Ricky's POV
We were walking down the street of school, making our way to the parking lot, learning more about Andi, Jack, Cyrus, and the rest. "Come on, show them!" Gina nudged Walker's arm, she said he always keeps at least one art journal in his bag and he's really awesome, like Vincent Van what's-his-face awesome, or whatever the dead artist name is.
"Okay, okay" Walker reached in his bag and took out his journal, he flipped through the pages and showed us a picture of Andi, not gonna lie, it was beautiful.
"Walker, this is amazing!" Carlos said, Seb gently put his hands on the paper and they flowed across like a river. "Your really good." Walker started to smile. "Thanks, it was actually the winning painting at a local art fair."
"So we're looking at the future Artist of the year," Big Red said, Walker quickly turned his head away. "And more importantly, his art proved something important, that I am a beautiful teenager" Andi smiled placing her hand on Walker's shoulder.
"We already knew that" Jack whispered in Andi's ear, but since I was walking next to him, I heard him. Andi turned his way and smiled.
After getting to know more about them, we decided to go home, but we'll probably hang out later.
"Can you give me a drive?" Ashlyn asked Nini. Oh, right, Nini got her driver's license last week, she's been talking about it for weeks, she was really excited when she knew she could drive to our houses anytime, not that I want her near my house, not with all my stuff going around.
"Sure, you'll have to give me the directions to where you live though" Nini smiled. We all said our goodbyes, I got on my skateboard and rode away. I thought I heard someone calling my name and I turn around to see Big Red on his skateboard getting closer to me.
"Hey, what's up?" I stop skateboarding so he can catch up with me.
"I wanted to see if you were okay, you were kinda quiet."
I just remained silent, it's not that I don't wanna be around him, but I just don't know what I should tell him, I can't tell him about my mom, my scars, or Todd, all he knows right now is that my parents are arguing. What else am I supposed to say? Sorry, but my mom has been hurting me for years and has a new boyfriend, and I keep this from you since I was 13? NO!
"You ok?" He softly touches my shoulder, he's such a good friend, I wish I could tell him.
"Yeah, I'm fine, it's just my parents arguing" I mumble, I'm so tired of keeping secrets, but when you live in my family, the abusive parent installs a large amount of fear in you.
"Oh, I'm sorry, well you can always come over when you feel like it" he smiles at me, but I didn't, I just kept my head down and avoided contact. I feel his arms wrap around me and I fight the urge to burst out in tears.
"Will you really be there for me?" I asked him.
"Always."
After a while, I finally let go and we go in separate directions.
I was skateboarding home, my head lost in the clouds when suddenly, some force pushed me off. I fell flat on my face, luckily I wasn't on the street, just the sidewalk. I look up to see the same stupid group of jocks who surrounded me on the first day of school. They grab my arms and force me into this dark alleyway where I see...ugh, Andrew.
They forced me to look at him, yanking my head up by my curls. "What do you want?" I ask him, he had a bad look on his face and I actually got a little nervous.
"My dad got on me for that little fight" He got closer to me, I tried to back away, but his group was still holding me in place. "He said no more fights in school. But the thing is...this isn't school.
As soon as he finishes that sentence, he punches me straight in the stomach, I drop to the ground when his posse finally lets me go. I can feel my blood boiling and my anger reaching 150%, I quickly get up and before he can make a move, I tackle him and start punching his face.
As I'm punching, his jocks pick me up and throw me against the building, as I crumble to the ground they start punching and kicking me. I can taste the blood in my mouth and all the pain I've suffered for years all rolled up in one.
I tried to fight back, but everytime I would, they would punch me in the face and force me back to the ground, I felt my body struggling to stay up, I feel my heart start to throb and some flacks of blood start to ooze out. I couldn't take this anymore, please just stop!
I hear a car pull up and I see someone pushing Andrew and his friends away from me yelling "get away from him!" And "don't touch him!" Andrew and his friends finally leave and the person gets close to my face so I can actually see who it was.
"EJ?"
That was the only I could say before everything went black.
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Nini's POV
Kourt and I were at my house talking about, really just any stuff that crosses our minds.
"You see how Walker and Gina aren't afraid to show off their skills?" She says under her breath with a smug smile on his face. "Kourt" I roll my eyes at her.
"I just want people to hear you, you would sing all the time when we were kids, now I'm lucky to get a single tune out of you. I miss the Nini I knew, now this one is so shy and timid."
"I do wanna sing, but everytime I try I get so nervous!" I whine.
"Girl, you write songs in a journal, this thing is about half full, and your talking junk about being nervous?!?!"
Okay, that was rude. Don't get me wrong, I love Kourtney, really, but sometimes I wish she was just a little more sensitive about what she says, I bet she could make the world's toughest bully cry with her mouth.
"Neens, you are an amazing songwriter, you just need to get out of this nervous stage, I promise you, if you just get on a stage and start singing, you will forget why you were ever scared in the first place."
I look at Kourtney when she sits on the bed next to me.
"What?"
"I wish I could be more like you. Confident. Sassy. Not care about what anyone has to say. How do you do it? Do what you love and not worry about what people are gonna say?"
"If they don't like my style, I'm dismantling the patriarch and I am not afraid to include them" she smirks, which causes me to giggle.
Suddenly, my phone goes off, and I see Ashlyn calling me. "Hey, Ash, what's up?" The look on my face turns into fear when she frantically tells me what just happened. "What?! Is he okay? Can we come to see him? Okay, I'll call the others."
"What's wrong?" Kourtney asked.
"Ashlyn said E.J. found Ricky bruised in a dark alleyway!"
"Oh my god! Is he okay?!?"
"Come on, let's go find out!"
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E.J.'s POV
"Is Wicky Otay?" Asher asked. "Ashlyn and I look at each other, we didn't know what to tell him, I didn't know he liked Ricky, they never really talked, but I didn't want him to worry.
"He'll be fine, Ashy. In fact, I should go check up on him" I rub his shoulder then go up to my room. I open the door and look at Ricky's unconscious body on my bed, his face and arms filled with marks and bruises. I guess I should make him comfortable, maybe that will make him wake up faster. I take off his shoes and his sweater and place them on the floor, I gently sit on the bed next to his feet.
"Come on, Curls, wake up" I whisper. I can't stand to see him like this. I feel like crying, how can you blame me? I just driving home when I see Andrew and his crew beating up a kid in an alley. I didn't know it was Ricky until I got them to get away. When he passed out, I put him in my car and drove home.
Soon, I hear him shift and his eyes slowly open. "Ricky!" My eyes light up as I pull in him for a hug. He's resistant for a little, but I feel him wrap his arms around me soon enough. "How do you feel?"
"Uh-I-I-I'm fine, I think" He stutters, I let go, but he still holds onto me for a little longer. "I called the group, Ash said they're on their way."
"Did you call my parents?"
"No, but if you want to I coul..."
"NO!"
I kinda flinch, he was kinda close to yelling, was it about his parents? "Sorry, I'm sorry" he mumbles, holding his face in his hands. "Are you okay?" I ask, but he just stays silent snd looks at the ground. "Hey, what's wrong?" I place my hand on his shoulder as I see water form in his eyes.
"I really don't wanna see them right now, but I'll leave if you want" he tried to get up to walk but ended up stumbling. Guess his legs were too weak. He almost falls down but I was quick enough to catch him. "Hey, I gotcha. And it's okay, you can stay here as long as you want" I wrap my arms around him and he buries his head into my chest, I rub the back of his head and play with his curls. This must be more about his parents, but I don't wanna make him tell me anything he's not comfortable with.
"Hey, I don't wanna force you into telling me anything, but I know this is more about your parents. We've been friends since we were kids, you know you can tell anything. You know that right?"
I feel him nod his head in my crest and he grips onto me tighter. We hear the door open and see Asher walk in with a worried look on his face. "E-Day, is Wicky otay?" He asks. I still don't know what to tell him, like I said before, he and Ricky don't really interact.
"Yeah, he's fine, you wanna talk to him?"
Asher starts walking up and Ricky pulls away, kneeling down to the floor to Asher's height.
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Ricky's POV
"I sowwy you got hurt, Wicky" Asher says. Aw, he calls me Wicky and not Ricky, it's kinda cute.
"it's okay, Asher, I'm okay, I'm used to this," I tell him, tapping his chest, but then he did something I didn't expect.
He hugged him, he walked up and wraps his tiny but adorable arms around my neck. I was shocked at first, I don't really play with Asher, I guess I was the kinda non-biological brother who doesn't really talk to the baby, but I don't not like him, I always kinda wondered what it'd be like to be a big brother.
After I get out of my shocking trance, I slowly wrap my arms around his tiny body. I hear E.J. giggle and I turn my head at him glaring. "Don't wowwy, the booboo's will go away" Asher smiled at me, pulling away. I slightly laugh and tickle his chest. If only they knew some of the "booboos" on my body weren't just from my bully, but from the same person who gave me my life.
Ashlyn walks into the room. "Are you okay?" She asks.
"Yeah, I'm good."
"Good, well, the guys are here, they wanted to see if you're okay."
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Gina's POV
We were sitting in Ashyln's house, it's actually really beautiful, a party here would be amazing.
Soon we hear footsteps coming down. We see Ashyln coming down holding a baby boy in her hands. "Is this Asher?" I ask as she walks up to me. "Yep!"
"Hi Asher, I'm Gina" I tickle his neck making him giggle.
"Hi Gina" he smiles stretching his arm out, Ashlyn hands him to me and I take him in my arms, walking up to my friends, I'll introduce him to them, maybe we can have fun until I have to leave.
After a few seconds, we turn our heads and see E.J. walking down with Ricky, who was holding on tightly to the rail. We all gasp at the sight of him, his face and arms were covered with bruises and marks and he looked like a lost little puppy.
"Oh my god, Ricky!" Nini runs up to Ricky and gives him a fast but gentle hug. He closes his eyes and hugs her back, laying his head on her shoulder.
"What happened?" I ask him. "Andrew and his friends just jumped me in that Alleyway, but I'm fine, really."
"The scars on your face say otherwise," Carlos says. "You should see someone about this, you really look hurt," Amber says, but Ricky refused. "No, I'm fine how many times do I have to say this?" He laughs.
"Until we actually believe you," TJ said. "Well, I really am fine, so you can relax."
With that note, we all decided to leave before Ricky could get angry and yell at us for annoying him, he does seem like that kinda guy, maybe I'm wrong, you never know.
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EJ's POV
After they left, Ashlyn went upstairs with Asher and Ricky sat on the couch.
"Do you want me to drop you off home?" I asked him.
"Um, I don't wanna go home, but if you want me to go I will."
"Hey, no, you can spend the night if you want to" I place my hand on his forehead, playing with his curly hair. He chuckles and shakes his head. "Nah, I don't know where I'll go, but I don't wanna be a burden here."
I kneel down in front of him and grab his shoulder. "Come on, Uncle Dennis and Aunt Debby never minded you being here, Ashlyn pretty much treats you like her brother, Asher seems to like you, and your my best friend, if you wanna be here, then I want you here."
I see a small smile form on his face, I take his hand and help him up to my room since he can't really walk. We sit on the bed and watch Justice Leauge for a while as we used to as kids, it was silent after a while until I decide to talk.
"So your parents? They're still...ya know"
"It's fine, you can just say fighting," he says, avoiding eye contact, he just keeps looking at the floor with a frown. "I don't know what went wrong, they used to be so happy, but now we can't even get through one dinner and...I just want them to stop! When I ask them to stop, I just get yelled at and I always try not to cry, I miss when I was a kid when we were one happy family. But that's gone, and I don't know why I can't just live with it!"
He soon burst out into tears and my heart cracks at the sight of him. I wrap my arm around him and he tangles himself around me, shaking in my arms. "It's alright Curls" I rube his back and stroke his curly hair. I squeezed him closer into myself as he digs his face into my chest.
"Thanks" He whispers to me, I kiss his forehead and say "don't worry, I'll be here like I promised."
I remember that time during the Talent Show, when he saw his parents fighting and ran off the stage, they didn't even notice he was gone, Nini and Red didn't know what to do, so I told them I would go after him. I remember seeing him under the stall bathroom, my heart nearly broke at the sound of his cries. When he told me he was crying because of his parents, I didn't know what to do, but I knew I had to be there for him. I thought it would be a 1-time-thing, but sometimes he would call about his parents and I would invite him over and just give him a hug and let him cry into my shoulder.
But I know one day he'll be happy, I just wish I could be happy too, but I can't cause I feel unusual, but I know I have to put a happy face on for Ricky, I need to be the one to cheer him up right now, I'll deal with my own problems later.
Yeah, poor Ricky and EJ. I kinda feel bad for making them so sad. So I figured out when I'm gonna put all the important stuff in, but for now, we'll keep it focused on everyone's normal lives and some people's problems, so sorry if it might get boring. Stay safe and have a great day or night wherever you are.