Riser (Teen Horror/Science Fiction) (Book #1 in The Riser Saga) ((Volume 1)) (13 page)

“Nothing. I’m just glad you could take care of her.”

He said it so sweetly even Nancy’s face fluttered a little. “Of course I’ll take care of her. Speaking of which, look at my clothes. I look like I just crawled out of the jungle. I need new ones.”

“No shopping, please,” I groaned. “I just want to go somewhere where there aren’t any humans.”

“Too late.” Ryan nodded his head toward a swarm of lights and cameras.

Before I could run in the opposite direction they were on us like the leeches they were.

“Chelsan! Chelsan! Is it true you’re staying with the Merryweathers?”

“Is Bill Merryweather your boyfriend?”

“Where is Mr. Merryweather?”

I looked at Ryan and Nancy in shock. Nancy looked surprised by the onslaught of reporters and their questions, but Ryan appeared more sheepish than caught unawares. He glanced down at me with what could only be described as embarrassment.

Nancy caught on pretty quick as well. “I guess
this
was what was in the news,
Ryan
?”

“I…” Ryan was at a loss for words.

“Coming through,” a familiar voice rang through the crowd of press.

And there was Bill, smashing his way forward to get to me. His face was wracked with concern and relief at seeing me. He shoved clear of the flock and hugged me fiercely. “You’re staying with me,” he announced in my ear.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Ryan’s face fall. And even though I was grateful for Bill’s concern and friendship, I suddenly wanted to comfort Ryan and explain to him that Bill and I weren’t like that.

I pulled away from Bill. “Bill, thank you so much, but I’m staying with Nancy.”

Bill’s expression was one of awkwardness and disappointment. “But my parents already announced that you were staying with us.”

“She just lost everything she’s ever known and you’re concerned about what the press might think about
you
?” Ryan stepped forward and grabbed my hand, holding it firmly. There went my knees again, I was shocked I was still standing. Why did I fall apart every time he touched me?

“No. I didn’t… you’re right, of course, Nancy is a perfect choice.” In Bill’s effort to hide his horror of what he was just accused of, he didn’t even notice Ryan’s hand holding mine.

The press did though.

“Is
he
your boyfriend?”

“Did you break Bill Merryweather’s heart?”

“Bill, I know you didn’t mean it that way.” I wanted to repair the look of pain wracking Bill’s features.

“You guys better get out of here. Nancy, my hover-limo is out front. I’ll stall these guys.”

“Thanks, Bill.” I smiled as sincerely as I could and Bill tried his best to look reassuring.

“I’ll call you later,” he said, though there was doubt in his eyes.

“
Come over
later, stupid.” Nancy punched his shoulder and shook her head. “Just because she’s not staying at your house doesn’t mean you can’t see her.”

This seemed to brighten Bill back up to his normal self although at this point he couldn’t stop staring at Ryan clasping onto my hand possessively. “Seriously, get out of here. I’ll catch up to you later.”

“Thanks.” I said and we were off, running for the exit. I could hear Bill’s booming voice keeping the press at bay with ‘a surprise announcement from Merryweather Corporation,’ it was a much juicier news bite than a trailer girl surviving a tornado. I’d have to make up for humiliating him later.

Ryan was still holding my hand and it was starting to feel like the most natural thing in the world. And in my chemistry-induced stupor, I wondered if I could surgically attach my hand to his.

The mall doors practically flew off their hinges from the amount of force Nancy used to open them. She was in protective mode now and wanted to make sure I didn’t have to endure any more public scrutiny today. That and she kept muttering ‘this is all my fault, stupid shoes,’ under her breath, which meant she was guilting hardcore. Normally, I’d try and comfort her, but frankly, all I could focus on was Ryan’s hand in mine.

“Over here.” Nancy spotted the hover-limo first and Ryan and I followed her toward the thirty-foot black stretch monster parked a few yards away.

That’s when Jill and her clone Joan stepped in front of the passenger door, blocking our way into the limo.

“This is Bill’s limo, if you get in I’ll call the police.” Jill’s arms were crossed and her face glowed with superiority.

“We have his permission, Jill.” Nancy practically spit on Jill’s feet.

“We’ll just have to wait for him, won’t we?” Jill smiled. “Who knew that losing your trailer park would turn you to a life of crime?” Jill laughed, but Joan’s eyes widened slightly as if even she was a little surprised at Jill’s words.

It was impossible to believe that Jill could actually be that cruel. I underestimated her hatred for me. I could see in her eyes she was enjoying my pain, she was thriving on it.

“Get out of our way,” Ryan said with such venom that even Nancy and I were taken aback.

“Holding hands, I see. I never took you for a trash lover, Ryan. I’m just glad I never let you kiss me on our
date
.” Jill said the last part directly at me. And I admit it stung that Ryan went on a date with
Jill
. “You’re just sloppy seconds, trailer girl.”

Nancy apparently had had enough. "You heard the man, get out of our way!" She shoved Jill with some force.

Jill fell to the ground in horror and disbelief. Joan was helping her to her feet and from the look on her face she wanted to stay out of it.

“Come on.” Ryan opened the door of the limo and led me inside.

Nancy scooted inside and slammed the door shut. She turned to the driver. “Take us to my house, Gary.”

“Everything okay out there?” Gary asked as he put down his electronic reader and brought the hover-limo to life.

“Yeah. Just get us to my house and away from here.” Nancy sank back into the seat next to me and leaned her head against my shoulder in exhaustion. “Sorry I bought shoes.”

I laughed. The first real laugh I had since everything happened. My adrenaline was amped up to about a billion and I knew the crash would be coming soon.

Ryan turned to me and put his forehead to mine. He reached up and touched my face with his hand in a protective manner. My heart couldn’t take this. I may have been eighteen, but I was going to croak of a heart attack any second now. His eyes were so intense as they met mine. “Jill’s the trash, that’s why she hates you so much. Don’t ever take anything she says seriously, okay?”

I could only nod. My voice box would probably squeak something unintelligible anyway. I wanted him to kiss me so badly in that moment, but I knew I’d probably end up missing his mouth entirely and slobbering on his neck or something. I was such a clueless idiot when it came to boys.

Ryan pulled his hand away and placed his arm around me and included Nancy in the embrace since she was already asleep on my shoulder. We must have looked like quite the threesome to Gary, but he didn’t say a word; he just drove the hover-limo towards our destination.

It only took a few minutes for the hover-limo to arrive at Nancy’s house. Her street was a typical upper-middle class neighborhood. Perfectly coifed grass separated the parallel lined mansion-sized houses. It used to be cement streets and driveways separating their property over two-hundred years ago, but once hover-cars took over, the need for suburban roads became obsolete and if it wasn’t a landmark or shopping center it was replaced with grass. In dry, hot places like California, large water silos were set at each row of houses (covered from view by trees and foliage, of course) and an endless process of water-filtration and recycling took place to constantly keep the grass watered and green. Residents were required to empty their fuel cell tanks from their hover-cars into the silo to keep the water fresh and replenished.

Gary landed the limo with ease on the hover-pad in front of Nancy’s house. “Here we are.”

“Thanks, Gary.” Nancy was alert and awake now as she opened the door of the limo. “Come on, Chelsan, let’s go surprise the parents.”

“What about Ryan?” I asked, not wanting to part from him just yet.

“I live a few houses down across the street. I’ll come by later.” Ryan pulled his arm out from under me and gently nudged me to the exit.

I still couldn’t fathom that he was still near me, that he still wanted to have anything to do with me. I kept on waiting for him to laugh hysterically and tell me it was all a big joke. I really barely knew the guy and yet it felt like we’d known each other forever. I wondered if that was how it was for my mom and dad. I’d never know.

All three of us stood outside the limo as Gary lifted the limo up into the air and out of sight.

“Well… I’ll see you later,” Ryan said quietly. He actually looked shy and insecure. It made me wonder if he had been like this when he was tutoring me and I was just too oblivious to notice.

“Okay. See ya. Thanks for everything.” Okay. Awkward. Neither one of us was sure what we should do next. I think he was debating on whether or not to kiss me, but he was obviously going through some kind of battle inside his head because he was just standing there. And I was just standing there. And Nancy was just standing there.

“Yeah, okay, bye Ryan.” Nancy had a lot less patience in this matter. “Chelsan, let’s get inside before any more reporters show up.”

Ryan settled for a wave and a slight nod of his head. “I’ll come by tomorrow.” And he sauntered off to his house.

I felt Nancy’s hand grab mine and pull me toward her front door. “Come on, crazy girl. You’ll see him soon enough.”

I let Nancy lead me to her abode. The structure itself was one of the most modern I’d ever seen, but I hadn’t been able to leave a four-mile radius my whole life, so that wasn’t saying much. Her house was essentially three white stucco stories stacked on top of each other like a three-step staircase. Windows lined each wall, promising a bright interior and the glass was already tinted a dark brown to block out the sun for the day, making it impossible to see inside.

I felt a pang of nerves as Nancy opened the steel front door. Most people had steel doors and sometimes steel window shutters, essentially making their entire house a fortress. With Age-pro promising immortality, no one wanted to risk dying from a random crime or natural disaster, so making one’s home impenetrable became a priority to the general public. Especially for the rich.

We entered her house and I was amazed at the impeccable décor of the bottom floor. The entry way was painted in soft golden tones to compliment the terracotta tiling beneath us. Directly after the foyer was the living room with a giant life-size holo-TV playing the news. It was like watching a play it was so crisp and life-like. A giant wrap-around black vinyl couch faced the TV and Nancy’s parents’ backs were to us watching the news cast.

“Mom, Dad,” Nancy said and I could sense the hesitancy in her voice.

Nancy’s parents immediately turned to see the two of us standing in the entryway. I was put at ease right away when the two of them came running up to us, concern oozing off their faces, like true parents.

“Chelsan, are you okay? We heard everything on the news. We saw you too, young lady. Look at you, you look like you went on a safari. Go change your clothes.”

This all came out in a worried rush from Nancy’s mom, while her father hugged Nancy as if he hadn’t seen her in days.

“You went through the blockade, didn’t you?” her dad mumbled in her ear. “I’m so proud of you.”

And then I was suddenly being slammed with a hug from Nancy’s mom. “You poor dear.” She held on tight and in that moment I fell apart. It was too close to having my own mom embracing me. I started to cry. And the harder I cried the tighter she held on. “I’m so sorry. We’ll take care of you. You stay here as long as you want,” she kept reassuring me and it made me feel safe and devastated all at once.