Complicated

Chapter 20: Friendship Changes

Ric's POV

It's been a month since I started hooking up with Nova, and I am continuously grateful for the experience.

I've discovered new things about her, and I don't just mean her biting kink.

I mean, a deeper, darker secret.

The first time we hooked up, I realized something.

She has scars. Belt scars.

On her back.

She didn't tell me much, she simply said foster care isn't exactly fun. It's a system. A broken one.

And she said she was really grateful for my Mami. Because people like her are the ones that would help fix the system. She actually wants to be like my mother, she wants to live in between the muggle and wizarding world. She wants to help kids in foster care for the muggle and wizarding world, though she's not 100% sure what she wants to be in the specific wizarding world.

She's pretty great, honest.

Can't say the same about Al though. He's been acting kind of weird ever since last week. He walked in on Nova and I hooking up... awkward to say the least.
But he has walked in on me with other girls before, he's never been so awkward about it before.

I don't get why it's weirder now. If anything, it should be less weird, I've talked to him about Nova. I never talk about any of the other girls I've hooked up with, because honestly they didn't mean much to me. None of them did. I think... I think I'm actually developing real feelings for Nova.

Goddamn it. Feelings.

What a fucking terrifying word.

I taught myself not to have those early on in life, when I realized I was the black sheep of my family.

Not that my parents would ever say that to me, but a kid simply knows. You know?

I mean, Kathy's fucking brilliant. A bloody genius. She's got an eidetic memory for Merlin's sake. And she's basically one of the sweetest people alive. Neither of my parents know where she got that from.

And Cierra. Cierra... actually, I don't know. She has pretty good grades, nowhere near Kathy's, but it's just something about her. Maybe her personality, that naturally attracts people to her and makes them like her in an instant. She's nice but confident, she's never mean unless she has to be. You can tell she could defend herself if need be, and she's got a natural charm that both Kathy and I lack.

Meanwhile, I am just... me. Ric. There's nothing special about me.

I heard the door open and Al come in, and upon seeing my best friend, my face immediately lit up and my dark insecurities only he knew I had were pushed to the back of my mind.

"Alby!" I teased but he simply nodded at me.

"'Sup, mate?" He responded as he dropped his books on the desk and moved to lay down on his bed.

"'Mate'? Whatever happened to Ricky?" I nudged him on his bed but he didn't nudge me back. He simply laid on his side with his back turned to me.

"Nothing." He responded simply.

One word answers. Seriously?

"Move over." I nudged him and started to lay next to him in my usual spot but he didn't move. "Bro. Move over."

"Don't call me bro." He growled at me and I was taken aback. Woah. There's the Slytherin in this usually sweet boy.

"My bad, bro." I teased him again as I laid down next to him and this time he pushed me off his bed with full force, so much that I fell on the floor. What the fuck?