Something I Need

1: An Invitation

        Put most simply, there aren't many ways to describe Ricky Wu. Tattoos and piercings all over-- he was what Ms. Brandt called bad news. Ricky had a true talent for getting on everyone's nerves, too. Especially his parents, who owned a local bakery and were already in over their heads running it all by themselves. With Ricky added into the equation, the couple were often simply overwhelmed, hard-pressed to come up with ways to distract their son and keep him out of trouble.

        Ms. Brandt's description of Ricky was a bit hypocritical, however, what with her being known around town for her promiscuity. She'd ruined more than one marriage by the summer in question, the summer in which Todd was in need of his operation, and Fiona had her first interaction with Ricky.

        Unsurprisingly, they crossed paths in his parents' bakery. Fiona ordered a muffin, and he asked if she was the same Fiona that skipped a grade in elementary school and chopped all her hair off in freshman year. She confirmed his suspicions. He then asked if Ms. Brandt really did sleep with the number of people everyone said she did-- Fiona also confirmed that, but that was as far as their conversation went. They muttered hushed goodbyes and Fiona told him to have a nice day. He tried to follow her advice.

        From a very young age, Ms. Brandt taught her children to be scared of people like Ricky. People that skateboarded around, wore their hair in a certain style, or had lots of tattoos and piercings. Making small talk with the guy, Fiona couldn't quite tell what all the hype was about, though. Sure, she thought, he's a bit immature, but he's hardly the menace adults have been warning me about ever since I hit puberty. In fact, Fiona was picking up on something that people typically didn't realize about Ricky until they'd known him for a long while; he was no more or less troublesome than any other teenager in that town.

        Their chance encounter was during the first day of summer vacation, when the freedom hadn't yet dulled and the panic from Fiona's impending adulthood had not set in. The next day, however, Fiona spiraled into what Todd described as her "existential crisis" and spent a full 14 hours sitting in the bathtub.

        "What about Ricky Wu?" Todd asked, running his fingers through his sister's hair in a soothing fashion. She was leaning against the cool porcelain of the bathtub, her back facing her younger brother. "You said you ran into him, right? He has a car."

        "As if he'd let us borrow his car to drive to California," Fiona chuckled. "He probably has plans and stuff, anyway. Don't want to put anybody out, remember?"

        "So, we invite him," Todd concluded. "I bet he'd love to come."

        "No way," Fiona said, shaking her head rapidly.

        "Fi," Todd moaned. "This was your idea!"

        "I am not sitting in a car for-- how many hours?"

        "Forty," Todd supplied.

        "I am not sitting in a car for forty hours with Ricky Wu. No way, not happening," Fiona said. "I am on the verge of adulthood, and he is on the verge of graduating from preschool."

        "Maturity wise," Todd agreed, "but he's actually a year older, biologically."

        "Seven months," Fiona corrected, spinning around to look at her brother. "And he's trouble on two legs, remember? No way. Not happening."

 _-_-_-_-_

        "You want me to what?" Ricky asked, leaning over the bakery counter, eyes narrowed in soft curiosity.

        "I have to have a surgery, and our mom is out of town. We need you to drive us to California."

        "You can't drive?" Ricky asked, turning his gaze to Fiona, who self-consciously crossed her arms over her chest. She drew her bottom lip into her mouth and bit down, before faintly shrugging her shoulders.

        "We don't have a car," Todd corrected. "But you do."

        "California is like... two thousand miles from here."

        Fiona cleared her throat. "Two thousand seven hundred eighty-eight, actually."

        "Right," Ricky agreed, tone light and polite. He smiled a smile that sat in his eyes and curled his upper lip sarcastically. "We don't actually know each other. You two could be murderers."

        "She cries every time she watches Finding Nemo. Not murderer material," Todd replied, waving his hand dismissively.

        "Todd!" Fiona squeaked, swatting at her brother's arm. Typically, she wouldn't bother-- but, well, Ricky was cute, and if Todd mentioned the bathtub or anything of that nature, she knew it would be enough to force her into melting into a puddle on the spot. If by some odd twist of fate, Ricky decided driving them to California wasn't too crazy to actually agree to, she didn't want him thinking she was some sort of emotionally unstable lunatic.

        "No need to sound so scandalized," Ricky soothed. "That movie could make anybody tear up."

        Fiona bit back the grin she felt forming, but there was nothing she could do to hide the blush that spread from the tops of her ears to the apples of her cheeks. Instead, she pretended nothing was happening, and tore her gaze from Ricky and his dumb eyebrow piercing, as if people's eyes weren't already drawn to his (almost scarily) symmetrical face.

        "Did I mention that I'll die if I don't have this surgery?" Todd pressed. "Are you helping or not?"

        "When do we leave?" Ricky sighed. He was smiling, though, which Todd reciprocated, nudging Fiona with his elbow. "Don't look too happy," Ricky joked, poking Fiona lightly on the nose before removing his apron and climbing over the counter.

        "Um," Fiona said, following her brother and Ricky as they paraded out of the bakery.

        "Well, I have to pack, obviously, but we can leave in a bit, if you're up for it," Ricky shrugged. "Honestly, this was going to be a boring summer."

        Ricky pulled his car keys out of his pocket and unlocked his car, opening the passenger door, which Todd promptly climbed into. Ricky shut the door after him and leaned his back against it, facing Fiona with a wide smile.

        "You're not worried about us being murderers?" Fiona clarified. 

        Ricky chuckled, opening the door to the backseat for her. "Oh, please. Everyone knows that the Brandt kids are angels. I'm surprised this town hasn't brainwashed you into thinking I'm a murderer."

        "Just barely missed that memo," Fiona mumbled, climbing cautiously into the surprisingly clean car. She waited until Ricky got in and buckled his seat belt before she continued. "If  we're going to be in a car together for two days, we're going to need a few ground rules."

        "Leave it to Fiona to make a road trip lame," Todd joked, turning on the radio, with the obvious intention to drown out his sister's rules. "I know you've suddenly decided that you're rapidly approaching elder-status, but this is just a road trip."

        "An important road trip. Plus, we don't know Ricky-- we don't know you, Ricky. I don't know what you're like."

        "I don't bite, don't worry. I'll follow your rules, Fiona. As long as none of them dictate what I'm allowed to eat or drink."

        "Don't give her any ideas," Todd groaned, turning the radio up louder.