It's Up To You

Chapter 6

"Lauren? I've been looking all over this party for you!" Ricky shouted as he walked over. He stared at me, then Elvis, then back at me. "I see you put that red dress to use."

"Why don't you leave her up to a man rather than bothering her with your child play?" Elvis asked mockingly toward Ricky. In response, Ricky stood there with an embarrassed look on his face. Elvis slapped my butt twice to get my attention. "Hey, you didn't tell me the annoying little boy bugging you was Pricky Nelson."

"I swear—" Ricky lunged toward Elvis, but then stood a few feet away.

"Look at you? You're afraid of me." Elvis laughed as he rubbed his hand up and down my back. Then, Elvis looked to me with risen eyebrows. "He should be. I can snap him into two."

"How about we test that theory?" Ricky growled, his fists at his sides. I already knew how a fight between Ricky and Elvis would play out.

I didn't want to be the one to explain how Ricky ended up in the hospital. "Ricky, pipe down. I'll leave..."

"No, no, don't leave." Elvis held onto my waist with both hands. Then he looked to Ricky. "How about you head home to Ozzie and Harriet?" Elvis teased. "Film another episode of that sugar-filled show you push."

"Lauren, get off of this joke. We're headed home." Ricky angrily told me.

"Who says I want to get off of him?" I snapped at Ricky, bringing my fingers into Elvis' perfectly quaffed hair.

"Lauren. Let's go." Ricky repeated in a softer voice.

"She said she doesn't want to, Nelson. Do you have wax in your ears?" Elvis interjected.

"Why don't you take your stub out her pussy so we can leave?" Ricky shouted, but you could tell he was getting frustrated. Elvis and Ricky had been at each other's throats for years. One always wanted to be the best, whether it was music, girls or style.

Ricky swears Elvis took his hairstyle and passed it off at his own. Elvis swears Ricky began copying his clothing, with his popped collars and statement suits. Ricky just knows he was the first heartbroken teen sensation. Elvis insists that he had girl's hearts first, Ricky just hopped on to that bandwagon.

And now here I was, after meeting Elvis for the first time, both of the boys were fighting over where I should be. I knew that Ricky didn't truly care where I went, but knowing that I was in Elvis' arms riled up those competitive tendencies.

"Fine. I'll head home." I began to get off of Elvis. Crawling out of the bed, my dress was still bunched up around my waist. The lower half of my body was on full display, Ricky looked up at the ceiling with a clenched jaw.

I stared at Ricky while slowing pulling down my dress, Elvis watched me ass as he laid in the bed behind me.

Then, I slowly walked over to Ricky, one foot in front of the other. "And you said I didn't know how to have fun."

Ricky didn't have an answer. I slowly got on my knees on the floor in front of him, Ricky's body tensed. He exhaled once he realized I was only picking up my red heels, then I brushed against him while walking out the door.

"I won't forget this, Presley." I heard Ricky warn from the hallway.

"Yeah, remember my name every time you see my hit songs bump you off the charts." Elvis laughed. I giggled from the hallway, causing Ricky to turn around and shoot a look at me. I stopped my laugh, then Ricky looked back to Elvis.

"If I didn't have to bring her home, I'd sock you." Ricky threatened, then Elvis burst out into a large laughter.

"Boy, you're funnier than Abbott and Costello." Elvis laughed out. "Sure, that's the reason you don't want to squabble."

"If want to throw down, I'm ready anytime!" Ricky shouted.

"Yeah?" Elvis asked with furrowed eyebrows.

"Yeah!" Ricky shouted. Suddenly, I wasn't the only person standing in that doorway. As they spoke, more and more people gathered around to see the spectacle.

Ricky looked behind him at all the people in the door, then back at Elvis who was twisting the rings on his finger.

"Whatever." Ricky waved, then walked toward the doorway.

He stood there in front of the crowd and the crowd stared back.

Then, they realized he was waiting for them to let him out. I watched Ricky as he slowly walked down the hallway, not even looking to see whether or not I'd follow.

A short guy ran up the steps. His hair was quaffed, he wore a short sleeve button up with the sleeves cuffed and his slacks were expensive. "I swear, if either one of you fools break something in my house you're both out!"

"Paul, I'm leaving." Ricky said in a defeated voice. I stood closely behind Ricky and Paul looked to me.

"Who's this?" Paul Anka asked with a grin.

"No one of your concern." Ricky wrapped an arm around my waist. "Come on, we're leaving."

Ricky and I walked out of that house together that night. That was the night something changed in Ricky, he never looked at me the same way. I didn't look at him the same way either.

After driving home, we both tiredly walked into the house. I had on my burgundy coat once again. Ozzie and Harriet were still in the library, probably waiting for us. Harriet was asleep in her chair.

"How was it?" Ozzie asked quietly as the fireplace burned next to him.

"Fine." Ricky answered for both of us. Ricky and I walked next to each other up the steps. Our shoulders brushed against each other as we walked down the hall.

Once we reached our rooms, I looked to Ricky and he looked to me. His blue eyes were tired and filled with regret. He turned left into his room and I turned right into mine.

He kicked off his loafers and I sat on my bed to take off my heels. We looked up at each other, I could see him in his room across the hall and he could see me in mine. Then, Ricky went over  to his door and shut it for privacy.

I kicked my heels to the side and stood up. Then, I walked to my vanity and slowly unzipped my dress. It began falling down at the sides, but I didn't take it totally off. I began taking off the bracelets I wore that night and the earrings in my ears.

Then, I walked over to my bed and held onto one of the spaghetti straps of my dress. Something told me to look up, so I did. When I looked out of my doorway and across the hall, there stood Ricky. His door suddenly not closed.

He stared at me, then walked into the hall and stood in my doorway. He leaned to one side. I noticed he was in his pajamas now. Ricky was always tall, but now he seemed to have been working out. A gold chain hung lazily on his neck.

I held up my unzipped dress, my spaghetti straps falling down my arms. His eyes drank in the vision of my body. My eyes didn't think he looked too bad either.

"You're not a virgin?" Ricky asked. I stood there for a moment, then shook my head no. When we heard Ozzie's footsteps coming up the steps, Ricky walked back over to his room and shut the door.

I closed my door too, then pressed my cheek to the wood. I shut my eyes, remember the way Elvis held me tonight. Then to my dismay, I remembered the way Ricky looked at me. I rubbed my hand across the wood, then to my wall. With one flick of the light switch, the lights were out.