It was easy for the others. They wore their hearts on theirs sleeves on a daily basis. But she couldn't. She never could, and she never would. She didn't want to feel like this: she hated feeling hurt, and abandoned. It had happened before, but she hadn't wanted to share her feelings with anyone. It wasn't what she did.
Rikki Chadwick was a girl with walls around her heart.
Few people had ever been close enough to know how to slip through the cracks. It made it even worse when they had to leave.
She knew that it was an incredible opportunity, as dangerous as it was. Emma deserved to have some happiness and travel the world with her family-not to mention, she hadn't really had a choice. It was risky, for Emma to be on her own for so long, with only her family and no one else who understood with her. But she was a big girl: Rikki knew better than anyone that Emma could take care of herself.
Cleo usually wasn't afraid of showing her feelings. She was happy for Emma as well, but also upset. There were meant to be three. They balanced each other perfectly: an equal triangle. But it was broken now, missing a link. Cleo had been upset that Emma was gone, but she wasn't afraid to let people know. She told her dad, her sister, Lewis, and Rikki: all of them heard different variations of the same thing, but still. She let people inside.
Something must be wrong with her. Rikki wouldn't be able to do that even if she tried. She usually brushed things off, and avoided them. She had done it to Zane countless times, and she had done it ever since she was a little girl, when her mother walked out. That was the beginning of it all. Her father had never been much of a touchy-feely person, so neither was she. Like father, like daughter.
Emma deserved it, and Rikki ought to be supportive. They still e-mailed each other, but it was still like a part of her was missing. Emma and Cleo were the sisters she had never had, and the support system that she needed. Half of it was missing. Emma was a strong girl, she would be okay. Cleo would come to terms with it through talking to people. Rikki... she was just a softie at heart: would she make it through?
Losing one of her best friends-one of her only best friends-wasn't easy. She didn't want to resent Emma, because she had left. She didn't want to, but part of her couldn't help it. She hated that a part of her was missing, and went missing as soon as the plane took off with the Gilbert family on board. She wanted to cling closer to Cleo, but at the same time she was terrified it would happen again. So she pushed everyone away: Cleo, Zane, Lewis... everyone she knew as a friend.
Breaking down the walls around her heart was hard.
She had to admire those who managed to do it. She herself couldn't even manage it.
A quick little oneshot about how Rikki felt after Emma left. They skimped over this way too much in the series... I felt like Rikki and Cleo wouldn't have moved on so quickly. I was a little peeved that they were so quick to stop wearing their lockets, too. That was a sign of their eternal friendship with Emma... and now they wear the moon stone one with Bella. I just think it was unfair, after two seasons of being with each other. So I made this in tribute (I won't rant anymore) to their friendship.
Hope you enjoyed it! Leave a review, please? That would just be lovely!