Lightning-Dono: Poor Rick...I'll probably write something about Cliff once I finish this one and all of those other fanfics that I've already started...I'm having Writer's Block for almost everything but this fanfic. I just have so much inspiration for this one...Mostly because I want everyone to see that Rick isn't just a dorky bully. xD
-My parents divorced today (6/21/04), so I'm kind of upset about it, so this chapter won't be too cheery.-
-This might also be the reason why this chapter is so short. And might also be the reason why if you insult this fic I'll get really mad and you-
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Lillia gave me a worried look.
"Is there something wrong, Rick?" She asked, fretting that Rick might get involved with certain things too soon.
"Karen...well..." I started, not wanting to put Karen in a tight spot. Pretty soon my mom wouldn't want me to be around her any longer...And we've known each other for so long.
Lillia nodded slowly, chewing the piece of broccoli and staring unblinkingly at me.
"Well, she...She's an alchoholic. I mean, she has been for quite a while," I added as I saw my mom suddenly stiffen. "And I was trying to get her some help today. But she wouldn't accept it and then she told me to...uh...go away." I was hoping for that to sound dramatic, as though a hero had tried to save a town...and had fallen. But it sounded more like a depressed husband talking to his friends about how his wife had said that she hadn't liked the curry he had made for her. Mom gave me a calculating look.
"It was nice of you to try and help her," she said, trying to sound unaffected.
I nodded agreeably.
"Anyhow, Rick," my mom said, trying to start a conversation that didn't involve such violent topics. I could tell that she didn't like to disuss alchoholism since she felt uncomfortable about it. "What else did you do today?"
"Oh, nothing..." I responded uninterestedly. The majority of the day was spent trying to help Karen and feeding the chickens.
The entire dinner continued in an uneasy silence. I could practically hear myself chew as though someone were grinding rocks in the house.
"Rick, you barely ate anything!" She admonished as she swept away the plates into the sink.
"I wasn't too hungry," I answered, feeling drowsy. "I think I'll get to bed now. It's best as I want to maintain a constant schedule." I smiled knowingly at my mom, who smiled back sweetly. I knew how much she loved to stay organized, as I also shared that same joy.
As I climbed up the short length of stairs to my room, I peered into Popuri's room, hoping to see her on her bed, fast asleep. Sometimes I wished I could just spend some more time with her and have some fun. But now I supposed that would never happen. I hated the discomfort of not having the whole family together, but that's the way it would have to be. I had always coveted that my mom had not fallen ill. Maybe then my dad wouldn't have gone to find a cure for her. Now he would never return, and I felt as though my world were falling apart. If he hadn't left, I wouldn't feel such pain and hatred towards him. But it wasn't his fault--he had wanted his wife to be healthy and filled with ecstacy again.
I sat there in bed, taking off my glasses and reaching over blindly to turn off the lamp. As I lay down, a swirl of unanswered questions entered my head, to my displeasure. How did Karen get started on alchohol? Who cares. All I wanted to do was get some sleep. Why wasn't she accepting my help? That was her problem. I was just trying to improve her life. I buried my face into my pillow, feeling restive and partially annoyed. Why would she not accept my help? After all, it was the only choice since I didn't generally feel like acting out the part of an unknowing young man that finally discovers what's happening.
At about one o'clock in the morning, the phone rang loudly from downstairs, waking me up.
"Great. Now I'll never be able to get back to sleep," I muttered angrily, trying to block out the sound with my covers. I heard my mom's footsteps as she approached the phone. They were tired and heavy-sounding.
"Hello?" She said, stifling a yawn. The person on the other end spoke.
"I bet Popuri's calling, telling her that she's just been married to Kai. And that she'll go away forever because I hate Kai...I don't know why I hate him, actually," I grumbled, distressed. I seriously didn't know why I had hated him to begin with. I guess I just couldn't stand the idea of losing Popuri. She never did anything sisterly for me, but I just didn't want my only family to fall apart on me again.
"Oh?" My mom said, sounding perturbed and concerned at the same time. "I'll tell Rick right away."
Footsteps. Loud thudding footsteps that sounded like someone running.
"Go away," I whispered. "I don't want this to have anything to do with me..."
The door to my room creaked open loudly, and the stressed look on my mom's face confirmed my fears.
"Rick, Karen is down in the emergency room at the hospital and they want you to come and see her."
-My parents divorced today (6/21/04), so I'm kind of upset about it, so this chapter won't be too cheery.-
-This might also be the reason why this chapter is so short. And might also be the reason why if you insult this fic I'll get really mad and you-
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Lillia gave me a worried look.
"Is there something wrong, Rick?" She asked, fretting that Rick might get involved with certain things too soon.
"Karen...well..." I started, not wanting to put Karen in a tight spot. Pretty soon my mom wouldn't want me to be around her any longer...And we've known each other for so long.
Lillia nodded slowly, chewing the piece of broccoli and staring unblinkingly at me.
"Well, she...She's an alchoholic. I mean, she has been for quite a while," I added as I saw my mom suddenly stiffen. "And I was trying to get her some help today. But she wouldn't accept it and then she told me to...uh...go away." I was hoping for that to sound dramatic, as though a hero had tried to save a town...and had fallen. But it sounded more like a depressed husband talking to his friends about how his wife had said that she hadn't liked the curry he had made for her. Mom gave me a calculating look.
"It was nice of you to try and help her," she said, trying to sound unaffected.
I nodded agreeably.
"Anyhow, Rick," my mom said, trying to start a conversation that didn't involve such violent topics. I could tell that she didn't like to disuss alchoholism since she felt uncomfortable about it. "What else did you do today?"
"Oh, nothing..." I responded uninterestedly. The majority of the day was spent trying to help Karen and feeding the chickens.
The entire dinner continued in an uneasy silence. I could practically hear myself chew as though someone were grinding rocks in the house.
"Rick, you barely ate anything!" She admonished as she swept away the plates into the sink.
"I wasn't too hungry," I answered, feeling drowsy. "I think I'll get to bed now. It's best as I want to maintain a constant schedule." I smiled knowingly at my mom, who smiled back sweetly. I knew how much she loved to stay organized, as I also shared that same joy.
As I climbed up the short length of stairs to my room, I peered into Popuri's room, hoping to see her on her bed, fast asleep. Sometimes I wished I could just spend some more time with her and have some fun. But now I supposed that would never happen. I hated the discomfort of not having the whole family together, but that's the way it would have to be. I had always coveted that my mom had not fallen ill. Maybe then my dad wouldn't have gone to find a cure for her. Now he would never return, and I felt as though my world were falling apart. If he hadn't left, I wouldn't feel such pain and hatred towards him. But it wasn't his fault--he had wanted his wife to be healthy and filled with ecstacy again.
I sat there in bed, taking off my glasses and reaching over blindly to turn off the lamp. As I lay down, a swirl of unanswered questions entered my head, to my displeasure. How did Karen get started on alchohol? Who cares. All I wanted to do was get some sleep. Why wasn't she accepting my help? That was her problem. I was just trying to improve her life. I buried my face into my pillow, feeling restive and partially annoyed. Why would she not accept my help? After all, it was the only choice since I didn't generally feel like acting out the part of an unknowing young man that finally discovers what's happening.
At about one o'clock in the morning, the phone rang loudly from downstairs, waking me up.
"Great. Now I'll never be able to get back to sleep," I muttered angrily, trying to block out the sound with my covers. I heard my mom's footsteps as she approached the phone. They were tired and heavy-sounding.
"Hello?" She said, stifling a yawn. The person on the other end spoke.
"I bet Popuri's calling, telling her that she's just been married to Kai. And that she'll go away forever because I hate Kai...I don't know why I hate him, actually," I grumbled, distressed. I seriously didn't know why I had hated him to begin with. I guess I just couldn't stand the idea of losing Popuri. She never did anything sisterly for me, but I just didn't want my only family to fall apart on me again.
"Oh?" My mom said, sounding perturbed and concerned at the same time. "I'll tell Rick right away."
Footsteps. Loud thudding footsteps that sounded like someone running.
"Go away," I whispered. "I don't want this to have anything to do with me..."
The door to my room creaked open loudly, and the stressed look on my mom's face confirmed my fears.
"Rick, Karen is down in the emergency room at the hospital and they want you to come and see her."