R.J Forever?

Chapter 55: Impromptu meetings

Ricky's POV:

It's been an very very quiet and awkward last 3 hours since I told E.J about my dad's moving plans for me. And when I mean quiet, I mean that no one has bothered to talk to me, not even my best friend Big Red.

I am thankful for the silence but I also feel left out because there's the PRIDE prom, the homophobic SGA prom, a bunch of sports events going on, and its also the last month or so of school. I guess that everyone forgot about bullying me and the nail polish incident and the sleeping baby incident. It seems like I don't matter anymore and maybe that's another reason to move to Chicago.

I mean Gina and Nini are together but they have their issues. Seb and Carlos are leading the PRIDE club and are a happy couple. Jackson and Marcus seem like they have it all together. Of course, Big Red and Ashlyn are always going to be cute together. And Kourtney won't have anyone to glare at when I leave in a month or so.

Now, I'm forcing myself to pick my head up and smile so that I can find the last clue, I think it's the last clue. I got sidetracked with the scavenger hunt by the Chicago thing but I'm still determined to see what E.J is up to. I am also heading to the library to eat lunch because I am avoiding people well not my friends, but the topic of several things well one thing in specific, Chicago.

"Hi, um I'm looking for something. I don't know if it's a book or not but it's pretty important and I think it is in an envelope. Maybe someone dropped it off for me or maybe it is hidden somewhere. Here's a example of what it might look like," I ramble quietly to the creepy librarian that called E.J by his last name last time we were here.

Now, I get why I'm here.

All the clues are places that we have been together or places that mean something to us.

"Your name please? And are you checking out a book or not?" I watch the old librarian lady who looks like a creepy witch look up at me with a fake smile.

"Oh uh Ricky, Ricky Bowen. But sometimes I go by Richard when people are mad at me. But I don't think that E.J knows that. Ok, I'll shut up now and let you help me,"

"Oh you again. The one that won't follow the rules in the library," I listen to her talk to me while I stand at the desk impatiently.

"Uh yeah sure that's me," I give her a half smile.

"Here this is all I have. I am not sure if the book is checked out or not. Please be quiet now," I watch her hand me a sticky note with random numbers and letters on it, and notice that two of the numbers have the date that E.J and I met under the bleachers.

What is he up to?

How does he remember that?

"Ok, sorry," I take the sticky note and walk off towards the shelves to find the book.

I'm assuming it's a book I am looking for.

I also remember that E.J told me not to say the S word multiple times and I can't stop doing it.

I've always struggled with following the Dewey decimal system in the library but this specific set of numbers and letters seems to be easy to find. I find myself headed towards the psychology section of the library that mainly AP students use for research and file through the all the books in the F section because the author's last name is Fisher.

Once, I have found the book or at least, I think I have, I look down at the cover and realize that this can't be it.

There's no envelope or gift or surprise.

I take a second look at the book and read the cover over and over again till it is stuck in my mind, "Why We Love: the nature and chemistry of love" by Helen Fisher.