Didn't Know It Before( An EJ Caswell/HSMTMTS Fanfiction)

Chapter Seventeen: Dysfunctional Family

So, I went home, and I did my homework, and I practiced the piano, and when I checked my phone I had about twenty texts from EJ.

Megan?

Megan, come on.

Please answer me.

I know I messed up, and I'm so sorry. I can't have you hating me too.

Please, Megan.

I ignored most of these...until I got to the last one.

I need you.

I sighed, caving in and clicking on EJ's name, calling him.

"Oh, thank God," He said, "I'm losing my mind here."

"You had to have known that this would happen eventually." I pointed out.

"I did, I did know, but I just thought Nini would hate me. I didn't think I'd end up losing both of you." I sighed.

"I don't hate you, EJ," I said. "I just...I want so badly to be on your side, and to be there for you, and you're not...you're not making it easy."

"I know. I know, and I'm sorry, and I swear I'll be better-"

"Its not about being a better, EJ." I said. "I meant what I said. I accept you, flaws and all, its just...you have to think about your actions and their consequences before you do things."

"I will, from now on. I swear." I nodded.

"I know you will."

"So...we're good?" Before I could answer, there was a knock at the door. I furrowed my eyebrows.

"Um...yeah, we're good. One sec." I got off of the couch, walking over to the front door and looking out the window. My eyes widened and I jerked the door open.

"Is everything ok?" He asked.

"Yeah, um...I gotta go. Someone's at the door."

"Ok. Call me back when they leave?"

"Yeah." I hung up the phone, letting my arm fall to my side as I looked at the person standing on my front porch.

"Hey," Ricky said, "I um...I know we barely know each other but um...I need a place to crash, and I wondered..." I just looked at him in shock. "Sorry. Stupid, I shouldn't have asked."

"No, no, uh, come on in." I said. He nodded awkwardly, and I stepped aside to let him in. "I just um...why me?"

"Well, I was at Big Red's, but he has sleep apnea and white noise, then I went to Nini's and that was just...awkward, so I figured I'd try you." He said. "Your house is...kind of huge."

"Yeah." I said. "So just out of curiosity, why do you need a place to stay? I thought you mentioned at Rehearsal that your Mom is home." He nodded.

"She's home temporarily because...right before rehearsal, my parents spring it on me that they're separating." He said. 

"Oh my gosh, Ricky, I...I'm so sorry." He shook his head.

"Its just...with everything changing so much lately, with Nini, and...everything this is just too much for me right now." I nodded. "Are your parents cool with me staying?"

"My parents aren't home," I told him, "They're hardly ever home, its just me, so I can do what I want, and I say its fine."

"Sounds like you've got some family drama of your own." He said, putting his hands in his pockets. I shook my head.

"In order to have 'family drama', you kind of need the 'family'." He furrowed his eyebrows. "I'd hardly call us that. I've had more real conversations with you in the past few weeks than I've had with my parents in seventeen years, so..."

"That must be hard." He said. I nodded.

"Can I...can I just offer you some advice?" I asked. He didn't respond, but kept looking at me, which I took as a sign to continue.  "I get that this is hard for you, and it is. I'm not saying its not, and obviously, you are more than welcome to stay here, but..."

"But?" He asked. I sighed.

"Even with all of this stuff with the separation," I said, "I'd be willing to bet that you have two parents who love you, and want what's best for you, and I have a feeling that your Mom is at home missing you and its just...don't take what you have for granted, Ricky, because even a dysfunctional family is better than no family at all." He nodded.

"I...you're right." He wiped his hands on his pants. "Thanks for telling me that." I shrugged.

"Well, if you ever need someone to talk to about family issues, just...I'm here, and I get it. And whether you want me to give you advice, or just listen to you, don't hesitate to ask." He smiled half-halfheartedly.

"Megan, can I ask you something?" He said. I nodded. "What happened to you?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"For as long as I can remember, you've been quiet and reclusive, and you'd sit at the back of the class with your head down and never talk to anyone and now, you...you're performing, and you're offering to help people that you barely know, like...what changed?" I smiled at him.

"After seventeen years of not having a family," I told him, "I finally found one in the cast of High School Musical. Its a lot easier to shut yourself off from people when there's no one there for you, but once I found those people...I just want to do for others what this experience is doing for me, you know?"

"Yeah. Well I appreciate it, and I know Big Red does too. He says he appreciates how you explain theater terms to him without making him feel stupid." He said. I shrugged.

"This stuff isn't common knowledge for most people. If I can help him understand it, maybe he'll grow to love it just as much as I do." I said. He smiled at this.

"Well, thanks, for everything." He said. "I think I will go home."

"Ok. Just be careful." He nodded, lifting his hand in a short wave before going right back out the door. Its strange how, just because we're both in the musical together, we both felt somewhat ok coming to each other's houses uninvited. I chuckled at this, sitting on the couch again and grabbing my phone and going to call EJ back. I clicked on his name and was just about to press the little green phone button when the door opened again. I furrowed my eyebrows. "Hey, did you forget something?"

I stood up, walking over again, only to stop dead in my tracks.

"Mom?"