𝘛𝘖𝘓𝘌𝘙𝘈𝘛𝘌 𝘐𝘛 ⇢ r.bowen

19

ELIZABETH'S POV- March 15th

Ricky and I sit in silence as his dad drives to drop us off at the Salt Lake City airport.

Mike had bought Ricky a surprise plane ticket to go see his mom over spring break. Surprise in a not-good surprise way, surprise because he knew that if Ricky had any further notice he would've come up with some excuse on why he couldn't go. He's been avoiding visiting his Mom at all since she left. Mike had tried to get him to go for New Year's, but Ricky refused.

He hasn't wanted to see his mom at all, and I get it. He's upset because she left him, forcing him and his dad to have to move out of his childhood home. He's also mad because she already has a new boyfriend, Todd, and she brought him to the musical last year and completely threw him off. As far as I know, he hasn't talked to her much since then. Nothing more than a few under 10-minute phone calls.

Once Ricky had found out about the trip, he begged me to come with him as it would be pretty much unbearable to deal with his mom on his own. It didn't take much convincing for me to agree. I really wanted to just get away from everything, even if it was only for a week.

"Alright, that's it. You know where the gate is, right? How to check your bags?"

Neither of us knows any of those things, but Ricky still replies with a yes and grabs both of our suitcases out of the trunk. He and his dad say their goodbyes, and then we are on our own.

"I have no idea where to go," he says, "help me figure this out."

Neither of us has much experience with planes and flying. The only vacations I've ever been on were weekend trips to the casino with my Mother so she could gamble and drink while I'd be occupied in the hotel pool, and Ricky only went on a few, all many years ago so his parents guided him around the airport.

Somehow we make it through security, check our bags and make it to the correct gate all in one piece.

Our flight doesn't board for another half-hour, so we sit in those blue chairs waiting. I watch as the screen reads all the flights that are leaving, many of which are overbooked, as it is spring break and everyone is trying to get to and from their vacations and visitations. Families heading on trips, college kids coming home, and kids my age with friends. In moments like these, it's so easy for me to wish I was someone else. I see a teenage couple waiting to board, sitting across from us with their families. They're probably headed to Chicago for a fun reason, not as an escape from your whole entire town, maybe even the whole entire world, turning on you.

It's super crowded here because again, spring break, and I notice an about twelve-year-old girl giving me sideways glances. She points me out to her Mom and sister, trying to be discreet but failing. All three of them stare.

God. Has everyone in the world seen Percy's twitter thread?

Ricky follows my line of sight and notices I'm being looked at funny.

"Wanna go get something to eat before we get on the plane?"

I know he's just trying to be helpful, but I'm not really in the mood to talk. Or eat. So I just shake my head.

"Alright. Well, I'm gonna go get some snacks. Be right back."

I was grateful to be left alone for a few minutes, but then our flight started to board and he still wasn't back. The lady at the front called out all the groups; families with young children, old people, people in wheelchairs. I call Ricky and he doesn't respond.

Finally, it was time for us to board and I stood up, feeling uneasy. Suddenly I see him approaching, he's panting and out of breath.

"Sorry. Line was long."

We get on the plane and once we sit down he slips a package of Nerds Gummy Clusters into my hands. "Got these for you, in case you changed your mind."

I smile gratefully. These are my favorite.

A 20-something-year-old man had the other empty seat in our row, with Ricky in the aisle seat and me in the middle. After takeoff, I started to get weirded out by the guy next to me. Maybe I was thinking too much of it, but his knee was touching mine and every time I moved away he somehow found a way to touch me again. And when I turned to whisper to Ricky and ask for him to switch seats with me, I found he was already knocked out asleep. This is going to be a long flight.

***************

Once we finally do get off the plane, I feel like I can breathe properly again.

We get our suitcases off the conveyor belt, and walk outside to meet Ricky's mom.

"Ricky!" Lynn squeals in excitement for seeing her son for the first time since the musical.

He hugs her back very stiffly. "Hey, Mom." If she does notice his standoffishness, she doesn't comment on it.

She pulls away and then sees me, and smiles warmly. "And Elizabeth. It's go good to see you. How's my favorite daughter?"

I laugh as she pulls me into a hug as well. Lynn used to always joke that I was like her own kid. Honestly, I've missed having her around. My Mom isn't exactly... you know. Around. Motherly. There for me. How ever you want to say it, it was true, and Ricky's mom was always like a sort of mom figure for me to have when mine didn't show up.

We pile into her car, and despite Lynn's attempts at conversation, Ricky only replies with curt, one word responses and mainly just stares out the window silently.

When we pulled up to Lynn's apartment, she gives us a tour. It doesn't take long, as the place is pretty small. When you walk in, you get the living room/dining room/kitchen in one open space. Then there are two "hallways" that lead off into two bedrooms which each had their own connecting bathroom. The one to the left was Lynn's, and to the right the guest bedroom.

"Or yours, Ricky. If you come visit me more often, you can change the room and make it however you want for when you stay," she explains as she opens the door and leads us in.

All he does in response is shrug.

"Oh. Okay. Well, how about I leave you two to unpack?" Clearly she is disappointed in Ricky's response. This whole time, she's seemed saddened by his coldness toward her.

Once she shuts the door and I hear her footsteps walk off, I say, "would it kill you to be a little nicer to her?"

"Who's side are you on?" He says exasperatedly while angrily tossing clothes from his suitcase into the dresser.

"What? I'm not on anyone's side! I'm just saying, at least she's trying. Your Mom just misses you! She's so desperate to hang out with you, and my Mom—" my voice trembles a bit, "well, you know. And so does everybody else, now, so..."

He sighs. "I wouldn't expect you to understand, Liz. Just stay out of it, okay?"

I furrow my brows at him. "Stay out of it? Are you kidding? You're the one that brought me here! You asked me to come!"

"Yeah," he says slowly, "I asked you to come because I thought having you would make me feel better. Not worse!"

I stand completely still for a second. I don't even know what to say.

"Fine." Is what I eventually come up with, and I slowly leave the room and shut the door behind me.