The One. (The Girl #2)

by Laura Lee Fall

  Looking at Carla skating around the rink in her tight little blue jean dress, Ryder replied, “Nothing man, I am fine”.

  “Yeah, right”, skating away another girl skates up to Ryder asking, “Hey coming over tonight, my mom is working night shift?”

  Caught a glimpse of Carla skating by and replied, “Nah, I won’t be coming over anymore skated away fast, she stood there shocked saying “Jerk!”

  Skating passes Carla, saw him and skates backwards blew her a kiss, giggling and Samantha almost heaved.

  Notices the big clock on the wall said, “Good almost time to go before, a love connection”. Skating around the rink saw her dad and uncle walk in she mumbles, “Could this night get any worse”.

  Eyes ready to pop out when Samantha saw a few high-school girls by her dad, they are giggling and now Carla noticed said, “Wow, our dads sure are popular, huh?” Taking off her roller-skates, Samantha says, “I feel sick”, and Ryder saw Shawn with Seth and mumbled, “Aw hope my dad don’t come in, heck he will ruin everything, he hates Wiley’s”.

  Carla walks by says, “Bye”, he added, “But I think I’ll love one”.

  Taking her skates back to the front counter, eyes huge Samantha hears her dad yelling, “Aw heck dude”. Turning around saw a few high-school football jocks now in her dad and uncle’s face, mumbles, “The night just got worse”.

  Standing by the counter watching the high-school girls trying to calm down their boyfriends that caught them by Shawn and Seth.

  Walking back towards the front entrance slowly, Samantha said, “Next weekend bowling for sure, this is unbelievable”.

  Gasped, running up front when one boy shoves her dad back against the wall, she yells, “No dad don’t!” Reaching them face-to face with Shawn pulling at Seth saying, “Aw come on their kids man”.

  “Yeah should respect their elders, huh?” Close in the tall teenage boys face. Upset, Samantha tugging at her father says, “Let’s go dad, please”.

  “Yeah go daddy before I whip your ass”, the jocks all laughing and hand over her face mumbling, “My dad’s gonna swing, go to jail to”.

  Pointing in the rude jocks face, Seth said, “You’re lucky dude, my girl here just saved you one heck of a whipping”.

  Turned around walking away Samantha let out a sigh of relief and one teenage boy yells, “Nah, you’re lucky dude”, and mumbles, “Oh no”. Seth kept walking and Samantha says, “I’m lucky”.

  Outside, walking to the van angry, Seth saying, “Wasn’t that some bull man”. Nodding, Shawn replied, “Kids of today, huh”.

  “Yeah, wish I was a kid for a split second would have slapped him silly”. Quietly walking to the van, Samantha saw Carla smiling and mumbles, “Oh no love struck on bad boy”.

  Inside, the skating rink heading out, Ryder passing the jocks stopped saying, “Y’all are lucky”, and looking at him, one light haired jock asked, “What punk?” “Aw, those men you were about to fight are legends, the famous Wiley boys”, laughing out, “What, who are the Wiley boys”.

  “They were known to be the best fighters around Tennessee”.

  “Yeah right”.

  “Nah true man, the one you pushed karate king”, walks out of the skating rink. The next day at school, Carla by her locker reached far in grabbing a folder and heard a boy say, “Hello gorgeous?”

  Leans against the locker stares at her with his heart pounding, as Carla’s flutters shutting the locker door looking at Ryder smiling said, “You are the prettiest girl that I have ever seen”, blushing.

  Moving closer to her staring, he said, “Aw bet you have many boyfriends, huh?” “None actually, I have only been here a few months”.

  Licking his lips said, “Just my luck huh”, and put her head down giggling when he bent his head even closer to her, said, “Aw pretty girl you just might have found your first”, as her heart races, he smiled.

  Walking down the hallway, Lucas spotted his rotten brother by Carla Wiley and mumbled, “Oh no!” Later that day at slugs home, Lucas was in his run down bedroom when Ryder comes in flopping down onto the cot as Lucas just give him a dirty look.

  “Aw Lucas I think that a girl has finally stole my heart”, and mumbled, “What heart?” Snarling rose up saying, “What was that?” Lucas said, “Oh nothing Ryder”, lay back down saying, “She is amazingly beautiful, woe finest I ever saw”.

  Rolling his eyes blue eyes, Lucas asked, “What about your flock of girls”. “Meant nothing all they were was practice for me to learn how to make my one and only satisfied”. Staring in the book trying to ignore Ryder laughs out, “Multiple orgasms”.

  At that moment, Lucas thought he would puke, when the bedroom door opened and a thug stuck his head in saying, “Aw Ryder were going to hit a car lot tonight you in?” Ryder sat up saying, “Nah think I’ll pass”, as Lucas just looked at him and the door shut.

  Lucas thought has Ryder maybe seen the light and possibly change his rotten ways. The days to come were starting to show a big change in Ryder that lay on his bed with a black eye and Lucas comes into the room and noticed the huge shiner on his brother.

  However, Lucas did not pry and especially as he saw Ryder crying out, “I hate this rotten life”.

  A few days later, Lucas and Samantha were down by the lake sitting on the grass, he was telling her that something strange was happening with Ryder as he does seem to have a heart that’s been buried due to the life they have lived.

  Samantha just listened and told Lucas that it is possible a person can change and Lucas told her Ryder seems to be.

  Beat on recently too and one evening after enduring many powerful punches runs out the front door and running down the street fast, blood dripping from his nose. At the apartment building, sitting on the bed in her room reading a book, Carla rose forward, eyes big, hears tapping at her window.

  Setting the book down, got up off the bed walking towards the window, leans forward looking out heard, “Hey there beautiful”.

  “Ryder?”

  “Yeah in the tree”.

  “What are you doing there?”

  “Bird watching”. Swung on a branch, long dark hair blowing in the wind. “Yeah sure”. Leans elbows on the window pane.

  Climbs closer towards the window and hand rose against her face says, “Your beat up”. “Yeah, I am”.

  “Oh my, who done that to you?’” Pitying expression.

  “My dad”. Shakes long dark bangs to hide teary eyes.

  “Sure”.

  “It’s true”.

  “Your real dad?”

  “Yes, my real dad beat the crap out of me, he’s not a nice person”.

  “I can see that”.

  “Eighteen, I’m gone from that hell hole”.

  “Don’t go far”.

  “Never from you girl”. Glancing back and he asked, “What your dad?” “I don’t want him to catch you here”.

  “Me either, one beating tonight is enough”, climbing closer her eyes gazing into his, he said, “I just wanted to see your beautiful face before I go to sleep”.

  “Aw, those are such sweet words Ryder”, smiled says, “I’m so glad we met Carla”. “Me to Ryder”.

  “Hey, I better go”.

  “Okay, hope your dad calmed down”.

  “Go to sleep, don’t worry and dream of me Carla”, giggling says, “Sure will Ryder”, climbing down with her watching, reached the ground, and stood below the window, “Sleep tight beautiful”, she sighs saying, “Dream of me”.

  “Aw, I will girl”, running away.

  Lowering the window went over to the bed, sat down folding her hands says, “Please god keep that boy safe from harm, because I think I’m falling in love with him”.

  The next day after school, walking into the house, Lucas saw his father Max shouting in Ryder’s face saying, “What’s the matter with you boy?”

  Stood silently and his angry father yelling close in his face, “You have been a pro at these robberies now yo
u tell me it’s done Ryder!”

  Hung his head and standing on the stairway quietly watching, Lucas’s felt bad for his brother when Max irate belted Ryder down to the floor, blood dripping, and standing above his son saying, “Another waste of a child“.

  Sat on the floor not replying, Max’s anger rose and jumped down onto Ryder, swinging his fist right into his face.

  Running off the steps Lucas jumped onto Max’s back saying, “GET OFF HIM DAD!” Later that night in the rundown bedroom, Ryder lay on the cot with two black eyes, almost swollen shut and Lucas had a bruise to the side of his face.

  On the cot staring at the ceiling, Ryder said, “Thanks Lucas!”

  Staring up at the ceiling also replied, “Your welcome, but I only done what was right you’re my brother”.

  Tears rolling, Ryder said, “I have not been much of a brother and I am sorry Lucas”. Listened and Ryder added, “I hope it’s not too late to be your big brother” and now had tears saying, “It’s never too late and I’d like that Ryder”, said, “Goodnight little brother”. “Goodnight Ryder”. Downstairs sitting in the dark basement, Max pacing around says, “What’s happen to Ryder?”

  Sitting on the couch, one dark haired male replied, “Heard through the grapevine he’s took fondly to some girl”. Paused standing in the middle of the room before ten men and snarled asking, “What girl?”

  “Aw don’t know who she is”.

  Leans close in the man’s face, replied, “Find out”, and nervous says, “Sure boss then what?”

  Hand to chin grins, “Bring her to me”.

  “What?” All eyes are huge, and flicking out a buck-knife Max replies, “Did I stutter, I told you to bring her to me”.

  “Ah, there boss she’s must be in elementary school, just a kid”.

  “No, I am not going to hurt the young girl, but sure going to scare her to stay the hell away from my son she’s messing with his head, because he’s been the best darn criminal”.

  The next day at school, Samantha stood by her locker with Lucas that told her everything of the dramatic change in Ryder and what all happened as she saw his bruised face.

  Carla sure noticed two black eyes on Ryder standing by his locker and walked up to him turns around smiling.

  Holding her books, said, “Hi”, and shut the locker door saying, “Well hello gorgeous”, blushed and pointing says, “What happen to your eyes?” Hangs his head and she added, “Your dad, right”.

  “I’ll survive”.

  “Oh this is wrong and no way to live Ryder”. Sniffles, she goes closer to him saying, “He could hurt you really bad”.

  “Already has in so many ways”, and saw tears rolling down his face, puts her arms around Ryder held her tightly.

  A few lockers down eyes huge, Samantha nudges Lucas and says, “Oh my look”, turns his head noticing his brother holding Carla.

  Carla with Ryder stood by his locker talking for a while, the bell even rung, as they kept talking and she took out a piece of paper, with a pen writing numbers down, handed him the paper saying, “Here my phone number”, took it saying, “Cool”.

  Smiling, she said, “You sure are Ryder”, and walked away, he leaned against the locker saying, “My heart has been stolen no doubt”.

  Within the next week, Ryder called Carla every day and they talked for hours as Elijah become upset of her hogging the phone.

  After school one day, Samantha stood looking at her cousin Carla standing by Ryder sitting on his motorcycle and she mumbled, “Oh my, Carla is smitten by bad egg or once a bad egg, who knows now, just hope Lucas is right that Ryder has changed”.

  One evening, Carla met Ryder at the park and they sat talking on the bench getting to know each other more.

  Suddenly, wiped tears telling him about how she had been abused and that grown men touched her, put his hand to his head saying, “Aw Carla that’s awful and wrong”. “It was awful Ryder”, crying heavily and put his arms around her tightly and crying holding her in his arms, said, “I’ll never let anyone hurt you, I’d kill them Carla”, held onto him tight.

  Telling Ryder how terrible most of her childhood was, as he held her and said, “My life was no better, maybe worse”.

  Listened to Ryder talk about his awful home life and rough years that he endured. Embracing tightly, told each other how awful their life was and had been, tears are shed and Ryder told her everything, including that he had spent two years in juvenile prison and about the petty thefts with robberies that he was forced into really. The only way he had been taught and knew by being brought up by a rotten father. Carla felt bad and tears rolled when Ryder told her that he believes his father killed their mother years ago.

  Looking at each other with tears rolling, she said, “I like you Ryder a lot”. “Aw Carla I like you even more”, now smiled.

  A few days later, running down the basement stairs yelling, “Max!”

  Got up from the chair asking, “What?”

  “I found out who the girl Ryder took a liking to is”.

  “Well who is she?”

  “Aw boss you’re gonna be so mad”.

  “Quit playing games just spit it out”.

  “She’s a Wiley” and dark eyes huge grumbles out, “What?”

  “Yeah, Carla Rose Wiley”. Stood quiet a second shaking his head, kicking the chair across the room says, “Bring her to me”.

  “Aw boss that’s kidnapping, we never done that”. Got close in the man’s face says, “Bring Carla today, round up the fellows and do it”.

  Later that day, after school walking in the door talking, Ryder with Lucas suddenly stopped by their dad that says, “Been waiting for you two, got a little surprise”, eyes rolled.

  Following their dad down stairs to the basement, the boys froze and grinning Max says, “Surprise boys”, saw Carla sitting tied up in a chair with a gag stuck in her mouth, struggling to get free.

  Upset, Ryder says, “What the heck are you doing dad?” Shocked, Lucas adds, “You’re a lunatic dad”.

  Walks over close to Carla terrified and runs his fingers through her long golden locks asked, “Is this your girlfriend Ryder?”

  Shook with anger yelled, “GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER!”

  “Or what boy?”

  “Why are you doing this, just let her go”. Hands against head upset.

  “Aw, she is cute, good taste son, but she’s a Wiley, right?”

  “Yes, please don’t hurt her dad, I’m begging”, and standing next to him, Lucas mumbles, “I hate you dad”.

  Jerks Carla up from the chair, boys screaming, “NO DAD!”

  In Max’s clutches, eyes huge, trembles in fear, he asked, “You care for this girl Ryder?” “Very much, never felt this way about any girl before”.

  “Well would not want her to get hurt, right?”

  “Never, please stop dad”.

  “You stop seeing her or she will end up hurt, hear me boy”.

  “I hate you dad”.

  Shouts, “I HATE WILEY’S”.

  In his firm hold tears rolling, both boys notice and Ryder said, “Okay, I’ll do anything, just let her go dad”.

  Looks at Carla and says, “Tell her it’s over Ryder”.

  Looking at her said, “I’m so sorry Carla, but this must end”.

  “Aw, see how easy that was, good boy”, letting his firm grip on her go and leans close in her face said, “It’s done between you and my boy understand Wiley girl”.

  Nodding and noticed tears rolling down her face, he added, “Speak a word of this little meeting to your scumbag daddy, you’ll be closing the door on the casket Ryder lays in, understand”.

  Tears pouring, shook her head meaning-yes and Max looks at the crew says, “Get her out of here safely”.

  Twenty minutes later. safely back home, Carla sat on the bed crying, knock at the door says, “Yes”, wiping eyes and Shawn walked in asking, “Hey you coming to dinner?” Holding a heart shaped pillow, replied, “Sure dad”, got up fo
llowing him into the kitchen sat down by the table.

  Saw Elijah on the phone and putting dinner on the table, Shawn said, “Ah dinner time tell her bye son”.

  Told the girl bye went sitting down and picking at her food, noticing Shawn asked, “Darlin, you feeling all right?”

  Smirking remarked, “Maybe she don’t like your cooking dad”.

  “Hope that’s not true”, taking a bite of beef stroganoff.

  “No it’s good, I am tired is all”. Eating looks at his sister and Shawn says, “Well if you’re not hungry that’s fine”.

  Felt queasy replies, “I’m not really, may I be excused”.

  “Sure honey”, and got up from the table walking away sniffling, Shawn said, “Hey Carla”, turning around asking, “Yes dad?”

  “If there’s ever anything you need to talk about I’m always here”.

  Slight smile replied, “I know dad”, adding, “No matter what”.

  “Thanks dad”, winks, she walks away and when dinner was done, Shawn clearing off the table Elijah setting his plate in the sink turns around behind him holding dishes smirking asked, “The phone again?”

  “Nah, actually I got a ton of homework dad”.

  “Aw better get on it boy”, walking away replied, “About to”. Walking down the hallway paused by the closed door raps lightly, “Yes, it’s open”.

  Walking into the room, sitting on the bed saw her brother asked, “Hey”. Tucks hands into baggy blue jean pockets shook his long curls away from his eyes said, “Hey, I just wanted to let you know, I am here to and your big brother, if there’s anything you ever need or just to talk I’m a good listener”.

  Holding a book replied, “Thanks Elijah”, nodded says, “I’ll let you get back to reading”. “Okay”, and walking out said, “Later”.

  “Good night Elijah”.

  “Yep”, shuts the door went into his bedroom shuts the door.

  Next day at school, Carla saw Ryder that looks at her and walked away never says a word, and sad runs down the hallway crying.

  Noticing standing by a locker with a cheerleader Elijah tells her, “Be back”, and running down the hallway, grabbing hold of Ryder slamming him against the lockers, student’s eyes large, a few yell, “Fight”.