Hey guys! This is my first Ryley fanfiction, and I figured a new ship deserves a story thats a bit out there, so I hope you guys enjoy it!

This chapter is pretty long, but most likely the rest will be shorter :)

It was the worst sound in the world. The alarm, loud and earth-shattering, escalated to undiscovered volumes as Marely Rose fumbled while trying to hit the snooze button.

It was 5:00 a.m. on a Tuesday. Normally, Marely would sleep until 6:30 in the morning, straighten her long, dark hair, put on some quick eyeliner and jeans, and be out the door. However, today was a special day. She needed to put a little more makeup on, put a little more effort into her hair, and wear something that screamed "professional" and "sophisticated".

It wasn't too long ago that Marely Rose, yes the Marely Rose that barely talked and just transferred schools the previous year, was elected Editor in Chief of Bayside High School's student-run newspaper, The Daily Baysider. Senior year was going to be hectic, but everything she's ever dreamed of. Power, authority, and of course, feeling what it's really like to work as a journalist.

As she defended the staircase, her father's eyes lit up, and her mother completely stood up and starting breaking out into sobs.

"Oh my god, mom!" Marely screamed, and dramatically winced. "It's just this dress and stockings and heels.. and…"

Marely continued downstairs, only to have her face cupped in her mothers shaking hands. "This is not just about your clothes, Marely! This is your future! Look at you, all dressed up. This is step one to everything you always wanted," her mother said.

Her father, whose eyes then again drifted back to his newspaper, ignoring the eggs on his plate, looked back again at his wife and daughter. "Can you believe I might actually be the parent of a child that may get accepted into Columbia's School of Journalism?" He said.

Marely sighed. "That's IF I can get in and IF i can get a scholarship" Marely said.

Her parents exchanged a depressing glance on the word scholarship.

"Sweetie, I mean, I have some money saved up but the grocery store just hasn't been getting the best business and -" her mother began. "And I could maybe bring your car down to the tire shop, maybe I can fix it real nice and we can sell it -" her father continued.

"Guys! Stop. I don't want your money. We don't have it. I'm going to try to get a scholarship. All I need to do is work hard this year and hopefully… produce a good enough paper and.." Marely's ranting trailed off by the sound of the car horn. "Kitty's here, gotta go. Love you guys!" And Marely was running out of the door.

Kitty was Marely's best friend in the whole world, but so impatient. "Jeez beep the horn a few more times next time!" Marely joked lightly as she got in the car. "Good morning to you too, Ms Editor in Chief Rose" Kitty said sarcastically. Marely sighed and they were still mid conversation when all of the sudden, he was there in the middle of the road.

He was tall, and…built. Marely pretended not to stare. His hair was light brown, and his dark brown eyes produced such a look of unfathomable sadness that Marely felt the need to run out of the car and comfort him.

"HOLY FUCK" Kitty screamed and slammed on the breaks. The boy looked apologetic and kept walking across the street. "WHERE DID HE COME FROM? I JUST ALMOST KILLED HIM!"

Marely was ignoring Kitty now, and watching this boy walk in the same direction they were. He had…so many bags. Like. a suitcase, a backpack, and a drawstring bag. He was also carrying a few textbooks, all without breaking a sweat, too. "Does he go to our school..?" Marely asked, still watching the boy.

Kitty stared at Marely incredulously. "You've never heard anyone referring to someone as ''back boy?'' Kitty asked, dumbfounded. I don't even know his name, I don't think anyone does, and he always has a million fucking backpacks. It's a shame he's so hot too because everyone thinks he's a freak, and probably gay considering whenever girls talk to him he like, doesn't speak." Kitty explained.

"We should pick him up, those bags have got to be heavy.." Marely whispered.

"Yeah we should also study for this french quiz today but we didn't do that either," Kitty said.

"Well if you don't pick him up, I'm…going to walk with him," Marely said proudly.

Kitty gave her a look. "Fine, go walk with him, then. I'm not having my reputation ruined because of your little nice streak."

Marely gave Kitty a look. THIS side of her best friend was not uncommon to run into. Self-absorbed, obsessed with popularity… It still sometimes boggled her mind that they were even friends. But she knew Kitty was more than this, unlike anyone else at school.

"Okay. Let me out here. I'll see you in French." Marely exchanged with Kitty one more parting glance before the red Toyota drove away.

Then Marely started walking a little faster. She didn't want to call out to him, that was weird, right?

"Hey," she began as caught up to the boy, who was clearly even more attractive up close.

He looked at her with a surprised, almost embarrassed expression on his face.

"Can I help you?" he said, shocked.

Marely could notice that he had dirt on his let cheek, and that his dark blue thermal had a rip in its left side. His shoes, that apparently used to be white, were now covered in mud.

Hurt. Anger. Disappointment.

"Hi! I'm..I'm Marely. I saw you with your bags and I was just going to offer to help you carry-"

"I can take care of myself." he said, even more coldly than before.

"Oh.. I wasn't implying that you couldn't.. you look all strong and -" Marely began babbling.

The boy's lips, once parted in a line, now formed an almost half-smile.

"If I let you carry something, will you stop nervously babbling?" he said, almost…sweetly.

Marley nervously giggled, and grabbed one of his backpacks and placed it over her shoulders.

She could tell just the slight loss of weight on his back had done something, because the boy sighed with appreciation.

His eyes suddenly grew soft. "No one has ever offered to help me before… so, thank you, miss-" the boy began, and Marely just noticed how sweet his voice was.. almost child-like. Charming.

"M-m-arely, Marely Rose," Marely stammered, and awkwardly held out her hand. The boy stared at her open hand, and gave her a leering look.

"So shaking hands is still proper etiquette?" the boy laughed, and his laugh sounding like bells of a wind chime.

A red color formed all over Marely's face and she began to move her hand away before the boy grabbed it again.

"My name's Ryder, Ryder Lynn," he said, with almost a tinge of nervousness escaping his velvety voice.

"Nice to meet you," Marely said, again feeling nervous. They walk in silence for a moment.

"So.. what are all of these bags for?" She began.

A spasm of tension spread across Ryder's face, but eventually he spoke.

"Ya kno, just books, and sport equipment sometimes I go to the gym during lunch or after school and it's just really nice to have my stuff and uh my computer is in there I feel naked leaving uh home without it and I uh -" Ryder began ranting.

"It sure feels heavier than all of that" Marely commented silently, but luckily for Ryder, they had just reached campus. Ryder removed the bag off of Marely's shoulder. "So, uh, thanks again. I'll see you around," Ryder said quickly before darting in the other direction.

Marley's day seemed to pass in a blur. After school she would have her first meeting with The Baysider. Try-outs were today. Unfortuanetly, a task she had to do today was go to random classes and ask students TO try-out. Oh god, stage fright was definitely not her favorite thing in the world.

Her last class was a senior-level chemistry class. Awesome, her own peers would have to see this train wreck.

The teacher graciously let Marely in the front of the room, and just as she was about to open her mouth, she made eye contact with him.

Ryder. He was wearing different clothes this time. His bags were…no where to be found. Where was his computer… and why weren't his sporting equipment lining the back walls, like all of the other kids were allowed to do during their last class? He met her eyes for a brief second, and then looked down and did not look back up.

"Hi guys, I'm Marely, some of you already know that but uh…yeah. The Baysider is Bayside High School's student-run newspaper, and although it hasn't been as much of a big deal in previous years, as this year's editor-in-chief, I have a lot of great ideas.." she began.

"We're looking for junior and senior reporters. Junior reporters are only required to produce one story a week, and senior reporters have three assignments. You can literally write about anything going on at school. Opinions. Arts. Sports. Events. It's really fun and we meet every day after school and -"

At that part of Marely's speech, Ryder met her eyes again, with a unintelligible expression.

It wasn't unnoticed, and Marely had to stop herself from staring back. "So yeah sign-ups are today, with a brief try-out nothing big. It's honestly an amazing thing to get involved in, but I have to tell you that some nights you WILL be here until late hours meeting deadlines but it's fun we can order food and -"

She had literally lost everyone's attention. Except Ryder's.

"Thanks, hopefully I'll see some of you there at 3:30 p.m. in room 104." Marely said, and then embarrassingly exited the classroom.

She watched the clock reach 3:30, as she sat in her desk in computer lab 104. It had computers and desks and was just recently decorated in anticipation of the next year.

Her staff, weird to think of that way as HER staff, was running around like crazy. Kitty, especially, SHe wondered if it was a mistake to put her as managing editor…

"It's almost 3:30, hopefully you did a good job with promoting this," Kitty said nervously.

"Yeah, at least some people will show up. We'll need them too. We only have like, 7 writers."

"Well..incase YOU didn't do a good job.. I found some recruits of my own.." Kitty said.

At her words, a flock of kids walked in. The popular kids, the jocks, the band kids…everyone! The room was filled to the brim. Marely gasped. "Kitty…how?" she whispered excitedly.

"HEY KITTY! THANKS FOR INVITING US TO YOUR HOUSE PARTY THIS WEEKEND!" a random boy shouted, and his followers bellowed his appreciation.

Kitty looked at Marely with an apologetic expression, and Marley glared hard.

These people were only here for Kitty. Not to write. Not to learn.

"Okay, everyone take a seat, please," Marely began. She was amazed by her newly elected power, still.

"Hi guys, thanks all of you for coming. You'll find a sheet of paper on your desk with some quotes, some sources, and an event, and a location. The test of this is to see how well you can arrange a story," She began as she paced around the room. It's amazing how good she felt doing this.

"Who is speaking, whose voice? Why do students CARE about this? What words can paint the pictures brightly enough that you HAVE to read the story, have to check it out? THAT is what-"

Marley was interrupted by the door opening, and Ryder walking in, now carrying all of his bags, and placing them against the wall. He locked eyes with her for a brief second, before taking a seat. Everyone sneered.

"I wonder what little boy he has stuffed today in those bags," someone said. Marely shot them a glare so fast, and this did not go unnoticed by Ryder, whose lips formed a half smile again.

He did not ask questions, he just began writing. Marely watched. He looked hard down at the paper, held the pencil a little too tightly… was she really watching him this closely? He was so beautiful..

One by one, students finished writing, and handed them in to Marley and Kitty.

Ryder was the last one.

It was getting late, it had been almost 2 hours since the meeting started. This assignment was meant to be completed in an hour… what was taking him so long?

Kitty was growing annoyed.

"Excuse me uh…I don't know how much longer you intend on wasting our team here, it's either you can write or you can't -" Kitty began, struggling to recall a name.

Marley interrupted and approached him.

"Ryder," she said softly. "Do you want some help?" she said, before noticing that he was already done. He had written almost a novel, and had been sitting there pretending to write. Why?

"Oh well, I can see you are finished," Marley said. Shocked.

"I'm sorry I was just stalling.." Ryder whispered to her."It's okay, I'll leave."

He left without a parting glance, as Marley examined the novel that was now sitting in her hands, and the calligraphy that was written in the form of his name at the top of the page.

Who WAS Ryder Lynn?