Daisy had asked if I could work tonight and so I ended up awake late into the evening with only a football jock as company.

"Wait so your telling me that Hein and Gary left a five year old alone in an apartment while they were babysitting. That's insane." Derek leans back in his chair with a smile on his face, he clearly finds this funny while I was stuck waiting for them to return with my food. They only came later, both carrying bags full of my favourite food. I had instructed them to clean the fort, call Ryder to apologise and then they are allowed to eat. The first thing I did upon reaching Steam was to tell Derek about their stupidity. I left out the part that it was Ryder's little sister since I have picked up that they clearly don't like each other.

"You ready for school on Monday?"

"I guess. I'm just stressing about the hockey league. The league is only starting in two weeks, Alex is coming in two weeks and I'm not playing." I look up at him and see a look I cannot decipher, looking down I mumble,
"Sorry I'm only talking about myself now. You ready?"

"No it's fine. I like it when you talk, but I'm ready for this semester. I'm super excited to study Forensics," I didn't know that, I thought he was only here for football and that he would only study something so that he can get into the football programme.

"How was your trip home this weekend?"

"Oh it was amazing. We went to the putt-putt course and I got to see my old team, we went to the diner there. It was sad to leave though, but I'm still glad I'm back." I babbled with a grin on my face. He was looking at me with a small smile on his face, his features softening as my eyes met his. He started to lean forward slightly, my eyes widening. His face was only a few inches from my and I could see he was still looking for permission. I looked at him bewildered and then suddenly he grabbed my face, pressing his lips against mine. I've been kissed only once in my life before, it was seventh grade and Joe Proctor had done it for a dare.

A feeling of disgust surged through me, pushing his hands away I leaned back and stared shellshock at him. "I'm sorry. I-" he tried to explain, but my stern voice cut him off.

"Don't you come here with stuff like that. I barely know you and then you come and do such things. That's really just- I don't even know what. I'm leaving now, see you next time." With those final words I grab my things and walk out of that place. I understood why he suddenly felt the urge to kiss me, but I really thought that he would be the first friend I make here. Clearly not.

The night is quiet as I walk through the streets. I'm wandering now, my mind in a million places. I've past by the apartment several times now, but I refused to go in. I knew that once I was laying down in bed my mind would sound like a rollercoaster and I couldn't have that.

Why did he kiss me?
I thought we were friends, aren't we?
Boys never kiss me.
Didn't he see the real me?
The one that no one sees as the girl of the gang.
Am I really that revolting?

I couldn't stop it, my mind was a whirlwind and an aggressive one. To be honest, I liked the idea of having a whirlwind as a brain; it could be the reason I don't have to think before speaking.

"River?" A deep voice breaks my whirlwind, my heart hammered as I turn towards the strange voice; hoping it's not Derek. It was Ryder. Irritation seeped into me at the sight of him. Why was he here? I didn't need to stupid knight to come and save me. I can save myself. "What are you doing out here?" He questioned confused.

"Thinking," I reply immediately but regret it as I have now given away my secret.

"About what?"

"Nothing that concerns you," once again I reply without taking a breath.

"Ok, why don't you go home?"

"I don't want to. Can you not see that or do you have no brain cells at all," I rolled my eyes at him, spin on my heel and continue on my way. I heard soft footsteps following my and another wave of irritation comes washing over me. "Do you not get the memo that I want to be alone?"

"I do actually, but it's late at night and you are walking alone outside."

"You are too," I retorted back, having now stopped to look at him once more.

"But I'm a dude," I scoffed, spun on my heel and walked away. I didn't know where I was going, but I was determined to get as far away as possible from him. My footsteps slapped against the concrete as I walk away. I could here him chuckle behind until his footsteps started following mine. Rage boiled in my system. Can he not leave me alone? "Come on River, I just wanna talk."

"Well I don't want to talk," I scaled while turning around to face him with a glare on my face. I really wasn't in the mood for him right now and he is clearly not realising that.

"I can see that you're upset. There is a nice ice cream shop nearby, how 'bout we go there and talk. If you do this then I promise to bring Cassie to our practise tomorrow." Those words persuaded me. I released a frustrated sigh and accepted his offer. To be honest ice cream did sound good now and it is probably best if I talk to someone that won't kill Derek.

He instructed me to follow him and I did. His soft footsteps were confidently strolling towards this mystery ice cream shop and all I could do was follow him like a lost puppy. His arms were swinging happily as he walked, this allowed me to actually look at him. Ryder was actually very good looking, with a tall and muscular body he had all the girls at his feet. His green eyes had most girls swooning and it didn't help that he was a star athlete as well.

"You coming?" His deep, manly voice broke my train of thought and I realised that I had stopped. I shook my head of those thoughts and looked up at him, he was looking at me curiously; patiently waiting for me to acknowledge his presence again.

"Yeah sorry," I replied quickly, jogged forward a bit and started walking beside him.

"So why were you walking outside, alone?" He questioned after a few seconds had passed. The sound of fast driving cars and hooting horns could be heard in the distance. The night was busy there, but here it was dead.

"I thought we were only talking once we get there?"

"Just thought you'd like to start so long, but that's also good," he shrugged his shoulder and slightly picked up pace for a bit of dramatic effect.

"Fine," I mumbled, he stopped in his tracks and turned to me with a triumphant smile on his stupid face. I rolled my eyes at him as he once again stood beside me, and we continued to the ice cream shop. I saw the neon light up ahead, but started my story nonetheless."A guy tried to kiss me."

"That's it?"

"Well yeah," I shrugged my shoulders and finally looked at him. His mouth was slightly parted, but I saw the small tinge of a smile at the edge of his mouth. "Don't laugh."

"Why not? You are upset about that, why are you upset about something like that?" He started chuckling softly and I instantly regretted agreeing to this whole thing. I should've known that he would find it stupid. Probably seeing the look on my face, his laughter stopped and he started at me with guilt," I'm sorry."

"It's fine. This was a bad idea, let's just get ice cream and walk back."

"No, I'm really sorry. Please tell me why this is bothering you so much." He sounded really sincere at that moment, his eyes shone softly with regret at his actions and it caused another sigh to be released from my lips.

"Well it shouldn't come as a surprise that I'm not really a guy's first choice. I'm always seen as another guy in the group, but don't get me wrong now; I really do love. So I've basically never had a boyfriend, Peter Potter tried kissing me in seventh grade and I punched him. I've never even had a guy like me before, well until tonight actually." I mumbled the last words and looked down at my shoes that were tapping against the floor with every step. I was really embarrassed about this, not even Hein or Gary knows that this frustrates me sometimes. It felt odd sharing something so personal with someone so dreadful and ugly.

"I get it, River," he said softly. I finally looked up at him, into his big green eyes and I felt better somehow. "You know I was a fat kid, even in High School I was fat. At the end of my Grade 10 year a girl came up to me everyday just to insult my weight. I refused to go to school because of that girl, so during the holidays I joined a gym and started exercising. I ate healthy and worked really hard. It was during those weeks that I realised how much fun hockey really was. I had always played, but I never gave it my all until that summer. When I returned to school everyone suddenly loved me and praised me, I hated it so much that I moved schools and that's how we ended up becoming rivals." To say I was shocked is an understatement, never had I thought that Ryder was fat as a kid.

"I always pictured you as the little athletic kid, with a lot of friends but only one of them is your true friend and then at high school you were the player of the school, with an added bonus as Captain of the hockey team," I explained. It sounded ridiculous once I actually said it out loud, but it's too late now.

"Yeah right," he grumbled in disbelief just as we reached the ice cream shop. A big sign reading: Zacharia's ice cream was displayed above the scarlet door. He pulled the door open and allowed me to step inside. There was only one person behind the counter, displaying various ice cream flavours. The guy looked surprised as we stepped inside, his eyebrows furrowed as he analysed us with caution. We ordered our ice creams and sat down in a booth near the exit.

"So Cassie is coming tomorrow?" I ask hopefully, my eyes widening and mouth turning into a pout. His eyes filled with amusement as he nodded in agreement and took another bite of his ice cream.

Sorry about the long wait for the update

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