Ricky Barnes

Richard Barnes, better known as Ricky Barnes, is the male protagonist in the romantic comedy-drama *The American and the Aborigine* written by Casey Adams.

## Background

Ricky Barnes was born on March 17, 2000, to Morgan and Duke Barnes in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. According to Morgan, he was seen as "the most beautiful redheaded baby she had ever seen". He spent much of his childhood traveling with his parents during the summer and spring break and with his maternal grandparents while he was in school. He had a close relationship with both his parents and maternal grandparents despite Morgan being eccentric and dim-witted at times. While he had a great relationship with his family, the same could not be said about his school life.

During elementary school, he was relentlessly bullied for his red hair and studious personality. He decided to join the drama and sports club at his school to gain his confidence, but that didn't stop him from being the target for bullies. He befriended John Hampton, a classmate who was also bullied for his studious personality. The two realized that they had a lot in common in terms of wanting to get their grades up and love for traveling. It was also during this time that they befriended Frank Baker and Bailey Prescott, who were both the polar opposites of Ricky and John in terms of the vert spectrum. The four children were inseparable from there and did everything together from going to amusement parks to having sleepovers as well as Ricky's parents befriending everyone's parents.

Middle school proved to be a tougher challenge for Ricky than elementary school because of the verbal and physical attacks that led to him having depression that would follow him for the rest of his life. He was tormented by four boys who picked on him starting from the beginning of the school year. They would constantly bully him about not having a social life where one day, they decided to emotionally manipulate him into going to one of the boys' birthday party as a sign of forgiveness. Despite Morgan's concerns, Ricky decides to go to the party only for him to be humiliated and left alone in the woods in the nude late at night. That event leads to him having recurring nightmares about that night whenever he's humiliated and has suicidal thoughts.

High school turned out to be turbulent for Ricky. The suicidal thoughts that continued from middle school began to consume him that he decided to tell his friends about it and kept it a secret from his family. His friends were supportive of him telling them and promises to be there for him. During this time, he becomes romantically involved with Bailey since he had a crush on her when she first moved to Louisville from Marietta, but never really told her until they were in their junior year of high school. After telling Bailey about his secret crush on her, they eventually start dating. When Ricky tells his family about him dating Bailey, they are overjoyed that Ricky has finally found love. Ricky and Bailey became the school prom king and queen and earned jealously from all the guys at school for dating her. The relationship lasts for 3 years, but they would later reconcile during the summer after the end of the senior year before ending the relationship altogether. Devastated by the breakup, he takes a break from dating and focuses on getting a job and applying for college in the fall.

After summer ended, he enrolls in the University of Louisville to major in a one year International Studies program. He worked really hard to keep his grades up like he has been doing since elementary school. He graduates with an International Studies degree a year later and applies for another school: FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training in Sarasota, Florida. The school accepts him after he applied for the school 3 months after he graduated from the University of Louisville. Relived that he's leaving Louisville for once, he packs up his belongings and heads to Florida to move into a condo that he purchased a month after being accepted. On his first day of college, he at first feels out of place in the Florida setting, but later gets used to it with the help of his roommate, Mark Fisher who he later befriends. He and Mark spend time with each other for 3 years where they would get gigs from commercials until graduation.