Me and the young ones

4. Food?

"Don't you have any food at all?"
I had looked through every cupboard, after finding only one tomato in the fridge that didn't seem very keen on being eaten. Atleast it told me so.

Vyvyan helped me, if a bit half hearted, to search. He had acquired a considerably more positive manner towards me after I had hit Rick - like I had fulfilled the requirement to become his friend.
"I don't know Marie, have you checked inside the walls?"

I shot him a sceptical look. "What? Do you have food in there?"

"I don't know, I've never checked."

"Let me guess - you want a reason to break something?"

"Should I tear down this wall? That's a GREAT idea Marie! What was that? With Rick's head? If you insist!"

"DON'T TOUCH ME!! I'm still sore!!"

I was stung with regret for hitting Rick. He sat sulking by the table with his injured pride (and nose), unusually quiet and low on energy, on the verge of crying - but I'm not sure if he was trying to force tears or hold them back. Vyvyan was not slow to point it out, with the question you always ask when someone is crying:

"Are you crying?"

"No I just have something irritating in here.."

"Yes, your eye."

Rick stopped rubbing his eye to give Vyvyan the V. Vyvyan responded by holding up a big pair of pliers. "You want help to get it out?"

"Please guys don't start fighting again. I was thinking of going grocery shopping, where's Neil?"

"He's probably up in his room doing his hobbies, like killing himself."

Vyvyan's insensitivity got on one's nerves sometimes. I went upstairs to knock on Neil's door.

"Neil? Are you okay?"

"Oh hi Marie, no not really.."

"Ah okay. Do you want to go grocery shopping with me? I think you would feel better if you got something to eat."

"Uhm okay sure. But I'm kinda in the middle of something, I'll be down in a minute."

I went back downstairs, to my surprise there was a large pile of food on the floor. Vyvyan's head poked out from behind it.

"What did I tell you Marie?" There was a bang - he slashed the wall next to the pile again and more food fell out from the big hole he had created.
"Great, chocolate hobnobs!"

"Guess we don't have to go grocery shopping then" Neil said, and turned to go back upstairs.

Vyvyan stopped foraging, his arm halfway through the hole in the wall.
"Someone has to cook this!! Come back Neil, what are you doing?"

"I've already told you but you never listen. I'm gonna use my gallow" Neil displayed the noose around his neck. "But you keep interrupting me. I know none of you care, but it actually takes a lot of time tying and untying."

"You selfish bastard, killing yourself before you made us breakfast!!"

"He's never doing it anyway Vyvyan" Rick said in his mocking voice.

"I am! I am really going this time, okay? You wanna bet?"

"Sure I bet all I have."

"That isn't very much, is it?"

"Neil! Don't do it!" I was finally able to speak and walked up to him, full of concern I took his hands. "No matter what these morons say. Don't listen to them, okay? Don't kill yourself!"
He let out a small sob.
"That's the nicest thing anyone ever said to me."
I gave him a hug, he seemed a little put off as if he had never been hugged before. I saw out of the corner of my eye how Rick was staring right at me. Suddenly all his energy was back and his eyes was burning with the usual rage - but then I realized - with a strange drop in my stomach -  that it was jealousy.

"Oh, boohoo poor NEIL" Rick blurted out in frustration, unable to contain his emotions. "I'm also sad, but do I make a fuss about it??"

Not accepting that Neil was the centre of attention, and by that making the biggest fuss ever, he walked over to us pretending to wipe away a tear. "Aww nobody cares about my feelings. Maybe I should tie a noose too?"

Vyvyan, munching on his chocolate hobnobs, looked excitedly between Rick and Neil.

"Two suicides in one day? That's a new record for us!"

Neil removed the noose and threw it on the floor. Rick seized the opportunity for more drama and picked it up, putting it around is own neck "Look at me! I'm Neil and I want to die!" He dramatically stumbled around the room, holding the noose and pretending to choke.

Vyvyan played along."Wait, are we doing charades now? Let me guess, you are Neil?"

I felt like Rick was getting out of hand. I had an idea and started moving towards him with a sly smile and voice dripping with faux sympathy.

"Oh Rick, I didn't know you were sad, why didn't you say so?"

He froze in the middle of a movement, and when I was close enough I sensually, to his horrified delight, put my arms around him. He tensed under my touch and his wide gaze flickered around everywhere but in my eyes. His hot-headed temperament was wiped away, he couldn't even speak properly.

"Uhm Marie, I.. I.."

Oh God. I guess he liked me more than I had expected. As he stammered, caught off guard by my embrace, I played along with the teasing, amused by the effect I had on him.

"If it's because I hurt you before, I'm so sorry. We're still friends right?" I leaned in with a mischievous smile playing on my lips.

Unable to form a coherent response he nodded awkwardly, still not looking me in the eyes. He was morbidly nervous. Realizing he had genuine feelings for me, I pushed it further.

"You've been so tense lately. What is it that you've bottled up?" I asked, tightening my hold on him.

He let out a nervous laugh. "I... uh... well, I mean, yeah, I'm sad too, you know?"

"Of course, we shouldn't let your feelings go unnoticed. We're gonna address them properly," I announced to the room, keeping my arms around Rick and maintaining eye contact. "You know I care about you Rick. You can tell me anything."

His eyes finally met mine, there was a wild longing in them. Accompanied by his maniac smile it almost scared me.

"I... I mean, it's not like... I didn't want.. it's just.. I like.."

As Rick continued to fumble for words, Vyvyan, who had been watching the scene unfold with some kind of nausea, interjected. "RICK, just say you wanna shag her already!"

Rick regainined a bit of composure. "Shut up, Vyvyan!! This is none of your business!"

"It's everybody's business unfortunately, as it happens right in the middle of the living room!" Vyvyan retorded.

Rick, now thoroughly embarrassed, tried to wriggle out of my embrace but only succeeded in making the situation more awkward. "Can we just forget this happened?" He said, his snappy voice back and avoiding the stares from Vyvyan and Neil.

"Oh, Rick, don't shy away from your feelings." I lingered on to him, enjoying myself too much.

He mumbled something incoherent, and I decided to release him. He stumbled back, still looking bewildered.

"Isn't this what you wanted, Rick?" I asked with a grin. "Attention?"

Rick was lost for words, his stupid face turned even redder. I couldn't help but laugh.
He adjusted his collar, trying to act unaffected but failed miserably.

"Pfft who cares. I don't need you Marie, or anyone for that matter!"

"Alright, alright, let's not make a big deal of this. It was just for fun."

Rick managed to put on a half-smile. "Fun, huh?"

"Yeah, just a bit of fun," I reassured him, afraid that I had stirred up more than I bargained for.