No More Calling Me Baby

“That is so unfair!” so unfair. Richelle Santino knew her life was about to involve a tombstone. It would involve a tombstone because she was about to be dead. She was about to die because she saw the disbelieving rage take over her mother’s glare as she stalked towards her. Her mother let loose a sound of pure disbelieving rage and Ricki knew her life was over, until her Dad stepped in.

“Come on Maggie, how is she going to get to school.” He was a very reasonable man. How the hell did he end up marrying psycho mom here.

“How are we going to bail her out of jail if she gets pulled over, again.” Her mother roared at her poor Dad. Ricki’s mother wasn’t the tallest woman, she was even considered a midget by some standards but that never stopped her from being the best kick ass fitness trainer in the state. Maggie Santino unfortunately brought her work methods home and tried to play Mom.

“Nana set me up a trust fun-“ Dad glared over his shoulder at her. He knew the quickest way to set Maggie Satino off was to talk about her mother. She was a woman Ricki had only met once and also the one that set her up with an amazing trust fund that for some reason she was never allowed to tap into.

“Shut up!” her Dad said with his face. .

“Alright,” Ricki rolled her eyes, he didn’t have to be so scary about it. Ricki shut her mouth and waited. It wasn’t her fault, her mother knew what it was like to be in rush hour traffic. Just because she had cut in front of an eighteen wheeler didn’t mean it was her fault!

“Tony, she overturned a semi!” she was never going to let that go. “She could have killed someone!”

“Eighteen wheeler.” They were slower than Semi’s. Both of her parents glared at her.

“Look, how is she going to get to school.” He was cool and collected. Ricki loved her Dad because he was the exact opposite of her mom. “I have to be at the station in ten minutes, what time do you get off?”

“Late.” Maggie admitted not liking it at all. She glared at her daughter. “What time are you going to be home?”

“I promised Jenna that I would be at the store to help out with shipment.” They had hired a few new girls but someone still had to be there to oversee everything. “Finals are coming up and stuff. We were going to study.” Her Mom didn’t look like she was going to buy it. “I was going to spend the night there.” Please buy it. Ricki begged. Please just not give a shit.

“Look you girls hack it out. I’m going to be late, again. “Ricki watched her dad roll his eyes and stroll for the door.

“Love you Daddy!” she called after him. She stopped to blow them a kiss and was gone. That left her with. . .

“I want you to call me when you get from point A to Point b, and all the points in between.”

Ma’am yes ma’am! Ricki saluted the drill sergeant who was her mother. “Am I the only one who sees the wrongness in this. I’m 18 and I still have to report in. I'm not a baby anymore, I'm in college!”

“Our house.” Maggie always pointed that one out. She loved pointing out that Ricki lived in her house. Ricki wasn't surprised when she used that as her first line argument. She was barely able to contain her eye roll.

“Maybe it’s time for me to get my own place.” Vlad had said Ricki could come over anytime. Jenna had too. Neither of them had implied that she couldn’t move in. Maybe not with Jenna and
Christian, that would just be weird but Vlad was always an option. Or possibly she could tap into that fund her grandma had given her. It would be a good start for her until she and Jenna got their business off the ground.

Her mother stopped midstep and looked her over. “You’re an adult, honey.” Her voice was sweet as southern tea mixed with a drop of venom. “Think long and be responsible. Make the right choice for you.” Then she was gone out the door and headed to work. No I love you, have a good day. Nothing. Mom’s were the best. Ricki shuffled around looking for her own keys.

That wasn’t fair though was it, not all moms treated their daughters like they were criminal master minds in the making. It was so unfair, what did that woman want from her. She got good grade, she would be damned if she went out for cheerleading. She had done the sports thing and liked heels better. Most mothers would be proud, Janelle, Jenna’s mom, adored her. Everyone loved her except for her own mother.

Her keys were in her shoe, how the hell did they end up in her rain boots? Anyway she was going to be late for class, she would have been even if she had found her keys earlier.

Stalking to her Bug Baby, Ricki slammed the door wincing when she heard it rattle a little. She needed to get a grip and not take it out on her Bugwagon. The sound of Starry Eyed went off in her purse, Ricki thought about it then answered.

“Talk to me?”

“Hey babe.” The deep purr on the other end brighten her day instantly.

“Hey, what’s up.”

“Nothing, just got a break from class, was thinking of you and called.” Vlad, her boyfriend told her. Her bad mood was quickly evaporated. She would have to worry about how freaky it was that his voice could easily dissolve her dark mood.

“Oh.” She backed out the drive way and started hauling it to class. Trying to keep it under the speed limit. She almost made it.

“mhmm. And I had a favor.” He wheedled. He was really cute when he tried to wheedle her.

“I might do it.” She teased him. In the end she threw her good intentions out the freaking window and began flying past the other cars. They were so slow and she was so late.

“You have to help Jenny.”

“What’s wrong?” Ricki instantly panicked in the process she cut off a sports car that was doing something close to fifty on the freeway. Ricki's mind instantly went to the worst, Jenna had broken up with Christian or Christian had broken it off with her best friend. She would have to kill the sexy pirate if he did that. If he had then she needed to ask Siri where she could hide a dead body.

“Christian is worried about her, you know she is trying to help Janelle plan her wedding.” Ricki rolled her eyes. Why did Jenna always need to obsess over Janelle? Janelle didn’t obsess over Janelle! Jenna's mom was the easiest going woman that Ricki ever met. She was the Mother that Ricki had always prayed for but had never had.

“Okay?”

“He wants you two to spend some girl time, at the store or whatever, maybe you could stop by today.”

“No good, if she is worked up so bad that My Sexy Pirate is asking you for advice, it’s gonna take more.” just hanging out at Meine Leibe would not be chilling and talking it would be working and talking. They needed serious girl time.

“Like what, Christian is desperate.” Vlad sounded worried and amused all in one.

She knew without asking that Christian was sitting close by. Some kind of universally weird way Vlad and Christian had become bros and not just them but Ryan, Jenna’s soon to be step brother was in their group too. It cause Jenna and Ricki all sorts of confused moments. “Tell Christian we’ll do a girls night, no boys allowed. He can go stay at Ryan’s or with you.”

There was a pause. “Okay.” Another pause. “there is one more thing.”

Ricki sighed. “You’re gay, I know. You and Ryan have been having this secret fling for months thinking I didn’t know but I did. Thanks for finally telling me.” .

His rumbling laugh leaked through the phone as she pulled up into the parking lot right next to Jenna’s Tahoe. “No. Do you think I’m gay?”

“Best gay boyfriend ever.”

“Do gay boyfriends ask girls out on dates?” Vlad asked bemused.

“If they want to keep their hot girlfriends they do.” Ricki jumped out the car.

“Oh, okay. I gotta go. Love you. Bye.” He hung up before she could say anything. Wasn’t he suppose to ask her something? Ricki glared at her phone hoping he could feel her glare.
Her phone vibrated. She opened the text message and smiled at what it said. “This text is for my beautiful girlfriend asking her to be ready tomorrow night by eight o’clock. We’re going out.”

She sent back a simple message. “Okay.” Ricki walked into her math class half an hour late with a grin on her face and couldn’t make herself care.