The Sanchez Chemical Reaction

Chapter 11: Catching Up W/ Summer

Rick and I end up making pasta for a dinner/lunch. It was the only thing he was actually willing to make in the house.
"Thank you for the food," I say while slurping a mouthful of a creamy pesto Alfredo sauce. "I think this is my favorite food I've tried so far!"
"It's alright. I think next time I'll add more Parmesan cheese." He yawns as he stands up and puts the dishes away. Then cleaning whatever pots were in the sink. I get up not long after and follow him into the kitchen.
"Are you going to bed now? It seems to be late. Plus you were working hard for quiet awhile."
He scratches his back tiredly, actually considering taking my advice for once. "Mm maybe I will. What would you do in the mean time?"
"I think I'm going to grab some stuff from my house and bring it here. Good way to kill time, plus it'll give me an opportunity to work on my other gadgets."
"Are you sure YOU don't want to sleep? Your strength still hasn't even returned to a third of what you had."
Shaking my head I answer, "I think it'll be...a very long time before I even attempt to sleep again. In all honesty. But you don't have to worry since I've gone years longer than this without sleeping. My body is just trained to be that way now."
"And you don't want any help bringing things back?" Rick seems skeptical of my ability to walk there and back.
I smile slightly at how he insists. "If it'll make you feel better I can ask Morty to come with me. He doesn't have school tomorrow I think. And I can hear him playing games upstairs."
"I'm not insisting because it'll make me feel better. I'm just not sure you're physically able to do it." He sighs and takes a moment. "Just don't over do it. I'd like to hold out on changing your collar as much as possible."
I give a thumbs up, "no problem. Have a goodnight sleep Rick. I'll see you when you're up." I start to make my way towards the stairs before Rick calls out.
"Oh y/n, knock on Morty's door before you go in. You'll regret it if you don't." He seems a bit more serious about this warning. "He's a teenager after all."
"O-okay, I'll make sure to do that. Goodnight," I wave to him one last time before we both go our separate ways. Sounds like it's not a good idea to ask morty to come with me. Sounds like he's busy to say the least. I don't know, Rick's warning just makes me nervous. What does Morty being a teenager have to do with anything? Guess I'll just ask Summer. We haven't caught up in awhile. And I didn't get a warning for her from Rick.
Walking up the stairs, I knock on Summer's room gently. "Hey summer it's y/n. I was wondering if you'd like to go on an errand with me."
"Go ahead and come in!"
I enter and meet a smile with a smile.
"An errand you said? What are we doing?" She starts putting on her shoes and tying her hair into the signature ponytail.
"You agreed so quickly. Don't you want to at least think about it before you agree like that? Not that I'm complaining."
"Nah I like going out till it's early AM. I do it a lot. Anyways, what we doin?"
I lean against the doorway as I wait for her to grab the last of her stuff. "Just running up to my house, bringing my stuff down, maybe making multiple trips. Nothing too complicated."
"Oh we bringing your sci-fi stuff to the garage? Offically moving in, about time! And while we do that you can keep me up to date on how things are going with you and Rick." She winks suggestively and I just give a little nervous chuckle.
"I mean nothing has happ-"
"Wait wait wait! We gotta talk about it on our way to your house. Come on, let's get started." She hurried downstairs and out the front door, I follow behind her. I'm honestly excited to hang out with her since it's been a while since we last talked.
We make our way down the street before Summer says, "okay now you can tell me what's been going on. Last I heard, you and grandpa went on an adventure with morty."
"Nothing really happened. We just looked for a village, killed a giant apparently, got arrested, set free, went to a bar, Rick won a bunch of money, and we gave it to the folk in the village."
She seems really disappointed with my explanation. "Okay...well did maybe something happen after Morty left? You and Rick were in the garage doing stuff right?"
I think about what happened the other day when the door closed and locked behind us, a small burning sensation ravages my face. Especially thinking about how close our faces were, his chest touching mine as he had fallen over me, and his breath steaming down my neck. O-or when he hugged me from behind! To keep me calm. "N-no nothing really went on." I look away from her trying to hide the lie.
She figures it out obviously, and prys deeper. "SO SOMETHING DID HAPPEN! What?! Did you guys kiss? Make out? A little something extra?" She nudges me playfully. Trying to get the details out of me.
I rub my arm and try to think of a proper way to word it. "I-it was an accident. He didn't mean anything by it."
"Ooooohhhh. Maybe it wasn't an accident. Come on, spill already!"
"O-okay," I take a moment to figure out what to say. "Alright, so we were working on a machine that Rick thinks will help suppress my powers. We were inside of it, and it's like a giant tub, with only one door to go in and out of. After probably a couple hours of working, I suggested we take a break since Rick is human and he needs rest and food. Just as we are packing up and getting ready to go, I accidentally fall over him. Which ends up making him fall as well. The only door in and out closes and locks behind us-"
Summer squeals, "I LOVE where this is going!"
"Trust me it doesn't go where you think it goes. But I will say that we had a moment after we realized what had happened. He was laying on top of me...in a...hm what's the right way to word this... friendly way. And our faces were, at most, 2 inches apart. Plus we were both a little mixed up after the fall so I could feel his breath running down my neck."
"That.is.so.hot," she bumps into me, "girl I think you got a chanceee! That's definitely a flirty moment. I don't think Grandpa Rick would've fallen on top of you like that if he didn't like you."
"I think it was just an accident. He got right off after I asked if the door was locked."
She makes a funny "heh" noise at her imagination running wild. "You guys totally could hav-"
"We couldn't have done anything. I was way too claustrophobic to even think after he said it was locked."
"Ah got you, nevermind not so hot...all I'm saying is I'm pretty sure you got a chance, accident or not! Are you at least finally going to admit to me that you like Rick?" Before I can say anything, she quickly specifies, "Romantically, I mean."
"I don't think I do though."
"Nope you answered too quickly. Think about it for a minute."
I sigh and give her the satisfaction of seeing me 'think' about my decision.
"Here I'll tell you a scenario, and I want you to keep imagining it as you two together. Ready?"
I nod and wait for whatever scandalous scene she's going to spew on me.
"Alright, imagine you're on an island. A remote one, with lots of greenery and beautiful blue oceans. It's nighttime and because there's no light pollution on this small remote island, you can see a whole universe of stars. You're laying on the soft sulked sand, staring up into the night after a long day in the ocean. The background sounds of small waves crashing get you easily lost in your own head. The stars above playing as theatrical light to your own fantasy.
Suddenly, after getting lost in thought you feel a gentle hand on yours. You look to your left to see Rick, staring into your eyes as brightly as the stars had. He scoots closer to you, taking your hand in his. Breaking the air between you, he says, 'you look beautiful tonight. The stars really bring out that angel in you.-"
I giggle unable to help it, " that's too out of character. There's no way he'd say that."
"We'll just imagine he can be a decent human being!" Summer protests. Clearly wanting to continue.
"Alright fine. All I'm saying is, Rick would probably say something about needing a drink or taking a dump." I sugar over her story.
"Fine, fine, I'll try to keep it more real" she starts to continue, but it's too hard for me to go back to the setting.
"Summer I don't think I like Rick like that. I'm sorry." I smile at her though, not wanting to break her dreams.
"Maybe not now, but you are so gonna fall for him later! Let's go back to our earlier conversation though!" Summer says as we arrive at my house and start packing random stuff into boxes. "Did anything else happen while you two were alone?"
I think about it for a moment, "actually I believe there was another moment. When I was freaking out after we found out the door locked, I started banging on the walls trying to get out. Rick comes up to me and hugs me from behind. Which he doesn't let go till I calm down. He was rather gentle about the whole situation." I feel myself get those butterflies in my stomach again. But not as intense as when I got them after Rick fell on me.
Summer practically lets her mouth hang after hearing the story. "Oh.My.God! He totally digs you! There's no way he'd do that for many other people. Morty maybe, but even that's hard to imagine! Normally he'd probably just knock you out so he didn't have to hear you freaking out!"
"I don't know about all th-"
"He probably knows you secretly love him and knew a hug would calm you down! That's actually, like, so sweet o.m.g." Summer day dreams about the cute scenario as we finish our first drop off at the house.
"I wouldn't jump to conclusions like that. Especially since you were wrong from the start." I lower my voice since we've entered the house and Rick could over hear us. Even if he is supposed to be sleeping. "I don't secretly love Rick."
"Rightttt, because at this point it's basically not even a secret!" She teases me on. Winking and giggling. I can't even lie, her laugh is pretty contagious as I laugh about it with her.
We start to make our way to the house again for the rest of the stuff we packed.
"Enough about me, what of you summer? Do you have someone you love?"
"PFT," she rolls her eyes. "Yeah I had someone, but he was totally a dick. He left me for a girl in our class known for having the biggest boobs. I hate him now."
I pat her back empathetically, "don't focus on the negative within the past. It made you who you are today. Not to mention it led you to have the knowledge that you have today. So what about now? Is there someone you love?"
She glances at me seemingly impressed, "that was actually and suddenly kinda impressive. I can't lie..." sighing, she looks away from me. We get inside and grab the last of the boxes. "Unfortunately I can't say there's anyone I love romantically." She finally answers after we head out of the house.
"Not even someone you are interested in?"
She shakes her head, "all the guys are jerks. Besides I'm trying to focus on myself and positive energy right now. I don't have time to babysit."
"Positive energy? I was unaware humans had the ability to react with energy."
"We absorb and give out energy all the time. Some good some bad. But that's why I focus on receiving and giving out the good. You should join me. You don't even have to be human to do it." She looks over at me with an encouraging expression for me to try it.
I chuckle before agreeing. "I'll gladly do it. I just never seen humans also participate in that behavior."
"You know the longer I'm hanging out with you, the more I realize how alien you are."
A little caught off guard, I glance at her. "I hope that's not a bad thing. You and Rick have told me that now."
She quickly shakes her head, "no no no that's not what I mean. I just meant your vocabulary is slightly off. And the longer I hang out with you, the more I notice it. I just thought it was funny. Sorry I didn't mean it the other way around."
"All good energy over here. Don't worry about it." I tease her slightly.
"You got me. That was pretty good." She chuckles a bit at my joke. "Also where are we putting your stuff? In your room or the garage?"
"Hm," I glance around the house as we make it back. "We can just put it all in my room. It won't take up that much space. Then I'll grab what I need when I need it."
"Sounds good," she says as we start moving everything into my room.
Not too long after, we finish all the moving and high five each other. "It didn't even take that long! I still got time to sneak out and hang out with my friends." Summer stretches excitedly.
"Ooh sounds like fun! Be careful outside. It's kinda dark." I comment as we head to the kitchen for some water.
"You want to come with?" She says as she hands me a cup.
Taking a sip, I shake my head "no thanks. I don't think I'd do well in a social setting. Plus I gotta wait for Rick to wake up so I can switch my collar. I think it's almost full."
"Yikes. Try to relax and do some yoga or something. Do you need me to do anything for you?"
I smile at the offer, "no that's alright. Thank you though. Have fun with your friends for me! That's what you can do."
She smiles back, nodding before running upstairs to get ready.
As she leaves, I put our cups in the washer before walking over to the garage. "I guess I'll fix the door before going to my room." I think to myself as I do just that.
Afterwards I head to my room to try and relax a bit. Closing the door behind me gently, I sigh and plop on the bed. Not wanting to sleep. But not really wanting to wander around either. "I can only imagine what will happen in the future. I never expected to get this far. Somehow I'd always expected to miss Rick. I wouldn't find him in time. But I did. And somehow that thought is scarier. What do I do from here?"
Glancing at my projects in the corner of the room, I feel a need to go work on them. I want to, but I'm not sure I should. Considering I can feel the effects of the collar less and less. I'll probably have to change it when Rick wakes up.
Grunting in displeasure, I turn on my side away from my projects. "I guess I'll just try to relax for awhile." I say to myself as I stare at the wall in front of me.
Not long after I hear Summer walk out and head to her friend's house. And I can't lie, now I'm starting to wish I went with her.