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"He's your family?" Riley asked, his eyebrows darting up in surprise. "Wow.. I completely understand now." He stated simply, a sympathetic smile curving his lips. "I'm sure it'll be okay though. You did nothing wrong, and all I did was forget to ask permission." Riley shrugged vaguely, obviously unable to comprehend the fact that such a simple situation was worth worrying over. Though now that he thought about it... Why had Mr. Sanchez flipped out so much anyway? He couldn't be that strict, could he...? Maybe he just hadn't liked Riley's hoodie and sunglasses... Somehow, face-hiding always seemed to make teachers annoyed. He didn't understand why... If hey were in his situation, he doubted they would show their faces...

Lucinda-
"Unfortunately. He's my uncle and idiotically protective since my parents death." I mumbled glancing at him before looking back to the paper before me. "If you really want to get into music i can." I offered him half smiling

"Well, it's good that he's looking out for you." Riley pointed out with a smile, attempting to shine some light on the situation. He briefly followed Lucy's gaze to the paper, then took a seat as he remembered that maths would be starting soon. "Thanks." He said, glancing over at her with genuine gratitude at he suggestion, "But perhaps I'd better not... I mean, Mr. Sanchez doesn't exactly like me - and I don't have much of a future in the music industry anyway... Not that I have a future in any industry, the way I'm going." Riley admitted with a chuckle, scratching his head awkwardly, then remembering the state of his bandaged hands - which by now had worsened - and shoved them hurriedly back into his pockets.

"Ah, well, that makes sense I suppose." Riley replied with a soft smile. "Hate's a strong word. Everybody feels it when they use or receive it, even if they don't know it at first..." He shrugged vaguely, trailing off into silence to avoid edging closer to his own problems, as he feared he was doing. He had always been the type to suffer in silence. To slap on a smiling face and hide behind it, pretending to be the guy they all knew, then coming unravelled the second there was nobody there, and to suffer alone and deal with it alone. Perhaps that had been a bad idea... But he could not take it back now, so it was best just to let it all go and make do with what he had - which was rather a lot, when he really thought about it. Riley glanced over at Lucy as she spoke again - more confident to look her in the face when his dark glasses were hiding his eyes. "You'd have got it finished eventually." Riley assured her with a slight smile, "But I know how frustrating it is when you just can't quite think of what you need to get it done. Sometimes you just need to hear it from a slightly different perspective and it all falls into place." He explained, shrugging vaguely. "You don't have to talk to him, but if you want to, then I thank you for it." Riley concluded, flashing her a cheerful grin, then glancing quickly away as the teacher entered the class - instantly shooting him a suspicious glare when she(?) noticed his dark glasses and hood. Riley could not express how glad he was that his hands were hidden at that moment.

"Well, I'd not mind that..." Riley began hesitantly, "But I wouldn't want to be where I'm not wanted." He paused a moment then, frowning slightly, then a soft chuckle escaped his lips and he added, "Mind you, if that's the case I should probably have gone back to Ireland ages ago." Riley glanced up then, for the teacher had begun explaining something. He listened for a little while, then cursed softly under his breath. "What did you guys do when I was away?" He asked quietly, turning to Lucy. "I don't remember any of thi-" "RILEY DOYLE!" The teacher roared, causing Riley to jump as she interrupted his speech. "If you wish to speak in my class, you raise your hand." She informed him icily. "I'm sorry, Ma-" Riley began, but the teacher cut him off again. "Hand, Riley." She ordered softly, watching him through narrowed eyes. Riley determinedly looked away and ignored her. She was just doing this to get at him, and he knew it. The teachers were always getting on his case about his 'secrecy'. Well, perhaps it was bad manners to wander around with his hands in his pockets or to keep his hood up indoors, but couldn't they just establish that he wasn't going to change? Honestly... Sometimes he wondered how they had even got through their interviews, being so... So... Immature.

Riley winced as the teacher scolded Lucy, then winced again when she retaliated in his defence. He appreciated it and all, but he kinda wished that she'd just... Keep herself out of trouble, his trouble. He had formed a bad reputation with the teachers over the few years he had been at the school, and he didn't want her to suffer because of it. Unfortunately, she had been assigned as his 'study buddy'... And unfortunately, she seemed determined to do the job well - which she did. Riley's lips flickered into a smile despite himself, and he disregarded his thoughts - sighing and glancing over at the notes she offered him. "I did all this years ago in Ireland..." Riley complained irritably, "Of course I don't remember now..." He huffed a frustrated sigh, then shrugged off his thoughts and copied down the notes - quickly familiarising himself with the work. It was not hard for him once he had convinced his mind to remember it... "Thanks." Riley mumbled softly, glancing toward Lucy with a grateful smile. How he had got on before she showed up... It was remarkable how much help she had been in such a short time. He just had to make sure he didn't come to rely on her too much... He was an Island - simple as that.

Riley smiled softly at Lucy, then turned his attention back to his work - determined to focus properly and actually learn to get it all right. After he had been working for a while - the bell sung out and interrupted Riley from his thoughts. "What do we have next?" He asked, turning to Lucy as he began to pack away his books. Not paying attention to what he was doing, Riley fumbled with the books and almost dropped them. He grabbed clumsily at them as they began to fall and just managed to catch them, but in so doing, banged his hand against the desk. Riley grunted with pain, and was about to double over clutching his hand and release a string of curses when he remembered that Lucy still stood beside him, and he could not afford to draw any more attention to the blood-soaked bandages than he already had. Quietly releasing a shuddering breath and willing himself not to react to the pain, Riley slid his books into his bag and zipped it shut, then hid his hands determinedly in his pockets.

"English... Right..." Riley muttered, still slightly distracted by the relentlessly throbbing pain in his hands. "Believe it or not, I'm actually not that bad at English." Riley said, forcing a slight smile through the haze of pain that was now blurring his vision. Damn, but that had hurt... He was such a klutz.. "Anyway, I'll meet you there, yeah? Just taking a detour to the bathroom." Riley muttered his farewell with a soft smile, then stalked out of the classroom with his bag slung over his shoulder and his hands in his pockets. As he rounded the corner, a soft string of curses escaped his lips, and Riley covered the final few meters between himself and the bathroom in a brisk jog. He shouldered open the door and let it swing shut behind him, then dumped his bag on the floor. He slumped against the nearest basin - his hood pressing against the dirty mirror and his bandaged hands braced on the edge of the sink. He shuddered for a moment - sweating and breathing heavily, then shook his head, causing the hood to fall away from his face. He clasped the cool porcelain of the basin tighter until his hands were near exploding from pain. Then he released it and turned back to his bag, grabbing out a fresh bandage. After disposing of the old bandage, Riley quickly re-bandaged his hands. The thick crimson liquid had soaked through within minutes, but Riley disregarded it. He glanced up at the mirror, and saw his own face gazing back at him. His glacial blue eyes gazed beseechingly at him - showing on obvious desperate hunger. Riley clenched his fists, his jaw locking tightly. With a massive effort, he tore himself away from his reflection and flicked his hood up again. Feeling mildly proud of himself, Riley hooked his bag back over his shoulder, then pushed the door open again and stepped outside. He was late now, but he didn't care. He had needed to sort out his hands before they began attracting unwanted attention...

Riley knocked softly on the classroom door when he finally reached it. The teacher glanced up, and gestured for Riley to come in, which he did. "Sorry I'm late, Sir." Riley said, managing a faint smile. "Not a problem Riley. Good to have you back!" The teacher replied, nodding amiably to him in greeting. Riley smiled again and returned the nod, then made his way over to his seat beside Lucy. He liked English... Mr. Gillon was always decent enough to him, compared to the other teachers. Perhaps it was because Riley was a talented English student, whereas his other classes he would often end up flunking... Riley dropped into his seat beside Lucy, pulling out his books and slapping them down onto his desk - doing his best to keep his hands out of sight even when using them. "Another song?" Riley asked quietly, nodding toward the corner of paper protruding from under Lucy's book. "Can I see?"

"What for?" Riley muttered stiffly, making an unconvincing pretense at ignorance. Unfortunately, he only ended up making everything worse - because he suddenly refused even to look in Lucy's general direction - despite the fact that he had his hood and glasses on. He seemed suddenly tense and twitchy, for he knew now that she had noticed his hands, and he could hardly deny it. Nor would she believe the 'I fell down the stairs' excuse again... Besides, he didn't exactly want to lie to her. Riley was so distracted now that he did not even notice the music book on hisesk, and obviously thought that Lucy had either ignored his request, or forgotten about it completely. Eithr way, he wanted her attention to be focused elsewhere - not on his injuries. "The song." Riley said again, an unintentional edge to his voice. "Can I see it?" He asked directly - his tone strangely firm. He obviously wasn't keen for another such unwelcome change of subject.

Riley winced at Lucy's harsh words, but before he could reply, she was gone. As expected, the class turned to stare curiously at him - obviously assuming it was his fault... which he supposed it was. He ignored them, and continued writing the essay he had now started. When the lesson ended, Riley quickly gathered his books and, for once, left before everyone else. The rest of the school day bled slowly by, and Riley was glad when it ended. He couldn't keep his mind off Lucy, and the lyrics she had read to him... Had he really inspired that...? Had he made her think that? How, how?! That was the very last thing he had intended! He had wanted to help her see her worth, not blind her to it! But what had he done...? What had he done to make her think that? Okay, so he had attempted to hide his hands from her, but that was his issue... He dealt with his issues alone - simple. Riley sighed, hitching his bag more firmly over his shoulder as he walked back home.

==Friday==

Riley sat still as a statue on the bench as dawn crept over the city. The dewdrops clinging to his dark hood proved that he hadn't moved in hours - perhaps all night. His hands were, as usual, hidden in his pockets - though this time it was for warmth. The only motion of his bulky figure was the soft flapping of his hood in the gentle breeze. Other than that, he didn't show a hint of movement.

The sun gradually began edging toward the horizon, and as a pale golden glow filtered over the world, Riley raised his head. Water dripped off his hood as he shifted his head back, and he glared into the watery light. "Go away." He moaned, glaring at the hints of sun. When it refused to listen, Riley swore and pushed himself to his feet. He tripped over his own feet as he managed to stand, and then he giggled feebly. He stumbled forward a step, then started off down the street, drifting vaguely from side to side. He walked a few steps, then paused, gazing around in vague confusion. He mumbled something incoherent, then stepped back to the bench and sat down again, seeming to have forgotten that he had ever got up in the first place. He snickered softly to himself, clearly amused by some inner thought, then fell silent again. Riley sat still again now, unmoving, not quite feeling the cold - nor the wetness - nor the pain of the stiffness of his chill-bitten limbs. He heard the vague sound of approaching footsteps, but still he did not move. He was staring now, staring blindly into the bright light of the rising sun, yet seemindly oblivious to the pain of it burning his retinas.

((Inkerz and I say you must post on the group RP. Hehe! I tried to post this morning, but after typing around 600 words, the laptop spazzed and I lost it all. -_- Hopefully I'll be replying again tomorrow. ))

((Aaaaw, okay hun. Thanks for trying. I'll let Inkerz know.))

Riley glanced up out of habit as he heard his name, and stared directly at Lucy - though he didn't seem to recognise her. His bloodshot eyes lingered upon her face - his gaze unwavering - and he waited to see what she wanted. He was aware that he recognised her, but he could not fit her face with a name in his jumbled mind. His mouth fell open, and Riley gaped at her in apparent disbelief - now beginning to respond to something that apparently only he could see.

"Huh..?" Riley grunted vaguely, still staring unseeingly at her. His gaze was blank and glassy - his eyes red beneath the shadow of his hood. "Do I know you...?" He asked slowly, seeming to stumble over his words. He stared at her a moment longer, then got to his feet and staggered over to her, swaying from side to side and stumbling from poor co-ordination on every other step. His face was pale and sweaty beneath his hood despite the cold, and as he neared her it became apparent that he was trembling slightly from time to time. "I do know you!" He exclaimed unnecessarily loudly, his face suddenly splitting into a grin. "I do know you after all!" He exclaimed again, this time bursting out laughing. The mad, bubbling laughter continued to spew from his lips until he lost his balance and collapsed against Lucy - still laughing. Then he suddenly became drowsy, and leaned heavily against her shoulder for a minute before flopping down to the floor, yawning widely and gazing around with a sleepy expression on his pale, clammy face.