Nineteen
The days went by slowly without Ryder to occupy my time. I was almost tempted to cross off the days in my diary, but that would only depress me more. He’d been gone so long, and the rumours just kept getting worse.
“Ryder left because she was a head case.”
“Ryder left because she was no good in bed.”
“Ryder was cheating because he can’t commit.”
“Ryder didn’t want to go to the dance with her.”
“Ryder left because he was scared of Chace.” That one made me laugh!
They just kept going. I only wished he were there to set the record straight. He knew how to handle these situations so much better than me.
But the approach toward me was slowly changing. People were still talking about how I finally stood up to Christina and how great it was. Though Christina was still strutting around the school like she owned the place, she stayed out of my way for the most part except to make nasty comments about Ryder whenever I was alone.
I was not surprised when Greg and Lizzie joined us again for lunch the day before the dance. They’d been eating with us on and off for a few weeks and talking to us in class more, much to Chace and Christina’s dismay. Slowly but surely, more and more people were talking to me and interacting less with them. You could see a shift in the social structure, particularly at lunchtime in the cafeteria.
Once upon a time, Chace and Christina’s table was the most popular table. Everyone sort of just congregated around it whether they were friends or not. But now the table was empty except for their few close friends who just sat there quietly eating their lunch. The other tables that were now full of laughing students having fun were a stark contrast to Chace and Christina’s.
I was relaxing under the tree, as it wouldn’t be long before it got too cold and we would have to start sitting in the cafeteria with everyone else, when Tom and Anna approached us slowly.
“Mind if we sit?” Tom asked, looking from me to Indie while Anna uncomfortably shifted from foot to foot.
“The more the merrier,” Indie replied, moving over so there was room for the two newest additions to our rapidly growing group of friends.
“Thanks. We’ve wanted to come over since Chace’s party but were worried how you guys would react.” Anna smiled slightly.
“Like Indie said, the more the merrier. You guys didn’t betray me. They did.” I nodded in the direction of the cafeteria where Chace and Christina were sitting, throwing the occasional nasty glance in our direction. We fell into an easy conversation about our weekends and other random stuff, completely avoiding the topic of Ryder, Chace, and Christina, which I was grateful for.
I decided to send Ryder a text since it had been a few days since I’d heard from him. I didn’t want to come across as clingy, but I still didn’t know where we stood after Chace’s party. I had no idea where he was or what he was doing, just that he was taking care of family stuff and would explain it all to me eventually. We hadn’t even discussed the dance, but Indie had made me go dress shopping the week before just in case he came home. “You don’t want to be caught off guard, do you?” she’d challenged. I’d argued back with her that it was unlikely he’d be home for prom. He’d been gone more than a month as it was. “If I’m wearing a dress, you can make an appearance,” she’d said before I reluctantly followed her into every dress shop in town until we’d found something we both liked.
Pulling out my phone, I typed a quick text.
Just wanted to say hi, hope it’s all going ok? It’s getting kinda weird around here, wish u were here with me. X
I tried to join back in with the conversation that Tom was having with Indie about some movie he’d seen over the weekend but found myself always checking my phone for a response from Ryder. The bell rang, signalling the end of lunch, so I got up and said goodbye to everyone before making my way to class. People smiled and waved at me as I passed them in the hall. I even got a few hellos, which I responded to as confidently as I could. I wasn’t sure why they were taking an interest in me or even acknowledging me, for that matter. Nothing of importance had occurred since the party or since Ryder had left, except for calling Christina a bitch, but that was only the truth.
I checked my phone one last time when I took my seat at the front of the classroom. I was disappointed to see that Ryder still hadn’t replied. Perhaps he’d changed his mind about this whole thing, or maybe he was busy with another girl. After all, I had kept him from his usual activities the past few months. The thought of him spending time with another girl while I was waiting for him to reply and come home made my stomach churn.
“Bailey.” I heard my name. I looked up to see Indie standing at the door to my classroom. Everyone else had gone.
“Wha—” I started to ask, but she cut me off.
“You’re in your own world. School’s over. Let’s go.” She grabbed my books from the table, and I stood up and followed her out.
“So you’re coming tomorrow, right?” Indie asked hopefully after a few minutes of driving in silence.
“No, In. I’m not.” Ryder still wasn’t responding, and I doubted that he’d miraculously make it back in time for tomorrow.
“You have to go. It’s senior prom. Please.” Indie begged as she pulled into my driveway.
“I’m not going to a school dance alone. That really would make me pathetic.” I shook my head and thanked her for the ride. “Have a good night tomorrow.”
With a sad smile, she waved goodbye and pulled out of the driveway.
I didn’t hear from Ryder all that night, and I was beginning to worry something was wrong. He never took this long to reply. Was he okay? Was he ever coming back? Even my mother seemed concerned, asking where he had been and if he was coming back soon.
“I don’t know.” I sniffed, feeling the tears well behind my eyes. I didn’t want to cry. We weren’t even really together, and I was acting like an obsessed girlfriend. “I don’t know anything,” I told her at dinner before excusing myself for bed.
I waited and waited to hear from him. I tried to call as well, but realising how late it had gotten, I hung up quickly as I stared at my phone. Eventually I fell asleep, my phone clutched in my hand, still waiting for his reply.
It came at about three a.m. The sound of a message alert echoed in the dead of the night.
Ryder: Sorry, love. Everything is ok. Wish I was there with u 2. A few more days and I should be home. X
Me: Glad you’re ok. I was worried. See you in a few days x
I tried not to feel disappointed that he wasn’t going to make it to the dance and forced myself to focus on the fact that he would be home in a few days. A few days. I could handle that. Then everything would go back to normal. I’d be happy again.