The Life We Live

6.Ricky

Harlow felt frustration that he was dreaming; he quickly turns anxious, questioning the dream. His mind starts to spin as he stares into the darkness.

As time goes by he can't seem to fall back asleep. So he pulls out his diary.

Dear Diary,
I cannot sleep to save my life tonight. I can't quite get over the overwhelming information I have received yesterday. I thought I did eventually.. but clearly that dream says other wise. Do others know how my father possibly died? Like.. what if people do but they're hiding it? Especially that one kid Ricky.. he is a real kid who truly sits next to me in first period. What if my subconscious is telling me that maybe he knows?

Harlow stops writing and thinks about the fact that he truly does rarely speak. He considers the thought to possibly be his own theory and decides to get to know the kid.

I'm gonna have to find out what he knows.. -Harlow

He shuts his diary and goes under his bed to cut a hole in his mattress and hides his diary in it. He quickly comes back up and gladly falls back asleep.

The next day he get out of bed. When he completes his morning routine he notices his mother scrambling, mumbling to herself.

"You good?" Harlow says curiously

His mother looks up at him wildly. She quickly walks towards him with her arms out.

Harlow steps back "the fuck are you doing?"

She grabs his shoulders and yells "i've just been robbed!"

Harlow stares at her not really knowing how to react as she has done this before.. "do you think that maybe you just drank it all and don't remember?"

His mother throws herself off him "hell no!" She pauses to think then she stares at him angrily "it was you wasn't it!!"

"WHAT! NO! WHY WOULD I DRINK YOUR SHIT!?" Harlow yells

His mother walks towards him again pointing a finger in his face "DONT YOU PLAY DUMB WITH ME BOY! I KNOW YOU TOOK MY DRINKS!"

Harlow shoves her lightly "I DID NOT FUCKING TAKE YOUR DRINKS! YOU DID! YOU JUST DONT FUCKIN REMEMBER IT CAUSE YOURE A GOD DAMN ALCOHOLIC THAT NEEDS TO GET SOME HELP! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU THIS!"

Harlows mother stares him down intensely.

Harlow quickly notices the matter and attempts to leave but she steps in front of him "you dont tell me what I need to do boy. I'm you're mother and you need to give me the respect I deserve!"

Harlow squints his eyes "You? You deserve respect?" He laughs "What have you done to actually help find out what happened to dad. All you did was sit like a lump on a log and fuckin drink your ass off... like sure I get it.. like you always say you're grieving.. BUT LOOK AT ME MOM! I AINT DOING WHAT YOURE DOING! IM NOT LETTING HIS DEATH END UP WITH THE BOTH OF US IN THE DIRT. HE OBVIOUSLY WOULDNT WANT THAT SO WHY ARE YOU GIVING HIM THAT?"

"BECAUSE HE'S FUCKIN DEAD HARLOW! HE ISN'T COMING BACK SO FUCK HIM AND FUCK YOU! She impulsively slaps Harlow so hard that it made him light headed.

Harlow pauses to take that in. Then he looks her in the eyes "you just proved my point."

He quickly walks towards his door.

"yeah you better leave.. and dont you think about coming back either." His mother says before he leaves the house.