Failed Again

"I'll go first."

His voice sounded confident, not panicky nor scared, as Natasha thought it would have sounded.

"Sure." she replied, and in her mind, she decided that letting him speak first, was probably the right thing to do.

"They just took pictures."

"Pictures?"

"Hmm, and a short video."

"Why would they do that?"

Natasha was really confused as to why they had gone as far as luring him, if all they wanted to do was just take pictures.

"To let the whole school know the kind of person I am."

"Huh!"

Looking at him, Natasha felt confused. The look in his eyes she could not explain, all she could tell was that he sounded like one who was exhausted.

"Ha-ha, ha-ha-ha, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha. Don't you get it?"

Natasha furrowed her eyebrows, and looked at Riley with a much more confused look on her face. Now she figured it out. Not only was he sounding exhausted, he really was exhausted.

Has he really given up? Does he think he has lost the right to stand up against those bullies?

"They made a video." said a crying feminine voice in Natasha's mind.

Oh no! Don't tell me that was what happened. No wonder he seems like one who has given up the will to fight back. But he seems a lot calmer than Carrie was. He definitely won't end up like her, will he?

"What kind of pictures did they take?"

Natasha nearly facepalmed herself when she heard the stupid question she asked him. She had said it before she realized she did.

"You were the one who came to my rescue, right?" he asked as he leaned on the table with his arms.

"Yes." she replied, feeling guilty she had not arrived earlier.

"Tell me, what condition did you meet me in?"

Seeing that smirk on his face, she facepalmed herself.

'He definitely thinks I'm stupid to ask such a question.' she thought to herself as she looked at him, with no intention whatsoever to reply him.

"Well, I believe you know then

Is there anything else you would like to know?"

She didn't like the look she was seeing on his face, she didn't like him giving up like this, he wasn't even trying to put up a fight.

"Were you raped?" she said in nearly a whisper and utmost care.

He smacked his lips and looked at her with a sad smile on his face.

"I received a blow job from one of them, does that count?"

'Oh, thank goodness.' she nearly said out loud.

He's changed. His replies are somewhat weird, as though he no longer cares what happens to him, but well, it's still some good news that he wasn't raped, and the bad news is the pictures and video they took, those idiots are trying to tarnish his image.

"Don't worry Riley, we will find a solution." she said in a voice that wasn't so convincing to her herself.

"Hmm." he said while nodding his head "And that would be to change schools."

Natasha was just about agreeing with him, when she realized his solution was completely different from what she would have called a solution.

"No Riley. Changing schools won't help, they could always go after you, or send others to bully you."

'Please reason with me Riley, running away from your fears doesn't mean you are free from it.' she thought to herself.

"That's true. Then leaving the country is the best option."

That serious expression of his, made it obvious he really was not joking. The expression on their faces were so different. Riley looked serious and determined, while Natasha looked worried and angry.

"Riley." she called out in a caring voice.

"Yes." he looked and sounded exhausted, as though he was tired of living.

"Don't you think facing your fears is better than you running from it?"

He looked at her and chuckled.

"And just where has that gotten me to?"

Seeing that exhausted look on his face, and hearing that indifference in his voice, Natasha herself got exhausted of persuading him to stay back and fight. Afterall, the last one she persuaded ended up dead. She was already tired herself. She was tired of fighting alongside a person, but end up losing what they were fighting for, and at times, losing the person she fought alongside with. She let out an exhausted sigh, and all she could muster up the strength to say was

"Riley." she said, looking and sounding all tired.

Riley suddenly got up from the chair.

"I should get going."

"Huh!" was all that came out of her mouth, even though her thoughts were screaming.

"It was nice having you as a friend. I hope we meet again someday, Natasha."

Natasha sat still, still in shock, as she was still processing all that Riley meant by that.

Does he mean he would no longer keep in touch with me, but..... That aside. He really does not plan to leave for his house at this late hour, it's almost midnight. There's no way he would find a cab. And even if he does find one, well, before he would find one, walking alone during midnight is dangerous. I have to stop him.

She got up and ran after him. She saw him pick up his phone and bag.

'I definitely remember putting those on the bedside table in his room. Had he already made up his mind even before we spoke? ' she thought to herself.

He walked past her and stepped out of the building. Natasha who stood there transfixed a while ago, went after him. Stepping right through the door, she saw him by the doorsteps. He just stood there in the dark, all she could see was his back view.

"I still didn't get to see you uncle, but I'm sure he is a good person."

Even though she could not see his face, she could hear the sadness in his voice.

"Hmm, he is a good person." she also said with a sad smile.

"Don't worry about me Natasha."

She heard him say. Then turn to face her.

"I'll be fine."

She stood there, looking at his sad-smiling face. She wished she could go over and give him a hug, then tell him not to worry, that everything would be fine. But no, there was no way she could do or say that, cause she herself knew that nothing would be fine if he stays behind. Leaving, truly was the best option. 'This ain't called running away,' she tried to console herself 'this is taking a break, so as to return stronger.'

A drop of tear fell off her left eye as she watched him step out of the compound and walk down the street, till he was out of view.

She chuckled, turned back to return into the builinding, then she started laughing. She laughed till tears came pouring out of her eyes. She locked the door and slumped against it, and did nothing but cry. She was too tired to think of how much of a failure she was.

*****

After over twenty minutes of crying and cursing herself, she got up and went back into the kitchen. Although, she was no longer crying, her eyes were puffy, red and wet. She sat at her former position and placed her head on he table.

The door opened from the outside, and someone stepped in. Seeing light in the kitchen, the person approached the kitchen.

The sound of his shoe against the tiled floor, she heard clearly since the whole place was silent, if not too silent.

She heard it approach her then stop right beside her. She raised her head to look at the man who had always been there for her whenever she needed help, but she could not see his face clearly as her vision was blurry.

"Uncle."

She said and started crying. This was the one man who knew her so well. The one who made her see a reason to keep on living even after her friend 'Cassie' died. He was the one who taught her to right her wrongs and face her fears. He was always there for her whenever she needed him. He was everything to her. And here she was, about to tell him those word again.

"I failed, I failed Uncle, I failed to protect my friend."

The tears covered her vision completely, she didn't even see when he stretched his left arm to pull her in for a hug, she only felt it, as she wrapped her arms round his waist and cried on his shirt.

He stroked her hair and gave her a gentle pat, and all she heard him say was

"Hmm."