Back To You | Ricky Garcia

Chapter Thirty

Charlene's POV

There are many horrible things in this ultimately beautiful world. Sometimes, babies cry in the middle of the night and puppies get lost for what seems like an eternity. Sometimes, friends get into arguments that never get resolved and lovers drift apart. And sometimes, you hear things that you weren't supposed to hear, eventually tearing you from the inside out. But, amongst all that is horrible, there is one thing that completely ruins you. Silence.

It lies in the moment of hesitation resting upon his lips when the girl who believes he's the moon asks if he loves her. It lies in the second the doctor returns to the family in the waiting room, pairs of shaky hands and quivering mouths surrounding every inch of the walls. It laid on Gramps' smile when I asked him a question that should've been responded with a simple three letter answer, but instead was left in uncertainty.

And it's here, right now, between Ricky and I as he's driving us back home.

I rested my head on the window beside me, the cool sensation of the glass somewhat relieving me of the headache our visit to Gramps gave. Everything that we passed seemed so fascinating to me; the cute red bug car that sped on the lane beside us, the outgrown leaves growing on the highway landscape. Every road sign, every misshaped cloud - just everything, became an attempt to distract myself from Ricky's questions.

I don't blame him, really. I mean, if he transitioned from being giddy and goofy to upset and shaken in a matter of 10 minutes and a quick stairs trip, I'd be concerned too. And frankly, I don't blame myself either. I had no business finding out that something might be wrong with Gramps.

It's just that, today is his day. He dreamt about playing in Nationals before he even joined a team. And the look on his face when he found out he actually scored the winning goal- I can't take that away from him with something that I'm not even sure of. Maybe Gramps just had, I don't know, a small feeling that something horrible was going to happen to him. Maybe it's just a normal part of thinking when you reach his age, and nothing is actually going to happen. All I know is that I can't tell Ricky, at least not right now.

But, tell me, is it wrong to keep something from someone, knowing that it would probably hurt them more in the long run?

I squeezed my eyes tight, hoping that I would somehow fall asleep and drift into an alternate universe where everything would be okay. Not perfect nor horrendous, just okay.

And maybe they could have free concert tickets and unlimited food too, if it's not too much to ask.

Just when I was about to start fantasizing about my LaLaLand, a large hand found its way on my forehead. I peeked with one eye open, squinting at Ricky's concentrated face. Amused by how his tongue stuck out the side of his mouth like a kid, I chuckled and shifted in my seat to face him.

"What're you doing, weirdo?" I smirked, trying to swat his hand away but he wouldn't budge.

"I stopped the car at a gas station to check if you have a fever or something." He shrugged it off casually, moving his hand down to my cheeks to check if they were warm. I glared at him teasingly, sealing my lips in the thin line to prevent them from turning into a smile.

"No, Dr. Garcia, I don't have a "fever or something"," I raised my hands to form quotations in the air. "Can we please leave the gas station now?" I pouted, resting my eyes again.

"Sure, let me just check if you're really okay..." Ricky dragged his words. I then felt a small prick on my left temple, making me flinch in my seat. I charged towards him, repeatedly stabbing him in the chest with my finger.