Riley's POV:

"Why won't you just come hangout with me? Are you that upset?" Harry sighs into the phone. I continue doing my makeup with him on speaker phone and I'm silently worrying that he'll just come across the street and find me getting ready for the dance.

"I'm going to dinner with my cousin who's in town!" I lie. "I'm not upset with you Harry, I'm fine." I add, hoping he doesn't feel too guilty. I know he just didn't want me to go because he's being over protective but still I'm not going to tell him just so he can convince me to stay at home.

"What cousin?" He asks and I bite my bottom lip nervously but try to hide it as if he can see me through the phone.

"My cousin," I look around the room for something to name her and spot my fall jacket, "my cousin uhhh Autumn!" I say and I can almost see him not buying it on the other line.

"Autumn? Like the season?" He asks and I roll my eyes, sliding lipstick across my lips.

"Yes, she was born in October so her mom named her Autumn." I lie once again. "Look, I've gotta go so I'll call you later, ok?" I sigh, looking at the clock. I'm driving to the hall any minute... alone. This is a bit annoying.

"I love you Ri." He says and I slide on sweat pants and a zip up sweat shirt over my dress just in case he looks out the window.

"I love you too, Harry." I sigh, hanging up and throwing my phone in my bag along with my heels. Harry will never know that I'm going to the dance and when nothing 'dangerous' happens I can laugh. Hard.

---

Pulling into the parking lot I get a super excited and nervous feeling buzzing inside of me. I wish Harry was here but at the same time, fuck it. This how things were before he was around. This doesn't mean I love him any less, but I'm doing this for me.

"Riley?" I hear Nick's voice in the distance. I turn my head and smile at him, he's alone. When I slide off my sweat shirt and unzip my jacket, his eyes go wide, making me blush.

"Hi Nick." I laugh, looking behind him. "No date?" I ask sliding my heels on and leaning on his shoulder to balance myself.

"Couldn't find the right girl." He gives me a weak smile, then looks behind me. "Where's Harry?" He asks with a slight scoff.

"He didn't want to go, so I'm here alone." I say awkwardly, heading towards the door but he stops me, raking my body up and down slowly but not in creepy way. A way that made me get butterflies and blush slightly.

"You're not alone and you look beautiful." He says, holding out his arm. I lock arms with him and follow him through the double doors inside. I would never cheat on Harry with Nick in a million years, but Nick and I have known each other for so long that I think this is ok.

Stepping inside I seem lots of friendly faces, but no friends. Harry isn't here and I'm sure that none of the other guys would be here either.

"Who did Dixie come with?" Nick nudges me as we both look around.

"I don't know actually, she told me no one had asked her." I shrug and Nick laughs, earning a punch from me. "Don't be an asshole!" I scold him quietly, making him laugh even harder.

We make our way towards Cody and his date Maddie and they look super happy. Maddie and I have never really been good friends and I'm confused as hell why Cody would take her but that's none of my business. To be honest, I miss Perrie and Zayn right now.

"You look so hot." Cody greets me, and I roll my eyes.

"Yeah, you look awesome Riley." Maddie smiles and I compliment her back.

"Is Dix here yet?" I ask and Maddie and Cody point towards the entrance.

"Is that her?" Maddie asks and my heart beat quickens when I see who she's with.

"Is she with Seth Chambers?" Cody inquires and I have to clench my jaw so I don't scream in frustration. Is she fucking kidding me? I charge towards her and him and they stop for a moment to pose for a picture. Ew. It kills me to even think they look good together but they kinda do... Fucking ew.

"Ri! I'm so glad you could make it!" Dixie squeals, throwing her arms around me. I respond with a pat on the back and immediately pull away. My eyes shift towards Seth and he gives me a wicked grin.

"You look incredible, Riley." He tells me and I cringe.

"So you're here with Seth?" I ignore him and ask in total disbelief. Did she not hear anything I told her on the phone yesterday? Or in the past? That he has raped me? Is she a fucking moron?

"Yeah... We both didn't have dates so we figured why not, right?" She giggles, pulling me by the arm to the middle of the dance floor.

"What were you thinking?" I whisper and she continues to wear a stupid innocent smirk that I want to wipe off with my fist.

"He asked me after school, how could I say no?" She laughs, dancing around to the music.

"I don't know maybe you could have said 'no'? Just a thought!" I groan and get a twisted feeling in my stomach. What if Harry was right? What if something bad is going to happen?

"Just shut up and take a drink!" She laughs, pulling a water bottle out of her bag. By the slight discoloration I can tell it's alcohol. "C'mon Ri, it's your favorite! Skyy Raspberry!" She wiggles it in my face and I roll my eyes, taking a large swig.

"You're so annoying." I groan, taking another gulp. I can't be mad at her for not thinking before she acts, right?

"I'm annoying, but you love me!" She squeals pulling me further into the floor and finding a group of friends of ours to dance with.

---

Throughout the night I dance with all my friends and drink a shitload with Dixie so I'm pretty much swaying on my own at this point. My lips are a little bit numb, but the good kind of numb. Dixie is no where to be seen and I'm stuck with Cody and Maddie, what a ball!

Halfway through the night I notice eyes staring me down from across the room but I can't see who it is. I think it's Zayn? Wait... Zayn is here. Fuck my life.

"I'll be right back." I slur to whoever I was with, following Zayn out the doors and into the parking lot. I follow as he heads out towards the cars and I swiftly reach for his arm.

"Zayn!" I shriek and he stops in his place to turn around.

"Didn't anything Harry said register? It isn't safe for you to be here!" He shouts in my face. I wobble backwards on my heels and shake my head.

"It isn't fair, everything before Harry was fine and we both know it! Now I'm being watched by his friends at a dance, what the hell is that?" I sniffle.

"Ri... You have to leave with me." He whispers and I nod, giving up. I know I'm not gonna win this time.

Walking past cars and cars and cars I begin to get frustrated.

"Why did you park so damn far?" I grumble, and he ignores me. "Did you tell Harry that I'm here?" I ask and he chuckles.

"I'm not gonna be the one to do that," he says, "I'm just glad I got you before something bad hap-" He tries to explain but we both stop in our tracks at the bright lights headed in our direction.

"Ri, run!" He shouts but I'm blinded by the headlights coming straight at me. Before I can react, my body is shoved out of the way and Zayn's body flies up against the windshield of the car and falls flat in front of it.

"Zayn!!!!" I scream from the ground, crawling towards him. The car stays put and I don't have to look inside to know who did this.

"Get in, it's bridge time." Seth's voice pierces right through me. Bridge time? What the fuck is happening? I stay next to Zayn on the ground, shoving my hands in his pockets to find his phone and call for help. When I find it, I dial the police as quickly as possible with shaking hands.

"Damn it you bitch!" I hear a voice I barely recognize... I think his name was Brian? Just as I hear the operator on the other line, I'm lifted from his body and thrown over a shoulder.

"Put me down! Please!" I scream as I'm tossed into the backseat of non other than Seth's car. Without looking around me I get up and start slapping and punching at Seth's face in the drivers seat as he backs away from Zayn's body and drives out of the lot.

"Dixie!" He shouts and immediately I'm yanked backwards by my hair and a familiar scent permeates around me.

"Surprise bitch!" Dixie gives me a twisted smile and I start punching at hitting her as hard as I can.

"Let me go you fucking psychos!" I scream, swatting my arms around and hitting Dixie as many times as I can. I shouldn't have been so stupid, I should have been smarter about this.

I should have listened to Harry.

"You want us to let you go?" Brian chuckles as Seth drives well over the speed limit.

"We'll let you go... Right over the Maywood Bridge." He smirks, pointing towards a bridge in the distance. I continue fighting Dixie until I feel Brian climb over the backseat and point something sharp into my waist.

"Holy fuck, stop it!" I scream at the slight jab he shoved into my stomach. Sleazily he slides me onto his lap and draws the cool end of the knife across my face.

"Be a good girl and shut up the rest of the ride and this will be as painless as possible." He chuckles into my hair.

I'm doomed, and all I keep thinking about is I really hope Zayn is ok and I hope Harry will know how sorry I am.

---

Harry's POV:

Waiting outside for Riley and Autumn to come home is never ending and I'm going insane. She hasn't answered her phone and neither has Zayn or Perrie. What the fuck is going on?

Something inside of me gives me the strength to man up and go to Riley's house. Her family may hate me, but I need to know that she's safe.

I knock on the massive white door and impatiently wait for a response and disgusted glare, but I don't get one. Are they even home? Why is no one answering me? I continue banging on the door until it finally creaks open.

"Who is it?" Joni asks through the door, and I quickly shove past it and open it all the way.

"Is Riley back yet? Where are your parents?" I ask and she crosses her arms over her tiny chest like the little brat she tries so hard to be.

"Who wants to know?" She smirks and I really need to stop myself from flipping out on her. She's only 10 Harry, she's only 10.

"Me. Please Joni, it's really important." I sigh, kneeling down to face her. "What time are Riley and your cousin coming home?" I ask and she furrows her brow at me.

"What cousin? Riley's at that school dance!" She laughs and immediately shuts her mouth. "Oh yeah, I don't think you were supposed to know that." She adds and a fire ignites inside of me. She lied to me. She fucking lied.

"And your parents?" I ask and she shrugs.

"They were supposed to be home an hour ago." She explains and I get a horrible feeling inside. Without thinking, I scoop Joni up in my arms and carry her across the street to my house.

"Harry, stop it!" She fumbles around in my arms but she's too tiny to put up any fight. When I step inside my mother looks at me with a worried expression.

"What's going on?" She asks as I throw Joni down onto our couch.

"Keep calling Riley's parents until they answer and don't let Joni out of your sight. I have to go." I shout, grabbing my phone and jumping in the car. I text Niall, Liam and Louis all what's going on and slightly panic inside.

I know how that sick bastard operates, I know something is going to happen. Why couldn't she just listen to me? Why did she think I was lying?

I pull into the school parking lot and look around... Riley's car is still here but no one else' is. She wouldn't be in the school alone and the dance is long over. Where the fuck is she?

Just as I'm pulling out of the lot I see a figure sitting on the curb, battered and bloody. Shit. Shit. Shit.

"Zayn!" I shout, pulling up and getting out of the car. He sways as he stands, blood pouring down the side of his face. I help him towards the car and sit him in the back seat where he lays, out of breath.

"Harry..." He breaths out, clutching his stomach. I don't even want to imagine the internal injuries he must have, but I notice a glass all over his arms, like he hit through glass... a window or windshield?

"Did you see Riley?" I ask with a hoarse and panicked voice.

"Seth... Riley.... Bri--." He breaths before going out of consciousness.

"Bri? Bri what? Bride? Brindle? What?" I shake him but he's too out of it to respond.

I don't know what to do, I don't know where to go... I don't know anything anymore. All I can do is try and think like Seth, like my old self.

If I were Seth, where would I take Riley that starts with b r i ? Fucking hell, Zayn needs to get up.

Notes

ok... so I just realized that I changed Cody's name to Chris halfway through the story??? Why didn't anyone catch this??? lmao I'm such an idiot don't look at me.

s0o0o what's gonna happen next?

60 votes for the next update. :)