With or without you

Chapter 62

Riley's POV

Things with Tessa have been great. Don't get me wrong, everything else in my life is a shit show, but when I'm with Tessa, I'm okay. I've made sure that my parents weren't home the few times that Tessa was at my house, and I've made sure to keep her away from Charlotte and the others. I'm not ashamed of Tessa, not in the slightest. If anything, she's the one who should be ashamed of me, I'm a mess and all I do is cause problems. At least that's how everyone in my life views me, well except for Tess.

When we were at Tess's that first day, and Lauren asked what I'd done now, I started getting that sinking feeling again. Maybe Laurens right. I only ever cause problems, at least I know that's what my parents think. Hanging out with the girls has been difficult too. Charlotte keeps making gay jokes, as if she has the right to say anything about Tess and I. Of course, if I say anything against them she asks why I'm being so sensitive, that she's only kidding, so I roll with the punches.

I wanted to hang out with Tess today, obviously I'd rather do that than go out with Charlotte and the girls. I would have ditched if Charlotte hadn't made such a big deal out of it. I agreed to drive the girl's home after school, but I told them I wasn't driving tonight wherever we went. They decided that we would meet at my house, I don't know why. At around 8:30 I had finished getting dressed and was waiting around for them to come over. They didn't come until 9, that annoyed me because they said they'd be here at 8. My parents hadn't come home yet, they had gone to dinner with another couple or something. We were all standing around the kitchen; they were finalizing plans, and I was texting Tess, that is until she went into the movie.

"So we'll go to that club down town, then we can go from there." Charlotte said. We all have fakes. They were all still talking when my parents came home.

"Oh, hi girls." My mom said when she saw us all standing around the island. They all said hi. My mom then walked over to Charlotte, gave her a hug and said

"Happy birthday Charlotte."

"Awe thank you Mrs. Parker."

"I feel like I haven't seen you girls together in forever." My mom cooed as my dad pulled a water bottle out of the fridge.

"Oh, I know it's been a while. I decided to kidnap Rye Rye since we haven't seen her in forever." She played with a strand of my hair, I flinched at her stupid nick name.

"She spends all her time with Tess now so we barely get to see her anymore." My breathing stopped. The air in the room stood still. My dad's eyes shot up at me from the pile of mail he had moved to, and my mother gave me a look I couldn't read.

"Well anyways, we better get going, we don't want to be late for dinner. We have reservations at my favorite restaurant." She and the other girls started gathering their things, but I stayed completely still.

"Come on Riley, don't want to be late." She said as she grabbed my arm and pulled me along with her. I started followed her out the door. I couldn't speak, I couldn't breathe, I couldn't do anything but put one foot in front of the other.

"Riley come here for a minute, before you leave." My father's voice was stern, angry, but not enough to cause alarm to the other girls.

"We'll be in the car." One of them said. My hands were shaking and I felt like I would collapse at any second.

"I thought we made it clear to you about that girl." I didn't say anything.

"Are you with her again?"

"Are you?" It came out louder the second time.

"Yes." My father looked up at the ceiling and then put on hand on his hip and the other in his hair and turned around.