don't give up | ricky bowen

twelve

☆

"i don't believe this! this dude steals my girlfriend and 12 seconds after they break up, he's already playing the field."

ricky showed both taryn and big red a picture of gina and e.j. together at homecoming. taryn rolled her eyes at the picture. all ricky could focus on was the fact that nini wasn't at homecoming and e.j. was here with gina.

what did it matter?

"you could take a lesson from that, my man."

"gee, thanks for defending my mortal enemy."

"the point is, you made a pact with your dad." big red spoke up, "you're putting yourself out there again, right? so, put yourself out there."

taryn's eyes widened. ricky had done what?

normally he tells her about any stupid ass decision he makes. he does that mainly because he knows that taryn will talk him out of it if it really is that bad of a decision.

and this would be one of those situations.

"like tonight."

before taryn could shut down big red and ricky's terrible plan, she was interrupted.

"speak of the devil." ricky showed his phone once more to his two best friends. it was a selfie his father had sent him, "get a load of this player. he's texting me for fashion advice. me!"

"rude! he normally texts me." taryn pouted and crossed her arms over her chest.

she didn't know why, but she was kinda hurt that mike had texted ricky instead of her for fashion advice. the man always asked the teenage girl for advice on his outfits whenever he could. he tended to trust her advice more than his own sons.

"excuse us. these seats taken?"

gina and e.j. sat down on the other side of taryn. the blonde shifted uncomfortably in her seat as it processed that she was seated in between ricky and e.j., someone he wasn't all too thrilled about.

she couldn't help but feel like shit was going to hit the fan at some point that night.

the transfer sophomore turned to her date for the night, "could you get me some punch, babe?'

"sure... babe." e.j. chuckled before getting up from his seat and walking away.

and for some reason ricky thought that e.j. leaving was the perfect opportunity to make a fool of himself. he got up from his own chair and moved into the empty chair between gina and taryn. the blonde raised her eyebrows, what was this boy thinking?

"hey, not to intrude on date night, but you can do better than e.j. that guy's bad news."

why was that his opening statement?

taryn reached out and grabbed ricky's forearm as a way of telling him to stop talking. ricky, however, shook her hand off and rested his arm on the table, turning his back to the blonde.

he was very determined to have this conversation for some reason.

"you're not exactly one to give relationship advice. and when i want your opinion, i'll ask."

ok, pop off, queen.

"well, i'm giving it anyway 'cause i sorta thought you were classier than this. but, hey, maybe you really are what people say you are."

gina looked pissed, but taryn couldn't really blame her. hell, even taryn was pissed at the way ricky was acting right now.

"and that is?"