Summertime Madness: HSMTMTS Imagines

Midnight Crisis (Ricky, E.J)

Requested by
DaPugLife87

Ricky's POV:

Miss Jenn called me to the office three days ago, apparently I got a phone call from my dad. I thought that we weren't allowed to be in contact with our parents unless their was an emergency but I guess not. My dad didn't even ask me how camp was, he just went straight to the point. He told me that my mom is getting remarried. He said that I should have the right to know now and not after summer camp. He didn't want to hide the truth from me but he also didn't like saying it over the phone. Then he hung up and sounded like he was at work.

I've been spending the past three days alone. No camp activities. No music room. No dance rehearsals and no final jam. I just wanted to be left alone. My bunkmate, E.J was too busy spending time with his girlfriend, Gina to realize my behavior.

Now, I'm sitting on my top bunk while I wait for E.J to come back from his hang out with Gina. It's nighttime. We are supposed to be in our cabins by 10:30 but none of us really do except for Big Red who has a sleep apnea machine and can be dead asleep if a wolf comes. I always wait for E.J to come back because I don't like sleeping alone especially since we are in the woods for a few weeks.

"Hey, you're still up. What's wrong? You didn't join us for archery or the music room today," E.J walks in the room shirtless but still has pajama pants on.

"Can't sleep and it's too early," I mumble since he has the bottom bunk.

"Do you want to talk about it? I've noticed that you haven't been to any camp activities in the last few days and everyone misses you, even Miss Jenn," E.J says while putting a shirt on.

He must have gone swimming with Gina.

"No, I'm just going to try to sleep. Tomorrow we have rehearsals again and Miss Jenn doesn't like when we are distracted or tired," I mumble again.

"Ok, well I'm here if you need to talk," E.J replied but I was already hidden under the covers.

I tried my best to fall asleep but nothing worked. I even hid under my pillow. I missed Nini and my mom and the way things were before junior year. I hate change and everything keeps bottling up inside of me. I can't tell E.J because he's a grown man and he's going to college next year. He has the perfect life and he has Gina. I have nothing. Big Red doesn't count he's more like moral support when he can be.

I even took my shirt off quietly, hoping that I wouldn't wake up E.J.  I felt warm and my heart was racing. I felt sweaty and didn't know what was happening. I just wanted Nini to tell me that everything would be okay. Fricking Todd ruined my life.

"Ricky, are you okay?" E.J's head popped out from the bottom bunk as I put my shirt on for the third time to calm down.

"Yeah," I stumbled with my words and started to feel dizzy.

"You've changed your shirt at least three times and haven't slept at all. It's 12:30 am what's wrong? Do you finally want to talk about it?" E.J asked as he sat on his bottom bunk.

"My mom is getting remarried," I tried to breathe and pronounce my words but it came out more like 'my mom is dead'

At this point, my heart was beating so fast. All I could think of was Nini and my vision was blurry. I felt like I was having a heart attack.

"E.J, I don't feel so great," I stated while my hands shook as I sat on the top bunk too afraid to come down.

Everything was happening at once and I didn't know what was going on until I felt E.J's hand placed on my heart.

"It's okay breathe with me in and out. In through your nose and out through your mouth. 1.. 2.. 3," I hear E.J's voice.

His voice was so calm and his palm was warm. I didn't care if this looked weird. I just leaned my head on his chest and started to cry.

"It's ok Rick. Take deep breaths in and out," E.J kept saying to me and at some point all I could hear was his heart beat on his chest.

I kept trying to breathe in and out like he said to and it was working. Slowly, my heartbeat went back to normal and my hands stopped shaking. It felt like five minutes but was more like 20. The clock almost was reading 1:00 am.

"Shit, I'm sorry about your shirt. This is so embarrassing," I say as I get off his chest and get back into bed.

"It's okay. I'm glad I could help. I used to get panic attacks before my sports games but Ashlyn taught me the breathing trick to help me before the games. I understand if you don't want to talk about it. But its better to talk to someone than to hold it all in and bundle up your emotions," E.J says as he jumps off of my bunk and down to his.

"Oh so that's what that was," I sat on my bed staring down at him.

"Yeah, it's not something that goes away. You just get them in certain situations. I know it sucks but there are ways to treat them immediately," E.J says handing me my water bottle

E.J Caswell used to get panic attacks? I took a sip of water.

"Ok but you have to promise not to tell anyone," I give in and decide to tell him my problems.

"I promise I won't tell anyone," E.J puts out his pinky from the bottom bunk and I put mine out for him.

Pinky swears are stupid but whatever.

"Come sit down here," E.J pats the other side of his bottom bunk for me and I climb down.

I decide to sit a bit closer to him just to feel comfortable and all. I hope he doesn't mind.

"My mom is getting remarried and Big Red is always talking about Ashlyn and Nini and I aren't together anymore. My dad works like crazy to pay the bills and feed us. I feel so alone and I don't know who to talk to anymore. I just shut everyone out. I got the phone call about my mom a few days ago and decided that camp wasn't for me anymore and I just hid here when I needed space," I rambled to E.J but he just rubbed my back and sat there listening to me.

"I know it sucks right now but things will get better and you will find new opportunities. Also, you can call me whenever you need a friend or someone to rant to," E.J replied while I leaned my head on his shoulder.

Not in a romantic way but in a brotherly bromance way. I needed someone to look up to and maybe E.J was the right person.

"Thanks E.J," I slowly drift off to sleep on his shoulder.

I feel him tuck me in but I can't tell if I'm in my bunk or his. I just know that I can call him anytime I have a midnight crisis.