Chapter Eleven: Invite
RILEY'S POV
It was Friday—the last day before midterm break.
I walked into the bathroom, humming softly, trying to shake off the heaviness that had been sitting in my chest all week. When I came out, I opened my closet and pulled out a short yellow dress Mom had bought for me a while ago.
I stared at it for a moment.
I liked it.
After a little hesitation, I slipped it on and studied my reflection. It fit nicely—simple, bright, and warm. After fixing my hair into a high ponytail, I grabbed my bag and headed downstairs.
"Hey," I greeted Cleo, who was sprawled on the couch, flipping through TV channels.
Her eyes were red. Too red.
"Hey, Riley," she replied without looking at me.
"Aren't you supposed to be in college?" I asked, taking the remote from her hand and placing it on the table.
"I didn't feel like going today," she said, lazily picking it back up.
"Mom won't be happy about that."
I went into the kitchen, grabbed my
breakfast from the counter, and returned to the living room.
"Riley, you look good," Cleo said suddenly.
"And you don't," I replied honestly. "Your hair's messy, your eyes are swollen, and you look terrible."
She scoffed lightly. "Your hair looks nice too."
"I didn't compliment you for fun," I said, sitting beside her. "What's wrong?"
A tear slipped down her cheek.
"I broke up with Luka."
My heart dropped. "What? Why? I thought you two were fine."
"We were—until yesterday," she sniffed. "I caught him sleeping with another girl. And his excuse? That my so-called friends told him to do it instead of waiting for me."
I hugged her tightly. "Cleo, that's not your fault. Those weren't real friends, and Luka's an idiot for listening to them."
"It was Ariana," she added quietly. "She gave him the idea."
I wasn't surprised. I'd only met Ariana once, but something about her had never felt right.
Cleo wiped her tears and stood up. "Come on, get ready. I'll drive you to school."
She disappeared upstairs and came back a few minutes later in an oversized shirt, jean shorts, and her hair tied into a neat bun.
"You look better," I said, smiling.
I dropped my plate and rushed upstairs for my backpack. She parked in front of the school a few minutes later.
"Bye, Cleo."
"Bye, Ril." She blew me a kiss, and this time, I caught it.
The bell rang, and as I packed my books, I felt a hand rest on my shoulder. I turned to see Max grinning at me.
"Hey."
"Hi," I replied awkwardly as he walked me toward the cafeteria.
I grabbed my food and sat at our usual table. Max followed, sitting behind me, which immediately drew attention.
Harleen, Amber—and honestly half the cafeteria—stared.
"Hey girls," Max said casually. "What's with the looks?"
"Dude," someone said behind us.
Xander's other friends joined the table. Connor sat next to Amber, Ben stood nearby, and Jaden took the seat beside me.
Xander wasn't there.
He'd been absent from English lately, and even when he showed up to school, I barely saw him anymore. It felt… intentional.
Lunch was loud, but for me, it was painfully awkward.
"Hey Riley," Max said suddenly, "you wanna come to my pool house for the break?"
I looked around the table, unsure. "For how long?"
"Till next Sunday. Right before school starts." He handed me an invitation card.
"Can my sister come?" I asked. Cleo would need the distraction.
"Of course."
"Your sister?" Connor asked.
"Yeah—Cleo. She's in college." I slipped the invite into my bag and felt something brush against my hand.
Harleen's chain.
"Oh—Harleen," I said, pulling it out. "I found this in the girls' washroom."
She froze, then glanced at Ben before taking it from me, her cheeks slightly pink.
"Thanks," she murmured.
Later that evening, I dropped my bag and collapsed next to Cleo, who was eating ice cream and watching TV.
"Hey, Riley."
"Hey," I said. "Would you like to come to Max's pool house for the break?"
"Who's Max?"
"Xander's friend."
"You mean shortcake's brother?"
"…Yeah."
She smiled faintly. "Sure. I'll come.,"
A/N
Unto the next one 💞🌚