familiarity

zooted

*two months later*

                 Riley Halstead, the bright and funny 14 year old with a very traumatic past, sits facing the board in biology class bored out of her mind.  Shes in therapy, has been for about a month now and although she only opens up about minor details every week, it's helping her put the past behind her a lot, she's finally coming to terms with her new life within her amazing new family.  Suddenly she was snapped out of her own thoughts by her teacher placing down her most recent grade report sheet in front of her, she looked up and tried to read the teachers face before flipping it over but she couldn't and now she had to find out her grades for herself. 

               She quickly flipped it over and held her breath but soon smiled when she saw the sheet which read out the subjects and next to them laid straight A's in every subject, she looked over to dylan and smiled, "what'd you get?" He smiled.  Riley showed him her grades, "lucky biotch" he laughed and showed her his sheet which had a few slipping grades, "I could always ask my brother if he'll let me come 'study' with you.  But we can just make tiktoks instead" she laughed.  Dylan nodded, "please do, my brothers home tonight anyways so it's not like we'll be home alone" he smirked.  Riley tilted her head, "are your parents still away?" She nodded.  Dylan sighed, "yeh yuh, they come back in 3 days" he rolled his eyes, his parents were in Bora Bora without him.  Riley smiled and laughed at his humour, "I'm sure jay'll let me" she could only hope.

At the end of the day Riley ran outside of the school gates to see jay waiting in his truck for her already, "hey, I thought you weren't picking me up today" she slid into the passenger seat. Jay smiled as she set her bag down, "I'm not on shift anymore, change of plans" he nodded and began driving. Riley nodded and smiled, "I've got something to show you when we get home" she hopped her head to the music. Jay smiled, "a surprise?" He raised his eyebrows. Riley shrugged, "it's not an important one but yeah" she nodded to herself. Jay smiled, he likes how happy she's becoming now that she's putting her past behind her. It didn't take them long to get home and when they did Riley ran straight into the kitchen to get her grade report out of her back to show jay.

She held it out to him with a huge grin on her face, "look" she jumped a little as jay took it from her hands. His face lit up with proudness as he saw that she was working on all A's, "this is an important surprise champ, well done" he pulled her into a hug and ruffed up her hair. Riley smiled, "thanks" she nodded happily then ran off to go out her phone in charge. She reappeared after a few minutes and crept up behind him in the couch, "jay..." she smiled suspiciously.  Jay looked back curiously at her tone change, "what do you want? What did you do? No you can't" He sighed but smiled slightly.  Riley laughed a little but stayed behind the couch, "can I go to Dylan's and help him study tonight?" She asked with puppy dog eyes, that always seemed to work on Will so maybe it'll work on jay too.  He widened his eyes at the word 'him' and shook his head, "a boys house? no way" he spat out.

                Riley knew he'd say that, "ew jay, not like that, he's gay..." she laughed a little, already knowing why jay was saying no now he knew it was a boy.  Jay looked back up at her, "I'm not stupid riles, I've heard that excuse before" he shook his head.  Riley huffed, "you've literally met him twice..." she tilted her head and leant on the back of the couch.  Jay thought for a second, trying to remember this Dylan, "his mom works at the attorneys office" she added to try and trigger his memory.  After a while jay mouthed 'oh' and nodded, "Dylan with the french bulldog Dylan..." he hoped that's who she was talking about.  Riley finally smiled and nodded but realised who he must've been think of, "yeah...Wait, you didn't think I was talking about soccer Dylan did you?" She furrowed her brows.