HIS SIDEKICK

3. Confrontation

"Help! The killer is escaping! Help me!" Riley giggled at her phone while she scrolled through Tik-Tok. It's lunch time and we sat in the far back corner of the cafeteria so we would be left alone.

"Phone down!" I placed my palm over her phone screen. She rolled her eyes, before shutting her phone off and looking up at me.

"Sooo are you going to give me the details?" I gush, putting my head in-between my fists while I waited. "Um, what details?" She mumbled.

"Don't act clueless.. you know exactly what I'm talking about!" I shouted. Luckily we're seated so far back that no one can hear us. When she still wasn't picking up what I was putting down I rolled my eyes and leaned into her.

"You and Ryder." I whispered , cuffing a hand around my mouth in case any bystanders try to listen in...not that they would even want to.

"I already told you about that." She groaned, picking her phone back up. "Riley! You told me over text , but I need to hear it from your mouth. I need to hear the emotion, the authenticity!"
I whined, flaring my arms around for more emphasis.

"You're so dramatic." She stated, but In that moment I didn't care. My eyes were glued to a very sexy pair behind Riley's big head. One being Ryder with his tall physique. With his muscly legs, and those basketball shorts! He is on the slimmer side, but it's no doubt that he works out by the way his abs could be seen through his white t-shirt. He has light brown hair, sometimes ginger in the right light with brown eyes.

Next to him is his best friend Jaxon Scott. Jaxon and Ryder have similar body types, but the face is where you can really tell them apart. Jaxons hair is midnight black, the darkest shade of black you can think of. His eyes are an obvious green.

Jaxons hair has loose curls that are all over the place ... but in a very beautiful way. Meanwhile Ryders hair didn't have a curl in sight and looked like he had just rolled out of bed, but it definitely worked for him.

I couldn't take my eyes off of them. "Jasmine? Earth to Jasmine." Riley snapped her fingers in my face , her head was tilted and her eyebrows were pushed together like she didn't understand what was going on.

"Don't look now, but Ryder and Jaxon are on there way over here right now!" I explained, trying my best to hide my excitement. I don't want to seem like a fan girl in front of them, just because they're insanely hot, and good at sports, and insanely hot! Riley's body stiffens at my news, but she doesn't have time to react before Ryders lunch tray slides next to hers, and the pair sit.

"You're the girl that bumped into me in the hallway the other day." Ryder stated at Riley. I took a chance to peak at Jaxon who was already looking at me. I quickly looked down at the food at my lunch tray as I listened to their conversation unfold. Why can't I be more confident ?

"I already apologized for that." Riley said, moving her lunch tray away from his. Ooo she is fierce! Ryder moved closer to her so his mouth was at her ear.

"I wanna hear you say it again." He whispered, and just like that Riley folded in fear.

"I-I'm s-sorry." She stuttered. I couldn't blame her though, after years of being bullied at school, and being abused at home I get why she didn't want to put up a fight. We both learned that it gets you nowhere. The thing about me is I let my mother talk to me the way she wants to, because she will never change, and I don't think I'll ever get what I want out of her.

"For what?" He grinned. Enjoying the reaction he was getting from her. The blood inside of me boiled as the the scene in front of me unfolded.

"F-for-

"What's your problem?" I interrupt, turning my attention towards Ryder. In reality I could stand up for myself and Riley all day, but I have never actually won an argument. Mainly because I always run out of comebacks.

Ryder slowly turned his head to look at me, as if I wasn't even important enough for his time. "I'm sorry. Who are you?" He grinned.

"I'm Jas- he raised his hand to cut me off. "I don't actually care." He chuckled, before turning his gaze back to Riley.

Riley's eyes widened, but she didn't say anything. "Well I - he cut me off again. This time giving me one of his signature scowls.

"I'm sorry , why are you still talking?" His words were like venom to my heart. How could he be so mean? He doesn't even know me! And he's the one who came sashaying over here with his handsome and amazingly built friend and started bullying my best friend!

"D-don't t-talk to her like t-that." Riley's voice was barely a whisper , but it even made Jaxon look up from his phone.

"Excuse me?" Ryder seemed shocked, looking at Riley as if she had grown another head.

"You h-heard me." She stuttered again, this time picking her lunch tray up from the table. "Let's go Jasmine." She didn't have to tell me twice! My cheeks were on fire from the embarrassment of Ryders scrutiny. I was rooting for him! I was rooting for them! How dare he?

I was finally able to let out the breath i didn't know I'd been holding when we exited the cafeteria. Riley stared at me with her brown beady eyes practically bulging from their sockets, she held out her hands to show me they were both shaking profusely. "Okay Ry I know that was a lot, but you're okay!" I tried to calm her down, knowing she would go into a panic attack if I didn't.

"You really showed him girl! There's no way he's ever going to mess with us again. You did it Ry!" I tried to sound excited to make her feel better, but to be honest I was still bothered about the incident with Ryder. There are so many things I could have said to shut him down, and I choked. I wanted to kick myself, to slap myself, but not in front of Riley.

"Y-your right!" She smiled, with an exasperated laugh.

"I did it! I really told him!" She laughed again, slapping my arm.

"Ow! Now that we both agreed you won can we please get out of here? The bells about to ring and I really don't want to be out here when Ryder comes out." She stopped her laughing and her eyes widened again at the possibility of seeing Ryder again.

"You're right, let's go." Gripping my arm she pulled me to her next class with her. Sadly the only class we ever had together was our freshman biology class, ever since then we have never had a class together nor lockers on the same level as one another, but even though that part is hard, we are still able to remain best friends.

Imagining that the world isn't real, willingly seeping into a state of delusions seems all too comforting at the wrong times. One uncomfortable interaction, or in a setting I don't want to be in and I'll use my mind as an escape button and skyrocket to my perfect world.