Baby Love ── RICKY BOWEN¹

fifteen. is it too much to ask

.·゜゜·　　·゜゜·．

"Do a flip, then."

I scoff, pushing Ricky just enough to make him stumble away from me. "Do I look like a circus monkey to you, Richard?" He raises an eyebrow, and I glare at him. "It's a rhetorical question, idiot." Finally, I turn to Big Red, who's basement we just walked into mid-argument without stopping to greet him. "Hi, Big Red."

He looks between us in confusion. "I...didn't know you guys were coming?"

I glance to Ricky, who gives a sheepish smile. "Yeah, I may have forgotten to respond to your text." He flops down onto the chair behind him. "But it's cool, right? Mars and I are a fun time."

"Me? A fun time?" I snort. "I've never had anyone say that about me before."

"Wow, you're so edgy," Ricky muttered sarcastically, reaching forward to take Rico from me. I shoot a glare his way, but loosen my grip on the baby, allowing him to plant him on his lap. "Your mom is an edge lord, Rico."

"Don't talk shit about me to our son."

"Why not? We're getting a divorce soon anyway."

I shoot a glare at him, and instantly Ricky is laughing. I've been trying really hard not to think about the fact that Ricky will have no obligation to spend time with me soon. Like...really hard.

"It's weird," Ricky starts, and both myself and Big Red turn to him, "not being at rehearsal. How weird is that?"

"What if we just did the show without her?" Big Red suggests.

I shake my head as I sink down to sit on the floor. "It won't feel the same," I mutter, picking at the lint on my jeans.

Ricky agrees. "We can't even take a picture without her." Then he pauses. "No offense," he tells Big Red.

"Nah, you're right, dude," Big Red retorts, voice laced with defeat. I mean...none of the pictures were actually useable, so he's not wrong.

I was fully prepared to sulk, maybe force the boys into watching a movie with me, but things don't ever seem to go how I plan. First Kaden showed up with Stef and Rico. They were shortly followed by Ashlyn. Then came Ben and Amy, which frankly, I don't even wanna know why the two of them were together. Then suddenly, the entire drama department is in Big Red's basement in uncomfortable silence.

Then we weren't.

I'd be lying if I said I actually listened to what everybody was saying. I listened to bits and pieces, there were some remarks about Miss Jenn's past, a few unnecessary attitude laced comments, and then we did the whole Wildcats chant. It was all very heartfelt and adorable, and I think I would have appreciated it more if my stupid baby didn't start screaming in the midst of it.

All eyes turned to me expectantly when Rico's crying blared, which, honestly is not fair, because Ricky is his damn parent too, why do they just expect the mother to take care of it? This is sexist. But I don't say that, I just pick Rico up and trudge my way up the stairs to calm him down. It's not like I was contributing to the conversation, anyway.