Sometimes Things Fall Apart

Chapter Twelve

        It's been almost a week since the guy found his way into my house. Rick keeps coming over to check on me, trying his hardest not to be a dick. Throughout the week, he had helped me put a garden in front of my house and finish my own portal gun.

       "Rick, this is so damn cool! I didn't know you actually had your own portal gun!" Coughing, Rick got off the couch and stretched. "It's been eugh two days and you're still surprised?" 
       I mimicked him in a mocking voice before shoving my device into my lab coat. Rick turned and looked at me, a weird grin on his face. "What?"

       "I forgot that you haven't gone anywhere urp with the gun yet." He folded his arms across his chest. "Yea, so?" 

       "You up for an adventure today?" He has changed so much since I met him. It's been almost a month since I moved in, granted I was out of it for two weeks. "Depends on where we're going. What do I need to bring with me?"
       Rick gave a dismissive wave, "Don't worry 'bout it. I got it all covered. Let's go get ice cream." 

       Throughout the past month, Rick had spent less and less time at home. I felt kind of guilty for stealing him away. "C-Can we bring Morty and Summer? You're always here. I think they miss you. I don't want them to think I stole you." Rick's entire composure changed. He looked a little regretful. "Y-You're... you're right. Yea. We should eugh bring them along."

       I laughed, clapping my hands. "Cool! Let's go get them! Or do I need to change my outfit?" I looked down at my jeans and t-shirt. 

       "You can if you want." He pulled out his flask and took a sip while I ran upstairs and threw on black shorts and a maroon sweater. I went downstairs and found Summer and Morty already in my living room. "Hey guys, haven't seen you in a while. How goes it?" Summer waved halfheartedly and Morty just glared at me. I folded my hands behind my back and stared at the ground, rocking on my feet for a moment. 

       "I texted Summer and she brought Morty along." Rick looked over at me, "You alright, kid?" I looked over to Morty, his glare pinning me, and shook my head 'yes' while Rick carefully looked over to him as well, a frown tugging at his lips. 

       "Let's go get ice cream. We're gonna test (F/N)'s portal gun." Rick walked over to a wall, smacking Morty on the back of the head. "C'mon, (F/N). The coordinates are already in the gun. Just urp aim it at the wall and fire." 

        I gripped the gun and fired the portal, watching as blue and white swirls opened up a whole new world in my living room. We all stepped through it and I thought it felt like I was swimming in warm jell-o for a moment before I was suddenly standing in the middle of an ice cream shop.
       Weird people surrounded me. Some were aliens, others were like humans with extra limbs, and some were robots. 

       Rick took us up to the counter and ordered two mint chocolate chip's, a plain vanilla, and a chocolate cone, grabbed the items, and pulled us over to a booth. We sat and Rick handed me a mint chocolate chip cone while Morty got vanilla, Summer got chocolate, and he got the other mint chocolate chip. "I don't know how, but this is at least fifty times better than at home." I took a massive bite of the ice cream, ignoring the brain freeze, and looked around the little shop. 
       Everywhere I looked, there were aliens and robots. An absolutely stunning and astonishing view. I relaxed in my seat, watching Rick look around as well before he looked back at me. I smiled, "This is nice, Rick. Really, thanks for doing this." His cheeks gained a light pink tint, "I-It was noth-nothing."

       "Y-Yea, Rick, thanks for finally remembering your family." Both Rick and myself turned to face Morty, seemingly seething with rage towards me. "Morty, what's wrong?" He turned and looked at me.

       "Wh-What's wrong? What's wrong? You stole Rick, (F/N). You-You took him from me. He doesn't take me anywhere anymore. He's always at your house doing God knows what while we're over here wondering if he's gonna come back eventually. You might be just across the street, thinking it's not th-that big a deal, but h-he's left us, just like he left my mom. A-And it's all because you're too weak and dumb to-to protect yourself." Morty just glared at me, breathing heavily, as both Rick and Summer's jaws dropped.

       "Excuse me." I stood and made my way to the restroom on the other side of the ice-cream shop. "(F/N), hold on! Dammit, M-Morty!"

       Once inside the restroom, I looked at myself in the mirror. I sniffed a few times to keep from crying before I pushed my stray hairs behind my ears. "M-Maybe Morty's right. I am too weak and too dumb to protect myself. I shouldn't have gotten myself into that mess. Rick wouldn't have stayed that night if I had managed to get rid of the guy, and he never would have had to watch me if I had just stayed home instead of going to get food. I'm so fucking stupid." I looked into the mirror for another minute before I grabbed a tissue to blow my nose.
       As I grabbed the tissue, the restroom door opened and a girl that looked just like me walked in, wearing the same outfit as I was. I shrugged it off before I used a few more tissues and walked out of the bathroom, finding Rick waiting for me. 

        "C'mon, let's go home."
       "Where are Summer and Morty?" Rick gave me a confused look, "They're at home?"

       "Oh..." I guess he must've sent them back through another portal.

       "Are you feeling okay, (F/N)?" Rick wrapped an arm around me, pulling me to the side. "Y-Yea, I'm fine."

      "Hmm... come on, let's go. I think you need to take a break." Rick shot a portal at the wall and pulled me through.