"What?!" Ricki gasped. Did he let something slip? Was Ezra secretly a stalker? A thousand questions flooded his brain like a tidal wave. A different fear hit Ricki.

Was Ezra mad that he lied?

 

"Hey," Ezra called. Ricki could barely hear him, his own thoughts too demanding and loud in his brain. "Hey! Stop that!" Ricki paused and looked at a stricken Ezra. Ezra ran his hand through his blond hair and pushed his fashionable glasses up his nose. He sighed at Ricki. "Calm down. You're overthinking it again." 

 

Ricki stared at his lap in shame. It was nothing new to him, of course. Ricki had been stuck his in own head many times. He was about to apologize when a warm hand on his shoulder stopped him. His eyes caught Ezra's.

 

"No, don't do that either. Don't blame yourself. It's not your fault, nor is it something for you to apologize for. Get it?" Ricki nodded and smiled weakly at his best friend.

 

"Thanks." Ricki managed. Ezra grinned brightly and stretched his arms. He chucked Ricki under his chin and smirked as Ricki shoved him off the bed. They both lay on the ground laughing. After a long moment of quiet, Ricki glanced over at his friend. Ezra was much taller than Ricki's average 5'7. His clothes were always thought out and put together. Even his glasses were a sign of patient choice. He had a much better style than Ricki, who mostly wore ripped jeans and sweatshirts. 

 

"What?" Ezra asked when he caught Ricki staring at him. Ricki blushed involuntarily and mentally flipped out from responding that way.

 

"Why are you so cool," Ricki sighed as if it was tragic. Ezra snorted and gave Ricki a once-over. Ricki didn't have to imagine what he saw. 

 

"I don't know, dude. I'm just so awesome. You, on the other hand. Which band is that?" Ezra pointed to Ricki's shirt. Ricki had gotten it from a thrift store. He loved the look of band shirts. He didn't know or care about any of the bands that he owned merch from, but no one needed to know that. 

 

"They're called The Departure." 

 

"I doubt you've listened to any of their songs. Honestly." 

 

"What?! Of course, I have?" Ricki's sentences all came out as questions.

 

"Hmm, whatever. Don't you love the song "Rock All Night" from them?" 

 

"Yeah. It's so good."

 

Ezra snickered and punched his arm. "I totally made that up. I was right. You haven't listened to them before." 

 

"But..." Ricki frowned in defeat. Oh, well. He had been caught. He was sure that Ezra already knew that about him anyway. 

 

"Ricki?" Ezra asked. 

 

"Yeah?" 

 

"I... have to go. Dad'll lock the gate if I don't get home by eleven." 

 

"Ugh, rich people's problems." 

 

"Shut up, Richard." Ezra tripped over Ricki's legs on the way to the window and fell on top of him. Ricki got serious deja vu. He felt Ezra's breath on his neck and pushed him off quickly. 

 

"Uh. Bye." He turned away to hide his burning cheeks.

 

"Later, Ricki!" Ezra slipped through the window and disappeared, leaving nothing but one flustered Ricki and too many questions.

 

It wasn't til Ricki was about to fall asleep that he realized that he had never asked Ezra how he knew how Ricki hit his head.