The Bet

Chapter 10

James's POV

"So James, you're going out tonight to a party so I can have my party, right?" My mother asks me.

"Yes mom." I reply.

"Any specific girl going with you?" She asks.

"Um, a girl named Riley is." I tell her. She pauses for a minute to think.

"I don't believe I know her." She says.

"She's new at our school." I explain.

"Oh I see, well-Wait! Not there!" She barks at one of the caterors she hired for the party. I said my parents were rich.

I looked around the large living room, and think of Riley. Everything in here probaly costs more than what Riley will make in a month at the coffee shop.

It was sad to think about it really. In another month, mom will get bored of the color, or one of the decorations, and she will decide to re decorate it again. Then, everything will go into a storage room, forgotten.

Riley's POV

I shift through my closet. I don't have much in dresses, and I can't afford to just go to the mall and buy a new one at the last minute.

I sneak into one of the storage closets and look through the boxes that were still packed up. I open and close them, until I find what I'm looking for. My mother's stuff.

I pull out a floral sundress that belonged to my mother. I rummaged even more and found a pair of old high heels that were my size. I smile.

James's POV

Riley gave me her address, so I drive to her house to pick her up. I finally came upon the old house.

I remember some of the guys from the football team and I breaking into it once before. I had smashed the front bay window and we went in. I don't remember was else happened, except getting drunk. The house was still not the prettiest, but atleast it looked fixed up.

I knocked on the old door, the knocks sounding hollow. A very tall man with wired glasses and a beard opens the door. I gulp.

"So, you must be the young man that took my daughter out last night?" He asks.

"Yes, that would be me." I say slowly. He smiles.

"Riley!" He calls out. I peer in and see Riley coming down the old creaky stairs. She looked stunning.

"Hi James." She says flatly.

"You ready?" I ask. She nods, and turns to her father.

"I won't be out too long." She tells him. He smiles a little at his daughter, and that's when I can see his wrinkles, revealing how old and worn he was. He lost his wife, and he had a fear of somehow losing his daughter too.

"I'll take good care of her sir." I assure him. He gives me a look.

"You better. I want her back by midnight, no later. Understand?" He asks sharply.

"Dad." Riley whines.

"Understood." I assure him. Riley gives her dad a quick hug.

"Bye." She says and walks out of the house, shutting the door behind her.

"You look nice." I compliment her.

"Oh, thanks." She says shyly. I lead her to my black Ford Raptor that I got for my last birthday.

"Nice truck." She says. I mentally face plant myself. I had told Riley that my parents didn't make much money either.

"Um, yeah I had to work all summer to pay for it." I lie. She seems to buy it, so I just go with it.