New Town

Background...

Zoe's p.o.v
I wake up and see myself on an unfamiliar couch, I look around and see my phone on the table oh crap! I hope he didn't text me yet,I fell asleep without realizing it!!!! I pick up my phone and check the messages but nothing.... Phew that's a relief. I get up and look for Rick.          
"Hey Rick, where are you?" I go down the hallway and knock on each door until I find one that opens, I walk in slowly and look at the photos on the wall,its of him growing up with Josh and John but none of these pictures really seem happy though... 
  "Ah I see you've found those pictures..." There was sadness in his voice, I look at him.
  "What happened before? Why is John so unhappy looking all the time?"
  Rick sighs and runs a hand through his hair, "well honestly its a bit of a long story" Rick sits down and takes a long deep breath and let's it out slowly.
Ricks p.o.v
~flashback~
  "Heeeeeey man,me and some of my friends are gathering at my house,wanna come over?" Josh smiled at me and I nodded my head.
  "Sure thing Josh."
~couple hours later~
I walked into Josh's living room and saw the other guys on the couch when Josh walked over and put his arm around my shoulder.
  "So Rick this is mark,Sean, and Seth." Josh smiled at all of us.
  "Hey Josh, don't you have a twin brother or something."
  "Yeah but why does it matter?"
  "I wanna meet him."
  "Yeah let him meet the weirdo" Sean blurted out,while the others were laughing.
  Josh laughed and walks upstairs, after a little bit he came back down with his brother, "here he is the black sheep of the family" Josh chuckled and pushed him to Rick who automatically caught him.
  "No no man he's a silver sheep, look at his hair!" Mark joined in and everyone roared with laughter, I looked at john and he looked so sad I pulled him into a hug,which surprised everyone in the room,I looked at him with my angry face.
  "You guys are being bullies! You know how much I hate bullies!!! So either straighten up your act or I'm leaving y'all for good!" I quickly took johns wrist and walked out of the house and went to the park. John stared at me with confusion but hope I sigh and sit down on a bench, letting go of John's wrist.
   "Sorry about that, I just hate it when I see bullies....I had a younger sister and she took her life because of it." I see my knuckles turning white with how hard I'm gripping the bench and let go. John immediately hugs me and my eyes widen with surprise.
   "John, you ok?" I can feel him shaking, his whole body is trembling so I quickly sit him down on the bench beside me and he looks at me with tear stained eyes.
   " Y-your the only o-one that cares.... All t-they do is just h-hurt me! " John whispers through sobs and I gently pull him to me and rub his back.
   "It's going to be alright, I promise you that I'll never let them harm you again." I hear him sniffle and nod his head
   After he calmed down we hung out at the park for a while until Josh and his buddies showed up.
   "Ok Rick we're sorry we won't do it again just come back so we can hang out and play some video games or something alright." Josh shrugs as if it was nothing.
   " not unless John can join in, it's either me and him or neither. " Josh looked at John with disgust but shrugs and waves his hand to get us moving and I wrap my arm around John's shoulders which I see him smile at that. When we get back Josh hands out enough snacks,drinks, and controllers for all of us including John. Although they didn't bully him like before they tried their best in the games by always team tagging him,picking him last or 'asking' him to go get some more drinks for us.
   I finally understand what he meant, Josh never accepted John as his brother but only as a waste of space, so I decided that I would fill in the older brother shoes that were empty and hung out with John more so than the others regardless of the way they looked at me. I could honestly care less, until one night when I had invited john over for a sleepover.
   "I-i have something I need to tell you rick." I look at him questionably and put down my controller and nod my head for him to continue . "I appreciate what you've been doing and everything but i-i.... I think I'm g-gay." My eyes widen and look at him
   "What makes you think that?" Before I could react his lips crash into mine and I immediately pull back gasping looking at him like he's crazy, " what the neck man! " I yelled
   "I like you Rick and i know your straight but I couldn't pass up my chance to kiss you, it's ok if you hate me now though I can leave." John started to pack up and I don't know why but I let him leave I had to get my thoughts together. Throughout the rest of it, it was just super awkward and Josh always blamed it on John I still protected him just didn't get to close to him.
   ~end of flashback~
   Zoe's p.o.v
   I stare at him with intrigued eyes as he sighs again as if getting something huge off of his chest and I look at the pictures again.
   "So John fancies you and Josh was just a prick." I ask
   Rick stands up and looks at me with anger, " Josh might have been a complete jerk but he's dead alright don't talk about him like that and don't say stuff like that so coolly"
   I stare in shock at what he just said to me and I unconsciously reach out and grab his arm, "I'm sorry Rick I didn't mean to say it like that I'm just surprised."
   " I'm sorry too but I think you need to leave, it's already pretty late and your mom might be worried. " Rick walks me to the door and opens the door, "maybe we can text later but for now I need to be alone."
   " Alright, I'll talk to you later then. " I walk away from the door not really understanding the pain in my chest. Why does it hurt? It shouldn't matter that someone looked mad at me, why should I care!?!?! I get home and sit on the couch.
   "Welcome home honey, I'm making your favourite for dinner, go upstairs and get a shower. " she smiled at me.
   "Alright." I let my mind wander as I go upstairs until I feel my phone vibrate, I look down and check it.
   R: alright you got home safe that's great :) I roll my eyes at Ralph why wouldn't I be safe?