Love is a Broken Window | Cricky [C]

30 | Pills

| Ricky's POV |

It was New Years Eve. Everyone gathered at Ryan and Allie's place for a party. Even if it's my friends throwing it, I still don't like parties. There were a lot of people here. Too many people.

Naturally, I ran up to the upstairs back bedroom to hide. It seems Shiloh had the same idea. He was pretty passive and reserved like I was.

"Hey." I said as I sat down on the bed.

"Hi." He weakly smiled. "Did Dev send you to drag me back downstairs?"

"Oh, no, no. I came to get away from the party too." I replied.

"Good." He sighed out of relief. "I love Devin and all, so that's why I came, but parties aren't my thing."

"You're at least going to go downstairs to kiss him at midnight, right?"

"Mhm, that I most definitely will do." Shiloh smiled.

"Where's Bella?" I asked.

"That old lady that lives on our floor, she's watching her." He said. "Why aren't you with Jani? Isn't it your anniversary?"

I shrugged. "Yeah, but we're not big on 'em. We went out to eat at our favorite place this afternoon."

"I understand." Shiloh replied.

I heard a knock at the door, followed my Chris walking in. "Hey. What are you two doing up here?"

"Hiding." Shiloh said.

"From?"

"People." I mumbled.

Chris chuckled. "Well there's only a few minutes left in the year. Come back downstairs?"

"I've got a ghost to kiss." Shiloh giggled, heading for the door.

"Ricky?"

"Um, yeah, yeah. I'm coming."

| Chris' POV |

I had no one to kiss this year at New Years. The first year I was going without too. I cut my way through the crowd in the living room, seeing all the happy couples. Ghost was sitting on the couch with Shiloh in his lap. Ryan and Allie were next to each other, and he had his hand over her shoulder. Balz was standing behind the couch with his arm wrapped tightly around Ryan-Ashley's waist. They all looked so happy.

I came into the kitchen, finding Ricky in there all alone. This felt familiar. Then I remember this scene from the beginning of the year. Walking in, to see him hovering over the sink, with shaky hands and a pill bottle.

"Ricky, please don't take those." I said, startling him. "You don't need them."

"Says you." He mumbled.

"Ricky." I sighed.

I stepped behind him, trying to grab the bottle from him. I just saw him five minutes ago upstairs and he was fine? What the Hell got into him? He jerked back as I attempted to take that bottle of poison from him. I tried again, this time getting a weak hold on the bottle. We both yanked at it at the same time, and the bottle went flying in the air.

Great! Last time we covered Ryan's kitchen in broken glass. This time it's pills. Ricky stared blankly at the pills covering the floor. Then he joined them on the hardwoods. He sunk down to the ground, putting his face in his hands and started crying.

I leaned down at touch his arm delicately. "Ricky? I'm sorry, Ricky. I didn't mean to-"

"It's not you!" He sobbed.

"What is it then?"

"Just... Go look down the hall."

I sighed and stood up. Peering down the hall that lead to the bedrooms, I saw two figures pressed against each other. Once I stared long enough, I realized it was Jani... and Kuza. I'll have a talk with Mike about that later... For now, I need to help Ricky.

I returned to the kitchen and offered him a hand. "C'mon. Don't cry, Angel." I whispered. He stopped and stared for a moment. From the living room, we could hear people counting down the seconds until the New Year. "Please?"

Ricky took my hand. I pulled him to his feet, then wrapped my arms around his small body.

"Ten!"

"Nine!"

"Eight!"

"Seven!"

I glanced down at him. His sweet face. Then, without another moment of thought, I tilted his head up towards me.

"Six!"

"Five!"

"Four!"

"No one deserves to go without a New Years kiss." I said.

"Three!"

"Two!"

I crashed my lips against his. I wasn't even thinking, just enjoying it. He kissed me back. He kissed me back.

"ONE! HAPPY NEW YEAR!"