Chapter Text
Big Red and Ricky stayed outside the school for a couple of seconds, deciding what to do after. Most of the school was also leaving, so crowds of people were walking away from the building.
“I feel so weird that Miss Jenn is giving us a free day," Big Red said, looking out of place.
Miss Jenn had announced last week that this upcoming Monday it was going to be a free day- no rehearsals. The play was still on in a few weeks, but she believed it was healthy for her actors and actresses to have a mental health day, as it could get deteriorating.
Ricky shrugged.
"Same, I'm used to being stuck after school." Big Red rolled his eyes, as much crap as Ricky talked he knew that his friend loved the musical.
"Wanna go to the park? I've been trying to perfect a new move but I haven't had the time to." Ricky was busy looking through his backpack for something, and Big Red agreed.
"What you looking for?" He got on his skateboard, balancing.
"Dude, I forgot my knee pads. Ugh I know I'm going to fall on my ass today, I gotta get them-how about we go to my house real quick and we go to the park from there?" Ricky proposed, and Big Red nodded, and he added, "Plus I can get a snack!"
"Deal," Ricky smiled and they began a race to his house. They arrived in under seven minutes, they had taken the sides of the streets instead of the sidewalk to save time. It had worked because a lot of people were still walking on the sidewalk from school.
"Wait for me here, I'll be back really quick," Big Red nodded as Ricky opened the door and jogged to his room to get his knee pads. Big Red looked around, slightly awkward. When he found that his mom wasn't here he visibly relaxed. He knew Ricky was still going through stuff, especially with the mom being back. Big Red didn't really want to meet his mom; in his mind his mom was acting weird by leaving Ricky and going to Chicago.
He started to whistle, looking around the living room. There were boxes on the sofa, chairs and floors. Probably his mom's stuff.
Big Red carefully walked past the table that was in front of the sofa, noticing scattered photos and a scrapbook. He had passed them, but when he processed what he just saw he went back to stare at the photos.
"Oh my god," It was baby Ricky and toddler Ricky and even Ricky looking grumpy.
Big Red had to aww, he had to admit his friend was such an adorable kid.
He decided to sit on the sofa, a bit off the edge because of the boxes on them, but he started going through the photos.
He recognized baby Ricky and he saw a photo of all of them together at a picnic. Big Red also realized that these photos were mostly childhood photos; there were none of teenage Ricky. He was flipping through a group when he stopped cold.
He squinted at the photo he was currently holding.
He knew it was Ricky, but there was someone else.
Ricky was obviously in middle school, he looked much younger but not too young to be in elementary. Ricky had his hair unruly and curlier than now, and he was grinning so hard his eyes were squinting. Ricky was sitting next to another boy on a booth, and this other boy had wavy black hair and tan skin. The other boy was smiling, holding up his hand behind Ricky's head, making bunny ears.
Big Red couldn't stop staring at his bright blue eyes.
"What are you looking at?"
"Shit!" Big Red stumbled and dropped the photo. Ricky stood behind him, and he noticed the fallen photograph. Ricky frowned, and he walked around the sofa.
"I was looking at some family pictures, I wanted to see you in kid form!" He exclaimed and Ricky gave him a look.
Big Red quickly picked up the fallen photo of Ricky and the other boy, and Ricky raised his eyebrows.
"Which one is that one?" He questioned, and Big Red shoved it at him.
"Is that who I think it is? I am going to have a heart attack if it is," Big Red blurted, and Ricky carefully grabbed the photo.
He stared at it for a few seconds, and he sighed.
"That's EJ." He said lowly, and Big Red dramatically gasped and leaned down on the couch.
"You. . .were friends. . . with EJ Caswell?!" He struggled to get his words out and Ricky placed the photo on top of the table.
"I guess that's what it seemed. It was a long time ago-"
"That was just like three years ago! It looks like you guys knew each other since middle school!"
"Yeah but like I said Big Red, long time ago! It doesn't matter and I don't want to talk about it! There's a reason I don't like him and that's that," Ricky said, and Big Red didn't push it.
"Let's just go," Ricky walked away from the sofa, grabbing his skateboard.
"Fine," Big Red replied, but Ricky didn't notice how Big Red sneakily took a picture of the photo with his phone when he wasn't looking.
They left the house and without saying a word, rode to the park. Once they got there, Ricky and Big Red began to skate.
After a while, they were sitting on the grass but it was too silent.
Ricky eyed Big Red who simply pretended to be way interested in other skaters.
Ricky groaned.
"You're not gonna talk to me unless I tell you about Ej," He stated.
"What? No, I'm not gonna force you." Big Red shrugged, crossing his arms. Silence loomed over them, and he added, "I just think it's surprising that you didn't tell me, 'hey by the way I know ej, we used to be friends',"
"I wasn't gonna say anything, why say anything when it doesn't matter anymore? Clearly we don't like each other so why bring it up?" Ricky looked exasperated, but Big Red looked at him and looked at the sky, and began to whistle. It went silent for at least a full minute and Ricky caved in.
"Look, I met him when I first moved here. I met him sixth grade, and we were friends for like a year and a half. When eighth grade came around for me, he went to high school and things changed." Ricky concluded, and Big Red glared at him
"What?" Ricky acted clueless.
"You're just gonna leave me hanging like that. Okay I see whatever-"
Ricky laughed and put up his hands.
"Fine, fine, I'll tell you what happened. Not much really-" Big Red was anxious yet excited to hear about their friendship- excited because Ricky had actually been friends with the Ej, anxious because he knew the ending of the story- they obviously ended in bad terms.
"I was new and I met him in P.E.. ."
___
"Okay Alexa thank you for introducing yourself. We all think that your pet dog sounds wonderful," Ms. Ramirez said, clapping along with the students. Alexa stayed in front of the class for a few seconds, and smiled at everyone before she sat back down at her desk.
"Okay, Ricky? You're up next honey," She called, crossing a name off her clipboard.
Eleven year old Ricky looked around nervously, but he got up swiftly to the front.
All eyes were on him. The class was waiting for him to speak.
"Hi, I'm Ricky," He said softly. He cleared his throat, and he continued. "My favorite holiday is Christmas and a fun fact is that-"
That I'm new and I don't know anyone. Is what he wanted to say. But he didn't.
"I can skateboard," He finished, and everyone nodded and clapped.
"Thank you Ricky, and I hope to see you skateboard on the playground but not in the hallways alright? Okay Finn?" She called out, and another student went up.
Ricky didn't pay attention to either. It was the first day and it was already his fourth time introducing himself.
He waited for the period to be over. He was tired and feeling sad. After a few more students, the teacher reminded them to bring pencils, and dismissed them. He slowly grabbed his backpack and left the class. Ricky looked at his schedule and saw that he had P.E next. He frowned, he hated P.E.
He walked to the quad, and there he was faced with a bunch of kids. Everywhere he looked, everyone was grouped. Everyone already had people to talk to.
He walked to it assigned area, and there he waited for their instructor to show up. He watched as other people came to his area, chatting loudly.
He noticed that they weren't the only grade on the blacktop. There were other kids separated from them and definitely looked older.
"Okay everyone, some people aren't gonna show up because they are lost, so this is how it's gonna work- meet me one by one in the lockers and I'll sign you off. I can also give the locks out for your lockers," One instructor yelled, Ricky cringed when no one moved. The instructor had to yell it out a second time.
Ricky and the rest of the boys walked to the locker room and waited in a fifteen minute line for the locks. Ricky wished the day would end already; it was bad enough that he felt awkward but now he had to wait in line listening to other people's conversations. He tapped his foot. He thought about what his mom would say. C’mon its not so bad. Cheer up.
He was still bitter about moving.
After opening his lock and changing, everyone was sent to the quad and the instructors gave directions to everyone to pair up with someone to pass a basketball to.
Ricky was awkwardly holding his ball that was given randomly to him, and he waited for everyone to choose their partners. He watched as people paired up easily. He thought about asking someone, anyone- but when he turned to look at a guy next to him, the guy turned the other way.
"Hey wanna be partners?" Ricky looked up to see a boy with black wavy hair and tan skin. He had the brightest blue eyes. Ricky thought he had the warmest smile.
"Yeah sure,” Ricky replied, and the other boy walked a few more inches away, enough to have space to toss the ball between them.
Ricky threw the ball gently, but with enough force.
“I’m Ej, whats your name?” Ej tossed the ball back.
“Ricky.” He caught the ball, and tossed it back.
Some other person accidentally bumped into Ej, and the ball Ricky threw hit them.
Ej made a face and grabbed the ball, scooting closer to Ricky. Ricky chuckled, feeling at ease for the first time that day.
“How is your day going? I know mine is boring all my teachers seem lame.” Ej said.
“My day is kinda lame too. I’m new so I don’t know the school or anyone.” Ricky was surprised at his own willingness to just tell Ej the truth.
Ej raised his eyebrows.
“Wow for real? Dude don’t worry! I can show you more around the school! Did you transfer schools from around here?”
“I actually moved from another state.” Ricky tossed the ball back, careful of not accidentally hitting someone else.
“That’s so cool! Do you like it here? I can even show you around the best places to eat at,” Ej said, and before anything happened the instructors whistled, telling them to go back and change.
“Hey, wait for me at the front, we can walk to class together,” Ej said, brushing his shoulder slightly against Ricky’s.
“Yeah,” Ricky called out. Ej had already jogged and disappeared, through the crowd of boys walking back to the locker room to change.
It wasn’t until Ricky had finished changing and was waiting outside ten minutes later, that he had been smiling the entire time.
He watched as Ej walked out of the building.
Ej looked around and smiled, waving as soon as he saw Ricky.
Suddenly, Ricky thought the first day wasn’t so bad.