Ricki sat on her bed, New Year's day, staring at the lava lamp that sat on her dresser. She watched blankly as the pieces of lava floated and bounced around the glass tube. Christmas Break had been hell. She had thought that things would be a little different, but she was wrong. Her mother still saw her as a nusance, her sisters thought of her as a black sheep, and her father didn't even know her enough to think.
"Hell if I'm coming back here for Spring Break." She muttered, sprawling out on her bed. She couldnt' help but wonder about Zac.
What's he doing now? I wonder....He's probobally getting back from some wild party....Off somewhere in a corner, humping Susan....
Just the thought of Susan made Ricki's stomach turn. How could someone so pretty, so perfect...make her so sick? She shook her head and sighed. She just didn't know anymore.
But he got those tickets for me...He didn't have to do that...In fact, I'm wondering why he did that. That's not like him to be unselfish and nice. But he wasnt' nice about it...Still....it was nice..." She couldn't keep her brain from going in circles and circles and thinking and analyzing everything. Sometimes she gave herself such a headache.
Zac sighed and tossed the rubix cube up in the air with one hand and then cought it in the other. He did it again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. He was thinking about things...stupid things, important things...things.
Had he done the right thing? Well, Ricki had been right, Susan had been after one thing, that was for sure. It wasn't Zac Hanson, the terrible joke teller, the jello addict, the flunk at rubix cubes. It was Zac Hanson, muli-millionaire, recording artist, owner of a boxer porcshe. He shook his head. She hadnt' come right out and said it, but it was implied. He should have sene that all along.
But could he blame her? Would be do the same thing in her position? Go for someone because of their status? Their looks? Their reputation? He wasnt' sure. Would he? He had made a decision, and that was the important part. Maybe not a wise one, but he had made one.
All he knew was that Susan wasnt' for him. That brought his mind back to Ricki.
I wonder what she's doing right now...probabally thinking of what a dufus I am...How stupid I've been....Hell, she's probabally too pissed at me to even think about me...who am I kidding?
He sighed and looked at the rubix cube for a few seconds before beaming it at the wall.
Ricki stood outside her dorm room two weeks later, juggling her three bags while trying to blindly insert her key into the lock.
"Stupid bags..." She muttered. Suddenly an arm was in front of her and she heard the lock, and the door swung open.
She looked to the side and saw Zac standing beside her.
"Oh...hi." She said, caster her eyes to the floor.
"Hi." He said, grabbing on of her bags. Ricki sighed sheepishly and walked inside. She dropped the two on her bed, and turned around to face Zac.
"Where do you want this?" He asked, holding her bag.
"Oh, uh...just set it down."
"Kay." Zac said, putting it on the floor.
"Thanks." She said, opening one.
"No Problem." He answered, flopping on his bed.
He watched her unpack for a few moments. "If I'm not mistaken, you left here with...2 bags. Now you have three."
"I found some stuff at home that I wanted to have, that's all." She replied, opening another bag.
"Oh." Zac said. He watched her more.
"So how was your break?" He asked. He cringed inwardly. His awkward attempts at conversation sounded worse outloud than they did in his head.
"Fine thanks...you?"
"Oh, it was....it was....slow."
Ricki raised her eyebrows. "Really?"
"Yeah..."
"Why?" She forgot about being short with him and sat down on her bed.
"Oh...I have a lot of family, and for us, the holidays are always so....hectic. Ya know?"
"Yeah...I spent a lot of time alone, actually."
"You didn't have a good time?"
Ricki shook her head. "Not really."
"Oh." Zac said. He laid down on his bed, propping his head up with his arms crossed behind him.
"I'm just glad it's over, and tomorrow we can go back to classes."
"Yeah I guess." Zac replied. Maybe he could still be friends with Ricki. Maybe things could work out between them...that kiss couldn't have meant nothing to her too, after all.
"Well, I've got a date with Ashton. I don't know when I'll be home." She said, heading into the bathroom.
"Oh...okay." Zac said. He sighed glumly after she had gone in and shut the door. It was going to be a long second semester.
Ricki sat in the booth of the pizza parlor and Ashton sat across from her two weeks later. They had been hanging out a lot lately. However, Ricki felt that Ashton was getting ready to ask her something she just couldn't handle just then...
"Ricki, we've been friends for a long time, right?" Ashton asked.
"Yes, yes we have." Ricki replied, nodding. Good lord, he's gonna ask me...what am I gonna say....what am I gonna say?
"Well...Have you ever thought about taking that relationship a step further?"
Oh shit oh shit oh shit! Her mind screamed. Think fast now...how to let him down without sounding like a total bitch...crap, I'm screwed.
"Um...to tell you the truth, no." Ricki said, smiling awkwardly.
"Oh." Ashton frowned. "Well...Do you wanna give it a try?"
"What are you saying?" Ricki asked.
"Do you wanna be my girlfriend?"
Ricki looked at him blankly.
Ashton shifted uncomfortably in his seat, and the booth squeaked noisily.
"Like, do you wanna go steady?"
Shit.