The Incredible League of Goth Pizza Haters (RH)

Part 38

---Sylvia---

I was standing on the porch, thinking about houses when Ricky joined me. He strode up behind me and poked me in the side. I jumped, and he smiled. He slipped his hand in mine and pulled me through the backyard where the trampoline stood vacant. He stopped by the trampoline, jumping up and rolling gracefully to the center where he propped his head up with one hand and crossed his legs.

"Am I gonna draw you like a french girl now?" 

"Try to get my curves right."

"Yeah and those sexy legs." I mounted the trampoline and rolled over to him, pushing his back against the netting and straddling him. I felt my knees press against his ribs and I jabbed them with a finger.

"Ouch."

"You feel skinny." I unzipped his jacket, "Careful now, don't try to kiss me." I joked and he let out a nervous laugh.

"I admit I misread that." I grinned and pulled up his shirt. I pinched his belly and he fidgeted.

"What are you doing?"

"Pinching your skinny emo belly."

"Alright then... So your mom told me a bit about you."

"Hm."

"Why didn't you tell me you were adopted? And you grew up in Nevada?" he asked. I slapped his stomach. He grabbed my arms and tried to flip me over. I fought back, laughing. After a few minutes, I jabbed him in the rib with my knee and he fell back against the netting.

"Wasn't important," I answered.

"I told you where I grew up." I fell into a silence and began admiring his features. His cheekbones and lips, mostly. I flicked the tip of his nose with my finger for no reason in particular and he smiled. "Anything else you left out?"

"Yep. Loads. I'm sure there's a lot of things you haven't told me either."

"That's all you're going to say?"

"Mhm. That's all the 'Tell' for this week's show and tell."

"What's the show, then?" I felt his hands on my hips and I grinned.

"You." I pulled his shirt up, exposing his nipples to the world.

"Oh god, Via. Why would you do this? This is nudity. I'll be arrested for public indecency." he said and I laughed and ran my hands along his chest, feeling the goosebumps prickling beneath my fingertips.

"What the fuck are you guys doing?" we both looked over to see Chris standing in the doorway. Despite the chilly weather, I felt a warm heat press over my face and Ricky's hands flew from grasping my hips to cupping his nips. 

***

Later that day after everyone had left and all the excitement of the day had died down, my family and I were all sitting about in the house. I was in the living room with Dani, who was watching a show I'd never seen before and could already tell I didn't like, and I received a phone call from Meg.

"Hello?"

"Hey... How was your Thanksgiving?"

"Good." I tapped my index finger against the case of my cell phone. It was obvious she was waiting to tell me something. "How was yours? Are you sorting everything out okay?"

"Yeah... I actually decided something... while sorting things out," she said. I soaked in the silence over the line as she inhaled her words and breathed them back out to me like the toxic smoke of a cigarette. "I'm leaving the band."

I don't have words to say back so I bite my lip and nod even though she can't see it. I knew Dani had been listening and she eyes me from the other side of the couch. I wonder if she's waiting for something dramatic. Some big rock star meltdown or accusation of ultimate betrayal. I suck my lip for a few more seconds before replying;

"Okay. I understand. You have a lot on your plate, Meg, and I hope everything works out for you and your kid."

"Thank you, Via. That means a lot," she said and after some goodbyes were said she hung up and I lowered my phone to my lap. We'd lost our keyboard player, which sucked but I knew keyboard, so.... Everything would be alright. The last few places I tried to get a gig for either said they were already booked or never got back to me. It was depressing. We weren't making money and everything I tried to do on my YouTube channel left me unsatisfied. I'd lost my house. My cat was sick. I'd been slipping into a brainwashing, creativity-killing depression.

But everything was going to be alright.