“How was therapy?” Ryan said as both he and Riley sat on her bed, Riley twiddling her thumbs on her lap.
“Good,” she answered.
“You dodged all the questions,” Ryan said, eyes dimming, “didn’t you?”
“I don’t have time for therapy,” she said cynically. “I want to know who killed Bella.”
“You can’t solve all murders, Riley,” Ryan stated. “I’m serious, you’re going to go crazy. You’re a nineteen-year-old high-schooler, not a goddamn detective.”
“I’m not a normal teen,” she stated, “you know that. I’m not saying I have special magic powers that somehow make me emotionless, but I can control myself.”
“Don’t you consider this an unhealthy obsession?” Ryan questioned. “Because that’s what this is, you’re obsessing.”
She glared at him, then. “You think wanting to know who murdered my best friend is considered an obsession?” Her eyes dimmed. “You don’t know me Ryan,” she stated. “That’s why I decided to dump you when we were dating.”
He flinched as if her words were knives, and gazed back at her. “We left on good terms,” he stated. “Why are you still angry with me?”
“I’m not,” she answered, standing up and stepping over to her desk to sit in her chair, twirling around until she faced him. “I’m irritated because everybody is telling me to chill out about this. Bella and I were close, you have no idea.”
“You don’t know if it was a murder,” Ryan stated. “The police found evidence that stated otherwise.”
“I know it was a murder,” Riley told him. “She would never kill herself, and there were no signs of minor injuries indicating manslaughter. If she was murdered on accident, there wouldn’t have been so many injuries, Ryan. I know my friend, you don’t.”
He was silent for a moment, eyeing her. “You know what you’re doing to yourself is dangerous, Riley.”
“I know what I know,” she answered, eyes narrowing. “And I don’t need you judging my opinions. Another reason why you’re not boyfriend material, Ryan; you judge everything I do.”
“Still thought good terms,” he stated, crossing his arms over his chest. “Now I suspect you have some kind of grudge on me, Riley.”
She rolled her eyes and looked back to her desk, getting to work on her drawing.
“Wow,” he said, “now you’re ignoring me? At this rate you could just tell me to piss off and slam the door in my face.”
She waved to her bedroom door. “You’re free to leave whenever you want, Ryan. I didn’t chain you to the bed.”
She heard him slouch back on the bed.
“Ah,” he said, “no, I’m good right now, Riley. I’m not leaving you alone.” He threw his hands up. “Who knows? Maybe you’ll accept me for who I am and let us move forward.”
“For the hundredth time,” she growled. “I’m not having sex with you, Ryan.”
He sat up on her bed. “Why not, huh? Why? What’s it about me that you don’t like?” He paused. “Are you listening?”
“I’m trying not to.”
“Fuck, Riley,” he said, glaring at her, “you’re being a bitch right now, I think you should know.”
“That’s nothing new,” she told him cynically.
“When I kiss you, you always draw away.”
“Because I’m not in the mood, and when you keep pushing, I’m more not in the mood.”
He sighed, lying back down on the bed. “I’m not leaving without a goodbye kiss. One on the throat for a full minute, Kay?”
“That’s called sexual assault and breaking and entering.”
“Is it?” he said then. “It’s not assault if you want it, and you let me in the house.”
“For one, I don’t want you to kiss me, so yes, that’s assault. And two? You barged in here without my permission—I did not let you in—so yes, that’s breaking and entering.”
“Stop playing hard to get and come over here already.”
She spun around to snap at him, but paused, staring down at the floor next to her window.
“What?” Ryan said, sitting up on her bed with his shirt slightly exposing his stomach.
There was something clearly seductive about his pose.
She got up off her desk chair then, stepping carefully over to the window and kneeled down to the floor, picking up a black feather that lay on the floor before her.
“A feather?” Ryan said. “Really? Now are you suddenly distracted like a fucking dog or what?”
“Where did it come from?” Riley said more to herself, standing and leaning out the window, her brown hair blowing gently in the breeze as it curled in the humidity.
But when she looked down to the ground below, she saw a figure there, clothes covered in shadows as the cloak he wore waved around him in the wind.
But… what…?
Riley narrowed her eyes, staring down at his face that was half-masked in shadows.
But… he was wearing something on his eyes… and there was a feather attached to it, and both sides of his head consisted of horns.
Her breath caught, eyes widening.
He was wearing a masquerade mask, one that looked like a demon, but it had beautiful golden embroidery and a crown centered at the top.
But who was he…? And why was he dressed like that?
When she opened her mouth to question him, he pressed his finger to his lips, telling her to be silent.
He pointed to the roof, and when she gazed at one of the tiles, there was a piece of paper flapping in the wind, and she reached out to grab it, currently forgetting about Ryan.
When she gazed back up at the mysterious guy, he pressed his finger to his lips again and stepped back into the shadows.
Riley leaned back over the window, searching the darkness for him, but he was gone.
The feather must’ve been from his mask.
But who was he…?
“What was that about?” Ryan questioned from behind her, and she nearly jumped. His hands snaked around her waist and threaded through the fabric of her shirt. “You want everyone to watch?”
“Nothing happened,” she answered, pushing the paper and the feather into her pocket and turned, throwing his hands off her. “And don’t touch me.”
Ryan eyed her suspiciously for a moment. “You really good at playing hard to get, aren’t you?”
“Back off.” She brushed past him.
He rolled his eyes, glared at her. “When are you going to ease up around me?”
“When you stop emitting rapist vibes,” she answered.
His glare sharpened, and he stepped out of her room. “Whatever, it’s late and we have school tomorrow. Night.”
“Night,” she said as he left her room, then muttered to herself. “Thank fucking god. He finally left.”
After a couple seconds of hearing the front door close, Riley shut her bedroom door and shuffled the paper out of her pocket.
It was a note, and she blinked in confusion for a moment before she opened the folded paper, gazing curiously down at the writing seconds later.
Meet me at the bridge on Coal Street. If you don’t feel safe alone, bring a friend, but don’t bring your boyfriend. I am here to answer your questions about recent events.
She squinted down at the paper.
Huh?
Who was her boyfriend? This was news to her.
Riley looked down at the signature down at the paper, eyeing it curiously for a moment.
P.
So his name started with the letter P… Was it Perry? Peach? Patrick?
Or was it a girl?
Riley shook her head, pulling her phone out of her pocket. No, he gave her the option to bring a friend, so this was worth something. He didn’t have any red flags…
Well… major ones.
And a part of her pleaded for her to see him.
He must’ve had answers about Bella’s death. He must’ve.
Meet me at the park on Summit Road, she texted her friend.
Uh, why? her friend texted back.
Just do it, she answered, trust me.
Okay, see you in five.
Riley smiled at her friend’s lack of questioning.
So she grabbed her phone and stuffed it in her purse, throwing it over her shoulder as she darted down the stairs to find her mom there, typing frantically on her work computer.
“Hey, mom!” Riley said, Violet looking up at her voice.
“Oh,” she answered, “hey, Honey. Going somewhere?”
She probably noticed her purse and jacket were on.
“Yeah,” Riley responded, “I’m meeting my friend.”
“Just be careful,” Violet said a little sternly. “You have your taser?”
She nodded.
“Okay, go on,” she said. “And remember, any slight trouble and you text the code word to me. What is it? Do you remember?”
Riley nodded. “‘Peanut butter.’”
Violet smiled. “Be back before ten.”
“Thanks, mom.” And she darted out the front door.
151Please respect copyright.PENANAPR3XuAD6t4