Silent Runner
Followed

The next week Riley, Marcus and I spent every lunch together. She wasn’t ignoring me, though we talked very little. I considered her just being there as a victory.

“Hey did you watch the game on Saturday?” Marcus asked as he started to unload his lunch pail on Monday.

“Uh, no I didn’t.” I admitted.

Marcus glanced up to frown at me. He did a double take when he saw Riley sitting just out of arm’s reach next to us. Marcus was six foot two with broad shoulders and dark almond skin. His thick black hair was always cut short.

He had been trying to get me into football for years. However, to his great dismay, it wasn’t working. This time it seemed I was saved by his mere shock of having a third person.

Riley for her part pulled out her notebook and started writing. When she finished she ripped it out and handed it to me signing ‘speak’.

I grinned before reading out loud. “You didn’t miss much. St Louis needs to learn the definition of defense. It’s not touch football.”

Marcus stared wide eyed and stunned for a second before he burst out laughing. “Ohhhh,”

I bit back a grin, watching curiously to see how this would play out. Marcus loved St. Louis, but he wasn’t one to argue against the truth.

“Fair enough, they had a bad game defensively. But they still won despite that!” Marcus combatted.

Riley wrote and to my great relief Marcus waited patiently. He had never been a very patient person, and I won’t lie this was my biggest concern. However, Marcus was a very kind and understanding guy; so in all honesty I shouldn’t have been worried.

Once again I read the paper Riley handed to me, “Yeah, their offense tends to carry them.”

Riley shrugged when Marcus turned his attention back to her. “We,” He said, gesturing between them. “Are going to get along just fine.”

It was only uphill from there. Marcus and Riley got along great, and it amused me to see how well Riley could communicate her feelings without saying a word.

That next Saturday was our first track meet. Martha and Theo sat in the bleachers watching. I was surprised when I noticed Heather Meyers and a man I didn’t recognize, introducing themselves to my family before sitting next to them. It made me blush to think that it might be Riley and I they were talking about.

I shook it off and looked around the field. The first person I noticed, aside from Riley who I was unable to be unaware of, was Dakota. He attended Jackson High Prep and had for years hated that he always came in second.

“Look who it is. How have you been Ethan? Break a leg yet?” His smile reminded me so much of my mothers ex it made me shiver.

“Nope, I’m good to go.” I retorted, watching Riley as she stretched.

Dakota followed my gaze then whistled lowly with a dark lustful grin.

“I would love to get a piece of that ass.” He challenged me as he stared at Riley in her ready position.

I had to admit, bent over preparing to run, she was enticing. However I didn’t like the way he talked like she was some piece of meat. Something in the barbaric look in his eyes had my guard up. Not to mention knowing he had singled her out simply because he noticed I had been watching her. She meant nothing to him.

“She would never touch you.” I snapped angrily.

I could handle a little competition but there was no reason to drag her into it.

“That doesn’t mean I couldn’t touch her.” His grin seemed malicious and his inclination was obvious.

Anger built in my chest and before I knew what I was doing I punched him square in the nose with a satisfying crunch. Two of his teammates quickly jumped in but I was able to punch one in the throat. I turned in time to see Riley punch the third guy in the gut before kicking at his face.

I spun back to Dakota too slowly and was greeted by a punch to the jaw. Anger still boiled in me over what he had said and I attacked him again. Suddenly the coach grabbed the back of my jersey and pulled me off of him.

“Ethan! That’s enough!” He yelled.

I looked up still furious, till my eyes met Riley’s. She stared at me, looking afraid. It stung to know that in this moment she was afraid of me. Even worse was looking around to see the two guys I had taken out still laying on the grass, and wondering if maybe she should be.

My heart broke in my chest and the anger vanished as quickly as it had come. I looked down at my hands that dripped with blood, mine and his, and I hated myself for it.

“Run it off.” The coach demanded. “both of you.” He gestured to Riley.

I nodded, glad to get her away from Dakota. Though to be honest, he didn’t look as if he was getting up anytime soon. I started running and wasn’t sure if I would go around the track or disappear into the woods again. I wanted to disappear.

I had wanted so badly to believe that my angry outbursts were over. It terrified me that one wrong word, one wrong move, could set me off and I lost all control. I wanted to leave that version of myself behind in the dust. So I did.

“Ethan! Where are you going?!” Coach yelled as I took off into the woods. “Riley!”

I ran dodging trees and leaping over fallen branches. I ran until I noticed footsteps behind me. I couldn’t figure out why the hell she would be following me. I couldn’t have her with me now. I wasn’t ready to be with anyone, I was too far gone. I didn’t want her to see me like this, so I pushed myself to run faster.

We ran together for a while till I heard her gasp, then fall. Part of me wanted to keep going, but I knew I couldn’t. It was possible, even likely, that she was lost by now. Even if she wasn’t hurt I couldn’t leave her alone out here.

Why did she have to follow me now? She pushed me away over and over but now when I wasn’t able to play my role she follows me.

“Fuck.” I growled under my breath before turning around.

I walked as calmly as I could back to her, but despite my effort my voice was harsher than I intended. “Are you okay?”

She nodded then stood slowly, before limping over and sitting down on a nearby fallen tree. She pulled her right foot up and started massaging above the shoe.

I sat next to her with a sigh. I didn’t know what to say and I didn’t particularly want to talk about it, or anything.

I saw Riley’s hands moving but by the time I looked over she had to sign it again.

‘Are you okay?’

I stared at her hands, biting back the tears. I couldn’t tell her my shame. It was too heavy for her, it was too heavy for me.

Riley put one hand on my knee then sighed with the other, ‘talk.’

I shook my head with a sigh. “I’ve been doing so well. I used to get overwhelmed or angry and lash out a lot. I don’t do that anymore, but he just…”

She frowned, ‘What did he say?’

I shook my head. There was no way I was stepping out onto that minefield.

She glared at me for a moment before it faded into a confused frown. Gingerly she put her foot back onto the ground.

“Are you really okay?” I asked, concerned.

She shrugged with a morbid smile. ‘I’ve had worse.’

I nodded subconsciously, rubbing the old bullet scar.

She eyed it frowning. ‘What’s that from? I have noticed it before but I can’t figure it out.’

“Gunshot.” I said, shrugging as if it were nothing.

In reality it was the worst injury I had ever had, but not the worst beating I had taken. To my surprise I learned one gunshot wasn’t as bad as being beaten unconscious by a man twice my size. I shuddered unintentionally.

She seemed stunned and watched me as if expecting me to say psych. I sighed and looked around at the trees.

“Coach is going to be pissed.” I said slowly, “though since you came to he’s not likely to kick us both off the team.”

She laughed lightly. It was the second sound I had ever heard her make. I liked it alot better than her shriek when Britney had jumped her at lunch. Her laugh seemed musical and sweet, beautiful.

However it stopped abruptly as she suddenly looked nervous. She stared down at her hands which were suddenly trembling.

‘As long as we don’t get kicked out of school.’ She signed slowly, ‘I don’t want to move again.’

Somehow even with signing she seemed to trail off. I had only once in my life had to wonder where I was going to end up, and it had been terrifying. I couldn’t imagine doing it repeatedly.

“How many times have you moved?” I asked cautiously.

‘Fourteen foster homes and five orphanage’s.’ She signed, then shrugged passively.

I couldn’t hide my surprise or stop my next question. “How many years have you been in the system?”

‘Ten years.’ She signed, reluctantly. ‘I was in the hospital for a year before that. The car crash that killed my parents nearly killed me.’

“I’m sorry.” I signed as I spoke trying to seem as sincere as possible.

I wasn’t sure what to say but I felt I had to share something after what she had shared with me.

“My dad died before I was born. When I moved in with my aunt, I had never met any of my family. Didn’t even know I had one.” I admitted. “I was really lucky that they were so patient with me. I was terrible when I first got here.”

‘Anger?’ She asked.

“And if I’m honest, fear. It’s a bad mixture.” I said nervously standing up.

She nodded before following suit wincing slightly.

“Maybe I should call my uncle. He can come carry you back, you shouldn’t be on that ankle.” I said wincing as I saw it was already swelling.

Fear flashed in her eyes, and she shook her head.

I nodded, she didn’t know or trust him. I wouldn’t have agreed either. However, she seemed to trust me for the most part.

“At least let me help?” I asked, offering her my arm for support.

She frowned then slowly, nervously, draped her arm over my shoulders.