Always You (Best Friend 1)

"I love these places, I didn't even know there was one here" I said jamming a ten down excitedly for some change.

He rolled his eyes and handed me a pot to put the change in, I grabbed his hand and almost ran through the crowd to the slot machines, "Wow excited much?" he asked wrapping his arms around me from behind.

"Shh, can't talk playing" I said jokingly pointing to my machine, he chuckled and held me tighter.

After about two minutes I'd used up all of my money, I know I'm bad at these machines but what can you say at least I had fun right? "OH MY GOD! They've got air hockey" I said with a stupid grin on my face.

He laughed at me shaking his head, "Wow you're really easy to please, listen go wait by the table make sure no one gets it and I'll get some more change" he said giving me a little push in the right direction.

I stood by the table and waited for him, I felt someone slap my ass and I smiled as I turned opening my mouth to make some comment about being a minor but it wasn't him. I stepped back frowning a little, there were three guys standing there all tall and looking at me like I was something to eat, ok now I really wish I had listened to Clay and changed.

"Hello beautiful" one of them purred walking to stand beside me, he raised his hand and brushed it against the side of my face, I slapped it away.

"Get the hell off me" I said as I tried to walk past, he just grabbed my arm roughly making me stop.

"Don't walk away, we just want to have a little fun that's all" one of the others sneered looking me over making me feel a little sick. "You like to have fun?" the other one asked licking his lips, the one holding my arm started pulling me towards the door, holy shit what the hell do I do? I opened my mouth to scream for help but his hand covered it quickly. It was so busy no one paid the slightest bit of attention.

"What the f**k are you doing? You better let her go now before I beat the shit out of you" Blake growled from behind me, they turned to look and I caught sight of him, he looked so pissed off he was terrifying.

"Easy there bud we were just talking to the girl here" the one holding me said pulling me against his chest.

"I said let her go now and if you have hurt her I swear to God I'll kill you" he said taking a step forward his jaw clenched tight in anger.

"I haven't hurt you have I?" the guy said against my ear making me flinch away from the contact, I shook my head and looked at Blake.

He took another step forward and one of the other guys stepped forward at the same time, Blake ducked down slightly and punched the guy straight in the chest, the guy staggered back holding his chest wheezing for breath. "Let her go now" he growled taking another step forward, the other stepped up and tried to punch him but he missed, Blake grabbed hold of his hair and brought his knee up at the same time as bringing the guys head down smashing his face hard into his knee, he pushed the almost unconscious guy to the floor and turned his attention back to me again.

"You have one last chance and I'm warning you, if you have hurt even one hair on her head I will rip your f**king head off" he said through his teeth. The Guy pushed me towards Blake holding his hands up in a I surrender pose sneering. Blake shoved me behind his body and carried on walking forward.

"Hey what is going on here? Hey! Stop! Every one get down on your stomachs hands above your heads" a male voice shouted. I turned to see two police officers with their guns out pointing them at Blake and the other guy. Blake took a deep breath and hissed it out through his teeth, he closed his eyes and laid on his stomach on the floor.

The officers came up and put cuffs on all four of the guys guns still out. "Wait what are you doing that to him for? It wasn't his fault! He was helping me" I said quickly when I realised they were taking Blake too.

"Miss we'll have this straightened out by morning but your boyfriend was fighting in a public place I don't care who started it" the officer said nastily as he started to drag them off towards the exit.

"No" I said starting to cry,

"Hey wait, you can't leave my girlfriend here on her own please" Blake said pleadingly to one of the officers.

He looked back at me, "Fine, Miss you can come with us to the station while we sort this out" he said waving a hand for me to come.

I begged them the whole way to the station but they just wouldn't listen, I was sitting up front with one cop while the other was sitting in the back of the van with the three guys and Blake. After we got there one guy led me to the reception where I was told to wait and someone would come and take a witness statement. My first thought was to call Clay but jeez he already hated Blake. I could call Brian but I knew he would kill me if he knew I was here and would never let me out with Blake again even if this mess wasn't his fault. I pulled out my phone and looked at it, I knew I needed Clay's help and they said I needed an adult present to make my statement and Clay was over 18, and apart from that I just needed him here with me.

I took a deep breath and dialled his number, he answered on the first ring like he was sitting there waiting for me to call and in truth he probably was. "Riley! What's happened? What's wrong?" he said, no hello or anything.

"Clay I need your help, calm down I'm fine, just listen to me ok?" I asked he took a shaky breath.

"What's up?" he asked concern colouring his voice.

"Blake's been arrested and I'm" I started but he exploded

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT ARRESTED? WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?" he almost screamed I had to hold the phone further away from my ear wincing.

"Calm the hell down and listen! Some guys grabbed me and tried to force me to go with them, Blake saw and he saved me and ended up fighting in the shopping complex and then the cops came and arrested him, but he didn't do anything, well he did, he kneed one guy in the face and punched another in the chest but he was defending me I swear, but they won't listen to me! They haven't even taken my statement" I said bursting into tears again.

"Ok Riley bear its ok don't worry, I'll come down there and talk to them ok? Where are you? Downtown?" he asked concerned again.

"Yeah, on 13th" I sniffed.

"Ok I'll be there in about 15 minutes ok?" he said and I could hear the sound of his car starting up.

Clay ran in a few minutes later and I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck probably nearly choking him but he didn't complain he just rubbed my back while I sobbed onto his shirt. When I had calmed slightly he pulled back to look at me putting his forehead to mine and cupping my face in his hands.

"Ok Riley tell me the truth before I go over there and speak to the clerk, did Blake start this fight?" he asked looking into my eyes.

I sniffed "I promise, they grabbed me and he stopped them but when the cops came he was fighting so they won't listen to me" I said through my tears.

"Ok Riley bear wait over there" he said pointing to the chairs by the window.

He walked over to the desk and spoke quickly with the desk clerk, he was waving his arms around and talking quite animatedly gesturing to me but I couldn't hear what he was saying. About a minute later the desk clerk shook her head and picked up her phone, Clay stood there in silence waiting. After another couple of minutes another officer in plain clothes walked out and spoke to Clay and shook his hand, Clay nodded his head in my direction and they both started walking over to me.

I stood up as they approached. "Miss Thomas, we're ready to take your witness statement now, Mr Preston has consented to be your adult" he said nodding to a door I didn't even realise was behind me. We went in and sat down the officer turned on a little tape recorder and they started the interview. It took about 30 minutes I had to keep going over and over everything. But after that he just told us to wait back in the reception again.

"How in the hell did you do that Clay? I've been asking and asking since I got here but they wouldn't even talk to me" I said resting my head on his shoulder.

"You just have to know the right things to say that's all, I told them that we would be phoning the press office to report how they treat people who should have been treated like a hero and a victim, if they didn't come and take your statement soon" he said with a shrug.

I lent in and kissed his cheek, "Thank you for doing this for me" I said giving him a weak smile. He smiled back and wrapped his arms around me tighter.

After another 10 minutes or so Blake walked into the reception frowning, when he saw me he smiled. I jumped up and threw my arms around his neck crying again, God what's with all this crying you silly girl! I bet you look awful and are covered in snot, as I pulled away he chuckled.

"Yep that hug was worth getting arrested for" he said with an easy grin.

"Are you ok? Is your hand ok?" I asked taking his hand and looking at it, it must have been sore where he punched that guy.

"I'm fine, I was worried about you" he said putting a finger under my chin and lifting my face, he wiped my tears away and sighed.

Clay walked up and did the thing that I had never expected to see, he held his hand out for Blake to shake. Even Blake looked totally shocked, "Thanks for looking out for Riley, I owe you" Clay said shrugging.

"You don't owe me man it's fine" Blake said shaking his hand, they both looked so uncomfortable I couldn't help but laugh. They both looked at me like I was crazy, Clay just rolled his eyes, he already knew I was crazy anyway.

"So come on I'll drive you to the shopping complex to get your car" Clay said as he walked off through the doors. Blake just took my hand and walked to the car in silence. I sat in the back trying desperately not to fall asleep.

"I think I should take Riley home its almost 1am, if she comes home at this time of night with you her parents will go crazy" Clay said frowning, he's right they would probably never let me go out with him again.

"No that's fine, I'll take her" Blake said sternly.

"Umm actually Blake, I think Clay's right, my parents are going to be pissed that I'm out past curfew, it will be easier if Clay drives me honestly" I said quietly, he looked at me over his shoulder for a couple of seconds then nodded. We drove the rest of the journey in awkward silence.

Clay pulled up next to Blake's car and I got out with him. "Well that was interesting" I joked with a smile.

"I'm sorry that I got arrested and ruined our date" he said looking at the floor. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him hard, after a couple of seconds I ran my tongue along his bottom lip, when I got to his lip ring I sucked it into my mouth rolling my tongue over it, he moaned and wove his fingers into my hair opening his mouth and slipping his tongue in massaging mine. His kissing was forceful, demanding and sexy as hell but I couldn't help comparing it to the kiss that I shared with Clay and I must admit that while this kiss was great, my body wasn't alight.

I pulled away with a blush to realise that Clay must have seen that. "Thank you for what you did" I said pecking his lips again.

"Mmm, thank you for what you just did" he said huskily. I grinned and rolled my eyes at him.

"I better go my parents are already going to be worrying about me" I said pulling away and walking back to Clay's car.

"Hey Jailbait, you going to the game tomorrow?" he called, I nodded

"Provided I'm not grounded" I called back.

He grinned "Ok well I'll see you there, if your not grounded" he said getting in his car, I sighed, ok time to face the music.

Chapter 7

"Where the hell have you been young lady?" my Mom screeched as soon as I walked through the door.

"Err well I...." I started but Clay wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

"My fault, I'm sorry Sarah, I met Riley out and we went on to a party my friend was having, we didn't realise the time otherwise we would have been back sooner" Clay said giving them his adorable puppy dog face. God he was so good at lying, if I didn't see the tiny twitch to his eye even I would think he was telling the truth.

"Oh well that's different, we thought you were out with Blake tonight Riley" Brian said looking at me still a little angry but he clearly believed Clay's story.

"Err I was but then I went onto the party with Clay" I said looking at my feet, I wasn't such a good liar, lucky for me they were both tired so they gave up quickly.

"Ok well we're going to bed, goodnight kids" Mom said as her and Brian walked up the stairs.

"Goodnight" we both called at the same time.

I yawned and stretched, my eyes becoming heavy all of a sudden. "Thank you Clay" I said turning to him, I really didn't deserve this boy, he was the best friend a girl could wish for.

"Anytime Riley bear, I better get going" he said nodding towards the door.

"Stay with me, please?" I begged, I didn't want to be on my own I had a feeling that if I was I'd have nightmares tonight about the guys at the amusement arcade.

He looked at me for a few seconds then nodded "Ok" he said locking the front door and following me up to my room.

I was so tired I couldn't even be bothered to put on my pyjamas so I just stripped out of my top and skirt as I walked dropping them on the floor and climbed in the bed in my bra and panties. He took a deep breath as I shrugged out of my clothes but I was too tired to care. "Riley, where are your pyjamas?" he said as he stripped off his clothes looking uncomfortable as he tried not to look at me.

"Too tired" I muttered almost asleep already, he sighed and had the pained look on his face again, he just stood there for a couple of seconds before climbing in the bed next to me in his boxers pulling me closer to him. I was conscious of his hands on my almost na**d body, but instead of being uncomfortable, I liked it way too much, I could feel his skin against mine making me tingle. I kissed his chest tenderly and I buried my face in his neck and instantly fell asleep.