bad odds (Riley)

[Arden Patricks]

I needed to get the hell out of the house today, and I needed to go somewhere far-away-ish.

I also needed not to run into anybody I know, so this place seemed like a good bet. I don't think I've ever been here in my life, and I doubt most people I associate with ever spend much time here either. So what are the chances I'll run into somebody today?

Of course, now that I'm here I'm realizing there's a reason that I haven't been previously. This store is very loud, and crowded, and bright, and it's making me feel slightly paranoid and grumpy.

Then again, I did get stabbed the other day. Maybe I should be paranoid and grumpy. Sliding my hand under the sleeve that's pushed up to my elbow to run my fingers over the scabbiness - because I'm really no good at healing and I didn't want to go to Mungo's - I think about that for a minute, then shrug. I'm lucky as hell that she didn't hit me anywhere vital and then all else I got was a cut on the arm. So that's no reason to be paranoid and grumpy... unlike this shop, obnoxiously cheerful and bright as it is.

And also the fact that my logic was obviously flawed, because if I've never been here there was really no way to be sure that people I know don't go here either.

[Riley Pearson]

The honest truth was that I rarely set foot in this store. Mainly just because I didn't much like having to think about Riyann; And this was one place where it was hard not to. Except the memories were more of when we were younger and still dating. She definitely wasn't the same anymore.. the Riyann I knew wasn't really one to threaten my friends.. or kill my family members for that matter. At least to my knowledge.
Which was why I think I was alright with coming in here today. It was almost okay to think about how she used to be.. it was a lot better than what she was now.

I really need to find Arden at some point and see if she's okay. She should be though, since Logan's staying with her. At least I hoped. Maybe I should stop over there when I was done here.. or even better, just forget this and go find her now. In fact, I couldn't believe how long I went without going to warn her.
But as soon as I entered the shop, I realized that if something happend, I'm sure that I would know... I mean, I work in hospitals.. and had friends at ones I didn't work at... At thiese thoughts, I felt a bit better and looked around a bit, trying to find the best way through the crowd.

I was here mainly for the reason of presents. Where else would two eleven.. or nearly eleven... year-olds, want a christmas gift from?
I may have been going a bit overboard with gifts this year, but I didn't much care. They'd been having a nearly just as hard time as I had been.. and still am.. having. I'm not sure if more presents would help much, but like I said before, I didn't care much. It might help?
It was much more crowded and noisy in here than I remember and as I was trying to get around someone, they moved and bumped into me, causing me to hit a stand of trick wands, knocking them all to the floor.
I sighed, getting a few glances from around me from nearby customers and did what I had to do, which was crouch down and start to pick some up.

[[ yay! crappy/long post! sorry ]]

[Arden Patricks]

((Twasn't crappy. Sorry for taking ages.))

I should've picked a bookstore or something. I very, very rarely visit the bookstore in Diagon Alley, and it's not terribly likely I'd run into anyone there... but at least it's bloody quieter. And less crowded. This shop doesn't seem built to hold this many people... as evidenced by the sudden knocking over of one of their displays, which I and everyone else within range turn to look at.

And then I forget what I was thinking about, because I recognize Riley and look away immediately, as if maybe he won't see me if I make sure I can't see him. Honestly in this crowd that's probably true, of course... which doesn't make it any less childish. Or ridiculous. When was the last time we even talked, anyway? Out on the porch after he met Logan? No... I'm sure that we've run into each other since then, but I was so apathetic that now I don't remember what went on.

I'm sure that this pretending-I-can't-see-him thing won't last forever, of course, unless I leave the shop... but honestly I should talk to him anyway... but what in the hell do I say?

Oh... hi, how're you? Sorry about the whole leading-you-on-for-ages thing, but now I'm just going to be a bitch and say I didn't mean it, hurting you when you're already hurt and leaving you alone because I'm sure it will be awkward between us and yet I'm your only friend now that your sister's dead ad your ex-wife's gone psychotic and... well, anyway, sorry. Say hi to the girls for me.

Oh, hell. I feel physically sick at the thought of it, and I think I would rather do anything right now rather than acknowledge that I've seen him. Like maybe cut off a limb.

[Riley Pearson]

I was a bit too distracted today to pay much attention to everybody around me. And I guess that I was wrong in assuming someone would help me pick these up, because after gathering a few of them, I realised it was still only me. I sighed slightly and stood back up with a handful of wands, very grateful that my wand was different from the ones that had fallen. That was really the last thing I needed right now; To be at work and then go to use my wand and have water squirt out at a patient.

I stood the stand back up, trying not to make any eye contact with anybody in the store, still feeling a bit embarrassed as I put the wands I had picked up back in their place.
Now I really was thinking about just leaving, but every time I saw an clear path, someone stepped into it. Eventually, I squeezed through a couple people, moving toward Arden without even realising it, and just when I thought I could get out of here, another person stepped in front of me.

[[ that's good then.. lol... and this one's a bit rambly.. i couldn't decide if he should see her or not .. and that's alright ]]

[Arden Patricks]

I'm still debating whether I should talk to him or not, standing dead still in the middle of the crowd so that I'm sure a lot of people are glaring at me - unless all the brightness and noise makes them happy rather than paranoid - when I finally shake my head and then decide I like that answer. No... not today.

And so now I guess I'll get out of here, and go hide in the bookshop for a bit until I recover from the stupidity of coming in here, and... maybe then I'll run directly into someone on my way out the door, and look up and see it's Riley before I can even say sorry.

[Riley Pearson]

I was just about to make it to the door, when I run right into someone. I step back a bit, instinctively looking to see who I ran into. "Arden.. hi." I said slightly offhandedly. I definitely wasn't expecting to see her in here.. then again, I never really was where I could be sure to see her, so I guess anything's possible. "Sorry." I said a moment later, since I had bumped into her. Just because we were already friends didn't mean that I shouldn't apologize.
It doesn't even hit me until another moment passes that she's obviously okay... and doesn't really look like anything's happened to her.

[Arden Patricks]

"Hi," I say a little too fast, then take a deep breath and try to smooth out my expression from the spooked sort of look I'm currently giving him. Could be chalked up to sensory overload, of course, but still.
I really do feel kind of like throwing up, and fidget nervously with the scab under my sleeve again. I think I should probably say something else, but my mind has just gone blank.

[Riley Pearson]

".. Are you alright?" I asked after a moment, catching a slightly spooked expression from her. She seemed really... anxious maybe? I wasn't too positive what exactly it was. Maybe it was just the fact that it was so loud and crowded in here. She fidgeted slightly with her arm and I watched her with a slightly worried.. or maybe it was confused, expression.

[Arden Patricks]

"Fine," I shrug, looking at the ground. First rule of lying - make eye contact.
"Um... I don't like it in here," I add, glancing over my shoulder and quickly slipping out the door, not really caring if it's possibly rude.

[Riley Pearson]

I nodded a bit as she said she was fine. She wasn't looking at me when she spoke, but that wasn't too out of the ordinary really. After hearing that she just didn't like it in here I nodded again, but before I could say anything in reply, she was already quickly slipping out the door.
I raised my eyebrows slightly at how she just left. Was that a, 'I'm going to have a panic attack so I have to get out of here,' or was that a, 'I really don't want to talk to you, so I'm leaving'?
But either way, I eventually slipped around a couple more people and followed her outside.. which I actually felt weird doing, but I couldn't seem to stop myself and it felt all too much weirder to run into her and not talk.. or at least run into her, say hi and then have her just leave.

[Arden Patricks]

I obviously didn't expect him to just stay there, so it's not like I was trying to get away. From him anyway. But I do kind of like the idea of delaying any sort of conversation for a bit... and also if I'm going to be uncomfortable, at least I don't have to be paranoid as well.
So it's not unexpected that he's now out here too, but I'm not going to initiate anything.

[Riley Pearson]

She didn't say anything once I walked out and after shutting the door behind me, walked over to her, putting my hands in my pockets and shaking some hair away from my eyes. I was starting to get a bit paranoid with how she wasn't talking to me.. I feel like it usually isn't like this between us and I sort want to know why it is now.
"So um.. Riyann didn't show up at your house did she?" I asked after a moment. She seemed alright, but that doesn't mean Riyann wasn't there and that in itself was worrying thought. After I said that outloud, I thought it sounded sort of strange and kind of wished I had asked that a different way, maybe just didn't even bring it up. "I've been worried about you.." I added a bit quieter.

[Arden Patricks]

I sort of half freeze when he says that, and wonder how he'd know....
But I'm not going to tell him that she did in fact show up at my house, and I let her in 'cause I was feeling suicidal at the time, but it's all good now so he doesn't need to be worried.
"Logan's there, if she did show up," I shrug, liking how ambiguous I've managed to make that sentence so it isn't technically a lie. And he is, so it's not like I'm alone, so there's no need to be worried. Not, of course, that I told him I got stabbed by a psycho I invited into my house. He doesn't really need another excuse to call me an idiot... nd also I'm trying not to tempt him into becoming a murderer again.
But still, there's no need to be worried.

[Riley Pearson]

I nodded at what she said, "Yeah," I said shaking my head for a moment. "Yeah, I know.. I just, didn't stop me from being worried." I finished with a faint half sort of smile to her, which only seemed to last a few seconds. So I guess that meant that Riyann changed her mind.. that she didn't show up there. At least that's the way it sounded the way she phrased that. So hopefully it would stay that way and she wouldn't show up later.. even if Logan was there.

[Arden Patricks]

I smile weakly back, feeling really awful. "And is there any particular reason you were afraid that someone who's supposed to be in Azkaban would show up to see me?"

[Riley Pearson]

I thought about how I should answer her. Should I even bother telling her that Riyann escaped? Then again, if she never showed up at Arden's place then she might at some point so she should probably at least know.
"Um.. 'Cause she showed up at my house first." I said looking back up to her. ".. she kind of threatened you.." I knew the way I said that was sort of weird.. it didn't really sound right to me, but I couldn't think much at the moment how I should have phrased that.

[Arden Patricks]

"Oh...." I frown slightly, but now that I think about it, she did mention talking to the girls and something about Riley getting upset when she threatened me... and I really think I hate myself again.
"Well, how did that go?" I ask a bit inanely.

[Riley Pearson]

I nodded a bit, shifting my eyes to the ground for a moment and rubbing the back of my neck slightly. "Honestly, it probably could have been worse.. but it was pretty terrible." I said looking back up to her. "It was okay when she got there, but yeah.. terrible."

[Arden Patricks]

I grimace sympathetically at that, perfectly happy to put off the I'm-a-whore part of our conversation and just be his friend for a bit even if it's about something unpleasant.
"What happened?"

[Riley Pearson]

"My mum found out that she was there... let it out that Riyann killed Lil in front of the girls." I said with a small nod, frowning a bit, starting off looking at Arden, but ending up shifting my eyes away a bit. "Things were said.. and just.." I shook my head a bit. "I don't know.. I'm sure we both said things we would've rather kept to ourselves.. and then she threatened you." I finished looking back up to Arden. I'm sure I had left something out, but I just couldn't think.. I tried not to remember most of that day.

[Arden Patricks]

I wince a bit, grimacing. Of all the ways for them to find out, when they shouldn't have at all....
"So how are they taking it?" I ask, wondering now if I'm being stupid in not telling him that she did make good on her threat.

[Riley Pearson]

"I'm not sure they believed it... but um.. Is it terrible that I'm not sure how they're taking?" I asked, feeling slightly worse when I realized that I didn't. So kind of dad I was.. Should I know something like that? "They're just sort of.. quiet.."

[Arden Patricks]

"Hm...." I bite my lip. Probably not well then, but I'm not sure I should say that.
"Maybe you should talk to them, I guess." I shrug slightly. "But they're not... still mad about..." I shrug again, looking at the ground because I don't know how to refer to it without feeling worse. Because Lottie really doesn't have to be upset anymore that I'm taking her mum's place....

[Riley Pearson]

"Yeah.. I probably should.. just don't really know what to say to them." I shrugged a little bit. "It's hard not to make Riyann out like a completely terrible person." I said before biting my lip for a second.
It took me a moment to realize what she was talking about, but once I did, I shook my head faintly, "They might be a bit upset... but definitely died down since the last time you saw them." I said with a faint smile to her.

[Arden Patricks]

"Just a little bit...." I mutter... because in my opinion she is kind of a terrible person. So am I, sure, but not in the same way. I am pretty sure that they won't like me any better after I hurt their father than when I was stealing him from their mum though.
"You could tell them that she's... has a mental illness?" I suggest. "That might make it easier. Less... her fault."

[Riley Pearson]

"Mainly because I don't have the highest opinion of her right now.." I added to what I had said a moment ago. "Which probably isn't going to change.."
I looked back up to her at her suggestion and nodded faintly, "Honestly, that might not be too far off." I said, feeling a bit bad for saying it, but I was pretty sure that she wasn't the most sane person ever.

[Arden Patricks]

"I would say it's not," I mutter, rubbing the scab again. She was most definitely off her rocker when she stopped by my place. But I certainly don't blame him for his low opinion.

[Riley Pearson]

I nodded slightly, "I should've seen paid more attention to the signs, earlier.. maybe I could've stopped this whole thing.." I said, partly to myself and partly to Arden. I should've taken her to the hospital and gotten her help.. but I didn't. Maybe this whole thing came down to one of my stupid decisions.
I noticed her rubbing her arm again, the same one she seemed to be fidgeting with earlier and looked at it for a moment. "Is your arm okay?" I asked a bit offhandedly again.

[Arden Patricks]

I twitch my mouth a little, wondering what signs he's talking about, then glancing down at my arm before I can say anything about that. "What? Fine." I shrug, pulling my sleeve down a little more and crossing arms... which is really a good idea anyway now that we're outside, so come to think of it I should pull both my sleeves down all the way.
"Were there really any signs, or are you just second-guessing?"

[Riley Pearson]

I nodded slightly, watching as she pulled her sleeves down before crossing her arms. The whole thing seemed a bit... I'm not sure really... but I decided to just believe her anyway. "Alright.. just seemed like you've been touching it a lot.. probably just my imagination or something." I said shrugging it off for the moment.
I sighed and gave another nod. "There were definitely signs..." I thought about it for a moment. ".. In fact, they were so obvious, I'm not even sure you could call them signs."