Olivia and Ricky's Odyssey to Rock Bottom

11. Divulgement

Content warning: Though there aren't graphic details, this chapter contains mentions of sexual assault.

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Ricky was standing on the sidewalk opposite the school, his temper racing as he pulled out a cigarette. He needed a plan for how to handle this situation before he saw his father. He needed a way to find out what he had been doing at that stupid dance.

He found his phone and sent a text to Sebastian.

Need 2 talk. Important! Outside school.

He was on his second cigarette when Sebastian finally showed up.

"What's going on?"

"Not here. The park."

"Okay...?" Sebastian furrowed his brows and jumped down the steps.

They headed up the street, crossing Madison and 5th Avenue before coming to Central Park, walking a bit until they found a sunlit row of deserted benches with no one around.

"Ricky, what's going on?" Sebastian asked, pushing the sleeves of his maroon school cardigan up his arms, and sat.

Ricky dropped his bag on the bench next to him. But instead of taking a seat beside him, he started pacing the path in front of the benches. Too worked up to sit still, he grabbed the back of a bench and shook it violently, making the entire row of connected benches quiver before he started pacing again.

Sebastian observed him quietly with raised eyebrows.

"I need a drink. You want a drink?" Ricky suddenly stopped and grabbed his school bag, pulled his silver flask out, and took a long drink.

"I'm good," Sebastian declined, holding up a hand. "What the fuck is going on?" he repeated, this time with more force. "Is it the shit with the chauffeur and your missing shirt?"

Ricky gave a hollow laugh and shook his head, exchanging the flask with a new cigarette. Lighting it, he finally sat down next to Sebastian, inhaling deeply. He unbuttoned his blazer to cool his overheated skin, playing with the ring he wore in the long necklace around his neck, one leg bouncing uncontrolably.

"Fuck it." He exhaled a cloud of smoke and rubbed one eye with the heel of his hand. "Could I've, you know, raped Birch at the dance?" His voice was hushed, casting Sebastian a quick glance.

"What?" Sebastian looked at Ricky with a wrinkled brow. "Why would you ask that? No. No way you did that." He shook his head and brushed his curls out of his eyes.

"Then why was I just called into Correll's office and suspended for the suspicion that I did?" Ricky looked at his friend with a gloomy expression, quietly trying to suppress the surge of rage rushing through him. "He said he's going to call the police," Ricky got up and kicked the bench angrily with the bottom of his shoe, "and my fucking dad," he said through clenched teeth.

Sebastian furrowed his brows even more, deepening the crease between them. "That's preposterous."

"And I fucking told him that." Ricky pointed at Sebastian with his cigarette between two fingers, sitting back down heavily after pacing shortly back and forth. "But he said I was seen pushing Birch from the restroom. That our clothes were a mess." He shrugged as he placed the smoke between his lips and inhaled, continuing to bounch one leg.

"She was assaulted in the restroom?" Sebastian looked at Ricky with mild surprise, the fresh glow in his cheeks deepening.

"How the fuck should I know? I remember jack shit from that night." Ricky shrugged, his voice laced with irritation.