Blood and Magic

Chapter 35 - I Don't Know How I Pulled This Off (Ryker)

New Fears by Lights

You know with all the craziness of the last few fews you'd think we'd get a break, start to settle into school, ease up on all the war stuff, but no. 

I had the covers pulled all the way over my head, hiding from reality, hoping if I couldn't see it, it couldn't see me. 

Tonight was the art gallery from my summer classes, and I was not looking forward too it. I hated going out in public, and I hated being the center of attention. So an open gallery filled with people who were going to not only paying attention, but judging my art - well - lets just say it wasn't exactly my cup of tea. 

Mom was working a morning shift for a change, so she could attend the gallery viewing tonight. Leaving me the rare opportunity to cocoon myself in my bed and sleep in to a proper time, noon. 

It wasn't that I didn't have faith in the quality of my work, well I mean maybe a little, it wa show they were going to publicly display it for everyone too see. Mom was going to be there obviously, not too mention my sisters and hundreds of strangers. My Family I knew would tell me they were impressed regardless of what they truly thought, but strangers, strangers didn't give a fuck about my feelings. 

What of no one likes them? What if they don't understand what their about? What if, what if, what if, rattled around my head like a pin ball machine all different versions of the same fear. I was working myself into a headache. 

"Ryker?" Peyton called out somewhere in my apartment. 

How did she even get in here? Why was she here? Does she not know how early it is?

My door creaked open a bit letting in the light. 

"Ryker? Ah- ugh gross! Ive been yelling for you since I got here, a little warning would have been nice!" she groaned with a hint of disgust. 

What the Hell was she freaking out over? I followed her eyes to the blanket covering my lower half and understood. Rolling my eyes I tossed the cover off myself and glared at her. 

"I wasn't doing that ya perv. I'm just hiding from the world," I grumbled and moved so I was sitting on the edge of my bed. 

"Very angsty," she quipped and pointed to the closed black curtains. " The mood lighting helps the theatrics,"

I scrubbed my eyes starting to get slightly annoyed. 

"What brings you by Peyton?" I asked trying to keep the attuide out of my voice. 

She clicked her tongue and leaned a bit on the door frame, catching it anyway. 

"Just checking up on you. I assumed you be anxious about tonight and I wanted to see if you needed a lending hand,"

I shrugged a bit and glanced at the alarm clock. 

"I'm fine, not gonna have a panic attack over it. But I'm definitely not looking forward to it."

Peyton shifted her weight a bit and nodded while tucking back her hair. 

"Well good, I'll get out of here then, I'm meeting girls to get ready. Oh and there was a package on the door step, I left it on the table,"

She turned to leave closing the door behind her, I caught her just before it shut. 

"Hey Peyton?"

She opened it up a bit and poked her head in with a gentle smile. 

"Yes?"

I cleared my throat and stuttered a bit as a spoke. 

"Uh, thanks for ya know, checking up on me,"