After hearing what Riley said, I came to terms with the fact that I was going to apologize to Drew, but I was still processing what had happened to his sister. "So, Leila is a sophmore at LHHS?" I asked Riley, making sure I understood all the details. "Yeah. She's like a little sister to me, so I can understand why Drew did what he did. He was just trying to help. He doesn't normally act out so much, but when something like that happens to your little sister," he said, grabbing both of my shoulders to make me look right at him. "You can understand that, right?" I understood, but there were still things I was trying to remember about that day. I distinctly recalled when Riley stopped a greasy-faced Drew from hammering on my car again. He said something like, "You know you're really just upset about what happened to Leila." I didn't know who she was then...now I did. "Riley? Does Leila have pink hair?" I asked wondered, thinking about the sad girl I saw get out of Drew's jeep on my first day. "Yeah, at the ends. Why? Do you know her?" "Familiarity is irrevelant now, considering I know something so personal about her," I said, staring off into space. My mind was moving all over the place just thinking about what happened to her. "So, Jeremy is the sophmore that was best-friends with Drew's fists..." "Yes," Riley nodded, watching me as I said aloud everything I was thinking. "...and he is, WAS, he was Leila's boyfriend..." "Unfortunately, yes. He was," Riley continued to agree. "...and he broke up with Leila when he-when he," I couldn't bring myself to finish my sentence. How can someone be such a coward?! Such a heartless bastard?! Riley let out a sigh before finishing it for me. "He broke up with her when he found out she was pregnant. That's why Drew was so violent, and why he doesn't like you." "Right," I mumbled, looking down at the ground. As crazy as it sounded, I hadn't thought that I actually gave him a somewhat valid reason not to like me. It didn't excuse his jerk behavior towards me from before I intervened on his vengeance fight, but it explained why it so quickly escalated. "Hey, cheer up. Once you apologize, with your sweet Jersey charm, he'll have no choice but to love you," Riley assured me with a big grin, trying to cheer me up. "Yeah, right," I said with a soft smile. "But I'll apologize; it's the least I can do. Even though I still don't agree that beating him up was the right thing to do, I get why he did it." "That's all I need to hear. Once my best friend and my new girl best friend make up, I'll be a happy camper." "Shut up," I chuckled. The rest of the day I was thoroughly distracted by my impending doom, but I managed to make some fun memories with the three of them. When it was time to go, Lauren chimed in that Jayden was going back to her place to hang out. I acted like I believed that so I wouldn't have to feel anymore awkward. "Guess that means I'm taking you home," Riley said as we watched Jayden and Lauren leave, hand in hand. "I guess so," I shrugged, walking with him out of the mall. When I got to his car, it was shiny, clean, and huge. He had a dark blue 2015 Chevy Tahoe. "Uh, nice car," I mumbled, taking in how big it was. "Thanks," he said, smiling. After getting in, I told him my address and he put it into his gps. I would have just told him what turns to take and stuff, but I was still a newbie to Langston Heights. I would have gotten us lost quicker than a broken compass. Riley finally pulled up to my house about fifteen minutes later. It was still light outside, but I knew it was almost time for dinner. "Want to come in?" I offered. "Seriously?" "Why not? We're friends, right? Don't friends hangout at each other's houses?" I said, drawing out every word. He laughed it off before agreeing. If I was being honest, I didn't know why I invited him in. I'd only known him a week, but I felt comfortable with him. I knew he was a genuine person, and I wanted to put in an effort to show him I saw him as a real friend. "Paully?! Are you-" I don't even know why I expected anything different. Paully was sprawled out on the couch, playing one of his Call of Duty games. "Hey. Pizza's on the counter if you...Who is this guy?!" he asked, standing up when he caught sight of the good looking six-footer I brought home. "Paully, Riley. Riley, this my step-brother Paully," I said, introducing them while using my arms to point to and fro. "Nice to meet you," Riley smiled, giving Paully a small wave before heading to the boxes of pizza in the kitchen. "Uh, okay. He knows who I am to you, now who is he?" Paully griped. "Calm down, he's just a friend." "Her best friend!" Riley yelled, pizza muffling his voice. "Well, just make sure he-" "Yeah yeah, thanks Paully," I said, waving him off. I guess you could say we were more comfortable around each other. It's not too surprising when you take into account how long we lived together. But, I didn't need Paully to take on the protective big brother role, he was only a couple of months older than me and I could look after myself. I've kinda had to. "I see he didn't make it out of the fight unscathed," Riley mentioned when I entered the kitchen. "No, but I'd say his face left in better condition," I joked, thinking back to the black eye on Drew's face. Riley smiled while grabbing another slice. "Hey, you better not be eating from my pizza," I warned, grabbing the box he was eating from. I was relieved to see that he was just eating from one of the pepperoni pizzas. "Which one is yours?" he asked. "One half is extra cheese and pinapple and the other half is extra cheese and steak." "What?! No pepperoni! How can you eat pizza without pepperoni?!" he cried in a dramatic fashion. He really was hilarious. "I don't eat pork," I said through giggles. "Why? For religious reasons or something?" "No, nothing like that. It's just terrible for you." "Well, it's delicious," he decreed, reaching for another slice. After we finished eating, I went upstairs to change into my pjs. Riley said he'd watch Paully play while he waited for me, so I didn't feel a need to rush. Now in my room, I took off my clothes, throwing them into my clothes hamper. Then, I put on my matching maroon sleep shirt and shorts, along with a pair of black knee socks. I threw my hair into a messy back bun as I walked to my bathroom. Despite some startling revelations, today was a good day. I took out my contact lenses so I could wash my face. My Clean & Clear foaming facial cleanser was a God-send, and probably the only thing that kept my skin so clear. Lastly, I brushed my teeth. Don't want to have pizza breath. When I check my phone only ten minutes had passed. I put on my black, circle rimmed glasses and headed downstairs. When I got there, Riley had joined Paully on the PS4 and they changed the game to Tekken 6. "Quit doing the same move over and over again you cheater!" Paully whined, frantically pushing buttons on his controller. Riley just laughed, continuing to kick Paully's player while he was on the ground, preventing him from getting up. "K.O. Player 2 wins!" the game announced, sending Riley into a cheer and Paully into a fit. I watched as they went back and forth over who cheated and if they'd do a rematch. Riley, who towered over Paully, just laughed as he continued complaining. I could really see how a lot of girls would fall for Riley. Not only was he kind, but he was gorgeous. His blonde curls and winning smile could easily make a girl fall in love with him. I was lucky to have him as a friend, even if it got me unwarranted glares. Suddenly, my phone started ringing. "Hey, Nat! Wanna play me?!" Riley asked, waving me over when he noticed me in the room. "Sure, just give me a sec," I said, checking my phone. I was getting a call from some number, but it wasn't from anyone I knew. "Hello?" I asked, curious to know who was on the other end. Hey guys! Thanks for reading this far! Who do you think is calling Natalie? Remember to vote, comment, and share!