The Incredible League of Goth Pizza Haters (RH)

Part 86

Author's Note: I have no idea what Rik Dik's family is actually like so I did my best here. Correct me if I wrote anything too horrendously inaccurate.

---Sylvia---

Ricky left the next morning. I joined him on the car ride to the airport.

I hugged and kissed him one more time in the lobby. He clarified the dates of when I would be coming to visit and promised to text me when his plane landed. I watched him walk off and then endured the long, slightly lonely drive back home.

Back at the house, I cuddled with the cats and worked.

***

Three weeks later

***

"Don't worry, they're going to like you." Ricky said, dragging a brush through his hair. He winced as it pulled free and took a few dark strands with it. "Fuck." he swore.

"Do you need help?"

"No," he grumbled, pulling at the knot. He dragged the brush through again, pulling out more hair. "How did it even get like this?!"

I left the couch of the tour bus and went into the back to sift through my stuff. I returned with a small spray bottle.

"It's probably from all the headbanging. Here."

He looked at me then the bottle, "What is it?"

"Detangler."

He took it and sprayed a bit.

"It smells like girl."

"It smells like fruit and it'll help sort out that rats' nest of your hair." he sighed and continued spraying and ruffling through the mess. He kept trying to tackle it with a brush, a line of profanities falling from his mouth.

The three weeks since I'd last seen him had passed nicely. I worked mostly, took a day off every now and then to spend with Mena, my family or to just adventure on my own. I'd also taken a lot of time with just myself to try to sort my shit out. I think I had, mostly.

The bruises had all faded and the only traces of what had happened were left by the occasional nightmare and paranoia. And my sleep had settled down to how it had been before. Every now and then I got a night terror or cluster fuck dream but it's always been that way. I was used to it and it wasn't a bother considering most of the time I slept fine.

Another thing, I'd gotten my car back. My sweet old grandma car had been found in a vacant lot a few miles outside of the city. I'd missed it and with it's return.. Everything began to feel more and more normal, or at least settled into a slight routine.

I'd joined MIW on tour two days ago and they'd played their final Oregon show last night. Tonight was their Washington show, or more specifically, their Seattle show. And the venue was conveniently only about fifteen minutes away from Ricky's parents' place. Where they planned to spend the night.

And I was absolutely dreading having to meet his family.

***

"Finally!" Ricky's mother exclaimed, wrapping her arms around her son, "You never visit!" he smiled and hugged her back briefly before they pulled apart. She stepped back, allowing him and the rest of us entry to their home. It was a nice place, not overly fancy but it had plenty of space and looked honestly like an upper middle class home.

His mother, a short woman with blonde hair, had an almost forced smile at seeing the rest of us. I wondered if she approved of Ricky being in this band. I wondered if she would approve of me.