Because of you (2 page)

After a good hour of chatting, I get up from the bed and stretch my weary muscles. “Hey, do you want to come to my brother’s house with me? He and Jackson live with some of their friends, and my brother is throwing a party for the beginning of the school year. All our friends will be there. I can introduce you to the group, I’m sure everyone would like to meet you.” I shake my head.

“
Thanks, but I already have plans, maybe some other time.” Even though I want to meet other students and make new friends, it is better at the moment
to be
alone. That way everybody will be safe, and I won’t put anyone in danger with my presence. I have to
look
for a job anyway, otherwise I won’t have anything to eat, and right now is the best time to
go
look for it. “Have fun!”

“
Alright, but I’ll hold you to that! I really want you to meet my friends, since we’re going to be living together for quite some time.” Addison winks at me, grabs her purse and leaves. I sigh, wait a couple of minutes and head out myself. First, I search for a deli to buy a sandwich because I haven’t eaten the whole day. With my mouth full, I wander down the street, looking for a ‘Help Wanted’ sign. The wind is blowing softly and the leaves that have fallen from the trees dance in the air. I wrap my jacket tighter around me and keep on walking. On the way, I go to the city center to a cellphone store to get my number changed. I can now finally turn on my phone, which has been turned off for a few months now. I walk past boutiques, small cafés and shoe stores. I try my luck in every one of them, but nobody is hiring. Tired and irritated, I return back to the student campus
.
Apparently I’ll have to try my luck again tomorrow. I have two more days before my classes begin.

An empty room awaits me, as expected, because Addison mentioned she’ll be late. I grab my toothbrush and go brush my teeth and freshen up. Before going to bed, I grab my diary and continue writing where I left off when Addison and I started chatting.

Ryder

“
Hey, Addy, you made it!” I am happy to see my younger sister standing at the entrance to my house, chatting excitedly with Jayden, one of my teammates. I hug Addison, lifting her high in the air
as
she squeals. When I put her down, she lets out a happy laugh.

“
Hey, Ry, I’ve missed you. Now we’ll finally be able to spend more time together.” We hug and stay embraced for a minute.

“
So, how do you like it here so far? Have you unpacked yet? Have you met your roommate?” I bombard her with questions.

“
Now that I see you, I’m great. Everything is unpacked, and my roommate is wonderful. I think we’re going to get along great,” says Addison, her eyes darting around the house, no doubt looking for Jackson.

“
Good.”

Jackson approaches Addison from the back and kisses her behind her ear. I grimace, my lips forming a straight line. I don’t like her going out with Jackson, even though he is one of the good guys. It’s just that she’s my younger sister and I’ll always look out for her.

“Babe, you finally came,” says Jackson. Addison turns around and they start kissing passionately. I clear my throat, and they both glance my way. I point my finger at them.

“
Ok, I know you two are dating, but I’m still not comfortable watching you
make out in front of me. If you really have to do that, do it somewhere else, okay?” They roll their eyes at me and ignore my request. A gentle touch on my arm causes me to turn around.

“
Ryder, honey, we need you in the kitchen,” says Paris, lacing her fingers with mine and kissing me on the cheek. Paris is the head cheerleader on the cheerleading squad Kittens and the most popular girl at college. We met freshman year, she kept
bumping into
me, so last year we officially became a couple. But things didn’t work out and we recently broke up. We still remained friends.

“
I’ll be there in a second,” I nod to her.

“
Oh, Addison, I didn’t see you there,” Paris lets out a fake laugh and heads to the kitchen. Addison rolls her eyes and gives her a chilly nod.

“
I still can’t believe you used to date this viper, she was just using you.”

“
Addison, cut it out. How many times have I told you to butt out of my relationships?”

“
Fine,” she replies, offended, grabs Jackson by the wrist and drags him away. Fine by me, I’m needed in the kitchen anyway.

“
Ryder, we ran out of diet Coke, you know I only drink diet,” Paris pouts. I open the fridge and take out a regular Coke.

“
Here you go, you can drink this.” I thrust the bottle into her hands.

“
Eew, that’s not diet Coke! Do you want me to be fat and have cellulite? I can’t ruin my perfect body!” I shake my head, my eyes trailing lazily up and down her body.

“
Paris, you look wonderful, one drink is not going to ruin your figure, trust me.”

“
Oh, thank you, sweetheart, but I’m not going to risk that. I desperately need a diet one, can you get it for me, please?” Pursing her lips, she bats her long eyelashes. “Please, please, please, for me?”

“
Ok, I’ll tell Mark to stop by a store on the way here and buy some. Do you need anything else?” Paris shakes her head no, and the corners of her lips turn up.

“
Thanks, you’re the best.” She gives me a loud kiss on the cheek.

The party is in full swing, alcohol is flowing freely, music is blaring from the speakers and everybody is having a great time. I lift the beer bottle to my lips and take a long swig. Marc, my best f
riend and teammate, joins me. “Thanks, dude, I would have to listen to Paris whine all week if she didn’t get her drink.” We do our usual greeting—shake hands and bump fists.

“
No problem, dude, happy to help. I know how Paris gets when she doesn’t get her way.” I nod.

“
Are you ready for the new season? We need to win this year too, and I need as much
playing
time as possible, so I can get scouts to notice me.”

“
Don’t worry, you’re one of the most talented college basketball players – they’re all going to fight for you. I’m just nervous because of the game against Ethan and his team. They never play fair and somebody always gets hurt.” I shift legs, propping the other foot against the wall, and take a long swig of beer.

“
Ugh, don’t even
get me started
on Ethan, I hate his ass. I ran into him yesterday and he rubbed my nose in our defeat in the last game.” I shake my head as we turn our heads to watch the girls dance.

“
Hey, Ryder, long time no see,” Beth greets me as she walks past me, trailing a path across my chest with her finger and pressing her curves against me. “I heard you and Paris broke up. I’m so sorry to hear that,” she says and licks her brightly painted lips, her finger still on my chest.

I know I’m a popular guy—the girls are always coming onto me and I don’t mind their attention—but I’m sick of the fact they only see fame and money in me. They’re not honest in their actions and this bothers me. I simply give her a nod.

“Well, if you are ever bored, you know where to find me,” she winks and leaves.

“
Oh, man, this one is totally into you, I’m sure she wouldn’t mind spreading her legs for you so you could fuck her right here, in front of an audience. She’d probably even enjoy being watched while
banging
no other than Ryder Knight,” Marc shakes his head
.

“
God, I’m sick and tired of chicks like her. I’m not saying she’s not hot, but she’s such an airhead—how she managed to get so far in college, I
'll never
know,” I say to Marc as we’re walking to our
friends.

Aaliyah

I stretch leisurely and yawn. Looking for my cellphone, I unlock the screen and check the time. Half past seven. Ugh, it’s early. I turn to Addison’s side, but her bed is still empty.
Huh, I guess she spent the night at her brother’s.
Okay then, I’ll go grab a coffee myself and continue looking for a job. I slowly get out of bed, dress into
worn, tight
jeans and a purple long-sleeved shirt, grab my toothbrush and head to the bathroom. I throw my long hair over my shoulders and brush out the knots that formed during my sleep. Once I’m finished in the bathroom, I grab my purse and put on a cardigan, because the cold, fall weather is settling in. Afternoons are warm enough, but mornings are chilly.

“
Morning,” a girl my age greets me as I step into the coffee shop. I approach the counter. “What can I get you?” she asks.

“
Hi. I’d like a tall latte, a grilled sandwich and a glass of water, please.” I sit at the first empty table I see and curiously glance around me. I’m surrounded by tables filled with students chatting with each other. On my left, two girls are talking about the classes they share, and on the left, a businessman is in the middle of a heated phone conversation, raising his voice every once in a while. A group of guys sitting across from me catch my attention. They are laughing out loud and talking about a party they attended last night. A waitress approaches and brings me
my order
. I thank her and reach for the sandwich. Soon, half of the sandwich is already gone, and I raise my eyes
towards
the boys who are chatting excitedly. I’m surprised to see two pairs of eyes
staring at me,
although the two guys are still chatting away
. I drop my gaze to my coffee cup and take a sip, yet when I look at them again, the two guys are still watching me, smiling broadly. One of them particularly catches my attention. Dark hair, dark eyes—exactly my type. God, I hope I don’t have any foam on my lips, why would they stare at me otherwise? I quickly wipe
my mouth with a
table napkin
, get up and hurry toward the
exit
, feeling their gazes on my back the whole time.

“Ugh, I’ve had enough, I can’t do this anymore,” I say out loud, weary after an hour of searching, because I still haven’t found anyone who would want to hire me. I collapse on a nearby bench to rest my feet, since I’ve been walking around for ages and asking for a job without any luck. I put
on a shoe,
that
I took off to massage my tired foot,
back on
, sigh and head to a bus stop. I’m too tired to walk back to the student campus, even though it’s just a twenty-minute walk. A few minutes later, I stop in front of a nightclub, a piece of paper on the entrance door with “Help wanted” written on it
catches
my attention. I take the paper off and cautiously enter through the door. The club is empty, which is not strange, since it’s only 11 in the morning. “Hello, is anyone here?” I ask loudly. Someone has to be, the door is unlocked. I hear someone clearing their throat behind me and I quickly turn around. “Umm, hi, I saw that you’re looking to hire,” I shift awkwardly, “and I was wondering if
the job
is still available.” The man sitting on a bar stool, counting bills and holding a cigar, gives me a short nod. He’s wearing a shirt with short sleeves, arms covered in tattoos. A motorcycle vest covers his slightly rounded belly and he’s wearing leather pants. “Awesome, I really need a job. Do I need to fill out any forms?” The man takes a drag from
his
cigar and blows a cloud of smoke directly in my face, making me cough. He examines me from head to toe, shaking his head.

“
This is a nightclub and I need a reliable person to work for me.” I nod.

“
No worries, you can rely on me.” He takes another drag and raises an eyebrow.

“
Have you ever worked
in
a bar? I need someone with deft hands, also capable of handling drunks. On Fridays, we have a variety of bands and singers performing, and Saturdays are karaoke night. We have a full house on those nights and everything has to run smoothly.”

“
Of course, I can find my way around a bar, and I have a lot of experience with customers who’ve had one too many. Please, I really need this job, you won’t be sorry if you hire me.” I
really do
have some experience working
in
a bar, but I’ve only worked a couple of weeks as a waitress. Fortunately, it was recently, so I was able to buy a bus ticket and
the
textbooks I need for school. But he doesn’t need to know that. I am a fast learner and will do my best at this job. The man, deep in thoughts, is shaking his head. “Please. I can work every day if necessary.”

“
Fine, you start tomorrow. You’ll be working with Noah, he’ll show you around and teach you everything you need to know. Sundays aren’t packed, so I think it’s good you’ll be starting slow.” I feel as if a great weight has been lifted off my shoulders.