Just a Barbeque...

TitusVille Pennsylvania.

Riley's hometown.

Since it was the weekend she had invited a few people over....

"Those kids here yet?" Her father asked, peering out the window of their white farmhouse.

"No Dad, not yet!"

She flipped a couple of the steaks on the grill from her spot in the backyard.

"Well, they best be here before sundown. I'll start the bonfire!" "Alright!"

Mother being gone and all, her father and her were pretty close.

Quickly poking the little firepokers into the ground she sat the marshmallows on the little bench.

the flames strewn up from the firepit.

"No, no.." She walked up behind her dad and put some ripped up paper in, the flames growing higher by the second.

"Thanks. What would I do without you..?" she groaned with irritation as he noogied her head.

At that second a car pulled into the driveway, rolling over the little stones.

"Oh! That must be Josh and Eric!" She raced out to the driveway and hugged them both quickly. Eric smiled, "So... Where's these friends of yours?"

"Don't know yet, They should of been here by now."

Josh rushed out back to help her father and she lead Eric out back to assist her with the food.

Ragweed blew in the faint wind and she smiled, shoving the chocolate bars into Eric's arms. "No. Don't eat them. Carry those over near the pokers and the marshmallows." She instructed, once again checking her steaks.

Having all guys for friends, except Victoria... could get weird. But they were always helpful. "Okay, the S'mores crap or whatever is ready." He wiped his hands on his shorts and sat down.

Victoria barreled down Riley's driveway, screaming,

"RILEYYYYYYYYYYYYYY CARVERRRRRRRR!"

Before promptly crashing into the other girl.

"holy crap!" she spun around Victoria laughing.

"Are Logan and Aaron, the others, are they..... coming?" She asked, curious.

Eric came up behind her and picked her up throwing her in the pool.

"ERIC PUT ME DO-" She splashed into the pool, coming up quickly to get out and smack him on the head.

She dried herself off.

"Glad you could make it." She said clawing at his veins so he'd smile.

"YOU MORON!!!" She screamed and thumped his forehead.

Josh came up instantly and got in the middle of them.

"Eric, you idiot!" He hissed.

Logan walked calmly up the drive after Victoria's rather strange outburst, half-smiling, and waving to Riley.

Then one of Riley's brothers, maybe? threw her in the pool, and he half-wanted to punch the kid in the face, but didn't.

"Hey, Logan's here." She ran over to him smiling.

"Glad you could make it. And sorry about Eric and Josh. They're retarted."

"YES!" Eric screamed, "We have an excuse!"

She rubbed her forehead agitatedly and lead everyone out back.

Her father had nearly burnt everything from the shed already, and the fire was dimming.

"This calls for extreme measures."

She ran into the shed and came out with a container.

She quickly splashed a bit on the fire and it flared up, the flames growing higher and a faint blue light in the middle of the fire.

She smiled and tossed it back in the shed.

"Well... Steaks are almost done. Just gotta put on the seasoning and let them get real tender." Josh said.

"Alright." She came over and inspected the steaks.

"Oh yeah, what the heck is this?" She picked up a strange black thing and dropped it on the grass.

"What did you do, barbqeue a freaking boot?" She kicked it into the ragweed quickly and pretended it wasn't near the food.

Logan grinned and then laughed as Riley kicked the thing away.

"Hey....Riley? Do you wanna...I dunno. Do something while we're waiting?"

He asked.

"Nothing long....since, y'know we don't have much time.....but.....something....I--a walk, maybe?"

Logan got out.

Great, he thought, just Great Logan, you blew it.

Riley stood in question.

Would she freak out and do something stupid? The town can get rough round sunset...

Half of her was scared, and half of her was already at his side.

She followed him quickly.

"Alright. A walk'll be perfect. You wanna go?"

Max walked in uncertainly, brushing her hair out of her eyes.

She did not know ANY of them, but she had come anyways.

"Um......hi?"

Max asked uncertainly, nervous.

"Uh, Hello." Riley said, she quizically leaned against the siding of her house, her sweatshirt brushing against it.

"Uh, I don't believe i've met you before." she said.

"Uh.. you are...?"

"M-m-m-Max Twain!"

Max stuttered, mentally doing a facepalm.

She was served.

"Cool name. Well, the barbqeues out back." She said pointing around the edge of the house.

"Just don;t go into the cornfield..... B-Bad things happen."

She remembered when Xander died.

Shivering, she rubbed her arms.

Christopher walked in, and grinned at Logan, who was standing with Riley.

He had dyed his hair black; just when he had the thought Christopher had acted on it.

"Hey christopher. Man... how many people are here, like, six or seven?"

She shrugged and pulled a strand of hair behind her ear.

Alright how to do this.....? If i be to assertive will he bail?

She glanced at Logan, then asked herself,

Or will Eric and josh mess it up..?

She looked at the two hooligans who were dancing around the fire in her back eighty.

I hope he falls in, Just like Christopher titus. Ironic.... My role model, has the same last name as my town.

She bit her lip, glancing around, uncertain.

God... Why does this have to be so difficult?

She realized sweat was running down her arms under the hoodie she wore.

Why am i sweating? Is my anxiety that bad???

She took her hoodie off and felt relivied having the little camisole now on, it felt much cooler.

Dropping the hoodie on the grass behind her she leaed on the siding of the house, watching the road. So still. so silent. So.... Peaceful.

No... Whats peaceful is a nice open parlor, a breeze sifting in the windows, and the faint smell of green-tea.... Ugh. I sound just like.... No. Don't say it. Her name doesn't mean anything. Her name is a curse to us now.

She glanced again at Logan. Not sure if he was alive... Or just a mannequin or decoy set there to be distracting.

Cornfields....

"Whatever you say, boss."

Max said boyishly, turning on her heel, all nervousness gone.

Cornfields.

"Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooohh!"

Victoria swooned, swaggering up behind Logan and putting her hand on his shoulder.

"You two,"

she said before continuing, showing him up against Riley,

"Are the PERFECT COUPLE! The two emos!"

she giggled, running off before Riley could get her hands on her.

"VICTORIA!!!! GOD, I'LL KILL YOU!!" Riley screamed shaking a fist.

Don't bother going after her, you don't have anything on her Riles. Except the.. no. I couldn't do that to her. Or... could i?

She bit her lip and sat down on the grass.

Are we..? Or.. is she just kidding?.... Maybe we are.... Maybe....

Riley watched the slight breeze shake the cornstalks.

"Emos? You are too weird for your own good, Victoria!"

Logan called after her, after adding softly to Riley,

"ignore her."

They started walking, and Logan tried to decide how to ask.

"Yeah, I gave up on that YEARS ago." She said smiling.


"There's no possible way to ignore Victoria Birmingham."

She lightly scuffed her shoes on the ground and looked over at the trees, then over to Logan.

Pfft. Emos. What an idiot that girl can be.

"Hey, Riley..."

Logan started uncertainly.

"I wanted to ask you something. Well, would you--"

he stopped abruptly, stopped walking.

In the swaying field, something had moved.

One of the stalks cracked.

"Hm?"

She realized Logan had stopped and she turned around slowly trailing back a few feet to his side.

"Are you... Alright?"

She eyed the field warily..

Max...... You better not be in there. Stupid girl, she's going to get herself slaughtered. she doesn't know what happened, she never needs to know, but she needs to learn to listen...

"Uh.... What was that?"
Riley pointed to the little trail through the cornstalks where something had judded out quickly.

God... It's happeneing again. No.. No.... don't say that, you'll jinx it.

"There's something out there."

he said, barely a whisper.

Then the field exploded with movement and heck broke loose.

Someone grabbed him roughly, and he fought back trying to protect himself, and Riley, before he felt impeccable pain, and the world went black.

"Logan!" She screamed and looked around quickly for Eric or maybe Josh. Nobody.

"No, this can't happen again. Especially not him."

She slipped her wand from her boot quickly and yelled, "CRUCIO!!!"

It was too late.

The person who had mugged Logan had kidnapped him.

He was dragged through the corn, unconscious.

Only hoping that Riley was okay.

"DANG!!! Missed.."

She quickly whirled around and ran back to the house.

"Dad dad dad dad!!!!" She leapt over the fence and almost fell into the bonfire.

"Logan's been kidnapped!!!"

........It was just silent for only a second.

"MACARENA!"

Victoria screamed, running out of the trees with a comically big smile on her face, which rapidly disappeared.

"What happened?"

she asked seeing the look on Riley's face.