Four Doors Down(11)

“And at least now you know what that guy’s like. I mean, ditching you when you’re in that state all alone at a party.”

“You mean Charlie?” I ask. “Oh, that was just a misunderstanding, he called me yesterday. He thought Sam was still there and I was gonna get a ride with her.”

Ryan just looks at me raising an eyebrow.

“So, yeah, we’re fine. Totally good. Just a misunderstanding, but thanks for helping me out.”

He’s looking at me like he’s about to say something, probably about Charlie, and I narrow my eyes. He has no right to have an opinion of Charlie or anything else to do with my life.

“This Charlie thing is serious, then?” That is none of his business. I’m saved from answering when his phone starts to ring next to me on the table and I pass it over to him.

He shakes his head. “Leave it.”

I shrug and glance around the room. This is kind of awkward. It’s not like we have anything to say to each other and I should probably go.

“When did you meet him?”

“Over the summer.”

“You were in Europe for the whole summer.”

I look back at him in surprise. It’s not a secret I spent the summer in Europe, but I didn’t think it would hit his radar. “It was when I got back. Just before school started,” I concede. He raises an eyebrow like he’s expecting more of an explanation. “He’s friends with Chris, Sam’s boyfriend,” I explain. “Sam is this girl that goes to our school, she has dark blonde hair and pale skin, she drives a—”

“Yes, I know who Sam is, Becca!” he snaps, cutting me off while I smirk at him. “We’ve only been in the same homeroom since we were twelve,” I grin at his annoyance. I know full well that he knows who Sam is, but it’s fun to annoy him. He rolls his eyes at me. “You are so shitty,” he tells me but can’t help smirking back at me. Suddenly his expression turns serious, but I’m distracted by his phone ringing; it’s his mom again. He dismisses it with a wave of his hand. “Listen, about what happened at school on Friday, with Kevin Wilson…”

“Ryan, don’t—” I start.

“No, Becca. Seriously, I would never want you to think I’d be cool with anyone grabbing you like that,” he tells me, staring at me intently. I search his face to see where the joke is or when he’ll start laughing at me, but he looks serious as hell.

I shrug. “Forget it. It’s fine.”

“No, it’s not fine, Becca.”

“He came to find me on Friday afternoon, tried to apologize,” I tell him.

“Oh yeah?” Ryan asks, not looking the least bit surprised. “What did you say?”

“Told him to get lost.”

Ryan grins. “Of course you did.” I can’t help but grin back at him.

His phone starts ringing again. When I glance down, it’s his mom again. She must really want to speak to him. “Answer it,” I say pushing it towards him.

He rolls his eyes but picks up the phone.

“Hi, Mom,” he says, but his expression changes as he tunes into what she’s saying. Shock crosses his face and…is that panic?

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll be right there,” he says and quickly hangs up.

“Is everything okay?” I ask as he stands hurriedly and starts looking around. He stops in the middle of what he’s doing, turning to me and suddenly looking lost.

“No. My granny… She’s…she’s had a stroke. Shit.”

My mouth falls open and a wave of sympathy for his whole family overwhelms me. I spent countless hours with his granny when I was little and even after Ryan and I fell out, she’d still come over to my house with Ryan’s mom from time to time. I really hope she’s okay.

He stands there for a minute looking completely helpless but then quickly recovers and grabs his wallet and phone. He shoves some keys at me.

“I gotta go to the hospital. Can you lock up?” he says rushing out the house and leaving me alone in their kitchen, hoping that everything will be okay. I’m unable to get the look of panic and worry that crossed his face when he was on the phone out of my mind for the rest of the day.





I’m in English class on Friday afternoon, yawning and waiting for the bell to ring, when I look up and see Ryan walk in. I do a double take. I wasn’t expecting to see him today. I’d known the news about his granny wasn’t good when Jake found me mid-week to tell me that she was in a coma and the whole family had been at the hospital since Sunday. I wasn’t quite sure why he was telling me, probably because I was with Ryan when he first found out, but he went quiet when the rest of his friends appeared like it was a secret and he didn’t want them to know. Then my mom told me at breakfast this morning that she had died last night. Ryan’s mom had called her earlier, and from what I could tell, the whole family was devastated. I knew they were all very close.

I watch as he makes his way to his desk. His eyes are downcast and he avoids the greetings that meet his arrival. His shoulders are slumped and he looks exhausted.

Poor guy.

The bell rings as Henderson calls the class to order, and I turn my attention back to class and the papers that Henderson is handing out. Today we’re reading poetry, I look down at the poem and my eyes widen in dismay. Are you kidding me? Death Become Us by Louise Sinatti’. Geez, not today.