by Keya Jay
Chapter nine: Ryder Ferris
Ryder was shocked that Skylar actually stayed quiet throughout the whole ride. When he looked over at her, her face was covered in frown lines. He wanted to ask what was wrong but he wasn’t ready for a verbal fight with her just yet, but now that they were inside the club surrounded by people he decided he’s take his chance.
Ryder led Skylar toward the back where the tables were set up and she didn’t question him or yell at him as he pushed her.
“I’ve heard of this place,” she said as she weaved through the throng of people.
“Oh, yea?” Ryder said through gritted teeth as he pushed people out of her way so she wouldn’t have to constantly weave and crisscross through groups of people.
Ryder’s ears met with a bunch of “hey’s” and “ouch” and “hey man watch who you’re pushin” but not once did he care as continued to push his way through people, parting the sea of drunks for her.
“Yea my friends went here to celebrate after graduation,” she said as they finally made it to an empty table.
“And you didn’t go?” he questioned as he sat down across from her.
“No my mother was si- she needed me,” she quickly changed as she looked around. “They say there are always bar fights here so I was kinda glad I never came. They say the Neon Light’s is famous for it.”
“It is,” he said as he sipped the water the waitress sat in front of them.
Skylar turned to look at him for the first time since she stepped foot into his car, her eyes were tinged red and she had tight frown lines around her mouth. When they left her house she looked perfectly fine, her eyes their normal gray, her mouth relaxed, she looked…perfect but now she looks crazy, almost tired looking.
“Are you ok?” he asked as he sat the water he was sipping down.
“I need some fresh air can you excuse me for a moment?” she asked but she didn’t stay around long to hear his answer, she was already up and moving back through the crowd.
It didn’t escape Ryder’s notice that her movements seemed frantic almost jittery.
Ryder looked down at his watch and It was already eight and very dark outside and she didn’t make it back to the Neon Light’s until a quarter after. When she sat down and looked up at him she smiled, and in that moment she looked perfectly fine again, but her eyes weren’t their normal pale gray they were the storm cloud gray he was beginning to see too much of lately.
“I’m sorry I took so long, I’m surprised you haven’t ordered already,” she said. “Knowing you I know it had to have killed you to wait,” she smiled.
It more than killed him it demoralized him he was afraid she wouldn’t come back.
Ryder shook his head to get rid of the thought if she didn’t come back then oh well, it wouldn’t have meant anything to him any ways, he thought to himself.
When the waitress came back around Ryder didn’t hesitate to give her their orders.
“How long have you been coming here?” Skylar asked as she rested her elbows on the edge of the table and held her chin up on her folded hands as if what he was about to say was some kind of big juicy secret.
“Let’s just say most of those bar fights might have or might not have involved me.”
“That’s no fair you have an advantage,” she said sounding almost childlike.
Whatever she did when she went to get some “fresh air” had changed her somehow and Ryder noticed immediately.
“The only advantage I had was caused by their own doing. How was it my fault they were stone cold drunk?”
“That’s not the only advantage,” she said leaning back in her chair as the waitress came back with their food.
“Can I get you two anything else?” The waitress asked.
“Yes, I’d like something to drink,” Skylar said.
“You already have something to drink,” he reminded her.
“I don’t want water,” she argued.
Ryder looked over at the waitress, “bring her something light,” he instructed her.
The waitress looked as if she wanted to question him but thought better of it and left to do as he asked.
“You’re a buzz kill you know,” she said as she stuffed some fries into her mouth.
“I don’t do babysitting, so if you decided you want to get stupid drunk I’m leaving your little ass here.”
“Buzz kill,” she repeated.
“Here you go,” the waitress said as she sat the tall glass down in front of Skylar.
“What is it?” Ryder asked the waitress referring to the contents in Skylar’s glass.
“It’s a lime margarita on rocks sir, the lightest thing we have,” she said before leaving.
“What if I told you I was allergic to lime?” Skylar asked as she ran her red painted fingernail along the rim of the drink.
“Water’s still an option,” he reminded her.
“Would you like to dance with me?” One of the men from the sea of drunks asked as he dared approach their table.
“Can’t you see we’re still fuckin eating?!” Ryder snapped at the drunk.
“The food will be here,” Skylar said as she took a sip of her drink before taking the drunken turds hand.
Ryder ate his food and watched as Skylar danced with one fucker after another.
A woman with too much paint on her face, the sluttiest dress probably ever created adorned her body, her breast were held so high she could rest her chin on them had begun to make her way toward Ryder.
“You wanna dance sugar?” she asked.
Ryder didn’t even bother to look in her direction as he got to his feet.
“Not with you,” he said as he stalked off toward Skylar.
Skylar’s eyes widened in fear as she watched him approached and he didn’t want her to be afraid of him… he didn’t want her to be afraid of him? Since when and how come he’s just now hearing about this? He ridiculed himself. You want her fear. You want her submission, he reminded himself as he grabbed her by the hand before the next drunk could ask and pulled her onto the dance floor and into his arms as Wanted by Hunter Hayes began to play.
“You could have asked,” she said as she began moving.
“I’ve done enough asking when it comes to you.”
“Hardly,” she said as he spun her.
“Besides anyone who dares ask for this kind of punishment is either drunk or crazy,” he said as he spun her back into his arms.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means you can’t fuckin dance, the object of the game isn’t to see how many times you can step on my foot in a minute.”
“Well it’s crowded,” she wined.
“There’s no one around us I made sure of it.”
Skylar looked around and realized that there was indeed no one around them. She smiled shyly, “well in my defense I haven’t gone dancing since-“she stopped abruptly and her smile faltered.
“Since when?” he pushed.
“Since my sister’s wedding,” she said as she stepped on his foot… again. If he didn’t know any better he’d say that that one was on purpose.
“Why would that make you sad?” he pushed farther.
She looked up at him and her eyes seemed to be screaming at him in warning.
“It was a farther daughter dance,” she explained.
“But I thought the farther dances with the bride during a father daughter dance?” Ryder said as he spun her so she wouldn’t have access to his feet.
“My mother wanted to video tape me and my farther as well,” she said as he spun her back into his arms.
Ryder could see the start of tears gleaming in her eyes and her eyes seemed to be screaming at him to apologize and stop asking fuckin questions.
“I’m sorry I asked,” he mumbled as he spun her one last time before the song ended.
“I want to go again I think I’m doing better,” she said obviously trying to put the
ir conversation behind her.
“Trust me you’re not,” he said.
“Well practice makes perfect,” she argued.
“Not if my toes have anything to say about it,” he mumbled as he pulled her into his arms once again and danced to Someone like You by Adele.
“Hey if you—“he started.
“No talking,” she cut him off as she snaked her arms around his neck and rested her head against his chest.
“You asked for this by the way. Remember it was you who approached me and forced me to dance with you so I don’t want to hear any complaining,” she said.
***
“I’m picking you up tomorrow, same time,” Ryder said as he dropped her off at her door step.
“Are you asking?”
“Yes, consider that a question,” he said reluctantly.
“Alright then,” she said while unlocking her door. “I’ll see you then,” she said before slipping inside.
