LEMONADE | Ricky Bowen

27

RICHARD 'RICKY' BOWEN

"This is nice, Dad." I smiled handing him out of everything that we could possibly have, a goddamn hot wing.

"Yeah, you don't see a lot of hot wings and instant mashed potatoes in the history books." He chuckled before looking up at me.

I knew it was coming and I hated to let him down but I knew his next statement.

"We should bring leftovers to Aunt Judy's later."

"Hey, about that, some of my friends are getting together for a sort of late-night after-party thing" I said kind of awkwardly screwing up my nose as I cringed at my own voice.

"And when you say 'late night' you mean-?"

"Eight o'clock." I replied with a lick of sarcasm "We roll hard."

"Is this the theatre gang?" My dad questioned smiling at me almost proud of what I was doing. "The one with Lennon"

"Yep." I replied looking down at my plate. I knew he would've picked up that she was at the board meeting, I was just curious to know if he remembered her.

"She was forced" I noted holding up my fork as I spoke towards him and he chuckled.

"Yeah I didn't really think it was her scene" he took a bite out of his food and hummed before saying, "but then again it's not exactly yours"

I shrugged at his statement he wasn't exactly wrong. You wouldn't have expected the skater boy and the tomboy to be really belting their hearts out.

"It's no problem." My dad said standing from his seat and doing a spin round the stool to head to the fridge. "You just stay back when I head to my sister's."

"Thanks." I smiled actually in complete shock that he was so accepting "I know I was kind of your date for that one." I joked around and he laughed.

"It's all good." He shrugged returning back to the table.

"I suppose, if you're lonely, you could just randomly text my drama teacher." I teased at him and he narrowed his eyes on me.

"Too soon, Rick." He snapped playful and so I quickly responded with,

"Yeah, okay."

Then things went quiet and I also knew what was coming next, I sighed into a mouthful and awaited his question.

"So have you called your mom yet?" He looked sad as he spoke about her but nevertheless I knew he was asking to look out for me "I'm sure she'd like to learn that you and Lennon are starting back up your friendship, with all the years she spent here"

"Workin' up to it." I responded feeling the mood get low and I sighed "It's weird not having her around, it kinda feels like when I first lost Lennon. The house is just-"

I paused thinking of the right word to describe it.

"Quiet" my dad filled in for me "I know it's tough to be doing the
holidays without her but she really misses you, Ricky, and she's all alone in Chicago. She's waiting for you to call."

I sighed at what he'd said And thought back to Lennon, I missed sitting in this exact situation with her and my dad chatting about football all whilst my mom rolled her eyes and cooked.

Dad was right, the house felt quiet without both of them and I hated it, what I hated more was that I didn't even know what I'd done to deserve both of them just leaving me.

Two of the most important females in my life just...

Gone.