Chasing Riley Cooper

Chapter 2: The Devil's Bargain

The lights in the waiting area were really annoying. They made this buzzing sound that was driving Riley crazy. She was sitting in a plastic chair outside Principal Evans’s office, and the sound was like a knife to her head.

Riley's hands were clenched into fists in her lap. She was staring at the floor, trying not to cry. Her mom always said that crying was a sign of weakness.

How could I have prepared for this?* she thought, feeling a wave of panic rising in her throat.

The front office doors swung open. Riley's parents walked in. They looked really upset. Her dad was still wearing his suit from work. Her mom had on a fancy coat. They did not look like they were there to comfort her. They looked like they were there to deal with a problem.

Riley stood up. Her legs felt like jelly. "Mom. Dad," she said.

Her dad did not hug her. He just looked at her with a lot of anger in his eyes. "Riley, Principal Evans called me. Said you were being questioned about something bad that happened at school."

Riley tried to explain. "Dad, please listen to me. I did not do it. I was in the auditorium. I heard a noise. When I went to look, the office was messed up. Someone must have put my ID there on purpose!"

Her mom. Shook her head. "Riley, that sounds like something you would see on TV. This is our school, not some crime show."

Riley insisted, "It's the truth! I did not spray paint the office. I did not break the computer. Why would I do that? I'm the one who might be valedictorian. I have a lot to lose!"

Her dad looked at her. His voice was cold. "That's what I'm worried about. You have been under a lot of pressure. Maybe you just. Did something crazy."

Riley felt like her heart was breaking. Her parents did not believe her. They thought she was guilty.

Then the door to the inner office opened, and Principal Evans came out with a police officer. Riley's stomach dropped when she saw the officer's badge.

The principal said, "Mr. and Mrs. Cooper, thank you for coming. I wish it were under circumstances."

Riley's dad said, "Let's get to the point. My daughter says she was framed. I want to see the evidence."

The principal said, "Okay, let's go inside and talk about it."

Riley followed her parents into the office. It smelled like paint and broken things. The police officer was holding a bag with Riley's ID and lanyard in it.

Her mom gasped when she saw the ID. "Oh, Riley."

The principal explained, "We found the ID in the middle of the mess. The paint is still wet. It looks like Riley was the one who did it."

Riley's dad said, "But what about the security cameras?"

The principal said, "The cameras were spray-painted too. Whoever did this knew what they were doing."

Riley said, "I did not do it! Ella Morgan was in the building. She hates me. She could have taken my ID. Done this!"

The officer said, "Ella Morgan was at practice until 5:30. She has a lot of people who can vouch for her. You, on the other hand, have no one to back up your story."

The room was quiet, for a moment. Then Riley's dad said, "What are the consequences?"

The principal said, "Expulsion. You will be kicked out of school. We will press charges."

Riley felt like her world was ending. No valedictorian speech. No good college. No future.

Then the door opened, and a boy walked in. He was wearing a leather jacket. Looked like he did not care about anything.

He said, "Hey, hands off the jacket. It's old."

Riley looked at him. He looked back at her. For a second, he did not seem tough. Then he looked away. His smirk came back.

The principal said, "Ryder Hayes. Of course, it's you. Why am I not surprised?"

Ryder just. Said, "I like to keep things interesting, Evans."

The principal told the security guard to take Ryder, and Riley was left standing there feeling like her life was over.

Ryder said, "Wait." His voice was not as mean as it was before. He walked into the room, his boots crunching on the broken glass. He looked at the spray paint in the bag with Riley's ID in it. His gray eyes looked at everything fast. He looked at Riley. Saw how scared she was.

"I told you to wait in the hall, Ryder ", Evans said loudly.

Riley did not do it, Ryder said. His voice was clear and strong. The room got really quiet. Riley could not breathe. Her father turned around. Looked at Ryder like he was a bug. "Who are you to say that?" he asked.

Ryder said, "I am the one who knows you have the person." He put his hands in his pockets. Did not look scared of Riley's father. He looked at the police officer. "You are looking for the person who made the mess. It was not Riley."

The police officer looked at Ryder. "How do you know that?" he asked.

Ryder looked at Riley. He looked at her in a way that was strong and protective. It made Riley feel weird. He gave her a nod, and then he looked back at the adults. "Because she was with me ", he said.

The room was really quiet. It was quiet. Riley's mom whispered, "What?" Her voice was shaking. She looked at Ryder and his messy clothes. Then she looked at Riley. "Riley, you were with him?" she asked.

Riley tried to talk. She could not. She did not know what to say. What is he doing? she thought. Why is he lying for me?

The principal asked, "Where were you two?"

Ryder said, "We were behind the bleachers. I texted Riley to meet me "

Riley's father said, "My daughter does not hang out with boys like you."

Ryder smiled. "What she tells you and what she really does might be different ", he said. He looked at Riley. "Right, Riley?"

Ryder called her "babe". It made Riley feel sick. She saw something in his eyes. It was like he was telling her to go with it.

The principal asked Riley if it was true. "Were you with Ryder?" he asked.

Riley said, "Yes." She tried to sound strong. "I lost my ID. Someone must have found it and put it there to blame me."

The police officer asked, "Why would someone do that?"

Ryder put his arm around Riley. He pulled her close. "Because they knew she would be with me ", he said. "We lost track of time."

Riley's mom looked like she was going to faint. Her father was really mad. "This is not true ", he said. "Riley is a student. She does not hang out with boys like you."

Ryder said, "Love is blind."

The principal looked at them. He did not know what to believe. Ryder was giving Riley an alibi. "If Ryder is telling the truth, we cannot blame Riley ", he said.

The police officer said, "I need to look at the cameras. If Riley has an alibi, we need to investigate more."

Riley felt a little better. She was not in trouble.

The principal said, "Ryder is still in trouble for being on campus after hours.. Riley, you broke the rules too."

Riley's father grabbed her arm. He pulled her away from Ryder. "We are leaving ", he said.

Riley said, "Dad, you are hurting me."

Her mom said, "Do not talk, Riley. You have embarrassed us enough."

Ryder said, "Let her go." He looked at Riley's father. "You are hurting her."

Riley's father let her go. "You stay away from my daughter ", he said to Ryder.

Ryder said, "Good luck with that."

The principal said, "Take Riley home. Ryder, you stay here."

Riley walked out of the office with her parents. She looked back at Ryder. She did not understand him. Why did he lie for her? Why did he protect her?

She whispered, "Why?"

Ryder looked at her. For a second, he did not look tough. "Because nobody deserves to get in trouble for something they did not do ", he said. Then he smiled. "Meet me in the library tomorrow. We need to talk. You owe me."

Riley's mom called her. "Riley, now!"

Riley walked out of the office. The car ride home was quiet and uncomfortable. Her parents were really mad. They did not talk to her. When they got home, her father looked at her. "We will talk about this later ", he said.

Riley's dad said to her, "I do not know what kind of game you are playing, Riley.. Whatever this rebellion is, it ends tonight. You will cut all contact with Ryder Hayes. You will focus on the SATs. You will keep your head down. Secure that valedictorian spot. Do you understand me, Riley?"

Riley said quietly, staring at her lap, "I am not playing a game, Dad. Ryder Hayes just helped me, that is all."

Her mom said sharply, "Ryder Hayes dragged you down to his level, Riley. You are an Ivy League candidate, Riley. You do not associate with people like Ryder Hayes. He is not good for you, Riley. Go to your room and study. I do not want to see you for the rest of the night, Riley."

Riley did not argue with her parents. She grabbed her backpack, stepped out of the car, and walked up the front steps of her house. It felt like walking into a quiet and empty place, like a big empty house.

Once she was safely in her bedroom, she locked the door, dropped her bag on the floor, and collapsed onto her made bed, the bed that her mom made for her every morning. She stared at the glow-in-the-dark stars stuck to her ceiling, the stars she had when she was a little kid, a reminder of a happy childhood that she felt completely disconnected from now, a childhood that she missed.

Her mind kept thinking about what happened in the principal's office, thinking about the neon paint, the planted ID, and the disappointment in her parents' eyes when they found out. She thought about Ryder Hayes, the school rebel, the guy who cut class and got into fights and smoked behind the bleachers, the guy who saved her life, the guy who handed her a way out of trouble, a way out that was wrapped in a ridiculous, scandalous lie.

Ryder Hayes did not do things for free; he told her that himself. He said, "You owe me," and now Riley felt like she owed him, like she was in his debt, and she did not know what he wanted from her, what he expected her to do for him. Riley rolled over, pulling her knees to her chest, feeling scared and unsure, feeling like she was safe from expulsion. She had just traded one problem for another. She was now tied to Ryder Hayes, tied together by a big, fragile lie that could break at any moment, and tomorrow she had to meet him in the library to find out exactly what he wanted from her- what he wanted in return fr his help.