Hi, I'm Marley Rose. 17, and a Senior at Belleville High. I recently moved here from Lima, Ohio and although I miss Lima like crazy I'm trying to make the most of Belleville. I love to spend time reading, listening to music, writing songs and hanging out with my amazing friends. If there's anything else you'd like to know, feel free to ask! Bonus points if it has anything to do with The Hunger Games or Julie Andrews. Ryley 1x1, previously in asking the new gleeks
Ryder: [Ryder knew Marley had a point. He was already in a lot of trouble with his parents, lying would only make things worse and that was the last thing that he wanted.] "You mean play spice girls really loud and sing along at the top of your lungs, right? But the Spice Girls totally make everything better so it sounds like a plan. I'm just super excited to see you." [He laughed when she said that she had remembered their anniversary in a non-convincing way and then admitted that she had forgot.] "Dork. It totally doesn't even feel like it's been six months. I mean it feels like it's been a lot longer than that, you know? [In a way it kind of had been. They had kind of been together before they had officially made things official between them which is why it probably felt like they had been together for a lot longer than six months.]
Marley: "That's exactly what I mean. I mean, what's a road trip without obnoxious singing? I might slip some N'sync in there too, you know, for good measure. I'm super excited to see you, too, babe." [She smiled wide, knowing it was just a couple days until she was in his arms again.] "Ugh, I know. Time has just been dragging. Like watching water boil." [She teased at their wording, as if 'time flies when you're having fun' didn't apply to them. She knew it was quite the opposite, and that the only reason it did feel like so long was because they had spent so much time together before they were official. [Marley's attention turned to her bedroom door when she heard her mom knock quietly, signaling that she was about to go grocery shopping. Millie hadn't let Marley out of her sight since Ryder's arrest, and although Marley loved spending time with her mom, she hadn't seen her this way since she found out about Marley's eating disorder in sophomore year.] "I think I have to go, mom's trying to persuade me to go grocery shopping via very bad sign language. I'll see you soon, okay?"
Ryder: [Ryder grinned at Marley's excitement. He thought it was incredibly cute how she got excited over things like this.] "Yeah, really." [He nodded before realizing that she had misunderstood what he had said.] "I was talking about when you came over since I don't think my parents will let me go over there still. I mean I can always say I'm staying over at Jake's for the weekend or something, but I doubt my parents will buy it so soon after everything." [He explained. He knew that he should probably keep his distance from Bellville anyway, especially after what Marley had told him.] "Hey, you know our six month anniversary is coming up? [He suddenly remembered when he realized what the date was. Between all of the stuff that had happened, he wouldn't blame her if it slipped her mind. ] "That's a pretty big deal."
Marley: [Marley felt a small sense of relief wash over her when he corrected her.] "Oh, right. Yeah, that makes sense. No, don't do that anyways, I don't think lying to your parents is exactly the way to get on their good side again. Besides, I miss Lima and I don't mind the drive. I'll just play spice girls really loud or call Kitty and put her on speaker while I drive." [When Ryder mentioned their six month anniversary, Marley realized with the dramatics over everything that had been going on she had totally forgot. Ryder was one of a kind though, he never forgot the sentimental stuff and it was so sweet. He always went above and beyond - even when they weren't together.] "Oh, yeah, I remembered..." [She said, her tone not even remotely convincing.] "Okay, I forgot, but you're right it is a pretty big deal." [A smile spread across her face as she remembered how amazing the past six months had been. It felt so much longer than that, though, - in a good way. Like they had been together for such a long time that they just fit perfectly.]
Ryder: [Ryder nodded when she said it was okay, even though she couldn't see him. He still felt a little bad about it since he knew how hard it must have been for her to tell him, but he was glad that he knew the whole story now and how much of a creep her neighbor was. He couldn't help but chuckle at her kidnapping response.] "Would it really be considered kidnapping if you came willingly?" [He joked. Getting up from his chair, he went to go lay down on his bed and put an arm under his head.] "I can't wait until you come to visit. I might end up kidnapping you for the weekend and take you somewhere special." [Even though he was worried about his future, he wanted to take Marley's mind off things and give her a worry-free weekend since he knew she had been worrying a lot lately. He had always put her happiness before his. Not to mention, it had been awhile since he was able to surprise her like this so he was looking forward to getting a chance to do something special for his girlfriend.] "So what do you say, cutie patootie? Think you'll be up for it?"
Marley: [Marley should have figured if anyone was going to make her smile in this moment, it would be Ryder.] "Hmm, that's a good question. I think my mom and I might have varying opinions." [Marley perked up when she heard that she would see Ryder this weekend.] "Wait, really?" [She asked, excitedly. She sat up, her smile faded at his wording. Maybe it wasn't a good idea he come to Bellville again.] "I am most definitely up for it. Maybe I should drive out, though. I have a free period at the end of the day on Friday anyways."
Ryder: [Ryder wasn't sure if he had always been this mushy or if it was Marley who brought out his mushy side. Then again, he had never had anyone to be mushy with before now. Maybe he had always had this side to him, he was just waiting for the perfect girl to be mushy with.] "Your grandma is a pretty smart lady so she's right. I'm just one day closer to seeing your beautiful face and I can't wait until that day comes. But I'm glad this isn't one sided, my lips would be pretty sad if yours didn't miss them like they miss yours." [He noticed the mood change between them and knew what was coming next wasn't going to be easy for her to say. Even though hearing it through the phone was better than her telling him online, he wished she was telling him in person instead. Just when he was about to stop her and tell her that maybe they should leave this conversation for another time, she continued.] "Dammit." [He said under his breath. It made him sick knowing that the creep almost took advantage of her like that. It took all of him to resist the urge to go to Bellville and finish him off. He hadn't realized that he was gripping his desk hard until he noticed his hand had gone white and was now numb. He was seething with anger. Hearing the whole story was way worse than he had imagined it being. It took him a while to find his voice after she had finished.] "You have no idea how bad I want to go over there and hold you in my arms. How much I want kiss every inch of you and tell you how much I love you. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made you told me. I mean I saw how scared you were when I saw the marks. I wish there something I could do. You know, besides me wanting to kick his ass again." [His unease about her having to live next to him for the next nine months only increased even more. He knew he was just going to be worried about her until she didn't have to live next to him anymore.] "I kind of just want to bring you over here and never let you go."
Marley: [Marley could hear Ryder curse under his breath and she frowned. She knew if it was the other way around, if she had heard of someone trying to hurt or take advantage of her boyfriend, she would feel the same distress that he was probably feeling now. Her somber expression became a happier one when his angry tone turned into a sweet one. One that told her he wanted to be with her and not in some yard beating the crap out of her creepy neighbor] "You have no idea how bad I want to be wrapped up in your arms, kissing you back so you'd know how much I love you too." [She retorted,] "It's fine, Ryder. It actually felt good to talk about it and get it off my chest. Now I can just... find a way to get past it. I mean, after everything gets sorted out." [She was remaining optimistic that Ryder was going to be heard, and that Luke wasn't going to ruin his life the way he tried to ruin hers. Laughing softly at Ryder's last comment, Marley just nodded] "I wish but as much as i'd' love it, I think my mom might have a issue with kidnapping."
Ryder: [Despite the current situation, Ryder was trying to remain positive and keep himself calm so he wouldn't have the urge to go after Luke again. When she finally spoke, he instantly smiled. He had missed the sound of her voice.] "I think you should remind me again." [He told her playfully as he leaned back in his chair.] "I know I miss you like the desert misses the rain. Or the way my fingers miss your touch and my lips miss yours." [He knew he was being incredibly cheesy, but he didn't care. Sometimes he couldn't help it. His expression became serious when she brought up the reason why she had called in the first place.] "Yeah, I do. I want to know what happened, Marls." [The way she kept asking him if he really wanted to talk about it made him nervous, but he had a feeling she was just trying to keep him from losing it again.]
Marley: [Ryder's cheesiness only made her miss him more, and she lived for these little moments, the ones where Ryder turned into the mushiest person on the planet, making her feel loved and warm and like she was the only girl he could ever love. She couldn't believe how far they had come in such a short amount of time. She remembered a sonnet she had read in English class a few weeks ago that reminded her of him.] "You know, my grandma and I were talking, and she told me that missing someone gets easier every day because even though it's one day further from the last time you saw each other, it's one day closer to the next time you will.' and I have to keep reminding myself that. - because my lips really miss yours too." [She was glad they had talked about him coming to California with her, despite her being a little skeptical at first since she wanted him to follow his dreams and not just her. She knew being in different states would be even harder than this. When Ryder insisted he really did want to know, Marley nodded softly to herself and took a deep breath before starting. Her gaze falling as she thought about that night.] "I was home, finishing one of my assignments when Luke asked if I wanted to hang out. I figured we would just go to the movies, or to the mall to meet up with Emily, but then he ended up taking us to this lookout just a few blocks away from our street. It was kind of weird, but I figured maybe he just wanted to talk about something." [Her voice slowed, and she paused for a moment.] "That's when he tried to kiss me. I stopped him, obviously. I told him to cut it out, that I had a boyfriend who I love and that him and I were just friends." [Knots began to form in her stomach as she continued, the playful mood from before had obviously turned slightly somber and part of her wondered if this was a good idea or if they should have just passed it. The fear in her voice was evident by how shaky it sounded.] "But he wouldn't stop, and when I turned away he started getting more aggressive. He cornered me in the passengers seat, and started to climb over me.... anyways, I waited until he was completely on.top of me and then I knee'd him in the groin as hard as I possibly could and climbed out of the car. He grabbed at me while I was trying to get out and that's where I got those scratches. But I kept going and I kept running until I was home."
Ryder: [Ryder spun around in his chair as he waited for Marley to call him. It was hard to believe that it had been nearly two weeks since the incident. Two weeks since he had screwed things up for what seemed like the millionth time already. He was still waiting for his court date to arrive which would determine how this would impact his future. As much as he loved being able to beat the crap out of the douchebag, Ryder hoped that he didn't screw things up too badly for himself. He didn't want to disappoint his parents even more, especially his dad. Hearing his phone vibrate on his desk and Marley's name flash on the screen, he quickly pressed the green button and brought his phone to his ear.] Hey, cutie patootie. [He greeted his girlfriend on the other end. He was bracing himself for what she was about to tell him. He had to know what the asshole did to her or else he knew it would just leave him with an uneasy feeling if she didn't tell him. He hated that he was having her relive what had happened, but he wanted to know everything and her telling him was the only way he was going to find out.]
Marley: [Marley couldn't help but grin wide at his greeting as she laid back on her bed. She was surprised how upbeat he was considering, but then she figured he was just being positive because he knew what was coming wouldn't be easy for either of them] "Have I told you how much I've missed you yet? Because I feel like I need to mention it again." [Absentmindedly petting Rue as she laid down beside her, Marley's smile faded a little and she pursed her lips slightly.] "Ryder, are you sure you want to talk about this?" [She had to ask. Even though she knew it might be relieving for her to talk about what happened, she didn't want to get him upset again for no reason. It was over.
Marley: [As much as she loved hearing the sound of Ryder's voice on the other end of the line, Marley wasn't sure she was looking forward to this phone call. Not only had things gotten out of hand when he simply saw the scratches on her chest, but Marley had been trying to ignore what happened the night she had received them. She knew it could have been worse, much worse. But the idea that her friend, someone she trusted, tried something like that was sickening. Not to mention, she knew it would make Ryder just as uneasy about her living next door to him as she already was. She was just worried. Worried about him, his future - what a permanent mark on his record could cause for him. Finally, she picked up the phone and quickly pressed Ryder's name, placing it to her ear to she could hear when he answered. She laid back on her bed, staring up at the ceiling absentmindedly as it rang.]
I know, I haven’t been in trouble before so hopefully they’ll see my side of things and understand that I was just defending you. Do what?
I do. It’s going to keep bugging me not knowing. You don’t have to worry about me, I’ll be fine. I wish there was a way to bring you back over here. I mean I know that you don’t want to leave your mom, but it sucks knowing that you’re unhappy there. Well they know how much you mean to me and I don’t think they would forbid me from seeing you. If they have a problem with it, then we’ll figure something out when the time comes.
I hope so. Every time things feel like they're falling apart, or I feel like I've made the biggest mess of things - you make everything seem better.
Okay, call I call you? I feel like it might be easier to explain things over the phone. I wish there was too, I wish I could go back in time and erase any complaints I ever made about Lima. But I'll be okay, it's only nine months, right? I can do it. I hope not, on top of all this - having your parents against us would be horrible. Not to mention I don't want to cause any riffs between you guys, I know everything is strained enough as it is.
I guess it’s worth a try. Well he was the first friend that you made over there and as much as I hated that you were hanging out with him, I get it. It was hard having to start over at a new place and you were excited about making a new friend. It sucks that you had to find out like that, but I’m glad you’re okay. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you weren’t.
Yeah, I know. I just wish they would be more understanding. I think my mom is starting to come around, which is good. I mean it’s better than having both of my parents mad at me. I’m sorry. I just saw the mark and kind of lost it. Knowing that someone hurt my girlfriend like that, I hated it. I hated it so much and all I wanted in that moment was for him to pay. Are you ever going to tell me what happened exactly? You don’t have to if you don’t want to.. I just want to hear it. I promise I’ll stay calm and won’t do something stupid again. Yeah, I don’t think my parents will let me go back to Bellville for a while- at least until we get everything sorted out. I think I would feel better if you came over here anyways. I hate it even more that you have to live next to him after all this.
This might determine what's one your permanent record, of course it's worth a shot. How do you always do that?
I know, it's not like you're not already being punished. You don't have to apologize anymore Ryder, I know you were just defending me. Are you sure you want hear about it? It's over now, and I promise I'm alright. Well, besides worrying about you. I didn't think they were, and to be honest I don't want to be here either. I hate it so much. Are you sure your parents won't mind though, I mean - they're not upset over everything?
I don’t think there’s anything else you can do to change their mind. It’s not like you had anything to go by except a bad vibe that I got and a rumor that Kitty heard. For all you know, it could have just been me being jealous.
Yeah, they do. My dad still thought it was a stupid thing to do. He doesn’t get it, though. I’m sure if someone had hurt my mom like that, he would have done the same thing. I know, me too. I don’t regret what I did. I just wish things had turned out differently.
Well, we can't just not try - right? I know.. I just. I wish I had seen what he was really like before all of this happened.
I know, I guess sometimes it's hard for them to put themselves in your shoes, because you're their son and they only want what's best for you. He wasn't worth it though. I was going to tell you what happened before you came over...I was just still kind of in shock and I just wanted to spend time with you without talking about him - about any of it. And I was trying to avoid what eventually happened anyways. I guess from now on i'll definitely have to come to Lima on the weekends.
I had a lot of time to process everything and accept my fate, I guess. It’s not your fault, Marls. I’m the one who made the decision to go after him. I’m the one who screwed things up for me. I don’t want you to put the blame on yourself because it’s not your fault.
My dad’s pretty mad. I haven’t really talked to him since we got home, but I can tell he’s disappointed in me. My mom’s not as mad as my dad. I think she’s just more concerned over anything.
Still, it's not fair. Maybe I can go there and explain? I mean, they have to understand where you were coming from. Yeah, but if I hadn't started hanging out with Luke in the first place - if I listened to you and Kitty, you wouldn't be in this mess.
Do they know the whole story? I'm sure your dad will come around, my mom would probably be the same way if I was in your shoes. I wish there was something I could do to fix things.
Yeah, I’m fine. I mean I’m okay as someone can be who was arrested a couple of days ago and had to be bailed out of jail. I never thought I’d ever say something like that, but I guess there’s a first time for everything.
So these past couple of days have pretty much been the longest ones I’ve ever had in my entire life. I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy to be back home, even if my parents aren’t exactly happy with me right now.
Marley frowned in the mirror, ever since the incident Thursday night she had been on edge. Luke had texted her multiple times, trying to explain or apologize but she wasn't hearing it and every message was instantly deleted. She still felt uneasy knowing he was just next door. She couldn't believe she had spent so much time and trusted him only to be put in this situation. She still wasn't sure how to react, what to do or who to tell. She just felt sick, and stupid and once again naive. She was so glad to see Ryder though. Somehow, no matter what she was feeling or going through, Ryder could always make her feel better. He didn't even have to try, it was just who he was. She just wanted to lay in his arms and forget everything else. But with the scratches on her chest, and how jumpy she had been the past 24 hours, she worried Ryder would know something was up - and she could only imagine how he'd react if he knew what had really happened. So she zipped her sweater up over her tank top, hiding the mark - and spent a couple moments smiling in the mirror and putting on a face. When she saw Ryder's car pull into the driveway, she headed downstairs to meet him at the door, feeling a small sense of relief now that he was there.
Ryder immediately took off to Marley's after football practice. Thankfully since it was Saturday, he only had one 3 hour practice instead of the two a day practices he normally had during the week. Practice had been brutal, so he was glad to see his girlfriend after not being able to see her since the weekend before last. Pulling up into Marley's driveway, he smiled when he saw her standing at the door. She had been acting weird the day before, but he didn't want to seem paranoid so he didn't think too much about it. Maybe she was just having an off day or something. "What's with the sweater?" He asked, raising a brow as he pulled his girlfriend into his arms and kissed her softly. He missed the taste of her lips and the way they felt against his. "I missed you," he said, leaning in to kiss her again. He couldn't get enough of her and after not being able to kiss her for nearly two weeks, well he was definitely going to make up for lost time.
Marley returned Ryder's smile as soon as he emerged from his car. Looked down at her outfit for a moment before shrugging a little. "It's kind of cold in here." she said simply as she placed a soft kiss against his lips, keeping it chaste before wrapping her arms around him tightly, immediately feeling herself relax in his embrace. "I've missed you, too." she said sincerely. She kissed him back once again, before pulling away from his embrace, taking his hand in hers. "My mom is gone to the grocery store with my grandma, so we're alone for a little while at least." she smiled distantly, "Are you hungry? I can make you something, if you want." she said, wanting to stay busy. Usually they would take advantage of what little alone time they got at her house, but the last thing she needed was her sweater coming off.
Ryder furrowed his eyebrows a little at her explanation. Then again, it was October already and the temperatures were starting to get cooler. He was also probably still a little hot from football practice, even though he had taken a shower before he took off. Ryder nodded when she said it was just the two of them for a while, which was something he was glad for. It felt weird doing things with her while her mom and grandma were home and he was respectful enough not to start anything either. He frowned a little when she asked him if he wanted something to eat, knowing they weren't going to have alone time for that long. "I can eat later," he smiled as he walked inside, his hand still in hers. "Right now I just want to take advantage of the alone time that I have with my girlfriend."
Marley smiled, leaning in to plant another soft kiss on her boyfriends lips. "I don't know how long they're going to be gone, though." she clarified, half genuinely and half making an excuse so that things wouldn't go too far. Still, she lead him upstairs to her room. Even if they were just hanging out, she'd rather them have privacy. Once they were in her room, she sat down on her bed, cringing a little as her phone vibrated against her night stand. "How was practice?" she asked, ignoring her phone. She'd check it later, in case it was Kitty or Unique.
Ryder knew she had a point. But still, whenever they were short on time like this, they didn't hesitate to waste any time. Maybe she wasn't up for it? It wasn't like he was going to pressure her or anything if she wasn't in the mood. It was just the fact that she had been acting weird that was bothering him. "Yeah, I guess you're right," he agreed as he followed her up to her room, still a little confused. He sat down next to her on the bed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "It was alright. Coach Bieste was a little more tough on us 'cause a couple of the guys were out with a bug or something," he shrugged, looking at her phone that was vibrating on her nightstand. "Aren't you going to answer that?" He asked, he didn't miss the expression on her face when it had started vibrating and now she was ignoring it, which was kind of weird since they weren't doing anything.
Marley nodded, glad to have changed the subject. "Oh, at least you're getting sick, right?" she smiled, running her hand gently over his cheek. "At least now you get the weekend to just laze around and relax. It's not like there's much to do around here." she shrugged, not really wanting to go out and about around town anyways. She turned her attention to her phone, but shook her head. "No, i'm with you. I'll just check it later." she said, dismissively.
Ryder shook his head. "Nah, I'm good," he smiled as she ran her hand over his cheek. "They probably just got food poisoning anyways," he knew a couple of the guys from the football team had gone out to eat after the game last night. He was glad that he had opted out in not going. "C'mon you're always posting things on Instagram that you, Luke, and Emily do whenever you hang out, it seems like there's a lot of things to do around here," he gently nudged her shoulder. "There has to be something around here that you haven't shown me yet," he told her, drifting his eyes over at the pictures she had up on her walls. He smiled when he saw a picture of them from prom last year. "Either way, my weekend's already a million times better since I get to spend it with you," he smiled, lacing their hands together.
Marley smiled in return, "Good." she said happily, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. She wrinkled her nose a little when he mentioned food poisoning. That definitely didn't sound like fun and she was glad Ryder had avoided it. "Well, I'm glad you didn't get it, even though you'd know I'd have to come take care of you if you did." she said playfully. When she mentioned Luke, Marley's gaze fell a little. "Yeah, there's a few places I guess but I just want to stay in tonight." she insisted. She kept her eyes on their hands as they interlocked their fingers together. "I'm so glad you here." she replied, leaning over to rest her hand gently on his shoulder, the neck of her loose fitting sweater hanging off her body a little as she cuddled into him. It felt perfect just to lay against his warm body, her thumb gently running back and fourth across his hand as they remained interlocked.
Ryder chuckled when she said she would come take care of him if he had gotten sick. "Well as much as I would love to have Nurse Marley come and take care of me, I wouldn't want you to get sick," he said. He was kind of surprised that she wanted to stay in, but he figured she was still feeling under the weather. "Well we can just watch movies and cuddle, and you can just show me some other time. I mean there's no point in rushing to show me everything, right?" After the long week that they had, it was probably better if they stayed in and relaxed anyway. "I am too," he smiled when she cuddled against him. He looked over at her when something caught his eye and moved to get a better look. "Crap, Marley. What happened?" He asked as he moved her sweater down some more, noticing the scratches on her chest. They didn't look like something that she had got on accident, they looked intentional. "Who did this to you?" He asked, his anger flaring up. "Was it Luke?"
Marley laughed a little, "Babe, I'm glad you're worried about me but I don't think food poisoning is contagious." she teased, nudging his shoulder playfully. She nodded, staying in and watching movies sounded perfect, all she wanted to do was relax and enjoy what little time she had with him. The weekend seemed so short by the time Sunday came and he had to leave to go back to Lima. "Right, besides, I think I remember you promising you'd watch Sleepless In Seattle with me. It's a classic." she said, grinning. Marley felt her stomach clench when she felt Ryder move her sweater, clearly seeing the mark on her collar bone. She pulled back a bit, using her hands to close grasp her sweater closed and cover the mark. She parted her lips to answer his questions but no excuse came to mind. It was just blank, and the last thing she wanted to do was blatantly lie to him. She could see him becoming visibly angry as it was, and he didn't even know what happened. "Ryder..." she said simply, trying to think of something to calm him down. "It's not..." she sighed, "I's not as bad as it looks."
Ryder gave her a sheepish smile. "Oh. Still you shouldn't have to see me all gross and sick looking instead of my handsome self," he joked. He realized how hypocritical he was being since he was always quick to offer to take care of her whenever she was sick. He didn't mind possibly getting sick because of it, she was worth it. "I did, didn't I? How can I miss the movie that inspired our amazing kiss on top of the Empire State Building?" He mirrored her grin. Ryder pulled her hands away when she started to hide the mark even though he had already seen it. "If it's not as bad as it looks then why did you try to hide it from me?" He asked. She didn't deny that it was from Luke, so he was like 99% percent sure that he had done it. "What happened?"
Marley smirked a little as he joked, "You'd still be your handsome self to me." she retorted. He was always there for her whether it was emotionally or times when she was ill, and she wouldn't hesitate to do the same if he needed it. She grinned wide remembering their night on the empire state building. "That night was pretty amazing." she reminisced. When Ryder reached for her hands to see the mark left on her, Marley shook her head. "Ryder, stop." she said, feeling a little overwhelmed. She had no other explanation to give besides the truth. "It's... We were hanging out the other night and..." she furrowed her brows, looking down at her her bed instead of making eye contract. "It turns out you and Kitty weren't so wrong after all" she whispered under her breath, her hands were a little shaky as she remembered what had happened in the car. "I cut off all contact with him, I'm not going to talk or hang out with him anymore. It's fine." she tried to reassure him.
Ryder stopped his hands when she told him to, he had already seen enough anyway. He noticed her expression when she tried to explain and that only made his anger flare up even more. She looked scared, he wasn't sure if he really wanted to know what happened exactly. "Dammit," he said under his breath as he got up from the bed, his fists balled up in rage. "He's a dead man," he said before he walked out of the room, with only one destination in mind. He didn't even see if Marley was following him, he didn't care. The only thing he saw was red. As he made his way over to Luke's house, he starting pounding on the door repeatedly. "Whitmoore!" He yelled, not caring if there were other people in the house. He was going to make sure Luke understood to never mess with his girlfriend again.
Marley could physically see Ryder's form change. Her wasn't generally violent but he was protective, and she knew that. Her feelings of anxiety and fear quickly became nothing but worry. She jumped up off her bed as he left her room, knowing exactly where he was going. "Ryder...." she cautioned, trailing behind him, trying to keep up. This was the exact thing she was trying to avoid and now it was happening. She took a second to slip on her shoes before she chased Ryder of out the door. "Ryder, don't! He's not worth it." she insisted, as she watched him knock on the door. She felt her heart sink when the door actually opened and Luke stepped out. He was the last person she wanted to see but he wasn't the point right now - it was making sure Ryder didn't do anything stupid. "Ryder, please. I am begging you just come back to my house and we can just talk." she pleaded with him, knowing the moment Luke stepped out it would only be downhill from there.
Ryder wasn't one to think things through and normally did things on impulse- which often got him into trouble- so when he found out that Luke had hurt his girlfriend. The one person who meant the world to him and never wanted to see hurt, well he wasn't going to let that go. He loved her more than everything and it killed him knowing that someone hurt her like that. He could vaguely hear Marley running after him, but it was too late. He had only one thing in mind and that was to make sure Luke paid for what he did to her. The moment Luke stepped out of his house, Ryder immediately pushed him hard against the door. "You're going to pay for what you did to Marley, Whitmoore," he snarled, his fist connecting with the older boy's jaw. This time nobody was going to stop him until he got what he wanted.
Marley felt sick, "Ryder!" she yelled as she watched him attack Luke, throwing a hard punch. She could hear his first connect with his jaw and she jumped a little. It wasn't long before Luke retorted, using his fully body to shove her boyfriends body to the ground. "Get off of him!" she yelled, grabbing Luke's shirt and making a failed attempt to pull him off, only to get pushed back. "What the hell?" she heard an angry voice behind her. It was Julie, Luke's sister - who clearly had no clue what was going on. Marley could only assume she was the only one home, any parents would have been out by now. Julie ran back in the house, Marley assumed to call someone. Marley was more worried now, about her boyfriend. "I didn't do anything to your fucking girlfriend, man. But trust me - if I wanted her on her back I'd have her there." Luke retorted, it was clear who he was and who he was pretending to be around her were two very different people.
Ryder used all his strength to shove Luke off of him before he switched their positions where he was now holding the older boy down. He was thankful for all those wrestling moves his cousin had taught him all those years ago. "Marley, get back inside," he said as gently as he could, finally acknowledging his girlfriend but didn't take his eyes off of Luke. He didn't want her to get hurt again. "I knew you were bad news. I warned her to stay away from you," he spat out as he threw another punch. And then another. If he wasn't already fuming with anger, what Luke said next would have definitely done it. "You son of a bitch," he growled, before grabbing his throat and cut off his air supply as he banged his head repeatedly against the ground.
Marley knew Ryder went well but there was no way she was leaving the situation. He had to know that. She brought her hands to her head, unsure what she could do besides try and reason with him. When Luke let out his snide comment, Marley knew he was just edging Ryder on, trying to get in his head. She had never, ever been scared of Ryder before in her life but watching Ryder as he wrapped his hands around Luke's neck and smacking his head against the ground struck fear inside Marley. She could see Luke's face turning red, his aggression against Ryder becoming more defensive rather than offensive. "Ryder, stop! Ryder please." she pleaded with him, emotion thick in her voice as she stood there feeling helpless, watching as Luke struggled for air. "Ryder, he can't breathe!" Grabbing his arm she tried hard to pull Ryder off her neighbor. "Get off my brother you psycho" Julie called out, standing in the doorway with her phone in hand. Marley faintly heard sirens in the distance and despite not wanting the police to be involved, she was glad they were on there way before this went way, way too far.
Ryder sighed when Marley didn't go back inside her house, even though he knew there was a slim chance that she would listen to him. He kept his hold on Luke until Marley's pleas brought him back to reality. Crap. What was he doing? He loosened his hold on the older guy, allowing his girlfriend to pull him up. He could hear the sirens getting closer and he inwardly cursed at himself. He really didn't want the police to get involved. "I'm sorry," he told his girlfriend, pulling her into his arms and kissed her forehead. "I just lost it," he added, just as the police had arrived behind them. "I'm sorry," he repeated in a whisper
Marley hugged Ryder tightly, scared for him. It seemed in the blink of an eye things had become so intense and crazy and she feared for how this played out. Luke laid on the ground, he was still conscious but he had a nose bleed and a gash on his lip - along with a possible minor concussion from the blows he took to the head. "It's okay." she tried to reassure him, hands a little shaky as she watched the police cruiser pull in. It wasn't long before Julie emerged from the house, eager to tell the officer all about how Ryder had assaulted her brother on their property. "It wasn't like that." Marley argued, keeping her hand tightly interlocked with Ryders. She knew there wasn't much she could say in his defense, they were on the Whitmoore's property.
Ryder kept close to Marley, wrapping his arms around her. He knew there was no way he was going to walk out of this one. As the police officer got out of the cruiser, he looked down on the floor where Luke laid and swallowed thickly. He was going to be in big trouble. When Marley spoke up in his defense, he couldn't find his voice and just watched as Luke's sister continued to explain what had happened. "Look, I was just sticking up for my girlfriend. I mean this guy hurt her," he gestured towards Luke's conscious state. "If I'm going to be charge with assault, shouldn't he be too?" He asked. A million thoughts were running though his mind in that moment, his heart beat was beating rapidly. He watched as the police officer spoke to his partner and then wrote something down before looking up at him. "We're going to have to take you in," he said, taking out his handcuffs as he started walking towards him. Ryder let go of Marley once the police officer started handcuffing him. This wasn't happening. He had a clean record and now in a flash, that was all gone. He couldn't imagine what his parents were going to do to him once they found out. As the police officer put him in back of cruiser, he looked towards Marley and mouthed "I love you" to her. Everything felt so surreal.
Marley 's thoughts raced as she tried to think of some way, any way to fix this. When the officer told Ryder that they were going to have to take him in, Marley's heart sank for him. She didn't want to let go- she didn't want to let him handcuff him when he wasn't the criminal here. "Wait..." she pleaded with the officer that was cuffing him before turning to the unoccupied one. "Wait, this isn't right. He was protecting me. I can explain it all but Ryder's not the one that should be getting arrested here!" she argued, being a little more strong willed than usual. The officer seemed unphased by Marley's pleas, she assumed from his point of view it was just another teenage girl defending her boyfriends actions. After all, they had chosen to step on Luke's property, therefore they were technically in the wrong here. "If you want to file your own report, feel free to come down to the station and file one but the fact of the matter is that the person who resides in this household is clearly injured, and your boyfriend is responsible for it. It needs to be reported, that's my job. Like I said, if you want to file a report of your own, you can - but there's nothing else I can do for you." the officer explained sternly, before heading back to the cruiser. Marley felt tears well up when Ryder was being put in the back of the cruiser, mouthing 'I love you'. Once the door was closed and the car began to pull out, Marley turned on her heels and ran back to her house to find Ryder's keys. She'd call her mom on the way there and explain everything. She didn't care how long she had to wait, she'd be at that station for him when he got out. He was in this mess because of her, and she couldn't imagine what his parents were going to do when they found out. She felt worry and fear for them and prayed this was all some horrible nightmare they would both wake from.
That makes sense, I guess. I mean Fridays are kind of the boring days anyways, so you probably didn’t miss much. We won’t. I just don’t want to spend the whole weekend looking at college stuff. Besides, we’re going to need a break every once in a while.
