Alice Avery
"I never thought I'd see the day you get a tattoo." Mandy says as she studies the ink on my forearm. "And with Ricky," she added.
"I was sober too." I reply and she laughs.
"What did Ricky think about it?"
"I don't really know. He didn't say much but I think he was happy. I mean, we're together now so." I reveal and her mouth falls open.
"Like officially together? Like you can't screw other people?
"Yeah we're like, like a couple." I cringe lightly, was weird saying it because I sounded like a lovesick teenager.
"Took you two long enough to figure that out." She said and I laughed with her. "You're happy, right?"
"I am, truly." I replied with certainty.
Mandy smiled for me. "I'm really glad, Alice."
"Me too."
"That's right, me too." A man's voice says sarcastically behind me and Ricky comes up from behind me. "What are we talking about?"
"You," Mandy and I say together.
"Yikes," he says. "I don't even want to know."
"It was all awful things, don't you worry." Mandy tells him jokingly, it was easy for her to show him kindness after what happened which comforted me. At least she was on my side.
"Ricky." A low voice sounded near by, it was Razzle. "You're up, let's go." He instructed Ricky rudely.
Ricky gives me a look that says 'I told you so' and I couldn't help but frown at how cold Razzle was acting. "Just go race, don't piss him off anymore than you already have."
"I'll catch you after." He said and leaned down, pressing his lips against mine before taking off.
The only reason I came here tonight was to avoid chaos and fall back into my life again. I hadn't been to a race in ages and that's how I know that I haven't exactly been myself lately. It was nice to see everyone again and I really hoped this would become a more common thing again.
Just as Ricky left his place was soon taken by Razzle. "Listen, it might not be my place to say anything-"
"You're right, it's not your place." I cut him off and his face goes sour.
"What the hell are you thinking, Alice, honestly?" His volume raised.
"I'm thinking that you should back off."
"I'm looking out for you," he defends.
"No, you're controlling me." I state and his eyes roll.
"Well with the choices you've been making lately it seems that you need to be controlled."
"Fuck you," I almost yell. "You're ruining my night."
"You need to grow up, open your eyes while you're at it."
"You don't know anything."
"I know that he's going to hurt you again." Razzle says so confidently it makes my blood boil. "And you won't have my shoulder to cry on when it happens."
Not much shocked me but this certainly did, this was dangerously unlike him. "What the hell is the matter with you?"
"You're being stupid. You're a lot of things Alice, but you aren't supposed to be stupid."
"I'm a lot of things? What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" A few heads turned at Razzle and I. The race wasn't the center of attention, we were. "What am I, Razzle?"
He silently shook his head. "Oblivious," he said. "You're oblivious."
"Really?" I scoffed. "I doubt that."
"Who does Ricky remind you of?" He asked suddenly.
"What are you talking about?"
"Who does he remind you of?" His voice lowered in a haunting way. "Didn't the incident with Link ring any bells? Who does he remind you of? You want a hint?" Razzle's voice dropped to a near whisper. "You're father."
I shoved him away from me as a pair of hands grabbed my shoulders. I threw my fists around in a panic and landed a hit on the person behind me which happened to be Ricky. As much as I hoped for a casual night, I ran from the sea of people with teas streaming down my face. Razzle and I hardly fought and even when we did it was nothing like that. I was hyperventilating due to how overwhelmed I was, I had fear that maybe Razzle was right. Maybe Ricky was similar to my Dad in horrifying ways, maybe for more similar than we know. I never thought about that and now I wish that it was never brought up.
"Are you okay?" Ricky came running after me. "Alice," he said and I looked up. "What happened?"
"I- I don't even know. He just started saying stuff and it got out of hand." I said quickly as I fiddled with my fingers. "Can you just take me home?"
"You aren't coming back with me?"
I took a sharp breath in. I didn't answer him but I kept my gaze. "You're not him."
His eyebrows furrowed, "not who?"
"You care," I said. "And you're kind, you aren't selfish, you exceed expectations and you try. You have the capability to love so, I know that you will never be him."
He just nodded along, "I have no idea what you're talking about."
I released a breath. "Is your face okay?"
"I'm fine. Are you okay?"
"Yeah." I nodded, taking a step forward. I wrapped my arms around him tightly, fearful that he would disappear and change for the worse.
I shut my eyes and a tear slipped out, my unsteady breathing didn't go unnoticed by Ricky. "Hey," he lifted my head from his chest and cupped my red cheeks. "Whenever you're ready to talk, okay?" He assured me while wiping my tears.
"I need you to leave that part of your life behind." Tears continued to fall as I begged him, we both knew exactly what I was begging for. "I need you to do that for me."
"I know," he said and pulled me back to his chest. "I know."
I trusted Ricky, he could fix this, he would put me first. He would choose me over this, I come before everything, right?
A/N
I'm alive
I'm so busy and school hasn't even started yet:(
This chapter is sorta boring it's kinda just a filler chapter
Next few chapters are gonna be fun *insert witch laugh*
Trying to get updates out, I promise!!!!
