Riley Park by Diane Tullson

Copyright © 2009 Diane Tullson
    All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording or by any information storage
and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without
permission in writing from the publisher.
    Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
    Tullson, Diane, 1958-
Riley Park / written by Diane Tullson.
    (Orca soundings)
ISBN 978-1-55469-124-1 (bound).--ISBN 978-1-55469-123-4 (pbk.)
    I. Title. II. Series.
    PS8589.U6055R54 2009              jC813’.6                C2008-908112-9
    Summary: The victim of a vicious assault, seventeen-year-old Corbin
struggles to get his life back and deal with the loss of his best friend.
    First published in the United States, 2009
Library of Congress Control Number: 2008943407
    Orca Book Publishers gratefully acknowledges the support for its publishing programs provided by the following agencies: the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program and the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Province of British Columbia through the BC Arts Council and the Book Publishing Tax Credit.
    Cover design by Teresa Bubela
Cover photography by Getty Images
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12 11 10 09 • 5 4 3 2 1

For Cathy, with love.
    Thanks to writers Shelley, Kim, Maggie, Luke, Laura, Mollie, Rebekah, Dan, Kara, Adam, Erin, Kari, Brie and Brandy, and to Andrew, always.

Chapter One
    In the Safeway parking lot, I drop two flats of beer into the back of my car. I leave the hatch open and wait for Darius to arrive with the hotdog stuff. I notice a girl getting off the bus across the parking lot at the bus stop. I’d recognize her from a mile away: Rubee.
    Rubee is wearing her Safeway shirt and she’s walking fast, like maybe she’s late for work. Her dark hair is loose on her shoulders.
    Darius shows up and slings the grocery bags into the car, fitting them around the beer and my hockey bag.
    As Rubee walks, she combs her hair back with her fingers and catches it into a thick ponytail.
    Darius says, “She is so hot.”
    Darius is watching her too.
    I say, “Hot, yes. But Rubee is beautiful.”
    Rubee is a senior like Darius and me, but she goes to a different school. I’ve never seen Rubee anywhere but here, at Safeway. We always choose Rubee’s checkout line, even if hers is twice as long as the others. Rubee is worth the wait.
    Darius says, “Weird that she took the bus. Her boyfriend always drops her off.”
    I’ve never seen her boyfriend, but Rubee wears a guy’s ring on her thumb. Plus, a couple of months ago, she rejected Darius when he asked her out. Go figure—he asked her if she’d like to spend the night with a wild man.
    I say, “You’ve seen Rubee’s boyfriend?”
    Darius nods. “He has a nice car.”
    I glance at my Civic. One fender is a different color and the left taillight is covered with a red plastic bag.
    I say, “Maybe it’s her brother.”
    â€œNo.” Darius turns