“Of course, I do. You and Kal finally did it, didn't you? Went out on an actual date? I don't know why you felt like you needed to hide it from me. I mean, you two are like the perfect couple. Why it took you so long to realize it is beyond me.”
Laughter bubbled up to my lips as relief sailed through me. I turned my attention back to my closet, pulled out a bunch of sweaters I hadn't worn in months, and tossed them her way. “You want these?”
“No dodging, Mia. I need details!” She caught the clothes easily and considered them. “Hell yes, I'll take them! These are practically brand new. Why don't you want them?” She didn't wait for my response, but folded them up as small as she could and crammed them into her purse.
I bit my lip, considered, and then pulled more clothes out to send them in her direction. “Just…you know…making room.”
Ricki brightened at that. “Getting a whole new wardrobe for Christmas?” Her eyes rounded at the endless style possibilities she'd have with all her clothes, my old ones, and the new ones she imagined I'd be getting. It was like Christmas, Easter, and her birthday all rolled into one.
I just couldn't bring myself to burst her bubble yet, so I settled on a shrug as an adequate enough response.
She clapped her hands. Excitement radiated off her in electric waves of anticipation. “Ooh, I so can't wait.” She hopped off the bed and leaped toward the closet, knocking me out of the way. “Don't worry. I'll help you weed out your closet, make room for what's to come.”
I backed away from her, chuckling under my breath. There was the Ricki I knew and loved. As she tossed clothes onto the bed, pulling out all the things she'd always loved, she chattered on about her day, her parents, and Adam. I only half-listened to her ramblings as I put the rest of the room back in order from my little temper tantrum earlier.
“I mean, I love him and all, but I just don't think I want to be tied down in a relationship anymore,” Ricki said when I picked up my laptop.
“What?” I whirled around, confused since I hadn't caught what she said just before that declaration.
She looked up from the blue skirt she was holding, her face twisted in that you mean to tell me you weren't listening to every single word that came out of my mouth look of hers that never failed to make me feel properly chastised.
“Did you just tell me that you're breaking up with Adam?” I plowed on. “Ricki, that boy is in love with you! It'll kill him.”
“Oh, don't be so melodramatic. He'll be just fine.”
“But why?” I asked, confused. “Why would you want to break up with him? I'm sorry, Ricki, but I just don't get it. He loves you, and you love him.”
“Yeah, well,” she frowned and hung the skirt back in the closet. “I'm not so sure about that.”
“Not so sure about what?” This was all just too much to process. Adam and Ricki had been a couple since eighth grade. They were the gold standard of commitment. Every year in the school's mock elections, they were voted most likely to be married for 75 years. None of this conversation made any sense to me. It was as if my entire world was crumbling down around me. What was she going to tell me next? That after graduation, she planned on having gender reassignment surgery and would be changing her name from Erica to Richard?
“Don't look at me like that,” she grumbled. “This is why I haven't said anything to you before now. You just don't understand what it takes to be in a relationship like mine. I know you think Adam is great, and he is, but well…” She lifted her shoulders in a shrug that wasn't the least bit apologetic. “I just want more.”
“I don't—” I was at a loss here. Speechless.
“Understand, I know. It's okay, Mia. Really.” She held a pair of jeans up for inspection. “But you will. Once you and Kal have been together for a couple years, you'll see what I'm saying. Speaking of,” she added as she
Laughter bubbled up to my lips as relief sailed through me. I turned my attention back to my closet, pulled out a bunch of sweaters I hadn't worn in months, and tossed them her way. “You want these?”
“No dodging, Mia. I need details!” She caught the clothes easily and considered them. “Hell yes, I'll take them! These are practically brand new. Why don't you want them?” She didn't wait for my response, but folded them up as small as she could and crammed them into her purse.
I bit my lip, considered, and then pulled more clothes out to send them in her direction. “Just…you know…making room.”
Ricki brightened at that. “Getting a whole new wardrobe for Christmas?” Her eyes rounded at the endless style possibilities she'd have with all her clothes, my old ones, and the new ones she imagined I'd be getting. It was like Christmas, Easter, and her birthday all rolled into one.
I just couldn't bring myself to burst her bubble yet, so I settled on a shrug as an adequate enough response.
She clapped her hands. Excitement radiated off her in electric waves of anticipation. “Ooh, I so can't wait.” She hopped off the bed and leaped toward the closet, knocking me out of the way. “Don't worry. I'll help you weed out your closet, make room for what's to come.”
I backed away from her, chuckling under my breath. There was the Ricki I knew and loved. As she tossed clothes onto the bed, pulling out all the things she'd always loved, she chattered on about her day, her parents, and Adam. I only half-listened to her ramblings as I put the rest of the room back in order from my little temper tantrum earlier.
“I mean, I love him and all, but I just don't think I want to be tied down in a relationship anymore,” Ricki said when I picked up my laptop.
“What?” I whirled around, confused since I hadn't caught what she said just before that declaration.
She looked up from the blue skirt she was holding, her face twisted in that you mean to tell me you weren't listening to every single word that came out of my mouth look of hers that never failed to make me feel properly chastised.
“Did you just tell me that you're breaking up with Adam?” I plowed on. “Ricki, that boy is in love with you! It'll kill him.”
“Oh, don't be so melodramatic. He'll be just fine.”
“But why?” I asked, confused. “Why would you want to break up with him? I'm sorry, Ricki, but I just don't get it. He loves you, and you love him.”
“Yeah, well,” she frowned and hung the skirt back in the closet. “I'm not so sure about that.”
“Not so sure about what?” This was all just too much to process. Adam and Ricki had been a couple since eighth grade. They were the gold standard of commitment. Every year in the school's mock elections, they were voted most likely to be married for 75 years. None of this conversation made any sense to me. It was as if my entire world was crumbling down around me. What was she going to tell me next? That after graduation, she planned on having gender reassignment surgery and would be changing her name from Erica to Richard?
“Don't look at me like that,” she grumbled. “This is why I haven't said anything to you before now. You just don't understand what it takes to be in a relationship like mine. I know you think Adam is great, and he is, but well…” She lifted her shoulders in a shrug that wasn't the least bit apologetic. “I just want more.”
“I don't—” I was at a loss here. Speechless.
“Understand, I know. It's okay, Mia. Really.” She held a pair of jeans up for inspection. “But you will. Once you and Kal have been together for a couple years, you'll see what I'm saying. Speaking of,” she added as she
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