Around 10 am Josh and Nate came barging into the house and jumped on Ryker in his bed. He was still asleep when they showed up and wasn’t ready for them to wake him. Ryker slowly got himself ready. He made sure he had his towel, wallet, phone and access card to the pool, it took him a while to find the access card, he hadn’t used it in six months. He went into the garage and climbed into his car, following them to the pool. When they got to the pool, Ryker could hardly get out of his car. The girls knew their cars and crowded around them. Once they got out of their cars, girls were begging for autographs, photos and to just talk with them, not giving them any space. Josh was happily absorbing it all. Signing everything they asked, taking photos, then trying to make plans with a few of them. Nate was busy with his boyfriend Tony, not really paying attention to anything else going on. Ryker was getting annoyed with the girls not leaving him alone. He didn’t like having the constant attention when he was trying to relax.
He decided to go get some snacks and drinks from the snack shack. He walked up to the counter and stood behind a girl with light brown hair and blonde highlights. She had a light tan, with a tan line lightly peeking out from her bottoms, showing her natural pale white skin. Showing him how much time she spent at the pool lately. He couldn’t help but look her up and down. She had an athletic build, looking like a college beach volleyball player. His knees became weak just seeing her in her light blue bikini. He wasn’t sure who she was from behind, but he already knew she had the body type that could make him crumble into rubble. She got her snacks and turned around quickly, accidentally bumping into him, nearly dropping her pizza and smoothie.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t know you were there.” She said. Her face morphed from apologetic, to shock to rage. “Oh. It’s you. Why am I not surprised? Of all the people I accidentally bump into, it had to be you.”
“Hey Andi. It’s been a long time. How have you been?” He asked.
“Better when you’re not around.” She stormed off, back to her lounge chair.
Ryker got food and drinks for all of them and went back to his chair. He ate quietly not saying anything to anyone. Josh had already made six dates, with girls that they had gone to school with years ago. He wanted to make sure he was booked up for the entire summer. He was making decent progress for only being home for less than a day.
Ryker couldn’t stop himself from looking at Andi. He knew that she was still pissed at him, but he wanted to try to at least apologize to her. He got up and started heading over towards her when Nate stopped him.
“What are you doing?” Nate asked.
“I’m going to try to apologize to Andi.”
“Alone? Are you crazy?”
“You two don’t care about her, or her feelings. An apology from you two would be empty, and meaningless. I care, I have this whole time. I’ve been filled with guilt for six years. I can’t do it anymore. She needs to know.”
“You really want to do this here?”
“She can’t slam a door in my face if I’m somewhere public. I don’t care if I make a scene, and it gets on the internet, or anything. She needs to hear this from me.”
“Listen, I’ll come with you. Josh might not care, but I do feel bad about it. I know many of our songs that you write have been about her. Especially the one that KC won’t let us record. I know it’s about her, and how you really feel. Let me at least apologize as well, so you have some sort of back up.”
“Fine.” He sighed, defeat already washing over him. “Just be sincere when you apologize, don’t be like Josh.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t be like Josh. Besides he’s way too busy with his harem.” Nate teased.
They walked over to where Andi was sitting. Her younger siblings had their stuff piled on the lounge chairs next to her. She was busy reading a magazine, and didn’t notice them walking her way. They sat down on the lounger next to her, hoping she wouldn’t throw her sisters lacrosse stick at them.
“Those seats are taken.” She mumbled from behind the magazine.
“Hey Andi. Can we talk?” Ryker asked.
She recognized the voice in an instant. How could she not. It was the voice she longed to hear for years. Just to hear a single phrase, one she knew she would never hear those lips utter. Her blood began to boil at the reminder that it would never happen. She clenched her hands on her magazine. “No. Go away.”
“Listen we just want to apologize for what happened six years ago.” Ryker said.
“Apology not accepted, now get lost. Last thing I need is you making my life go to hell again.” She snapped, still not looking away from her magazine.
Ryker pulled the magazine down and noticed she was hiding a graphic novel behind it. “Please, Andi. Just let me apologize. It’s been eating me up inside for the past six years.”
“Ugh, fine. Get it over with.” She grumbled while rolling her eyes at him.
“I’m sorry I didn’t stand up for you. I should have, I knew it then and I know it now. I was a complete ass. I didn’t deserve someone like you in my life, I know I still don’t. But I should have stopped them, I should have helped you, not just stand there doing nothing.” Ryker looked her in the eye, watching her eyes well up with tears. He knew she was reliving that moment in her head, the most humiliating moment of her life.
“I’m sorry for what Josh, and I did. We were ass holes, young dumb ass holes. I was trying to deflect some negative attention from me onto anyone else. I know that’s not an excuse, I just wanted to explain what went through my head at that moment. I was the biggest jerk on the planet, and I don’t deserve your forgiveness. But you deserved an apology at the very least.”
“Alright, you apologized. Now leave me alone. I never want to see you three again.” She snapped as she wiped the tears away.
Ryker gestured to Nate to leave so he could talk to her alone. “Andi… I know you will never forgive me. I understand that. But I want you to know that I have thought of no one except you for the last six years.”
“Don’t try to act all sweet and innocent. I won’t fall for it. I knew who you were before you became friends with them. The second you started getting teased for spending all your time with me, you dropped me. Then when they did that… you became dead to me, because you did nothing to stop them. You could have, but you didn’t. You were the only person I had ever trusted with any of my secrets. You let them destroy my life within two minutes.” She shouted. “I still get mocked for that, when I was the victim. You are nothing more than a lying dirt bag who just wants to ruin my life again.”
“I don’t want to ruin your life. I never wanted to ruin your life. I only ever wanted you to be happy. I lost sight of that when I would get teased for spending all my time reading comics with a girl. You have to know how sorry I am. I honestly want nothing more than to find a way to make it up to you, to get you to forgive me one day.”
“Forgive you? You think I would ever forgive you?” She stood up holding her smoothie in her hand. “I will never forgive any of you for that day.” She poured her strawberry mango smoothie on his head watching the peach colored slush slowly side down his face. She dropped the cup on his head and stormed off to the bathrooms to get away from him. Muttering to herself the entire way.
He got up and walked to the men’s room to shower off the smoothie. He knew he deserved it, and so much worse than that. He didn’t ever deserve her forgiveness, or her friendship. To her, the old him died on that day six years ago. He realized that apologizing there was probably the biggest mistake he could have made, seeing as how that was where it happened. He felt defeated once again, he just wanted her back in his life. She was the one person who made him feel like he was worth more than he was, because she cared about him so much. And he ruined everything because he was scared. He stood in the shower rinsing the smoothie off himself, just letting the water hit his body as he rested one arm on the wall and his other hand in his hair. Trying to figure out how to make things better.
As he walked out of the men’s room, he saw Andi, and her siblings packing up their things. She was busy talking to her younger brother Jase, making sure he had everything. She didn’t even notice that her sister Lexi had her lacrosse stick so close to her head. Someone yelled to Lexi causing her to turn quickly. Her lacrosse stick swung fast with her turn, hitting Andi in the temple of the right side of her head. She was hit with such a force that Andi was thrown into the pool. Her head hit the bottom of the pool, rendering her unconscious.
Ryker dove into the pool as soon as he saw Andi get hit. He dove down following the blood to where she was and pulled her to the surface. Once he got her out of the pool he noticed she wasn’t breathing. He immediately tilted her head back, held her nose shut and placed his lips on hers. The only thoughts going through his head were This is not how I wanted to kiss you again. and I will not let you die, you will survive this. He gave her two deep breaths, just hoping that she would wake up.
Andi started to cough up water and opened her eyes. She saw Ryker dripping water and out of breath, hunched over her. His deep blue grey eyes locked with her blue green hazel eyes. She had a memory of when they were kids flash through her head. It had been raining and they were hiding in their fort behind their houses. They were both dripping wet from the rain. She was shaking because she was cold, and he took his coat off and wrapped it around her. She kissed him while he was putting the coat around her shoulders. He had the same shocked expression on his face as he did that day.
There was a large crowd around them, several were taking pictures and recording the whole thing. She was having mixed emotions, she wanted to punch him, but she also wanted to kiss him. She sat up slowly, Ryker trying to help her from possibly falling again. Her head hurt, it wouldn’t stop pounding and she was seeing double of everything. She placed her hand on the side of her head and saw the blood on her hand.
A lifeguard had finally brought over the medical kit and began to wrap her head to try to stop the bleeding. Nate had called for an ambulance, knowing that she would need one. She wanted to stand, to just get out of there as fast as she could. She felt humiliated again.
“Woah, slow down. You should take it easy.”
“I’ll be fine. I don’t need your help anymore. Consider your apology accepted.”
“Andi, you should sit down, wait for the ambulance. Lexi hit you pretty hard with that lacrosse stick, then you hit your head on the bottom of the pool. You need to rest.”
“No, I need to get Lexi and Jase to practice.”
“Andi, I called mom. She said you need to go to the hospital, that they will meet you there. Mrs. Andrews said she will take us to practice. Don’t worry about us. Just wait for the ambulance.” Jase said.
“I’ll be fine.”
“Stop being so damn stubborn and go to a doctor before things get worse. You have a concussion at the very least.” Ryker snapped back.
She took a step closer to him, wanting to scream in his face. Ryker became nervous, knowing that she was going to blow up in his face again. She looked as if she was about to say something, when he saw her eyes start to roll back and her body collapse. He quickly caught her in his arms and picked her up.
“Nate, how much longer till the ambulance is here?”
“I don’t know, they said it could take about 20 to 30 minutes.”
“That’s not fast enough, we have to get her to the hospital now.”
He held her tight in his arms, carrying her to his car. Nate followed, knowing that he would need to drive. Josh ran to catch up with them, to be able to give Nate a ride back. Lexi chased after them and pulled Ryker out of the car and glared at him.
“If you do anything to hurt her more than you already have, I swear I will make your life a living hell.”
“I promise, I will take good care of her.”
“You better.” She growled. “Don’t forget, I was there that day. I saw the whole thing, and I have never forgotten.”
“I won’t hurt her again. I regret that day more than anything. I have to make sure she is alright though. Someone has to get her to the hospital.”
“You better not be there when my parents get there. They hate you three as much as the rest of us.”
“I figured that. I will stay until your parents show up, but I have to go now. Here is my number, text me so I can text you updates until your parents arrive.” He handed her a little piece of paper with his personal number on it.
“You hurt her, I will post this number online for the whole world to have.”
“I understand.” He got back in the car.
They quickly drove off to the hospital, Andi was still unconscious, she was luckily breathing this time though. He held her tight in his arms, not wanting to risk letting her go. He knew this is the closest he would ever get to being with her again.

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