Episode 8 : ABSOLUTELY NOT
1460 Words
CHAPTER 8 ✦ ABSOLUTELY NOT
Lila was sitting outside the campus library, the autumn breeze rustling the heavy oak trees, when Ryker appeared out of nowhere. He dropped into the concrete seat across from her with a dramatic sigh, casting a long shadow over her study materials.
She didn't even look up from her textbook.
"No."
Ryker frowned, shifting his weight on the bench. "I haven't even said anything yet."
"You always want something when you appear out of thin air like a ghost with an agenda."
"That's offensive," he said, though there was no real heat in his voice.
"It's accurate."
Ryker smirked, leaning his elbows on the table. For a few moments, neither of them spoke. Surprisingly, the silence wasn't awkward at all. It had a strange, comfortable weight to it. Lila continued methodically highlighting her psychology notes in neon yellow, while Ryker pulled out his phone and began mindlessly scrolling through his feed. The steady click-click of her highlighter cap and the distant chatter of students formed a familiar backdrop.
Eventually, the silence broke. Ryker sighed, a heavy, defeated sound, and set his phone face down on the table.
"I need a favor."
Lila didn't pause her highlighting. "There it is."
"I knew you'd say that."
Lila finally capped her highlighter and closed her notebook with a soft thud. She crossed her arms, fixing him with a skeptical stare. "What is it, Ryker?"
Ryker leaned back against the bench, his expression turning serious. "My suspension news isn't dying down. If anything, the rumors are getting worse."
"I noticed," Lila said softly. It was hard not to notice. The sports blogs and campus forums had been having a field day with his hockey suspension for the past week.
"The media is incredibly annoying," he muttered, running a hand through his dark hair.
"Also noticed."
Ryker looked directly at her then. His dark eyes locked onto hers, holding her gaze with an intensity that made the hair on her arms stand up. Then, he just said it.
"Be my girlfriend."
Absolute silence fell over the courtyard.
A bird chirped cheerfully in the branches above. Somewhere nearby, a student dropped a heavy textbook, the sound echoing off the brick walls.
Lila blinked once.
Twice.
Then, she burst out laughing. It wasn't a polite chuckle; it was a full-bellied, unrestrained laugh that echoed across the courtyard.
Ryker looked genuinely offended, his jaw tightening slightly. "It's not that funny."
"Oh my God," Lila gasped, wiping a tear from her eye. "You're serious."
"I am serious."
That only made her laugh harder, her shoulders shaking. "Absolutely not."
"Why?" Ryker pressed, leaning forward. "Give me one good reason."
"Because we're not dating, for starters. We barely tolerate each other."
"It would be fake," he explained, as if stating the obvious. "A PR move. Purely strategic."
"That makes it even worse. Fake dating is a logistical nightmare."
Ryker rubbed his forehead, clearly frustrated by her resistance. "Think about it, Lila. You get rid of Jason. He’ll finally back off if he thinks you're with me."
"And?"
"The media gets distracted by a new relationship instead of digging into the suspension details."
"And?"
"We both benefit," he concluded, looking at her expectantly. "It's a win-win."
Lila pointed dramatically at herself, her eyebrows raised. "Have you met me? Do I look like someone who wants to be hounded by sports reporters and jealous hockey fans?"
"Unfortunately, I have met you," he countered dryly.
Lila kicked his shoe under the table. Ryker let out a short, surprised laugh, the tension leaving his shoulders.
She shook her head, her expression softening but remaining firm. "No, Ryker. The answer is no."
"Why?"
"I have Ethan," she said, counting on her fingers. "He's got my back."
"Okay."
"I have Sophie. She's basically a human shield."
"Okay."
"I can handle Jason on my own."
Ryker's eyes narrowed slightly. "Debatable."
Lila glared at him, but Ryker just looked amused, a lazy grin tugging at the corner of his lips.
"No," she repeated.
"Fine."
"Good."
"You're impossible, you know that?" Ryker muttered.
"So I've been told."
Their conversation was abruptly interrupted by a sharp, echoing scream from the far side of the quad. Both of them turned toward the noise, and almost immediately, they regretted it.
Parker Donovan was sprinting across the manicured campus lawn. He was running for his absolute life, his backpack bouncing wildly against his spine. He was being chased by a terrifyingly unified front: three furious-looking girls and one very small, very angry dog.
"What the hell?" Lila whispered, her jaw dropping.
Ryker let out a long, exhausted sigh. "Parker."
The single name explained absolutely everything.
The dog, a fierce little terrier, barked frantically, its paws tearing up the grass. One of the girls in the back threw a plastic water bottle at Parker's head. He ducked, barely missing it. Another girl hurled a spiral notebook, the pages fluttering wildly in the wind. Parker dodged that too, executing a clumsy spin move.
Then, his frantic eyes scanned the courtyard and spotted Ryker sitting on the bench. Parker made the worst decision possible.
"RYKER!" he screamed, his voice cracking.
"No," Ryker said flatly to himself.
"HELP ME!"
"No."
Parker changed direction anyway, sprinting directly toward their bench like a heat-seeking missile. The dog followed. The girls followed. Absolute chaos followed closely behind.
Within seconds, Parker arrived at their table and practically vaulted over the back of the bench, planting himself squarely behind Ryker. He grabbed Ryker’s shoulders, using him as a literal human shield.
"Protect me, bro. Hide me."
Ryker looked down at Parker's hands on his jacket with pure disgust. "Why is there a dog, Parker?"
"It hates me! It's got a vendetta!"
"Why does it hate you?"
Parker hesitated, his eyes darting between Ryker and the rapidly approaching angry mob. Everyone in the immediate vicinity had stopped to stare.
"...I accidentally flirted with its owner," Parker admitted in a small, breathless voice.
Lila nearly fell off the concrete bench. She clutched her stomach, laughing so hard no sound came out at first.
The three girls finally arrived, panting and out of breath, forming a wall in front of the bench. The girl in the front pointed a manicured finger directly at Parker’s face. "He told all three of us we were his soulmate!"
The second girl stepped forward, pointing as well. "ON THE SAME DAY! Within two hours of each other!"
The third girl didn't say anything. She just looked ready to commit a felony. The little terrier at her feet growled in deep, resonant agreement.
Ryker slowly turned his head to look at Parker, who was still cowering behind him. "You deserve this."
"Bro, come on. Loyalty."
"You absolutely deserve this. I'm choosing not to get involved."
"Bro!"
Lila couldn't breathe. Tears were streaming down her face as she watched the spectacle. Even Ryker, despite his best efforts to maintain his brooding exterior, was biting the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling.
Suddenly, the dog broke free from its leash.
Parker let out a high-pitched shriek that didn't sound human, let go of Ryker's shoulders, and took off running again toward the science building. The dog chased him. The three girls chased the dog.
In his blind panic, Parker managed to collide with a large metal trash can, knocking it over with a loud, clanging crash that echoed across the entire quad before he scrambled back to his feet and kept running.
Lila laughed so hard she had to lean against the table for support, pressing her hands to her eyes. "Oh my god, my stomach hurts," she gasped, her voice breathless and light.
Ryker didn't respond. He just looked at her.
Really looked at her.
He watched the way her eyes sparkled with genuine joy, the way her whole face lit up when she couldn't stop smiling. He noticed how different she seemed right now compared to the sad, guarded girl he had first seen sitting alone at the hockey arena, looking like she carried the weight of the world on her shoulders.
For a fleeting moment... Ryker forgot everything else.
He forgot about the media hounds waiting for him outside the campus gates. He forgot about the looming suspension hanging over his hockey career. He forgot about his father's suffocating expectations.
Everything just faded into the background.
Then, Lila caught him staring. She wiped away a stray tear, still smiling, her cheeks flushed from laughing. "What?" she asked, her voice tilting upward.
Ryker immediately snapped out of it, looking away and clearing his throat as he picked up his phone again. "Nothing."
But for some reason, that smile stayed burned into his mind long after Parker's distant screams finally disappeared into the afternoon air.
- Writer
