Rickola

Rickola | Chapter Seventeen

Rickola | Chapter Seventeen

© Katelyn Moore

“Bullshit!” Bianca was on her feet, eyes bulging and mouth hanging open. “Bullshit!” Her initial reaction was one of shock. She couldn’t move when she saw Rick, but then something must have happened in that mind of hers.

“Bianca.”

“Bullshit!”

What was with the bullshit? Clearly, she was having one major fan-girl moment; she couldn’t say another word. I turned to Kylie and watched her. She hadn’t said anything yet. In fact, she was as still as a stone in her seat, eyes firmly locked on Rick.

I chanced a look at him. This was not how I was expecting things to go. Where was the screaming, the dancing with joy? I would even take potential homicide over this reaction. Bullshit? Seriously? Rick gave a little shrug. He didn’t know what to do either. Our proximity most likely wasn’t helping the situation, but anyone could comprehend our body language as the intimate kind. It was definitely not bullshit.

As Bianca was the only one to react physically, even if it was in an extremely futile way, I decided to focus on her. At least she had her voice. Well, sort of. “Bianca, have you got anything else to say?” I wasn’t sure I could control myself if she answered with another—

“Bullshit!”

“Bianca!”

My raised voice seemed to bring her out of whatever world she had entered. “What?” she asked, eyes flicking between Rick and me so quickly they should have jumped right out of their sockets.

“Oh, she can say more than bullshit,” I mocked, desperate for her to say something more.

Her expression calmed a little as the full reality of what she just found out sank in. “You and Rick Avery? There’s no way.”

“There’s way,” I persisted. Kylie giggled, a smile forming on her lips. “What?”

“It’s just kind of hard to believe, is all,” Bianca answered for her.

Why was it so difficult for them to comprehend this? “Why? Because I’m me? Because I’m not famous, not as pretty as a starlet?” Rick placed a comforting hand on my back. This was not fair. Just because I didn’t wear my hair down every day, I didn’t slap on loads of make up, wear high heels or dresses, because I wasn’t the ideal image of a girl Rick Avery would date, did not mean it was totally impossible. Actually, it was very much possible, and it was happening. I had recently come to accept our relationship as real, so why couldn’t they?

I knew I was overreacting a little, but they were practically insulting me. I had taken enough verbal abuse over the past couple of days. I didn’t know if I could handle much more of it.

Kylie stood up. “We’re sorry, it’s just… well, he’s Rick Avery. For him to date anyone who’s not famous, you know, it’s pretty much impossible.”

“Not entirely.” Rick spoke for the first time since entering the room. The hand on my back moved down to my waist, squeezing gently to reassure me.

Bianca had a momentary lapse of voice, and attitude, after hearing Rick speak, but the moment passed quickly and a mischievous grin appeared on her face. “Prove it,” she demanded.

“Prove it?” I repeated. Rick Avery was standing right next to me. What more proof did she need?

“Yeah, prove you and him are seeing each other. Kiss.”