All That's Forgotten {RIARKLE}

Chapter 10

After school I decide to go straight to Farkle's house to ask him what happened earlier. He and Zay both avoided us all day, so this is the first chance I've had all day to talk to him. I've only been there once since the accident, but I know the way well enough.

When I get there someone that works there recognizes me and lets me in. She tells me that Farkle and someone else are in his room. I thank her and go to his room.

As I'm nearing his my destination I hear Zay say, "That's crazy. No one would do that to Riley!"

I stop and back up into the shadows as they come out of the room and go down the hallway. I make a split second decision and follow.

"That's what I thought at first. But you have to see all the evidence I've found, though none of it had really lead me anywhere yet," Farkle relays in a sad tone.

I can't help but think that they're keeping secrets from me. Why would they need to keep things from me? I mean I'm already in the dark as I am.

They both stop in front of a door and Farkle pulls out a key. He gestures for the other boy to be quiet as they go in. The door is kept ajar with just enough space for me to slip in, but I don't. I stay where I am and listen. Maybe if I just listen I'll figure out what they're talking about. Hopefully it's not something super important to me.

There's some shuffling and moving of furniture before anything else. Then there's just a long moment of silence.

Finally Zay's voice drifts into the hallway. "You found all this by yourself?"

Found what?

Farkle clears his throat and says, "I mean I did the research and stuff so I guess you could say that."

What the hell was he doing research on?

"But you don't really think Smakle did it do you? I mean she was with us when we found out and she looked genuinely upset."

What did Smakle do?

There's a sigh. "I really hope she didn't, but she's my best lead. I'm hoping if I follow it I'll find who really did it. Smakle or not."

Okay now I'm just plain confused and since that's what I've been ever since I woke up in the hospital I'm going in to figure this out. I march over to the door and push it open causing both boys to jump.

"Riley?" Farkle says with urgency in his voice, "You can't be in here."

I ignore him and look to what they were both staring at. They try to block me and hold me back but neither of them want to hurt me so I end up winning. I walk up to the wall and see a board with pictures of everyone I know and me in the center on it. There's a string that connects me to other people and then to pictures of places and articles and printouts of different things.

There's sticky notes with different questions and scribbles on them making me even more confused. This might make sense to a genius like this blue eyes boy, but not to me. Though I've been told that I am pretty smart myself.

The thing that sticks out to me the most though is that Maya and Smakle's pictures have red circles around them. What the heck is this?

I turn around and Farkle quickly tells me, "I swear that this isn't what it looks like."

I raise and eyebrow. "Then what is this?"

He looks down. "I can't say."

I want to scream at him, but nothing comes out. I look to Zay who just looks at the ground to avoid my gaze.

Farkle walks over to me making me look up so that we're eye to eye. He quietly tells me, "All I can say right now is that your accident... wasn't an accident. You're in danger and I've been doing everything I can to make sure you're safe."

I feel shock, confusion, and fear wash over me. "What kind of danger? Are you saying that someone was or maybe is targeting me?"

"Yes," he confirms, "Someone was or maybe is after you."

So many questions swarm through my head. The only one I can actually form into words is, "If this is true why didn't you tell me?"

"Well," Farkle starts, "Your mom asked me not to."

I pull a chair over to me and sit down. I need to process this. My mom knew about this and she didn't think to tell me?

"Farkle, I don't care if my mom didn't want you to tell me. If my life is in danger I want to know."

"She's right," Zay chimes in, "It's her life so she has a right to know what's going on."

Farkle nods slowly. He tells me everything from Maya being jealous to me being bullied to the accident to now. The only thing he didn't explain was Smakle.

"Then why did you yell at Smakle?" I ask.

He leans against the wall before saying, "Because when you told me about your memory everything clicked together. Smakle was the one sending the texts on behalf of Maya. I don't know how she booked that, but she did."

Things slowly start to come together, but I wish I could just remember everything on my own. I stand and kick the chair over out of frustration. I hear Zay and Farkle telling me to just breathe when I film falls over my eyes.

"Riley, bad things can happen to good people," my dad is telling me.

"Okay I get that," I respond, "But doesn't the world need to keep things balanced with lik good karma?"

My dad puts a piece of chalk down and turns to the whole class. "Remember this: The world does not owe us anything. We can be the best people and bad things can still happen."

I stumble to the ground and cry. Why was my dad teaching us that? His lessons alway relate to our lives, so what was going on in our lives to make him talk about the hat stuff?

I slow my cries and say, "Guys, I think my dad knows something about the bullying or maybe the accident."

"Why do you think that?" Zay asks as he pats my back reassuringly.

I tell them my memory between coughs and sniffles and know that they agree by the look in their eyes.

"Once you're ready we're going to go talk to him," Farkle tells me while cradling me in a comforting way.

I nod and wipe my eyes. "Then let's go right now."