Not Your Average Ricky(Ella) Story

The Pretender

A/N: I'm going to make April a slow month for Ricky because all the other chapters seemed rushed.

Song to listen to while reading: The Pretender by Lewis Capaldi

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It's finally the first Saturday of April and I get to hang out with E.J and Bowser again. Oh, it's also spring break but I don't get a break from the 3 L's so not spring break.

I don't know why E.J likes hanging out with me because he hasn't shown interest in me since we started going to school together 4 years ago. Maybe it's because Bowser is training to provide emotional and psychiatric support and I'm the guinea pig. Or the fact that E.J gets to talk to someone who is not his football friend when he trains Bowser with me. Who knows?

He still doesn't know that I write Lula's songs. He doesn't know that the 3 L's aren't biologically related to me. And he doesn't know that Lula is stealing my dream.

"Looking for this, Vicky? E.J said it's so beautiful and that he goes to church too." Lula holds her arm out in front of me as I walk down the stairs to leave the hell house.

She's wearing the bracelet my mom gave me, the one with the cross about faith and kindness.

"Where'd you find that? Give that back to me." I try to snatch it from her but she is too tall for me to fight against me.

She's a whole 5 inches taller than I am. Plus her stupid pink heels.

She took my songs, my future boyfriend, the guy I want to go to prom with, and now my bracelet.

I'm not happy at all. I have to pretend to be okay in front of E.J and Bowser.

E.J can't know about my mom's bracelet. That's so special to me, it's not Lula's.

"You'll get it back once you've written me a duet to sing with E.J," Lula calls while Lucy comes down the stairs pushing me out of the way while she is picking her nose.

"Forget it. You can have it." I grab my skateboard from the front door and run out to the sidewalk.

That's the only thing I have from my mom. All her possessions are in my dad's hands and my dad is behind bars.

At the place in the woods where I usually meet E.J and Bowser, I overhear him talking to his dad by a tree. I make it a point to hide behind a bunch of bushes and can't help but eavesdrop.

I shouldn't be listening to this.

"Dad, what's the point of the contest if Lula's already in the top 3? You love her songs so much that you will make her the top performer." I almost gasp while listening to E.J while he is holding Bowser's leash with one hand.

I can't hear what Mr. Caswell is saying to E.J but I can tell that he doesn't like what his dad says at all.

"I can't keep doing this for you Dad. I don't want to live your high school dream. What if Troy Bolton was bisexual? What if he didn't want to play sports? What if Troy Bolton never listened to his dad? Whatif he wanted a prince charming? Have you ever thought about what I want? Lula isn't my girlfriend after this competition, I am doing this for you. I would rather go to Prom with a prince or princess than her." I watch E.J lean his head against the tree while Bowser is napping on the ground.

There's a pause and I hear E.J sigh again.

"Okay, fine. I'll be at dinner tonight with the Princeton football recruiter. Goodbye, dad." I watch him tug at Bowser's leash to keep him from falling asleep.