𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬. [ 𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐢 𝐚𝐮 ]

no show .07

"nervous?" frankie asks nini as the both of them walk into the gymnasium. nini saw crowds of people in the stands, cheering them on for their first volleyball game.

"no.."

"yes she is," gina added as she came up to the two girls, "rumor has it ricky bowen is coming today, right neens?"

"really? i uh .. had no idea," nini awkwardly said and made her way towards the team bench, "besides, him being here doesn't mean anything."

"oh shut up," frankie said to nini, "you can be excited! it's ricky bowen."

"yeah neens," gina said as her and frankie sat next to nini, "you're acting like we don't already know that you have a crush on him."

"whatever," nini laughed and stood up once she finished slipping her shoes on, "right now, all i care about is winning this scrimmage."

"hell yeah!" gina exclaimed and jumped up from her seat. gina soon saw ej, red, seblos, and kourtlyn walk in but no ricky.

"what?" nini quickly asked and turned around to see what gina was staring at. nini's face fell and she immediately got sad.

"hey.. it's okay nini," frankie said coming up from behind them, "maybe he's running late."

"yeah.. yeah probably," nini quickly said and forced a smile, "he'll be here. he promised."

"come on girls!! let's start warming up!" their coach yelled as they came up from behind them. nini looked at the stands one time for ricky, but he was nowhere in sight.

+

tw// violence & abuse

"dad!" ricky exclaimed as he came into the living room and saw his dad knocked out on the couch again with trash, beer bottles, and moldy food surrounding him, "it's three pm, why aren't you at work?"

"why aren't you at school?" his dad spat and covered himself with the blanket. ricky groaned and opened the blinds of the house.

"school ended like 20 mins ago," ricky said, "i just came home to check up on you and change."

"where are you going?"

"uh.. my friends volleyball game," ricky answered. ricky looked at the living room and groaned, "dad...mom's not coming back, okay?"

"you don't think i know that?" mike spat. ricky rolled his eyes and pulled the blanket off of his dad.

"dad-"

"it's been seventeen years of her gone," mike groaned and glared at his son in front of him, "i'm not an idiot."

"i didn't say that," ricky quietly said and tried to walk upstairs, but his dad grabbed his arm.

"did i say we were done talking?" mike screamed and yanked ricky backwards. ricky fell backwards on the floor, hitting his back.

"dad.. please," ricky cried as he laid on the door. he shielded his face from his dad, hoping to protect himself, "i didn't say anything..."

"YES YOU DID! YOU THINK I'M STUPID HUH, RICKY?" mike yelled and pulled ricky up the floor using his shirt. ricky closed his eyes, not wanting to make eye contact with his dad, "ricky.. i'm just trying to prepare you for the real world."

"this is not preparing me for the real world!"

"yes it is!! everything that im doing... ITS TOUGH LOVE!"

ricky got out of his dad's grip and ran up the stairs, "BULLSHIT! ADMIT IT! YOU WISH I WASNT HERE!"

mike ran up the stairs after ricky and pushed him down in the hallway, "CAUSE YOU TOOK YOUR MOM AWAY RICKY! SHE WOULD'VE BEEN HERE IF IT WASN'T FOR YOU!"