Chapter 13:
"You know, if you're seriously trying to get back with her, this is probably the worst thing you can do-"
"Thank you for your input, Sasha", Rick whispered back to the teen as the stood by the book shelf, each holding an open book in their hands, "But I'm just trying to see this guy-"
"He's harmless", Sasha insisted, tipping her head in Gabriel's direction, who was sat at a table not far away, books sprawled around him as he studied.
Rick almost snorted, "He may look harmless but from my experience, it's usually the quiet ones you have to look out for"
Sasha narrowed her eyes at the back of his head, "You've seen him, so can we go now?"
Rick was about to nod in agreement, but a part of him wasn't ready yet, and it was that part that drove him to put the book back on the shelf, "Just hold on, alright?"
"What are you doing? Rick!", Sasha hissed, trying to grab hold of his arm before he walked away, "Don't you dare-"
Rick ignored her as he strolled over to Gabriel, adjusting his cap on his head so it no longer hid him. He pulled out the chair beside him and took a seat, "Gabriel, right?"
The male jumped, looking at Rick with wide eyes, "Uh, yes? Can I help you?"
"Somethan' like that...", Rick kept his tone friendly, "Now, this is just between you and I, but I couldn't help but notice that you've taken a little liking to another student here…"
Gabriel furrowed his dark brows, "Excuse me?"
"It's fine, your secret is safe with me. It's just my observation", Rick shrugged as he sat back in the chair, "Am I right?"
Gabriel grew bashful, "...I'm sorry but I don't know-"
"You can't deny it with that kind of smile on your face", Rick teased, his devilish grin making an appearance, "I knew it, I just knew it. Michonne, right?"
His eyes almost bulged, "You know her?"
"I do, actually, very well-"
"I'm sorry but... who are you?"
"Rick."
"Rick?", Gabriel's eyes darted away from him for a moment, "I've never heard Michonne mention you before?"
He was a breath away from snarling at Gabriel, "Yeah, well she's not one to brag, but like I said, I know her very well, and I'll always look out for her, which is why I want to encourage you to start sniffing around elsewhere"
The other teens head jerked back, "Excuse-"
"She has a lot to deal with right now Gabriel, and I struggle to see how you might be able to help her", Rick cocked his head to the side as he narrowed his eyes at the other teen, "Do you understand where I'm come from?"
Gabriel shook his head, "Well, to be honest, no"
Rick slowly inhaled, "What part didn't you understand?"
"If Michonne doesn't wish to be friends with me anymore then she could have easily-"
"We aren't talking about being 'just friends' though, are we? Because I have a few friends, and strangely enough, I've never delivered breakfast to any of them. Not once", Gabriel's chest sank, leading Rick to add, "Yeah, told you, I've been watching closely"
"You… how? Did she tell you?"
"You know what, I'm just going to be completely honest with you from this point on because I feel like I've blindside you, so just hear me out", Rick sat forward, resting his elbows on his knees, "You see, Michonne's had boyfriends before, and I've managed to make their lives a living hell with very little effort. It comes naturally to me because I'm a pain in the ass, just ask Sasha"
The girl quickly turned around, pretending to read the book she held when Rick pointed at her.
"You seem like a nice guy, much nicer than the other guys, myself included, but that won't stop me from treating you any different", Rick huffed, "So how about you just appreciate the friendship you have with her, and maybe find someone else, who doesn't have an ex like myself"
Gabriel had stared at Rick with a blank expression while he spoke, and it took him a moment to finally respond, "Does Michonne know about this?"
Rick exhaled tiredly, "How about we keep this between us? Include it in our little… deal?"
"Michonne seems like a girl with great integrity, and I may not know her as well as you but I know well enough that she likes to handle things herself", Gabriel spoke with a diplomatic tone, "And while I appreciate your 'friendly warning', I will let Michonne be the one to terminate our friendship, not you Rick"
He narrowed his eyes at Gabriel, "You sure you wanna' do that?"
"Very sure."
Rick slowly nodded as he looked away for a moment, "Well, don't say I didn't warn you"
"I won't", Gabriel huffed, straightening his shirt, "And I would like to warn you that I am a black belt in taekwondo, and I have learnt a great deal of defensive skills, so I will not be threatened"
Rick's eyebrows sprung up, "Well I had no intention to fight you but we can go right now it you want?"
Gabriel's eyes widened, "Uh, what-"
"Here? Outside? Where do you wanna' go?", Rick shrugged, looking around the library, "There's nothing but space and opportunity right here"
"I...I do not-"
"Sorry, but can we go now?", Sasha whispered harshly as she appeared next to Rick.
"Not yet, he wants to fight", He informed her casually, "Said he was a black belt in taekwondo"
Sasha's eyes widened as she looked at Gabriel, "What?"
"I do not wish to fight him, but I will not be threatened", Gabriel clarified, sitting up straighter.
Rick continued to look at the other male strangely, "Now I really want to fight you-"
"Hey!", Sasha hissed, leaning forward so she was eyelevel with Rick, "Let's just go, okay? We were meant to go out to eat, remember? Something like this will screw that up in more ways than one"
He understood the message hidden in her words, "Alright, fine"
"Thank you"
Rick stood up, looking Gabriel from head to toe, "We'll pick this up another time"
"Fine by me", Gabriel huffed, his chest expanding as he watched them walk away.
Rick rolled his eyes as he muttered to Sasha, "He's on my list"
"Your list?", She repeated with a frown.
"My list of people who I need go at it with"
"...Who else is on the list?"
"My dad. And the guy from the convenience store back in town"
Sasha side eyed him, "I would have actually expected that list to be longer"
"It's increasing", Rick rasped, pulling the door open for her, "Come on"
…
"...And can I get everything, with everything please? To go?"
Rick, Michonne and Maggie all looked at Sasha with confused expressions as she completed her order, then to the waitress who nodded, "The truck stop special. Got it"
Sasha sat back with a sigh, "Daryl told me she'd know what it was"
"How is he?", Michonne enquired, leaning on her forearms against the table.
"Hung over."
"Oh."
Rick was almost falling asleep as he rested his head on the back of the booth, his hat covering most of his face, "Can you wake me when the food gets here please?"
"Yeah", Michonne muttered, retrieving her ringing phone from backpack, "...Shoot, I was meant to meet Gabriel to tell him I wasn't coming"
Rick's eyes snapped open, and he discreetly lifted his hat to look at Sasha, who looked at him with wide eyes as she cleared her throat, "He'll understand… So anyway, where's Paula? Have you heard from her?"
"No. She's probably sleeping if she was out all night", Michonne smirked, dropping her phone back in her bag, much to Rick and Sasha's relief, "I hope she didn't do anything stupid"
"Like sleep with him?", Maggie let out a little gasp, "Can't she get in trouble for that? Can't he get in trouble for that?"
"I'm sure they both can, but mainly him?"
"That's crazy"
"...Where did Shane go?", Sasha pondered out loud.
"Probably harassing some poor unsuspecting girl", Rick sniggered beneath his cap, "Or getting thrown off campus"
"So what's his deal with Paula?", Maggie leaned across Michonne and lifted his hat, "Why is he messing her around?"
Rick scoffed, "They're both messing each other around. It's weird and I really don't like to get involved...Or think about it too much"
"But he likes her right? He looked upset when she gave him that earful?"
"Well he drank a lot, so I guess", Rick shrugged, pulling his hat back down, "Now can I be excluded from this 'girl talk' please?"
"Girl talk?!", Sasha repeated with a frown, "You want girl talk?"
"No. No I don't, Sasha"
"Oh my god, I got my period the other day and my cramps were so bad", Sasha groaned dramatically, "I need to have 'girl talk' to make me feel better"
"Oh my god I had the biggest zit on my chin!", Maggie joined her, "And then I dreamt that I was going to marry Justin Timberlake!"
"Oh my god! Me too!"
"We should totally write about this in a pink journals with our pink fluffy pens-"
"At one of our daily sleepovers where we prank call boys and watch the Notebook on repeat!"
The three girls cackled evilly, even Michonne to Rick's surprise, leading him to raise an eyebrow at her, "You think that's funny?"
"You walked into that one all by yourself", She sniggered, picking up the drinks menu from the stand in the centre of the table, "Now let me see what milkshakes they have…"
"So next weekend, I was thinking that we go to that fair in town? For fun?", Maggie suggested, "Patricia wants me to help set up stall with her"
"Sure. I don't mind", Sasha nodded, looking at the back of the menu Michonne held up.
"I'm meant to be going shopping with Eileen, but I can meet you after?", She offered.
"Oh yeah, for the wedding? So soon?", Maggie frowned, tilting her head at Michonne.
Rick wouldn't have thought nothing of the girls discussion, if it hadn't been followed by a deafening silence after, causing him to lift his cap, "What?"
Michonne didn't look at him, her eyes glued to the laminated sheet in her hand, "...They have Oreo milkshakes here-"
"What?", He sat up straight, "A wedding? Whose wedding?"
Sasha and Maggie became astrologers, looking towards the window while Michonne crumbled, almost whispering, "Your moms"
He spun his cap around, "My mother's getting married?"
"Yeah…", She cringed, finally looking at him, "You should probably talk to her"
"She told you she was getting married? Those are the actual words she used?"
"I think she was waiting until she saw you to tell you-"
"She hasn't even divorced from my dad yet, but she's already planning to get married? To the man she's dated for all of two months? And she's told you? Not me? Not her son?", She chuckled with disbelief, "Ain't it funny how she'll break her neck to find out what's going on with me now, but I'm always clueless about whatever she's doing? She'll just spring shit up out the blue, and I'm just meant to accept it, no questions asked"
Michonne insisted softly, "Call her"
Rick sat back as he stared straight ahead, a frown beginning to form. He was annoyed to say the least, and left even more stumped by his mother's recent behaviour.
"...I'm the one that told her to wait a little while before telling you", Michonne explained quietly, "She wanted to tell you the same time she told me but I thought she should wait until you amend Ezekiel got better acquainted…I didn't think it would be a good idea if she just sprung it up on you"
"But finding out like this is better, right?", He quipped sarcastically as he continued to stare straight ahead.
"...I'm sorry, Rick", Maggie offered sheepishly, leaning forward so she can see him past Michonne.
"...And I'm sorry for just being here", Sasha cringed.
Rick ran his hands over his face as he groaned, "Don't apologise. None of you have done anythan' wrong"
"...Can you call her please?", Michonne requested once again.
"Nah", He shook his head as he sat back in the booth, "Let her get married, I don't care, she can do what she wants"
"Don't do that"
He pulled his hat back over his face, "Wake me when the food gets here, please?"
"Rick."
"Please?"
Michonne watched him closely for a moment, before finally huffing, "Alright, Fine"
"Thank you"
…
"Where the hell were you?"
Rick eyed Shane's dishevelled appearance, "I think I should be the one asking that question?"
"Man", Shane rubbed his head furiously, "I got chased by security- you know that have security here?"
"I'd imagine they do", Rick nodded, leaning against his car as he lit a cigarette.
"Well I didn't know! I thought it was just one of those mature students", Shane scoffed, looking around the parking lot, "And he was big, I thought he couldn't run that fast but he was almost as fast as me"
"You shouldn't judge a book by its cover", Rick pointed out.
"Yeah, no shit", His friend snorted, "We heading back to town now? Where is everyone?"
"I think Maggie and Sasha are helping Glenn down, and Daryl's checking out Michonne's Car", Rick tilted his head in the duos direction.
Shane followed his motion, "Got it…What about Paula? You hear about her?"
Rick bit his lip, taking in a big breath before he went on to say, "Apparently she's seeing some older guy. Don't know who though"
Shane's eyebrows sprung up, "How old?"
Rick shrugged, "I doubt he's in his twenties… possibly older"
Shane looked dumbfounded, "Thirties? Forties? What the hell is she… I mean I know she has daddy issues but-"
"Yeah, what is that? I've heard her say it before but I don't get it?"
"I think her daddy was a senator or somethan'. Paid her mom to keep quiet about her"
Rick's head inched back, "Oh… got it"
"Ain't that illegal? If he's that much older then that's illegal right? Have we learned about that yet?"
"We haven't learnt about it but I'm certain it's not illegal…", Rick shook his head, turning away from his friend as he muttered, "That's not the illegal part anyway…"
"Huh?"
"What?", Rick squinted back at his friend, "Nothing? I said nothing?"
"They ain't back yet?", Daryl rasped as he approached his two friends with Michonne in tow.
"Nah. Not yet", Rick watched how Michonne stood off to the side, her arms crossed as she peered around.
Daryl rolled his eyes as he opened Shane's passenger door and took a seat, "Great"
Shane mimicked his friend, taking a seat in his vehicle with the door open as they took a seat, giving Rick a small amount of privacy to talk to Michonne, but it was her that spoke first.
"...I know you don't want to hear it but you should talk to your mom", She repeated once again.
Rick handed Shane the remainder of his cigarette before he began to walk around his own car, slowing when he was near her, "This was… fun? I guess"
She sighed, realising that he would continue to ignore the topic of his mother, "Yeah. Fun"
He shoved his hands in his pockets, "...You can call me, you know?"
She dropped her gaze to her tennis shoes, "I know"
"Will you?"
"If I feel like I need to", She rolled her eyes up to meet his, "Then I will"
He tilted his head at her, "What does that mean?"
"It means that If I feel like I need to call you then I will call you"
"...What would need to happen for that to-"
"God", She exhaled heavily, "I'll call you Rick, okay? I don't know when, just- when I have the chance...But let's not force anything"
"I don't feel like anythan' is being forced", He shrugged, "I'm just trying to understand what you mean"
"You know what I mean, you just want me to be specific"
His eyes darted behind her for a brief moment, "Is that a bad thang?"
"No, Rick. It's not a bad thing", She shook her head, her locks swinging side to side, "But like I said, I'll call you when I need to"
He decided to give up on trying to figure out what that meant, so instead he focused on something else, "I really like your hair like that"
She reached up and touched one of her locks, "I've had it for a while now…"
"Well it really suits you"
She flashed him a small, brief smile, "Thanks"
Rick glanced behind him when he heard voices approaching, "Alright. Gotta' get this show on the road"
She stepped aside to let him pass, "Yeah."
It would have been wiser for him to walk by her, but Rick was never one to miss an opportunity to go the extra mile, and so he sat one hand on her arm while he tilted his head, kissing her on her temple.
He was sure he heard her groan, "Rick."
"Don't ruin this moment for me please?", He urged, heading to the driver seat, "Just call me when you need to or whatever that means? Like if you fall down a well or somethan'?"
Michonne fought back a smile, spinning on her heel as she strolled away from the car, "Yeah. When I fall down a well"
He watched her walk away for a short moment, unable to focus on anything other than the delightful turn they had made in their relationship, when he realised he was being watched by Sasha. His brows furrowed in confusion, "How long you been standing there?"
"Long enough…", She smirked, throwing her bag in his back seat, "I'm coming back to town with you, so we can have some 'girl talk" on the way"
He opened his car door while giving her an unimpressed look, "Won't let that go, will you?"
"Nope!".