#Portwell besties

[scndchnce]

I'm glad it will be finally over

[rosesradio]

one of the things i will miss when it’s over is hsmtmts fans having some of the worst most heinous takes in any fandom ever 🥺🥺

[snixx]

okay controversial opinion but i actually really like love triangles...especially when they're actual balanced three-way triangles. granted my prefered stance for triangles i actually give a shit about is almost always that they end in poly (which never happens) but god i also hate them because they're fuel for so much unsolicited hate to everyone involved because of shipping wars

[goldengashes]

hey bestie, just wanna say i love your page. idk why r*nas have the need to send you portwell hate when they already won. like you're enjoying your ship on your own blog and they come and hate on you as if their ship isn't happy and sailing 💀

love your content, love you ❤

aw thanks! i don’t take it to heart and i sorta understand. i guess the rinas are a bit agitated by the hsmtmts cancellation. no one wins forever lol! sucks to suck. i mean, at least my ship is immortalized by the most incredible fic, tsbu and many other AUs on ao3 🥰

i try not to instigate fights over ships but boy, do i love entertaining bored anons on tumblr sometimes.

thanks for the love. have a great day <3

[aroundthewaygirlao3]

do you ever feel like coming back to the universe of one of your fics?

I do from time to time!

Some of my lovely Portwell besties (coughcough@rkrispyt) have requested outtakes/missing moments in certain universes, and I love filling in the blanks to the worlds that I've spent some time in.

So if there's one you'd like to see more of... drop it in my ask box!

[rkrispyt]

Can we all please take a moment to acknowledge how incredible American Royalty has been and how very not ready for it to end I am before the final chapter comes out today?

As always, kudos galore to @aroundthewaygirlao3 for her incredible work and sharing it with us all!

Not ready to say goodbye to this one (what else is new lol) but always thrilled to see what’s next of yours!

Congrats Portwell bestie! Lifting a glass and tipping my hat to you on yet another job well done!

[brekker-by-brekkerr]

I wish we could go back to the frenemy dynamic portwell had. I feel portwell should've stayed low-key frenemies (basically like homecoming epi) until like 2x05 and then showed them as good friends until the finale in which he shows up for her at the airport. And Gina has the realisation first that he definitely cares for her more than any guy has till date, and EJ being the oblivious buffoon would've not thought twice at helping her out because they're besties, wonderstudies but Gina definitely sees their dynamic shift. And at the same time have rini break up and season 2 should've ended there. Imagine seeing portwell confess in S3 at camp, the whole setting would've been even better. And portwell would've definitely had a great summer. For once the writers could've made them the leads of the play and finally they'd get their showmance and reality align kind of like how rini did in S1. The amount of potential portwell had at being the second chance at love trope gone right. And it all slipped through our fingers. It's like when you're winning a match for most of the game only for you to lose in the last minute.

r*nas dni please!

I liked that they weren't frenemies at the beginning of season 2 because they were both at a point where they had grown so much and were emerging from their "antagonist" era together, and there was something really beautiful about that.

But I do think maybe letting them be more of a slow burn, like ending the season with hope for them happening without any confessions would have been great. If the writers hadn't decided to go with R*na the vibes of portwell at summer camp, both finally getting to be leads together, and having the confession at camp would have been really cute!

i'm torn because i like that we had their risotto date thing and i like the mutual pining they have, but i do think it would have been fun to have drawn out that pining. plus we miss the whole beginning of their relationship with the time jump between seasons, which we wouldn't miss in this instance.

great points anon!!

And it all slipped through our fingers. It's like when you're winning a match for most of the game only for you to lose in the last minute.

yeah *sigh*

[favroitecrime]

hsmtmts? <333 (ps ily 💕💕)

hii sara my love ily too <333

otp: honestly i don’t have one anymore lmao if i had to choose i’d go with portwell

favourite canon pairing: umm do miss jenn and mr mazzara get together? then them.

worst pairing ever: whatever seb and big red was

guilty pleasure pairing: gina x nini🤭

a pairing you want to see more: kourt x nini (besties) or big red x nini (i think liv and larry’s friendship would’ve translated so well on screen) OH but also nini and ashlyn would have def been better friends

that pairing everyone likes but you’re like “lol no”: i fear this one’s obvious but i don’t like 2/4 of the season 4 endgames😭

favorite non-romantic pair: kourt x nini my loves they sent you to far and killed you in the battle but you remain alive in my heart

send me a ship (let’s see if i remember the fandom at all)

[hsmtmts-arrows]

if they're really pissing their pants about the queer story arc i would love to hear all their lovely thoughts (lying) on the main core four and their relationships throughout all four seasons because something tells me they're a portwell and rini. like it's giving the vibes they wanted all the ships from season one to stay the same like bestie you have NEVER seen a year of school and friend group relationships sometimes that shit changes weekly like you really cannot expect everything to stay the same.

PLUS. its a fucking DRAMA CLASS FFS. there's gonna be other queer people than just two gay men 😭

NOT SOMEONE SAYING THAT ASH'S QUEERNESS CAME OUT OF NOWHERE?

first of all julia has wanted a queer storyline for ash since s1 so jot that down.

second of all not all queer people have yearning and a slow realization, sometimes it's just a sudden. "OH . oHhhh. OH. I LIKE GIRLS/BOYS??? ohhh. Oh . that makes sense now ohhh gotcha". it wasnt like that for me personally but it's definitely some people's experiences!!!

and third of all you only see queer things as "sudden" because you're not used to queer people existing. like even if ash's realization had had like seven seasons of build up you would still say it's out of nowhere because you can't FATHOM the idea that two gay people meet and [gasp] fall in love with other people? its so .

i hate homophobia

the third point oh you gagged them king

[xo-alie-xo]

RINA, PORTWELL AND JACK×GINA

Suppose the writers want me to ship Portwell till Rina endgame. Nope.

But I have something else in mind.

From an unbiased POV, I just see two very good looking BFFs. If you look at Rini, Rina, Redlyn, Seblos, Kourt x Howie, they all have romantic chemistry.😍🔥

EJ acknowledges how amazing Gina is and puts her 1st. Healthy friendship is what I see. And my Gina being so loved by another Caswell. 💜

And no, it's not just because of their actors' ages. They are professionals. Even Delena, the actors were 10 years apart. But their on screen chemistry was very romantic. Even Stelena. So, this isn't about age. They just don't emanate romantic fire.

The most I can see is a sophmore finding a senior who is attractive (because EJ is smoking hot) and feeling a little sidelined and lonely. And a senior seeing a sophmore as an underrated dazzling star with a heart of gold.💛

If any thing, it's to show that someone SEES Gina. She probably feels so out of place and hurt by Ricky. It's not about receiving validation from a man, but it's to let Gina know there are others who get her. EJ needs to show what it's like to be treated well and let Gina raise her standards when it comes to being loved. He needs to get rid of her confusion whether or not she's wanted and to stop her 'disappearing Gina act'.

Most of all, Ricky needs to see how well EJ treats Gina and how special she is. So in the future, he will treat her well as a boyfriend once this boy sorts out his own issues. EJ needs to be that constant best friend to Gina, not a sibling but not more than friends either. Just playful besties who make jokes and flirts a little to uplift each other. 🤗😎

No romantic energy here. Just Team Wonderstudy besties. 😌

If Gina is going to have a love interest, it would be Jack.

I'm undoubtedly Muffy stan, but Buffy and Jonah had a little chemistry. I think it would definetely work. Jack is described as a smooth talking, charming flirt. And who else is single at the East High for him to have a thing with? Gina!

Here is a gif I made. Here they are just best buds on Andi Mack but I can see them playing romantic characters in HSMTMTS. 😍

He's also described as having a 'wanderlust'. Perhaps it's him Gina will meet at the airport because he seems to travel a lot. A stranger who changes her mind and eventually becomes a forbidden romance once she gets to know he's from North High. Jealous Ricky incoming! Last episode also mentions Ricky re-evaluating a party crasher.🤔

Why would Gina bring a North High student to an East high party? Maybe because he got her to stay!

Season three can dive into whether Gina wants to switch schools after Jack's persuasion because she seems so impressed with their dance studio right now. Time for Ricky to start pining, competing and hating on Jack for no reason.

And Jack not being happy that Gina and Ricky are playing romantic interests on stage, and then asks her to play the lead with him in his school. Ricky taking every opportunity to serenade Gina under the pretense of his character while Jack also does the same on his guitar. Gonna be so funny. 😂

Here's a preview! Jack, someone who is in par with Ricky, serenading Gina. Oh boy!😅

Ricky meanwhile....

"He's a little pitchy. And completely off beat. I can do it so much better. Jack, nope. More like Jack-ASS!" 😒

Everyone noticing that Ricky hates Jack not because he's from North High (or plotting to destroy them), but because Ricky likes Gina. A lot. And him finally admitting that.

Ricky trying to get Gina back in his arms with the whole, "I wouldn't quit on us even if you moved away." "Even if everything changes, my feelings for you will never change." "I'm not scared of change as much as I'm scared of losing you." "Please stay, and I promise to never quit on us again."

And Gina, who's heart was and is still with Ricky, stays for love. And season three ends with them kissing on stage, playing each other's love interests and being real life lovers too.

Season four will show their relationship. Fluff and angst. It's ups and downs. Them truly falling for each other. And them confessing their love for each other.

Season five will have them getting over their honey moon phase and having quarrels. And life getting in the way. Breaking up momentarily. Season 5b will be about them hurting badly without each other and having minor slip ups and kissing each other despite being broken up.

Season six will show them getting back together with the incoming RAIN KISS!!! The season will end with this.

Ricky- I have a proposal to run past you

Gina- Oh no (laughing) Is Nini okay?

Ricky- Since we are dating and I went behind your back but for a good reason. Would you be flattered?

Gina- Yes Ricky, I'd be flattered.

Then Ricky takes her to a room full of flowers and sings her a love song, and gets down on one knee and proposes to her full on Fifty Shades style. She says yes but they'll officially marry only when they are ready and older. But till then, she becomes his fiance. Each other's homes.

Eventually move in together in Ricky's apartment. Though I don't think we'll get any spicy Rina scenes considering this is PG Disney.

The End. (Unless they move to freeform which I doubt).

💍❤

[sarcasticsunshine123]

EJ: Can I be frank with you guys?

Ricky: Sure, but I don’t see how changing your name is gonna help.

Gina: Can I still be Gina?

Nini: Shh, let Frank speak.

[forbiddenship]

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BESTIE @portwellbabe​ !!!

i haven’t written in FOREVER, but i wanted to put out a little something for your special day. 🎉🎉

this is just a silly convo btwn gina and antoine that i imagined, if he were to show up for summer camp. i got a lil’ carried away, haha. hope it makes you smile, bea. love you to the moon and back <3

———

Gina stood at the edge of the pavilion, smiling to herself as she poured out a glass of lemonade. Smiling like a maniac was something she found herself doing a lot in the last month since she and EJ had began dating. Sometimes she physically needed to press her cheeks together with her palms to quell it.

This time, it was rather difficult. She knew EJ had been planning a surprise date for them this evening, and she felt giddy just thinking about it.

The funny thing was it seemed just about everyone was aware of EJ’s plans for the date. News spread like wildfire at theatre camp, and people had been chattering for days. The boys, the girls, even her best friend Ashlyn was keeping it a secret from her, she was certain.

It was definitely some kind of elaborate surprise, and though Gina didn’t want to spoil his efforts, she couldn’t help but be curious.

Where was he going to take her? What was the best thing for her to wear? Why were so many people involved? Were they all going to be there for some kind of important announcement? Was he going to chase them away afterwards so he could hold her close and kiss her like that? Would they cuddle up and watch the sunset, pressed tightly against each other -

“Good morning, miss.”

Gina looked up to see a pair of twinkling brown eyes and a mischievous smile standing in front of her.

“Antoine, uh hi!”

He looked at her funny.

“Is something the matter?”

Antoine laughed. “You tell me. Zee glass in your hand is overfilling, miss.”

Gina looked down and immediately blushed. She had been pouring her lemonade for a little too long. She must’ve gotten distracted thinking about EJ and his -

“Are you alright, miss?”

Gina cleared her throat (and her head, perhaps, another thing she found herself needing to do far too often these days).

“Yes. And, um, just Gina is fine, Antoine.”

“Very well, just Gina. Are you sure you’re alright? One does not just dazedly stare into zee void with a smile on her face while pouring lemonade for no reason.”

Gina glared at him. “Is there something I can help you with?”

“Yes, well, I am kind of - what do you say - confused right now. I need your help.”

“Oh, are you lost?”

“Not exactly, - ”

“Because France is that way.” She sticks her arm out and points to her right side, her expression utterly serious.

“I beg your pardon?” Antoine’s face contorts and he looks rather humiliated, almost scared.

Gina’s face slowly morphs into a smile.

“I’m just messing with you, dude. What’s going on?”

“Okay, I believe I deserved that. Anyhow. I wanted to ask you about your lady friend.”

Gina’s brow furrows. “My lady friend?”

“Zee one whom you are sleeping with.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“With the beautiful red hair and - ”

Gina bursts into laughter.

“Ohh, you mean Ashlyn! So Antoine, just FYI, we don’t really say ‘sleep with,’ that’s not what, we - ”

“You sleep in zee same room as her, do you not?”

“Well, yeah, but - anyways. What about Ash?” Gina takes a sip of her lemonade, trying to cool the reddening in her face for what would be the umpteenth time today, as Antoine serves himself a glass.

“Is she available?”

Gina spits out the sip she just took.

“What?!!”

Antoine wipes at the corner of his eye. “So saying ‘sleep with’ eez a problem, but spitting in people’s faces eez not. You Americans are weird.”

“Um, I’m so sorry. But are you kidding? Have you not seen Ash and Big Red together?”

Antoine makes a sound between a scoff and a grunt. “Yes, I am aware. I have seen Monsieur hooligan around, clowning about doing God knows what with his time. But I am a little confused on the status of their relationship, as I have recently been informed that he and the lady are, erm, how do you say - splitzville??”

Gina’s eyes widen. Ash had told her that she and Red were going through a rough spot right now, and they were taking some time off during the summer to have some space. Ash had been kinda spooked about it, because the story sounded all too familiar to her. And considering that Big Red’s primary company was Ricky…

Gina takes the time to compose herself. This dude doesn’t need to know any of that. Ash had told her that he had been hitting on her ever since the dance battle at North High, and she made it clear she wasn’t interested.

“Well, you were informed wrong. They’re just on a break.”

“Is it a break, or a break up?” Antoine questions, popping the p and swiveling his head to stare into a dot in space, as if it were an imaginary camera.

“Dude, this isn’t the office. And right now, it’s just a break. But even if it weren’t, Ash doesn’t need you making moves on her. She’s kind of vulnerable right now, and she’s taking this time to focus on herself.”

“I’m not making moves, I am simply asking - ”

“You need to back off. Kapish?”

The Gina 1.0 fire momentarily dances in her eyes, and Antoine puts his hands up.

“Okay, okay, I understand.”

Gina feels bad for a second (ugh, curse 2.0 sometimes, she makes it really hard to be menacing) and backtracks a little. “Look, I’m sure you’re a great guy, but this just isn’t what Ash needs right now.”

“But is it what you need, perhaps?” He winks at her and flashes a megawatt smile.

Gina almost chokes on her lemonade, again.

“Excuse me?”

“You are a very beautiful mademoiselle, and, as I could not help but notice, an exquisite dancer as well. I am certain half the men present at this summer camp are quite taken with you. As am I.”

Damn, this guy was smooth! He somehow made hitting-on-her-two-seconds-after-hitting-on-her-best-friend-with-a-boyfriend seem slightly less slimy and almost - romantic.

Gina offers him a tight-lipped smile. “That’s very kind of you. But I have a boyfriend as well.”

“Of course! A girl like you. I should have known.”

At that exact moment, Ricky walked past the pavilion, a card in his hand, heading towards - was that the North High cabin? Gina stifled a laugh. The whole thing with him and Lily was - amusing, to say the least.

He looked towards them and waved at her. “Hey, Gi!”

She smiled and waved back.

Antoine gasps. “OMG! Eez that him? Tom Holland on stilts?”

Gina looks back at him. “What now?”

“Zat guy! He eez your boyfriend, eez he not?”

Gina laughs. A laugh that was filled with a lot of things. Confusion, relief, humor, and acceptance. She had finally been able to talk with Ricky and put, well, everything behind them.

“No, that’s just Ricky. Did you not know about him and Lily?”

That’s weird. Surely Lily would have told her number one minion about her budding romance.

“Lily and I are no longer speaking.” He suddenly looks very, very sad.

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

Antoine clears his throat and recovers quickly. “It is quite alright. Ah, so, your mystery man is zat one over there!”

He points to Jamie, sitting on the steps beside Nini. They look like they’re immersed in a serious conversation, but they both choose that moment to look up at Gina, giggle, and resume their conversation.

What is going on?

“He is quite handsome,” Antoine says.

“Um, I don’t know how to tell you this, but that’s my brother, dude.”

His face quickly twists into disgust.

“My guy is over there,” she tips her chin in the direction of the volleyball court, where EJ and a couple other guys have just walked over to start a game. “The tall one, with the ball in his hand.”

And now it’s Antoine’s turn to spit his drink in her face.

“Oh my - wow! He is, WOW!”

She smirks. “I know, right.”

Gina knew her boyfriend was a good-looking man. He always had been.

But on this particular day, with his shirt swung loosely over his right shoulder, showcasing his perfectly toned upper body, his hair slightly ruffled from physical exertion, and that smile that was so EJ plastered on his face, blinding everyone around him, she - how do you say - appreciated him just a little more.

If this were a movie, it would cut to a slow-mo sequence of him running across the sand in the volleyball pit as she gaped shamelessly, mouth hung open.

Antoine’s voice interrupts her wonderfully delicious thoughts.

“Zere is no way. HE eez your boyfriend? Are you kidding?”

“Hey! You just called me beautiful like two minutes ago!”

He sputters. “You are! Very beautiful, miss! I meant no harm. But, look at him!! This man is no mere mortal. He is - I mean look at him.”

Gina laughs. “I’m a really lucky girl.”

Antoine squints for a moment. “Wait a minute! Is that - is that EJ Caswell?”

She nods, and he seems to be putting two and two together.

“Oh my! Miss, you are in for a treat this evening!”

“What is that supposed to mean? Oh my god! Do you know something too?”

“So zat is why he was using so much of zee special detergent yesterday.” He mutters under his breath. “He mentioned his girlfriend likes the - ”

Gina looks at him, confused.

“I was doing my laundry at zee same time as him last night.” Antoine says, as if that clarifies things in any way. “We talked for a bit, for zee first time actually. He eez a very nice fellow.”

“Wait, hold on - ”

“Ahh, well I do not believe I can say much more. He does not wish you to know that he caught you sniffing hi - ” Antoine widens his eyes, as if just realizing his mistake.

”What?!”

“Never you mind. I will be on my way. Pleasure talking to you, Just Gina.”

“But I’m confused - ”

He offers her another one of his dashing smiles and tips his head. “Well then, France is zat way, mademoiselle. Good day.”

[notbadweird]

WE HAVE BESTIES SHARING CLOTHES!! I SWEAR THE DISCOLORATION IN THE HOODIES ARE THE EXACT SAME. OMGGGGGG YALL THEY ARE SUCH BESTIE GOALS!!

Credit: @enlizagilrano

[goldengashes]

EJ and Gina always seemed like that second chance couple who would always find their way back. If Olivia Rodrigo stayed in the show, I wonder if portwell would find their way back and be endgame. Because if frankly don't think ri*a was meant to be endgame, rather they planned on them to be a midgame ship to probably create angst for the main endgame ships of rini and portwell. Even if Tim keeps trying to push that narrative as if ri*a was endgame. Anyway, going back to what actually happened, I'd have preferred if they slowed down with portwell and made them endgame in season 3, instead of get them together in season 2. Can you imagine how much more interesting this season would've been, at summer camp? They could've shown Ricky actually focusing on himself and being his own person free from any relationships and portwell finally learning to trust someone else enough to start a relationship. This show had so much potential for the main characters. But they just took the easy way out with sloppy writing. It pains me to see what they did to portwell and even Ricky although he's the least favourite character of mine out of the core 4.

hey there anon.

okay, so personally i’m only partially sure on pw but i 100% believe that rini was supposed to be endgame when the show was created. i found this out a few days ago but disney books actually have separate book published about rini’s story. gina and ej, too. which is crazy. like.

buuuut there’s that interview tim did once where he said the homecoming (105) scene of ricky and gina in the car apparently ‘changed the trajectory of the show’ — and a lot of rinas imply that it means rina endgame. if this is a correct assumption, it obviously means that before that, rini was probably endgame. unfortunately, season 2’s writing didn’t reflect his plans for rina well. i could see hints of rina but the execution was so bad. i think tim knew olivia was going to leave (due to her rise to fame from her music career) before s2 was filmed. my guess is olivia nudged tim to kill off rini since the only tie nini really had was ricky. so really a lot of these storylines are forced to cater to the actors and the audience.

and yeah, i totally agree with you. besties!portwell in summer camp would have been SO lovely.

[rkrispyt]

Forever grateful for the friends made through the Portwell fandom, especially this girl - the talent! The heart!

I’m so honored to call you my friend, Portwell Bestie.

I hope you have the BEST birthday ever, celebrating your wonderful self! ❤️

Everyone take a moment today to wish the happiest of birthdays to the wonderful @aroundthewaygirlao3

It's my birthday today, so I decided to put this out in the world as a Happy Birthday to myself!

A couple of weeks ago, I asked for prompts/ideas for one shots/expansions of the In White Houses story. @rkrispyt came through, as she always does, with the gorgeous thought of "what if EJ noticed something about Gina that no one else does, like a birthmark or something?" And that because this little snippet of a one shot, set between Chapters 23 & 24.

EJ wakes up early every morning. But he really doesn't mind, not when it lets him spend a few minutes tracing the stars across Gina's back and wishing on them for the future.

[snixx]

OKAY I CANT BELIEVE IM SAYING THIS BUT AFTER THIS EPISODE IM OFFICIALLY ON THE RINA TRAIN 😻