𝘛𝘖𝘓𝘌𝘙𝘈𝘛𝘌 𝘐𝘛 ⇢ r.bowen

20

ELIZABETH'S POV- March 15

"Hey Liz. I'm making a sandwich for lunch. Do you want one?"

I nodded. "Yes, please."

I sit up on one of the barstools at the counter, right across from where Ricky's mom is making the food.

Since Ricky wants to be a jerk right now, I'll hang with his Mom. Fine.

She doesn't mention anything about Ricky's behavior. I think we both realize we should just let him cool off for now.

"So, how have you been? Catch me up on everything," she says as she sets down a plate with half a sandwich and a handful of chips on it in front of me.

I sigh and stare down at my plate.

"Uh-oh. I take that as it hasn't been great back in Utah?"

I just shrug in response. "Um... well, Percy and I broke up."

Her face softens and she placed her hand on my shoulder. "Oh, sweetie. I know breakups can feel really hard, but just think, maybe it was meant to happen. Maybe soon you'll meet the person you're really supposed to spend your life with. Or maybe, you're supposed to spend your life by yourself? That's alright too. Trust me, there are way more important things in life than boys."

My stomach drops. 'Maybe you're supposed to spend your life by yourself?' That thought terrifies me. I know she was only trying to make me feel better, but still. Is there really a possibility that I'm not good enough for anyone?

Suddenly, I want to tell her everything. About the real reasons Percy and I aren't together anymore. The Twitter thread. Snitching on Miss Jen to the Menkies judges. My argument with Nini.

"Lynn, I..." I let out a breath. "I know. I just... I don't know. Never mind."

Internally I curse myself. Why do I do this? I had the perfect opening to finally spill everything, but I brushed away that opportunity.

"Don't worry. I guess we'll just need to have extra fun this week, huh? Then you can get your mind off things." She smiles warmly, and seeing her look at me like that did make me feel at least a little better.

We continue to make easy conversation while eating our lunch. Then she glances at her watch and frowns.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, I've just got to go in to the office for a few hours." She stood up and took our plates to the sink, rinsing them off. "I'll be back at around 7. Be good."

With that, she grabbed her keys and left.

Great. Now I'm stuck here with Ricky.

For a while I avoid him, staying in the living room area. I watch TV for a while until I decide I've had it with him. How dare he be all mad at me when all I'm doing is trying to help?

I shut off the TV and go back into the guest room. I find him laying in the middle of the bed, just staring up at the ceiling. A knit blanket covered him up. My anger fades, but only a little bit.

"Have you been just laying here the whole time?" My voice comes out soft.

He doesn't reply, instead flips over so he's facing the windows, and not me.

The anger and frustration I felt re-enters my body. "God Ricky, I thought you were done being a jerk to me!"

He sits up, grabbing a pillow and clutching it tightly to him. "I'm sorry, okay! You were right, and I'm sorry, but I just... I can't be here!

I mean, you see it, right? How can she just act like everything's okay, everything's normal, when in reality nothing is the same? I can't do this. I can't, Liz, I really, really can't." His voice breaks in the last sentence.

I sigh and climb into the bed across from him, so we are now facing each other.

"Ricky, can't you just understand that her leaving had nothing to do with you? So what, she didn't love your dad anymore. That doesn't mean she doesn't love you. And yeah, change is hard, I get it, but you have to get used to it. Nothing ever stays the same. That's just life."

He stares down at the blanket. "I know she only wanted to leave my Dad, but she left me too, Liz. You're not getting that. Whether she meant to or not, she still left me."

"Yeah, and now that she's right here you refuse to even talk to her! And she's been calling and texting and you ignore her. Just because she left doesn't mean she can't still be in your life."

He sighs. "I don't know how I can get used to the way things are now."

"Why don't you just tell her all that stuff then?"

As if on cue, we hear the front door of the apartment unlock, then footsteps getting closer to the bedroom door. Lynn knocks twice then enters.

"Hey. Just checking in. You two alright?"

"Mom," Ricky says, his voice breaking. "I-I... can we talk?"

I take this as my cue to leave. Hopefully he gets some sort of closure from this conversation.