βThat's the thing about this city,β Will said, looking at the two lane highway. βNothing changes, nothing stays the same.β
βWow, Will, that was real philosophical.β I shoved him playfully on the arm.
βWhat?β He asked. βJust because Iβm a handsome skier doesnβt mean Iβm a total airhead.β
I giggled.
βRiley Grace!β My mom called. βYoung man, why are you still here?β
Will Jackson, my boyfriend, looked up at my mom. βSorry, maβam. Iβll be going now.β
He stood up from his seat on the stairs and trudged through the mud as soft flakes started to fall, landing on his soft bronze hair. He looked over his shoulder and flashed me a small grin, and stuck his tongue out at me. I stifled a giggle.
βRiley Grace, I told you to have that boy gone by an hour ago!β My mom said, her face contorted like she had just drank sour milk.
Will was never Will to my mom. He was always that boy, or young man if Mom was talking to him directly.
Will disappeared into the snow flurry.
βWell?β Mom asked.
βIβm sorry, Mom.β
She sighed, then said, βCome inside. It's freezing out here. It's also dinnertime.β
I sighed and walked up the steps.
Snow wasnβt a rare occurrence in Truckee. Will would probably be happy about the snow. It would make for great ski practice tomorrow. And he had a race this weekend. The fresh snow would be helpful.
I watched the big, fluffy flakes fall as I chewed my pasta.
β·β·οΈβ·οΈβ·οΈβ·οΈ
I liked to ski, but I never participated in races. I just helped Will practice.
βCome on, Ri, make it a challenge.β He teased.
I dug my mitten into the snow and grabbed a handful. I rolled it into a ball and threw it.
It exploded against his green parka. He looked down at it, then at me, then down, then back at me.
βOh, it is so on.β
Me and Will were famous all over our school for our ability to lead the best snowball fights, Will heading one team and me the other.
I ran for a tree and hid, gathering the snow off its limbs and shaping it, while Will threw almost nonstop. The snow exploded upon impact, and splashed onto my parka.
Almost an hour later, we finished the fight.
Will fixed his beanie. βDarn it, Ri, stop getting me off track!β He said jokingly. βWanna race?β
βSure.β I said. βIβll beat you, the usual.β
βIn your dreams.β
We raced.
He won, of course.
β·β·οΈβ·οΈβ·οΈβ·οΈ
That night, Will walked me back to my house.
βIβll see you tomorrow?β I asked.
βWell, I hope you come to my race tomorrow.β His mouth pulled into a little smile.
I smacked my forehead. βOf course. Iβm sorry.β
He pulled me in for a quick goodbye kiss that left my lips tingling.
As he said goodbye, I looked up at my house. Mom looked out of one of the front windows.
She sighed, shook her head, and closed the curtain.
β·β·οΈβ·οΈβ·οΈβ·οΈ
βWhatβs your problem with him?β I asked Mom, looking up from my chicken.
βWhat?β She asked.
βWill. You treat him like heβs a plague, or inferior in some way. Why? Why canβt I just be happy?β
βRiley Grace. We are eating dinner.β
βSo? I know youβre gonna make some excuse, or disappear into your study until I go to sleep. We talk about this now.β
βNo.β
βYes! What is your problem?!β
βHe reminds me of your father, okay? I donβt want you to end up like him...end up like meβ¦β
βThat's what this is about? Youβre worried Willβs gonna disappear on me?β
But Mom was done. She had pushed her plate away and her head was in her hands.
I stood, leaving my plate, and went to my room.
I texted Will later that night:
found out why mom isnβt a fan of us
why? He typed back immediately.
dad. whoever he is. sheβs worried youβre gonna disappear on me.
i would never do that.
i know. mom is just being paranoid, i guess.
yeah. iβm sorry, but iβve gotta rest up for the race. talk to you tmrw?
sure <3
<3
I set my phone on the bedside table, itβs LCD display fading as I heard Momβs socked footsteps trod past my door.
Shortly after that, I fell asleep.
β·β·οΈβ·οΈβ·οΈβ·οΈ
I woke up to the harsh sun shining through my curtains. A beautiful day for a race. Unfortunately, I had woken up two or three times last night with nightmares I couldnβt remember.
I threw on a t-shirt, my parka, some jeans, and my sneakers before making the trek to the course.
We lived just off Highway 267 in an apartment building. Will lived nearby, and I was meeting him there.
It was nearly a five minute walk to the course.Β
βHey!β Will said, running up to me. βSleep well?β
I forced a smile, hoping he didnβt see in my eyes that I did not sleep well. βYeah, pretty good. You?β
βCouldnβt wait for the race. I was awake for about thirty minutes thinking about it before I could fall asleep.β
βYouβre gonna do really well, Bill.β
He looked at me with a smile. βYou canβt call me Bill or Willy until weβre ninety and in the old folks home together.β
βNo promises,β I said, shoving his shoulder lightly. βGo get βem, Tiger.β
βWrong sport!β He said as he jogged off.
I smiled.
β·β·οΈβ·οΈβ·οΈβ·οΈ
βWill! Will! Will!β His teammates chanted as they lifted Will onto their shoulders.
Will had won first place in his races, and his skiing buddies were ecstatic.Β
βCome on, guys, put me down!β He said, laughing.
They set him down after some well deserved parading.Β
βWill!β One of his teammates yelled. βLet's go into Truckee, to DQ, and get some celebration Blizzards!β
βHUZZAH!β The rest of the team cheered. They were the Tahoe Knights, after all.
βDo you want to come?β Will asked me.
βSure, why not?β I said.
The other Knights went to their carpools, but me and Will went to his truck.
He started the engine. βAbout your mom,β He said.
I looked down into my lap. βYeah.β
βRi, I love you. I wonβt abandon you like your dad did. I promise.β
βI love you.β I said, looking at him thankfully.
Snow was starting to pelt the windshield. Clouds had suddenly started to cover the bright blue sky.
Will leaned forward towards the windshield. The windshield wipers flicked back and forth. Thwip, thwip, thwip.
We made it to one of the many roundabouts of the Truckee area. The Interstate 80 off ramp looked clear, but it was hard to tell in the thickening storm.Β
Will turned his steering wheel with the roundabout, and then
The world stopped.
When I woke up, my head was pounding. I opened my eyes.
βWhat happened, Will?β I tried to say, but my voice was just a whisper.
I looked over at him.
βWill?β I reached over to him. βWill?β I touched his shoulder. βWill?βΒ
βRileyβ¦β He groaned.
βWill!β
βCall...nine-one-one...my phoneβ¦β
I fumbled for his phone. The screen was cracked, and it cut my finger, but I didnβt care.
βNine-one-one, what is your emergency?β
βIβve been in a car accident, me and my boyfriendβ¦β
β·β·οΈβ·οΈβ·οΈβ·οΈ
I stood with a blanket around my shoulders in the emergency room.Β
βAre you Riley Grace?β A nurse asked me.
βYeah, but you can just call me Riley.β
βHere, RIley.β She handed me a warm styrofoam cup. βCocoa.β
βThank you.β
βTake a walk with me, honey.β
We walked down the hallways, past beeping machines and the quiet sounds of people dying.
βHon, thereβs no easy way to tell you thisβ¦β
βWhat?β I stopped walking.
βYour boyfriend, he came out of surgery.β
βAnd it was good? Heβs good?β
Heβs gotta be alright. Heβs my Will.
βHe...didnβt make it.β
The cocoa fell out of my hand and landed with a splash on the ground, the thin brown liquid spreading over the linoleum.Β
βNo.β
The room started to spin.
βNo.β
He couldnβt be.
Not my Will, not my Will, not my Will.Β
I would walk into his room and he would smile and comb his hand through his hair.
Not Will.
Will couldnβt be dead.
Iβll never abandon you. Will wouldnβt lie.
I sank to the floor, the knees of my jeans saturated with the spilled cocoa, but I didnβt care.
It felt like nothing mattered other than the fact he was gone.
β·β·οΈβ·οΈβ·οΈβ·οΈ
βSo I guess youβre happy now.β I said to my mother.
I stared straight ahead into the pale snow outside the hospital.
βWhat?β Mom said, giving me a startled look.
βYou wanted him gone. Now he is. Are you happy?β
βRiley Grace, I-β
βNo! Donβt even, Mom! You never listen to me! I say, Trust Will, heβs a good guy. Nope! I say, I would like to be called Riley instead of Riley Grace. Of course not! Because you donβt trust me, you donβt listen. I need you to start! Otherwise, Iβll find somewhere to live until Iβm eighteen.β
βRiley G- Riley, Iβm sorry. I was wrong. Wrong about Will.β
βIt took him being dead for you to say that, Mom!β
βRiley, I- Riley!β
But I was already trudging off into the snow.
β·β·οΈβ·οΈβ·οΈβ·οΈ
I walked and walked and walked in the snow. I was miles away from my house, but I would keep walking.Β
βHey, Riley!β Chase Gryff pulled up and slowly moved forward, matching my pace. βAre you okay?β
Chase was one of Willβs friends on the Knights. Him and I were pretty well acquainted.
I shook my head.
βWhatβs wrong?β
βYou havenβt heard?β I looked up at him.
His brows furrowed. βNo? Anyway, you may want to get in. Itβs freezing. And you can tell me what's wrong, and Iβll give you a ride to wherever youβre going.β
My hand hesitated as I reached for the handle. I had thought Will was a good driver. Look where he was now. I didnβt know how Chase drove, but I decided to take a risk. I pulled on the handle and climbed inside the warm space.
βSo, whatβs wrong?β He asked once I was settled.
βItβs Will.β I began.
βHave you two been fighting?β He asked.
βNo. Willβ¦β I paused. βYou may want to pull over.β
He pulled the Tacoma to the side of the road.Β
βWillβs gone. We got into an accident earlier. I was fine, but...he didnβt make it through surgery.β
Chase put his head in his hands and whispered, βOh, God, no.β
And then he looked up. βIβm so sorry, Riley.β
βItβs-β I started, then questioned my statement. Was it really okay?
βItβs heartbreaking.β I said. βI really loved him.β
βHe really loved you, I know it, Ri.β He said through his hands.
I thought back to what Will had said a few days ago. Just a few days ago, but it seemed like a lifetime.
βThat's the thing about this city. Nothing changes, and nothing stays the same.β
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37 comments
I immediately fell in love with Will, and that kinda carried throughout the entire story. WEll done!
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Thank you!
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AM I THE FIRST ONE HERE TO EXPRESS MY PAIN CAROLINA- BC THIS IS NOT ALLOWED. NOPE. TOO SAD.
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I'm sorry! Lol thanks for reading!
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No problem! :)
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Okay guys, can i just say: I AM SO SORRY. I knew when I started writing this Will was gonna go, and i'm sorry for it. I am also sorry for letting y'all get to know Will before he died. AHHHHH I'm sorry.
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Hi I loved the opening line. I just thought Iβd let you know how cool it is. Bye
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thank you!
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You created perfect characters... Everything was so sweet... Then you KILLED WILL?! Yur story was terrific, but seriously? It was a perfect miserable ending... I love your stories, I know you are probably busy but any advice for a newbie writer, em, like me XD, or any feedback on my stories?, sorry for the botheration! (and your profile pic is cool) Happy Today!
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Thank you.....HA! Yep! Just get ready for it, I'm working on a tragic story right now.... No! Totally not too busy! I'll definitely check out your stories and offer some feedback! (thank you!) Right back at ya! :DDDD
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Seriously?, don't turn sadistic! XD Thank you so much! so, have any tips for writer's block and artist's block AT THE SAME TIME? =)
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by the way would you give feedback for my new story too?, so sorry for the botheration!
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Yes, Seriously! :D No prob! uhhhhhhh so what i do for that......i always tell people to go take a walk or a hike outside and as you go along, describe the scene in your head as descriptively as possible. i.e. "The keys clacked as my fingers danced along, making letters appear on the page." Of course! It's no prob!
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thankyou, i will try that, tomorrow, it's night here and I seriously don't wanna be bitten by a snake XD =)
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whoops! sorry! yeah,being bitten by a snake isn't good. It's the morning here so...i didn't take time zones into account.
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oh, btw, HoO, just started, already a fan :)
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aweeesssoooommeeeeee, i won't spoil! how are you feeling about the Percy Situation?
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it's quite interesting, literally only on chapter 16 of the first book :) PLS DON'T SPOIL!!! :)
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yay! PROMISE, I WON'T SPOIL :))))
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that's good :) How have you been doing?
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pretty good, you?
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hi! I was just wondering where you found your profile picture, it's so cute!
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Hi! I got it from picrew! here's the link, you design your own :) (The website is in Japanese so i hope you have a translating service on your computer) https://picrew.me/secret_image_maker/1ATjYgP9eVbd7xP9
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thank you thank you thank you! this was so much fun to play with :D
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no prob! :DDDDDDD
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:( :( >:( :( Whyyyyy did you have to end I like thatttt I became attached to the characters throughout the story, so when Will died I was like nfjebfkshdJFIEBFJDHHFIEB Separating the paragraphs with skiers was so cute, great job in this story Carolina :( ;) - Amethyst
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Thank you! argh I know, usually I kill characters off earlier...
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np! I've never killed off a character before so ;) Have I? I don't tHiNk sO XD
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i don't think so either........;)
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XD
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Wow! Amazing story!! Also π§ :) I love reading bio's
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thanks echo!
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