The Back Up Benefit

On A Break

A few days after my conversation with Peanut I found out his theory might be true. I got a call from Ricky who sounded usually nervous.

"Hey Lizzie. Can we talk?" he asked.

"Of course. I'm just hanging out at home if you want to come over." I told him.

"I can't. I'm with someone now." he said.

"Are you phoning me while you're on a date?" I asked, trying to hide my disgust.

"No, not right now. Look, I'm just going to say it how it is. I've met someone. I need to put our thing on pause. Ok?" he explained.

"Ok." was all I could say.

I tried not to be hurt. I wanted to be happy that he wanted to try a relationship with someone but it was the way he did it. I felt like he'd dropped me as quickly as he could when a nice, pretty lady came into his life.

For a few weeks I got a few texts from him about how amazing she was, how he thought it was going to be serious and all that smug couple talk. Then the texts soon stopped. He'd never asked how I was. I doubt he even thought about me.

I spoke to some of his band and they all said he was being annoyingly withdrawn from the band. It sounded like it was putting strain on their friendship too. It wasn't like him to leave his friends like this. I mean, he could be an idiot but he'd never taken it to the point where it could harm his future with the band.

Then about six weeks after the text stopped he suddenly appeared at my door. It was raining outside and he looked pretty sorry for himself. I was in a bad mood with him but I couldn't leave a friend outside in this weather.

"Can I come in?" he asked.

I shrugged. "Well, a text wouldn't have killed you." I grumbled as he stepped inside.

"I went to see Simon. He told me to piss off. Have I messed up the band?" he asked.

His coat and wet clothes were now dripping water on my nice rug. I sighed and handed him a towel.

"Dry off. You can borrow my grey trackies." I told him and jabbed my thumb towards the bathroom.

I noticed he'd brought a small animal carrier with him. I jumped away from it in fright when it started making scratching noises. Pitty took the better of me and I looked inside. When he came back he hung his damp clothes over a chair.

"So why've you brought a bunny rabbit to my flat?" I asked.

"I brought Yvonne a bunny. Turns out she didn't like it or like me." he said unusually timid. He must have known the rant I was going to burst into.

"Richard! We talked about this! You can't impulse buy an animal!" I sighed.

"I thought it would be nice. I though she liked them but afterwards I remembered it's you who likes them." he muttered.

"I suppose you two'll have to stay the night. It's a storm out there and we can't leave this little one in a tiny box." I told him as I bent down to let the bunny out.

It hopped straight out and had a little sniff around before hopping onto my lap as I knelt down. I scooped it up in my arms and cuddled it.

"You're gorgeous. Let's find you some food. You'll be hungry." I cooed to the bunny in my arms. "I think I've got some yummy carrots."

I sat down on the sofa a while later with the bunny and a bowl of things for it to nibble.

"Don't think this means I've forgiven you." I told Ricky as I stroked the bunny's soft, floppy ears. "So, what happened?"

"She just kicked me out. She's a psyco. She can go from sweet and lovely to evil in a second." he explained.

I just raised an eyebrow and listened as he continued to tell me the ways in which she wasn't as perfect as he first thought.

"So you're hoping I'll just let you back into my bed cose you're single?" I asked when he finished.

"Well that's kind of the point. We don't have feelings like that for each other." he stated.

"But we're friends first and you pretty much dropped me flat when you met her." I told him. "That's why Simon told you to piss off earlier. We're not toys. If you drop one cose you see another prettier one you can't expect it to be there when you want it back."

He just stared at me with a mix of confusion and anger. I got up and started getting myself and the bunny ready for bed. I came back into the sitting room with a blanket and a pillow.

"You can have the sofa tonight." I said plainly.

I hated going to bed angry with anyone but it was Ricky's doing. If he'd realised he was doing wrong then maybe I could forgive him a bit more.

I lay in bed mulling it all over and starting to wonder if I was being too harsh. I was starting to drift off when I felt skinny arms slip around me and a cold nose nuzzle into my neck.

"I'm sorry. I promise I won't leave you like that again." Ricky whispered.

"You'd better not." I muttered.

It took a while for me to forgive him properly.