Walking.Contradiction: Chapter 27

authors.note: hey everyone, i’m super duper sorry for all the mess-ups during the chapters >_<

♦Melissa’s Pov♦

Nikki hung outside for a few moments, then slowly walked away. She knew that Ashlee expected something. How, though? Before any of this she had been fine with Nikki. Or had she? Through Nikki’s mind brief thoughts flashed, of times when she had ruffled Pete’s hair or merely laughed at a joke, when Ashlee had sent her looks of anger and jealousy.

Nikki was silent. What had made her so angry now, though?

Nikki’s hands were in pockets as she ambled down the street. She looked across, spying Ryan and two little kids. She smiled and waved. He looked up with a blotchy, tearstained face and bit his lip. He began to walk again without another glance.

Nikki wanted to see what was wrong. She looked both ways and crossed the street. “What’s up, Ryan?” Nikki asked him.

“I’m dead,” Ryan huffed.

“…What?” I asked, furrowing my brow.

“I’m dead.” Ryan repeated. “Southwick’s going to kill me.”

“Southwick?”

“Southwick.” muttered Ryan. “Rihanna. Elori told her where I lived and now she’s going to kill me if I don’t get all my stuff away and move in time.”

I couldn’t speak, and if I could, I didn’t know what to say. Luckily, Ryan and the girls started to leave. I watched them go.

Ryan…dead? There was something I had to do about this. I streamed straight for the police office even though I had no idea if Rihanna actually would do it, or where, and how. I had to figure this out.

Walking.Contradiction: Chapter 26

authors.note:  hi lo! it’s the author here, wishing you a happy halloween!! this is a shortish chapter because i have to get ready but i hope you guys enjoy it!! bye bye!!

♦Nev’s Pov♦

I stared at Ryan, knowing I had been the stupidest girl in the world for giving up Ryan’s life for my own.

Now I felt selfish. I felt like killing myself.

Now is where I noticed the two little girls behind Ryan. One was the irritating fangirl, the other I had not seen.

I sighed. “I’m really sorry, Ryan. For everything. Now I realize I was wrong to–”

I was cut off my patriotic speech by Ryan’s growl: “IT’S TOO LATE!” I shivered and immediate tears flowed down my cheeks.

“I’m DEAD now!! THERE’S NOTHING ELSE I CAN DO BUT WAIT FOR MY LIFE TO END. I do NOT know what Rihanna is thinking, but I know HER and I know that she will KILL ME.” With that, Ryan spun around and left. The two little girls glanced at me and followed him.

I stood there in the doorway, whimpering, wondering if anything would ever be the same. Elori came up to me and hugged me and sat me down, but nothing anyone could ever do would save me from what was about to happen.

Walking.Contradiction: Chapter 25

♦Scruffz’s Pov♦

“Of course I do,” Ryan snorted almost angelically, if possible.

“Why haven’t you tried?” Anna pursed her lips.

“Dunno.”

Anna and I sighed at the same moment. “Well, Ryan, if-” Suddenly I was cut off by semi-loud but pained squealing.

Anna, Ryan, and I looked around. It seemed to be coming from a ways down the block, because it didn’t sound as if it came right next to my house. “Uhmm..should we check it out?” Ryan asked.

“Of course,” Anna answered promptly, and led the way by leaping outside. I quickly followed but it took Ryan a second before he followed suit.

I bet it was a strange sight for people walking around outside – two 15-year-old girls running along the walk with a grown man chasing after them, but we didn’t care.

We passed by the house that the pained yelp had come from, and Ryan bit his lip as he read the inscription on the mailbox. “Emerson,” he muttered aloud. “It’s Elori.”

We looked in the window (stalkers, I thought to myself with a giggle.) and saw a girl with blonde pigtails with a pale hand around Elori’s neck, but as soon as we reached the window, the blonde girl’s hand pulled away from her neck. “Is it true?” she whispered.

“It…it is true.” Elori said, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“I recognize that voice,” Ryan muttered. “Who is it?”

Anna shrugged and I hissed “Shut up.” We continued watching intently.

Elori and the girl kept staring at each other. “Rihanna…” Elori muttered, “What are you going to do to him?”

“I don’t know,” the girl, Rihanna, said. “I’ll find out.” Suddenly she turned around and snaked out the door. All three of us quickly crammed under the windowsill so she couldn’t see us.

When we were sure the strange lady had gone, we brushed the leaves off ourselves and Ryan knocked on the door. We heard a squeak and then a pained “Who is it?”

“It’s…it’s Ryan.”

Elori opened the door. Her cheeks were tearstained and red and her lower eyelids were drooping. She was whimpering. “W-why are you here, R-Ryan?” She looked devastated to see him.

“I heard this…scream…from over at my house.”

“Oh.” Elori said, a little quiet.

“Was that..um..Rihanna?” Ryan asked.

“Y-yes, it w-was.” Elori muttered between sniffles.

“What did she want?” Ryan bit his lip.

“She…she wanted to know where you lived.” Elori sobbed. I thought it best not to say anything to interrupt the moment between the exes.

Ryan gasped and a faraway look in his yellow eyes emerged. He didn’t say anything for a while, just stared at Elori with his mouth hung open. “A-and…d-did you tell her?”

“I…I d-did,” Elori said, not meeting Ryan’s eyes.

I felt a rush of horror static in between the two. I was confused, though I did not question.

Ryan fell to his knees. “How..how could you do this to me? You know I’m dead now. I…I have to…I have to move…”

“Move?!” I interrupted finally. “What do you mean move?! We…we just met..!!”

Ryan turned around and bared his teeth. “Would you rather have me away and alive, or..away, but dead?”

I whimpered; it was the first time he’d been angry. “…Alive.” I had no choice.

Ryan turned back to Elori and snarled, “I can’t believe you, Elori…” His voice was heavy with pain, not anger. “You..you betrayed me. Do you know what’s going to happen to me?”

“W-what?” Elori murmured.

“If I don’t get away from this town fast enough…Rihanna will kill me.”

Walking.Contradiction: Chapter 24

♦Chloe’s Pov♦

I was speechless. Just stared at her, at her deathly white fingers under my chin. I couldn’t say it…yet I had to. I wouldn’t risk Ryan’s life, nor would I risk mine.

The color was drained from Rihanna’s face. I wondered what she was thinking. Maybe, just now, she came to the realization that either way she would have to kill someone.

Somehow I knew this thought was beyond even Rihanna, the fierce, competitive, confused, angry girl I had always thought would, if even, be the one to do such a thing. But now, as I stared into her eyes, I suddenly heard her thoughts echoing through my head.

“I’ll have to kill her. She’s not telling me where he is.”

I uttered a small gasp in surprise at the new power I had acquired, but I breathed out and focused.

“But..kill her?” I saw Rihanna bite her lip. “I couldn’t kill an innocent person.”

I breathed out again, and I looked to the side and saw Ebony staring at us. She had finally emerged from the kitchen. I wondered what thoughts she had about the horrible dripping silence in the room, but I couldn’t read her because I had to focus on Rihanna’s thoughts. I heard again:

“She isn’t innocent,” I heard an indignant, angry voice. I looked back at Rihanna and I saw her teeth bared.

“She hypnotized me. She destroyed my life. How is that innocent?” Suddenly her actual voice elicited forward from her mouth, growling, “Elori, if I were you, I’d tell you right now because, as you can see, I can easily kill you right now. Tell. Me. Where. He. Is.” After this, I felt her tighten her grip on my neck and a pained gasp fell from my lips, and I knew from there that the wrath in her eyes were true, and that if I didn’t give this girl what she wanted my life would end, right then in there.

I stared into Rihanna’s eyes, silent tears of pain dripping from my eyelids, and the most stupid thing I’d ever said rolled off my tongue-

“J-just f-five h-houses down-n.”

Walking.Contradiction: Chapter 23

◊Drk’s Pov◊

Loud flapping of gold flat shoes echoed on the wet ground. I looked up in annoyance. So close, I growled to myself, but got even more irritated when I saw who interrupted us.

Hayley. She was my friend. She was extremely girly and annoying, but the only one I had. She had super long blond hair and bright blue eyes, pink cheeks and red lips and wore a bright rosy minidress. As stated before, her three-sizes-too-large fancy gold-colored flat shoes completed her excruciatingly girly outfit.

As soon as she saw me, she bounced on her feet and squealed across the block, “HI JENNY!!!”

“Hey,” I muttered halfheartedly, this sinking lower as Hayley skipped over to them.

“OOOH!!” She shrieked, “Who’s your cute friend??” She grinned at Patrick, coyly flashing her too-white teeth.

“My name is Patrick,” he said politely, unphased by her apparent flirting.

“Oh, that is such a cute name,” she said, batting her eyelashes at him.

“Thank you,” Patrick said, looking at her with well-hidden disgust. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Want to hang out sometime?” Hayley rolled back and forth on her irritatingly large shoes. “And…you know what I mean by ‘hang out.’” She winked.

I felt angry, jealous. But then the feeling faded away when Patrick wrinkled his nose and replied, “If my thoughts are correct, you want me to go out with you, and I can’t.”

“Why?” Hayley bared her teeth, her blue eyes watering instantly.

“Because…” Patrick explained, transferring his gaze over to me. “I’m already in love.”

Walking.Contradiction: Chapter 22

♦Melissa’s Pov♦

I have a strange thing I do. Every day I hang out near another person’s house, and when they come out each morning I engage them in a conversation. This way I make quick friends with everyone on my block. So far it’d been working.

I was a little confused today, at myself and at Pete, at everything around me, so I didn’t notice when I knocked on his actual door.

Ashlee opened it, holding baby Bronx in her arms. “Hi, Nikki!” She exclaimed.

“Hi Ashlee,” I grinned in spite of my surprise. “How’s your little human?”

“Pretty great,” she smiled happily, leaning him toward me so I could see his face.

“Ohhhh, he’s so cute!!” I was surprised at myself. Usually I was not this cutesy over babies and such, but Bronx was just…yeah.

“I know,” Ashlee said, smiling. “So how was you and Pete’s hang out thing this morning?”

I was surprised. How did she find out? Was she mad? How long had she known? “Ummm…good?” I felt the color drain from my face.

“Oh! You didn’t know..that I knew?” she asked, tilting her head down.

“No, I didn’t know that, that I knew that you knew,” I said, smiling a little as I was confusing myself.

“Well, Pete told me.” Ashlee grinned. “I think it’s really sweet of you two to keep up your friendship,” she remarked, her eyes boring into me when she said the word.

“Mm..yeah,” I said, blushing and rubbing the buttons on my jacket cuff.

We both stood there for a moment, just staring at each other, until Pete’s car drove up the driveway. I looked at Pete as he stepped out of the car. He paused when he saw me, then shuffled around and pulled his red umbrella out of the car.

“Hi,” he said. “What’s…going on here?”

“Nothing, Nikki just stopped by to chat.” Ashlee beamed at her husband.

“Oh.” Pete flicked his gaze over to me, beaming over to me clearly did you tell her?

I shook my head a fraction of an inch to the left and back, as if to say no, don’t worry.

It was only then when she both noticed Ashlee was staring at us with a confused expression. “Ahhmm..Pete, why don’t you come inside?”

“Okay,” Pete said, slipping past Ashlee and waving at me from behind her back. He mouthed call you tomorrow and disappeared in the house’s dim light. I flinched as Ashley, all of a sudden, slammed the door without so much as a “goodbye.”

Walking.Contradiction: Chapter 21

♦Nev’s Pov♦

I stared into Rihanna’s sea-green eyes. I was lost for words.

She sounded gentle..but in a dangerous way. I didn’t know why, but panic struck me. I was scared. I had a feeling that if I told Rihanna, even gave her a hint, she would do something so unbelievably bad to Ryan.

But then again, why do I care? Ryan said he didn’t need me.

…Why did I think this way? Was I so determined to show I didn’t need him either? The scared feeling returned. I couldn’t let Rihanna do anything bad to anyone, no matter what. I was a good person, right?

“I…I can’t tell you,” I finally stuttered.

“What?!” Rihanna hissed in disbelief. “Why?!”

“B-because, I know what you’ll do if you see him,” I said truthfully.

“Yeah?” She bared her teeth. “What will I do?”

I know that when I first saw her, I’d scared her half to her funeral. But now, I was the one who was fearing their sanity…or even their life. “You… you’ll hurt him.” These words managed to tumble out of my mouth.

“I…I’m not like you, Elori.”

My jaw dropped beside my horror. “Excuse me?!”

“I said that I don’t like destroying people’s lives for my own hilarity.”

I was so hurt when she said that, I just felt like striking her in the jaw. That would solve my and Ryan’s problems. But hurting the disoriented girl further would only dig me a deeper guilt hole. “I…”

Suddenly I felt cold fingers fly to my throat. “You,” Rihanna growled. “Will tell me where he lives. Now.”

Walking.Contradiction: Chapter 20

authors.note: HELLO EVERYONE! I thank you so so much for reading our 20th-Chapter anniversary!! I love you!!

♦Scruffz’s Pov♦

A gentle but enthusiastic knock on the front door made me jump. “Who is that?” I heard Taylor shout across the house.

“It’s Annabella,” I predicted and leaped from my chair. I peered through the window again as I had the night before and saw half a long sheet of black hair. Anna. I scampered to the door and opened it, welcomed my best friend. “Hi!” I grinned.

“Hey!” Anna invited herself in and plopped down on a chair. “So when’s he gonna be here?” She asked immediately.

“Well,” I said thoughtfully, “I’m not exactly sure he’s going to come.”

“What?!” Anna sputtered in disbelief. “You said he would!”

“I know,” I said, “and he probably will.”

Anna glared at me for a little while and I stared back until the piercing wail of the doorbell broke the tension. “Who is that?” I heard again.

“I dunno,” I shouted back, not believing my ears. Ryan was actually coming? I opened the door without checking first who it was – safe move, I thought to myself as the door swung open.

Standing there was Ryan. His cheeks were a tearstained pink and his eyes looked watery.

“Hi,” I said to him, surprised.

He sniffled. “I’m sorry for this morning.”

I was shocked. That’s what he was so freaking-out about? “Uhhh…it’s okay?”

I heard Anna rushing up to tackle Ryan but I pushed her back warningly. Ryan didn’t look at her. “If you’re wondering, this isn’t why I’m like this…”

“Then what’s the reason?” I asked.

“Elori broke up with me,” he whimpered.

“Oh,” I said faintly. “I’m sorry.” I actually was, but I was a little happy at the same time. I couldn’t explain it my joy that Elori was out of his life.

“It’s okay,” he said. “It’s..not your fault.” He sniffled one more time and finally glanced at Anna. I heard her squeal and I rolled my eyes.

“Who’s your friend?” He said, his face cracking into a tiny smile.

“She’s Annabella, she’s my friend.” I replied.

“Call me Anna,” she squeaked.

“I’m Ryan,” he said, holding out his hand to shake..

She looked frozen and didn’t speak, so I started talking to Ryan again. “Ummm…are you busy?”

“Not really.” Ryan frowned. “Elori mostly occupied my life. And Rihanna. But that was a while ago.”

“Rihanna?” I echoed, “Who’s she?”

“Rihanna was this girl I used to like. She had blonde hair, green eyes, she was really pretty but I liked Elori too. I didn’t know who to choose but then, all of a sudden, Rihanna was being stupid and started to pretend she didn’t know me.”

“What did you do?” asked Anna from behind me; she finally began to talk.

“I just walked away.” He added quickly after receiving odd looks, “it was an opportunity.”

“What do you think happened to her?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” Ryan said in a surprised tone, as if he had never given it a thought before.

“Do you think she still lives here?” Anna murmured.

Ryan shrugged. “I dunno,” he repeated.

I smiled. “But the question is…” I leaned forward so I was close to Ryan’s face. “Do you want to find out?”

Walking.Contradiction: Chapter 19

♦Chloe’s Pov♦

Once we were inside, the girl I saw with Elori wrapped me in a blanket and hurried into the kitchen. I guessed she was Elori’s roommate. But then again, if she was, why was Elori living with her? She should’ve been with Ryan.

Elori sat across from me, staring at me with bright chocolate brown eyes. I stared back with green, knowing this time she wouldn’t accomplish what I knew she was trying to do.

“Rihanna…” Elori began. “Do you know who Ryan is?”

“No,” I growled at her through bared teeth, impatient. “That’s why I’m here.”

“Well,” Elori started, then paused and said, “It’s better if you know what he looks like.” She reached over her shoulder to the tall table behind her and shuffled around blindly for a specific one of the countless magazines on it. Then she fetched one with the coverpage as four young guys, 3 with brown hair, one with black. They all were pretty okay-looking, but one caught my eye. Swept brown hair, sparkling yellow eyes, and pale skin, tallish.

“That one’s Ryan.” Elori pointed at him.

“He..he is?”

“Yes.” Elori frowned. “That’s the one that you would’ve had if I didn’t get him first.”

A flash of anger ran through me. “Why did you do this to me?” I repeated, whimpering.

“You two were too alike, I always knew he’d choose you.” She murmured. “Do you remember what happened?”

“N-no,” I muttered, but then I felt a jerk backwards and I was on a grassy hill. Beside me was Ryan, staring at me with pained eyes. “Rihanna, don’t you know who I am?”

“No,” I felt myself say severely and push his arm off of my shoulders. “I don’t even know…Who…Who am I? Where am I? What is this place?” I felt sudden panic grip my heart with cold claws. “Who are you? What am I doing here?”

Ryan stared at me with disbelief. “Stop acting, Rihanna.”

“Wh-What? Rihanna? Is that my name?”

Ryan blinked a few times, then pulled himself up, stared at me for a few moments, then made his way down the hill, leaving me there.

Suddenly the invisible hand pulled me back to the present. “He…he did just leave me there..helpless and alone…H-how could he?” I stammered in shock. “Patrick…Jen, they lied!” I almost broke down on my knees, but I tried to stay strong. “B-but…Ryan..” A rush of pain and rage ran through my bones. I leaned close to Elori’s face and whimpered, “Where is Ryan?”

Walking.Contradiction: Chapter 18

◊Drk’s Pov◊

Rihanna was long gone and Patrick nor I knew what to do. We had not even tried to go after her – for some reason we both knew that Rihanna was helpless – she could not do anything without the knowledge of who Ryan was and where he was.

We both sat there for a few moments, glancing at each other briefly, until I muttered, “So..Patrick.”

“We handled that well, didn’t we?” Patrick muttered sarcastically, frowning.

“I wonder where she’s going,” I pondered.

“Yeah,” Patrick wrinkled his nose. “I bet she doesn’t even know.”

I smiled at Patrick. He was cute like that. “I like your hat,” I said absentmindedly. I felt like slapping myself in the face. Real smooth, Jen, I said to myself, real smooth.

Patrick gave me a confused look and replied, “Thank you, you look pretty.” He blushed.

I smiled at him and scooted closer. He smiled back.

“Ummm..so…” I said, staring at him.

He didn’t answer, to say the least. Instead, he put his arm around me and leaned in right when–