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mellowmadds · 2 years

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Candy Hearts | Ricky Bowen

ricky bowen/fem!reader oneshot

fluff :)

summary: attending camp shallow lake wasn��t your ideal summer plan. however getting to spend a few weeks of summer alone with your boyfriend Ricky seemed to make all your nerves and anxiety ridden thoughts disappear.

warnings: anxiety/anxious reader, sad reader, shy reader, ricky bowen has adhd

word count: 3076

⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙

Attending camp shallow lake wasn’t exactly how you wanted to be spending your summer, but here you are packing all your essentials. It wasn’t that you didn’t want to be spending a few weeks of summer vacation with your best friends and almost too caring boyfriend, it’s just that your anxiety usually got the best of you. As you’re trying your best to fit everything into a small duffle bag that Ricky had let you borrow, your mother gently leaned against the frame of your bedroom door.

“Don’t forget your eyeglass cleaner, I know it bothers you even if it’s just a small smudge.” Your mother laughed while walking forward handing you the eyeglass cleaner and a small cloth.

“Thanks mom.” You said while trying to force a smile onto your face.

“What’s wrong Y/n? I can tell when you’re upset so don’t try to hide it.” Your mother stated as she sat down on your bed and grabbed the teddy bear that always sat on your pillow.

“Just nervous. I don't understand why you’re making me go.” Trying your best to not let the tears that filled your eyes spill down your face.

“Because this will be a good experience for you. Your friends will be by your side the entire time, you know Kourtney will be there for you. She understands how you feel so don’t worry she will take care of you. Besides, isn't Ricky also going to be there?” She was right, you knew that Kourt will always and forever be there for you, that's just the kind of person she is. As you looked back up at your mom she had a smirk on her face as she tightly held the teddy bear Ricky had gotten you a while back. You took the teddy bear from her arms and threw it on the pile of clothes you started folding so you could pack them into the duffle bag.

“No mother would ever be this happy that their daughter is spending a few weeks of summer vacation alone with her boyfriend, not to mention camp is also a few hours away from home.” As you stood up grabbing some more clothes to fold your mother also stood up and pulled you into a hug.

“That’s because I’m not like a regular mom, I’m a cool mom.” She said trying her best to keep a straight face.

“Okay enough with the mean girls quotes, but sure you're the coolest mom in the world.” You said hugging her back trying your best not to be so anxious about going off to camp.

Finishing up packing wasn’t the easiest trying to fit everything you were taking into that small duffle bag was a challenge however you did succeed without breaking the zipper. You were going to carpool with Kourtney, EJ, Ashlyn, and Carlos since Ricky was helping Big Red at the pizza place and was going to drive Big Red’s car to camp later on tonight. As you waited for EJ’s car to arrive you said your goodbyes to your mother and tried your best to look excited even though deep down you were a nervous wreck. EJ’s car finally pulled into your driveway making your heart skip a beat knowing there's no turning back now, you have no other choice than to attend camp. While throwing your bag in the trunk you hear Gina fighting over who gets to control the music.

“Wait so how are we all supposed to fit?” You laughed while Gina pulled you onto her lap and pushed your glasses up for you.

“Well hello to you too Y/n.” Gina laughed while trying to act as if she was hurt over you not expecting her to be in the car. Of course she wasn’t actually hurt. Gina had become the one friend who gave you the confidence you so desperately needed and the two of you grew closer since you knew she’d never judge you for being yourself. As everyone got settled into the car Gina turned the music back on and ‘Hopelessly Devoted’ from the movie Grease started playing through the loudspeakers and everyone sang along. Gina grabbed your cheeks as you scrunched up your nose as she sang the lyrics ‘But now there’s nowhere to hide’ then Carlos dramatically laid his arm on his forehead and leaned back into you and Gina as he sang the ‘Since you pushed my love aside’ lyric. The whole car ride was full of laughter and singing which made you think maybe camp would be fun. As you guys arrived at camp a girl named Maddox held out a bucket labeled ‘cell phones’ everyone placed their phones into the bucket while talking amongst themselves while you tightly held onto your phone and asked if this was a mandatory type of thing unfortunately it was and everyone had to give up all electronics.

“Camp Shallow Lake has a no electronics allowed policy in place so all campers can enjoy our activities and enjoy the outdoors, it’s only for a couple of weeks you’ll be fine.” Maddox spoke quietly to you as if she noticed how nervous you were. You gently placed your phone into the bucket taking one last look at your lock screen which was just a picture of Ricky holding the teddy bear he gifted you.

Walking towards the girls cabin Kourtney tried her best to make small talk with you as the rest of the girls walked in front of you guys.

“Please at least try to have a little bit of fun, I promise I’m not going anywhere I’ll be by your side the entire time.” She gave you a lighthearted smile and gave you a side hug as you both walked to the door of the cabin.

“Well this is certainly a choice” Kourtney laughed while pointing out every small detail she hated about the cabin.

“Save yourself the time and don’t even step one foot in the bathroom if you think the main room is horrid.” Gina chimed in with a disgusted look on her face while Kourtney covered her mouth with her hand and pretended to gag.

While the girls chatted among themselves you started fixing one of the bottom bunks claiming it as your own. While trying to unpack all the thoughts of having to stay here for a couple of weeks instead of peacefully sleeping in the comfort of your own home filled your brain. Trying to hide your discomfort you told the girls you were going to go for a walk and would be back later on.

“You guys think she’ll be alright and eventually get used to it?” Ashlyn asked worriedly, she had always looked out for you even if you two weren’t the closest of friends.

“I doubt it Y/n has never liked being away from home. It took her months to be able to sleep the entire night at my house when we were younger. She won’t even sleepover at Ricky’s even though Mr. Bowen doesn’t care.” Kourtney explained to the girls while Carlos quietly entered the cabin and joined in on the conversation.

“Y/n doesn’t look like she’s having any fun. I just passed her on the way here and she didn’t even look at me when I asked where she was going.” Carlos told the girls while giving them a sad expression.

“Wait, she really won’t sleep over at Ricky’s house?” Gina asked shockingly.

“Big Red may or may not have told me that Ricky thinks his ADHD and outgoing personality is too much for Y/n to handle.” Ashlyn chimed back into the conversation.

“Are Y/n and Ricky really having problems?” Carlos questioned Kourtney hoping she would spill every single drop of tea.

“Y/n just struggles with really bad anxiety and this is probably the last place she wants to be right now. They aren’t having problems but it just takes Y/n a while to become fully comfortable. Also Ricky has no room to talk because he is constantly getting Y/n in trouble at school for the stupid things he does like skateboarding down the dead silent hallways with Y/n trailing behind him dragging his backpack on the floor trying to get him to stop. Ricky doesn’t exactly help Y/n when it comes to her anxiety, he just makes it worse.” Kourtney says with a straight face.

“So you’re confirming that what Ricky told Big Red is correct?” Ashlyn asked Kourtney with a confused look.

“Ricky just needs to realize that Y/n struggles with being in unfamiliar places and becoming close with people. She trusts Ricky, she just needs more time to get comfortable.” Kourtney explained.

Everyone decided to stop questioning Kourtney because she seemed to be done with the conversation and decided to finish unpacking and talk about the activities happening tonight.

“Hey Y/n I’m sorry but you can’t be over here we have to start setting up for the campfire.” EJ stated while giving Y/n a small smile.

“Sorry rocketman.” EJ glared at you.

“Please don’t call me that absolutely nobody knows my camp nickname yet I’m not ready to be made fun of the entire trip.” EJ laughed. “The girls have been looking for you, you should head back and get ready for the campfire.”

“Sorry if I worried anyone, I was just trying to clear my head.” You explained and gave EJ a wave goodbye while you walked back in the direction of the girls cabin.

When you got back to the cabin none of the girls were there so you took the time to try your best to relax and find an outfit to wear to the campfire since it was going to get cold tonight. Time passed and eventually all the girls came back to the cabin with blankets to stay warm next to the campfire. Gina handed you a fluffy light blue blanket and asked if everyone was ready to start heading out. While the girls headed to the campfire Ricky finally arrived and decided to head to the boys cabin to unpack. While Ricky was unpacking in the boys cabin he quickly made friends with a kid named Jet who finally agreed to come to the campfire with Ricky after some convincing. Before heading out Ricky grabbed the candy hearts he bought earlier and quickly made his way to the campfire with Jet.

“Am I late!” Ricky yelled over EJ’s horrible singing.

“You always know how to make an appearance, Bowen.” Carlos shook his head laughing while getting up from his spot next to Y/n so Ricky could take a seat next to you. EJ continued to sing while everyone watched him and made weird faces.

“Hey love” Ricky quietly greeted you while you let him take half of the blanket. You gave him a soft smile not wanting to interrupt EJ again.

You and the girls have been sharing a bag of twizzlers when out of the blue Ricky reaches and grabs one.

“Absolutely not Bowen go get your own.” Kourtney snaps at him. She had never really been fond of Ricky but tolerates him because you love him for some reason. You looked over at Kourtney while taking the twizzler from Ricky and placing it back in the bowl. Carlos seemed to be the only one to notice your obvious discomfort and sadness that Kourt snapped at Ricky for no reason. Instead of fighting with her Ricky shrugged his shoulders and decided it wasn’t worth it to start an argument, he knew Y/n wouldn’t like that.

“Here” Ricky said while handing you a candy heart that had ‘I <3 you’ written on it. You looked up at him and gave him another smile when he started leaning in you turned to lay your head on his shoulder. The rest of the campfire was filled with laughter and happy memories being made. Although you didn’t talk to Kourtney the rest of the time you still enjoyed your time with your other friends. Eventually the campfire ended and since it was getting late everyone decided it was time to head back to the cabins and get ready for bed. Everyone said their goodbyes. You gave Ricky a hug and said goodnight to him and walked back to the girls cabin with Ashlyn while EJ and the rest of the camp directors stayed behind to clean up.

“Are you okay Y/n? Kourt shouldn't have snapped like that.” Ashlyn asked before entering the cabin.

“Yeah I’m alright I know she doesn’t like him it’s okay.” You said back shrugging your shoulders. Ashlyn just nodded and gave you a tight hug before the both of you headed inside the cabin. It was getting late and everyone was tired so you rushed getting ready for bed so the girls could shut the lights and go to sleep. Some time had passed and everyone had already fallen asleep no matter what you could not fall asleep it felt as if your breathing was getting heavier with every passing minute and no matter what you could not get comfortable instead you were tossing and turning every second. Realizing you weren’t going to get any sleep you grabbed one of your hoodies and made your way over towards the boys cabin. You don’t know where the courage came from. Maybe it was because you were tired or because Kourtney made you mad but you twisted the doorknob to the boys cabin and walked in like you owned the place. Of course the boys were still awake. It was only Ricky, Carlos and Jet since EJ was still cleaning up the campground. Ricky quickly jumped from his top bunk and pulled you into a tight hug.

“Hey Y/n are you okay what happened?” Ricky asked, letting go and looking at you.

“I just couldn’t sleep and Kourt isn’t really being the nicest person right now.” You admitted fidgeting with your hands and placing them in the pocket of your hoodie.

“You can stay here, come on take your shoes off.” Ricky said while taking one of the million pillows Carlos brought along with him.

“My pillows are the most comfortable they are made of-” Carlos was quickly cut off by you telling him thank you and Ricky turning the lights off as soon as he knew you made it safely onto the top bunk. Ricky quickly climbed back into bed and gently pulled you closer to him and wrapped his arms around you. Although this was new for you guys to be sleeping in the same bed you felt comfortable and played with the end of his t-shirt while you slowly drifted off to sleep. Unfortunately that didn’t last long because no more than an hour later the lights were being turned on by a very already pissed off EJ.

“Carlos candles are not allowed in the cabins!” He quickly ran over to the candle and blew it out. EJ was taking his new camp job very seriously which everyone found hilarious.

“We were trying to sleep, shut the lights back off it’s late” Ricky said sitting up to face EJ.

“You guys were not sleeping Jet is playing that stupid video game and Carlos has his face misting thing on.” Carlos just rolled his eyes and continued to ignore EJ. As soon as Ricky sat up EJ saw you laying there next to him.

“Y/n get up you’re not allowed to sleep in here.” EJ said with an annoyed look on his face.

“Just go to sleep EJ nobody else cares, it’s not like we are going to do anything.” Ricky replied back.

“No Ricky it doesn’t matter I’m not getting in trouble for letting Y/n sleep in your bed. Come on Y/n get up I’ll walk you back to the girls cabin.” EJ was serious this time and wasn’t in the mood to joke around or let anything slide. Ricky was starting to get angry but before he could start a fight with EJ you started to quietly explain what was going on to EJ. It was hard for you to talk about your struggles with anxiety and explained that earlier in the day when you had talked to EJ because you were sitting where the campfire was being set up you told him it was because you were trying to clear your head and calm yourself down. After some more talking EJ finally agreed to let you stay and apologized for being an asshole. You accepted his apology, you knew he didn’t hate you and that he was just tired and wanted to go to sleep after a long day. Eventually morning came and the bright sun came shining through the windows. EJ was already up and gone getting the day started with the campers while Carlos was just heading out the door to go get some breakfast.

“Good Morning love” Ricky said while pulling you closer to him. He always called you some sort of name but love was always your favorite. You gave him a quick kiss and hugged him tight while he pulled the blanket up further so you were comfortable. However your sweet but short lived moment was only to be interrupted by the one and only Dewey Wood.

“I see not one but two violations in front of me.” Dewey stated while Jet quickly hid his gaming system under his blanket. Following his actions Ricky jokingly covered you with the blanket.

“Jet, why don’t you get up and go get some breakfast.” Dewey recommended and Jet followed his instructions not wanting to get his games taken away.

“Now that it’s just us, let's have a very nice detailed conversation about why this isn’t allowed.” Dewey said while gesturing his hands towards the two of you.

You may have not had the best first night at camp and while yes having ‘the talk’ with none other than Dewey Wood was intriguing yet embarrassing you had one of the best morning’s ever getting to spend time with Ricky brushing your teeth together while dancing to music on EJ’s record player and then getting to eat breakfast together pretending it was like a mini date. Ricky may be a lot to handle sometimes but he truly does take all your worries away and you couldn’t ask for a better boyfriend than Ricky Bowen.

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joysmercer · 22 days

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Today should be the happiest day of Gina's life.

That's what her mom said when she woke her up this morning (bright and early, for the dress fitting); Quinn and Miss Jenn had repeated some version of the phrase over the course of the day. Even just now, Maddox pulled her away from the dressing room with an air of excitement Gina has yet to feel herself.

This moment should be the happiest of Gina's life. She knows she should be soaking it all in, paying attention to every step, every swish of this designer gown around her ankles, committing the scene to memory.

The world is your oyster, now.

So why does she feel like her world is ending, instead?

The hallway fades into a dizzying blur around Gina. She vaguely recognizes the presence of two other PAs on either side of her, like guards (though, right now, they feel more warden-like than protective). Maddie's hand slips from hers, moments away from grasping the handle of the stage entrance, and—

"Wait," Gina rasps. It's just one word, but she has to force it out like she's trying to cough up peanut butter.

It's not like there's much of a choice, when you're choking.

"Porter, you're already late. The reporters are getting—"

"No, just—" she spots a blob of white in the periphery. Her vision swimming, she turns to it, pleading, "Mommy, please, just a minute?"

The blob says something, but her hearing's gone, now, too, and all Gina can do is lean against the wall, squeezing her eyes shut.

The blobs disappear, the ringing in hear ears fades, and she tries desperately to catch her breath. Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know, her mind starts to sing, out of nowhere. An absurd song for an equally absurd moment.

Put on a show!

But then again, she was never much of an Elsa, was she.

Make one wrong move and everyone will know.

And, suddenly, someone's touching, then gripping, her shoulders. Gina stiffens, not trusting herself to open her eyes just yet.

If this is how it ends, getting kidnapped by someone because she insisted on a moment alone, then—

"Gi, Gi, can you hear me?"

Ricky.

Gina opens her eyes.

"Sorry, did I startle you? I called your name, like, three times, and you were just—"

His brows are furrowed, those brown eyes staring right into the depths of her soul. She takes one look at him and knows.

Knows she loves him.

Knows, with every fiber of her being, that he loves her.

And she can't bear the thought of leaving here without him knowing.

"I love you," she whispers.

But the voice she hears is stronger, deeper, and…decidedly not hers.

"Wait, what?" she splutters.

"I love you." Ricky smirks. "I love you," he says again, cupping her cheek. "I love you." He brushes their lips together, soft and sweet. "I—"

"I love you too, Ricky Bowen," Gina interrupts, wanting to make sure he hears her properly. "God, I love you too." She kisses him once more.

"Ok, now that that's established," Ricky says, when they finally break apart. "What do you say we head inside? The whole world awaits!"

Oh, yeah. That. Gina's knees start to wobble again, Ricky's arms draped over her shoulders being the only thing steadying her. "I, um. I can't?"

Ricky frowns. "What do you mean?"

"I can't," Gina repeats. "I don't want to." The minute the words leave her mouth, a weight lifts off her shoulders, and an angel gains their wings. Or whatever the phrase is. "Yeah, I don't want to."

"But—"

"Ricky," Gina says, slowly. "I haven't signed a contract yet."

It takes a moment for the implication of her words to dawn on him. "Wait, you're—"

"Let's get out of here, please?" she asks, extra sweetly.

He doesn't need to be asked a second time. He grabs her hand and runs, their giggles intermingling as they sprint halfway down the hallway, together.

"Wait!" a voice calls. They turn to find Maddox jogging up to them. "I'm coming too."

"Maddie—"

"A job is a job. You're my friend," she shrugs. "Besides, I don't wanna be the one to have to clean up that mess."

Ricky loops his free arm through hers. "The more the merrier!"

Gina laughs and they take off once again. Just as they turn the corner, they find…

…the rest of the Drama Club. "Where are you guys going?" Miss Jenn asks.

Before Gina can come up with an explanation, Ricky jumps in, saving the day for the umpteenth time. "I dunno, where do theater kids go after opening night?" he asks cheekily.

Their friends immediately start cheering. They leave Jenn to explain to a bemused Mazzara and run out the door.

A man in a tuxedo and a gold-plated nametag gets out of the limousine waiting for them out front. "Gina Porter?" the chauffeur asks, hurrying to open the passenger door.

Gina turns to her friends and shrugs. It's not technically stealing if the guy offers.

"Hell yeah!" Ash squeals. Gina takes that as her cue and climbs in, everyone else clambering after.

#someday i will finish my *actual* s4 finale rewrite but in the meantime have This #hsmtmts #gina porter #high school musical: the musical: the series #ricky bowen #ricky x gina #my writing

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rainforest-daisies · 2 years

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A Christmas party

Character: Ricky Bowen x reader

Synopsis: it seems like each time nini and Ricky are in the same room, its like they fall in love all over again.

TW: none? Maybe some angst, also me being biased about Gina being my favorite character<3

A/n: for @fbfh !! This took me ages, so sorry for the wait! But i hope you enjoy!

They were at it again.

This was the second year they had fought during the Christmas party. They seemed to have something against each other, but it got even worse after EJ and nini got together.

Even after you and Ricky started dating, you could tell it was tense between them. It was because of nini.

All of it was because of nini. You two got together because him and nini broke up. You said ‘I love you’ first because he didn’t want to hurt like nini did. He didn’t want you to move on like nini did. He hates EJ’s guts because of nini.

It always felt like a competition to win her. And Ricky still participated like it was a carnival game. A sick, misery filled, tormenting carnival game. But maybe you were reading your relationship wrong.

Going to every family event together, Staying the night at his place when he was having a rough day, holding hands and kissing each other like a young couple usually would. You even asked to be his date to prom for goodness sake. Is that not enough to show him how in love you are? You’ve been trying for months to let this go, yet every time she would be there, you felt insignificant to Ricky.

No matter how you touched him, comforted him, kissed him, no matter how much you loved him, He would never love you the way he loved her.

You were sat next to Gina on the floor, legs crisscrossed, with a Pepsi can sat between you both. You watched as ricky sang as loud as he could, ‘battling’ with EJ. Nini was right in front of them both, and you couldn’t see her face, but you were sure she was looking directly at ricky.

You were jealous, Gina could tell. Even if you told her you weren’t, she wouldn’t believe you. Ever since she came to salt lake, you got along better than you had with anyone. You were one of the few she actually trusted. And She knew you and Ricky weren’t destined, but you were her best friend. she would never tell you that. The days she would see your eyes slightly bloodshot from crying tested her patience, each time she got closer to screaming at him and nini.

You had enough of this, Watching them fall in love with each other all over again, being forgotten by your boyfriend once more.

“Im gonna go get a cupcake of something…wanna come with?” Gina had perfect timing, trying to pull you away from the scene everyone was looking at. You nodded, pushing yourself up from the floor. Rickys eyes met your back, quickly looking to your shoes clicking on the floor. He could see the slight slouch you held yourself with, your Pepsi can grasped in your hand.

Somehow, while being distracted, Ricky knocked over a table, which fell on the karaoke machine, which stopped the music. The machine cord creates sparks, which makes chaos ensue. You and Gina turned around, gasping when you saw someone pouring their drink over it, thinking it would stop the sparks. It most definitely didn’t stop them.

“Great! You ruined Christmas. Thanks a lot.” You looked directly at Ricky when those words came out of your mouth.

His skin was tinted slightly red, eyes wide from embarrassment. Did you just say what he thought you said? No. It couldn’t be his fault that you almost had tears running from your eyes. Because it never was. It never was his fault.

#ricky bowen #ricky bowen x reader #hsmtmts #high school musical the musical the series #x reader #angst #Ricky bowen Angst #shitpost #hsm the musical #joshua basset x reader #Olivia Rodrigo

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daphnebowen · 4 months

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this is a joshua bassett appreciation post

keep scrolling if you don't have anything nice to say and want to hate on josh for all the Olivia/sabrina/josh drama. I'm a big fan of all three artists and that's not what this is about. this is about Joshua's new song THE GOLDEN YEARS and his upcoming album.

okay guys idk how big the joshua bassett fandom is here but THE GOLDEN YEARS?? idk i'm just so blown away by this song for no reason at all. like its a perfect memento in my life of being happy where i am and not wanting to let go of everything i have currently and moving on and wanting to go back and an aversion to change and idk-

in my mind this is also a ricky bowen song. even though gina and ricky are soulmates, i will stand by this till the day i die, nini and ricky need to be friends. they need to be on good terms. and this song kind of reminds me of the way nini and ricky broke up, kind of "right person wrong time" whereas as ricky and gina are "right person right time." and none of this probably makes sense but the feelings I feel when josh sings "I woulda held you longer that night when you kissed me goodbye through your tears" 😭

this is a summertime song. this song will be blasting in my car all the time. this song is upbeat but it is sad. it makes me want to smile but it also makes me want to cry. and I feel like, at his core and at his heart, that's the type of singer josh is. he will tear your heart apart with his beautiful lyricism and sad slow melodies but he will also make you want to scream your heart out and shout for joy with his energetic beats and fun, snappy rhythm.

in short, I am in love with this song. I am in love with the figurative language and the callbacks and the references. I am in love with Josh's voice and Josh's vision.

I am in love with Joshua Bassett. 🥰

and also, HE'S RELEASING HIS FIRST ALBUM? how have we never gotten a josh album before?? I'm going to cry along to it, place your bets if you agree - I can't wait to see what josh does. he's healing, he's growing, he's changing and he's becoming a better person and a bigger person and showing us his growth and how he's moving on and continuing to do great things.

thank you for reading. comment your thoughts on if you like the song as well!

#joshua bassett #the golden years #again #please do not hate on josh #he is my husband #i will protect him with my life because WE DON'T KNOW ANYTHING #and this song deserves recognition #he deserves recognition #the album deserves recognition #thank you for coming to my ted talk

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jimblejamblewritings · 2 years

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luck be a (leading) lady | part 11.

[Posted 2022.09.29]

Summary: Y/N has always been a background character. That’s just life for some folks isn’t it? But what if she’s determined to not just be another member in the ensemble? What if someone helps her step into the spotlight in her own special way?

Warnings for the Series: a teeny bit of angst but mainly fluff, slow burn

Pairing: ricky bowen x black!reader

Word Count: 3.0k

A/N: I’m thinking 3 or 4 parts left after this. It won’t go much further in the story than when Ricky and the reader actually get together.

A/N II: My writing style in this isn’t my favorite but I never realized how hard it would be to do hsmtmts as a series fic. I still love the plot though so I’m going to see it through but serious thank you to all the readers that enjoy this story because I’m honestly not sure about my own writing here.

Previous Part | (Series Masterlist)

“EJ, care to share why we aren’t in a stretch circle right now?” Kourtney asked through a yawn.

“Corbin and Channing need more.”

“More?”

“Just some reality style juice to bring everything to life.”

“What EJ means is that the docuseries and the musical are getting canceled if we don’t bring some pettiness to our performances,” Carlos explained. “So the three of us spent all night, and well into six am, making a plan. I present the RCOSL.”

“What?” Ashlyn just stared at the first posterboard in confusion.

“The Real Campers of Shallow Lake? I thought that was pretty self-explanatory.”

“Look, it’s easy,” EJ encouraged. “You know how as real people we pick up on social cues and other people’s feelings?”

“Do we?” Gina asked pointedly.

Carlos cut in after EJ faltered. “Anyway, forget being nice. Think of the three Bs. Bombshells, betrayals, and bitch slaps.”

“Look I love the real housewives but we’re students not millionaires. We have no money to burn or kids to blame, so how are we pulling this off?” Kourtney asked.

Jett leaned back in his seat. “Can I be Team Kourtney on this one?”

Carlos sighed and showed the next posterboard. “Here’s how. Everyone needs roles and we’ve already taken the liberty of assigning them. Play your part to a T.”

No one was quite sure about the plan but if it saved the show then they would consider it. Although, they were starting to wonder how much of these roles were completely made up. Some seemed a bit personal. The judgy one, the jilted ex, the one with a dark past, the crier, the one who's here for the wrong reasons, the one the audience pities, the one with a catchphrase, the shrink, the bad boy, and the instigator.

“It’s a formula and the formula works,” Val said with a nod.

“Isn’t this a little tawdry?” Kourtney asked.

“I was going to say the exact same thing,” Jett spoke up from behind Kourtney.

“And that is why, Kourt, you get to be the judgy one,” Carlos said.

Val slapped Kourt’s picture up on the board underneath the label that read judgy. Everyone else started getting parts assigned. Jilted ex— Ricky. Dark past— Ashlyn. Crier— Maddox. Wrong reasons— EJ. Pitiful one— You. Catchphrase— Gina. Shrink— Val. Bad boy— Jett. Instigator— Carlos. Everyone else could pick who they would stick by throughout the show.

Ricky and Gina looked at each other. Gina raised her hand. “Um, is giving Y/N the role of being the one the audience pities a good idea?”

“Of course,” Carlos said. “She doesn’t even have to act, it limits risks of everyone messing up the less actors we have. It’s why I’m the instigator. And Val’s the shrink because she’s a psych major.”

“Oh, good, so we aren’t stretching for these parts,” Kourtney said.

Carlos pointed at her. “Good. I want a lot more of that energy today.”

“Wait, why is it less risk?” Gina was focused on that part.

“Because her social anxiety and the fact that she never gets the lead despite having enough talent is the perfect thing for the audience to root for.”

Ricky sat up. “Dude, that’s not cool.”

“People have to be exploited, Ricky. Why do you think you’re the jilted ex?”

“I’m not jilted.”

“But you are an ex, just play it up.”

Ricky’s nostrils flared slightly but he dropped it. Everyone started to get a bit excited about the idea, mainly Ashlyn and some of the ensemble. It was just another role. Besides, everyone knew that reality tv wasn’t all that real. They listened to their four goals for the day. Cry, Slap, Throw a drink, Get caught saying something scandalous on a hot mic. Aside from the drink throwing, it seemed easy enough. Even the drink wouldn’t be too bad— they just had to find a scenario that called for drink throwing. Carlos had already organized how the slap would be done. At some point they’d have an exercise on fake slapping for theater and someone would just “accidentally” hit someone else. It was brilliant. Now, they just needed to figure out who was willing to take a handprint to the cheek for the team.

They were all working on slaps and other things while waiting for Corbin and Channing. Maddox and Ashlyn were backstage trying to figure out a way to make Maddox cry. She wasn’t someone who could just turn on the tears. Nothing Ashlyn was suggesting even made her think about crying. Carlos walked by.

“We’ll work out the kinks… I know! You two are in love with the same boy. How about…” He looked around. “Oh, Jett! Perfect, everyone loves a bad boy. You both are in love with Jett but he’s obviously in a relationship with Y/N— But he’s looking at Kourtney. We get a love triangle and a potential cheating scandal all in one. We might actually be better than the housewives.”

“Jett? Oh, God, no,” Maddox protested but Ashlyn was so in.

“Oh, God, yes. It makes sense that I, with a dark past, would be attracted to the bad boy.”

Carlos called Jett over to explain. “Jett, do you know Maddox? She has the hots for you.”

A mix between a laugh and a scoff escaped his mouth. Before he could protest, Carlos held up a hand.

“And so does Ashlyn. But you have the hots for Kourtney which creates a problem and is the source of mega angst in your relationship with Y/N.”

“Woah, we are not d—”

“Channing is here!” EJ yelled. “Let’s practice Kristoff and Anna first so we can get some good ex stuff with Ricky and then we’ll move into Young Anna and Elsa for Carlos’ diva moment.”

Carlos left before Jett or Maddox could protest about his idea. They both looked at each other and shuddered before getting to where they were supposed to be for the camera. You could feel the tension when you finally made it to The Barn for rehearsal. Everything started to go wrong as Alex and Emmy rehearsed the scene where Young Anna and Young Elsa created Olaf for the first time. Carlos had started complaining and the two girls who you watched be friends were suddenly at each other’s throats about who was in charge of the snow.

“Is this supposed to be fake snow?” Carlos complained. “Because it looks like sea salt.”

“Emmy’s the one that grabbed the wrong prop.”

“Me? You’re Elsa, shouldn't you be in charge of all the fake snow?”

You stepped in between the girls. “How about I be in charge of the snow? Remember what you learned as part of the Guppy Troupe.”

“Arguing about the problem doesn’t solve the problem,” the three of you repeated.

“Perfect. So since I’m the Principal Snowflake, I’ll make sure the snow looks better and spread out more. Deal?”

The two girls muttered an “I guess” and stepped aside. Val was waiting to see your dance planned for Anna and Elsa building Olaf. You wanted to make it simple and really highlight the girls since they wouldn’t be onstage for pretty much the rest of the show. You took off the booties protecting your ballet shoes and showed Val. It was really simple. You planned on starting behind Carlos. Emmy would toss snow and then Alex. Since Alex was Young Elsa, you thought that was when you would spring to life. In between the two girls you would do a couple of balancés to grab each bucket.

“And then just simple soutenus as I throw snow, maybe a pique when I toss the buckets off stage to Maddie. Oh and all in demi pointe since Elsa’s powers aren’t very developed yet, so I wanted to use my standard ballet slippers instead of pointe for the first bit.”

“That sounds decent,” Val said.

“Decent? That’s what she came up with? That’s it?”

Your eyebrows knitted together as you looked between Carlos and Val. Was the routine that bad? It wasn’t the top of your skill set but that was the point. They knew that. They had seen your work before… Well, they hadn’t. No one showed up to watch you in The Nutcracker and you weren’t sure they ever bothered to watch the performance video of it. Maybe they did think this was the best you could do. You felt your breathing start to get a bit shallow. Ricky closed his script, putting his focus on you.

“Carlos, I said it was decent. Decent means we have time to workshop it. The rest of the routines aren’t like this are they?”

“You think Clara could put together something better.”

“I-I wanted the girls to sh-shine so—”

“Then what’s the point of having a principal snowflake? And where were you earlier? We had to push this scene back you know, we did Ricky and Gina song first. It’s not even close to the top of the show.”

“I told EJ.” You gestured feebly to the director. “I was working on the dances and I had an audition fo—”

“An audition?” Carlos looked around you to focus on Val. “She isn’t even focused on our show.”

“Carlos,” Ricky cut in.

“Were you doing something else, Y/N?” Val asked you.

You stuttered through another sentence about EJ knowing.

“Are you always this unfocused because we can talk about it some other time but right now the show is our priority.”

“She’s always like this,” Carlos added. “Not to be an instigator but that’s why she’s never been more than principal dancer. Her talent is probably the best but she thinks she’s better than everyone just because she’s gone pro.”

He said the last bit in an exaggerated stage whisper. EJ winked at Carlos and Val, knowing Channing’s camera wouldn’t catch him in frame. This was going great. You could feel your face get hot as it got harder to take a proper breath. Ricky watched your fingers tremble as you tried to clasp your hands together. You took a couple steps backwards when the tears started. Both Jett and Ricky moved towards you— Ricky reaching first— to stop you from accidentally falling off the stage.

“Are you okay, Y/N?” Ricky barely got the words out before Jett was moving him out the way.

“Don’t bother her more. Y/N/N, look at me.” Jett held your shoulders. “We’re going outside now, okay?”

You hit at your chest.

“We can breathe better outside.”

You followed Jett’s lead to stand on the porch of the barn. Inside, they were still rolling with the scenario. Ashlyn turned to Maddox.

“Doesn’t it suck that he went to go help her? I mean I guess that’s his girlfriend and all.”

“They aren’t dating!” Maddox blurted out.

“We can only dream, Gadget, can—”

“She’s our cousin!”

“I k— wait, what? Our cousin, you and Jett…”

“Are siblings, yes! He’s the literal worst but he’s still my brother. I never want to date him, oh, and I’m gay.”

Maddox stormed backstage to the props table. She was okay with the reality script just not okay with anyone ever insinuating that she and her brother would be a thing. Channing thought he got enough footage for the day and started to pack up most of his film equipment. He told the cast they needed to take a picture for promo. He’d be back shortly to show them the preview for the documentary to drum up interest in people watching the musical on livestream and also to watch the docuseries when it came out. EJ went to go get you and Jett for the picture. Ricky lit up at hearing Maddox’s words.

“Wait, they’re cousins?”

Even Carlos looked surprised. “My straightdar must be broken. Can we all agree they were definitely the grumpy sunshine trope?”

Everyone nodded their heads. You came walking back in, immediately moving to sit next to Ricky. He was on the edge of the group and you didn’t want to be smushed in between everyone. It felt too claustrophobic at the moment. He wiped at the tear stains to try and make them less visible for the photo. Ricky looked down when you reached for his hand, barely lifting his head in time for the shot. While everyone else was discussing what to do next when Channing returned, Ricky took you outside. You both sat on the bench attached to the barn’s porch.

“Carlos didn’t mean anything.”

“I know, it’s for the reality show. Jett told me.”

“I can’t believe you two are cousins.”

“Of course we are. Why do you think I talk to him and Maddie with no problem? We’ve known each other since diapers.”

“Everyone kind of thought you were dating.”

You gagged. “Jett? Ew, really?”

“You can’t blame us.”

“Yes, I can. Come on, Maddie, Jett, and I are obviously related.”

Ricky raised his eyebrows. “Obviously?”

“Same smiles.”

“When have we ever seen Jett smile?”

“Okay, fair enough,” you said with a laugh.

“Hey, what audition were you talking about?”

“Oh.” You picked at your booties. “For the ballet. Saltwater always holds auditions in summer for the first musical and ballet of the season but most pros are on tour so they can send in videos. Normally I do it in person but they moved up the date this year. I need to send it in by the day of our show or I’m not auditioning.”

“What’s the show?”

“The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.”

“Really? That’s awesome. Are you going for Susan or Lucy?”

“Do I look like I could pull off either? Don’t even think about mentioning Clara again.” You chuckled when Ricky closed his mouth. “I was thinking maybe The White Witch? They showed us the costume designs and part of her solo.”

“Well, whichever one you want. It’ll be perfect. Hey, do you wa—”

“Y/N! Can we talk? Like sister time.” Gina stood in front of you.

You gave Ricky a half-smile but he just brushed it off and encouraged you to go. You walked with Gina through the camp just so she could walk and talk. She was going through a somewhat rough patch with EJ. He was a bit tense this summer. But she was more pissed that he seemed to be confiding in Val instead of her. It wasn’t even jealousy over Val. It was the fact that maybe he didn’t trust her enough to say anything.

“I just didn’t think my summer of firsts would involve my first boyfriend fight. We’re not even fighting. It’s like one-sided confusion.”

“Maybe,” you started to suggest very carefully. “You need a break.”

“What?”

“Not forever. Just until the end of camp? EJ is going through a big transition in his life and it’s very clear what you want and where your boundaries are. It’s not like I’m saying go explore other options. Sometimes, you need alone time to figure out what you really want. You know what you want, G, but maybe he doesn’t? Or maybe he doesn’t know how to get what he wants?”

“You think a break would help?”

“I think if you explained it clearly to him. Who knows, you might not even need the break then? Just talk to EJ, he might not even realize that he’s making you feel this way.”

Gina gave you a hug. “This is why I love sister time. I’m gonna miss staying with you.”

You laughed as you hugged her back. “You act like you’re leaving Salt Lake. It’s just your mom coming back to town, you can still come over for breakfast just like Ricky.”

Ricky went to go figure out something while you talked to Gina. He was pretty sure he saw a little campfire area with almost proper log benches and some bushes. Instead of seeing an empty bench, he saw Jett sitting there.

“How do you always manage to find my hiding spots?”

“Dude, don’t.”

“You okay?” Ricky sat down next to him.

“The blow-up Maddie and I had back there wasn’t even the half of it. She’s seen me as the bad guy for most of her life, she doesn’t think I was playing a role today. Forget it.”

“Why don’t you try to show her you’re sorry? You can’t be all that bad.”

Jett huffed. “I see why you like Y/N, you two have the same blind optimism in people.”

“I don’t l—” Ricky didn’t even bother finishing as Jett walked away.

Carlos passed by. “Is he…”

“Oh, he’s fine. It’s about him and Maddox.”

“Thank goodness. I just found Y/N. I had no idea she didn’t know about the plan, I thought someone would have filled her in.”

“She knows now. And you killed it today.”

“Thanks,” Carlos said with a smile. “So did you. Jilted ex suits you, bro… Oh, oh, I said bro and now you’re probably going to reveal something.”

“It’s possible I wasn’t completely acting. Except I don’t know if I can be a jilted ex if I never got the chance to be an ex.”

Carlos turned his entire body to face Ricky on the bench. “Wait? That wasn’t an act today? You and Gina—”

“Gina? No. We’ve always been just friends.”

“Then who? The only other girl I see you wi— wait, are you gay? Are we talking about EJ, Jett?”

“Close to Jett— I like Y/N. I’ve been trying to be just friends but I’m slowly failing. I think I more than like her. Is that crazy? I couldn’t even say it to Nini but with Y/N... I think I love her, Carlos … What?”

Carlos pointed, with wide eyes, behind Ricky. “I guess that covers the hot mic scandal.”

Ricky looked to see Channing running out of the bushes. He squeezed his eyes shut. Did Channing just catch his confession on tape? This was bad. The entire world was going to hear it. You were going to see it. Ricky had to face the idea that he was going to have to tell you. It would be better for you to hear it from him than from a documentary. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. You had so easily told him about your past crush on him… but you had said it like it was nothing. You got over it but Ricky wasn’t sure he could get over his. He had no clue what he was going to do.

(part 12)

THIS FIC TAGLIST:

@mishtay @ifilwtmfc

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#hsmtmts fic #hsmtmts #ricky bowen x reader

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ktisherelol · 2 years

Text

Finally ~ Ricky Bowen X Reader

Summary: Y/n is trying to lose her V card, trying to find the right guys and all. Ricky has been in love with Y/n for a long time. Y/n tries to get with a guy, which fails miserably. Then, Ricky and Y/n meet, and things get heated.

Pairing: Ricky Bowen X fem reader. (Change if u want)

Warnings: Strong language, inappropriate touching, and smut.

Tags: None, I ain't popular, but lmk if u wanna be added.

Notes: K, so, I actually wrote this whole chapter, and Tumblr deleted it. Now I have to rewrite it. Like wtf?

"Are you coming over today?" asked Emma, she and I had been friends since Kindergarten.

"Is it ok if I don't? I'm meeting up with Ethan, and we might get things heated," I said

"All you talk about is Ethan. Ethan, Ethan, Ethan, like he isn't even that good, he's an F-boy, you deserve better. How about Peter? He's cute and single!" said Emma

"Isn't he gay?" I asked

"*Sigh* true. You do you,'' said Emma, going back to her house.

I then thought about it and decided to call Ethan.

I ran his line, and he picked up on the 3rd ring, "Hello?"

"Hey, Ethan!" I said

"Hey... Uhm, who is this?" asked Ethan.

Is he fr?

"Uh, it's Y/n," I said

"Oh... OH! Y/n, hey cutie, how are you?" asked Ethan

"I'm good... How bout you?" I asked

"I'm good. So, uh, what's up?" he asked

"I wanted to say... Wanna hang out today?" I asked

"Uh... Sure, how about in... An hour?" asked Ethan... Sounds fishy...

"Babyyy, come back?" I heard a voice

"Who was that?" I asked

"Oh, that-- That was my mom, she still calls me baby, like omg stop," said Ethan

"Alright. I guess I'll see you soon?" I asked

"Sure. Bye, babe," he said, as he hung up

I'm not letting this slide. That did not sound like his mom. Moms don't moan while saying "baby".

I'm showing up early by 15 minutes, I'm going to see what he's up to.

I mean he said he likes me, like a couple days ago. Who would get mad about the person they like showing up a little early?

~15 Mins Later~

I went to Ethan's house, and knocked on the door. Also rang the doorbell in case he didn't hear.

"I'm coming!" I heard, and smiled

After a few seconds, Ethan opened the door, his expressionless face turned into a shocked face, "Y/n? What are you doing here?"

"I just decided to show up a little early. Why is something wrong?" I asked

"Uh... I'm kind of busy..." said Ethan

"Ethan... Who are you talking to?" I heard a voice say

"That was definitely not your mom. What's going on?" I asked

"Uhh... Y/n, how about you go for today, and we can hang out some other time. Just you and me? Sound good," asked Ethan

I scoffed, shaking my head, "No, what the fuck is this?" I got in the house to see a half naked girl on the couch...

Katelyn??? The school's popular girl?

"Um, who the fuck are you?" asked Katelyn

"I was supposed to be hanging with Ethan today, well, he seems busy," I said

"Y/n, I'm sorry. Uh... How about I make it up to you, tomorrow?" smirked Ethan

"Hello? I'm right here!" said Katelyn

"I can see that," said Ethan

"You said you liked me..." I said

"And I do. Why are you being so awkward?" asked Ethan

"You call this awkward? You're the one hooking up with Katelyn, and also expecting to hang out with me! It would have been better if you just said no," I said

"Uh... Sorry? Should I make it up to you or no?" asked Ethan

"You're so stupid. Come on, Katelyn, we can do better than this punk," I said

"Uhh... I don't even know you. Besides, I'm horny, so I'm staying. Chop chop outta here," said Katelyn, unbuttoning Ethan's shirt.

"Ok, so you're both hoes. Got it. Have fun," I said, sarcastically

"Oh, we will," said Katelyn, biting her lip at Ethan.

"Whores," I said, getting outta Ethan's place.

I'm a pretty sensitive person when it comes to being stood up, boys, or just things. I'm new to it, but not at the same time.

Don't cry. Don't cry. A guy was about to play you, did you expect it? Yes, well... No. But don't cry!! They're stupid. They always do the same crap.

They don't deserve you, you deserve bette than an f-boy. Gosh, Emma was right. I have to start listening!

"Y/n?" a voice cut me off, I looked to see... Ricky Bowen?

"Hey, Ricky. What's up?" I asked, tears almost spilling out of my eyes

"Whoa, are you ok? Your eyes are red," he said

"I'm fine. Or uhh, I will be," I said, my voice cracking the slightest bit as tears threatened to get out.

"Here, come inside. My parents are out," he said, as he got me in his house, and into his room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So... What's bothering you?" asked Ricky.

"There was this guy... I thought he liked me, and we were supposed to hang out, but when I went to his place I saw some half naked girl on the couch, who was Katelyn, by the way. Gosh she's such a hoe. How is she popular?" I asked

"I'm sorry to hear that. You deserve better than him," said Ricky

"That's what I get for trying to lose it. I'm so sick of being a virgin, I get horny a lot... And I'm not even a good masturbather! Gosh, I'm 16, well, basically 17, but I wanna lose it so bad," I said

Ricky paused... "Remember in 5th grade? When I liked you?"

"You did? Haha, I thought you were pretty cute," I said

"Really?" he asked, I nodded.

"Do you uh... Still think that?" asked Ricky

"I mean, if someone asked me smash or pass, I'd say smash," I said

Ricky smirked, "What if I said... I never stopped?"

"Oh... For real?" I asked, he smiled and nodded

"I honestly... Don't know what to say. A part of me kind of wants to like you back, but the other part doesn't know what the fuck to do. Gosh life is filled with drama," I said

Third Person POV:

Ricky scooted closer to Y/n, "Yeah. You just gotta see where it leads you, and make smart choices." he cupped ran his thumb across her cheek without knowing.

Y/n looked up and blushed the slightest bit. He's got pretty eyes, she thought.

Ricky's eyes travelled to her lips. He'd been in love with her for a long time, and wanted to kiss her so bad.

They were getting closer without knowing, every second. Ricky wanted to just close the space and Y/n was thinking, Maybe I should kiss him? I mean, I should give him a try, he can't be that bad...

I don't want to play with his feelings, at the same time, I kind of wanna give in, but I don't kno--, thought Y/n, but then Ricky closed the space between them and they kissed.

Wow... Y/n's first kiss. It felt magical, honestly. She was kissing a cute guy. And the cute guy really liked her.

Did she like him? Kinda? She needed to figure it out, so she did it. She gave in.

On the other hand, Ricky was living his dream, he was thinking, chill, we're just kissing, but no. There could be more.

Ricky pulled Y/n closer, and she got onto his lap. Ricky was getting harder each second, he gripped her ass and licked her lower lip for entrance, which she granted.

Ricky's tongue explored her mouth, she's perfect, he thought.

Y/n moaned into Ricky's mouth as he groaned into hers.

Ricky started to move Y/n up and down on his lap, Y/n noticed he was getting hard and smirked.

Ricky then switched their positions and made Y/n be the bottom, as he went on top of her and started kissing down her neck, looking for her weak spot, which he found and nibbed at it. Leaving a few hickeys.

Y/n moaned and tugged on Ricky's hair, making him groan.

Ricky reached to the ends of Y/n's shirt, eventually taking it off and doing the same with his own.

Y/n took a moment to stare at Ricky's abs, running her fingers down his stomach.

"Like what you see?" he smirked, Y/n nodded.

Ricky then took a moment to look at Y/n's chest. They were average size, but also looked filled and squishy, he attacked them with his mouth, leaving kisses and hickeys before getting permission from Y/n to take it off. Which she accepted.

After a little, when he was done with her chest, he moved back up to her neck, then got one of his "needy" hands, and put it inside her underwear, slowly drawing little circles on her clit, making her moan.

"You haven't been ripped yet, right?" he asked, she shook her head

"You know you don't have to do this," said Ricky, she gave him a small smile, "I want to."

"Can you handle 2 fingers?" asked Ricky

"I don't know. But I'll try," she said, Ricky smiled, and inserted 2 fingers slowly, Y/n moaned, moving her hips signaling that she wanted more.

"You like that?" he asked, she moaned and nodded. He went a little faster, causing her to moan more.

He went faster and faster, til she couldn't take it anymore.

It won't hurt as much, Y/n thought. I've been a little stretched now.

"Can I take it off?" asked Ricky, Y/n nodded.

Ricky removed Y/n's underwear, and took a moment to look at her pussy. He was getting super hungry, but Y/n decided to speak up.

"Ricky..."

"Yeah?"

"I need you..."

"To do what?" he smirked

"Get inside me," said Y/n

"As you wish," he said, as he took off his boxers, revealing his super hard dick that was taking him a lotta effort to not get more hard.

"Whoa," said Y/n

"You like it?" he asked, she nodded

"You're big," she said, he laughed, and pecked her lips

"Tell me if it hurts too much," said Ricky, Y/n nodded. But she was so horny at this point, that when Ricky entered her, she felt pain, but it was numb.

Ricky entered her slowly, but fast. Y/n moaned, and he started to go in and out of her.

The room filled with moans and groans

"Faster," Y/n said, and Ricky did as she said.

After a minute of going in and out, "I'm close," said Ricky

"Me too," said Y/n, feeling the liquid form inside of her

"Cum on me, babe," said Ricky, Y/n smiled as she felt her liquid coming to the tip of her pussy. She held it in a few seconds because of the pleasure. However, Ricky was desperate.

He went faster and faster, making Y/n moan more.

"Please. Cum on me, I wanna feel you on me. I know it sounds like total cringe but I wanna feel you so ba-- AAGHH," moaned Ricky as his Y/n's walls tightened up around him, and she cummed, causing Ricky to do the same

He then pulled out of her, and they cleaned themselves up.

~5 minutes later~

"That was good," said Ricky, laying down next to Y/n.

"Yeah," she said, putting her head on his chest, as Ricky blushed and put an arm around her.

"So... What are we? Just fuck buddies, or is this gonna be a 1 night stand?" he asked, secretly hoping she'd accept him as a boyfriend instead.

"Well... I don't know about you, but-- I mean, you being my first time. This meant something to me..." said Y/n

"Well... Do you wanna be my girlfriend then?" asked Ricky, Y/n went silent, thinking about it.

"Shit, sorry. That was a stupid question, I mean you barely know me and--" Ricky trailed off

"Sure," Y/n smiled

"--and you're probably thinking that I'm one of those guys that just use girls for his needs and the next day-- wait... What did you say?" asked Ricky

"I said, sure," said Y/n, smiling

"So... We are dating?" asked Ricky

"Yeah, I mean, I barely know you, but I don't not know you. You're cute, and... Maybe this could work," she said

"Well, from what I know about you, we have a lot in common," Ricky smiled, and Y/n did too.

"Rick! I'm home!" a guy screamed, probably his dad.

"Ok! I have my girlfriend over, if that's ok," said Ricky, looking down at y/n who laughed

"Alright. Glad you were able to move on," said his dad.

"Hey, uh, is it ok if she spends the night?" asked Ricky

"It's fine by me," said his dad, Ricky smiled kissing Y/n's forehead.

Y/n POV:

So... I finally found my guy, Ricky and I are dating now. Let's see where this goes, lol.

Ricky POV:

Best. Day. Ever.

I finally got the girl of my dreams. I'll do anything it takes to not lose her.

Pt. 2?

#rickybowensmut #rickybowenxreader #Rickybowen #Bowen #Ricky #hsmtmts smut #hsmtmts #hsmtmts imagines #rickeyxy/n #rickey Bowen x y/n #finally

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maddieladner1999 · 1 year

Text

Bad Idea Right?

A Ricky and EJ fanfic set during season 4 when Ricky visits EJ at college. I really liked a lot of the dialogue from there scene, so I kept most of it and tweaked it to my story.

All rights go to Disney and Tim Federly for characters. I do not own them.

When Ricky and Gina kept having problems between the movie, seeing each other, and Mack always being around, Ricky didn’t know what to do. He’s scared. He hasn’t been this scared in a while, so he does the stupidest thing he could possibly do, goes to visit EJ at college. While looking for his dorm building he finally sees EJ standing on the stairs on the second floor.

EJ: Richard Bowen

Ricky: Elton John

Ej: Welcome to college.

Ricky is taken by EJ into EJ’s room and given a brief tour. He’s staying by himself as an RA so that means he won’t have to worry about any conversation interrupters. EJ tells him that he is no longer speaking to his dad, working 4 jobs, has a full class schedule, weekly practice for the ping pong team, and sectionals is coming up for his acapella group the Blindorphins. No suprise that he stays busy he always has. And of course he’s doing acapella, he always like Blaine the best on glee.

Ricky couldn’t help but notice the guitars. He remembers hearing EJ play for the first time at camp this summer. He never knew EJ even knew how to play guitar, but alas the older boy is full of surprises. Camp also reminds him of trying to hang out with EJ and EJ was too busy. He wonders back on that night to what could’ve happened if he did instead of Gina. He never wouldn’t realized his feelings for Gina probably. He most likely would’ve realized the truth of why he always steals EJs girlfriends. He really just wants EJ. He asks EJ to play him a song

EJ: it might be terrible

Ricky: “all songs might be terrible, Elton.” He loved using his given name. It made him feel things.

EJ: yeah sounds about right. Capo.

Ricky: oh capo? Fancy.

EJ starts singing and Ricky can’t help himself. He’s absolutely in love with the man standing before him. He decides to join in with his struggles in the song too.

Ricky is strolling through Instagram to find Quinn’s latest post featuring Mack and Gina kissing. He’s not even jealous anymore. He just wishes Gina would tell him how she feels. Guess he’ll just have to tell EJ first and see what happens.

EJ comes back and can visibly see something’s wrong

EJ: ok so you wanna grab food? You ok?

Ricky: I am great. Super. Good

EJ grand his phone and sees the pictures. “Hey I know what it feels like. I’m here for you though, unless you wanna be alone.”

Ricky: I thought everything was perfect. It was, for like a second. Just like it was with my parents. Just like it was with nini. Just like it was with my dad and miss freakin jenn. It’s like everyone’s allowed to be ok for like 10 seconds. And then everything falls apart. And then Gina gets this great movie opportunity, and this guy, her childhood crush, is hanging around all the time and it’s like ok I don’t wanna get in her way, but I don’t know what else to do but hide.

EJ: well do you know what she wants?

Ricky: IDK. I’m too afraid to ask. Are you ever like um afraid of the truth?

EJ: I mean not so much anymore.

Ricky: I don’t wanna respond to my moms texts because I don’t wanna know if she’s back with Todd. I’m tanking my senior year instead of applying to colleges or focusing on my grades. I’m just distracted at the fear of losing more people. I’m tired. I’m tired of losing people. I don’t wanna lose Gina but the truth is I’m pretty sure I’ve been in love with you for quite some time now. I love her I do. But not like that.

EJ: wow that wasn’t what I was expecting.

Ricky: and what were you expecting?

EJ: I thought you’d come here for advice on getting Gina to be 100% yours. I never expected you to secretly harbor feelings for me.

Ricky: well I do. And I have no idea what to do now. Especially since you probably don’t even feel the same way.

EJ: oh. I do though. I have for a while now too. I’m not sure how long but I do. I hated calling you my brother that day at the screening. Especially since I was just so hurt I thought you liked her. I never thought you could ever like me. Clearly, I was wrong.

Ricky: so now what?

EJ: why don’t we get some food and then figure it out. I’m starving

Ricky: ok

EJ orders some food for delivery to campus and the two boys eat on the floor since EJ doesn’t really have a table.

EJ: I am stuffed

Ricky: yeah me too

*thunder rumbles outside*

EJ: no

Ricky: I should probably hit the road before an actual monsoon arrives. Hey I’m sorry for showing up and dropping everything on you earlier. You didn’t ask for that.

EJ throws a balled up paper wrapper at Ricky “actually, I think you’re done talking for a minute.”

EJ: there are a lot of things that I would do different. I wish I would’ve stood up to my dad sooner. I wish I had spent last summer having more fun… there are just so many things that I didn’t get right.

Ricky: I had no idea

EJ: look the point is, sometimes things don’t work out and our job is to just shake it off and hold on to some hope for what’s next. Look… my time at east high is over. And I am so proud of who I am and who I’ve become. And I do love what has come next. But dude there is nothing in this world like high school. Nothing. And I promise you, you will never find another family like the wildcats. Take em in. Love em. Because honestly one of the biggest reasons I stay so busy is because I miss it every single day. And you will too Ricky, I promise you. It happens to every single one of us. And look dude, I think there are plenty of people who do more than worry about you, but you have to actually let them. I mean you have to actually pick up the phone, reach out and stop feeling sorry for yourself.

Ricky: that’s not…

EJ: and look Gina is the best. And I am at peace with how things worked out, but you have to tell her the truth. I know you think you’re the guy who runs away and that’s just some personality trait that you have to be stuck with forever. You know something bad happens and you hide like opening night with HSM. And the crazy thing is you think you’re actually helping the other person, but you know what?

Ricky: I’m actually hurting them?

EJ: no you’re actually hurting yourself. Look you can be the guy who runs. You can be. Plenty of people do. But is anybody gonna show up for that guy? You still have plenty of time to change that.

Ricky: (sobs) how?

EJ: if you wanna be happy in the future, you better start speaking your mind to the people you care about. Like right now.

Ricky: okay. Okay. I’m not gonna run away again. I’m not gonna run away this time. I like you EJ. I do. And I need to tell Gina that. And I will.

EJ: ok but it’s storming and I can’t let you drive home in that weather. You can stay here tonight and drive back in the morning.

Ricky: ok but I didn’t plan on staying the night so I don’t have any clothes and you have a twin size bed.

EJ: I’ll make a pallet on the floor and you can borrow some of my stuff.

Ricky: so now what?

EJ kisses Ricky and Ricky finally understands the whole thing about fireworks. Seeing EJ tonight was definitely a bad idea but it’s time he goes after what he wants. It’s the best kiss he’s ever had. But he can’t continue with Gina still being his girlfriend.

Ricky: I’m sorry but I can’t do that to Gina.

EJ: right I shouldn’t have I’m sorry. I’ll get you some clothes.

EJ starts rifling through his stuff and Ricky decides to step in the hall. He texts miss jenn that he can’t make it to rehearsal and calls Gina. She answers. He doesn’t wanna do this over the phone but he can’t keep it to himself any longer. He wants EJ. And he can’t sleep on EJ’s floor next to him tonight and resist him.

Gina: hey Ricky I was just sitting down for dinner is everything ok? I know you went to see EJ

Ricky: yeah I’m still here. It’s raining pretty bad and he refuses to let me drive in the bad weather.

Gina: that’s good. So what’s up?

Ricky: look I love you, I do. But this year has been rough. With Mack, your childhood crush, and the movie. I don’t think I can do this anymore.

Gina: what are you talking about?

Ricky: I just had a really long important conversation with EJ and he laid some truths out. I run away from my problems and I know that. And I can’t keep doing it anymore. Running away won’t make it better. This time without you thought has made he realize something. I thought it could work with nini I thought it was supposed to because I’ve known her forever and we’re so good together but as just friends. And then I realized maybe it was you but as always everything bad that could happen happened. I really thought I could be with you and that you were the one and who knows maybe you are. But I think we need to be apart. You can go be with Mack if you want. And I’m sorry for doing this over the phone but I just couldn’t continue on without telling you how I feel. I’ll be back tomorrow

Gina: you’re right. This isn’t working. I tried the best I could but you still slipped away. I couldn’t stop you. I understand. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then?

Ricky: one more thing.

Gina: what?

Ricky: I like EJ. I didn’t wanna tell you over the phone but I needed you to know. He kissed me. That’s it though. I couldn’t do that to you. But now that we’re over I need to see what happens next here with EJ.

Gina: I always suspected but l wasn’t sure.

Ricky: what?

Gina: you stole his girlfriend twice. You always seemed to care about what EJ was doing. It makes sense now.

Ricky: well I’m sorry again.

Gina: it’s ok. At least it was before we got too serious. Didn’t break my heart Bowen.

Ricky: good. I’ll see you at school?

Gina: yeah. Bye.

Ricky comes back into EJ’s room to find EJ had taken a shower and got him some clothes

EJ: everything ok?

Ricky: yeah. I just broke up with Gina.

EJ: oh. How’d she take it?

Ricky: good. She even apparently kinda suspected I liked you

EJ: oh yeah?

Ricky: yeah. I guess I was a little obvious with my obsession of EJ caswell.

EJ: so everything’s good. No broken hearts? Cause I would never forgive you if you hurt her.

Ricky: yeah everything’s good. We weren’t that serious yet so she’s not hurt.

EJ: ok well I guess you could shower if you want now. I left some clothes on your pallet.

Ricky: ok. I’m gonna do that

While Ricky showered he thought about EJ some more. He’s in his shower using his soap and shampoo. He liked the idea of smelling like EJ. He couldn’t wait to get out and see him again. That scruffy looking dork could be his now. If EJ wasn’t too busy to have him of course.

When Ricky comes out the bathroom he understands the term “coming out the closet” even more. So that’s what he’s gonna do tomorrow. He’s gonna figure out his sexuality and tell everyone in the drama club. They’ll accept him. He knows they will. Carlos, Ashlyn, and Maddox are all part of the community already. And his best friend big red is Bi. And gina already knows. Everything is going to be fine.

EJ: you good?

Ricky: yeah. I’m just not a fan of sleeping on the floor.

EJ: wanna trade?

Ricky: no. I wanna spoon you actually.

EJ: oh? Well then get in.

Ricky gets in the bed and goes to wrap his arm around EJ when EJ turns toward him

EJ: so if you and Gina are over and she knows does that mean we can kiss now?

Ricky: oh I wanna do so much more than kiss you.

______________

EJ’s pov:

EJ kisses Ricky with such force it almost knocks Ricky off the bed. He saves him in great timing though. EJ rolls Ricky on top of him so he won’t have to worry about Ricky falling off the bed and immediately takes off Ricky’s shirt. He’s used to the smell of his soap but he notices it on Ricky. He likes it. As he goes down to pull off Ricky’s pants he takes a moment to let Ricky take off his shirt. Momentarily distracted by Ricky kissing his entire torso up and down he almost forgets what he’s doing. Finally he gets the pants off along with the boxers. Ricky is bigger than he thought he’d be and already fully erected. He realizes he doesn’t completely know that he’s doing so decides on giving a blow job. He flips Ricky over so he can get to the right spot. He knows what he likes so he does it to Ricky. Ricky doesn’t take very long to cum and soon his mouth is full. After that, Ricky is obviously dazed. He doesn’t know what to do know so he cleans Ricky up and kisses him up his torso. Ricky finally has words

Ricky: I thought coming here would be a bad idea actually

EJ: yeah? Was it?

Ricky: no I think it was the best idea I’ve ever had.

EJ: good. So you wanna take a turn now?

Ricky: 1 night and you’re already asking the right questions. Of course I do.

___________

Ricky’s pov:

EJ just gave Ricky the best blowjob of his life and he could feel that EJ was hard. So when he asked if I wanted to return the favor I knew I had to.

I flipped EJ back to his back after slipping off his pajama bottoms and boxers. I thought I was big but man did EJ have an inch or 2 on me. I moved down to get in position and got started on his cock. I did everything the same as he did but faster. EJ was moaning so hard. Once he came, I cleaned him up and kissed him up his torso till I met his lips. This was the best night of my life. But I was tired so I promptly laid down on top of EJ and fell asleep.

The next morning I was still naked and on top of EJ who was of course also naked. I couldn’t help but smile. He looked so cute when he slept. He soon woke up and said good morning. I responded the same and kissed him. I knew I had to get back home but I didn’t wanna leave. After a few minutes of kissing EJ stopped and had some things to say

EJ: well last night was fun.

Ricky: yeah it was. I guess I have to go back now.

EJ: yeah I guess so. I almost forgot you were still in high school.

Ricky: me too. I didn’t even wanna leave.

EJ: well then when you get home go apply to go to school here and work really hard to get in.

Ricky: I will.

EJ: long distance can be hard. Is that something you wanna do or do you wanna wait till senior year is over?

Ricky: I think I’ve waited long enough for the right person I’m not running away from that again

EJ: you really taking my words to heart?

Ricky: yeah. So I guess you can text me your busy schedule and I’ll find time to FaceTime you. And maybe even visit. And you have to come see the show.

EJ: of course I will. So we doing this.

Ricky: yep! I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.

EJ: you should get going soon

Ricky gets up off of EJ and gets dressed in his clothes from yesterday.

Ricky: I guess the pajamas weren’t that necessary after all

EJ: nope. (EJ gets up and puts on his boxers so he’s not naked) but it was still nice to see you in my clothes if only for a minute.

Ricky: well thanks for last night again. It’s time I go after what I want. And who I want.

EJ: hey I’m always here when you need me.

Ricky: well I should get going. (Ricky texts his dad he’s on his way home)

EJ: wait before you go

Ricky: one last kiss for the road?

EJ: no. Well yeah but I wanted to give you something. (EJ hands Ricky his electric guitar)

Ricky: no

EJ: you’ll probably get more use out of this than I will

Ricky: EJ

EJ: please. (EJ kisses Ricky very passionately before taking him into a hug)

Ricky: I love you

EJ: I love you too now get out of here

Ricky: see you at opening night?

EJ: of course and we’ll definitely FaceTime before then

The end.

#hsmtmts #ej caswell #ricky bowen #caswen #fan fiction #badidearight

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jaynedolluk · 9 months

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BOOKS OF 2022

Yes, you read correctly. I'm a ninny and forgot to post this last year so I'm posting it now so I can get all caught up. (2023's list is coming soon)

I got books on Inside No. 9 and Blake’s 7 (two of my favourite TV shows) plus a book about Alice in Wonderland (inspired by the V & A exhibition) and one about how Disney was inspired by rococo art (based on the exhibition that I think was held at the Wellcome but I could be wrong).

Also read Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen’s book, More More More which examined the art of maximalist interiors and Runway Bird by Irina Lazareanu which was sort of a style guide to being a rockstar’s girlfriend. I read Growing Up. Sex in the Sixties which looked at sex in society/popular culture at this time and Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall. I read Zoe Howe’s guide to witchcraft, Witchful Thinking plus Lisa Kroger + Melanie R. Anderson’s 2nd book, Toil and Trouble, which looks at notable women in the occult in America. Plus Dress Code by Veronique Hyland

Also managed to bag a copy of the book of Velour (the drag magazine) when I went to see Sasha Velour perform. I read And the Category Is by Ricky Tucker which examines the ballroom drag culture + voguing plus How You Get Famous by Nicole Pasulka which looked at the rise of some of the drag queens from the Brooklyn scene + the impact of Drag Race.

Read The Queer Bible which has various LGBT+ celebrities talking about the different people who inspired them and a couple of books which looked at the rise of lesbian popular culture in the early 2000s – The 2000s Made Me Gay by Grace Perry and Girls Can Kiss Now by Jill Gujowitz.

I don’t tend to read that many novels but I did read some really good ones this year – My Year of Rest and Relaxation, Yinka Where’s Your Husband? How to Kill Your Family and The Albion Initiative (the final part of the Newbury & Hobbes series of steampunk detective novels with an occult twist). And I finally managed to get round to reading Shuggie Bain (which I loved) as well as tracking down copies of The Elementals (Southern Gothic horror novel) and Interfictions (which contains the story about Nancy Spungen called Rats).

I read memoirs by Joan Collins + Esme Young (from Great British Sewing Bee) as well as an excellent biography on Jayne Mansfield called The Girl Couldn’t Help It and an oral history about Antony Bourdain called Bourdain.

I do tend to read a lot of music books. I read memoirs by Kid Congo Powers and Miki Berenyi plus Bodies by Ian Winwood (which looked at how the music industry affects mental health mixed in with his own story) and Exit Stage Left by Nick Duerden (which looked at what happened to a variety of stars after their fame dwindled). Also read Southend on Zine by Graham Burnett which was a history of fanzines in the Southend area which included interviews with a lot of the zine makers + touched on the history of alternative music/culture in the area.

One of my favourite books this year was Millenium Gothic by Dorian Bridges (known as of herbs and altars on YouTube) which deals with her growing up as a goth in the 00s but also deals with her mental health issues including anorexia and self harm. Another couple of favourite authors returned with second memoirs, Emma Forrest with Busy Being Free and Amy Liptrot with The Instant. Also Ione Gamble (who does the Polyester website + zine) wrote a brilliant book of essays called Poor Little Sick Girls which I highly recommend.

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buildarocketboys · 1 year

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whatever happens, happens

I had to write this fic, since Ricky Bowen clearly needs to kiss some boys, and I couldn't find any fics where this particular scenario happened between him and E.J.

Ricky's visit to E.J. at college doesn't go quite how either of them planned.

Read here on AO3

"You know this whole thing...with Nini, and then Gina?" E.J. asks.

"Mmm?" says Ricky, mouth full of pizza. E.J. chuckles for a second before continuing.

"Do you ever think we were...I don't know, avoiding something?"

Ricky swallows his pizza and E.J. watches his Adam's apple bob down and then back up. "Like what?"

E.J. runs a hand through his hair, feeling Ricky's full attention on him now. "Well, not avoiding something, I guess. More like...displacing something."

"Nope, dude, you've totally lost me," Ricky says, chuckling, but does he sound...a little nervous?

E.J. laughs again. "Never mind. Must just be me."

Ricky rocks forward on his knees, staring directly up at E.J.'s eyes, and he's so close E.J. can see the tiny smears of tomato sauce the pizza has left around Ricky's mouth. "Must just be you...what?" Ricky says. Is E.J. imagining it, or did Ricky's eyes just dart down to his lips?

He's pretty sure he didn't imagine it, though, because now Ricky is looking up at him again with that guilty look in his eyes - the same look he has when they talk about Gina. Instead of answering, E.J. follows his instinct and cups Ricky's face in his hand, gently using his thumb to rub off the tomato sauce stains around his lips.

At the exact same time, Ricky leans forward and closes the gap between them, pressing his lips to E.J.'s.

E.J. opens his mouth in surprise, allowing Ricky's tongue to explore deeper into his mouth. Ricky tastes of pizza and his lips are softer than any girl E.J.'s ever kissed, and-

Val.

He pulls back as soon as he remembers that he has a girlfriend, but in his heart of hearts, he knows it's already too late.

Ricky gasps a little when they part, and they both can't speak for a few long moments.

Then they both speak at the same time.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"I was just trying to wipe the tomato off your face."

"Oh," says Ricky, looking down. "Right."

"That came out wrong. Look, I've...kind of made some discoveries since I've been in college." E.J. gives him a little smile that makes Ricky blush. "When did you figure out you were... what? Bi? Pan? Or are you gay, because that's okay too..."

"Uh...wow, E.J. I guess...just now?"

"Oh." E.J.'s mouth is still hanging open but he can't think of anything else to say, so he shuts it.

Ricky grins a little. "You really have been doing some soul searching since summer, huh? Guess I need to do a little more of that myself."

E.J. shrugs. "Trust you to be late to figuring out your own sexuality."

Ricky chuckles a little. "Touche." Then he sobers. "But E.J....Gina."

E.J. nods, trying to speak past the lump in his throat. "Val."

Now Ricky is definitely laughing nervously, putting space between himself and E.J. Which is definitely a good idea, but also not what EJ's most selfish self wants. "Maybe we could just...pretend it never happened? Laugh it off? Just bros being bros?"

E.J. frowns. "We can't do that, Ricky. We just cheated on our girlfriends. With each other." Saying it makes it feel real, and Ricky's pained grimace shows that he feels the same way. "I can't just keep hiding from my feelings, and you can't just keep running away from them."

Ricky has pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them so he's curled up in a little ball. He's pouting and E.J. has to look away, he's too adorable. "You're right," says Ricky. "God, I hate it when you're right."

E.J. gives a little chuckle and it sounds almost normal. "I know," he says.

"So...we tell them?" says Ricky, and E.J. nods. "And then what?"

E.J. heaves a deep sigh. "I don't know, Ricky. I don't know how Val's gonna react. I don't even know what I want." He looks up at Ricky. "You definitely don't know what you want."

"I thought you had it all figured out?" says Ricky, and he looks so young and lost that E.J. just wants to pull him back in, tell him that everything will be alright, that E.J. will make it alright. But that would be a lie.

He shakes his hand. "I figured out some stuff. Plenty of stuff I've still got to figure out." He stands up, grabbing the plates from the floor and taking them over to the sink, just for something to do with his hands. "So I say we take some time, figure some stuff out."

Ricky nods, like he's OK with this. Then he says, "And then?"

E.J. shrugs. "Whatever happens, happens." He gives Ricky his patented E.J. smile, the one that always made every girl at theater camp swoon. "Even I can't predict the future."

"Right." Ricky stands there with his hands by his sides, curling into fists and stretching out again, curling then stretching, curling then stretching.

Suddenly E.J. can't stand to have him there anymore. "You need to go," he says, then realises how cold that sounds. "Go...talk to Gina. You owe it to her. To both of us."

Ricky nods his head twice, like he's still uncertain, and casts one last long look at E.J. before he turns on his heel and leaves the room.

E.J. closes the door behind him and sits down with his back against it, trying not to panic. He gets out his phone and scrolls to Val in his contacts

He takes a deep breath.

"Whatever happens, happens," he says to himself, and hits the call button.

#hsmtmts #high school musical the musical the series #ricky bowen #ej caswell #fanfic #bisexual ricky bowen truthers assemble!#truly i have to do everything myself around here #ricky is late to discovering his own sexuality bc of course he is

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inspotlight · 2 years

Text

@melodyplucked: sender kisses receiver at a party. — wrong number au

❝ oh, boy... ❞ nini says, watching as the bottle spins and spins in a circle in the middle of the group of people in big red's basement. how they'd started playing spin the bottle, she wasn't really sure. someone had suggested they play a game and truth or dare had been shot down on account of it was, apparently, childish. if that were childish, what was spin the bottle? regardless, they'd formed a ring and sat down, and were now in the middle of this game.

she watches as the bottle slows down and then stops, and she takes a deep breath, looking across the little circle at ricky bowen. her best friend since they were little. the boy who'd come back into her life in the most unlikely of ways. ricky, who's girlfriend was sitting to his left.

❝ ahh... guys, i don't think ej is going to like this very much... ❞ she says, brows knitting together as butterflies start to take flight in her stomach. ❝ we could play cards against humanity, i think i have a set in my book bag. ❞ a chorus of 'no''s echo around the room and she rolls her eyes, but she stands up, watching as ricky does as well. she was studiously ignoring lily as she took a few steps closer and looked up at ricky.

she'd be lying if she said she didn't want to kiss him. the thought has been there since they'd reconnected. she reaches down and pulls up the slipping thigh-high sock that was trying to fall down her leg. she teetered in her oxford heels and reached forward, steadying herself by grabbing his arm. she probably looked just as nervous as she felt. someone called out that she needed to put a little effort in it and she shook her head. they'd all been complaining that it didnt seem like anyone was invested enough in this.

she takes a breath and looks up at ricky, her hand still on his arm, as she tilts her chin upward and presses her lips to his.

it feels like coming home when their lips meet. her eyes slip closed and she's not even thinking about it as her lips part and she swipes her tongue across his lower lip, his lips opening up for her, too, and then they're kissing even deeper, in a room full of their friends. cheers erupt around them as they kiss, but she doesn't even notice it. she tightens her grip on his arm and pulls herself a little closer, sucking on his tongue for a moment before she abruptly pulls away and takes a step back. ❝ are you all happy? ❞ she asks, doing a dramatic little bow as she rolls her eyes again, and then looks at ricky with a small, apologetic look on her face and a shrug of her shoulders.

deep down, though, all she'd wanted was to continue kissing him.

#━━ ♡ from the inbox [ answered ]#━━ ♡ the best wrong number [ v10 ]#━━ ♡ contact list [ ricky bowen ]#melodyplucked

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fbfh · 2 years

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rocks at your window pt. 9 - ricky bowen x reader

disclaimer: this series contains smut and chapter by chapter warnings, so as with all nsfw works, ricky is aged up to 18+!! ricky and reader are 18 and in their senior year

additionally, we're working towards a ricky x therapy plot so he's going to start expressing some symptoms of mental illness and bpd but he does get therapy eventually and has a good support system but he gets worse before he gets better yk. Obviously I'm not a professional and this is for entertainment so while I have done my research pls take this with a grain of salt!! or several!! /lh

!! contains some spoilers for season 1 of hsmtmts, and previous chapters of this fic !!

wc: 9.6k

genre: angst, hurt/comfort, not really fluff but a lot of high highs and a lot of low lows

pairing: ricky bowen x (afab she/her) reader

warnings: miss jenn is a legend icon queen slay goddess (cited two times), iconic interactions between the cast, jealous ricky being a cutie, ricky and EJ are not bros yet, nini has gone from messy to borderline evil, your mom is a legend, kourtney anxiety foreshadowing, opening night/theatre vibes so strong it made me tear up a little /hj, lynne bowen is a horrible horrible toxic person!!!, todd jumpscare, ricky has a mental breakdown, EJ is trying his best but horribly misreads the situation, ricky is in a crisis, ricky bpd episode, art to cope :'), ricky has a good support system, reader is good in a crisis, nini is REALLY testing your patience, gina gets a well deserved moment to shine, terrible theatre etiquette, ricky gets emotionally ambushed, mike is a good dad, nini gets yelled at by reader (slay), reader yells at lynne (slay), reader gets slapped (in a dramatic way not a violent or sexy way), reader gets called a slut as an insult, ricky defends you, messy necessary screaming match (slay), things are said that cannot be unsaid :/

summary: opening night is just as magical and incredible as ricky hoped it would be, just as wonderful as you made it sound - until the worst case scenario comes to fruition. but the show must go on, right?

song recs: something about this night - finding neverland obc, twenty million people - my favorite year obc, opening up - waitress obc, twinkle in her eye - leann rimes, window seat - amelie obc, this is how I disappear (instrumental) - my chemical romance, un organo suona - ennio morricone, the music and the mirror - a chorus line obc, holding onto you - twenty one pilots, you oughta know - jagged little pill obc

other media: "art is not a luxury, it's sustinance" - ethan hawke ted talk clip, "and the way he sings sends a chill right through me" - lullaby for the taken lyric by kimya dawson, "what a mother does for you out of obligation vs what a mother does for you because she wants to" - text post/poem by tumblr user vympr,

a/n: fangz to cici for reading!!! I felt like my immortal chapter 6 "paragraph" 4 while writing the last part trying not to under or overuse dialog tags lmao. remember when I said it's gonna get messy? it gets worse :)

tags @yesv01 @hopefullhearts @thatawkwardlittlefangirl @afidiofobia @aliyahsutherland @pikzel @demirunner @brinaslittlefreak @girlfriendwhoseawitch @matiere-detoiles @ifilwtmfc @uselesssapphickitten @nxstalgicnxbxdy @ggclarissa @n-slayaaaaa @stormi-ames @rainforest-daisies @sunshineangel-reads

You and Ricky had been planning to get to the El Rey early on opening night since tech week, to make sure you have plenty of extra time to get ready, warm up, and get in character. Plus, you’ve been telling him how much you’ve missed just being in theaters, and near stages. The more time you’re there, the better. When you’re on the way over Ricky couldn’t shake the excitement gripping him. You can’t seem shake the feeling something was going to go wrong.

It was different from nerves, different from anxiety or worries that everyone can get before a big event. It was the same small, nudging feeling you got the night the basement flooded during your run in Matilda. It’s not as bad as it had been that time, but you take in a breath, steadying yourself and knowing you should be ready for anything. When you do, the feeling is quickly overshadowed by your excitement. You haven’t acted in far too long, and you’re ecstatic that you’ll get to perform again soon.

Once you get to the theater, you and Ricky are the first to sign the sign in sheet. You draw a little smiley face next to his name, and when he glances back at you, eyes falling on the paper. He smiles, struck by sudden joy at the little face. He leans back over and grabs a pen, drawing a smiley next to your name on the line below. Miss Jenn glances down when he returns the pen.

“Oh!” she exclaims, seeing the little faces, “How cute. I love this energy we’re creating.” she gestures vaguely before shooing you off to your respective dressing rooms to get ready.

Soon everyone’s there, and you’re once again wrapped up in the familiar hustle and bustle of show nights. You and your castmates are simultaneously getting in costume, warming up, and trying to get ready while helping each other’s hair and makeup. Ashlyn and Nini join you in an impromptu karaoke session, singing your hearts out to Bop to the Top while Nina riffs and harmonizes. The boys, one or two rooms away, start singing Getcha Head in the Game at the same time. In spite of the chaotic cacophony of voices, it's both a good way to warm up, and a good outlet for the nervous energy growing, bouncing from one person to the next, turning electric.

Kourney enters suddenly, grabbing some bobby pins.

"Do you know if you have any safety pins?" She asks.

"Uh," you pause doing your hair, tying it up into a bouncy low half updo, and fumble through your bag, "how many do you need?"

"Two or three?" She says hopefully. No matter how many you buy, bobby pins and safety pins always seem to be in short supply at every theater you've been to. You dig around for a minute before finding them, handing them to Kourtney.

"Thank you!" She declares, "Seb's shirt just completely-"

"Has anyone seen my glasses?" Ashlyn asks, and Kourtney pauses, noticing she's not wearing them.

"Shit," Kourtney mutters, both of you looking around for them.

"Knock knock!" Comes Seb’s voice from behind the door.

"Decent!" You and Ashlyn reply in unison. Seb enters, holding the side of his shirt together with his hands.

"Any luck?" He asks Kourtney.

"Right here," she replies, holding up the safety pins. "Turn around." Nina puts in her headphones and starts doing some vocal exercises and scales to warm up a little more. Seb lifts up his jacket so Kourtney can pin the ripped seam back together.

"Oh," she remembers, "have you seen Ashlyn’s glasses?"

"The really big ones?" He asks.

"Yeah."

"Nope." He shrugs. She turns to Ashlyn.

"We'll find them." Kourtney reassures her. Seb heads back to his dressing room he shares with Ricky and EJ, and you move on to the last few steps of your makeup routine.

"Where are they?" Ashlyn huffs rhetorically. Natalie pokes her head in a moment later.

"40 minutes till show time!"

"Thank you 40!" The three of you reply together. A little while later, you’re finally dressed and waiting for the glue on your eyelashes to get tacky, when you hear EJ call your name. You stumble out of your dressing room, zipping up your boot, and you’re greeted with EJ in his Chad costume, clearly in a huff.

“Can you help me with my eyeliner?” he asks, a slightly petulant tone to his voice, handing you a black pencil. You laugh.

“Yeah, hold on.” you go back into your dressing room, passing by Seb telling Kourtney something. You dig through your makeup bag as Seb reenters, Darbus glasses in hand, presenting them to Ashlyn.

"Where were they?" She exclaims.

"The prop table!" He says.

"Why?" Ash asks, stating your thoughts exactly.

"Natalie says they're technically a prop because in the detention scene when you…" you find what you're looking for, missing the tail end of his sentence as you leave a moment later with a stiff angled brush in hand. You grab EJ and lead him to the stairs where he can sit down. He does so, and you rub the bristles against the eyeliner, demonstrating for him.

“This will make the application a lot more precise. Close your eyes…” you instruct, tilting his head back. You smudge the outside of his lash lines, careful not to make it look like too much.

“Okay, now this is the scary part…” you trail off, gently lifting up his eyelid. “I swear I’m not going to stab you, just look down and don’t blink.” you instruct at the worried look on his face. You tight line the middle of his lash line for a defined, natural effect, then repeat the step on the other side.

“Okay,” you say, pulling away to check that it looks even, unaware of Ricky standing a few feet away, watching you hold EJ’s face. You look so focused, and a twinge of jealousy flashes through his stomach, wishing you were holding his face, looking focused at him like that.

“You should be good,” you say, and Ricky approaches, dragging you away as EJ thanks you.

“I just need to borrow her for a second.” he cuts EJ off, smiling tensely at him - one he returns. Ricky takes you a few feet away while EJ goes back into their dressing room.

“What’s up?” you ask. He lets out a breathy laugh.

“I just… I can’t figure out this whole bronzer thing.” You bite back a smile. You know that it’s bullshit, specifically because you went through his whole stage makeup routine with him twice last night. He could do his makeup and anyone else’s with one hand tied behind his back, so he obviously just wants your attention. You can’t deny that it’s really cute - and it’s working. He’s probably nervous, you figure. You chuckle, taking the brush from him.

“Make a fish face,” you instruct, sucking in your cheeks and puckering your lips. His face mirrors yours, and you blend the product into his foundation. Your hand rests on his jaw, angling it this way and that until you’re satisfied with your work. He glances briefly back at the stairs, where EJ has long since left. Ricky’s about to look for any other excuse to keep you here for a few more minutes, your eyes light up, remembering something.

“Oh!” you exclaim, turning around, “Stay right here.” You’re back a moment later after digging through your bag past bobby pins, safety pins, your water bottle, script, sewing kit, extra makeup, makeup wipes, bandaids, and throat lozenges. You grab a small box, holding it triumphantly before running back out to Ricky in the hall. You stand in front of him, that glimmer in your eye.

“I have a surprise.” Excitement swirls in his chest.

“What is it?” he asks, trying to suppress the anticipatory giggle bubbling up, his energy matching yours. You hand him the small box, and he looks at it, confused. He opens it slowly, pulling out a little charm. It’s a dog tag with the number 14, and a metallic T on a jump ring.

“Oh my god…” he breathes, looking at it closer. You’re beaming, so glad that he likes it.

“You know,” you say softly, “something to remember your first show by. And your heart ring was looking kind of lonely.” You smile, pointing to the plastic ring he still wears around his neck, waiting until the last possible minute to take it off. You barely get the words out before he grabs your arms, pulling you close and kissing you. His lips are warm as they move against yours, and for a split second, you forget where you are, completely losing context for everything around you.

“I love-” he murmurs against your mouth, freezing for an instant. Your hearts skip a beat in tandem, then he cuts himself off to kiss you again. “I love it.” he finishes. You smile against his lips, pulling away very reluctantly. He leans back in, pressing a few more kisses to your lips before you wiggle out of his grasp.

“Ricky!” you laugh, “We’re gonna mess up our makeup. We can kiss after the show.” He runs his fingers up and down your arms, gazing at you as you talk. You have all his attention.

“Okay,” he says in that light hearted, joking tone of his that always makes you laugh, “but I’m gonna hold you to that.” You laugh again, and he takes off his necklace so you can slip on the new charm. After getting it fixed on the chain, you reattach it to his neck.

At the end of the hall where you’re standing, Nina lingers, watching Ricky touch you and kiss you like that. It makes her sick, and she finds herself holding back a gag. Her hours of research had turned into days, and she has your playbill.com page open on her phone at this very moment. She’s torn, reminiscing over how much she loved your performances and how obsessed with you she was as a kid, and simultaneously fuming over it. You’ve done all this professional work, you’ve acted on Broadway, and now you’re here at East High?

She scoffs, shaking her head in disbelief. She wanted so badly to be you, to have your perfect life, and you threw it all away for what? To come do crappy high school theatre in a town that couldn’t be further from New York? She fights a laugh suddenly, realizing just how much dirt she has on you. There must be a reason you’ve been keeping this secret, lying to everyone, lying to Ricky. She shakes her head. She doesn’t know why yet, but she’s going to find out.

35 minutes before curtain, Miss Jenn gathers everyone for circle time, and a cast meeting to boost morale before the show. Everyone is finally in costume and Kourtney follows Seb, makeup pallet in hand, adjusting the finishing touches to the glitter on his cheeks. You can feel the energy stirring and growing, electric between all of you.

“Most of you know that our dazzling Taylor had to leave under family circumstances. Gina sends her love and support, but has left for the east coast and will not be able to make it to tonight’s performance.” Miss Jenn says. You and Ricky share a look, trying not to be too obvious. You got Gina a plane ticket together, and your mom is at the airport right now to pick her up. The last you heard from her, Gina’s flight was delayed. Now there’s only a slim chance she’ll get here in time. You silently keep your fingers crossed, praying to whatever theatre gods are out there that she’ll make it to the theater before it's too late.

“And so,” Miss Jenn continues, “I have asked… Kourtney to fill in, in her place!”

The room erupts into cheers. Kourtney smiles, eyes on the floor bashfully. She’s praying she doesn’t seem as nervous as she feels. It’s not that she didn’t expect you guys to be supportive of her subbing in as Taylor, but seeing first hand how excited everyone is for her eases some of the worries that have been building up.

“Now,” Miss Jenn continues, “everyone join hands.” After some heartfelt words of encouragement and other usual circle time warm ups, she claps her hands.

“Let’s go, wildcats! 20 minutes to curtain!”

Once again, the room erupts into cheers.

“Now, if I can get my main characters and my ensemble members starting the show with a mic on stage for mic check?” she directs, pointing towards the way to the wings. You walk with everyone else towards the stage, pausing when you pass Miss Jenn.

“Do you want me to help Kourtney get ready?” you ask. Her hair and makeup are done, she just has to get in costume, but you can sense that she needs a pep talk.

“That would be fantastic,” she says with a look that indicates she thinks Kourtney could use a pep talk too, “thank you, Sharpay.” She pulls out her walkie to let Big Red know you and Kourtney are going to be released from mic check early to finish getting ready. After singing We’re All In This Together while Big Red adjusts your volume from the sound booth, Kourtney sings Bop to the Top, voice getting louder and quieter as Red tweaks the settings. Once you’ve both gotten the thumbs up, you scurry backstage to your dressing room, handing her costume pieces while she gets changed.

“Oh, wait,” you say before she pulls on her top. You grab your setting spray you use for shows from your bag. “Close your eyes.” You mist her face with the product, fanning it dry so it doesn’t smudge.

“Thanks,” she says. You take one look at her expression, and can tell she’s nervous.

“You okay?” You ask. She hesitates, then sighs.

“I had two weeks to learn all my lines. I had two weeks to learn all the lines and the songs, I haven’t even gotten to rehearse on stage with you guys, and I’m just so worried I’m going to blow it, or choke in front of everyone…” she trails off. This is clearly the tip of the iceberg, and she fiddles with her bracelets, trying to get out some nervous energy.

“There is no way you’re going to choke.” you say confidently, “You know this show inside and out! Plus, haven’t you been running lines with Nini the whole time?” you ask.

“Yeah,” she replies, listening carefully, trying to grab onto your reassurance.

“Almost all of Taylor’s scenes are with Gabriella.” You state. Her expression changes as she realizes you’re right. She knows this part better than she was giving herself credit for.

“Plus there will be scripts in the wings if you need to refresh between scenes.”

“Yeah,” she says again, more confident this time. “I know my lines, I know the songs, I know the dances - mostly, at least - so it’s all going to be fine! Even if the choreography in Stick to the Status Quo is still totally terrifying, and I have no idea how to dance with a lunch tray or do a death wack, it’s going to be fine!” Her laughter turned from relieved to slightly panicked again.

“You think you’re nervous for Stick to the Status Quo?” you ask rhetorically, a comedic note to your voice, “I have to get caked in the face!” You exclaim with a chuckle. You’ve only practiced with an actual cake once, during the last tech rehearsal, and it was messy, to say the least. Literally and figuratively.

Kourtney laughs, remembering the whipped cream that got everywhere, how loud you were yelling in character before storming off. It took more makeup wipes than you'd expected to get the sticky sugar off your face.

“We’ll get through it together.” You state, holding out your hand. She squeezes it, reassuringly.

“Yeah. We will.”

“Five minutes to places!” Natalie calls, poking her head in.

“Thank you five!” you both reply. You check your phone one last time, the new text from your mom stating that she’s still at the airport, waiting for Gina’s flight. You text Ricky the same thing, letting him know you’re all still waiting for more updates on the delay. The good news is that your mom’s friend from work - who was planning on coming to see the show anyway - is going to stream the show to your mom until she can get there, that way she won’t miss anything.

It doesn’t feel like five minutes has gone by when Natalie is calling for places, ushering everybody into the wings and into their starting places and positions. Hushed whispers of encouragement and break a leg spread through the wings, and everyone falls silent as Miss Jenn begins her curtain speech. It’s unusual for a group of such high energy people to be so still, so quiet, and you soak up every moment of it. This is your favorite part - or one of them, at least; it's those few fleeting minutes when everyone’s backstage in the wings, the opening of the show is seconds away and hurdling closer and closer with every breath, every heartbeat. This is one of those magical, transformative, fleeting times that can only really be described as in between.

You never knew just how much you would miss this, the distinct and irreplaceable energy, the feeling of being in a theater. Tears spring to your eyes as it really hits you that you’re home, back where you’ve always needed to be. You close your eyes, taking deep, measured breaths to focus, to get into that headspace of being in character. Even with your eyes closed, you can feel it around you; the rich wood and cement mixing into different sections of the floor, the heavy curtains, the grid and catwalk and lights, all intangibly high and far away. It’s beautiful. It’s so beautiful that you don’t know how your body is supposed to contain it. You know now that you could never leave, not really. Theatre will always be your home, and you know this feeling will only solidify more and more with time. You realize, too, that it’s a home that will always grow and change and evolve with you, because that’s in its eternal, fleeting nature. That’s the most beautiful part, you think.

You squeeze Seb’s hand in excitement and encouragement and every other good thing, a gesture that he returns. In spite of the silence and the stillness, you know that everyone is just as excited as you are. Ricky’s in the opposite wing, or else you’d be squeezing his hand right now too right now. You use this moment, this stillness that's growing and getting more charged with energy every second, to become laser focused on giving this performance everything you've got - on really getting your head in the game.

Nini looks around, then over at Ricky - again. He’s been avoiding her this whole night, and she can’t stand it. She leans closer.

“I need to talk to you. After the show.” someone shushes her, and she lowers her voice, continuing. “She’s been lying to you about everything. You don’t know everything about her, Ricky.”

“Yes, I-” he cuts himself off, not wanting to feed into this. Not now. “I have to get into character.” He says, moving away from her. He tries to focus on the energy the cast is creating around him, on becoming Troy. He takes a breath, centering himself.

“Without further ado, I am proud to present… East High’s High School Musical: the Musical!” Miss Jenn’s voice is drowned out by applause, and the music begins.

The first few songs and scenes go smoothly; everyone is on time and remembering their cues, and the audience couldn’t be more engaged, applauding and laughing right when you want them to. During Jack Scott’s announcements after Darbus reveals what the winter musical is going to be, you leave to get ready for What I’ve Been Looking For. You pass by Ricky, who’s quick changing for Get’cha Head in the Game, and shoot him a big thumbs up.

“Great job!” you whisper enthusiastically, stomping your feet quietly in excitement.

“Thanks,” he smiles, beaming as he pulls on his jersey. He watches you scurry down the hall before getting nudged toward the stage right before his cue. He shakes his head, wondering why he let Nini get him so worked up before. Of course he knows you. He knows everything about you! There’s absolutely nothing on earth you could tell him that would throw him off, or scare him away from you. She’s probably just making something up to get in his head, to drive a wedge between you. That seems like something she would do lately.

“Let’s see some hustle! Move, move, move!” Coach Bolton calls from onstage, and Ricky jogs over to him, as ready as he'll ever be.

“Sorry I’m late, coach.”

As much as he doesn’t want to admit it, as much as he’s trying to stay in character and stay focused on the scene, Nini’s words are still echoing in the back of his mind, throwing him off a little. He catches his dad’s eye in the crowd as the music starts. He doesn’t think he’s ever looked this proud, and it steadies Ricky. He takes in a breath, and begins to sing. Part way through the song, he notices a woman in the crowd who looks weirdly like his mom. He doesn’t miss a beat, making sure to look in his dad’s direction instead. That’s weird, he thinks, but it can’t be her. There’s no way she’d come all the way from Chicago for something like this. Just like what Nini said to him before the show, he won’t let that distract him from performing, and tries not to let that throw him off.

During the dance break, he gets hooked up to his harness, and his stomach erupts into excited butterflies as he slowly moves up. There’s a collective gasp from the crowd that turns into cheers as he hovers in front of the hoop, ball in hand. Up here, he’s not blinded by the stage lights, and he looks down at the crowd, able to see his dad’s face even better than before. He’s filled with such euphoria, he knows you’re right - nothing can beat this feeling. He feels more alive, more awake than he ever has, simultaneously enveloped by a deep sense of peace, of rightness that he doesn’t want to let go of.

On the other side of the auditorium, someone moves, catching his eye. Some guy is making his way into his seat, presumably because he showed up late. He leans over to his date, kissing her and touching her leg. Nothing could have prepared Ricky for what he saw when he pulled away. Past the blinding stage lights, his stomach plummets back down to earth as he’s able to make out more faces in the audience - including hers. She’s here. She’s really here, and she brought that douchebag with her. She’s whispering something in that bastard’s ear, barely five rows away from his dad. They’re all over each other, talking close and kissing and smiling.

It’s only when she points up at him that he snaps out of it. He realizes the pit has been waitin for his cue a beat or two longer than usual, and follows up quickly with it. He had dropped his basketball when he was up there, and he’s scrambling to make it through the rest of the number. He tries desperately to get back into character, to focus on the lyrics and choreography, to focus on the music instead of what he just saw in front of him, but he can’t shake what just happened, what he just saw. Even as he’s being pulled backstage to change into the costume for his next scene, it takes all his effort not to let that overwhelm him. He can’t crumble right now, not like this. There’s a whole cast and crew, all his friends, that are counting on him. He gets some water, tries to pull himself together.

EJ looks for Ricky backstage, having a few minutes before their next scene. Even he has to admit he was impressed with Ricky’s performance back there. He looked so conflicted, so torn between basketball and singing. He even managed to make his distracted blocking and choreography look so organic EJ was worried he’d messed up for a second. He’s been giving him a hard time, butting heads on and off stage, but Ricky is really shining tonight. He’s committed, and EJ has to commend him for that.

“Ricky,” he says, just loudly enough to get his attention. Ricky turns around. “I have to hand it to you; you’re doing great out there, man. You deserve all the applause you’re getting.”

Ricky takes a breath, closing his water bottle.

“Thanks.”

He stares into space to the ceiling on EJ’s right, gripping his water bottle until his knuckles have a white cast to them. EJ’s brow furrows. He actually seems a little out of it.

“Are you okay?” he asks carefully. They’re not really close like that, but even EJ can see that he seems a little off.

“I’m fine,” he says a little too fast. “I am totally fine. Because it’s opening night, and nothing’s going to ruin this.”

Suddenly it makes sense. He knows exactly what Ricky’s going through. He sighs.

“Look, everybody gets stage fright. Just take a deep breath, and use the music and your lines to stay grounded.” He claps Ricky on the shoulder supportively.

“Thanks,” he chokes out again. EJ leaves to fix his mic tape, and Ricky is once again exactly where he doesn’t want to be - alone with his thoughts. Even though EJ has no idea of the scope of issues Ricky’s dealing with right now, his advice might still work. Instead of waiting in his dressing room, he hovers in the wings, going over the chemistry class scene as it happens, waiting for the lights to go down so he can talk to you, or at least be near you. He’s so tempted to barge onstage and drag you away with him. Instead he listens closely to your dialog with Gabriella. Just hearing your voice is enough for him to hold on to for now.

The lights go down, and you exit into the wings. You’re surprised to find Ricky there - he usually comes up about half way through Jack Scott’s narration. One look at his face and you know something’s wrong. Before you can ask, he’s pulling you into a less busy area by the prop table.

“She’s here.” He grips your arm, hand shaking. He doesn’t need to say anything else, you already have a full grasp on the gravity of the situation, the effect this is having on him.

“Here?” you ask, needing to clarify, and he nods. “Are you okay?” you ask sincerely.

“I’m…” he struggles for an answer, “trying to be.” You take his hands in yours so gently he doesn’t even notice until your thumbs are stroking his skin reassuringly.

“Okay,” you say calmly, and he can see the gears turning, see you figuring out the perfect solution as you speak. “Why don’t you have some water, stay right here, and I’ll go get Miss Jenn, okay?”

He nods, and you move quickly to Natalie, asking her if she knows where Miss Jenn is. She picks up her walkie talkie, asking Miss Jenn to come to the stage right wing. Jack’s narration scene wraps up and the crew changes the set to Darbus’s detention. You have seconds before you have to get out there, and you turn to Ricky, worried about him.

“Are you going to be okay?” you ask in a hushed whisper.

“Yeah.” he says, “I think so.”

You see Miss Jenn walking toward the stage right wing as you’re about to head onstage.

“We’ll talk to her right after.” you tell him in a hushed, reassuring whisper. You give his hand one more squeeze before you find your places in the dark. Moments later, the lights are up, and the scene begins. In all the time you’ve spent acting, you’ve gotten very good at staying in character, compartmentalizing thoughts and worries about your personal life while you’re onstage. You find it a little more difficult to keep the disgust at Lynne Bowen’s blatant lack of basic respect, or even awareness for the consequences of her actions, buried in the back of your mind as the scene plays out.

Sitting on the wooden flooring of the stage, warm under the bright lights, Ricky does exactly what he’s supposed to do - he uses the scene and dialog to stay grounded. He follows the dialog while doing his stage business, listening for his cues just like Miss Jenn thought him to do. If he stays in character, he doesn’t have to think about any offstage drama. As long as he doesn’t look out to that section of seats, as long as he can keep his eyes from being magnetically drawn there, he’s going to be fine. He stays in character, stays right there as Troy, clinging to his character like a life raft. If he can be Troy, he doesn’t have to worry about everything he’s going to have to deal with as Ricky for just a few more minutes. It's desperate and fleeting, but it's the only thing he can do right now.

Soon, the lights are down, and you’re hustling toward the stage right wing, where you know Miss Jenn is waiting. He finds your hand in the dark, the sparkly pink sequins on your outfit unmistakable even in the darkness. He holds onto you desperately, until you’re both standing in front of Miss Jenn. She knows from one look that whatever is going on, it’s bad.

“Um," Ricky starts, swallowing hard, "my mom is here…” he hates that his voice is already trembling so soon. It sounds more like a question than a statement, and his stomach twists at how foreign the word now feels in his mouth. My mom. The last time he called her that had been months ago when he told you and Miss Jenn what had happened. Ever since he’s only referred to her through pronouns and as briefly as possible, trying to disconnect the person she is from who she was supposed to be. Who he thought she was. The closest he’s gotten to addressing her has been vague statements; she didn’t call back, or I think that was her recipe, let’s find a different one. Actually saying it, actually calling her that makes his jaw feel stiff.

“My god.” Miss Jenn says softly, unable to believe that she could have the audacity to show up unannounced after what she put Ricky through. Ricky hesitates, and she knows there’s more. She nods, waiting for him to continue.

“And she, uh,” he swallows thickly, hating his throat for tightening up so much when he has to sing in a few minutes, “she brought her boyfriend…” Your eyes widen and Miss Jenn gasps.

“They’re in the sixth row, they keep talking and kissing, and-” he cuts himself off, unable to continue. His hands are balled up, tight and shaking.

“Okay. Ricky, sweetie, why don’t we talk about this somewhere a little more private.” You both guide him to the boys’ dressing room, and after making sure no one’s in there, she sits down facing him, and takes his hands in hers.

“From the beginning, what happened?”

He was barely able to get it out the first time, but now he can’t stop. Everything he’s been trying so hard to ignore and shove down for the last 20 minutes - and it’s felt way longer than 20 minutes - comes tumbling out. He doesn't think he could stop talking if he tried. He doesn’t even realize how loud he’s getting until Miss Jenn gently shushes him.

“We don’t want the audience to hear us.” he nods, taking a breath for the first time since he started talking. You left a minute ago to check on how much time you have before the next scene, and reenter the dressing room now, looking stressed.

“They’re almost done with Auditions.” you state. You need to go up there now, you and Seb have What I’ve Been Looking For soon, and you don’t want to miss your cue.

“Go,” she says. Ricky nods, so you do, knowing that Miss Jenn has this under control, that she can help Ricky right now. Your footsteps recede, and Ricky turns back to Miss Jenn.

“Ricky,” she starts calmly, “what she did was wildly inappropriate.” He already feels a little better, less crazy, and he waits for her to continue.

“Showing up unannounced with a…" she chooses her words carefully, "date, was… probably the worst thing that could have happened tonight.”

“Yeah,” he scoffs in agreement. She continues.

“You have every right to be as upset as you are. Whatever you need right now, just tell me, okay?” He nods. “I think what we should do is get your dad, and let him know what’s going on. I can try to have one of the ushers escort her out, but I’m sure the last thing you want tonight is even more drama.”

“Got that right,” he breathes, relieved.

“I’m going to talk to EJ and see if he can go on as Troy-”

“What? No.” he protests.

“Ricky-”

“No, Miss Jenn- I have to play Troy. Please, I have to!”

“It might be best for you-”

He stands up suddenly. “What’s best for me is going out there; acting and singing, like we rehearsed - like I’m supposed to! Please, you can’t…”

“Okay,” she says, standing up and trying to calm him down a little. “Okay. If you think you can do it, you can go back out there.”

He relaxes a little.

“Thank you.” his voice breaks as he speaks, and she realizes how badly he needs this right now.

“Why don’t we revisit this at intermission, see how you’re feeling then? Just to check up on you.” she adds quickly.

“Okay.” he agrees. She puts a hand on his arm.

“I’m going to let EJ know to get ready, just in case you change your mind. We’ve got to be ready for anything, right?” She smiles gently, one he tries to return.

“Right,” he says. A stagehand pokes his head into the room.

“Troy, we need you.”

“Be right there,” Miss Jenn says. She claps her hand over Ricky’s one more time. “Okay, Ricky, here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to go out there and sing a ballad with Gabriella that will make the audience swoon,” he smiles, “and I am going to do my best to get this situation resolved as quickly and discreetly as possible. If anything else happens, or you need anything, come tell me right away.”

“Okay.” he says, this time, with a note of determination in his voice. Miss Jenn pats him on the back, sending him off. He runs through the halls, making it just in time. Once he’s in the wings, she pulls out her phone to text Mike, and fill him in on everything that’s going on. He enters on Gabriella’s cue, and Miss Jenn pauses, watching him deliver his lines. All the distress, all the pain melts away as he steps into character.

It’s giving him a break from everything, she thinks, it has been the whole time. Theatre isn’t just a luxury or a passion for some people, it’s a means of survival. It hits her all at once, that in staying here, in facing the challenges and struggles that came from directing this show, she’s helping Ricky through one of the hardest things he’ll ever go through. She’s become the person she needed when she was his age; with only one parent, feeling completely lost at sea. Her chest squeezes, and she watches them sing, their voices sending a chill through her.

Backstage, in the few dark moments of the set change for Cellular Fusion, Nina somehow manages to corner you.

“What did you do to him?” she demands, and you know she’s referring to Ricky, who exited to the other wing. You stare at her, aghast. You lean in close, lowering your voice, desperately holding on to your professionalism.

“We have to go onstage, literally right now. I am not doing this with you right now.”

“Huh,” she scoffs with a fake smile, “you’re one to talk.” You have approximately two seconds to look at her, baffled by everything she’s saying, before you have to go on. You enter, and hit your mark. At the cue, you and Seb begin to harmonize. Right as you do, your phone - tucked away in the wings - silently begins to buzz. Your phone lights up with a text from your mom, informing you that Gina’s flight has finally landed, and they’ll be at the theater any minute.

You run off stage as Cellular Fusion wraps up, and Miss Jenn and Carlos are trying to figure out what to do about the Taylor dance break coming up. Kourtney has been doing great so far, but she doesn’t think she can handle choreography that complicated with so little time to rehearse.

“I could tell the pit to cut that section…” Carlos offers. You check your phone and your eyes light up, looking at the doorway.

“Uh,” you start with a smile, “I don’t think that will be an issue…”

Miss Jenn, Carlos, and Kourtney look over at Gina, smiling timidly.

“Oh, thank god,” Miss Jenn chokes out. She turns to Kourtney, then Gina. “You, go out there before you miss your cue. And you, quick change into something more 2006 before the dance break.”

They both agree, and a stagehand runs over with something for Gina to change into, guiding her to the dressing rooms.

“Is he doing any better?” you ask Miss Jenn before you go on. You don’t have much time, but you need to know if he’s okay.

“A little,” she says, “I think.” You both know it’s better than nothing, and you’re just hoping whatever he’s doing keeps working.

Stick to the Status Quo couldn’t be going any better. There’s so much happening, so much organized chaos, that he forgets about everything for a few wonderful minutes. There’s no time to think about that when he’s dancing on tables, begging his classmates not to sacrifice their individuality so they can fit in. It only gets better when you and Seb enter toward the end of the number. You look so genuinely pissed off that people are breaking free from the boxes they’ve been put in, and your voices sound perfect harmonizing together, reverberating through the auditorium.

He tries in vain to stop Zeke from giving you a cake, watching with bated breath as it smashes into your face. He turns away, just like he’s supposed to, but his eyes accidentally land on the one place in the audience he shouldn't be looking at. His stomach plummets. Has she been on her phone this whole time? After running from everything this whole night, it finally gets the best of him. He can’t stand it any longer, running into the wings as you let out an ear shattering scream, loud enough to finally make her look up.

“Someone… is going… to pay for this!” you yell furiously, before the lights go down. The curtain draws to a close as applause thunders through the building. The lights in the house go up for intermission, and you hear a slow rise of chatter as people mill about and make conversation as you exit the stage. You grab a makeup wipe a stagehand has ready, thanking them as Natalie calls out that intermission is starting, and you have 20 minutes to places for act two.

“Thank you 20,” you call out distractedly, searching for Ricky. You run to the back, wiping the rest of the whipped cream off your face, and check the boys dressing room to see if he’s in there. He is, sitting in there by himself, seeming worse than before. One look at his face and you know something else happened.

“She was on her fucking phone the whole time!” he states in disbelief, “Like…” The words dry up as he holds a pillow in his lap in a death grip.

“Oh my god…” you say, shaking your head. He’s not doing good, clearly. No one would be in his position. He pulls you in for a hug as soon as you’re close enough, one you reciprocate. He holds onto you tight, feeling just a little more stable as soon as you’re in his arms. Surrounded by your familiar grasp, it’s just a little easier to breathe, to think clearly. Unfortunately, it also means he has a much clearer grasp on everything that’s happened tonight and how it’s affecting him, how he feels about it. His dad is right behind you, and he lets go of you long enough to stand up and greet him. His dad pulls him into a hug, patting his back.

“I’m so sorry, kid. I had no idea she was going to pull something like this.” Mike’s voice wavers, and when Ricky doesn’t answer, you know it’s because he’s choked up. Miss Jenn enters a moment later, walking over to Ricky and Mike.

“The both of them have been removed from the premises.” She states.

“Thank you,” Mike says earnestly.

“Oh, it was nothing a little faked parking violation couldn't take care of," she says, earning a small smile from Mike. She turns to Ricky, continuing. “I filled you dad in on what’s been going on, too.”

“Maybe we should just go home,” Mike offers, knowing he probably won’t want to.

“No,” he protests, “I can do act two, I want to. Plus, if we leave now, she’ll know where we are and she’s going to ambush us again, and-”

“The one place you’re guaranteed not to run into her is here at the theater.” you finish quietly.

“Yeah,” Ricky agrees, motioning to you. Mike considers, weighing his options. Since she’s gone, if Ricky thinks he can handle it, he doesn’t see why he can’t do the second half of the show - especially since he seems to want to so badly. Maybe now isn’t the time to take that away from him, even if he means well.

“Okay,” he sighs. “But if anything happens, if you change your mind at all-”

“You’re the first to know.” Ricky agrees quickly.

“I want you to stay plugged in with me, okay?” Mike says, putting a hand on his shoulder, “Text me when you’re not onstage, let me know how you’re doing.” Ricky agrees again. Miss Jenn looks between them.

“Alright. Well, in that case, Ricky, you should get changed for act two.” She says with a tentative smile. He nods.

“Thank you. Thank you guys.” he says sincerely to his dad and Miss Jenn. Before you leave, you catch his eye.

“I’m going to refill my water, then I’ll be back here, okay?”

“Sounds good." He says, "Hurry back,” he adds quickly, giving you that sweet look with those big puppy dog eyes, and it makes your chest squeeze.

“Absolutely.” you agree.

You barely leave the dressing room before you're met with Nina. She barges forward and stands in front of you, arms crossed, and you realize she's waiting for you to move out of the way so she can get into the boys' dressing room. You don't budge.

“I need to talk to Ricky. I heard what happened, and I'm the only one who can convince him to go on for the second act, and I don’t need you-”

“Wow,” you begin, cutting her off, once again amazed at her audacity, “now is really not a good time. Don’t go in there and stir things up.”

She looks you up and down, letting out an indignant scoff.

“Don’t act like you know him like that. I’ve known him since we were in kindergarten, I know him better than anyone.”

You take in a deep breath, trying so hard to stay patient.

“Sure. You know him better than anyone.” you say, in a pacifying tone, “So you should know the last thing he needs is more pressure on him when he’s in the middle of a family crisis, right?” The question is rhetorical, and you continue, patience with her finally starting to run thin. “If you actually care about him, then for the sake of his well being you’ll leave him alone and let him get through this. Now is really not the time, Nina, read the goddamn room!”

The sentence is finished with an aggravated, humorless laugh. Your priorities right now are Ricky, and getting through opening night. You need to help him process some of the shit that's been happening tonight, make sure he’s okay, so he can perform like he wants to. The last thing he needs is Nina barging in there and telling him he’s letting the cast down, or that he’s not serious about theatre, and that he should have quit after auditions - all of which you’ve heard more times than you can count over the duration of rehearsals, even up to a few days ago.

You’ve tried so hard to be patient with her, but dear god, she’s really starting to get on your last nerve - nevermind the fact that you have a special type of hatred for the kind of people like Nina, who shit on people that are still learning about something they have more experience in; like telling someone they’re not serious about theatre because it’s their first show, for example.

“Do not fuck with him right now.” you state, rolling your eyes at her shocked expression.

You push past her, walking over to the water fountain. She watches you walk away, mouth hanging open, and lets out an indignant scoff. You swear to god, if one more thing goes wrong tonight, if one more person tries you, you’re going to absolutely lose it. You take a few deep breaths as you fill up your bottle, trying to calm down and center yourself a little. Once you’re done, you start to walk back to the dressing rooms, but you’re stopped by a woman who is definitely not cast or crew. She sees you and approaches, seeming a little pissy.

“I’m looking for Ricky Bowen?” she states. As she speaks, your stomach drops.

You recognize her voice from when you heard it on the phone, and from the voicemail Ricky showed you over Thanksgiving. This is Lynne Bowen. As in, the Lynne Bowen. The one that left. The same woman who’s made such a tactless and selfish decisions over and over that have ultimately caused her son to be on the verge of a breakdown just down the hall from where you’re standing right now.

“You are not supposed to be back here.” you state, desperately trying to figure out how to handle this. You pull out your phone and text Miss Jenn, ‘code red, really need backup’.

“Can you just tell me where Ricky Bowen is? I’m his mother.” she says it in a way immediately expects sympathy from you, sympathy she doesn’t receive. You stare at her blankly, and she continues, much less kind than she’d been pretending to be. “I need to see my son, okay? Maybe when you’re a mother someday you’ll understand-”

You’re not sure what about her, about the way she’s talking to you specifically is the last straw for you, but your patience is already running so thin it’s practically transparent. Against your better judgment, you cut her off.

“He does not want to see you. He doesn’t want to speak to you - or be anywhere near you right now, for the record - and you need to fucking respect that, okay?” you say decisively, offense written all over her face, “And you are really not allowed to be backstage if you’re not cast or crew, which you’re clearly not-”

“You are way out of line, young lady!” she yells, “I don’t care if he doesn’t want to talk. I’ll talk to him if I want to; I’m his mother.” She adjusts her purse, clearly expecting you to fold, to tell her where he is. You know you should keep your mouth shut, you know you should be diplomatic and patient and professional like you always are, you should wait for Miss Jenn to handle this, but you’ve spent the past three months watching Ricky suffer because of this woman and her choices. You can’t stay quiet when the woman who hurt him is right in front of you.

“I think you lost the right to pull that shit when you walked out the door and chose not to be in his life!” you snap, a dangerous smile on your face. The stunned look on her face is better than anything you’ve ever seen. It’s clear no one has ever tried to take her down a peg until now.

“How dare-”

“You gave him a free pass to hate you forever, because you’re not the parent who stayed! You didn’t try-”

Your words lose momentum as you find yourself suddenly looking at the wall to your right, your cheek stinging. The sound of her slapping you across the face echos across the walls for a moment before fading away, and you freeze, tears prickling the corners of your eyes from shock.

“Listen here you little slut,” she says, much more ferocious than before. All facades of a concerned mother have melted away. “You have no right to talk to me like that-”

“What the fuck?!”

You snap out of it, and she turns around at Ricky’s voice at the end of the hall.

“Ricky, my baby,” she starts, walking toward him, but she’s thrown off at how distant he seems toward her. “I’m sorry you had to see that, this girl is so-”

“Don’t ever talk about her like that again.” His voice is stone cold as he brushes past her, analyzing your expression closely to see if you’re alright.

“Are you okay?” he asks, voice shaky.

“I’m fine,” you say as calmly as possible, “are you okay?”

He’s decidedly not, but he tries to pull himself together.

“If you are, that’s all that matters.” Behind him, growing impatient, Lynne takes a step forward.

“Ricky,” she demands. He takes a breath, and leans closer to you.

“You should change for act two.” You look between them, wishing there was something else you could do, some way that you could make this better. You agree, stopping before you leave for your dressing room.

“Text me if you need anything.” you say seriously, and he agrees, understanding the subtext of your words. Text you if he needs backup, or if it gets to be too much, because you’re there for him. Lynne moves toward him again.

“Can we talk?” she says with a domineering tone to her voice, and you both know it’s not a question. You want to object, but all he wants is to get her away from you. He nods, indicating you should go, and you do - albeit, very reluctantly. He turns back to her.

“Yeah,” he says seriously, “I think we need to.”

She grabs his arm to lead him down another stretch of hallway, but he shakes her off immediately, walking a few feet in front of her.

“Ricky, are you alright?” she demands, once they’re relatively out of earshot. She crosses her arms. “I was so worried about you when you ran offstage like that.”

“I’m surprised you noticed.” he murmurs. She either ignores him or doesn’t hear. Regardless, she continues.

“Why did you leave? Is it stage fright? Because a lot of people are counting on you, honey. You made a commitment to this-”

“You’re one to talk about commitment,” he mutters, voice low, but loud enough to be heard. His impulse control is not at all where it should be, especially with how she just talked to you, what she called you.

“I’m sorry?” Lynne demands. She’s not used to Ricky yelling at her. She’s always had a lot of influence over him. He used to do everything she said, he’s always been such a mama’s boy until now.

“I mean, do you ever think about anyone besides yourself?” he snaps, “Did you even care that you ruined the only thing I’ve been able to count on in my life- I can never get this night back, Lynne. And now…” he trails off, trying so hard to regulate his emotions, even though he knows he’s out of control. He takes a shaky breath, trying with everything he has inside him to reign it back in a little.

“...Why would you bring him to the show?”

Lynne looks stunned at his question.

“Wh-” she starts, “This is about Todd?”

“Why would you bring him here?” He demands, repeating himself.

“I…” she struggles for an answer, “wanted him to meet you.” she infuses as much guilt into her words as she can. He should feel bad for the way he’s speaking to her. “I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to throw you off.”

It doesn’t work this time, and he refuses to back down, to fawn for her. He doesn’t buy it for a second.

“So you waited until I was suspended, mid air over a basketball hoop, for me to see you all… cozied up together? You didn’t think - not for one second - that might be just a little upsetting to me?!”

“Ricky-”

“And what about dad, huh? How do you think he feels watching you feel each other up right in front of him?” tears brim in the corners of his eyes as everything he’s been suppressing all night, all these weeks and months finally breaks the surface. She lets out an indignant scoff and tries to say something, but he ignores her and keeps going. It’s an avalanche now, and he couldn’t stop even if he wanted to.

“He didn’t leave the couch for a week after you left!” he roars, remembering how hard it was to see his dad like that, to have to be the one to drag him out of it.

“...I didn’t know that-”

“How could you?!” he laughs bitterly, "You weren't there!" He screams. He doesn't think it's ever felt better to say something than it does now. "You weren't there the whole time I was rehearsing, you weren't the one running lines and going over blocking, and teaching me how to listen for cues and do stage makeup and quick change! You weren't there for any of the work that went into this, and you just waltz in here with the newest guy you're screwing to your fucking son's musical like you've been here the whole time, but you havent!" He's never yelled at her like this, but a part of him thinks after how much she hurt him - and his dad - it's long overdue. "You don't get to enjoy this show, and you don't get to be around me, or dad, or anything we do because you walked out!"

"You are way out of line-" she starts, voice cracking.

"No, you know what’s way out of line?" He demands, all too ready to throw her words back in her face. "Breaking my heart, breaking dad’s heart, then acting like everything is fine when it’s not!"

"You think I wanted to leave you?!" She screams back at him.

"Yeah," he answers quickly, "I do, because you did! And you know what? I'm glad you left." He spits, watching the pain grow in her eyes, his words like venom.

"All you do is hurt us."

She blinks like she was just slapped. He takes a step forward, shaking, angry tears silently spilling from his eyes. When he speaks, his voice is low and dead serious.

"Don't call me anymore."

Before she can say anything, he starts to walk away. She calls out to him, desperate to get the last word in, to make him know how much pain his words have caused her.

"You are really hurting me, Ricky." She says, voice shaking as she cries, "you're breaking your mother's heart."

The sound of his mother crying like that because of something he said should have wrecked him, but he pushes away any last remaining scraps of guilt his rage hasn't burned away yet. He turns back to her, no love in his eyes, and laughs bitterly.

"Yeah, I guess it runs in the family. You know, the one thing I got from you is the ability to ruin any relationship I have, so thanks for that, mom." He spits, turning to leave. She takes a step forward.

"Don’t you walk away from me-"

"Like mother like son, huh?" He barks. With that, he's gone. He doesn't stick around for any more of her manipulation or guilt tactics. He just really, really needs to see you right now.

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