriend? Is that why she just acted the way she did? As if she has any important thing to do, she's just jealous."
Natasha was expecting Riley to be shocked that she figured it out, even though he tried so hard to hide it. But no, he looked amused.
"Are you done? Come on in if you are done."
Riley walked away, which made Natasha much more sure of the fact that she got it right, he was just trying to hide his embarrassment. She followed him into his room, but she took a pause by the door, as she scanned the room in search of the woman or her belongings.
"Hey, did you have fun clearing her things from this room all the while I was knocking, or did you two do it elsewhere?"
Riley took a deep sigh as he watched Natasha walk slowly as she looked around.
"I don't know what you are expecting to find Nat."
"Oh boy, don't 'Nat' me." she said as she now directed her gaze towards him and she walked closer to him.
"So now you do remember you have a friend. Why didn't you call or message me to tell me you won't be going to school today? I got all worked up for nothing. I called your number over and over again, but it's been switched off and it still is switched off. I tried Richard's number, but it didn't go through. I got panicked and skipped classes to come check up on you, all just to interrupt your good time with your sugar mummy."
Riley burst out in laughter. He tried to hold it in, but he could not. Natasha made it hard for him to tell if she was angry or just trying to tease him.
"Jokes apart Riley, I really got worried. Don't try such on me next time."
"I won't do such again, I promise. I just didn't want to receive a call nor message from someone. And also, that's my mother, not my sugar mummy."
"Your mum?"
Natasha's eyes and mouth got wide, very wide. How or why did he keep quiet all the while she was busy talking trash about his mom? But why were they both in their bathrobes? Why was she not aware that he didn't leave the house? Why did she sound cold and uncaring towards him?
'Wait a second Nat.' her inner mind started
'you can't just bombard him with so many questions, you have to ask one after the other. But wait, didn't he just say that he didn't want to receive a call or a message from someone? Why don't you ask him that. You decide, which one would be harder to give an answer to, whosoever he's ignoring or his mom?'
Natasha sat on the bed and looked at Riley who was standing by the window.
"Nat." Riley called her. He got worried when he saw her looking all worried. If she was looking all that worried, then just how was he supposed to feel.
"Is there something you are not telling me?"
'I should be the one asking that, considering how worried you are.' he nearly said back.
"About what?"
"You are avoiding someone. When I got back to class yesterday, I noticed you looking worried, but as soon as you saw me, that look disappeared. Today, you skipped school. Is it because of the cold, or because you are avoiding someone at school?"
Riley took a deep sigh, as a small smile formed on his face.
"Nothing passes by you without you noticing right?"
"Gonna tell me or not?"
"Hmm, sure. Remember that senior you saw yesterday?"
"I saw quite a lot of seniors yesterday."
"The one who sat at our table during lunch."
"Oh! That idiot?"
"Yes, that idiot."
"So, what about him?"
"Our music teacher is gonna pair me up with him."
"What! I thought you said seniors are not allowed in the competition."
"Rules changed. Seniors are now to be paired with juniors."
"Damn it."
"Yeah. And that idiot is the best among the seniors or should I say in the whole school. And he offered to team up with me. And our teacher said I will have a better chance to be the school's representative if I team up with him."
"He offered to team up with you?"
"Yes. Said the best should be paired with the best."
"Are you the best among the juniors?"
"One of the best. The best among the juniors was supposed to be decided with this competition. But now, it will no longer be fair, since the seniors will also be partaking in the competition."
"So who exactly are you avoiding, the senior or your teacher?"
"Both"
"Crazy"
"Yeah. I promised to give a reply to my teacher today, but I'm still feeling conflicted. And as for Bram,"
"Bram?"
"Yes, Bram, that idiot."
"Oh! His name is Bram. So what about him?"
"I can't have him looking for me. The last thing I want to hear is him telling me 'we meet again' I do not even want to hear his voice."
"Hearing the voice of those seniors really sucks."
"Yeah, it does. And I really have to take part in the competition."
"Why? Cause of the scholarship?"
"Maybe."
"Maybe? Can't your parents send you to university?"
"They can, it's just that..."
'Wait, was I really going to reply her? Tell her I didn't feel loved or what? That I was trying to prove I deserved their love? Damn it. Why won't they also show me a little bit of love?' he thought to himself.
He remained silent and had his head hung down.
'Seems like we've reached another road block. The last time I brought up his grandparents, he was also this way. Should his family not show him love and support? Why were they always treating him the way they did?' Natasha thought to herself as she watched him looking down.
"I'm leaving Riley."
They both looked in the direction of the voice, and saw his mother standing by the door. For how long? That they did not know.
Riley moved from his spot and went out of his room. Natasha followed after him, but didn't move close to him, cause she still didn't know how to face his mother.
"Don't forget to go to the hospital. I already informed Richard that you have a cold."
Riley stood by the door as he watched her walk towards her car and drive out of the compound.
"She didn't even say a goodbye." Natasha said as she came to stand behind him. "Neither did you."
"I got tired of saying it, since I never got a reply."
They both got in and closed the door.
"I'm trying to prove to them that I can achieve something else other than being bullied and wasting their money on getting treated."
Natasha felt sad for him. He was having it hard at home and at school. She could not imagine how hard it was for him. Was that why he held on to Everett, even though a part of him knew Everett was never going to be his again.
"Riley."
"No. I want to let it all out. I'm fucking fed up of trying to prove myself to them. If they don't want to love me, they are free to keep their love to themselves. I never had it in the first place, I don't think I will ever get it, so why try so hard for it. Now that I think of it, I'm gonna withdraw from the competition and give the chance to those who deserve it. I never loved it anyway, I only forced myself to love it since my mum loved listening to the piano. I thought I could get closer to her if I learnt it. But no, it only made me distant from her. As though I had tainted the lovely music she loved. My father has given up on me completely. Ain't no place left for me in this house."
Natasha watched him do his best at holding back his tears. She smiled, letting things out really relieved one of the pain they felt.
"Oh, what was it you were gonna say to my mom back then?"
"Huh!"
Natasha was surprised to see him recover so fast.
"When she asked 'who the hell are you?'"
"Oh! I was gonna say I am the Grim reaper, and I am here to make sure no living soul is left in this house."
"I shouldn't have cut you off." He says and laughs.
Natasha soon joined him and they both laughed it all out.