#mine: gina and nini

[forbescaroline]

favorite platonic relationships: gina porter and nini salazar-roberts “I'd say any guy would be lucky to have you, but that's not the point. Truth is, we're all lucky to know you.”

[galindaelphaba]

HSMTMTS APPRECIATION WEEK ↳ day 5 - free choice

[starrrbakerrr]

HSMTMTS Appreciation Week Day 1: Favorite Character

"I don't do anything right the first time, Ricky. My thing is that I just keep pushing and I never quit."

This scene occurred before Gina started to show vulnerability. At this point she was very guarded of her emotions and put on a mask of toughness. I dislike the "Gina 1.0" label because I think she has great qualities since her introduction that do not need to be stripped. Present-day Gina still has the confidence and drive of pre-Homecoming episode Gina, she's now just more open and comfortable in her environment – and that's why she's my favorite character. 💜

[wildm00re]

tapping back into my rina obsession for 5 minutes just to say that irl drama played no role in your ship not being endgame because 1). the first eps of s2 (when rini evidently were abt to die a slow, painful death) were filmed at the beginning of 2020 literally a whole year before driver’s license drama

and 2). if the writers *really* wanted to, they could’ve easily delena-ed them and made them endgame regardless of the actors’ irl relationship + they could’ve easily written nini off (like they wrote elena off when nina wanted to leave) and still have had her and ricky do long distance for real this time or whatever��

but they didn’t because as explicitly stated by the writer, he completely changed the direction of the show once he was moved by rina’s chemistry in 1x05/6

also if this scene, filmed in s1, wasn’t the biggest foreshadowing ever that a lot of y’all obtusely ignored, then idk what else to say

[imjustavenuxwithaboomerang]

hsmtmts + text posts (pt 3)

(1 2 2.5 4 5)

[blazethecheeto]

just finished hsmtmts and i’m sobbing help it was beautiful

[torturedpoetskywalker]

Polyship Week 2023

Post-Season Four - Nini's still in California writing her new album, Ricky and Gina decide to make a surprise visit to her. - Ricky Bowen/Nini Salazar-Roberts/Gina Porter

wc: 365 | ao3 | polyship week (@polyshipweek): day 18, long-distance relationship | fandom: high school musical the musical the series | rating: general | tags: polyamory, triad, established relationship, long-distance relationship, fluff, teen romance, pov nini salazar-roberts, post-season/series 04, california

[daphnebowen]

so I’ve seen a lot of things where people who ship portwell say that ej lost two girls to Ricky/ricky stole two girls from ej. and while yes in the first season Ricky was actively trying to break nini and ej up that is not the case at all in season three. He stepped back because he saw how happy Gina and ej were together in that moment. he knew that that’s what Gina wanted then and did everything he could bear to help that out. he helped Gina with her promposal. He didn’t throw Gina under the bus after rcosl because he wanted them to figure it out for themselves. and again, he didn’t throw Gina under the bus when she was upset about ej missing her basketball thing. He tried his best to stay out of their relationship and let them figure themselves out when they were going thru problems because he had 👏🏼 character 👏🏼 growth 👏🏼 he didn’t want to meddle. it kinda goes back to season two when Ricky’s mom says “if you truly love someone sometimes the best thing you can do is to let them go” (or something like that, I don’t remember the exact wording). Ricky believed that he should let Gina go. And so he did! he didn’t meddle as season one Ricky would have. he could have confessed to Gina about his feelings at the end of prom but didn’t because he saw that she was hurting. and again, later, he had the opportunity to do so again and didn’t because he found out Gina and ej had broken up. he loved Gina even if he didn’t realize it and only kissed her once she made the move first. They had a whole MONTH in between the end of camp and the documentary trailer premiere! And I saw someone say that it’s “lazy writing” and portwell had been built up from season one with everything and rina only had like ten scenes with zero chemistry at all… uh, bffr. Coming from someone who worshipped rini, all I can say is that I never felt any chemistry between ej and Gina. yes I will admit the things they did were borderline cute but as someone who went from not trusting Gina to loving her, I was team Gina, to be quite honest with you. I just wanted her to be happy. And if that’s with ej, if that’s with Ricky, whoever(but not Mack) then there you go. the writers decision not mine. but the people who say that “rina really didn’t have anything in season one or two” don’t understand the point of a mid game ship. They don’t understand that Ricky had given up on Gina. Ricky and nini barely interacted post homecoming! until Gina left. Ricky thought she was gone forever, Gina thought she was gone forever, and so I hate to paint nini as the “only choice left” but the fact remains that Ricky regressed and undid all of the growing he had done with Gina to be with nini. and they were not gonna last, as I said, I loved them dearly, but by the first episode of season two you could tell it wasn’t going to be the same. and then Gina and Ricky barely interacted over the course of season two. why? Because Gina was heartbroken, obviously, and they never got closure over her post finale confession. she wanted something so bad but saw that she couldn’t have it so she found someone who made her feel an inkling of what she felt for Ricky. and people say that ej did this and this and this and constantly supported her but like… he brought her a granola bar to pick her up at the airport. um, okay, skip on to the next please? they had a heart to heart where Gina basically inflated his huge ego (I’m sorry, I love ej but he was a lil cocky in the first couple seasons) and… what else? “Saved” her in the hallway? by pretending to be her boyfriend? and portwells can say all they want but the fact remains is that the confession scene from Gina was filmed in season one, the post homecoming scene in Ricky’s car changed everything for tim and the rest of the show, rina won, and everybody’s happy. because ultimately, that’s all I’ve wanted for anyone on this show. I just wanted them to be happy. and if you truly love this show you’d be wanting that for the characters too.

[ellscarrotqueen]

HSMTMTS HEADCANONS❤️🤍🎤🎭🎶

so as requested here are my hsmtmts headcanons, if there are any other headcanons you want me to share let me know. and leave your thoughts on mine if you would like. hope you enjoy lol! i also have in general headcanons of characters as well not just sexuality, etc. i also have ship headcanons i guess lol. so if you would like those i'll be happy to share. this is kind of a mess lmaoo

Ricky Bowen:

i strongly believe that ricky is bisexual there is just no way that he is straight. i may be bias because i ship Caswen but yeah. he for sure is NOT straight whatsoever 🩷💜💙

ricky uses he/him pronouns but i think ricky would honestly also be okay with using he/they pronouns.

i think ricky has ADHD because i have ADHD and he’s so me. so he has ADHD because i said so and it just makes sense he gives that vibe. i believe he could also be autistic perhaps because i can see it kind of makes sense.

i believe ricky has anxiety as well (same) i do believe he might have a little bit of social anxiety in some scenarios too.

EJ Caswell:

i believe that ej is gay. there’s no way he is straight. he’s a theatre kid okay, he’s definitely not straight 🏳️‍🌈 i feel like its possible after dating girls he realised he was actually gay.

i think ej would use he/him pronouns but he probably doesn't mind he/they either.

i like to think that ej is autistic, because it lowkey just makes a lot of sense to me idk.

Gina Porter:

i like to think that Gina is probably bisexual, i believe she has had multiple crushes on girls as well as boys. 🩷💜💙

gina definitely doesn't mind she/they pronouns.

i feel like gina is audhd, it just feels right to me and idk why, i also think she has anxiety.

Nini (Nina) Salazar-Roberts:

i believe Nini is a lesbian, and no one can tell me otherwise. i like to think she used to label herself as bisexual because of the few crushes on girls she may have had, and after dating men that she didn't like men and figured out she just liked women. she had a very bisexual to lesbian pipeline i feel like. 🩷🤍🧡

definitely she/they pronouns, sometimes she prefers they/them over she/her though.

i feel like she is autistic.

Ashlyn Caswell:

ashlyn is already canon queer, but i do believe she is most likely bisexual or pansexual. i'm not sure if they ever confirmed her label, but i honestly don't care bc she's a canon sapphic, whether thats bisexual, pansexual or what ever else we stan her 🏳️‍🌈

she/they pronouns

i think she's autistic for sure.

Big Red:

well big red is canon bisexual, so yep he's bisexual. before he was confirmed to be queer i always thought he was queer lol 🩷💜💙

i feel like big red uses he/him but sometimes he prefers they/he.

i have a feeling he is probably autistic, maybe adhd too.

Seb Matthew-Smith:

well seb is basically canon bisexual right so yeah. 🩷💜💙

i think seb uses he/him pronouns sometimes they/them.

seb is definitely autistic lol no one can tell me otherwise.

seb for sure has social anxiety as well.

Carlos Rodríguez:

carlos is canon gay so yeah lol 🏳️‍🌈

he for sure uses he/they pronouns idk why i feel like he does but it makes sense idk.

he is definitely autistic or adhd, you cannot possibly tell me he is neurotypical.

Maddox:

i don't think they ever confirm a label for maddox, but we know she is in some way sapphic, most likely a lesbian? as i only think they only showed she had crushes on and relationships with girls - her ex madison, that she used to like val (confirmed by her) and her current gf ashlyn. 🩷🤍🧡

maddox uses she/they pronouns and sometimes prefers they/them pronouns over she/her.

being autistic runs in maddox and jet's family and i like to think she is autistic + adhd.

Jet:

i like to think that jet is probably queer in some way he for sure seems like the type of guy to kiss girls and guys lmao, just get that vibe from him lol 🏳️‍🌈

i feel like jet is the type of guy to use he/him but secretly feels happy when someone uses they/them pronouns on him too. so probably he/they.

like i said with maddox, being neurodivergent or autistic probably runs in their family, and i believe he is also autistic.

Kourtney Greene:

i honestly feel like if kourtney didn't show interest in jet or howie throughout the season, i do think she would be give me lesbian vibes. however, i think she might be queer still possibly.

kourtney uses she/her pronouns. but she doesn't mind.

it was basically confirmed that kourtney has some type of anxiety, i do believe she could also be autistic maybe.

Miss Jenn:

miss jenn gives me heterosexual vibes, as much as i want to just say she gives me lgbtq vibes i just can't vibe with that idk why (someone prove me otherwise im curious on your thoughts, maybe i will rethink).

she/her pronouns.

she has anxiety for sure.

Mr Mazzara:

he is possibly queer in some way idk it just feels right?

he uses he/him

he definitely is autistic, you can't tell my otherwise.

Val:

i like to think she's sapphic in some way, i feel like maddox and her might have had a little thing at some point possibly. and if ashlyn didn't end up falling for maddox, i could get behind val and ashlyn possibly being together for a little. 🏳️‍🌈

she uses she/her pronouns

we didn't see a lot of her so i'm not sure if she has possible neurodivergent vibes (give me your thoughts).

Mack:

i think he's queer idk why but he gives that vibe.

he/him pronouns.

Lily:

idk why but i can see lily being a lesbian. or maybe bisexual idk 🏳️‍🌈

she/her pronouns.

Extra: i've noticed literally almost everyone i have a headcanon for is either queer, neurodivergent or both, but honestly lets be real it makes sense 😭

if anyone give their thoughts on this i can try and add on to some of this, i did miss a few characters but haven't seen enough to head canon them, but if anyone has any thoughts let me know lol.

i also noticed i don't really have any transgender, other gender headcanons for characters, so if you do i'd be happy to hear some. i just have no idea honestly so that's why i haven't given any lol.

might end up editing and adding on changing things if so.

[shelbbswrites]

Hi Shelby, as someone who has seen a lot of tv shows and is a lover of rom-coms, I wanted your take on chemistry between actors/characters. With shows like The Summer I Turned Pretty and HSMTMTS airing around the same time, the discourse around actors having and not having chemistry has naturally picked up. I wondered what your take on the whole chemistry discussion is. I always see people say that chemistry is subjective, or that preference and bias for a certain ship plays a role in whether people see chemistry or not.

For example, TSITP, people rave at the chemistry between the actors who play Conrad and Belly, while saying Jeremiah and Belly don't have any. Yet, a large portion of people who watch say they do have great chemistry.

Same goes for HSMTMTS, you see fans and articles from other tv reviewers rave about the chemistry between Josh and Sofia while playing Ricky and Gina. But, you also have a large portion who feel like they don't have any chemistry or that Mack and Gina had more chemistry in lesser scenes. I had read some articles from other reviewers before the season aired to the public that loved Portwell but admitted that the chemistry between Ricky and Gina was undeniable. Other neutral ones said that the chemistry between the two was organic.

I know over the years creators and writers have come out and admitted that certain actors chemistry changed the plans for the their show (ex. Dawson's Creek with Joey and Pacey), causing them to go in a completely new direction.

Do you think all of this is just a simple answer as we're humans who have different opinions, with chemistry between actors being subjective, or do ship preference and bias come into play? Do you struggle with this being a tv reviewer, trying not to be biased based on your own personal preferences?

PS - I have read your articles over the seasons of HSMTMS and know you liked Ricky and Nini as well as Gina and EJ. So, because I know for sure that you watch the show, I also wondered what your thoughts were on Ricky and Gina's chemistry this season and overall. Did you feel like they had a lot of chemistry? Some? Not as much as others?

I appreciate if you do answer as I tend to ramble once I start writing, sorry about that lol

Sorry it's taken me a bit to answer this ask. I've been watching football all weekend, so I've been pretty absent from social media — unless I was posting about football.

But no apologies are necessary for the long ask. I appreciate your passion and the time it took to write this out. I'll answer it by each paragraph, so I don't miss anything.

Chemistry is interesting because it is often objective, but we often can't help but be subjective. Sometimes, if you prefer one relationship over another, you may see more chemistry between those actors than the ones that make up the other pairing. However, for the most part, I see chemistry as objective. People either have it or they don't — and with rom-coms that can make or break it all.

For instance, Your Place or Mine. I don't think Ashton Kutcher and Reese Witherspoon have all that much romantic chemistry, but I think Reese Witherspoon and Luke Wilson DO in Legally Blonde.

As for The Summer I Turned Pretty, I think all three actors are great. Genuinely. They all have chemistry. But a different kind of chemistry because every dynamic is built on different characters. At this point in Season 2, Belly and Conrad have a different chemistry than in Season 1. That fire still crackles between them, but Conrad is trying to fan the flame to keep it burning, but Belly is moving on because she doesn't know how Conrad feels.

Whereas with Jeremiah, he's only starting to open himself up to Belly again. That hesitance to letting her back in and Belly starting to see Jere differently than in Season 1 informs the actors' chemistry.

But if someone is so adamant about Belly/Conrad or Belly/Jeremiah being superior that they don't even entertain the idea of the other relationship or try to understand where the characters are coming from, then there may be some resistance to seeing the chemistry between the actors.

For HSMTMTS, I think the same remains true — mostly.

Joshua Bassett and Sofia Wylie DO have chemistry. That's part of what made Ricky and Gina's connection jump off the screen all the way back in 2019 in Season 1. Personally, I don't think Mack and Gina had romantic chemistry. They could've, but the show shut that down pretty quickly when Gina met Mack and he was quite rude. From then, they became good friends and that's all I got from them.

Bringing Portwell into it, Sofia Wylie and Matt Cornett also have great chemistry. But their chemistry is different than Wylie and Bassett's. And that's okay! That's what I like! That's what makes the dynamics different and more exciting to watch!

I, too, have read and listened to writers discuss how actors' chemistry can change plans and inform story, and I think that's just smart. It's smart to write towards an actor's strengths when you can.

So, yes, I do think everyone will always have different opinions about chemistry because there is such a passion and loyalty to romantic relationships. And sometimes that dedication makes it hard to see beyond it and look at the bigger picture.

As a critic and an aspiring TV writer, I try to be as subjective as possible. I have my preferences as a viewer, as anyone does. But when I'm reviewing a show or analyzing a theme in a feature, I try to be as subjective as possible and understand where all characters are coming from at all sides. I tried my best to do that in my HSMTMTS Season 4 review and my analysis of TSITP's love triangle after the first three episodes. I'll link those below in case you, or anyone else who may read this, wants to read them.

And thank you for reading my articles! That means A LOT.

[ch4ndler]

#girldance. an independent, extremely private, and selective canon compliant and headcanon based blog for gina porter from disney+'s high school musical, the musical, the series. primarily focusing on gina during seasons 3 and 4, and after the series. not affiliated with the hsmtmts rpc, or the rpc in general.  written by nora. they/them. 18+ only.

        ¹⁾ carrd                    ²⁾ sideblog                    ³⁾ starter call    

001. — disclaimer. welcome to my blog!! this is an independent, extremely selective, canon compliant and headcanon based blog for gina porter from disney+'s high school musical, the musical, the series. i am not sofia wylie, not affiliated with disney, i didn't create gina, however, all my headcanons, ideas, and writing are of my own creation! please do not steal from this blog. i do not tolerate that.

002. — general etiquette. this blog will follow basic roleplay etiquette and protocol, and i expect you to do the same. do not godmod, control gina, or assume she and i are comfortable with any sort of plot. i'm incredibly selective, and interactions are only open to mutuals.

003. — fandom & muse dislike. please come onto this blog with an open mind. hate towards the hsm series, gina, or sofia wylie will not be tolerated. if you are anti gina porter, i would prefer not to interact for my own comfort, as she is a comfort character of mine. i will also not be interacting with people who focus on ricky & nini as an endgame ship, and ignore gina as a character.

004. — dni. this blog is private - meaning i have the right to follow and unfollow, people as i see fit. i will not follow minors, and i request that you do not follow me. i also will not be following muses with a focus on demons and human sacrifices as it makes me very uncomfortable. i also request that you restrain from following if you are in the following fandoms: dead by daylight, stargirl, american horror story, cobra kai ( friends only for this one ), 13 reasons why & squid game. also, do not interact if you write: tate langdon, billy hargrove, nick goode, or richie kirsh. mun wise, please do not interact if you associate with nessa ( girlstab, exstrum, bellsconklin ). i have my own personal reasons for this.

005. — mains / exclusives. i do, in fact practice mains, exclusives and affiliates. to me, a main is someone who takes priority when it comes to threads, plotting, memes, etc. they're high on my list. exclusives are higher priority, only one of a certain character i write with. these are selective, and available once we've established a bond. affiliates means that our blogs are linked, or intertwined in some way, whether in a main canon, or a verse. these are usually hand in hand with being exclusives.

006. — shipping. gina in most verses is written from the ages of 15-17, with the default age being 17. i will not be aging her up for the express purpose of shipping with adult muses. however, i do have post canon verses where she is an adult. speaking of ships, gina, while not canonically stated, is very much bisexual. she is open for shipping, and i am always open to plotting out a romantic ship between muses.

007. — dynamics. this blog is mutuals only, meaning i will only respond to memes, threads, etc. started by a mutual. i am also very selective with my mains / exclusives list. these people take priority when it comes to shipping, calls, writing, anything. i will only do this with people i have plotted extensively with. don't hesitate to interact, or send things if we're mutuals! memes are one of the best ways to interact with me, or just shoot me a dm! i am always up for new friends, new plots, and new fandoms!

008. — formatting. please tell me if you need me to change any of my formatting on my blog. i use colored text, and icons. i want my blog to be as accessible as possible, so please let me know how i can be accommodating, like removing colored text, no icons, whatever you need, don't hesitate to reach out.

009. — mun. hi! my name is nora. i'm a 20 year old black lesbian, who uses they/them and a full time college student. being a college student, my replies will be spotty. i also have autism and inattentive adhd, which means that i may not remember to reply. you can remind me by dm'ing me on tumblr, or discord, and i will get right on it! speaking of discord, if we’re mutuals, feel free to ask for it!

010. — credits. all graphics on this blog - including this carrd - were made by the amazingly talented villainsrph, who i definitely recommend commissioning! my psds is a variation of taste the rainbow by carestuff, with some light modifications by me.

[galindaelphaba]

5K CELEBRATION ♡ for @perccyjackson

↳ The Wildcats' iPhones (template)

[27emailsicantsend]

Set it Up: A Rina AU

Chapter Seven

Gina: They made up? Like actually, actually?

Ricky: Well, EJ didn't scream at me this morning, so I take that as a "yes".

Gina: I can't believe it! We did it. I was getting worried that Nini was going to try to make me miss the wedding Saturday night...

Ricky: Wow! I can't believe you almost flaked on your wedding with Jack! He must really like you to stick around!

Gina: Ha. Ha. Very funny, Richard. It's Kourtney's wedding(my roommate if you remember). And he's my date for the night, so he will be seeing me. You don't win this time.

Ricky: Oh, but on the contrary, I have won every game of digital chess we've played today.

Gina: We played one game.

Ricky: And I won. So, therefore, I'm the winner.

Gina: I'm leaving the conversation now! Bye!

Gina blushed as she set her phone back on her desk, resuming the work she had put off for the morning to play online chess with Ricky. Somehow, miracles really did come true because she now had Saturday night available and she was not about to miss her best friend's wedding.

Nini knew about the wedding since the day after Kourtney and Jet got engaged, but after the huge blow up EJ and she had, Gina knew she might have had to kiss that P.T.O. good bye.

About twenty minutes into typing, Gina saw a large hand smack the top of her computer. It left little remnants of finger prints on her privacy screen. She looked up jokingly annoyed at Ricky, before opening her desk draw and grabbing a small screen cleaning cloth. She whipped it once in the air with her wrist which was then preceded by her rubbing the prints off the screen meticulously.

"Gina! How could you! Those were the markings of me!" Ricky teased Gina before leaning his body against the high reception desktop.

"Which is exactly why I erased them," Gina easily countered, the smirk creeping up on her face. Ricky gave her a goofy face as a response back.

Ej rolled in, his demanding voice making the two of them jump. "Ricky, Jessica, Nini's office. Now".

Gina stood up, grabbing a notepad and a pen, muttering, "does he really not know my name?"

Ricky walked around the desk, so that the pair met up to walk to Nini's office, matching each other's pace. Ricky leaned in, his shoulder brushing Gina's as he whispered, "I'm surprised he even knows mine".

Gina had to do her best not to freeze; the momentary contact made her heart skip at least two beats. She regathered herself, hoping Ricky didn't notice her shift in confidence as they continued to walk.

Once the two entered the room, they saw Nini sitting in her desk chair and EJ standing close to her. He had his arm on her shoulder, with her hand reaching up to grab his. This small touch was enough to signal to Ricky and Gina that the two really were back together.

No one in the room acknowledged the mended fence, however. Instead, Nini kept her posture straight as a board as she began speaking, with the same confidence and power she normally had.

"We need two tickets to the Beyoncé concert this weekend," Nini instructed, not blinking an eye at her demand.

Gina, still as gentle as ever when it came to Nini asked, "But Nini... how are we supposed to get those? You know that concert has been sold out for months".

"You're my assistant. Figure it out".

"But-" Gina was about to keep arguing before Ricky grabbed her arm and pulled her close to him. His fingers wrapped tight around her bicep which made her feel like she was about to sweat profusely. She didn't know he had that kind of strength. To make matters worse for her, he whispered in her ear again, the tip of his words tickling her ear. This gesture made everything Gina was about to say to Nini flew out the window. Her mind had vanished.

"Just agree. We will figure it out. Kourtney, remember?" Ricky reminded her.

Gina, still feeling a little dizzy, made a couple steps forward towards Nini. Gina tried her best to keep her cool, not wanting Nini to hear her words wavering because of Ricky's touch.

"I... I will get-t them, Nini," Gina blinked, not sure what other movements her body could do. It was as if all functioning shut down.

Ricky stood in the back, his arms crossed proudly. He didn't know he could shake Gina up like that. He made a mental note that he could remind her of his strength when she tried to intimidate him.

However, just as the thought came to his mind- a stronger, brighter image of Lily flashed. Ricky swore to himself he would never let Lily know what he just thought.

Gina nudged her head toward Ricky to follow her out the door, before they made their way back to the reception desk. Ricky noticed that Gina didn't look pleased at all to be taking Nini's request. In fact, she looked paralyzed with fear. Gina slumped down in her desk chair, propping her elbows on her desk so that she could massage her forehead.

Ricky grabbed another swivel chair from the office across from them and rolled it behind Gina's desk, before taking a seat next to her. Ricky reached out gently, trying to use his hand to comfort her by placing it softly on her arm. It was supposed to be a warm gesture, but Gina turned her face and gave Ricky a "look", which he interpreted as her uncertainty to his touch. Ricky quickly shot his hand back, using his next words to distract her from his reckless action.

"I-uh-I... I know a guy, Gina. We're lucky we work in the music industry. He worked with EJ for a long time, as well as Beyoncé. I'm sure he can get us tickets. Then you can go on your," Ricky hesitated, "...date. And I can go to my party while they're at the concert".

Gina sat up, gratitude overcoming her eyes. She surveyed Ricky a few seconds, wondering why he was being so kind to her as of recent. Sure, the thought had crossed her mind a few times before this, but she thought it might have been him stressed and sleep deprived from the baby.

But this time was different.

Ricky was full of his same energy and zest. He still had his same playfulness he always did. But it was like Gina was uncovering this side to him she had never seen before. Or maybe she had seen, but she was finally noticing. A brief thought came and went in her mind about how she doesn't remember Jack ever comforting her when she was stressed about work.

Gina bit her lower lip, using the rest of her mouth to give Ricky a little grin. "Thanks, Ricky. I mean it... and did you say party?!"

Ricky looked unsurprised, not understanding why Gina didn't know about the party.

"Yes, Gina. The party!" Ricky repeated.

"You never said anything about a party? What for? With who?" Gina probed, not even sure herself why she was so intrigued by Ricky's plans. She justified that she was probably curious because Ricky didn't seem like the party type. But then she realized that he did like to have fun and a lot of his tendencies could be written off as "child-like". So, she was back to square one.

"Yes, Gi, a party," Ricky responded. Gina's heart fluttered a little hearing him use her nickname. She wondered if he would use it more often. "Lily is having a bunch of people from her play get together to celebrate their month long streak of sold out shows".

Gina couldn't describe what she was feeling, but hearing Lily's name made her blood boil a little. She thought about how awful Lily was to Ricky and how he sacrificed everything to be with her, and still continued to do so. She also had a sarcastic response she wanted to say about Lily's theater only being about, 30 seats, but she decided to bite her tongue.

"That sounds... fun," Gina knew her voice couldn't muster up the slightest bit of excitement for Ricky. But she was going to die trying.

"It will be..." Ricky's voice trailed off. He actually thought about asking Gina to join the party. But he knew she couldn't ask her with the wedding that same day, so he let the sentence float in the air.

Not sure of what to say next, Ricky made a small comment about needing to get back to his work. Gina echoed with "m-me too", and before Ricky knew it, he was back at his desk, making a call to his music industry buddy to get tickets.

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

Early Saturday morning, Ricky heard a few taps on his apartment door. He walked over and swung it open, seeing who he expected to see. He just didn't expect to see how nice she looked.

"Gina!" Ricky exclaimed, gesturing for her to come in.

She was in a sleeveless yellow dress, that had a tight top and a billowing skirt. Her hair was pulled back in a bun that made her curls waterfall on the back of her head. A tall pair of skinny, white heels pulled the ensemble together.

Ricky couldn't help but notice how Gina's smile paired with her dress made her radiate like sunshine.

Ricky's grin stretched from ear to ear, as Gina pulled a card out of her small white handbag (with a long chain to hold it on her shoulder). She smacked the card playfully on Ricky's chest, to which his hand brushed hers as he grabbed the card.

Gina's entire body stilled from the touch. After taking a couple of seconds to recollect herself, she remembered why she came.

"I called the guy like you told me to and the concert is now booked. We have our Saturday back!" Gina celebrated. Still facing Ricky, she turned her head to look around Ricky's living room. She knew he said he didn't have a lot of money, but she didn't know how much he meant. She assumed he lived in a decent apartment with Carlos and Seb paying rent. In her mind, three incomes (two of them from the music industry) made it possible for Ricky to afford a relatively nice place.

However, Ricky's apartment was small and humble. Any arrogance Ricky once showed Gina dissolved looking at his living situation. The cozy atmosphere made Gina think about what it might be like for her to be there more often.

Gina's thoughts were interrupted by Seb who asked, "Gina, you're going to wear that to the party?"

Seb was in pink shorts with bananas and pineapples scattered on them. He had on a button down white short sleeve, with the top few buttons opened to reveal his chest. He looked like he was about to go on a seven-day cruise, with his sunglasses atop his head and neon green flip-flops to match.

"No... um. I-I didn't know I was invited... I was just going to hang around town until the wedding tonight..."

"Of course you're invite-"

"Um, Gina probably has better things to do. Right? I'm sure you have all sorts of errands to run until then," Ricky cut Seb off awkwardly. Gina felt a little hurt that Ricky was trying to play nonchalant to the party. And even worse that he was trying to make up an excuse for her to not come.

What she didn't know, was that Ricky and Lily had a pretty big argument the night before. Ricky noticed Lily had been hanging around a lot of her male friends as of late. They asked her on several dates and she didn't even try to not flirt with them via her texts. She accused Ricky of not spending enough time with her because of work (even though their time together grew an exponential amount once Nini and EJ got together) and said that was why she was texting other guys. Ricky tried to be understanding, considering how much time he had spent around Gina (something Lily wasn't totally aware of), but he justified his anger with Lily's absolute lack of regard towards him as person. At least he still had that with Lily.

Lily promised to be better and that she would make time for him at the party. Ricky promised to be at the party with her as well. He retaliated Seb's invite because he felt like if he showed up with another girl (Gina), it was going to look bad for his relationship.

"Oh, I'm sure that's not true," Seb walked over and put his arm around Gina's shoulders, giving her a tight squeeze.

"Yeah, I actually have some time on my hand-"

Ricky interrupted again with, "But she would need a plus one as well. And I'm going with Lily and you're going with Carlos".

Ricky gave Seb a look to hint that it wasn't a good idea, but Seb was too sweet to catch on. Seb, although sassy at times, was also a pretty big empath. The fact that he saw Gina look excited to be invited, made him push the issue further.

With his arm still wrapped tight around Gina, Seb said, "Carlos wanted to spend the day shopping and if I look at one more 'murse', I might combust. Gina, you can be my plus one".

Gina's expression broke into excitement, which made Ricky feel a little terrible for how hard he pushed for her not to come. He thought about how it was just a party and that he was going to be with Lily all night. It probably didn't mean anything that Gina would be there too. Especially as Seb's plus one.

Regaining his peace, Ricky joked, "what's a 'murse', Seb?"

"A man-purse, Ricky!" Seb retorted, half-humorously, half-offended. "I know you're a male, but don't tell me you're still stuck in the 50's".

Ricky pursed his lips together and then gestured at the pair to come with him out the door. On the way out, he asked, "are you sure you can dance in those heels?" to Gina.

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

The party was everything Gina was hoping it would be and more. Every person was in cocktail dresses and rave outfits. The girls put on excessive amounts of make-up and the boys had too much gel in their hair. The room was warm and sweaty, but the atmosphere was lively.

It was a two-story dance club, with lights and deafening music. Everyone somehow looked elegant, even if they had water dripping down their faces from dancing. About every ten feet, there was some guy or girl flirting with another guy or girl (or two).

Gina didn't understand Ricky's comment about her shoes. Most of the girls had heels on at least a couple inches higher. They seemed to be dancing just fine.

"Do you want to dance?" Seb yelled loudly, but not loud enough to catch Gina's attention.

Gina watched as Ricky went over to whom she presumed to be Lily (from the pictures it would be wild if it wasn't her) and placed his hand on her upper arm. Gina had flashbacks of Ricky touching her arm earlier in the week. Each flashback appeared like a punch to her mind.

"Gina, do. you. want. to. dance.?" Seb asked again, more abrasively.

"Huh?" Gina asked him, now watching Ricky pull Lily in to kiss her on the cheek. She tucked her head down and giggled, her blonde curls falling perfectly by her cheek.

"You know what- I- I'm sorry, Seb. This might of been a bad idea. I'm going to go hang out outside," Gina started to hasten toward the door, but Seb gloomily asking her "why?" got her to stop and talk to him again.

"I just... don't do well with..." Gina looked at Lily who was now dancing with Ricky, her hands on his shoulders and his hands on her waist. They were dancing upbeat to fit the lively music.

"...Crowds," Gina finished her sentence, feeling like someone had just sucker-punched her in the gut.

Seb didn't argue with her, he just gave her a little smile and understanding nod before going elsewhere. Gina, as much as she wanted to leave, somehow found her way to a table. It was placed in the back corner of the second floor of the dance club. No one could see her, but she could see everyone.

Gina sat down at the table before taking a water from a waiter who was carrying several on a silver tray.

Instead of sipping the water, Gina reached into her purse and pulled out her phone. She opened up her messages from herself to Jack.

Gina: Hey, I'm sorry I won't be able to make it tonight. Have to stay late to help Ricky with something.

Gina: I got the invitation for the wedding. It starts at 4 on Saturday, if you still wanted to go with me.

Gina: Are you ok if we sit at Kourtney's family's table? I know them the best out of anyone there. Just let me know.

Gina: Hey, just let me know what time I need to come get you for the wedding. I was thinking 3:45 today?

Gina sighed, reading over the messages that looked more like she was having a conversation with herself. Jack had promised her several weeks ago that he would attend Kourtney's wedding with her, which made Gina feel incredibly special. She was used to attending weddings without a plus-one, or her plus-one being some random lady that didn't have one either.

Gina put her phone face down on the table, as if that would help her avoid the ache in her heart. She liked Jack, that wasn't a question. But she knew that there was something deeper for Ricky. Seeing him with Lily basically confirmed that for her and she didn't know how to ward off the feelings anymore.

But Ricky looked so happy in his horrible relationship. He wouldn't have kept pursuing it if he wasn't gaining something from it, Gina thought to herself. Gina propped her elbows on the table, using a large exhausted breath to place her chin in her hands. She stared blankly at a guy and a girl several feet from her; the guy hitting on the girl and the girl trying to turn him down politely.

Gina wondered if that was what Jack was trying to do to her. Or worse, Ricky when he made his failed attempt at keeping her away from the party. Out of any of the feelings she had had so far, rejection was the worst one of them all.

Gina wasn't sure how long she had stared at the couple, then another couple, then another couple, then finally the wall, before she felt a hand on her shoulder. The hand felt strong. Familiar.

"Aren't you so glad you came?" Ricky joked, but something in his tone seemed defeated.

"You don't sound so glad yourself, Mr. Bowen," Gina replied, still refusing to make eye contact with Ricky. He sat in the chair on the other side of the table, his body positioned forward to see the dance floor. He lifted his arm to rest it on the red table cloth.

Ricky clicked his tongue as if he was about to respond, but then closed his mouth and nodded his head, his expression irked. Gina noticed he was watching something, and when she turned to see what he was looking at, it was actually someone. Lily was giggling and talking to two guys, who both had their shirts off (every part of their torsos were carved to perfection). Gina watched Lily place her hand on one of the guy's chests flirtatiously. Gina snapped her focus back to Ricky, who was now looking down discouraged.

"Jack hasn't texted me," Gina broke the silence, hoping it would help Ricky feel better. Or distract him. Or both. Gina didn't really care. She just hated seeing him so dejected. It was like looking at a kicked puppy.

Ricky glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, concern ringing in his eye sight.

"Um... yeah," Gina continued, now speaking a little more confidently. "The wedding is at four and he hasn't texted me in... several days. I guess I'm going alone. Maybe me cancelling our dates too much is what caused this. I guess I squeezed my salamander a little too hard".

Ricky smirked at first, but then couldn't fight off the chuckle as he replied, "that's not the metaphor".

Gina rolled her eyes. She didn't think she was ever going to get it.

Ricky looked up at her with the warmest expression she had seen from him yet. It was a mix of concern and understanding, defeat and trust. In that moment, it was like their minds were connected. They didn't have to say anything to produce a mutual agreement of how terrible the situation was.

They just knew.

After a few moments of what seemed to be the most comfortable silence they had yet, Ricky spoke up again. "He doesn't deserve you".

Gina saw the sincerity in Ricky's eyes, how much he meant what he said. She swallowed, her eyes feeling a little sting from the tears trying to form. Gina blinked several times to pull herself together; Ricky's calm voice running through her head over. and over. and over.

He doesn't deserve you.

Ricky looked over at Lily again thoughtfully, pondering why he decided to try to make things right with her again when she was just going to revert back to her old ways. How he was supposed to be here with the love of his life, but instead he was sitting on the second floor of a dance club, about as far back away from the crowd as he could get, with another girl at the table, and he couldn't be more at peace.

Ricky didn't mind the big parties or all of the famous, well-known people acting like they cared about each other. He didn't mind Lily having interviews and scheduling photo shoots. He didn't even mind the idea of fame, considering he wanted to be a musician. But something about the day and this party felt off, and it only felt better at this moment. With Gina.

Ricky spoke again. And although it was off the cuff, he didn't regret what he proposed to Gina when he said, "I'll go with you".

Gina was sure she choked on her drink. The one that was still on the table. That she hadn't drank out of yet.

"You'll what?!" Gina exclaimed, knowing her shock sounded more excited than it did perplexed.

"I said, I'll go with you," Ricky repeated, now watching Lily pull one of the shirtless men close to her face, her hand around the back of his neck, as she danced with him.

Ricky was trying his best not to combust into a million irate little pieces.

"Yeah, you need a plus-one," Ricky resolved. He was upset with Lily, but he knew that wasn't the only reason he was offering. The sunshine Gina brought in earlier, seemed dampened by the darkest cloud because of Jack. Ricky couldn't stand to see her even remotely frown and he was willing to do anything to fix it. When the cloud over Gina formed, somehow it had hovered over Ricky too.

"What about..." Gina looked over at Lily. Gina wondered if anyone even knew Lily came with Ricky the way she was eyeing the other guys.

"Trust me. I don't think she'll notice I'm gone," Ricky sneered.

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

Jack hadn't responded by the time Ricky and Gina made it to the wedding. They stopped by Ricky's apartment for a moment so he could change into a nicer outfit. He opted for an entirely black ensemble, a short-sleeved black button-up, matching slacks, and shiny leather shoes. He was wearing a gold watch that hung a little off of his wrist and his curls were dressing the top of his head perfectly.

When Ricky walked out of his room, Gina was sitting on his couch, rifling through some old newspapers on his coffee table. When she heard him come in, she looked up and thought she had went into cardiac arrest. Ricky looked devilishly handsome and all she wanted to do was kiss every inch of his face.

Gina decided she wasn't going to push her thoughts away anymore, especially after Jack disappearing into thin air.

To make matters worse, when he stepped in closer to her, the waft of his cologne hit her nose. It was a dark, musky scent. It smelled like nighttime in a fancy bachelor pad.

Gina was sure she was going to have to get checked into a hospital with her heart palpitations.

"Well... how do I look?" Ricky teased, spinning in a circle like a little girl showing off her new dress.

"Please," Gina rolled her eyes, hoping Ricky couldn't see her blushing. She stood up and walked past him so he couldn't watch her bring herself back to reality. Over her shoulder she said, "you already know I look better".

Ricky couldn't have agreed more.

Ricky and Gina gasped when they got to the destination of the wedding. It was the same dock where Jet had proposed, with candles and rose petals everywhere. There were string lights strewn around the railings of the dock and vines wrapped around the lights. Tables with white cloths and single red roses were placed randomly around. There was a DJ, a long banquet table, and a greeting area with a "sign-in" book and a place to put presents.

Gina was beyond curious what the venue would look like when Jet and Kourtney first said where. About a million logistical questions went through her mind about if the railing was tall enough, if the wood was sturdy enough to hold all of the furniture and people, and how Kourtney would even walk down an aisle. Gina wanted to help decorate, but Kourtney's parents ended up paying people to decorate for her. So everyone who came (besides the decorators) were in disbelief at how beautiful the reception area looked.

At the end of the dock stood a tall wooden arch with white curtains and green leaves draped around it's poles. Kourtney was standing under it in a long silky white gown with cold shoulders that barely reached her upper arms. Her hair was picked out into a beautiful afro, with two gold hair clips to pull back one side. She had an assortment of gold earrings running up both of her ears. Gina couldn't help but think about how ethereal Kourtney looked under the arch.

As soon as Gina saw Kourtney, she bolted straight for her arms. The pair gave each other the tightest and most loving embrace, with Kourtney eyeing Ricky over Gina's shoulder. Ricky looked away, pretending not to notice Gina's best friend interrogating him with her glare.

"Kourtney, you look like an actual Greek goddess! I just can't believe you're getting married. All of this is stunning! Oh! I almost forgot to introduce you! This is-" Gina began to introduce Ricky, but Kourtney unfortunately jumped the gun.

"Jack! He is really cute!" Kourtney tried to act excited but was absolutely covering up some disgust. Gina knew she was faking her emotion because Kourtney knew about Jack not messaging Gina back either. Kourtney had about lost her mind with Jack and Gina's messy back-and-forth over the last few months. Gina presumed the only thing keeping her sane was her wedding.

Gina's eyes widened, not sure how Kourtney mixed up the two boys so badly. She hurriedly fixed Kourtney's assumption.

"Ricky! This is Ricky. Who I work with? Remember?" Gina was trying to stare death down Kourtney so she wouldn't make that mistake again.

"Right! Right! Ricky! I've heard so mu-normal amount about you!"

Kourtney's awkwardness made Gina wanted to run so far from the wedding. She started to ruminate on how much of a mistake it was that she brought Ricky. How she should've just shown up solo instead of this terrible idea.

"And I've heard... so normal amount about you too?" Ricky joked, arching his eyebrow. He was definitely unsure about what to make of Kourtney. One thing was certain to him, however: meeting Kourtney made Gina's mannerisms make a lot more sense.

Ricky still didn't totally get Gina, but he was starting too.

"Ricky, this is Jet!" Kourtney grabbed Jet's arm to turn him around and, as if in a movie, Jet slowly turned around and connected immediately to Ricky.

Kourtney introducing Jet to Ricky was like reuniting soulmates. Jet mentioned one word about music to Ricky and the two of them couldn't stop talking. In fact, they talked so much that both of them walked off to get some appetizers at the banquet table while Kourtney and Gina took seats elsewhere.

"I guess my fiancé stole your boy- I mean, your date- I mean, your Ricky," Kourtney fumbled, obviously trying (and failing) to not put a label on whatever Ricky was.

Gina knew that she talked a lot more about Ricky than she did Jack. She also knew that Kourtney always had a knowing look whenever Gina mentioned Ricky. Gina also knew that Jack was probably not going to come back, so it wasn't going to hurt her to open up to her best friend.

"I know you were trying not to say boyfriend, Kourt. But Ricky's not with me. He's with Lily," Gina said disappointedly.

"You don't want him with Lily, do you?" Kourtney replied softly, reaching her hand over to hold Gina's.

"Yeah... I guess I don't," Gina admitted. She didn't care if Kourtney knew about her true feelings since it probably wasn't going anywhere anyway. Gina accepted this fate because if Ricky stuck with Lily through all of the other terrible things she did, she believed that there was no way Ricky would leave her for another woman. Especially a coworker.

Kourtney just squeezed Gina's hand understandingly. Gina knew that Kourtney wasn't going to try to make her feel better or change her mind. In that moment, a supportive friend was all Gina needed.

The wedding went phenomenally well. It all took place on the dock, which Gina had failed to see that the tables had been set strategically so there was a "fake aisle" for everyone to walk up. Gina took the arm of the best man (Jet's best friend growing up) and stood on the left of the arch next to Kourtney. Tears streamed down Gina's face as she listened to the wedding vows that would make the largest, most intimidating man weep.

What Gina didn't see, was Ricky watching her the entire wedding. He couldn't have told her what vows were said or even what the color of Kourtney's earrings were. All he saw was the most gorgeous being in yellow, overcome with emotion for the person she cared so deeply about. Ricky began to wonder if he would have friends like that who would be that emotional over his own wedding day. He sure hoped so.

After the wedding was complete, the bride and groom did a few of the traditional after wedding celebrations, like toasts, getting the garter, and catching the flower bouquet. Gina wanted to catch it, but Ricky jokingly reached in front of her and caught it himself. When Gina crossed her arms and gave him a lovingly-annoyed look, his face broke into a huge grin. He handed the bouquet to her which only resulted in Gina laughing before she tried to walk away.

Kourtney had noticed this interaction, giving Gina a sly eye. As she saw Gina walking, she yanked Gina to the side and said, "just so you know, we're going to start the dance soon".

"Ok, cool!" Gina obliviously replied, not sure why she needed to know that information.

Kourtney decided to press a little further, making sure Gina got the hint. She grabbed Gina by the shoulders and made her face Ricky, who was now laughing hysterically at something Jet had just said. It must have been really funny, because Ricky was holding a drink and when he threw his head back, he nearly spilled it.

"There is going to be a dance soon," Kourtney reiterated in Gina's ear, shaking Gina's shoulders a little to catch her attention.

Gina turned around to look at Kourtney with a bit of panic on her face. Kourtney just chuckled and pushed Gina toward Ricky. About the same time that happened, "Everything" by Michael Bublé came over the outdoor speaker.

Kourtney began by dancing with her dad, a tall well-built man who Gina was sure terrified Jet the first time they met. A few moments later, Jet cut in and swayed around with Kourtney. Gina and Ricky watched as more pairs stepped in, the wind adding to the silent tension between them.

Gina wanted to ask Ricky to dance, but was worried about what Lily was going to think. She wondered if she could play the dance off like a fun, casual thing. Or if she was stepping over her bounds by even thinking about Ricky dancing with her. She wondered how well Ricky could dance, or if she would be the one who needed to lead. She wondered if Ricky is the kind of guy who makes eye contact while he dances or uncomfortably avoids contact by looking over the girl's head. He made eye contact with Lily earlier, but she wondered about someone new.

Someone like her.

The anxiety from her thoughts continued to build and build, making Gina wish the song wasn't so long and so slow. She wanted nothing more than the moment to be over so she didn't even have to think about dancing with Ricky. But, at the same time, all she wanted was to dance with Ricky.

A few moments later, after the wait became nearly unbearable for Gina, she opened her mouth to ask Ricky to dance.

Just as she went to talk, however, he spoke over her. Ricky was standing next to her, therefore he didn't know he had just interrupted. "You're a great dancer, right?"

Gina felt her heart pound about a thousand miles in her chest. She didn't want to seem too eager or obvious, even though she knew where this was going. "Yes, it's something I've done since I was little".

"Why don't you show me?" Ricky asked, now looking down at Gina.

Her gaze went up to meet Ricky's, but she wanted to be one hundred percent sure she knew what he was asking. "Like... go out there... and dance? ... by myself?"

"Gina," Ricky looked at her sarcastically, as if he couldn't believe she could have missed such an obvious hint. "Teach me how to dance".

Gina gave Ricky a small smile as she grabbed his hand (for the first time, which made her hands feel like they were profusely sweating- she was hoping Ricky would just blame the warmth on the hot summer night) and led Ricky out to the dance area in the middle of the dock.

Once in an area they could dance (without bumping into tables or other people), Gina held her hand out. Ricky grabbed it before she placed his other hand on her waist, and her other hand on his shoulder. The intimacy of the moment was already enough to make Gina feel faint, but that feeling tripled when a light breeze pushed the scent of his cologne toward her. Gina had to stiffen her body to maintain her composure.

Pushing through the dreamy smell, Gina directed, "So, you're just going to put your left foot back with my right. Then make your feet meet. Move over to the side... no other way. There you go. Feet meet. Same movement as before... no before that. Good... feet meet again..." She continued to show him this basic step, wondering how he had never learned how to slow dance before.

She wondered for a moment if Ricky had ever slow danced with Lily. Not the fast, new age dancing they were doing earlier. But legitimate, orchestrated slow dancing.

Ricky hadn't. And it was all he could think of the entire time he danced with Gina. He wondered when was the last time Lily had taken a moment out of her day to teach him something new... or to even acknowledge when he asked. Gina directed him slowly and with kindness, not making him feel bad or silly for not understanding. And he couldn't help but notice how radiant she looked under the twinkling lights and stars. It was all he could do to pay attention to what Gina was saying.

Ricky became so fixated on watching her, that as soon as he thought he had the movements down, he started messing them up again. To counter the awkwardness, Ricky spun Gina playfully under his arm. She giggled, which made Ricky feel about a thousand thuds in his chest.

If he wasn't dating Lily, he would have kissed her brilliant smile right then and there.

But Ricky was dating Lily which made watching Gina's face difficult because she seemed so irresistable. To counter his thoughts, he pulled Gina close to his chest, so her head was now laying on it while they swayed. He did it to avoid his impulsive thoughts, but somehow having her face touch him made it really hard to see past his feelings.

"Jet and Kourtney are the funniest pairing to me," Gina pondered out loud, completely unprompted. "Like, Jet is so grumpy sometimes. He is quiet and will sass anyone that gets too close to him. And then... there is Kourtney. Who is beautiful and kind and isn't afraid to take up a room. You would think that they would hate each other..."

"And yet," Ricky continued her thought, which made Gina pull her head back to fully hear what he had to say. "... they are perfect for each other".

In that moment, it hit Gina harder than it had the entire night. Ricky and Lily couldn't be any more unalike. She was brash and angry and made Ricky feel terrible. Ricky was more like a golden retriever who sometimes played a little too hard. He never wanted to hurt someone, but didn't know how to contain his teasing sometimes. They were complete opposites.

"... is Lily your 'and yet'?" Gina asked, trying to hide the sadness in her voice.

Ricky took a big breath, not because he was afraid of what to say, but because he didn't know what to say.

"What do you mean?" Ricky responded, his eyes searching Gina's, trying to understand where she was leading this conversation.

"Like you said... Kourtney and Jet should hate each other... and yet they're perfect together. You know everyone despises Lily (Ricky responded, "true") and sometimes it seems like you do too. And yet..."

Ricky didn't know what to say. What Gina was saying did make perfect sense in the context of Lily and him. But they didn't get along. They weren't perfect together. If they were, he would be at home, cuddling happily with her on the couch. But instead, he was slow dancing with another woman who he couldn't stop thinking about no matter how hard he tried.

Gina laid her head back on Ricky's chest after he didn't respond to her any further. Gina was expecting him to jump for joy and say that Lily was everything he could have hoped for. That he would take her over to that arch and marry her right now if he could. That Gina just reminded him of the love he had been missing all along.

But instead he was despondent and distant. It was like Gina had touched a nerve and she couldn't get happy Ricky back. All she wanted to do was hug him and tell him everything was going to be ok. But she also didn't want everything to be ok with Lily and him.

So, she kept dancing with him in silence.

The song ended and everyone- sitting and standing- cheered. Ricky and Gina's spirits came up with the next song and the next few after that. They danced and giggled and made fun of how each other danced (even though Ricky knew that Gina was only dancing badly to make him feel better).

At one point, Gina and Ricky walked over to Kourtney and Jet who were standing by the food table, taking a break from dancing. Gina gave Kourtney another overjoyed squeeze and said, "Kourtney, this was the best wedding ever. The wedding to top all weddings".

Kourtney pulled out of the hug, laughing. She was still holding onto Gina, when she used one hand to brush the side of Gina's head. "But?"

Gina didn't know how Kourtney could do that. Read her mind, practically. There was more Gina wanted to say, but she didn't want to make Kourtney feel bad.

"It's Saturday night... and I'm with you... and there are no..." Gina's eyes were glossing over, which made her feel a bit dumb about how emotional she was getting over a lame tradition in their decaying apartment.

"Wings," Kourtney smiled at Gina, her hand still on her head, giving Gina's hair a gentle squeeze.

Ricky raised his hand as though he was going to ask a question, but instead volunteered, "I can do it!"

Gina's head snapped around to look at Ricky. She was confused that he was so quick to help her with something so miniscule. But his hand raise had persistence.

"You want to get wings? I'll go get you some wings. There's a store right across the street from here," Ricky insisted, making Gina wonder why he suddenly wanted to come to her rescue.

Gina was grateful for his assistance, but he really didn't understand the context of what she was needing. "I'm sorry, Ricky. I don't think you know what I need wings for..."

Ricky's face dropped suddenly and in the blink of an eye he went from giddy to dejected. Gina felt incredibly bad for making him feel so useless, so much so that she turned around completely and immediately started defending the request.

"Oh, Ricky! I appreciate it. I do. So, so much. But Kourtney and I have had this Saturday night tradition where every weekend we get wings... and we've been doing it for years..."

"Except the last few months," Kourtney acknowledged, giving an apologetic shrug.

"But that's no ones fault. You had wedding planning... I had..." Gina was about to say "Jack", but Ricky's face still looked incredibly somber. Gina made herself shut up.

"Just because I'm moving out doesn't mean we can't keep our tradition up..." Kourtney started, before giving Ricky a knowing look. "And sometimes... traditions can be met with other people".

Gina's initial reaction was to panic. She wondered if Kourtney was really suggesting Ricky join her on such a special quest? If he could actually fulfill the duty of what her best friend was supposed to do?

Ricky, on the other hand, wanted nothing more than to just make Gina happy. Not only had she been stood up that night (she hadn't mentioned Jack once), but she also was losing years worth of tradition to her best friend getting married (another loss). Ricky couldn't bear to see the same cloud come over her as it did earlier that day.

"Gina, let's go get you wings," Ricky pushed again, smiling at her sincerely.

Gina's finally let herself feel delighted at Ricky's generosity, because she knew that meant Ricky wanted to spend more time with her. And that was all she wanted that night too. Ricky nodded his head to encourage Gina's decision, so Gina finally accepted his act of service and said her good bye's to Kourtney and Jet.

As Ricky and Gina walked away for the night, Kourtney was standing in the background with Jet. She gleefully said, "let's go ahead and cancel that last event for the night. We can eat the wings once we get to the hotel".

Jet shook his head in amusement, before placing his arm around Kourtney's shoulder and her hand reaching up to grab his.

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

Ricky and Gina stopped along the way to Gina's apartment to get two boxes of the cheapest and sloppiest wings. Once they got into her apartment, they both surrendered themselves to the couch. Gina took off her heels and flung them across the room, before they simultaneously opened their boxes with joyful expressions.

Both of them sniffed the air happily before giggling and taking a huge bite out of each of their wings. Gina got up and grabbed some napkins, before sitting on the couch and turning on her TV.

Ricky, not sure where Gina was going next with the night asked, "Are we going to watch a show?"

Gina remembered that since the interaction with Kourtney, she had failed to inform Ricky about the entire tradition. She began to explain, "so the tradition is actually called 'Weekend. Wings. Women'. Kourtney and I get our wings, throw on our PJ's and watch a musical with an amazing lead woman. Sometimes there are male leads, but we absolutely watch it for the woman. It's like... this weird empowerment ritual we have".

Ricky didn't find it weird at all. In fact, he found it sweet that two best friends took out so much time to be with each other, especially living in one of the busiest and most populated places in the world. He couldn't remember the last time he intentionally hung out with Seb or Carlos alone. He made a mental note to reach out to one of them to do something fun that week together.

"What movie will we be watching, then?" Ricky said with a massive grin. Gina clicked the side of her mouth before shuffling through the available streaming services. She settled on Disney+ and asked if Ricky would be ok watching High School Musical 3.

After excitedly accepting (Ricky was secretly a huge fan of the franchise), the pair put the movie in and watched. Before they knew it, they were standing up in the living room, dancing and singing along to "I Want it All".

When the song ended, Ricky looked down to notice Gina was using a lightly sauced wing as a microphone. When Gina saw what he was seeing, the pair immediately burst out laughing. They couldn't stop for nearly a minute and then laughed even harder when Gina accidentally smacked herself on the cheek with her wing.

Ricky, nearly in tears, took the wing out of her hand and set it back into the box. "Here, let's put this down before you hurt yourself," he teased.

Gina started to cool off, now giggling lightly under her breath. When Ricky stood back up, he faced back at Gina. The two were looking deep into each other's eyes. Gina felt nervous and confused and excited. She was a bundle of emotions and the longer she met Ricky's gaze, the more out of control she felt.

And that was when he reached his hand to her face to wipe the sauce off her cheek with his thumb.

She wanted to kiss Ricky.

She wanted to kiss him bad.

But instead, when his hand dropped to his side, she lowered her voice and said, "this was the best Saturday night I've had in a long time".

Ricky continued to watch her, not breaking their moment with any sort of movement. He couldn't tell, but it seemed like Gina might have been moving closer to him. Little microscopic actions that made this scene feel like an eternity.

An eternity that Ricky was ok with not ending.

However, both of them thought about the same thing at the same time, and Gina finally said, "Lily... you... she probably wants to see you tonight".

Ricky wasn't sure why Gina was trying to kick him out so fast, but for whatever reason, she was done for the night. He could have sworn she was enjoying the connection they had, which made her switch up feel really unexpected. However, he wasn't going to push the issues. Respecting her wishes, he nodded his head and began to walk toward the door.

As Ricky made his way out, Gina asked, "wings for the road?"

Ricky paused facing the door. He turned around to request, "and still in the box. I'm a gentleman, Gi," before he gave her a sly wink.

And with that gesture, Gina felt herself melt into a puddle on the floor.

[melodyplucked]

with nini sitting next to him, he doesn't want to be anywhere else. no one could steal his attention when he's with her, not now and not ever... he loves the sound of her laughter, the way she smiles at him.   ❝    well hey, your friends should be proud of you- seeing as you did put yourself out there. but i'd be into you no matter what you were wearing. you know i've never been about that... like i appreciate a pretty dress, but i like you- not the dress... and then again i don't know if it counts the same when it's your ex... as far as getting back out there? but i mean they should still be happy for you anyway i like to think   ❞    he chuckles, shrugging his shoulders, bright grin on his face. he can't stop smiling now that they're talking like this.

   ❝    that's exactly what i'm saying, angel- i still want to be with you- still want us to be an us... and i think we can start doing something about that tonight, don't you? i mean- i love you... and you're saying you're mine... i've always been yours too. my heart has belonged to you since we were kids...   ❞    he beams, leaning in a bit and pressing his lips to her cheek softly. he won't go for the kiss in front of all these people. that's not how they should do this... but when they get back to his apartment... he takes another sip from his glass before setting it aside at her words.

❝    oh- okay. you ready to get going then? i mean we can stay a while longer and just talk here, but at the same time... i think we could use the privacy too... and if you can't walk yourself out i can always just carry you.   ❞    he winks, laughing softly. he loves the feeling of her hand in his hair, the way she plays with his messy curls like this. any little touch, the warmth of the contact makes him feel so nice- so connected to her in a way he's missed. they really were tethered, souls bound to each other in a way that feels like this reunion was inevitable. they were just out there waiting for the universe to draw them back together. right at the perfect moment...

he listens attentively, letting her explain her own feelings, the background... she really has always been a part of his family in a way. his father, when taking a younger nini to those father-daughter dances, couldn't have quite known that was his future daughter-in-law, but by high school, the inevitability of the romance between nini and ricky had become quite clear... and ricky liked to think the sort of permanence of it all was felt by their families as well. maybe he shouldn't just assume their future will come back to fruition so easily, but nothing feels more natural or right than this...   ❝    i think you're allowed to feel however it feels... it's hard... even though your moms are great- that part was always complicated- but it could've been a little easier... but i'm happy my dad always wanted to do those things with you too... you've always been so important to me...    ❞    and always will be too.

   ❝    you're my best friend... so that makes sense. our traditions mean the world to me too... it was just- i think people trying to get in my head since we broke up... but then they don't know how close we stayed... i really hate that gina hid the card you got me, but i guess i'm just happy someone found it... it was just another reminder you know me better than anyone    ❞    he wasn't going to say- but it's nini. he's always told her everything... what has he been up to...   ❝   well- i've been in the big apple a few months now- came out here after graduation. was kinda still figuring things out but- music is the thing that really makes sense to me, you know? so i've been doing a lot of writing, went to open mics until i found the right people, started getting paid to play gigs like tonight... sold a few songs too actually. i've found some pretty good friends out here too- it's fun.    ❞ they'll probably start walking out of here soon, so he's sipping on his drink, intending not to waste too much...

[thstarsofsilver]

i still don’t think we talk enough about how heartbreaking it would be for ej caswell to be not his best self and lose a girl to ricky bowen, then go on a long hard journey of self-development and self-improvement, learning to be a more outward-looking & genuine person and finally begin to gain confidence in his new, better self and STILL lose a girl to ricky bowen.

[amesscott]

fanfics im gonna need after that finale:

- pw getting closure before the time skip bc wtf was that

- alternatively, angsty pw as exes and neighbors in s4, like im ok if they’re not gonna end up together, but i just need fcking closure and maybe them becoming friends again at least 🥺

- canon divergent fic where ej was able to leave the barn instead of singing “everyday” with the cast after the show so he runs into nini just as she’s about to leave and they bolt to california together (ejini bffs agenda)

+ bonus if he bonds with nini’s moms and maybe reunites with mr. mazzara at caltech?

(if the writers won’t give ej healthy parental figures, i will)

- carlos finding a distraught ej after his call with cash, and, since he knows first hand that it’s not easy to direct a show, he tells ej, that, for what it’s worth, he’s proud of him and thanks him ‘cause he had a fun summer 🥺

+ bonus if ej says something like “yeah, i wish i spent more of it with you guys” so carlos promises to take the lead in making plans for group hangouts once they get home, (but he also offers just him and seb if that’s what ej would be more comfortable with, considering the drama) and ej just really appreciates it

++ with this, i imagine carlos and seb being his support group during the time skip, so you can imagine how angry/protective ej got on seblos’ behalf after seeing the trailer (he will fight anyone who messes with his friends, he swears)

- ashlyn going rage mode on her uncle cash once she finds out that he hung up on ej then the two of them just taking the caswell money and spending the rest of their summer in the most needlessly excessive ways (“go big or go home”, they’re gonna say)

- kourt and ej friendship fic that explores how they went through a similar storyline this summer, leading to them getting to know each other better and helping each other out