Riley117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqv2jcE3ri7
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It was lunch time now, and I snuck out to my car without Paris knowing and drove home.
The teacher let us out two minutes early and I slinked through the crowd of students, and since Claire was gone today due to some kind of appointment—and that I hated Ryan—I was able to go home now.
I always got a chai latè from one of my favorite places on my way home, so I stopped at the shop and got out of my car, going up to the door seconds later.
This area was oddly quiet; usually the outside of the café was full of people chattering and some kind of animal making noises.
But it was quiet...
Almost deathly silent.
I stopped at the front door, narrowing my eyes at a note on it when I realized the door was locked.
Family Emergency, we're closed for the rest of the day, 04-23-2023.
Wow, this was not my week, was it?
I was about to walk to my car and passed an alleyway when I crossed the street.
But a sudden, "Riley!" caught my attention.
I stopped, scanning the silent parking lot.
"Riley!" they said again. "Help!"
Was that...?
"Claire?" I called. "Is that you?"
"RILEY! The alley! The alley! Hurry!"
I darted down the alleyway then, scanning the shadows as my heart pounded wildly against my chest.
"Where are you?" I questioned.
"Behind the trash!" Claire said, voice cracking with a hint of pain.
I ran behind the bins.
And my heart stopped.
Claire was slouched back onto the building, clutching her T-shirt while sweat stuck her black hair to her temples.
But there was blood everywhere.
Red staining her hands, feet, legs, shirt.
Oh, God... it smelt horrible.
Like rotten meat and copper and metal.
I felt my heart pound faster, and tears blurred my vision but I blinked them away.
I had to help; now wasn't the best time to cry.
No... no... not again...
I won't let you leave me, too.
So I kneeled by Claire, heart shattering and pulled a cellphone out of my pocket, dialing 9-1-1 with my trembling hands.
"9-1-1, what's your emergency?"
"Yeah," I said, voice shaking as I pulled off my jacket, "I have a friend on Summit Boulevard and in the alleyway right next to Coffee Coffee Café. The right one."
"Emergency is on their way. Are you safe?"
"Yes," I stated. "Yes, I think so."
"What's her name?"
"Claire," I said, voice cracking, "Claire Nightingale."
"Is she conscious?" the operator said.
I choked down sobs.
"Ma'am," she said, "I need you to stay calm. The police are on the way. Is she conscious?"
"Y—yes."
"What happened?"
"I think she was stabbed," I said, trying to breathe but my throat constricted. "There's—there's a lot of blood. Oh, G—god...."
"Ma'am, what's your name?"
"I'm Riley... Riley Princes. And—and I'm her best friend."
"Okay, Riley," the operator said, "do you have a jacket? We need to stop the bleeding."
"I took it off," I said, voice shaking, "I don't know what to do with it."
"Press the cloth on the wound," she said, "and put pressure. It will hurt, but you need to ignore her pain and hold pressure, okay?"
"Claire," I said, catching my jacket tighter, "move your hand." When she listened, I placed my jacket on the wound and pressed down, Claire crying out and catching my wrist.
"I know..." I whispered gently despite Claire's nails digging into my skin. "I know... I'm sorry."
"Is the perpetrator in the area?" the operator said.
"I—I don't think so. It's very quiet. And it's just us."
"Okay, put pressure. The police are almost there."
Sirens wailed distantly from a couple miles away.
Claire started sobbing, scratching my arms as she fought the pressure and making me wince.
"I'm sorry, Claire," I said, stomach twisting as my voice shook. "I have to stop the bleeding. I can't have another death happening again, okay?"
Hide it... hide the pain. Don't make Claire worried...
"Is she still conscious?" the operator said.
"Yes," I responded, eyes stinging with tears. "Fighting like a mother."
"That's good," the operator said. "That's a good sign, just keep pressure."
"Alright," I said, skin slick with sweat.
"Riley..." Claire whimpered, the sirens getting louder as my heart shattered to pieces. "Riley, stop. It hurts."
"I have to," I responded, eyes blurring again but I blinked the tears away. "I know it hurts, I'm so sorry."
I can't lose you. I need you, please don't leave me like Bella did; like my dad did.
The sounds grew deafening, and two ambulances as well as three police cars screeched to a stop at the mouth of the alley, and ten medics came running out, surrounding us.
I couldn't think... It hurt. This hurt so much. It was agonizing.
I couldn't breathe.
"Ma'am," one of the officers said, "we'll take care of her, it's time to get up now."
When I never responded, tears slipped down my cheeks.
Just the thought of releasing her terrified me.
I didn't want to lose her.
Not again.
Not again.
Two officers caught my arms and I cried out, both men prying me off and I kicked and screamed as many medics surrounded Claire and started attending to her wounds.
"No!" I cried, fighting them. "NO! Claire! CLAIRE!"117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkazmTgKKbB
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi2LiEUsjU7
AUTHORS POV:117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUKWD93F0yX
Hello! Just wondering, do you guys like the storyline? How is this going so far?
117Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbQ8VZTUFkL
