Ricky And Jackie

28. Ricky

"Take it easy big guy. You're doing okay so far?"
"Yeah don't worry."
"You're shaking a little."
"Is he okay?" shouts Jackie from her car.
She hurriedly gets out and grabs my arm to help me walk.
"You're feeling dizzy, correct?"
"Hum... no. I'm a bit nauseous though."
"Okay, that's normal I think. No need to worry."
"You're the one worrying, I'm fine medically speaking!"
"Fine, fine, just trying to help..."
I sit in her car and she closes the door for me. MC jumps behind me.
"What are you doing?" I ask.
"Well hum... I'm starting the engine."
"With the roof?"
"Oh, sorry! Just wanted some shade today. We forgot to bring you a cap."
"Jackie, just put your darn roof down, I wanna enjoy the sun."
"Maybe some other time, man, take it easy it's your first day out."
"Are you sure you want the roof for my health? Or is it that you don't want us to be seen together?"
"Do you even want to be seen period? Papz will go crazy if they learn you out."
"Okay then, why are you regulating my life like I'm a baby only to hide yourself behind those shades?"
"Who are you to second-guess everything I've done since I picked you up? I don't have time for your diva behaviour, I'm the one doing you a favour, you could at least try..."
"A favour? Now it's a favour to spend time with you?"
"Ricky I mean it as if, I cleared my schedule to pick you up, you could try to be nice to me! Jeez..."
"Come again?"
"Okaaaaaaay, I want out of this circus right now. Are you guys arguing?"
Jackie sighs. "Okay, we need to talk."
She parks in a mall parking and hands her purse and sunglasses to MC.
"Buy me something to drink, please. You got 10 minutes."
MC exits and leaves us alone. Jackie sighed again.
"That was our first argument." I bring up.
"Actually, it wasn't. I count all the times I told you to leave me alone and you didn't as fights. Not big ones but still."
My turn to let out a loud breath.
"Okay... Ricky I'm starting to think that you're hurt or something about our breakup."
"You think I shouldn't be?"
She stares at me confused.
"Why yeah? It was 2 years ago."
"Then I don't know, maybe you never had feelings for me in the first place."
"That again?"
She leans her head on her seat, thinking about my assumption.
"Like... is it how you've interpreted it this whole time? Did you think to yourself: Aw, I'm so happy she figured out what to do with your life, or did you say: Looks like our relationship benefits somebody...?
"Both, I guess. I thought both."
"But which one do you believe?"
"The latter."
She nods her head to the steering wheel.
"Okay then. Thanks for letting me know."
An awkward silence follows her reply.
"You mean... you mean that's it? You're just gonna accept that I think you're fake."
"I have nothing to prove to anyone but God, and last time I checked you're not God."
"Well is it true or not?"
"Of course not! I didn't publish a single status or picture about us on my social media while we were together, I didn't ask you anything, monetary or else, I... You were my first love, Richard. And even you don't believe me."
"So you're saying that dating me didn't jumpstart your entertainment career?"
"Obviously it did, and I'll forever be grateful for that, but I didn't break up... ugh, I wanted us to grow apart, figure things out, build a career, a life, an occupation. I wanted you to decide if you still wanted to abdicate if I no longer was in the picture."
"But it didn't take us 2 years to grow up."
"It didn't take you 2 years. I'm 19, remember."
"20."
"I'm born in September."
New awkward silence.
"So I did break your heart?"
"Girl... I'm over it now."
"You're over me?"
I whip my head in disbelief. What did she say?
"Are you?" I whisper.
"I feel like we're not on the same page anymore."
"Looks like 2 years apart wasn't the brightest idea, huh?"
"Okay Ricky, I get it. You moved on."
But she didn't. I'm shocked.
"Is there another girl or you're just focused on other things?"
"Hum... Honestly I don't feel like I focused on the right things these past few months."
"Sunday service is a struggle, eh?"
"How'd you know?"
"I had to look for a new church when we moved here and it took me almost a year to find a new one cuz it was so hard juggling all those new gigs!"
"Oh my, I thought I was the only one! I just gave up recently, I just listen to pastor Mike at this point."
"Oh my gosh, you follow Transformation church?"
"You too?"
We start talking loudly about all the series we listened to, including the one on relationships.
"We sure screwed up in that area, didn't we?" Jackie admits, laughing.
"We sure did. We still do, too."
"How?"
"We play way too much, for one."
"What do you mean?"
"This is what I mean!"
She giggles while apologizing and MC comes back right on time.
"Was that 10 minutes?" I ask.
"What, you needed more?"
"No, I think we sorted out what was wrong, right Ricky?"
"Yeah, we're good."
"Good! Jesus, I was so scared you two were done!"
"Well, we're technically not back in."
"And it's fine, really, we can still crack jokes and share caps."
"I still want your roof down though."
"Ricky don't go there!"
I chuckle as Jackie reverse out of her parking spot.