#like Ricky is SILENTLY in love with Gina

[sankta-starkova]

LETTERMAN

015; typecasting

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summary: the one where ej and andy realise that there may be some romantic feelings between them that hadn't been there before, or had they? the new year test this revelation

wordcount: 1.7k

They all sat down in the cafeteria at lunch time, talking about things when Carlos stood up randomly.

"Attention Thespians, I have a brief announcement," Carlos said and everyone turned to look at him.

"After spending the last couple of weeks Google stalking the Menkie Awards I've discovered there is no award for best choreography, I've decided that I will be auditioning to be on stage this year," he explained.

Everyone cheered, proud of Carlos. All of a sudden, EJ walked over, looking at Ricky.

"You're welcome," he said to him and Ricky looked up at EJ confused.

"For what?" He asked, watching as EJ sat down in the spare seat between him and Andy.

"I've decided to take myself out of the running for the Beast, I've got a lot on my plate," he said.

EJ started to dig through his bag and Andy sat there disappointed. A little part of her wanted to be Belle and the Beast with EJ.

"Which reminds me I should probably pick a meal plan for Duke, I also have this," he said.

"Wait! You officially got in?" She asked and Ricky narrowed his eyes at EJ, realising something.

"Back up, you're not doing the musical either?" He questioned.

"No, I've only got the bandwidth for a supporting role," he explained, reaching into his bag again but he stopped when he realised something, "What do you mean either?"

"I'm, uh, not sure if I'm auditioning this year," Ricky explained, "You know, once a skate rat,"

"No Ricky, I'm still a skater and I do theatre, we are all sure you can do this," She said.

Although her and Ricky had spent less time at the skatepark together, she still enjoyed it and missed spending that much time with him.

"Before I forget, Andy, I have something for you," EJ said as the silence it got awkward.

He reached into his bag and everyone waited to see what he had. EJ pulled out a blue Duke hat identical to the one he had on his head.

He placed it on her head, "Ta-da, can't have my best girl not having a Duke hat," he said with a laugh.

Andy smiled at him, her heart fluttering as he called her his 'best girl' but she knew that he didn't like her in the way she liked him.

"Well thanks EJ," she said, pulling out a small hand held mirror and checking what it looked like.

Suddenly, a random blonde girl approached the table, "Sorry, I've been trying to work up the courage to say this," she said.

She looked at EJ, furrowing her brow as she silently questioned what was going on. He shrugged and then they looked at the girl.

"Okay, I can't believe in standing in front of both Troy Bolton right now, both your performances were incredible," she explained quickly.

The two boys thanked her, EJ still smiling at Andy and not really caring.

He loved seeing her in the hat, his hat, but he couldn't think of her that way, not after Nini broke his heart.

"No, thank you. I mean, you both inspired me to try out this semester. You guys are all so talented, do you mind if we take a picture," she asked.

Everyone agreed and the girl took the photo, everyone smiling at it.

Just before auditions, Ashlyn came up to Gina, Kourtney and Andy with a proposal.

"I know this is totally last minute and feel free to say no, I have a song I've been noodling on all week its a quartet," Ashlyn explained.

She handed the sheets of paper to each of them, Andy smiling as she flipped through them.

"Gina, living with you is the closest thing to having a sister. Andy, it's only a matter of time before you become my cousin and Kourt, I know you must be missing Nini so I was thinking we could audition as a girl group," She explained.

Andy smiled at her, she was so glad to have these girls as friends, "I'm totally in Ash, good job me and EJ decided not to do Suddenly Seymour," she said.

Kourtney chuckled, "Yes, but is the vibe Destiny's Child or Cheetah Girls?" she questioned.

"The vibe is all of the above, plus a little spice girls," Ashlyn said before turning to Gina, "So, you in?"

"I'm sorry Ash, I'm gonna stick with auditioning on my own," Gina said and everyones face dropped, it was disappointing but Andy got it.

The bell rang before auditions and Andy walked to them with Big Red and Ricky after meeting up.

"I am feeling the German word for anxiety, hunger and deathly fear of disappointing the one you really want to impress," Big Red explained with frustration.

He sighed, walking over to the wall and leaning against it in defeat.

"Its actually pretty simple right, you like Ashlyn?" Andy asked and Big Red groaned.

"Understatement of the year," he said as he slid onto the floor, feeling defeated.

Andy and Ricky joined him on the floor, "One thing last semester taught me is that really liking a girl can get you through a lot of crap, including stage fright," Ricky explained.

"At least if I choke up today, I won't be alive to see Ashlyns disappointment," he said as he leaned back against the wall.

She placed a hand on his shoulder, "I don't think you've ever disappointed anyone in your whole life," Andy said.

"You know what would make me feel a lot better? Knowing you would be up there too Ricky," he said, trying to convince Ricky to try out.

"I haven't ruled auditioning out," he said before the bell rang and they rushed to auditions.

Later, the group all gathered around, preparing for the audition when Miss Jenn walked over.

"All right, as you know, this year's audition process will be in a two- step process," she explained.

Andy nodded her head, listening to her explain that there was a group vocal warm up and a song of your choice.

"Circle up, take your neighbours hand for a moment of silent reflection," Miss Jenn said.

Andy smiled, reaching for Seb and EJs hands as they stood in the circle.

They seemed to have gotten over the awkwardness from three weeks ago of the near kiss, she knew it was just a moment.

Suddenly, Ricky ran in. They all performed their parts in Belle before heading up for the solos, or in this case, a trio.

Andy, Kourtney and Ashlyn stood on the stage, "This is an original song I wrote about the power of friendship, it was originally a solo but then I wrote it for four people but we'll be singing for two," Ashlyn explained.

"Wait!" Gina called out after she heard Lily make a comment about them, "Is there still room for a fourth?"

"Do you know the song?" Ashlyn asked, a smile on her face as she realised Gina will be singing along.

"I was curious so I spent the afternoon kinda studying it," she stated, "Its brilliant,"

"Oh, and picture us in sequined jumpsuits. On a light up dance floor. In an abandoned warehouse," Ashlyn added before they performed the song.

They finished and everyone applauded, wowed by their performance. EJ smiled at them from the crowd, giving them a thumbs up.

"Well now I'm a little sad we're not doing Heather's," Miss Jenn said as she watched the four girls hug.

Everyone else performed their numbers until it was just Big Red left.

Andy gave him a thumbs up from the crowd and he started to tap dance when suddenly he fell.

She gasped, hating that this had happened to her best friend. But then she heard Lily snicker, "Seriously," she whispered to herself.

Both Ashlyn and Andy turned to glare at her, they looked at each other and Andy jumped up.

Her and Ricky both ran onto the stage to comfort their best friend, "You got this dude," Ricky asserted.

Andy nodded, smiling at him, "Lets show them what you can do. We've got you okay," she said before her and Ricky went backstage.

Big Red smiled at them before he started to perform again, smashing it. Everyone cheered him on, Andy glaring at the girl.

Afterwards, they looked at the cast list, Andy nodding her head as she realised she had gotten the role of Chip, a huge grin on her face.

"Gaston!" Andy exclaimed and EJ pulled her into a hug, spinning her around slightly.

"Chip!" He smiled at her, "God, I'm so proud of you,"

She blushed, looking around before seeing Ashlyn, "be right back," she said before walking over to congratulate her.

But then she saw that Ashlyn got Belle, pulling her best friend into a hug before Ashlyn ran off to cheer with Big Red.

"Hey, Lily," Andy called out as she saw the girl walk away.

Lily turned around, an angry look on her face for not getting the role of Belle.

"I don't care where you're from, but at East High, we don't make fun of people that make mistakes," Andy said, she was fuming, hating that someone thinks they can waltz in here and mock people, especially her best friend.

"Well East High doesn't deserve me anyway, she shouldn't be Belle and you all know it," Lily said with a huff.

Andy scoffed, she couldn't believe that this girl was do big-headed that she thought she was the best.

"She's a better person then you'll ever be, and she's the best actress and singer here," Andy refuted, not taking any more of this girls insults.

"Fine, but when you lose the Menkies because of her, you'll come back, or maybe go crying to that idiot of a boyfriend," she said before turning around.

"Fine, talk that mouth off but if I see you anywhere else, you better watch out," Andy spat back, she had been in her fair of street fights.

As Lily walked away, Andy clenched her fist, shaking her head, "Calm down Andes, she doesn't deserve your time," EJ said as he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

"You're right, Eej, thanks" she said and she walked over to Ashlyn, the two celebrating.

Ashlyn smiled at them. She knew all about their nicknames, and how they'd only use them once they were dating - but neither of them seemed to have noticed.

They also didn't seem to notice how they looked like a couple, his chest pressed against her back, arms around her middle. Ashlyn just smiled, letting them be oblivious for a moment

Taglist:

@maggiecc

[sarcasticsunshine123]

Nini watched as Dean Patel walked away, her heart in her throat. How was this going to work? How was she going to tell— “Hey.”

She spun around, the sudden appearance of someone behind her with no warning, scaring her out of her skin. “Gina!” Of course, she was far too good at walking silently. “You scared me.”

“Sorry.” Gina looked sheepish. She rocked on her feet. This was perhaps the most nervous Nini had seen her. “So… I hear you're leaving.”

“What? You were listening? How long were you standing there!” Nini had had this secret for a couple of seconds. How could it already be out to be shared. Not that Gina was the type of person… Gina was frowning. 

“Huh? I didn't hear any of that, I just… assumed. Kourtney said the dean of a fancy school was here, and you were talking to someone with a clipboard. I just assumed it was a done deal.” She crossed her arms and shrugged. “Am I wrong? I can't imagine they could see you out there and not see your talent.”

Nini tried to pretend she wasn't blushing at the unexpected compliment. “No you… you got it.”

“Oh.” While Gina smiled convincingly, she watched as her shoulders slumped and her arms dropped back to her sides to fiddle with her jacket. “I'm happy for you, Nini. You deserve this.”

Frowning, Nini grabbed at her backpack straps. “Are you sure? Is there something wrong with me going?”

“No! No. You've earned this. I just learned I'm able to stay a bit longer and… it might be selfish, but I wish you were able to stay too.” She smiled and then looked down, huffing a laugh. “And I'm glad I learned this before I made a fool of myself.”

“What were you going to do?” Nini stared at her and watched as something morphed on her face.

“Nothing important. It doesn't matter.” Ricky walked in, and Gina tensed even more, and the expression on her face hardened even after he had walked out again. Nini barely paid any attention to anything except staring directly at her. Something was missing here. Gina grinned and nodded like she wasn't acting weird. “Go and enjoy yourself.”

Nini crossed her arms and stood using all of her height. It didn't make much difference, but it made her feel more confident. “No. What were you going to tell me? I'm not leaving you when you're worried about something. You can't make a fool of yourself with me, I would never tell anyone something you told me in confidence. I'm not that kind of person. I—”

“I was going to tell you I love you!” Gina's eyes widened, and her hands covered her mouth.

She wasn't the only one surprised. Nini felt like she swallowed her tongue in her shock. Love? Gina… loved her? 

“I didn't mean to say it like that. I didn't really mean to say that at all. I'm sorry. I was going to do something sweet. Something nice and poetic like you deserve, but I'm no good at that.” She shook her head and laughed, rubbing at her face. “I wasn't going to say anything cliche but… don't leave me. No, that wasn't—I'm sorry. I'm making a mess of this. Don't go.”

“Gina…” 

Gina grabbed her hand in hers. They were soft, and Nini smiled at her automatically. They had grown so much since the first time they held hands. She couldn't believe… “Please. I put off telling you because I thought I had to leave, and now I know I don't. Don't leave me.This is the least dignified thing I've done. I love you. I'm begging. Don't go.”

She shook her head a little but didn't move her hands away. “I can't—”

“I've fucked this spectacularly but I know I haven't made up the way you look at me. I can't be feeling this alone. Nini…” 

She was tearing up, and Nini was right there with her. “I don't know. I haven't thought about it. Ricky…” 

Gina's face fell, and she started to pull back. Nini let her. “I'm sorry, Gina. Ricky and I just got back together. And I have to leave. I can't stay here any longer; it doesn't feel like home anymore.”

“Oh.” Gina whispered. “This is the only place I've ever felt at home.” 

“That's why you have to stay, and I have to go. I'm really sorry, Gina. This just… doesn't work.”

“Right.” Gina laughed a sad little tune. She closed her eyes and shook her head. ”That makes sense. Good luck at YAC, Nini. I won't tell anyone.”

“I'll do the same.” Nini nodded and almost went for a hug, but she could see something closing on Gina's face and wanted to give her a moment to do it without anything hurting her. Nini's pretty sure a hug from her would break her.

“Thanks.” Gina walked away. Why did Nini feel the same as that day Ricky left her alone in her bedroom? Why does she feel like she should go after her? 

Why did she regret kissing Ricky?

[rosesradio]

hi i saw ur taking drabble requests, this is a bit vague but maybe a really fluffy portbowell drabble please? idk maybe something like telling each other jokes but i don’t mind if you do ur own thing with this one!

hii !! <3 hope you don't mind this is a longer drabble, it's a bit of a think piece on ej's character & leans more into the caswen/queer aspect of portbowell (my longer fic i'm working on has povs with each character & all, but there's only so much you can do with a drabble lol)

warnings: talk of ej's relationship with his dad, discussion of being in the closet, i think like one sex joke/reference but other than that it's pretty pg

word count: 1.1k

---

"You will never be truly happy if you keep this whole 'rebellion' act up. If you would just…follow the path I laid out, success would come as easy as breathing, EJ."

EJ could remember, clear as crystal, the words his father had spoke when he'd told him he wasn't going to Duke. For the first time, it wasn't a fight--not a noticeable one, anyway. It was something underhanded, the guilt-tripping. But EJ stood his ground, time and time again. The so-called "self-help" books EJ had received in the mail at camp (that were really just "how to manipulate your minimum-wage employees and make millions")? Return to sender. The letters threatening to send him to the Caswell Success School? Those made a good fuel to the camp fire.

Of course, it was easy to defy his father from the safety of halfway across the country. When he got back, however, and was cut off…that was a little harder to deal with than some hate mail. Luckily, Ashlyn's parents were quick to take him in. The timing was almost perfect--he'd helped Gina move her stuff out to live at her mom's, and she helped him move his stuff in.

A lot of this whole change wouldn't be possible without Gina and Ricky. Ricky was…something new. Over the course of camp, they'd spent a lot of time together; they had water balloon fights, worked together to scare the others on initiation night, roasted s'mores together. EJ never thought he'd ever have feelings for a guy the way he did then, especially not with Ricky, especially not while he had a girlfriend. After a long talk with Gina, EJ found out Gina and Ricky liked each other, too. So, they all three started dating. Their friends were skeptical at first, but it didn't take long for them to be supportive.

It had all been working out really, really well, and EJ couldn't help but be surprised. He thought it was too good to be true, that it'd all fall apart. Instead, they had a lot of fun together watching movies (EJ loved old slasher movies, Ricky was okay with them, and Gina did not like them at all, so picking out movies wasn't always easy), they went out to picnics and tried out different craft tutorials on YouTube. When they did have issues, they talked through them and tried to work out solutions. It was…really nice compared to how some of his old relationships had fallen apart.

Today, however, was their first pride festival together. They were late meeting up and missed the parade, but they were still able to go around to the booths. It was, unfortunately, scorching outside; EJ had no idea how all these couples were holding hands, but he couldn't imagine it was fun, so he was glad Gina and Ricky had silently agreed not to hold hands.

"Oh, what's this?" Ricky stopped at a booth handing out little pride flags, grabbing a bi one for himself and one for Gina--she'd told them during one of their long talks that she had a small crush on Nini at one point, which wasn't surprising, considering most of their theatre group did at one point or another. Ricky grabbed a third for EJ, but hesitated--while EJ was out to their friends, it was still weird and awkward. Once, Carlos asked when he knew he liked Ricky, and EJ blushed so much he almost started sweating and had to leave the room.

EJ wasn't out to anyone else, though, like his aunt and uncle. They'd accepted Ashlyn (where had she gone? She had to be here with Maddox and Big Red somewhere…), but he just wasn't ready. Ricky had only joined the relationship two weeks ago, and EJ didn't want all that attention.

"Sorry," EJ said with a sigh, impulsively glancing around, as if on the lookout for anyone he wouldn't want to see--even though his dad was in St Louis, and his aunt and uncle were out with their book club.

"It's okay, Eej," Gina insisted, going on her tip-toes to kiss his cheek. "Thanks for being here with us."

"Yeah, it's fine," Ricky said. "I guess I'll just have to make it up to you with some ice cream."

"You don't have to do that," EJ replied. "I mean…" he looked around. So many people…gay couples holding hands, supportive parents wearing "free mom hugs" and "free dad hugs" shirts, gender non-conforming people, a group of guys in leather harnesses (which, if EJ thought too much into, he'd definitely discover something about himself, holy hell). And everyone here seemed genuinely happy, even the ones waiting to buy a five-dollar lemonade. Even the ones that could be in the closet, not holding any pride flag. There were so many people…he was safe.

"Hey, Ricky?" EJ asked, finally looking back at him. He couldn't help but smile--Ricky was wearing this weirdly cute tank top that said "pride month" until the letters faded into the rainbow phrase "demon". He also had on a rainbow beaded necklace--they'd all made those together while watching Bridgerton (Gina had introduced it to him and Ricky; they had mistakenly called it a "girl's show", but were thoroughly invested five minutes in). All in all, he really liked Ricky. And he liked liking him.

"Yeah?" Ricky replied, smiling right back at him.

EJ then pulled Ricky close, pressing his lips to his in a kiss that lasts only a few seconds, Ricky's hands resting habitually on EJ's biceps (because of course). He then pulled away to see Gina, who appeared happy but confused, as if EJ had just tried to explain the rules of water polo or the lore behind a certain slasher movie franchise.

"What does this mean?" She asked, reaching a hand out to squeeze his for a moment--it was still too hot out for it, but worth it.

"Nothing," EJ shrugged. "Just wanted a kiss, and I figured that was okay here. It's…a start. And I could put the flag in my room, maybe…?"

"Do whatever you're ready for," Gina said. "You know that we're here for you, but…this is really exciting, Eej!" She threw her arms up around him and hugged him, to which he laughed and hugged her back. It was unbelievable to think that they thought of him this way--like he was so cool and brave. If anyone was cool or brave, it was them--they showed him every day that everything would be alright, and things were getting better.

Sure, he wouldn't be the most successful CEO by age twenty-five like his father wanted, but he was happy. Truthfully, seeing how happy his two best friends--his boyfriend and girlfriend--were, he couldn't imagine being any happier.

[daphnebowen]

season four episode three!

TIMOTHEE HAL CHALAMET BAHAHA M

richard Bowen in a hat is actually the cutest thing I’ve ever seen

RINA CUEEEE

what is ricky wearing on his feet his shoes are… yikes 😬

Awwww!!! Emmy brought muffins for everyone! That’s so sweet!

AWWW GINA LOOKS SO CUTE

“the tension is fierce but also appropriate for all audiences” LMAO WHAT

THEIR CHEMISTRY IS OFF THE CHARTS HOLY CRAP

ricky looks so amazed and tbh so am i

they sound so goooooodddddddd together how can anyone ever compete like tbh I almost like their version better than the og Troy and Gabriella’s

the whole cast is so involved in their song and I am absolutely here for it

“No notes” PREACH CARLOS PREACH

”my boyfriend 😃🥰”

maddox’s smile is so pretty!

STOP IM CRYING IMAGINING GINA AND RICKY SAYING GOODBYE I REALLY CANT DOES SHE KNOW WHAT SHE JUST DID

Ashlyn’s laugh is so awkward omg

me only just now realizing that Jet saying he was in love with the girl playing Elsa (aka Kourtney) could be because of the RCOSL episode where Carlos tells her to pretend to be in love with her for the drama 💀 BUT OMG ITS ALSO TRUE HEHEHEHE

Seb and Carlos fighting is physically hurting me

did Carlos even pay for that coffee or did he just walk away?

”richard, sit. Faster.”

MACK IS NOT TALKING SMACK TO ALYSON FREAKING REED OHHH ITS ABOUTTA GO DOWN

”totally forgettable in every way” not with Kourtney wearing a whole candy shop or something. Seriously why does everyone look semi normal but Kourtney??? Is the the candy land Sharpay or something??

AWWW MADDOX IS SO CUTEEEE

”disasters might be” looks right at Ricky

ricky: repeats Gina’s famous lines. Also Ricky: it’s me *pulls down glasses*

okay but in all honesty why is everyone freaking out about ms darbus leaving especially if Bailey (the character that Gina is playing) is a senior like how does that make sense??? Yes it is sad but I feel like you would get over it…?? I mean obviously it parallels with Ricky and Gina but still

“making sure you don’t fall in love with your costar” “barebones production of Romeo and Juliet” OMG DARBUS REALLY DOES KNOW EVERYTHING

rickys infamous words ! “Wow.”

kourtney: Ricky!!!! Ricky: looks behind him in confusion

“keyboard smash”

”too much sunshine. I found it depressing.” “That tracks for you, actually”

Awh I think Mazzy is a little bit jealous of Mike and Jenns relationship

“like a dog?” He’s so naive what the heck

maddox and Ashlyn flirting while kourt is just standing there awkwardly is absolutely cringe worthy

“security be d*mned!”

jets been there for less than a day, didn’t even see the “can i have this dance” duet, and still somehow knows that Ricky and Gina are “not dating.” Man this boy is the biggest supporter of rina that there ever was

the way mr mazarra just reads silently except for “hmm. Hmm. Hmmm…”

she used two thesaurus’s???

I want one of those Ricky and Gina hugs like COME ON MAN WHY AM I SO SINGLEEEE

omg when Gina said she never gets things right the first time she told him that AFTER him and nini had kissed AND HE STILL REMEMBERS AKDNFJEJHAIWIXNEJSJS I CANT THE PINING IS CRAZY

”secret make out times” YESSS RICKYYYYYY

he has absolute faith in her and her in him and i freaking LOVE IT!

omg miss jennnnnn stoppppppp interferingggg it’s driving me nuts

the tension between Jenn and Benny boo is crazy

AWW KOKO IS SUCH A CUTE NICKNAME!!

yesss Kourtney go get your therapy I’m proud of youuu 😻😻

most of the parents in this show absolutely suck but kourtneys mom is lowkey the best (ninis moms are also pretty cool but Gina’s mom, Ricky’s parents, Todd, and ejs dad all suck)

dani is FLIRTING WITH RICKY BACK AWAY GIRLIE

The look of disappointment on Gina’s face when it was Mack showing up at her trailer instead of it being Ricky :((((

NONONONONO THE WRITING THE NUMBER ON THE HAND IS SO TERRIBLE but also really cute if I actually shipped them

ginas face- girl is absolutely SHOOK

[nyikondlovu]

Been seeing a lot of completely wrong information about my himbo son Richard Bowen, Rina and the dynamic he has with Gina and EJ so let’s clear up the air.

Hold my hand, walk with me those without media literacy:

“He only wants Gina now that she’s taken“ false, looking back on S1 and S2 you can see how much Gina has always meant to him whether you wanna view with as platonic or romantic it doesn’t take away from the fact that he does care for Gina. him having romantic feelings or admitting them out loud is just a natural progression from the feelings. and it’s backed up by the fact that Tim writes Ricky/Joshua and Gina/Sofia scenes because of their chemistry. He wouldn’t have a ship he likes not care about each other.

“Ricky jumps from relationship to relationship“ again that’s not true he dated Nini. they took a break, Nini started dating EJ then he got involved in the EJ and Nini relationship and started dating her again. he went out with Lily once or twice but as far as we know they weren’t dating. he’s had ONE relationship and one almost relationship, he’s not jumping from relationship to relationship.

“He needs to be single for a while and go to therapy“ did you know you can go to therapy while in a relationship? I know it’s crazy! it’s crazy! Ricky‘s biggest problem was with change thats what caused his relationship with Nini to falter, he wouldn’t accept change. he’s begun to accept it now so in that aspect of relationships he would do fine because he’s begun to accept that relationships and people change. he could get therapy for other things but you don’t have to be single to go to therapy

“He’s getting in the middle of Gina and EJ“ where? Episode one he shows up for a second and he goes “group hug?” Being the goofy Ricky we know.

Episode two, he and Gina repair their friendship, is he getting in the middle of anything there? No.

Episode three they get lost in the woods they weren’t running off together. Everyone knew where they were going, they invited EJ! they just happened to get lost, he didn’t try to put any moves on her he was just being friendly because he was respecting her relationship.

Episode four, he was jealous however he never let that blind him, he understands that Gina is in a relationship and he is not trying to get in the middle of it, season one Ricky was already in the middle of EJ and Nini‘s relationship this seasons Ricky is mature enough to put Gina‘s needs first.

Episode five, The only time he lets slip how he feels about Gina is when they’re singing and even then he doesn’t tell her. when she leaves after it gets too intense he apologizes to her because he feels he made her uncomfortable, he doesn’t want to get in the middle of the relationship really he wants what’s best for her he told Jet “Gina is my friend, I want what’s best for her“ the only reason Ricky‘s feelings were out is because he was confiding in his friend Carlos.

Ricky is literally not getting in the middle of anyone’s relationship: EJ and his secrets? THAT could be a problem in the relationship; EJ not remembering that Gina is in her first relationship? THAT could be a problem; EJ not remembering that Gina is putting down roots for the first time? THAT could be a problem; EJ’s jealousy about Ricky and Gina‘s friendship? THAT could be a problem.

However Ricky? Ricky is not instigating anything nor is he actively fighting ‘for’ Gina he’s just there to support her as her friend, to help her shine as her leading man and just enjoy summer with his friends after a shitty year.

I guess y’all will have to find some other lame excuse not to ship them because in one episode Ricky shut down the ‘Rina was one-sided’ allegations.

Anyway go stream What Do You Know About Love on YouTube, on Spotify and on Apple Music.

Ricky pining and crying over Gina next episode and Rina endgame incoming 🫶🏾

[fbfh]

rocks at your window pt 5 - 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 and he and reader are both 18 and in their senior year!!

additioanlly we're working towards a ricky x therapy plot, so as the series goes on he'll start expressing more symptoms of mental illness and bpd, and he gets worse before he gets better. also obviously i'm not a professional and this is for entertainment purposes only, I have done research but PLEASE take this with a grain of salt or several.

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

wc: 7.8k

genre: slice of life, hurt/comfort, smut

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

warnings: actually proof read thanks cici, anti nini/nini being a pick me, one sided angsty gina pining, reader has professional theatre experience, brief vague mention of your parents marriage falling apart, carlos is struggling, a few paragraphs of ricky spiraling about his mom/wondering if she ever loved them, ricky has some flashbacks about that, nini is a self centered bitch, nini writes sad songs about heartbreak in her little mitchie's song book, reader was in matilda annie and hairspray when she was younger (unspecified as to who), one good boy, a GRATUITUOUS amout of titties/nip play, partially clothed sex, cockwarming/cum plugging, subby boarderline puppy boy ricky, ricky's in subspace a little bit with you, cuddling as aftercare, ricky's mommy issues are so bad (sorry freud), slowburn red x ashlyn, nini is an unprofessional menace

summary: after a fun, only somewhat chaotic photoshoot, you're gearing up for the blocking of when there was me and you, until rehearsal grinds to a halt with the release of some troubling news. ricky finds solace in your arms once again, and is enamored with the way you always know how to solve whatever problems are thrown your way.

song recs: I can't handle change - roar, truth justice and songs in our key - hsmtmts cast, you're my world - atlas

a/n: I finished the second half of this in like a day because I was so anxious about a check up because I hate medical stuff but the chapter's done and it went well. I'm getting my wisdom teeth out next week so I'll probably be so busy distracting myself from that I knock out like 5 more chapters /hj

anyway this was supposed to be short and it's almost 10k cause I have no self control lol anyway ENJOY <333

tags: @yesv01 @afidiofobia @aliyahsutherland @hopefullhearts @pikzel @demirunner @matiere-detoiles @ifilwtmfc @uselesssapphickitten @nxstalgicnxbxdy @ggclarissa @n-slayaaaaa @stormi-ames

You exit the girls dressing room, running towards Seb, who just left the boys dressing room. 

"Oh my god!" You exclaim, floored by his costume. It's pink and sparkly, and fits perfectly - even the heels. It's everything he was imagining. 

"I know!" He replies, matching your energy perfectly. You’re so happy that Seb loves his costume. Miss Jenn even added in a subplot and solo about Ryan finding himself beyond being Sharpay’s brother. He’s absolutely killing this role, breathing new life into it, and you couldn’t be happier for him. He’s still a little nervous, so you and your friends are making sure to hype him up.

You hear it before you see him, a hush falls over the room as everyone on stage around you falls silent. Someone tries (and fails) to hold back a loud snicker while a few people gasp.

“Alright, let’s do this!” 

You turn around at the familiar sound of Ricky’s voice, and he’s happy he got your attention. He’s met with a myriad of reactions at the questionably styled wig, but he only cares about yours. He’s only looking for yours. He gives you a look, a little quirk of his eyebrow that silently asks what you think. You smile radiantly, overjoyed to see him in costume for the first time. You feel like a mother sending her kids off to the first day of school. You have the urge to get pictures before the day is over. 

Standing downstage of you, Nina stares at him with her mouth open in a dramatic gasp, eyes following him as you move closer to each other. 

“Oh… my… god. There is so much to talk about.” She says. She watches Ricky closely, waiting for some kind of reaction to her words, but his eyes are glued on you. She tries again, letting out another very loud laugh, “I literally can’t even.” 

“I think he looks great!” you say with a sincere bubbling smile. You reach up, adjusting the alignment of his wig, the way the hair falls. He’s sure it looks much better than it had when he’d tried to put it on by himself. You tug gently on his hoodie strings, making them even lengths. He watches you closely while you do. He loves the feeling of you fixing his hair and clothes, he wishes there were more things for you to fix. You smile up at him, and irritation prickles in Nina’s chest at how close you are to him. 

“You gotta get the hair flip down,” you say, jerking your head to the side in example. He follows your lead, copying the gesture, and you go back and forth like that for a minute, quoting Troy Bolton and making each other laugh. Your eyes widen as realization strikes. 

"Oh my god, I know what this reminds me of…" you gasp, pulling out your phone to search for something, “I’ll text it to you.”

"Okay…" Ricky chuckles, smiling in anticipation and watching you type. You glance up when you hear Carlos telling Seb how amazing he looks. You pause typing and walk a few feet closer to them. 

"I know, he looks fucking amazing!" You say with a radiant smile, and Carlos thoroughly agrees. 

Spotting an opening, Gina makes her way over to Ricky. 

"Wow," she says with a smile, really taking him in. "You look great, Ricky." Just as she’s working up the nerve to playfully nudge him on the arm, he smiles, motioning over to where you’re talking to Carlos and Seb.

“Yeah, she said the exact same thing,” he smiles, greeting you as you walk back over, “Gina agrees with you.”

“I know!” you smile, radiant, “Not a lot of people can pull off the whole 2007 Mitchel Musso look, but you’re really making it work.” 

His heart pounds when you talk like that. Your words, your praise, your attention give him a sort of high he’s never felt from anyone else before. He craves it, and he always craves it more than he expects to.

“You think so?” he asks. Part of him knows he’s fishing for your attention, but the sweet look you give him, so excited to see him in costume for the first time makes it worth it. 

“Yes!” you exclaim, vibrancy rubbing off on him, “You look fantastic, Ricky.” 

His heart pounds loud in his chest, cheeks flushing at your words. Behind you, Gina’s stomach sinks. Old feelings of discouragement get more and more stirred up inside her the longer she stands there, watching the way he looks at you. It’s almost too much to bear by the time she cuts her losses, making up an excuse about getting something from her bag that she’s not sure either of you hear. 

Nina watches this, her gaze flicking between you and Gina. A gross feeling coats her stomach. She expected to stay friends with Ricky, expected to still be close to him. More importantly she didn’t expect so many girls to just throw themselves at him. It’s disrespectful. It’s disrespectful to how long they were together. She and Ricky have been friends since kindergarten, they have history. They’ve known each other forever, and… it’s just funny, she thinks, that you and Gina think you can just swoop in and replace her like that. Before she can fester in this feeling much longer, Big Red has everyone line up. 

“Okay, Chad,” he calls, pointing stage left, “Taylor, Troy, Gabriella, Sharpay, Ryan… good.” 

Everyone gets lined up and spaced out correctly, as Red lines up the shot. 

“Jump on the count of three.” he states, and begins to count down. The sound of everyone’s feet hitting the floor at very different times echoes through the auditorium. Red squints at the result on camera, which is nothing short of a complete mess. 

“Wait, what happened?” he mutters. 

“Where to begin.” 

“Where do I start…”

You and Ricky say at the same time. You lean forward a little to share a look, a silent conversation exchange you both understand, both of you leaning past Nina to do so. She looks between you for that split second, then Ricky gets right back in line without even looking at her. 

“I think you went early,” Seb says to you.

“Wait,” Gina interjects, “are we jumping on three or after three?”

“Yeah, the count of three. Ready?” Red replies, doing nothing to clear up the confusion. 

“Red,” you say, and he looks up at you. Ricky watches you with a little smile, knowing you’ll no doubt know exactly what to do to get things back on track. “Are we jumping on the third or fourth beat?”

“Third,” he says, like it should be obvious, “on the count of three.” You nod, and turn to the others. “It’s one two jump.” you clarify, hopping as you do so to demonstrate. Your hair bounces and your skirt flounces and your heels make a little clicky noise as you land, and Ricky thinks it’s the cutest thing he’s ever seen. He’s ready to try again, now fully confident the photos will turn out perfect thanks to you. Next to you, Seb lets out a puff of air. 

“I think I broke a heel…” he says, and you turn to take a look. Something itches at the corner of your mind, then it clicks. 

“Hold on, I saw some glue back here somewhere…” Red flashes you a thumbs up as you run into the wings, searching for the bottle of gorilla glue you remember seeing earlier. After digging around in the stage right wing for a minute, you see it on a shelf, next to what looks like a bucket of old paint. You stretch up as far as you can, but even in these heels, you can’t reach it. Before you look around to see if there’s something you can knock it down with, you turn back to the stage. 

“Ricky?” you call. He looks over at the sound of your voice like a puppy, scurrying over to you without a second thought. 

“Yeah?” he smiles. You point up to where the glue is.

“I found it up there, but I can’t…” 

“Oh, I got it.” he smiles, touching your arm. He reaches up and hands you the mostly full bottle. You thank him, squeezing his arm appreciatively.

“Thank god you’re tall,” you chuckle. His chest puffs up at your words, a soft heat creeping up to his cheeks. He watches you as you and Kourtney fix Seb’s shoe, how cute you look when you’re focused. 

“There,” you state, “as long as the glue holds…” Seb puts his heel back on, and does a few test jumps. The glue seems to hold, and Kourtney sends you back in line, adjusting one last part of Seb’s costume. You type something into your phone, texting it to Ricky as you head back to the front of the stage. Ricky catches the last half of what Carlos is saying. He’s clearly frustrated at the lack of productivity.

“...You leave the earth, you land.” 

“We just need to get back on the same page,” you say. Ricky pulls out his phone at the familiar sound of your ringtone he set. You must have sent him the thing you remembered. As he passes by, Nina sees your name at the top of his phone, framed by hearts. His screen is full of texts between you, but the last text Nina sent him got left on read? Ricky never leaves her on read. She scoffs at how oblivious he is to your blatant attempts to steal his attention from her.  

“Uh,” she says loudly, a performative smile on her face as she holds back a laugh when he gets closer to her, “I can’t look at Ricky, is that a problem?” 

He doesn’t look up, instead he looks at the text you sent him. It’s an image accompanied by the caption ‘you today’, and when it finally loads, he recognizes it instantly as a gif from the Elijah Wood ‘will you wear wigs’ interview. It catches him by surprise, and a loud screaming laugh tears from his throat. It’s so sudden, so sincere it brings a laugh out of you too. Everyone else either starts laughing with you, or looks completely shocked. 

He slaps a hand over his mouth, trying to stifle the noise without much success. A smug satisfaction settles over Nina before Ricky starts to type something into his phone. He starts laughing again, tucking his phone back in his pocket, and when he shares a look with you she realizes it wasn’t her that made him laugh like that. It doesn’t sit well with her. You’re biting your lip, trying in vain not to laugh too loudly or obviously while everyone stares at the two of you, small chuckles echoing through the room. 

“Okay.” Carlos says curtly, very clearly done with this bullshit, “Let’s take five.” 

“Thank you, five.” you say automatically, and Ricky puts his hand on your back as you start to walk offstage to get some water. 

“On five or after five?” he mutters, basking in the laugh you let slip out. Behind you, Nina lets out a shrill laugh at the comment, clapping her hands together in a way she’s sure will get Ricky’s attention. Her smile grows stale and evaporates as you sit next to each other without looking back once. 

“So, why are you supposed to say thank you five?” Ricky asks as you take a sip from your water bottle, today filled with lemon and cucumber slices. 

“It’s a call and response so the crew knows you got their instructions.” you say. He nods, and you continue, “You usually say it after a break is announced, when places are called, when they tell you how long until curtain, that kind of thing.” you conclude. Your knowledge about theatre never fails to amaze him. Hearing you talk about it makes him want to learn even more. 

“When I was in Annie it seemed like something technical was always going wrong, so the call times were all over the place. It was a hot mess, but it was still so fun.” You reminisce with a smile. That’s not the first show you mentioned you’ve been in, Ricky recalls. He can tell you have… probably the most experience of anyone here, but he doesn’t think he’s ever asked how many shows you’ve been in. He would have remembered if you told him. 

“How many shows have you been in?” he asks, watching your expression carefully.

“Uh…” you look over to where your castmates sit scattered about, then back to Ricky. You give him that look that means you have something to tell him when it’s just the two of you. “A lot. It’s a long story, though, I’ll tell you later.” You finish in a hushed voice. He loves when you talk to him like that, he loves the closeness between you in these moments. 

You know you should probably mention you used to do professional theatre in New York before you moved here, but you always hesitate to bring it up. The last thing you want to do is sound like one of those theatre kids. Besides, you haven’t been in the professional circuit since middle school. You stopped in between shows a few years back when your parents' marriage got really bad and your dad left, and you couldn’t exactly perform while moving across the country, but you’re so deeply glad to be back in theatre now that you’re settled in. 

Your mom was also worried about how much pressure was on you, being in a professional environment so young. She promised you that after you graduate, once you’re older, she’ll drive you all the way back to New York herself if you still want to do theatre professionally by then. You couldn’t argue with her, it was a lot to deal with that young, and your shitty dad didn’t make it much easier. She’s been able to watch the joy return, see your face light up when you tell her about how rehearsal is going, the progress you and the cast and crew are making, and you can’t deny she made the right call. 

You think it’s good for you to act just because you love it for a while. You want the full suburban high school theatre experience, so if that means keeping a low profile and not being one of those douchebags who always brags about “doing professional shows” then you’re happy to keep that under wraps, but as you watch Ricky’s face while he rambles to you about how much more fun it is to be in costume than he expected, you feel like you can tell him. He knows you well enough to know your intentions, know that you’re not bragging about it. 

At their next rehearsal, Red is relieved at how relieved Ricky seems. 

“It worked! I just… I really made sure she knows how much I like her, and…” Ricky laughs, running a hand through his hair. “Thank you, for the advice, bro.” he lets out another bubbling chuckle, his mind clearly somewhere else. Red squints, wondering if it means what he thinks it means. 

“Did you guys…” he starts slowly, not even needing to finish the sentence. The flustered look on Ricky’s face is the only answer he needs. 

“Uh…” he says through yet another flustered laugh, the feeling of your mouth around him, the way you taste still fresh in his mind. He locks eyes with you from across the room, and feels his pulse speed up. “Yeah. I’ll fill you in later.” 

Red playfully punches Ricky’s arm.

“I’m glad it went well! Cause I care about you, but also because I live vicariously through you.” They both laugh.

“Believe me, there’s plenty to catch you up on.” Ricky says, a wistful smile on his face, watching you talk to Natalie. 

“Maybe we should get started. Or at least start warming up.” you say. Everyone’s wondering why Miss Jenn and Carlos aren’t there yet. You can sense her hesitance. It's not surprising, this show is new territory for almost everyone. 

"You're the stage manager, you're third in command when Miss Jenn and Carlos aren't here. Why don’t you and Seb get everyone warming up, that way when they get here we can jump right in.” you offer, and she nods, gaining a little confidence. 

“Yeah, you’re right.” she says, walking over to Seb, who’s sitting at the piano. You’re sure the only thing Miss Jenn and Carlos would hate more than starting rehearsal late is wasting time, especially with how tight of a schedule you’re on. Natalie and Seb are discussing said warmups when Carlos enters in a hurry, clearly frazzled, announcing that Miss Jenn won’t be here. One look past his chipper facade and you know whatever’s going on his bad.  

“Miss Jenn had a… small personal matter to attend to, and won’t be here today.” in spite of the confidence he’s trying to project, you can see right through it. You’re sure the others can too. 

“Is everything alright?” Nina asks, only now noticing that Carlos seems off. He laughs a forced casual laugh. 

“Everything is fine.” he says, trying to convince himself, and you know that this is really bad. The next few minutes are spent arranging the blocking for when there was me and you. He introduces it as a forest of boys, and you think it could work really well if you execute it right. Instead of a giant poster of the basketball team to sing to, something in a tableau style will translate much better to the stage. It’s dynamic and expressive, while still making the same point, keeping the integrity of the message made in the movie. It’s also vaguely reminiscent of when Meg sings to the statues and the muses in Hercules, which adds to the whole Disney magic feeling. Overall you think it’s a great plan.

You’re about to express this, when you hear an all too familiar voice pipe up.

“Uh, Troy just broke Gabriella’s heart,” you resist the urge to roll your eyes, having a feeling you know where this is going, and Nina continues, "why would she want to see four more versions of him?"

You're somehow still shocked that she not only can't recognize that her character would handle a breakup differently than she would, but now she's trying to change a fundamental point in the show for no reason. Ashlyn, Kourtney, and even Natalie jump in and agree with her. This isn't the first time Nini has used her character as a thin veil to talk shit, and you're amazed at how bad she is at treating Gabriella like a character she's playing. For someone who wanted the lead so badly, she doesn't seem to care too much about it now. In all your years of acting, you don't think you've ever seen someone so unable to create a distinction between what they would do and what their character would do, and it’s very fucking weird. 

Before she gets literally everyone else to agree with her, you jump in. 

"Actually, I love this, Carlos. I think it’s really dynamic and effective without taking away from the song. Also," you turn to Nina, "it was 2006, so girlbossing your way through heartbreak wasn't really a thing. Plus, you're right; she did get her heart broken, she should be allowed to be sad about it." 

"Yeah," Ricky agrees, looking over at you when you speak, "totally dynamic." He loves the way you talk about theatre, how brilliantly you analyze details or staging and character interpretations. He wishes he could hear you talk more about it, and makes a mental note to pick your brain later. 

Nina looks at you, mouth agape, as Carlos gestures to you. Another perfect example of Ricky following you around like a lost puppy. 

"Thank you, Sharpay, exactly." Carlos states as Nina scoffs, shocked at your response. He lets out a small sigh, grateful for the backup. "Gabriella is heartbroken, she can't stop thinking about Troy, about the guy she thought he was."

Ricky walks back over to his seat to set down his script. He leans down close to you before he does, wanting your opinion before he shares the idea he got. 

"Maybe she could do, like, an acoustic guitar version. You know, strip it down." His voice is quiet, meant only for the two of you. You smile at him with such warmth before your gaze flickers to Nina. You hum, considering. 

"I think you're the only one who could pull off an acoustic guitar ballad in the middle of such a… high energy show." A small, knowing laugh is shared between you, and as every kind word from your mouth does, your message comes across loud and clear, bringing a warmth to his cheeks and a puff to his chest. A rush of good happy chemicals hits his brain. As he heads back to his box, he ruminates on the sentiment. Not only do you think he could totally pull it off, you think he’s the only one who could. He fights a smile, trying to pay attention to the suggestions everyone starts giving Carlos. 

“Or,” Kourtney jumps in, “she could be surrounded by a forest of supportive sisters.” she shares a look with Nina, and you resist the urge to roll your eyes. You hope it’s not only obvious to you that no one’s even really talking about the show anymore. A few other girls agree, and you can tell Carlos is losing patience. You walk across the room to check on him when he snaps.

“Okay, guys, this is not a democracy!” he yells, hands falling to his side before one rests on his hip, the other pinching the bridge of his nose. 

“Are you okay?” you ask, sincere and quiet, but not cloying, with a situationally appropriate level of concern on your face. 

“Look, it’s not that deep,” Nina says, and you’re glad she’s finally backpedaling - or at least trying to - even though it took her this fucking long to realize she should. “We can just wait till Miss Jenn comes back and-” 

“Well, she’s not here, and I don’t know if she’s ever coming back!” Carlos spits, relieved to finally get the distressing information off his chest. 

Ricky’s stomach sinks, and he’s met once again with that disgusting cold feeling frying his nerves. It’s been a while since he had felt it this strong, this fresh. There were bad moments, sure. Like when he caught the family portrait of the three of them in the laundry room. He felt so sick looking at his mom’s smile. It seemed so genuine, and he hasn’t been able to stop questioning its integrity since. He’s spent every spare moment he’s not thinking about you or the show reanalyzing every conversation, every interaction, every passive aggressive remark and dish towel thrown too hard against the counter top, trying desperately to figure out if hers was the face of a housewife slowly losing her sense of self, unsupported, taken for granted and growing resentful, finally pushed to the edge.

Or did she never love them to begin with? Was everything out of obligation? Did she make him tea when he was sick or stressed or sad because she wanted to or because she had to? Maybe she loved them at some point, when he was too little to remember it clearly, or even know what he was supposed to be looking for. Old memories flood back, and he finds himself scouring them for a time when her tea might have started tasting different. Maybe that’s when she stopped loving him. Loving them. 

He’s dragged into the undertow without warning, breath knocked out of his lungs by the force of it all, by the spike of anxiety that shoots up and stays there at the thought of Miss Jenn leaving. 

“Wait, what?” he manages to choke out after that split second of spiraling, his stomach churning. Your hand finds and grabs on tight to his before he even speaks. You’re next to him in an instant, and he latches onto you, for once feeling like he has a buoy in this relentless sudden storm he always seems to get dragged into. Right when he thinks it’s going to be okay, right when he starts to get a handle on everything, he’s knocked off his feet.

You hold his hand with both of yours as he steps off his box, tighter and warmer and more reassuring than anything, and you rub your thumb against his skin while Carlos begins to tell you guys everything that’s going on. You listen with rapt attention, while keeping a close eye on Ricky. Everything is deteriorating so fast, and soon Nina grabs her backpack, storming to the exit and claiming she ‘needs a minute’. Kourtney follows her, then everyone else, and you feel Ricky’s hand shake in yours. His breaths get quicker as he watches everyone around him, his castmates, his friends, leave without a second thought. 

“Rehearsals are officially canceled until further notice!” Carlos calls out, before leaving, defeated and fighting tears.

You continue to brush your hand over Ricky’s. The gesture is comforting. 

“Well,” Gina says, grabbing her bag, “that fell apart fast.” 

“Nothing fell apart.” you and Ricky say at the same time, yours sure and deliberate, his desperate to be true. Gina lets out a singular breathy laugh, unable to ignore how in sync the both of you are. 

“Everything’s going to be okay. We’ll work this out.” you state, and Ricky latches onto your words, how assured you seem, throwing himself and all the belief within him that you’re right. 

“Yeah,” he agrees, “it’s all going to be okay.” 

Gina’s stomach twists at the way he repeats your words. 

“Do you know something I don’t?” she asks Ricky. You send her a look, clearly asking what the fuck. Before you can call her out, Ricky jumps in. 

“She’s Miss Jenn. She’s unstoppable. The whole show’s unstoppable.” 

“But, what if-” she ignores your glares, demanding she knock it off. “What if it does stop?”

Ricky squeezes your hand tighter. 

“Gina-” you say, a warning tone to your voice.

“Let’s not go there…” he says, a begging tone to his voice. 

“Yeah,” you agree, “let’s not.” You turn back to Ricky, your free hand resting on his arm, rubbing gently. He wants to cry - both at the situation you’re both struggling to deal with, and the catharsis, the comfort he feels when you touch him like this. 

“The show must go on.” You say firmly, “There’s no chance something as trivial as a mistake on Miss Jenn’s resume is enough to do any actual harm to the show.” there’s a light chuckle to your voice, one that he mirrors.

“Yeah,” he agrees, needing you to continue, which you do.

“When I was in Matilda when I was younger, the entire basement full of props got flooded the week of opening night.”

His eyes widen in concern, and you continue. 

“Everything was soggy, and completely covered in mildew by the time we got back to the theater. You know what we did?” you ask Ricky rhetorically, who’s looking at you so intensely, hanging on your every word. “We paired down. We went for an abstract, minimalistic set design. Even threw in some shadow play for effect until the props and sets were all fixed.”

“Really?” he asks.

“Yeah,” you state, “and the critics loved it. They were raving about how genius it was, a brilliant way to showcase Matilda’s imagination and view of the world around her.” you say, quoting one of the more memorable reviews. 

“So,” you say with a new lightheartedness to your voice brought on by the anecdote, “the point is, everything will be fine.” your sincerity is palpable, and you watch as he lets out a small, shallow breath. Gina doesn’t miss the way he relaxes when you put your hand back on his shoulder, the way he mirrors your expressions and body language and words without even realizing. He’s beginning to calm down from the worst possible news they could have gotten just because he’s with you. 

“Y’know what?” she says, swallowing the lump in her throat, “I’m gonna head out, so…” she points toward the door. Ricky glances up, then back at you.

“Get home safe.” you say with a polite wave before continuing to reassure him. You talk a little more, and you’re relieved that you can see he’s starting to feel better. The distraction is helping him, you realize, as you stroll around the empty theater hand in hand. “Why don’t you show me that guitar version of when there was me and you?” He laughs nervously.

“I don’t know…” he mutters. A hint of concern flashes over your face. If he doesn’t even want to play guitar, it must be really bad.

“C’mon, pretty please?” you say, causing butterflies to swirl in his chest, “I want to hear it stripped down, and you’re so good at guitar…” 

He lets out a flustered laugh, butterflies fluttering in his chest as he accepts the guitar you hand him, taking a seat. You watch him attentively as he begins playing the first chords, humming along.

In the hallway, a few feet away from the door, Nina sighs. 

She can’t bring herself to walk away, not this time, not when she knows he’s probably wallowing,  waiting for her. Letting out a loud, dramatic sigh, she decides to be the bigger person. She turns and walks back to the rehearsal room, hovering in the doorway when she hears familiar strumming. She watches Ricky, his back to her while he plays. She starts to enter the room, pausing when she sees that he’s singing to someone. Not just anyone, but you. You’re looking at him fondly, chin resting in your hand. She doesn’t have time to roll her eyes before you start singing along, noting how his voice stops shaking when yours mingles with his. 

She’s having the worst day ever, EJ keeps texting her, and there’s Ricky, serenading you. She can’t even talk to him alone for five minutes without you hovering. She feels sick. She hates this, hates the way you ogle at him. She should be the one in there, the one duetting with him.. She’s known him since kindergarten for god’s sake, she has the right to comfort him. Tears welling up in her eyes, she storms off, pulling her song book from her backpack to pour everything into its pages. She’s ready to fill it with songs of betrayal and heartbreak. 

After some more singing, wandering around, and examining old props from former shows, you and Ricky find yourselves on a stiff couch that’s been hidden in the back of the prop room for ages. Just being around props, costumes, old playbills and other paraphernalia makes Ricky feel better. There’s a restorative quality in theaters he never knew about until now. It’s like he can pretend that nothing is different than it was yesterday, like everything is still the same. 

“Can… can we just stay here for a while?” he asks, hugging a basketball and leaning into you. 

“Yeah,” you say softly, “‘course. As long as you want.” you press a kiss to the top of his head, and you both settle deeper into the couch, rough woven texture rubbing against your arms. He rests his head on your shoulder while you play with his hair, telling him more stories from your time in Matilda. Most notably how nice the person who played Miss Trunchbull was, and how tangled everyone’s hair was from being teased and styled so much. It smelled more like hairspray than when you were actually in Hairspray. 

You trace shapes on his back while you talk. His breath is warm on your neck, and he can smell your perfume, the same peachy perfume you wore to homecoming. He’s flooded with memories of how beautiful you were that night, how you touched him, how you tasted. He lets out a soft sigh at the memory. He’s craving more than holding you, he needs to be closer, needs more. He needs to be inside you. He gives a fleeting thought to your location; it’s late, and he’s sure no one will come sniffing around the prop room in the guts of the theatre department. It’s enough justification for him, and he indulges his desires, beginning to press kisses to your face and neck. He grabs at your waist, drawing an anticipatory giggle. The noise soothes him, and he wants more. 

“I-” he tries not to let his voice waver, but you know him so well by now it’s impossible to hide, “...just need you close. Need you with me.” he sighs into your skin, desperate for your smell, your touch, you you you. You rub his back, your touch so cathartic it makes him want to cry.

“I’m not going anywhere, Ricky.” you state gently, and he latches onto your words, wanting desperately to believe them. You pull him in to kiss you more, and he shoves his tongue past your lips, sighing into your mouth at how much better he already feels from that alone. He was right, he really does just need to be inside you, be as close to you as possible. 

He climbs on top of you as you lace your hands through his hair, embracing the taste of your tongue against his. He lets out a shuddering sigh as you place your soft thigh between his, and he grinds against you, unable to stop his hips from rutting into you. He whines at how good it feels, how much better you make him feel. He tugs at the waistband of your pants, and you smile a little at how eager he is for you. You reach into a pocket deep in your bag, zipped up tight, to grab a condom while he makes quick work of shimmying both your pants down.

“Will- will you put it on for me?” he whines quietly into your neck, and you nod, humming and running your hand through his hair in response. 

He’s already moaning and you’ve barely started to put it on. He’s so needy, so desperate for you that it brings a smile to your face. You can’t deny how cute you find it. He pushes into you, trying not to go too fast, and the air is knocked from both your lungs as he works his way deeper into your wet, welcoming cunt. He fucks you needy and desperate, whining cutely like a little puppy as he humps into you. He grinds his pelvis against your clit, needing to be closer to you, and the noises you let out are like a warm shower after a long day.

“F-fuck, Ricky, just like that… good boy…” 

He speeds up, whining and panting into your mouth as you praise him, and he feels little tears begin to prick at the corners of his eyes. Both for how fucking bad today has been, and how fucking good you make him feel. Your touch, your words, the way you call him a good boy and reassure him as he tries to pull you closer to him even though you’re already as close as you can possibly get, it’s all so addictive. You’re so wet; tighter and warmer and more reassuring around him than anything. You feel so soothing, like aloe on a sunburn, and he wants more and more and more of it. 

The head of his cock keeps rubbing against that spongy part inside you, drawing out more gasps and moans, more noises that make his heart pound. He can’t get enough. He’s grabbing at your clothes and clinging to you, begging, whining your name over and over like a prayer. He feels you tighten up around him, feels the way your legs shake, and it sends him over the edge. He had been sucking a hickey into your chest, but now his teeth and tongue graze your skin as he moans, rutting deeper and deeper into you as he spills all of himself into your welcoming embrace. 

A few moments when he would normally pull out and get up, instead he buries his face in your neck. “Can we… just stay here for a minute?” 

There’s still a fragile quality to his voice, and you begin running your fingers through his hair again, before pressing a kiss to his temple. 

“Sure,” you say, nodding. You play with his hair as he sucks on your tits, his arms wrapped tight around your waist. He runs his tongue over the soft flesh, reveling in the taste, the way your walls flutter around him when he plays and sucks on your hardened bud. He finds comfort in the gesture, the way you taste. You stay like that for a little while, and Ricky feels his brain go fuzzy with how good you feel and taste, how sweet you are to him. If he could live between your legs - and with his face in your tits - he would in a heartbeat. 

Your phone buzzes, pulling you slightly out of the warm little bubble you’ve created. It’s Ashlyn. You know she’s upset, she has to be after today. Ricky freezes, looking up at you to see what you do. You bring your finger to your lips, gesturing for him to stay quiet, then place your hand on the back of his head, bringing him back down to your soft chest. 

You pick up the phone, chatting with Ashlyn, listening as she vents and worries to you, gently scratching Ricky’s back the whole time. You have such a casual, nurturing energy, and being squished between your tits, still deep inside you while you idly chat on the phone makes Ricky’s head spin. He can’t get enough of you, can’t stop thinking about how good you treat him, how nice your attention feels. When he wants a little more, he’ll grind his hips against your twitching clit, just to feel the way you throb and squeeze around him, to hear the little hitch in your breath that you try to conceal. 

You send him a warning look, but you can’t keep a straight face, not when he’s looking at you like that. 

“Hey, what if we did a song?” you ask into the phone, Ashlyn silent on the other end as she listens, “Like, what if we did a huge, original, show stopping number, and, like… a flashmob at the meeting tomorrow. You know, show them what we can do when she’s the one directing us.” 

“I… love that. Oh my god, I’m dead. Yes.” she states, and you smile. “I- god, I’m already getting ideas. Uh… okay, can you meet me at Big Red’s?” she spitballs, excited to work on this.

“Yeah,” you say, gaze flickering back down at Ricky, “we’ll be over in a few, text everyone else - we’ll need as much backup as we can get.” you chuckle. 

“Oh,” she says, a knowing tone to her voice, “is… Ricky with you?” Dammit. Now you have to play this off.

“Uh, yeah, we were just-” you trail off, fighting a giggle as he grinds against you. He chuckles into your tits, feeling them jiggle around his mouth.

“We were just hanging around the theater,” you finish, “he didn’t want to leave yet.” 

“Yeah,” she says, thinking about earlier, regretting leaving so soon, “tell me about it. Anyway, get here as soon as you can so we can work on this.” 

She hears a light, flustered giggle distantly through the speaker, and knows it’s him making you laugh. She could let it slide, but calling you out is too tempting.

“...Hi, Ricky.” she says. It’s silent for a minute. 

“Hi, Ashlyn.” his voice is sheepish, and she hears you both giggle. She’s glad you know she knows you’ve been hanging out together, flirting too, no doubt. You hang up shortly after, then begin the process of finally detangling yourselves from each other, and cleaning up enough to look presentable. Ricky’s chest squeezes when you adjust his hoodie strings and fix his hair. He returns the caring gesture by helping you to his car, your legs still wobbly. 

By the time you get to Red’s, Ashlyn already has some lyrics she’s working on, and part of a chorus. Red looks at Ricky, nodding toward you. Ricky looks at him pointedly, gaze flicking to Ashlyn, noting the flustered look on Red’s face. Red gives him a look that screams HAHAHA WHAT? NO! Why is it obvious?? Ricky makes a mental note to grill him on it later. 

They watch you and Ashlyn work together, brainstorming lyrics and choreo as everyone else arrives, and Ricky is thrilled to see you in your natural habitat like this. By the time everyone else is there, you, Ashlyn, and Carlos have made great progress, with everyone else helping to bounce around ideas and iron out details. 

“You know,” Nina starts, a performative tone of wisdom to her voice, “I think we should go for a power ballad.” 

“Uh…” you look over at Ashlyn, who you can tell is feeling defensive over the work you’ve already done. You look at Carlos, who doesn’t seem to want to do a power ballad either. You choose your words carefully.

“I totally see where you’re coming from, a power ballad would be really impactful, but I think in this case we need to go for something with more wow factor.”

“A power ballad has wow factor!” she says. Even she realizes how flimsy that sounds. She lets out a contemptuous sigh, “But a power ballad would show how much she means to us.” she’s clearly trying to tug on the heartstrings, and it’s not working on you. You check the clock. You don’t have time to debate with her. 

“Realistically,” you start, a decisive tone to your voice, “I don’t think we have time to rework all this into a power ballad. I think we should stick with the direction we’re going in, and commit-”

“Oh, so you want to play it safe?” she asks, seeming like she caught you in something, “I thought music… was about taking risks.” 

You hold back the biggest sigh of your life, when Ricky jumps in behind you. 

“I think we should listen to her.” 

Nina starts to thank him, the sees that he’s pointing to you. The words dry up in her throat.

“She is like,” he continues, “the most talented person I’ve ever seen. She really knows what she’s talking about, guys.”

Everyone seems to agree, except for Nina. You can feel the pissy aura radiating off her already. You send him a grateful look, then turn back to her, trying to be professional.

“A power ballad is still a great idea-” 

“No, no.” she says, passive aggressive and dismissive, “you go ahead. I’ll just be quiet.” everything about her is making your irritation spike, but you know you don’t have time to babysit her or her feelings. If she thinks she can make you feel bad for that, then she’s wrong. 

“Okay, as long as you’re sure.” You state, before getting back into it with Ashlyn. 

As soon as you finish holding out the final note, you’re met with cheers that turn into roaring applause. Your mom and Ricky’s dad both advocated for Miss Jenn, tipping the scales for Principal Gutierrez to agree, letting her keep her job. Ricky finds you immediately, picking you up and spinning you around. He holds you so tight, and you both giggle, elated. You can’t believe it really worked. When he pulls away you can see it on him, the electric energy, the rush of a good performance. He doesn’t even need to say anything because you’re feeling the same thing, and the silent understanding is shared between you.

“This will be nothing compared to opening night.” you say, your smile infectious, and he can’t wait. Like, he genuinely can’t wait for opening night. He’s never been more motivated for anything than he has for this, performing alongside you again. He’s gotten a taste, and he wants more. 

Nina hugs Seb. When she pulls away, she sees you and ricky talking animatedly - and very close together. She deflates at the sight before her. You’re holding each other and laughing, absolutely beaming at each other. A knot forms in her stomach. 

“What are they even talking about?” she scoffs. 

“Probably some cute story about when the basement flooded when she was in Matilda.” Gina mutters. Nina hadn’t noticed she was there, but something about that rings a bell she can’t place. It’s scratching around in the back of her mind, and she wonders why that sounds familiar. 

Across the room, Ricky catches his dad and Miss Jenn talking real close together too. You follow his gaze, eyes widening. You see how his brow furrows, and think now would be a good time for a distraction. 

“You know,” you start, drawing his attention back to you, “if you want to this weekend, I can show you some of the shows I’ve been in.” you offer. 

“Are you kidding?” He asks with a chuckle, his whole face lighting up, “Yes! Yeah, absolutely!” You smile, your expression mirroring his.

“After we catch up on our sleep, though,” you say, exhaustion setting in from both the all nighter and the high energy performance you just pulled off. You rub your eyes, bleary. “Cause I am about to crash, dude.”

“Same,” he laughs, and it quickly turns into a yawn. You both giggle, making your way to Ricky’s dad’s car so he can drop you off before you take Ricky home. Your mom has a meeting starting ten minutes ago, so she had to rush over to city hall right after you got the good news, and Mike offered to give you a ride. He drops you off, watching the way you and Ricky talk. You’re still having a good time together even when you’re this tired. It’s a positive sign, he thinks. Soon they’re turning into their driveway, and he knows he has minutes before Ricky’s out like a light. 

“She seems nice,” he starts, expecting Ricky to brush it off or act all embarrassed, demand you’re just hanging out, or whatever the kids are calling it now. Instead, he’s met with a wistful sigh.

“Yeah… she is.” he says with an exhausted, sincere smile. The openness of his answer surprises Mike. “She’s… the best.” 

Ricky’s inside and falling into bed before Mike can ask any follow up questions, but he intends to a little later. He doesn’t know if it’s because of Jenn, or the show, or you, but he’s so glad to see Ricky smile like that again.

[asongcanmeaneverything]

Whatever happens tomorrow…

Rinas, you won.

You were offered a classic and time-tested ship between best friends with a deep, warm, and loving history, but you abandoned all convenience for a three episode arc that captured, perfectly, those jolting sparks of love suddenly crackling out of utter darkness. Alighting the heart fearlessly into flames.

Idyllic, monumental, soft spoken, yet heavily felt beginnings, between two stranger-outcasts, suddenly trembling with the indescribable impossibility of witnessing two halves finally find each other in an endless cosmos. Against divine mandates, and fickle gods. Against all hope.

You withstood the grief of having overtures of romantic potential ripped away untimely from deep inside you. You could’ve relapsed back into the familiar. Sought refuge in what seemed inevitable, but you never let go. Time would pass, and you would only protect this endgame deep in your heart. Like a secret prayer.

When once again, you were lead into temptation, and offered the chance to concede your wildest dreams for the realistic, secure, and steadfast material reality of a new ship, you resisted. You didn’t move an inch. You knew too well, that even the most blissful of ignorances wouldn’t heal you. That your heart would know the difference. Driven into the cold, frozen, and silent tundra of season two’s second half, you remained resolute.

Your cause was never lost.

Not with so many Rinas still willing to fight to the bitter end. Living off crumbs, and visions, and conspiratorial prophecies— the great religions all born this same way. You kept faith. You journeyed on. You told the good news to your neighbors amidst endless derision and lack. You never bit your tongue. You rejected silence. You gave voice to the voiceless.

You made it here.

We, made it here. We got each other here. All of us, in this, together.

Every other ship has been given every advantage. Every weapon. Every suppliant nourishment, and trophy win. Everything.

And yet, this cruel misfortunate struggle only made our solidarity stronger. Only made Rina more real.

In the end, this is was what will have mattered most.

That we made our fight relentless, displayed courage in the face of great odds, and how we were first made in saintly image of Gina and Ricky who taught us how.

[27emailsicantsend]

so...how we can get a rina first rain kiss angry with fireworks *meme of that guy making theories* no but in a serious note if I was the writer I would at the end of opening throw fireworks and make Gina stare at them 'Wow they are beautiful' and Ricky says looking at Gina 'Yeah they are...' But that probably will get me a few lawsuits from romcoms lol If you were the writer how could the first kiss go?

This is so gorgeous because it is such a personal thing to me- the fact they have troyella parallels. It hits me differently. I want all the things to happen too, but I think they can happen separately and not at the same time and still be just as impactful (as you’ll see in a minute)

Now listen, I may not be a show writer, but I am a writer and I would cry if I ever got to write for them. Thank you so much for this ask. This is probably one of my favorites I have ever received. ❤️

I definitely would wait until S4 for them to have a kiss, first off. My “big thing” is I hate dialogue between dialogue and a kiss. For example, with Nini and Ricky’s kiss when he proclaims his love to her, the lead up was actually very sweet. But she said “let’s just kiss” and then they kissed and that made me cringe. If it had just been talking and then she kept getting closer to him until they kissed and without saying anything, that’s how she got him to stop talking… now that would have been beautiful. To me this means both characters are on the same page, that they don’t need to specify what they’re doing, but that it just makes sense. I feel this important to note before I tell you how I would see them kiss, because I want to emphasize that Ricky and Gina would be on the same page in every way at this point. They both know the other two options that they believed were the greatest for them (Nini and EJ) weren’t. They both know that they have grown and changed into the best versions of themselves (balanced and embracing change) by this point. Everything would be leading up to this.

******************************

So, in my head, in the finale, Gina and Ricky are going to be talking and there is going to be either actual fireworks they didn’t finish lighting off at camp or some that come on the projector screen. Gina sees everyone dancing with someone else after breaking up with EJ and she is so sad. She scans the room and sees Ricky. Fireworks. Then in S4, Ricky and Gina have been in school a few months (I’m thinking October-Novemberish). This would be like an episode or two BEFORE the finale so they don’t get the end of season curse (making it obvious to the audience as well). Gina has been broken up with EJ and Ricky has been there, by her side. He’s let her cry on his shoulder over the break up, talk about everything important to her- even watch musicals together, and continues to show up for her. They are always together and they both know they like each other but it’s just this weird, will they/why aren’t they together (yet) to everyone around them. Ricky (because at this point it actually would be kind of funny) is somehow the lead again. OR he is the understudy for the lead. Either way, Gina is the choreographer and he asks her to teach him how to Waltz for a scene in the play they’re doing. He does it because even though he is getting better at dancing, he’s frustrated he can’t get THIS dance down. So she says, “let’s try a different slow dance. Have you seen HSM3?” And he admits that, yes he has. He’s kind of a fan of musicals now. 😉 So she says, “give it one more chance”. She presses play on her speaker and they do “Can I Have This Dance” (also during this song we hear the lines, “it’s one in a million, the chances of feeling, the way we do”). The song ends. It’s dead silent. They make eye contact for a couple seconds. The Rina cue plays as Ricky says, “glad I gave it a second chance”. Gina says, “me too.” Then they kiss while the rina cue finishes out. After they break they have such smiley and giddy faces and they just giggle for a few seconds and it’s basically the purest thing you’ve ever seen. No one interrupts or anything either. You can just presume by the next time they’re in a scene that they’ve spent the rest of the time together leading up to that next scene.

Rina rain kiss will absolutely happen in S5 in my head… but they will have already shared many other kisses leading up to it 😌

[allfallsdown20]

Chapter 3- Francis Forever

Song of the chapter: Francis Forver by Mitski

A/N: I promise that I'll be elaborating on RIcky and Aaliyah's past relationship more in upcoming chapters. I especially promise that the drama will begin picking up from here. Also- anything in italics is a flashback. Enjoy the chapter!

                                       Ricky’s POV- Cast List

“Holy shit, it’s up.” Ashlyn said, looking at the green sheet. Everyone’s crowded around it, moving aside once they get a glance. EJ looked at it, grimacing as he turned to face me. “I swear, there is no way you win every single fucking time.” He spat, huffing away. Carlos came up behind me, looking at the sheet. He’s silent, but people were murmuring around us. 

“Ricky.” Aaliyah said, as I looked at her. “Aaliyah.” I replied, and she inhaled. “Have you seen it yet?” She asked, and I shook my head. “EJ made a comment, but I haven’t personally seen it.” I answered, seeing her nod. “Aaliyah, come see it!” Gina exclaimed, pulling her by the hand. I followed behind them, as Aaliyah put her finger on the sheet. 

“No way.” She muttered, and I stood next to her. It took less than a second for me to realize why she reacted that way, as I see our names directly at the top of the paper.

Anna- Aaliyah

Kristoff- Ricky

Hans- EJ

“We got the leads.” I noted, looking at her. She’s silent, shaking her head. “Liyah?” I asked, reaching for her shoulder. “I can’t do this right now.” She sighed, walking in the opposite direction. Gina and Carlos looked at me, as I stood in disbelief. “Go after her!” Gina chastised, pointing towards her sister. I nodded, jogging towards her. 

“Liyah!” I called, and she looked at me. “Go away, Ricky.” She said, her voice shaking. “You can’t just wish me away, you know? I’m not going anywhere.” I responded, as she wiped her face. “Why are you even here? You don’t love me anymore, remember?” She questioned, and I could already picture what she was thinking about.

“I wanna break up.” I blurted, as Aaliyah looked at me. “What?” She asked, as I looked at her. “I want to break up, Aaliyah.” I said, and she sat up. “Why? Did I do something wrong?” She questioned, as I shook my head. “It wasn’t you.” I answered, my voice meek. “Then what was it, Ricky? Tell me so I can fix it.” She sighed, reaching for my hand.

“I don’t love you anymore, not how you love me.” I confessed, as she recoiled. She was silent, staring at me. “I love someone else. I’m so sorry Aaliyah.” I apologized, and she threw a pillow at me. “I already know who you love, you love Nini.” She spat, getting off the couch. “I didn’t mean for it to happen, it just did!” I argued, and she scoffed.

“You were with her all of the time during the play. You told me not to worry about her!” She yelled, as I stood up. “She didn’t like me then!” I retorted, and she shook her head. “I know you can be oblivious, but I never thought you could be so stupid.” She fumed, staring at me. Tears slowly cascaded down her cheeks, the result of my actions.

“I’m done.” She said, grabbing her jacket. She stormed out, slamming the door behind her. 

“That was a year ago.” I said, and she shook her head. “Is that supposed to make a difference to me? The fact that the heartbreak was a year ago?” She asked, as I took a breath. “I didn’t mean it like that.” I responded, and she scoffed. “That’s exactly how you meant it. You came here and expected everything between us to be fine, when you haven’t even apologized!” She yelled, as my eyes widened.

“You never gave me the chance to, you stopped talking to me!” I argued, and she exhaled. “Because you and Nina were on a fucking honeymoon every single day, and I had to force myself to forget about you or it would’ve broken my heart even more, Ricky!” She cried, her face turning red. 

“You were running around with the girl you told me not to worry about. That you would say was your best friend. I used to be that for you, and you left me the second she showed feelings towards you. You didn’t bother to think about the fact that you had a fucking girlfriend!” She chastised, jabbing her finger into my chest. 

I grabbed her wrists, holding them between us. “Can you please give me a chance to talk?” I asked, as she blankly stared at me. We haven’t been this close in a year, a titanium wall separating us for so long.  “Okay.” She answered, her face returning to its normal color. “I fucked up, I’m painfully aware of that. I am so sorry that I hurt you, Aaliyah.” I declared, seeing her shake her head.

“That’s all you got?” She asked, and I inhaled. “Always impatient, aren’t you?” I inquired, as she rolled her eyes. “Some things never change.” She replied, the familiar gleam in her brown eyes returning. “I can’t go back and change how things went down, but I can make a change now. We’re the leads of the show, we have to pull it together and get along.” I said, as she nodded.

“How would your girlfriend feel about that?” She asked, and I chuckled. “It doesn’t matter.” I answered, letting go of her wrists. “Then we have a truce.” She agreed, looking at me. “Alright. I’ll see you at the first rehearsal.” I said, turning and walking out of the cabin. 

                                                   End Of 3

[leabethchase]

Let's get a few things straight about me and what I like and what you can expect to see on this page

1. I'm Team Portwell all the way. If they stay just friends I'm perfectly fine with it, but I'm rooting for more than friends. I know the pairing is controversial and I respect other people's opinions. But I also never asked to hear your opinion on the matter. It's my favorite ship and I'm not going to argue with you about it or why it's right or wrong. Argue with the wall. Don't bring that onto my page because all I'm going to do is block you. I'm here strictly to show my love to one of my favorite tv shows and my favorite pairings/characters not get into fights, so blocking you is the easiest way to deal with hate 🤷🏽‍♀️

2. Other pairings I like are Redlyn, Seblos, and Kourtney/Howie

3. I really dislike Rini and Rina. I find Rini annoying and I think Gina could do better than Ricky. You won't ever catch me attacking someone for liking these pairings because that's childish and I think people should be able to like whatever pairings they like without being attacked. I don't attack you, you don't attack me. See how that works?

4. Nini is my least favorite character, just like Olivia is my least favorite cast member. Nini is just annoying to me and though I like Olivia and her music it still doesn't sit right with me that she just stayed silent while her fans just attacked Joshua and Sabrina the way they did. So don't get all mad at me if I post a negative opinion about either one of them on MY PAGE, again we're all allowed our opinions and I'm not gonna argue with you, you're just gonna get the block button.

5. Sofia Wylie and Matt Cornett are my favorite actors on the show and Gina and EJ are my favorite characters, so most of my content on this page is going to be them. Though I will throw in some Redlyn cuteness most likely.

6. I post a lot of my opinions on this page, some which people are not going to agree with. Thats fine. But again, this is MY PAGE so I can post whatever I want just like you can post whatever you want on yours. Again, like I said before, attack me and I'm just going to block you. The energy I could be giving you by fighting could instead be going into posting more content I love 🤷🏽‍♀️

7. I created this page to bond with people who love HSMTMTS as much as I do, as well as love the same the pairings and characters as I do. I want to keep it fun and positive. So if you wanna connect, talk, bond just follow and reach out to me! I'm always down to talk about the show!

[sankta-starkova]

LETTERMAN

005; blocking

previous chapter | next chapter | masterlist

summary: the one where ej and andy reunite after years when they're cast as love interests, finally rekindling their friendship and maybe getting something else out of it as well

Wordcount: 1.3k

EJ followed Nini down the stairs in school, Ashlyn, Andy and all the other theatre kids waiting at the bottom.

It was obvious that Nini was angry with him - and Andy assumed it had something to do with the phone situation from yesterday - but EJ didn't seem to get it.

"But why haven't you answered my texts?" He asked and she turned around with a sigh.

Nini was clearly annoyed but he cared sbout her so much that it clouded his judgement, so he kept pushing.

"Can we not to do this right now, please?" She asked as she saw the group of theirs friends waiting.

"Do what? Are you mad at me?" He questioned, the smile on his face dropping as they stood in the hallway.

She scoffed, finally cracking, "At lunch, I was at the computer lab, bribing some hacker to crack into my phone to recover a message you deleted when you stole it!" Nini yelled out.

Ashlyn and Andy looked at each other, both knowing that the other knew about the phone situation.

The entire group fell silent as they started to listen to the gossip. None of them expected this from the presumably perfect couple.

"Gina's not the wonderstudy I need to worry about, is she?" Nini asked.

"Can we talk about this over the-" EJ started and Nini scoffed, cutting him off.

"Dont," she said, starting to walk off before EJ said her name, making her turn around again.

He had those big wide pleading eyes that Andy recognised instantly, he felt bad, truly.

"I said I loved you and you couldn't say it back. You said it to Ricky, and now I see the way he looks at you and I know you guys have a lot of history," he explained, out of earshot so the others couldn't hear them.

"I could say the same thing about Andy, you two have always been so close and maybe I've always been a bit jealous of that but I'd never steal your phone but Ricky would never steal my phone," Nini said angrily.

EJ scoffed, he was okay with her attacking him but the second that she mentioned Andy, his blood boiled.

"Leave my friendship with Andy out of this. And no, Ricky wouldn't because he just leaves sad-face messages on it asking if you shared a moment," he refuted, her not getting his point.

"Dont make this about Ricky!" Nini said, Andy hearing that bit of the conversation as Ninis voice grew louder.

"And dont make this about Andy. This is about Ricky, I'm just trying to hold onto what we had over the summer," he pleaded, desperation evident in his voice.

When she heard her name, Andy looked at Ashlyn, her eyes wide. She didn't want to be the reason they broke up, even if deep down she wanted EJ. She wasn't a homewrecker.

"Yeah, I was too. But you know what? Summers over," she said and he sighed, watching as Nini walked away from him towards the group.

She walked towards the group of theatre kids who all acted as if they hadn't heard anything at all. Nini was seething, not in the mood for their gossip mongering.

"Is the door locked or something? Why can't we get in?" Nini asked the group, frustration in her voice

"Oh, Natalie Bagleys missing her emotional support hamster. He got loose," Ashlyn explained.

"Yeah, Carlos and Gina are helping her find her. Him. It," Andy said, her gaze landing on EJ before they all heard a high pitched scream.

"I think they found it," Andy said and Ashlyn nodded, looking over at her friend instead of EJ.

It felt like seconds before EJ and Nini started to argue about their relationship again, the theatre group still watching.

"Sometimes a relationship needs one person looking after the other," EJ explained, trying to prove his point, "It wasn't divine intervention that got you into Marian the Librarians costume"

She furrowed her brow in confusion, "What does that mean?" Nini asked and EJ's eyes went wide as he realised what he had said.

It was silent for a while as Nini ran the scenario over in her head, thinking back to the day. When she realised, she shook her head in disappointment.

"You were responsible for Emily Pratt spending opening night in a toilet?" Nini questioned, already knowing the answer.

"I believed in you," he sighed, not knowing what to say, "I slipped her a bad deviled egg, I didn’t think it would actually work,"

It looked like Nini wanted to say something but they were cut off when Natalie walked out with a box along with Carlos.

"Now she thinks he's in her gym locker but we're ready to begin people," Carlos explained, annoyed, looking at everyone as they swarmed inside.

Everyone wanted to get away from the incredibly awkward situation that was going on between Nini and EJ.

When they were inside, Miss Jenn explained that Ricky couldn't make it to rehearsal so EJ had to stand in for him. But EJ and Nini wanted to be nowhere near each other and the awkwardness in the room was so obvious.

"Can you move a little closer to each other?" Miss Jenn asked and they looked at each other, unwillingly stepping closer.

She sighed, not understanding what was going on. Everyone else, however, knew about the relationship problems after it was aired to the whole group.

"Come on guys, this is a love story, not a SARS epidemic," Miss Jenn said and the two stood next to each other.

Ashlyn and Andy watched as Miss Jenn conducted the two into a position, Big Red really confused about how to sort everything on the stage out.

"Take it from 'wow, now that was really nice' okay" Miss Jenn said and the two acted it out, very awkwardly.

Seb started to play the music, the two singing the song until they were practically yelling at each other through the song.

"Okay, freeze" Miss Jenn said as the music stopped, "Nini sweetie, this reprise comes at a decisive moment in the story, once your hearts have joined. Its a love song,"

She shrugged, "Are we not getting that?" Nini asked sarcastically.

"I'd like you to get to his heart without cracking his ribcage," Miss jenn explained sarcastically before Ricky ran in.

"Sorry I'm late! My mum caught an earlier flight. Where are we?" He asked, dropping his bag.

"Scene seven," Carlos said and Ricky nodded his head.

He reached into his bag, rummaging around for a little bit before sighing and looking up at the group, cheeks flushed in exhaustion and embarrassment.

"I don't have it. Could I borrow-" he started before Miss Jenn cut him off.

"You need your script Ricky, and a pencil. It's a blocking rehearsal," Miss Jenn explained.

"Ricky, you can have my spare," Andy said, feeling sorry for her friend.

She knew about the problems that he was going through at home and if his mother had come home early than it meant something bad had probably happened.

"Actually, you can't," Miss Jenn said, "When you come to rehearsal people, you come prepared,"

Suddenly, Natalie ran in crying and after talking to her, Miss Jenn asked if she could speak to Ricky privately, the two beginning to walk off.

"Are we done?" Ashlyn asked and Miss Jenn nodded.

"We are. Take a note Miss Darbus, this is what a frustrated drama teacher looks like," Miss Jenn said before walking off.

"That was eventful," Gina said and Andy laughed, looking over at her. The two of them weren't super close, but they didn't hate each other. 

"Wasn't it just," Andy said as she started to pack her things away.

She had never seen a more dramatic rehearsal before, not in her past two years of doing high school theatre.

"The only issue with rehearsal ending early is that I have to wait ages for mum to pick me up," Gina explained as she slung her backpack over her shoulders.

"Why don't you come round mine for a bit, we can work on the dance for a little while, and I'm sure your mum won't mind," Andy suggested.

Gina smiled, it was the first time someone had really asked her to hang out somewhere since she got here.

"Yeah, that sounds great, I'll text my mum," Gina said with a smile on her face, Andy smiling back at her.

[xo-alie-xo]

PORTWELL LONG GAME OR RINA SLOWBURN.

You can only choose one poison.🍷

Listen up my Wildcats.🐱

We all ship each character with happiness. No matter how much you love to hate them, a majority of us simply adores the characters and want the best for them. Then comes relationships and it's okay to ship our favorites.⛴

I'm a diehard Rina shipper and I know in my heart that they are series endgame. The set up, the natural chemistry, their mutual understanding, the surprises and angst literally put me on chokehold. So I'm 100% a Rina shipper till the end. I'm here for the slowburn and their development rather than one shots. They are worth the pain. 😭❤

Let me start with Ricky Bowen now.

Ricky shouldn't to be with Gina because he's hurting her mentality. He's not insensitive on purpose. Like when he tried to stop Big Red from telling her his message to Nina because he KNOWS it'll hurt her.

If you think, that Ricky didn't understand clearly when Gina confessed, think again. He shushed her. Kept their thing a secret from everyone. He knows he feels some type of way and she feels something too. But this boy is so used to safeguarding his childhood norms and has very little adaptability. Hence, he pretended to ignore everything between them because his home stability was falling apart and he clinged on to Nina, his constant childhood love.

He's a traumatised 16-17 year old boy that needs to heal and grow. This episode was heartbreaking because he had to accept that he had to let Nina go because their once upon a time fairytale had become toxic.

People change. I'm not the same person I was when I was 16 lmao. Being together as childhood lovers means growing together and accepting each other's growth. Which Ricky couldn't. He clutched to the idea of Nini. Even his love confession. It was sooo sweet but all he did was focus on their history.

This boy needs time to heal and maybe seek professional therapy. It would be so DAMN HISTORIC if Disney decides to take psychological issues seriously and show how he's dealing with his anxiety, pills and psychotherapy. He needs to breathe before he can be with any girl for that matter. He's hurting and isn't trying to hurt anyone on purpose. Including Gina.

Him asking her for advice on Nini was a dumb, insensitive move. But he's trying to find a way to build some supportive friendship that they shared in early season one.

As for now, this boy needs to get his own grip on life and heal.

As for our Queen Gina

In Gina's confession, she focuses on their future. She basically said, "I wouldn't quit on a possible future of us being together despite obstacles. Because I never quit. But moving away isn't in my control." Ricky deep down knows this, encouraged her to say it, teary eyed, despite right after getting back together with Nini. Gina is his future. She went to his new house. And I also have this feeling that when she was given a chance to stay, she stayed partly because of Ricky. She left a chance to be with her mom because she prioritised their relationship. Because she never quits. 💪🏼

But she came back and found out Ricky has gotten back together with Nini.😭 What she doesn't know is Ricky got together with Nina before her confession, and after Gina kept dodging his messages. She's hurt and questions why she returned because she isn't particularly close to anyone. Hence, she was so silent at the after party. She thinks it'll be fine, "she'll live", and finds other reasons to find permanence. Her arc this season has been settling down in East High, despite the pain of losing and being 'betrayed' by Ricky, she finds other reasons to stay. 🏡

This kind of contrasts her with Nina. Nina left her dream school and came to Salt Lake because she missed her established home, and not just because of Ricky. Nina returned and was loved and embraced by Ricky Bowen.💕 Gina came back to a semi new place called Salt Lake because of her promise of a future to Ricky. But she got stabbed and she bled. 💔🗡

Think about her situation. She feels confused, alone, heartbroken, out of place and seperated from her mom. She's broken and hurting too. And she doesn't need more from Ricky's accidental or intentional 'sick burns'. That's the one line where he was such a jerk and I can't defend him here. 😠

Here comes the Caswells.

Her second family. A place of healthy stability. A home that accepted her. Ashlyn, her roomie and her confidante. EJ, the misunderstood boy who saw her value and bought her plane ticket.

Let's get to EJ.

At first, I wasn't too keen on seeing Portwell's development. But then that video chat where they talk about the possibility of her staying and him convincing her. Had me sold for a solid brother-sister relationship. Few episodes later, when Gina's pain seemed to be oblivious to everyone, he was the only one who asked her how she was, and saw her glow. The comfort she must've felt.

Not that she needs a man's validation, but she must be feeling like a second choice and feeling a little insecure because of Ricky. But EJ lifts her up and I genuinely saw her smile. This boy has her back whenever. The man she can lean on and truly sees how special she is. She no longer feels alone now that she has his entire fam and other friends. She genuinely feels a place of belonging and happiness when she's the apple of his eye. Notice how happy she is? How happy this boy is? She's going through her own issues and she has found ground with EJ.

I was very doubtful when they started hinting at a romantic direction. Because EJ would be used as plot device again for a girl to get to Ricky.😤 This man doesn't deserve to be second best to anyone, just like Gina.😑 That's why I'm still hesitant on shipping them at least temporarily. EJ needs to be something even more special to Gina. They need to show each other how special and treasured they are to each other despite feeling like rejects. They are each other's source of comfort.

I'm sure they can keep EJ at East High for the next season. Whether it's the drama club, or the AV club or going to a local college. So he will be there for Gina. I don't know how they can work out a relationship with much distance as Rini's fell out when she moved away. So, if EJ leaves again, it'll again shake up Gina. Her being worried whether he'll date college girls, second thoughts, etc. I don't want them to go through that. And if they do move on to romantic Portwell, make sure it's not plot device for Rina. So you can either have Portwell endgame or Rina Endgame.

Basically I want Gina to be treated so right that she understands she doesn't need Ricky. And when he does ask her out, and he makes her feel like a second choice or a rebound, she says NO. Because EJ has helped regain her self assurance. Eventually I want Gina to confide in EJ about her and Ricky. EJ is jealous but also angry about how Ricky has been hurting her. And becomes damn protective of his 'babe'. Ricky gets jealous of their relationship, restarting Ricky and EJ's old rivalry. But this time, it's not because Gina is his girlfriend, but because she's EJ's best friend who he has a crush on and wants what's best for her.

If it's meant to be Rina endgame

EJ- RICKY, YOU IDIOT! You have no clue how to treat her right. You don't put her first. You mislead her. Get the hell away from her! She's too powerful and beautiful, she doesn't deserve your scraps. I know how she feels for you. I wish I were you. I would treat her like a queen. I don't mind even waiting years till she's ready. She deserves that. You're so lucky you have even a small chance that I may never have. So get your act together, prove you're worth it to win her over. All I want is for her to be happy. Even if it's with someone else. And maybe then I'll stop threatening you to stay away from her.😠

Ricky- .....I don't know what I'm more scared of. Change, or losing the girl I fell for or YOU. Okay, losing her but you're a close second.😬

If it's Portwell endgame.

Ricky- I messed up. Make sure you don't mess up with her. You'll regret it forever.

EJ- I'd rather get hit by thousand basketballs than ever hurt her. I'll be her plus one and her best friend until she's ready to be with me. I know she's ready now too. But I want her to know I'm willing to wait till she graduates before we make it official. I'm in it for the long game.

As for their age gap. I'm 100% sure Portwell won't kiss this season. If they do, it'll be next when Sofia turns 18. They are professional actors who are cast because they are the perfect fit for the role and are expected to carry out the storyline. But I suppose fearing some outbursts, they might delay Sofia kissing anyone till next season. It's so weird because Olivia was maybe 17 when Matt was 21-22 when they kissed in season one. But no one had a problem with that. But for this, they do. Remember, they are professional actors. They are acting! Sometimes, actors are over 10 years apart (but above 18) and act as romantic partners.

As for their characters, they are only two years apart. That's hardly any difference once you're over the age of 18. Age of consent is 16. But adults above 18 are only allowed to have sex with adults above 18. So, age isn't a problem here because EJ is a gentleman and is genuinely interested in her and isn't trying to get in her pants. So age isn't the issue when it comes to dating. It's the maturity. Gina is very mature and gives very sound advice. But I can see EJ being patient enough till she turns 18 just to kiss her because he loves her. 😚

As for the Ashlyn remark, "You look like a kid to me rn". He was JOKING.😂 Don't take things out of context. I tell my cousin sister that all the time. But she's three years younger than me and a grown adult. I don't see her as a kid but it's just a cousin teasing her younger cousin that's she's a little immature. I'm Matt's age and I'm very mature for my age and since I was a teenager, I always matched up with boys a little older than me. Now that I'm in my early 20s, I've dated boys even close to 30. So age is just a number.

EJ dating Gina and giving her quick kisses is fine. But to have a strong sexual element in their relationship (including making out), he'll have to wait till she's 18+. And I'm sure for that he'll wait till she's ready even past her early 20s. Age is really just a number and we can't help who we fall in love with. Trust me, I've been there.😂 So I can see EJ feeling conflicted about his feelings that are clear at this point.

They might not be a perfect fit, but they make each other sooo happy. They deserve a lot more than a short lived fling.😟 They are either endgame or Rina is. You can't have both as a Rina unless you're an EJ hater who wants him to exist as plot device. Nope! He's sooo much more precious than that.

But Jack on the other hand....I'm okay if he's the one to make Ricky or EJ jealous. Because he's just been introduced and it's okay if a character is used, but only once, for someone else to realize their feelings. 💁🏽‍♀️

In short.

Ricky needs help and needs to be on his own. No girlfriends allowed.🙅🏽‍♀️🚫

Needs to give both Gina and Nina space for them to grow on their own too.🌳

Ricky needs to understand the core of his problems and become more adaptable via therapy. Maybe the psychologist will point out his unresolved feelings for Gina, or he will conclude it himself. And in comes Ricky-pining-for-Gina season three.

Ricky needs to fully get over Nina before he moves on to anyone. Same for Gina if Portwell were to happen. No one deserves to be second choice.

Gina isn't Ricky's cushion. She's a living person with strong feelings for him and shouldn't be subjected to share his pain. She already struggles with her own issues.

Ricky needs to stay single till he wins back Gina and prove he's worth it. He needs to show even if another girl wants him, he'll never quit on Gina ever again. Even if he has to watch her be with someone else. *cough parallels*.

It's either romantic Rina then Portwell endgame OR Portwell flirty besties but Rina endgame. You and I can choose only one because my boy EJ shouldn't be used as plot device for a girl to leave for Ricky ever again.

Portwell's age difference can be practically solved and isn't much of an issue unless they get hot and heavy before Gina turns 18 which is impossible considering this is Disney. 🤣🤣

Jack and Gina will be plot device material and purely so sentimental to us OG Andi Mack fans. More than any ship, this is what I'm looking for. Sort of an Andi Mack crack ship for season 3a. It's gonna be soooo funny. 😍😂

I respect everyone's ship. I see what you're seeing. And I'm not going to invalidate your ship. But unless it's done right, I won't jump from the Rina ship. I liked Rini. I like Portwell. I like AU Juffy crackship haha.😂 But as for me, I'm still holding on to Rina slowburn.

Preparing myself for the pain. 😭🔥

(But if I had to pair two characters without Disney getting in the way, it would be Gini. The power duo. Undeniable chemistry. They can be written so well because of their layered relationship and contrasting personalities.🤩 The classic rivals to friends to lovers. But that's a talk for another day lmao.)

Thanks for reading my opinion, Wildcat!🐱❤

[mcutaylivia]

HSMTMTS AS STUFF MY CLASSMATES HAVE SAID IN OUR GC

TW// curse words/ mental health jokes ( I wasn't sure if I should put these but I saw someone tag it so just incase :)

Carlos: ahahahahaha

Carlos: I'm sexy like a pornstar

Gina: NO JUST NO

---

Big Red: What if I told you between the choice of having those materialistic things vs owning a bakery and making bread every morning I would want to make bread because at least I can take my anger out on a piece of dough and not get emotionally traumatized as a result of regret I would choose the latter?

Ashlyn: ...

Ashlyn: babe it's 7:35 am

---

Ricky: what if we kissed at the historical site where they killed Julias ceaser

Nini: awww🥺🥺

Kourtney: it's Julius Caesar dumbass

---

Seb: hey hey hey guess what?

Carlos: what??!

Seb: ily💖

Carlos: I LOVE U MORE

Natalie Bagley: stop being a y/n, whores

---

Ricky: physically I am a 10/10 emotionally? I am 10/10 not okay

EJ: damn who hurt u today..

Ricky:The real question is who didn't

Seb: I didn't! ☹️

Kourtney: you're an angel of course you didn't

---

EJ: I have 5 essays, 3 club thingies needing to be done, sports training and 0 will to live❤️

Ashlyn: same bff

Gina: true haha

Nini: I'm sending all of you to therapy

---

Big Red: just found out Hawaiian pizza is illegal in some places😺 What the fuck is wrong with society

Nini: HAWAIIAN PIZZA SUCKS AND I STAND BY THAT

Big Red: This is why you're single

---

Ashlyn: You know what f*ck you all

Gina: DID YOU JUST FUCKING SWEAR??

Ricky: lmao dude just write fuck we're not chilkren

Seb: *children

Ashlyn: I'm a good religious kid

Carlos: I need a church girl wHo rEaD hEr bIblE

Kourtney: It's 2021 no one quotes vines anymore

Carlos: you quote Harry Potter everyday you don't get to say shit

---

Nini: I would die for Taylor Swift

Nini: If Taylor Swift told me to die I would

Gina: Nini it's 3 am

Nini: ok and?

---

Gina: So apparently stuffing all your emotions in is bad for your mental health

EJ: no it isn't ❤️🤙

Ricky: MENTAL HEALTH GO BRRRR

Ashlyn: anyone else just silently looked at the text and went ‘No❤️'?

---

Kourtney: hey not to be sad bitch™ on main but if an asteroid hits earth I just want y'all to know

Seb: awwwwwww

Kourtney: that y'all have ugly taste in men and fashion goodnight 😌

Seb: I take back my aws.

Seb: But ouch that's rude :(

Kourtney: sighs

Kourtney: ok you're the only exception

Seb: :)

Seb: You get one aw

Gina: I ask you guys to respectfully shut the fuck up and let me sleep

___

Bonus: A screenshot as proof lmao😭

[daphnebowen]

more season four episode one things

okay guys because I’m obsessed I’m rewatching season four this time actually recording things because last time I just did what I could remember. That was also from a while ago (when i originally wrote it) some stuff might be the same but do I care? No. I was gonna jump right to episode three but then I thought “am I really gonna miss ‘maybe this time’ and ‘puppy love’ for this? No.” So yeah. Here we go! FYI, most of these just might be quotes because I’m basically brain dead right now.

THE RINA CUEEEEEE and ginas proud little smile

I absolutely love Ryan’s sparkly suit

Monique, Corbin, kaycee, and Lucas sound soooo good!!! Lucas especially he is really belting

“they have been silent in the group chat” 💀 gets me every time

ms Darbus sounds the exact. same.

EW. EW. MACK IS - UGH 😑

Richard is screaming. I mean, I get it, I would too if my girlfriend was kissing someone else, but chill dude

“no boys?” Girl. Gina’s super smart. She can handle a boyfriend and worry about her future. I hate her so much.

mike 💀 RICKY PAY ATTENTION - I hope those clothes were clean~

AWWW HE HAS GINA IN A PHOTO ON HIS DESK <3

”be safe” is crazy 💀

”don’t… try not to mess that up.”

”that would have been thoughtful” he’s not slacking in the boyfriend department at all

”just kept us for us” is sooooo freakingggg sweeeeeetttt “as long as we’re an us” AHHH FIND ME A MAN LIKE RICHARD BOWEN

gina: shushing Ricky. Ricky: proceeds to make more noise on his way out of the window 🤦🏼‍♀️ what is wrong with him

kourtney and Carlos are slaying

”we need to sign him up and get him educated” girl same

Ashlyn is so lost lmao

miss Jenn gets their attention so flawlessly my teachers could never

I wanna see Richard bowen’s senior prank… 😃

theyre so disappointed about doing hsm again lmao “high school musicale?!”

the east high leopards mascot is actually so disturbing

”mentally I’m not here” lmao sameeee!

”the whole gang” mins Troy Gabriella and Sharpay as per the first five minutes of the show right?

coach literally spit while saying “America’s favorite couple”

woke. I can’t.

bart Johnson is so hyped

”if it’s Mack somebody stop me before I flirt with him” “Carlos!” “Yeah, Carlos!” Ricky is so jealous omg

”Mr bluh?”

miss Jenn looks like she’s about to pass out when Monique and Lucas walk in 😭

JESSICA IS CRAZY

poor Ricky I just want him to be happy

“if Alcatraz and 7-11 had a baby” Quinn 💀

they’re dead. The farm is heaven. Why did he say that so bluntly???? The way Gina’s face fell was so sad too

”I bet he sheds a lot” PLEASE

can I just say I think Ricky is way better looking and just way better than Mack??? Like this boy has nothing to worry about.

Kourtney turned British there for a moment lmao

gina cannot improvise holy crap

“opposites do attract” THE LOVE IN HIS EYES I CANT

HOMECOMING I CANT THEY ACTUALLY LOOK THE SAME

the fact that they made Ricky’s hair darker for the Valentine’s Day part is actually crazy

“wow” part 1

Raisenets are nasty

i wanna see kourtneys instagram like I bet it’s so cute

why the freak does Dani want to know about Ricky like hop off he’s in a very serious relationship

”WISH WE WERE CUDDLING” omg WHAT (tho tbh… that would be sooo cute. I want a spin-off of just rina. No one else. Just rina one shots irl)

[multimetaverse]

HSMTMTS 2x12 Review

Second Chances was a lacklustre finale for an uneven season. Let’s dig in!

Earlier this week I re-watched S1 in preparation for the S2 finale and the contrast between the two seasons is jarring. In almost every way S2 has been worse and after seeing this finale I’m less optimistic that Tim will be able to fix the long list of things that have gone wrong. Tim has said in some of his interviews today that pretty much all of S2 was written before the pandemic and that they didn’t have to do as much re-writing as people might think due to the stringent safety measures Disney put in place. Of course, that removes an excuse for the bad writing we’ve seen so much of this season as according to Tim what we saw of S2 is largely what he envisioned minus big crowds and background dancers.

 Across his many interviews today, the one consistent point is that Tim does not have any real plans for future seasons; things like Ricky’s endgame he hasn’t decided on and he can’t even guarantee the summer season the finale sets up due to the weather in Salt Lake. I do think a S3 is an almost certainty given the show’s popularity but I’ll take Tim at his word that he truly doesn’t know if they’ll be renewed since it seems to be a new Disney tradition to wait until seasons are done airing before making a renewal decision (the same thing happened for the popular and well received Mighty Ducks: Game Changers which got a silent renewal only after all of S1 aired). That being said as poor of a season finale as Second Chances is it is also a terrible potential series finale. In large part it goes back to his lack of planning, he wants to keep all options open but in doing so Tim is crippling the show’s ability to deliver any pay offs or tie up loose ends.  

The one mostly well done plot line this season was Portwell which got a happy ending tonight as they canoned. The only good thing about the big brother angst was that it was so insane that it had to be addressed and sure enough it was and Gina got her first kiss with a guy she really liked. If Tim is to be believed the reason we didn’t get an on screen Portwell kiss was not because of their age difference or covid concerns but because he felt that everyone’s first kiss was different so he wanted it off screen so viewers could fill in the blanks themselves. Tim’s line of reasoning is profoundly stupid. Imagine if they had Jamie show up and he and Gina talked off screen and Tim tried to claim that because everyone has a different relationship with their own siblings that he wanted the audience to fill in the blanks as to how their conversation went!

Still we saw great character development on Gina and EJ’s part as both really grew from the people they were in S1. As Tim noted, EJ bringing Gina back in 1x10 was kind of the set up for this story line. The only thing missing was a brief Portwell scene sometime in eps 2x01-2x04 to set them up. The consistent development they got from 2x05-2x12 is unlike any other ship on the show; only Rini exceeds their development. 

Unfortunately I don’t think that will last in S3 because Tim will always favour Ricky over EJ and if he wants to do Rina he’ll dispose of Portwell before doing so. I was surprised that they never bothered to have Ricky and Gina have a conversation about Gina’s S1 confession. It was a huge mistake to have Gina pine over Ricky for half the season and it was no surprise that Gina’s story line got instantly better once she stopped interacting with Ricky. Tim has made clear in interviews that he’s still interested in the possibility of Rina which makes his poor writing of them even more bizarre. What conclusions are the audience supposed to draw from the Rina story line this season? That Ricky never cared that much about Gina? That it’s totally fine for the show if they don’t interact for 6 eps in a row? That Gina has moved on? I’ve said before that a wiser man than Tim would recognize that doing both Portwell and Rina will do tremendous damage to the show and he should pick one and not do the other. Of course he’s not that smart but it is wild how he’s accidentally written their story line to make for a perfect end to Rina. 

Second Chances was great and is the only part of the finale that would have been well suited to being part of a potential series finale. 

The Rini closure was a sad inverse of their S1 opening night confession. They’ve fallen so far from being the it couple of the series and I fear Tim doesn’t actually know what to do with them now. He really needs to decide if he’s tearing down that treehouse for real. 

The less said about the Valentine’s chocolates the better but at least Gina and Nini are cool again and Nini can explore her budding music career with Jamie’s help. Tim repeatedly said in interviews that the scripts about Nini’s music career were all written before Driver’s License came out and I think he understands that the audience is just going to see the show as copying from Olivia’s life. 

The wildcats just deciding to drop out of the Menkies was a lame cop out. Tim has said he always meant for that to happen though they were originally going to compete at the Menkies then drop out (presumably that’s where we would have heard Lily singing Home). Somebody should have mentioned the $50 000 prize money which the East High theatre department could surely use after Miss Jenn and Mr. Mazzara burned it down (remember that story line that had no consequences?). And that NYU scholarship could have been life changing for one of them and yet no one even brought  it up once this season. 

I did like the twist that it was EJ and his dad who got Mazzara into Caltech. He’d be a fool not to take it but I’m glad he confessed to Miss Jenn. She’s had a really rough season and I hope she redeems herself in S3.

Howie was acting so weird tonight and last ep that I have a hard time believing he was really so awed by Kourtney’s talent rather than feeling guilty for helping to steal the harness. The harness is another useless plot device; there are no consequences for Lily stealing it, she’s not caught, East High pulls off another version of the transformation off screen, and then East High withdraws from the Menkies anyways. Doubtless the harness will eventually come up to serve Rily angst. 

At least Lily was straightforward, I’ll give her that. She has such an odd way of speaking, almost child like. As awful as it is there is potential for a forbidden/secret romance story line with Rily. It really does not speak well to Ricky’s character that he’s so easily fallen for Lily’s act when he has no reason to trust her and she never apologized for making fun of Big Red during the auditions or making Ashlyn feel insecure during the dance off. 

The one way in which S2 was drastically better to S1 was in regards to the Seblos story line. Clearly Joe being bumped up to regular made a big difference. We got the first same-sex kiss between two boys and the first love song sung by one boy to another in Disney history and that is a legacy to be proud of. Of course, there was still some Disney censorship such as Carlos and Seblos being unable to use the word gay in the same ep that focused on Carlos singing In a Heartbeat to Seb. 

S1 of HSMTMTS had a clear direction, the wildcats would have to try and come together to stage High School Musical and Ricky and Nini would have to decide if they still had a future together while Gina and EJ had to work on being better versions of themselves. It was simple sure but it worked very well. There was a lot of heart but also a lot of humor and the show never took itself too seriously. What has S2 had? Beauty and the Beast was hardly the main focus of the cast or the writers and the central couple that S1 was built around is now broken up either for a long time or for good. There was a lot less of the meta moments that jokes that made S1 such a hit, for far too many eps this season the show took itself way too seriously. Hell even the lighting this season was darker than in S1. 

Olivia Rodrigo’s team had complained in a recent article that Olivia wouldn’t be able to potentially tour until fall 2022 due to her contractual commitments which is a sign that they think a S3 is very likely though I wonder how late S3 filming would have to start to keep her occupied until late 2022. There’s no confirmation of this but I thought it might be worth keeping an eye on; a post on r/hsmtmts by someone who claims to have a source working on production says that the plan is for S3 to be a summer theatre camp possibly with Camp Rock renditions and the plan for S4 is to jump 6 months ahead to the final semester of senior year and end with Ricky, Nini, Big Red, and Kourtney graduating from East High. They also say that part of the delay in the S3 announcement is a conflict between Tim and Disney executives. Tim wants to move production to LA and film on sets as it’s easier and cheaper while the Disney execs still want some on location shooting in Salt Lake. Again this is all unconfirmed but if it pans out it will represent a major shift in the series. 

Regardless if Tim wants the show to remain successful he needs start planning out what he wants to happen. He should not assume he’s getting more than 4 seasons. If the series gets a S3 but then is suddenly cancelled then how would he want all the main story lines to wrap up? And if they make it to S4 where does he see it ending? The graduation of the current juniors is a logical series ending point but if Tim wants to do something different he needs to start thinking of that now. I can’t say I’m excited anymore for S3 but I do really hope that Tim and his writers can turn things around and that will only happen if they recognize what they did wrong and learn from their mistakes. 

Until next season Wildcats

[organic-guacamole]

Episode 207 spoilers below

I say this a lot but this episode was insane and is now my favourite.

WE GOT EJ

gotta love how dedicated he is to his extracurricular activities. water polo, class treasurer, AV club president-

I'm not a portwell shipper, but they have an amazing friendship dynamic, like can I get a bestie like EJ please?

Ricky lowkey looks like he's been crying all night-

can someone check up on this boy? please? Mike where are you buddy, your son needs help.

"It doesn't mean anything"

"It means so much to me"

omg soulmate things😍😍😍

uhhh since when are Ricky and EJ so close??? they're literally talking and laughing together what? when?

I'm not complaining, it's just surprising.

please sebby, I would love deh so much I can't even explain it.

also didn't they say that Ms Jenn has never seen deh?

*gasp* what if she's just pretending that they don't have the rights to it so they don't have to talk about her not seeing such a CLASSIC

hmmmmm ~thats suspicious, that's weird~

(what is happening to me rn-)

look at Kourtney goooo

designing costumes, being in the musical and being an assistant manager? I wish I could multitask like that

an elephant.

the way I already know something's gonna happen with Howie.... like their relationship can't move that fast, if the writers don't have plans to mess with them a bit.

OK GO WITH ME FOR A SEC: PICTURE SEB AND CARLOS, WITH SWITCHED PERSONALITIES.

anyways

why is Carlos so funny? who gave him the right to make me laugh so hard over a one liner that doesn't even make sense.

oo he has abs *Debby Ryan face*

PLEASE NOT THE BUTT PADS

hi yes, are you still trying to tell me EJ isn't bi after this episode?

WHY IS CASWEN SO CLOSE TODAY? THAT LOOK, I SAW THAT LOOK WHAT IS HAPPENING 😭

GINI INTERACTIONS TOO? WHAT IS GOING ON SOMEONE PLEASE SEND HELP???

@sunshine-julie-molina might need help too after that *waits patiently for them to scream at me in dms*

what the heck.

North high is a literal castle???

Get a room redlyn, y'all have been there for like 5 seconds omg

ah yes. sebby the silent voice of reason

um who's this dude? I don't like how he's looking at Gina-

keep walking sir

calm your man tits, you're not that hot 🙄

EXCUSE ME

CAN I GET YOUR SNAP?

BOY YOU CAN CATCH THESE HANDS

EJ BABY

"hey babe"

alright I'm gonna say it

i don't like how in this society men will only leave a girl alone when they have their partner right next to them. so screw you random north high jock. respect women and then we can talk.

right so... moving along

why is the back of EJ's shirt just yellow. idk why but I wasn't expecting that.

when your favourite trope is fake dating and this happens: 🤡

ANTOINE MY BOYYYY!!!!

oh look Ms Jenn's here too

aww Seb's "friendship" thing caught on a bit

what the heck?? I knew we hated Zach BUT HOW DARE HE

my new favourite thing: Antoine using English words without knowing what they mean.

"Fugly"

You go sebby, bop to the top🥰

please they had the right idea, dance-offs are stupid.

...

oh ok guess we're doing this now.

kill the beast? more like, kill the Lily *wheEze*

(please send help, I'm so sleep deprived rn)

in 10 years....

"mommy, how was I made?"

"it all started when we danced in your dad's office..."

but actually

WHY DO I FEEL SO WEIRD WATCHING THIS-

and here I thought Mike and Ms Jenn's flirting was bad.

Lily + Ricky = Licky

this is the only reason why they'd be terrible together /j

right so lily doesn't care about the rose song, but she memorized the lyrics? something tells me she stays up at night watching it and writing out one liners to bring people down.

yes "Diane", his accent is amazing but back off, he's mine😃🔪

TOM HOLLAND ON STILTS-

BETWEEN THIS, THE SHAWN MENDES LINE, AND THE HARRY STYLES THING-

they can't leave poor ricky alone omg😭😭

jealous big red is something I never knew I needed to see.

don't worry EJ, I like the mob song. just not whatever remix thing this was /hj

wow I wonder who the north high beast is😐

hehe Antoine looks so short next to Carlos and idk why

SEB IS SO CUTE WHEN HES TRYING TO BE TOUGH AHHH

Ashlyn's high note>>>>>>>>

how is it that every time I think that Ashlyn has shown her full talent, she continues to amaze me every single time.

Also, Ashlyn sang wondering, which was an alteration to the script? why wasn't that mentioned?

EJS FACE AT THAT LINE OMG

we only keep you around for sports analogies omg EJ, keep up

ZACH TOOK THE MASK?!?!?!?!??!😱😱😱😱😱😱

I'm so shocked /s

Alexa, set my alarm sound as EJ caswell saying "good morning east high"

seblos when the elephant sound came from the beast 🏃🏽‍♂️🏃🏼‍♂️

Did Kourtney never ask what school the guy she's dating goes to? like how would she not know?

Nini's reputation era

wait I mean Nina

y'all realize that she's actually done with Ricky rn? like totally cutting him out.

literally changing the name she's had for so long because it's the name Ricky gave to her-

anyways I can't really blame her, but can she at least try to understand Ricky a bit?

they both have totally different plans for the future so they need to ✨communicate✨