𝚍𝚛𝚞𝚐𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚢 | 𝚝𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚠𝚘𝚕𝚏 [1]

dumdums

—

Austin stood with his face in Ryder's neck, hugging the girl goodbye.

While Ryder was relatively calm with not seeing him for a day or two, Austin was acting like he was having withdrawals. She didn't have a problem with it.

She liked how obsessed he was.

"You'll be fine, I swear."

"You'll miss me though, right?" He pulled away to look at her.

"Yes, I will." She nodded, shoving Marco the Monkey into his hands. "Now go."

"Are you sure you don't want him?" He looked down at the stuffed animal, "I feel like you deserve him more than I do right now."

She shook her head, "Nope."

Austin sighed, pursing his lips as he looked down at her, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Ry, Derek just died." He started, "I know you guys have your problems, but you used to be really close. And you haven't spoken to Cora since you all found her. Has she called you?"

"No, and I'm fine with that. She just lost her brother, needs time to herself."

"Ryder."

"Austin." She mocked him in a joking tone, "I'll be okay. If anything, you'll know I hit rock bottom if I start hanging out with Lydia and Allison."

•••

She must have hit rock bottom.

Ryder currently found herself sitting in the back seat of Allison's car.

The girl had barely even stepped foot in her house when Allison and Lydia drove up asking her to come with them. If you asked her why she agreed, she would say it was because she had nothing better to do.

Allison also happened to mention that she'd give her twenty dollars if she gave them directions to where the boys were going.

"So...how has everyone been?"

Lydia furrowed her brows, turning in her seat to face the blonde.

"What?" Ryder pushed, "I'm bored and the silence is deafening."

The pair of best friends were aware of how close Derek and Ryder used to be, and despite them having their issues, they knew how much Ryder cared for him. So they could admit it was weird to see her pretend it didn't matter.

"I've been okay." Lydia told her in a soft voice, "How are you?"

"I'm okay. Allison?"

The Argent looked at her through the rearview mirror, smiling a bit, "I'm alright."

"Good. That's good."

Lydia and Allison look at one another nervously as they both took notice of the way Ryder's knee bounced up and down nervously while she look out the window, admiring the cars that passed by.