Lean on Me, Until the End || rini au

going back

"ricky! get down here please!"

the boy runs down the stairs and is greeted by his mother

"sit down." she sighs

ricky looks at his mom with curious and weary eyes and follows what she says

"now, you know that my work has been getting a little hectic lately?" she tells him

he nods

"well, you're going to have to-" she takes a deep breath "you're going to have to go back to salt lake city for senior year."

ricky scoffs "are you actually kidding me right now?! i'm not some suitcase that you guys can drag around all the time! i move away from salt lake to come here, then i have to move back?!"

"ricky-"

the boy shakes his head and runs up the stairs, slamming the door of his room.

he feels the anger rising inside of him and takes a deep breaths as he looks at himself in his mirror.

the boy unlocks his phone and calls his friends quickly.

"wait what?!" sarah and tj exclaim, shocked, in unison after ricky told them everything

"i know!" he groans

"wait ricky, are you like this because of your mom, or is it because of n-"

ricky glares at sarah and she sighs

"sorry, the brunette?"

ricky rubs his hands over his face and takes a deep breath

"i just- i haven't seen her since everything. and i'm still in love with her you know?"

the two nod

"i was the worst person to her and she never deserved any of it!"

"but, you know that you've changed ricky." tj tells him

"but that's how i am here! what if i go back and become the same ricky who played people and who didn't care about anything?" he asks worried

sarah laughs softly, "we know the real ricky, and you do too. you're going to stay just the same because it's who you are."

"and if you don't, me and sarah will fly over there and give you a good whooping to get you back." tj grins

the three laugh and he smiles

"i'm going to miss you guys."

"we will too nugget." sarah smirks

~~~

ricky laughs at his phone as he turns it off and looks at the window.

he sees the plane accelerating and soon, the city lights of chicago are behind him.

the boy nervously puts his headphones in and listens to music as he slowly drifts off to sleep.

~~~

ricky wakes up to the sound of the pilot announcing the descent to salt lake city.

he takes a deep breath and feels his nerves getting to him.

he was excited to see his friends again and go back to east high, but the pit in his stomach of seeing her was too big.

the guilt was too big.

not long after landing, ricky had his suitcases and backpack with him, walking through the arrivals gates.

suddenly, he feels himself getting crushed by three people gasping

he laughs as he takes in his friends in front of him.

gina's smile widens as she slaps ricky's arm.

"ow!" ricky yells as he massages it

"ricky bowen you are so annoying! you don't tell your best friends that your moving back?!" she exclaims

"i wanted it to be a surprise." he smirks

"well i'm surprised!" ej says

the four laugh as they all catch up on everything, while heading to ej's car.

***

nini was laughing with aria in their room as they were watching a movie

aria kept throwing popcorn at the screen, and nini was taking in how serious her sister took the events happing on screen

"it's just a movie. it's all fake." nini grins

aria gasps and throws a pillow at her.

"you do not get to say that! i mean, look at them!" aria whines

nini giggles when she scrolls through her phone.

she drops it suddenly with her jaw.

"what's wrong?" aria asks confused

"i-i-it's-i-" nini can't form the words.

the nerves were getting to her

the smaller brunette takes the phone in bewilderment and her eyes widen.

"ricky bowen came back?!" aria exclaims

nini doesn't say anything.

she bites her bottom lip and closes her eyes.

she knew the summer was too good to be true.

and she knew that this year wasn't going to go well.