#like seriously I know how they test for strep throat but I was still panicking before the nurse told me what she was doing with the Q-tip

[acer-whumpstuff]

I have to know everything that’s going to happen to me at doctors and hospitals or I panic

So don’t let your whumpee know what’s going on. Blindfold them and don’t answer a single question. They’ll know it hurts, but they won’t know exactly what whumper’s doing to them until it’s over.

@demetercabingreen-thumb

[rickybowensfever]

Sicktember - What If Ricky Bowen Missed Auditions?

Decided to do @sicktember last minute! I’ll be doing some for HSMTMTS and with my ocs! 

HSMTMTS 

Sick at School/Work

Strep Throat/Laryngitis 

Faking It 

 SUMMARY: Ricky isn’t ready for the Math test on Friday. Follow Ricky through the days following up to the test as he pretends he’s sick, but gets himself sick by accident causing him to miss auditions for Beauty and the Beast. 

 “Class. Don’t forget, this Friday is our first Math test of the semester. We’ll be reviewing on Thursday. I’m passing around review worksheets for those of you who want to study” the woman announced. 

Ricky groaned looking over at Big Red sitting across from him. “A test, already?” 

“I’m sure it’ll be easy! It’s only what we’ve been learning so far” Big Red told him. 

“Guess I’m going to be sick” Ricky said, smirking at his friend as he put his folder into his bag and zipped it up for dismissal. 

“How do you know that? Oh, no. You’re not sick, are you? I can’t get sick. This is my first time auditioning for a room full of people and Ashlyn would be so upset!” Big Red said, panicking. 

“No. I’m not actually sick. I’m just going to happen to be too sick for the test on Friday” Ricky winked at his friend. 

The bell rang dismissing them from school. Big Red and Ricky walked out to the hallway to catch their rides home. Carpooling with Nini, Gina, and Ashlynn 

“You’d rather not take the test? You’re going to have to make it up anyway” Big Red suggested, confused about his friend’s decisions. 

“I know I’ll have to take the test. But, it’s two days away, no way I’ll be able to ace it by then. I just need...time” Ricky explained, waving at Nini as she stood by Ashlynn’s mini van. 

 “Hey guys!!” Nini exclaimed, smiling big at the boys as they walked through the student parking lot. 

Ricky smiled softly at his girlfriend as they all climbed into the van. Ricky sat next to Nini while Big Red sat in the back, Gina in the passenger seat. 

Ricky cleared his throat. He had thought about his approach since his teacher announced their test. He was a master of pretending to be sick. His dad wasn’t very strict which made it much easier. 

“You okay?” Nini asked. 

“Yeah, fine. Just a little scratchy. Probably allergies” he said, smiling at her. 

Nini nodded looking through her bag for cough drops. “Ooh, here!” she said, pulling out a honey flavored cough drop. 

“These always help,” she said, handing the cough drop to him. 

Ricky nodded, “Thanks”. 

Ricky tried to study for the test in his room just in case his plan fell through. But, he was too distracted. He would rather practice his lines for his audition for The Beast on Saturday. 

 He grabbed his script and cleared his throat. Pacing around the room as he read the lines aloud. 

He heard a knock at his door, startling him. He jumped, almost dropping his paper. “Come in” he said, letting out a train of coughs. 

“Hey, sorry. I just made dinner. You alright?” Mr. Bowen said watching his son coughing into his fist. 

“Uh, yeah. I was just rehearsing. Sometimes this happens” he lied. 

Mr. Bowen chuckled, “Alright. Pasta is down stairs when you’re ready” he said closing the door. 

Ricky sighed. “That was not my plan” he muttered. Maybe the weather changing would give him an advantage? He thought. 

 After he ate dinner with his Dad, Ricky went back to working on his Math problems when his phone started ringing. 

Nini is requesting FaceTime. 

Ricky jumped and clicked accept immediately, clearing his throat again. 

“Hey! Throat still bothering you?” she asked, raising her eyebrow. 

“Yeah” he said, pouting. 

“That’s not good. Maybe you need voice rest?” she pondered.

“I don’t think it’s that serious” he said, “anyway, what’s up?”

“Not much. Just finished game night with my Moms. Just wanted to say Hi” she said smiling into the camera. 

Two Days Before the Test (Wednesday)

Ricky got to school feeling exhausted. The first thing he did when he got to the cafeteria was sit with his friends and lie his head down. 

“Ricky? Are you okay?” Ashlynn asked him, looking at the boy who was usually hyper and talkative. 

“I haven’t been sleeping. Just need to close my eyes” he muttered. 

Nini was the next to sit down at the table. She looked over at Ricky and frowned. 

“Ash, is he okay?” she whispered. 

“He’s tired,” the girl whispered back. 

Nini put her bag down and walked over to Ricky, sitting at the end of the table. 

“Babe? Are you feeling okay? We can go to the nurse and get you home if you’re unwell” she said with worry in her voice.

Ricky groaned. “M’tired” he mumbled. 

Nini laid her hand on her boyfriend’s forehead. 

“Okay, he’s just tired,” she said from his content forehead. 

 Ricky stayed up later than usual getting his Math homework done and scrolling aimlessly online, watching YouTube videos and getting lost in his Instagram feed. He felt horrible when his alarm rang around six am. 

As soon as he got home from school, Ricky slept up until dinner. He scrolled through his phone with worried texts from Nini. 

N: Babe, I’m so worried about you. Get some sleep, please xo 

R: I’m fine! Just woke up from a nap. Was up late doing homework. Sorry 

 The test was in two days. So, Ricky had to perform best in front of his Dad. When he went down for dinner, he started sniffling. 

“Hey, do we have any cold medicine? My nose is kinda congested’ he said, sniffling. 

“Yeah, we should have something. You feeling okay? 

“Yeah, I’m fine, really. My nose is just stuffed up and my throat has been really scratchy,” he explained. Mr. Bowen raised his eyebrows in concern, looking at his son closely. 

“Maybe you should stay home tomorrow.  Get some rest?” he suggested. “Don’t you have auditions? Would hate for you get sick for that” 

“Auditions are Saturday. I think I’m okay” he said, letting out another cough. 

Mr. Bowen stared at him. “I’ll go out and get some medicine tonight. Looks like we’re out. Seriously, if you feel sick at all, you can stay home. I don’t mind” he said. 

Ricky really had the best dad. So much so, he was starting to feel guilty. 

“I’ll think about it,” he said sniffling. “I’ll just take these,” he said, grabbing a box of tissues as he went back up to his room. 

 Ricky heard a knock at his door. Nini. Right! We were supposed to go over lines. Ricky cleared his throat.

 “One minute” he croaked, spraying his face with water to look like he was sweating and got into his bed. 

“Come in” he said, lying his head on his pillow to look like was just waking up.

 “Sorry! I should’ve called but I thought maybe we were still going over our lines?” she said before looking at her boyfriend. 

Ricky took a tissue and blew his nose hard. “I might have to cancel. My throat is killing me” he said, throwing the tissue into the trash. 

“Oof. You sound horrible” she said, taking a seat on his bed. She laid her palm onto his wet forehead. 

“Ew” she said, pulling her hand away. “Need Hand sanitizer. Lots of it”

Ricky slumped into his bed. “Sorry” he croaked. 

“Babe, if you were getting sick, you should’ve just told me” 

“I don’t want you catching anything. I need to not be sick for auditions on Saturday” he told her. 

“Oh. Don’t worry about me. I always stock up and prepare my immune system for auditions. I guess I should’ve taught you the same” she said, staring at him. 

Ricky rolled his eyes and laughed, “I’m fine, really. It’s probably nothing” he lied. 

“Oh my god” Nini said, rolling her eyes, pumping hand sanitizer onto her palms. 

One Day Before the Test (Thursday)

Ricky woke up the next morning, telling his Dad he was way too sick to go to school. After the hot-towel to the forehead trick to fake a fever, his Dad was convinced Ricky was under the weather. 

He woke up from a long nap to see his girlfriend sitting on his desk chair. He had been in and out of sleep all day, groggily texting his friends to tell them he was home with a fever. 

“Hey sleepy head,” she whispered. 

His head and throat were pounding, and he was congested.  Ugh, I didn’t mean to actually get sick, he thought. 

“Nin, you’re gonna get sick” Ricky croaked. 

“Ssh!” she said, putting a finger on her lips. “You need vocal rest” she said, putting a palm on his forehead. This time, a fever was actually present. 

“Ooh. You’re warm” she told him. Ricky frowned, curling up in his bed. 

He let out a train of coughs. His faking sick plans were over, now he was officially sick and on the road to a speedy recovery. 

“I have a test tomorrow” he muttered, receiving a glare from Nini as he continued to disobey her rules. 

“You can retake the test, you can’t retake auditions” she declared, brushing her hand through her boyfriend’s curls. 

SEE PART TWO