Unpredictable • cth

2

El-

The school is bustling, students are pulling up in their expensive cars, honking and shouting a different girls who have their skirts folded way too many times, with multiple genres of music filling the air, some of which is my dads own music. 

I finally make my way inside, with all my  focus on getting to my locker, grabbing my books, and going to class. 

"Hey Bitch!!" There she is, right on time. 

Mia Clifford.  

My best friend since birth and I'm not kidding we are literally born two days apart. And here she comes strutting down the hallway. I bet you imagine her with fishnets and rolled skirt, probably with bright red hair, right? 

Wrong. 

Today she showed up with her skirt just about 2 inches above the knee, what a rebel, with her blonde hair curled and pinned back just like Aunt Crystal. 

"What's wrong, you look like you've been hit by a bus?" she asked abruptly, slamming her locker open. 

"Well for your information, Ry showed up at my house this morning and just with my luck my dad saw him, got pissed, and drove me to school!" My voice raised until I was basically yelling, causing me to slam my locker in frustration. 

"Is he mad?" Mia asked as gingerly as she could, scared that she would open pandoras box. 

"No. Well he said he wasn't, I don't know." I sighed, turning around leaning my back again my locker. "You know him. Ryder was his favorite honorary nephew. He did everything with him. Hell my dad basically invited Ry to live with us when Luke and Sierra went on their wedding anniversary. I just don't get what happened to them."

"You mean what happened to Ryder." Mia stated firmly. She turned towards me, placing her hand on my shoulder. "Don't let it get you down El. Our dads are only back in town for a few weeks, then they are going to who the hell knows where. Let Luke and Cal figure this one out."

I nodded reluctantly, as Mia's gaze traveled off somewhere else, most likely to the boy of the week. She looks innocent as hell, but everyone knows if you wanna have a good time, you look for Mia. 

We stood there for a while, but I knew she wasn't all there, her casual 'mhm' and 'yea' was getting tiring considering the morning I had. 

The bell sounded, sending us our separate ways. Regardless of if she was listening to me or not, I felt better, thank god.

I checked my phone one last time before entering into my English class, which is the only class I truly pay attention in. Yet just because God played his cards right, this is also the only class I have with Ryder, who managed to sit right behind me this year. 

Walking in, I scan the room looking for the one and only. It's not surprising that he's not here, he's never here first period, in fact I think he's only ever shown up twice for this class. 

I take my seat, looking behind me one last time to make sure he didn't magically show up. The class pulls out the homework, waiting for Mr. Jone to take attendance and get the day started. When taking attendance he casually skips over Ryder's name, as he is never here anyways. 

"Ella Hood?"

Just as I'm about to respond, a loud crack comes from the entryway, the door has been pushed open revealing Ryder Hemmings. 

"Take your seat." Mr. Jone mumbles under his breath well readjusting his gaze back on me. 

"Here." I stated well never taking my eyes of Ryder, who has now taken his seat behind me resting his feet against the back of my chair. 

---

Mr. Jone finished his lesson,  assigned homework, and got coffee all in 25 minutes, leaving an abundance of free time for students to basically do jack shit. 

"Pst." 

"Pst."

"Ella come on." I heard a whiny Ryder plead behind me. 

Barley turning around I whispered a small 'what' in hopes of getting him to leave me alone for the rest of the class. 

"I'm sorry." He stated very firmly yet with meaning. "I know he doesn't like me, I knew he was home, but he never gets up early, I just wanted to talk to you."

A part of me felt touched but the other part felt like this was complete bull. 

"Save it Ry, ok?" I spat at him, turning around.

"El don't act like this, you know I-" his voiced trailed off. Like an idiot I turned around only to see  some blonde bimbo sitting on his desk which caused all of his attention to be turned to her. 

Classic Ryder, only wants what he can see. 

---

I was now sitting in 6th period, the only class I have with Mia, which is also the only class I have with Caleb, Caleb Irwin. He's basically my big brother, he's protected me from everything well almost everything. 

"I'm gonna kill him." Caleb sounded irritated. We were in ceramics and we tend to rant about our day in this class so naturally I was telling Caleb about my eventful day.

"You won't kill him." Mia stated, clearly annoyed by the fact that Caleb even said that. 

"Who says I won't? I'm sick of his shit!"

"Caleb stop. We all know you love Ry too much to even lay a hand on him." Even though Caleb and I have a brother-sister relationship, and he would anything to protect me, he would never lay a hand on Ryder.

Caleb has gotten into plenty of fights, he's technically the smart one but sometimes he pretty fucking stupid. He's fought people for taking his parking spot, stealing his food, messing with myself or Mia, but no matter what Ryder did he never laid a hand on him. 

"I'll do it this time, he can't even apologize to you without making himself look like an ass." Caleb was clearly exasperated at this point. 

"C stop, it's no big deal. This has happened before. I just thought-"

"What Ella, you thought that after last week when he showed up to your house in the rain, soaking wet, crying to you because he missed his daddy and couldn't take it anymore that you two would be all better?" Mia whisper yelled at me. "Huh Ella? He doesn't change. When he wants you he will come get you because he knows your always going to be there. You need to grow up and stop falling all over for him." 

My eyes started to get watery. It was the truth, I needed to hear it but not like this. 

"Shit Mia could you be any harsher?" Caleb snapped at her quickly turning to me."Ella-"

I stood up, shot a small smile with my eyes full of tears and walked out of class. Mia was right, but a part of me was hoping Ryder would be the same kid that I grew up madly I love with. The same kid that loved his Uncle Cal so much that he wanted to play bass instead of guitar like his dad. 

I wanted to go home, I needed to go home, I needed my Dad. 

With two rings he picked up. 

"Ella whats wrong?" His voice filled with concern. 

He didn't even wait for my response. "I'm coming to get you now."