The breakfast table was a warzone, and I was stuck right in the center of it all. The clinking of forks against plates and the occasional slurp of coffee were the only sounds breaking the suffocating silence. Rick sat at his usual spot, hunched over a plate of half-eaten eggs, his eyes glued to some handheld device that kept beeping erratically. I poked at my scrambled eggs, my collar gleaming faintly under the kitchen light. The tension between us was so thick you could've cut it with a knife. It had been weeks since we'd had a real conversation, both of us seemed to be attempting to guess one another's thoughts while keep at a safe distance seemingly neither of us getting anywhere in the process.
Beth put her coffee cup down, the sound loud than expected, jolting everyone at the table. Summer looked up from her phone, Jerry froze mid-bite of his toast, and even Rick's device let out a startled bleep.
"Alright," Beth said, her voice sharp and unyielding. "I don't know what's going on between you two, but it's been weeks. Weeks. And I'm done with it."
Rick didn't look up. "What are you talking about, Beth? Everything's fine. Morty and I are fine. Right, Morty?"
I glanced up briefly, my eyes darting between Rick and Beth. "Uh, yeah. We're fine. Totally fine." I said in a more monotone voice.
Beth's eyes narrowed. "Fine? You call this fine? You two haven't said more than two words to each other since you got back from whatever crazy adventure you were on. And don't think I haven't noticed the way you've been avoiding each other. It's like living with two brooding teenagers."
Rick finally looked up, his expression a mix of annoyance and feigned innocence. "Beth, come on. Morty and I are just… giving each other space. That's all. Right, Morty?"
I nodded quickly, though my thoughts went other places. "Yeah, space. We're just.. respecting each other's boundaries."
Beth crossed her arms, her gaze shifting between the two of us. "Boundaries? You two don't have boundaries. You're either blowing up planets or getting into some kind of intergalactic mess. And now you're acting like strangers? I don't buy it."
Jerry, who had been quietly eating his toast, chimed in nervously. "Maybe they just need some time to work things out, Beth. You know, like we did after the whole… uh… Pluto incident."
Beth shot him a glare. "This isn't about us, Jerry. This is about them." She turned back to Rick and me, her tone firm. "I don't know what's going on between you two, but you're going to fix it. Today."
Rick raised an eyebrow. "Fix it? Fix what? There's nothing to fix."
I nodded again, my voice never wavering "Yeah, nothing to fix we're good."
Beth's patience snapped. She stood up, slamming her hands on the table. "That's it! You two are going out. Right now. Go on an adventure, or whatever it is you do. But you're not coming back until you've sorted this out."
Rick leaned back in his chair, smirking. "Oh, come on, Beth. You can't be serious."
Beth's eyes blazed. "Dead serious. Jerry and I are going grocery shopping, and when we get back, I expect you two to have worked through whatever this is. If not, don't bother coming home."
Jerry's eyes widened. "Wait, Beth, are you sure—?"
Beth cut him off, grabbing her bag and his arm. "We're leaving. Now."
I watched as a dragging Jerry and Beth walked out of the kitchen, the front door slamming shut behind them. The house fell into an awkward silence. Summer, who had been quietly observing the whole exchange, stood up and grabbed her purse.
"Good luck with that," she said, heading for the door. "I'm out."
And just like that, it was just Rick and me.
The silence stretched on, my wrist feeling heavy and atmosphere uncomfortable. Rick finally broke it, his tone casual but laced with irritation. "Well, Morty, looks like we've been banished. You happy?"
I frowned, my fingers tightening around my fork. "Me? You're the one who's been avoiding me, Rick. Ever since we got back from the Citadel, you've been acting like I'm some kind of… I don't know, threat."
Rick scoffed, standing up and heading to the fridge. "A threat? Don't flatter yourself, Morty. I've just been busy. You know, saving the universe, inventing stuff, the usual."
I stood up too, my frustration bubbling over. "Busy? You've been avoiding me, Rick. And don't think I haven't noticed the way you've been looking at me. Like you're waiting for me to… to do something."
Rick paused, a bottle of sauce in his hand. He turned to face me, his expression unreadable. "And what exactly would you do, Morty?"
I hesitated, "I don't know, Rick. But you're acting like I'm some kind of time bomb. Like you don't trust me."
Rick's eyes narrowed. "Trust you? Morty, you've been acting weird ever since you got that collar back. You've been sneaking around, keeping secrets. So yeah, maybe I don't trust you. Not until you tell me what's going on."
I narrowed my eyes, leaning slightly on the table "Why should I trust you when you don't even trust me" I said pausing briefly" Knowing you Rick I have good reason, besides I'm not the only one with secrets in this room."
Rick's eyes lingered on me, his usual bravado flickering just enough for me to notice. I wasn't entirely sure if simply confronting the issue was the smartest move but at the very least it'll clear the air.
Rick didn't answer right away. Instead, running his empty hand through his hair. "Fine then, but that doesn't change the fact you've been suspicious."
"What exactly is so suspicious, I've just grown and it seems to me you can't handle a morty being a variable out of your control."
Rick's expression darkened. "Watch it, Morty. You don't know what you're talking about."
"Then tell me!" I raised my tone, my voice echoing through the kitchen.
Rick's grip tightened on the bottle in his hand. For a moment, it looked like he was about to say something. But then he turned away, muttering under his breath. "You wouldn't understand."
I threw my hand into my face in frustration. "Of course I wouldn't! Because you won't tell me anything!"
Rick slammed the bottle down on the counter. "Fine, Morty. You want to know the truth? The collar is dangerous. At first I just thought it was some weird fashion thing but ever since the Citadel I noticed changes. It's more dangerous than you can imagine. And if you keep messing with it, you're going to get yourself—and maybe the rest of us—killed."
I stared at him, my dissatisfaction giving way to slight confusion. "What are you talking about, Rick?"
Rick hesitated, "It's… complicated, Morty. And I can't explain it right now. Just trust me when I say you need to be careful."
I shook my head, my frustration returning. "That's not good enough, Rick. If it's so dangerous, then why did you let me keep it? Why didn't you just take it away?"
Rick's jaw tightened. "Because I thought I could handle it. But now… I'm not so sure."
The room fell silent again, the weight of Rick's words hanging in the air. I looked down at the collar, my mind racing. He hadn't realized I had made it explicitly to get rid of my potential weaknesses. I didn't understand why Rick was so afraid of it, but I knew one thing for sure: I couldn't just let it go. it held to much value.
Finally, Rick sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Look, Morty, we're not getting anywhere like this. Beth's right. We need to figure this out. So, what do you say we go on one of our classic adventures? Just you and me. No secrets, no lies. Just… talk."
I looked up, surprised at his sudden shift.
Rick shrugged, though his expression was serious. "Yeah, I mean it. But you've got to promise me one thing."
"What?"
"No more secrets, Morty. Whatever's going on with that collar, you tell me. Deal?"
I contemplated for a second, then nodded. "Deal."
Rick grabbed his portal gun from the counter and tossed me a spare he got from the Citadel. "Alright, then. Let's get out of here before Beth comes back and grounds us for life."
I managed a small smile, though my mind was still racing. As Rick opened a portal, I couldn't shake the feeling that this adventure was going to change everything.
And I was right.