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Ryder: That all depends…
I bite my lip, quickly glancing up front again. But the teacher is still droning on about chemical reactions.
Kat: On?
Ryder: Whether or not I get my turn with you.
Fuck.
He’s good.
Really damn good.
Part of me wants to forward his texts to Styx to see what he makes of it all. But I’m pretty sure I know what his response will be.
A big fat hell no.
Before I can reply another text comes through.
Ryder: Didn’t scare you away, did I?
Kat: It will take a lot more than that…
Ryder: Let me pick you up after school?
Kat: I can’t today. I’m spending some time with my mom.
Ryder: Shit, I’m sorry. How is she?
Kat: Up and down. We uh… we got into it because I stayed out all night.
I don’t know why I can talk to him about this stuff but I can. He makes it so easy. There’s no judgment or disapproval, just understanding and acceptance.
Ryder: She worries about you, Kat.
Kat: Yeah but it’s like, sometimes I can’t breathe in the house, you know?
Ryder: I get it. Every time I see Ricky I want to run the other way. But that’s the easy way out. And I’m no coward and something tells me you’re not either.
Kat: Thank you. I’m glad I have you to talk to about all this stuff.
Ryder: Anytime, Kitten. Anytime.
Warmth spreads through me. But quickly cools when Mr. Pelenski clears his throat and all eyes turn to me.
“Care to share what is so important you’ve spent the last ten minutes with your head in your cell phone, Miss Walker?”
“Uh, family emergency, sir.” I shrug meekly.
“I find that hard to believe. Don’t let me catch you again or I’ll be forced to make you attend catch up classes and neither of us want that.”
“Sorry, sir,” I murmur, and a couple of guys snicker.
Red Ridge High isn’t like Savage Falls High where River goes. Kids here know hardship and strife. They know what it’s like to claw your way through life, hoping you come out unharmed. I should fit right in, but I don’t.
I never have.
I can count the number of people I talk to at school on one hand. Kids don’t look at me and see one of their own, they still see an outsider. All because of the leather cut my brother wears.
