#packs ricky bowen

[songbvrd]

—  JOSHUA BASSETT IN HSMTMTS S4E5-8

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[jimblejamblewritings]

luck be a (leading) lady | part 14.

[Posted 2023.08.12]

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

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

Pairing: ricky bowen x black!reader

Word Count: 3.0k

Previous Part | (Series Masterlist) 

Despite the documentary trailer coming out, the general public didn’t believe you and Ricky were together. According to everyone, the whole show was an act. A very entertaining act but an act nonetheless. Not that you or Ricky minded. With the increase in auditions and booking small roles, you wanted your personal life to stay personal for just a little longer. You told Gina that much as you helped her finish packing.

Her mom was back into so your roommate turned sister was officially leaving your house. Gina dragged her entire closet into your room so you two could pack up and watch a movie on the projector screen in your room.

“I can’t believe your moving. Seriously,” you said as you shoved her jackets into a box.

“You act like I’m leaving the state, I’m literally across the street.”

“Yeah, I can’t believe that old couple finally chose to live in a nursing home.”

You and Gina paused before you bursted out in laughter. It was really nice to have her stay near by. While you were friends with the rest of the drama club, Gina and Ricky were still your only close friends at East High.

“You know what I can’t believe,” Gina started. “That two of my best friends are leaving me next year.”

“Senior year. I still haven’t processed it yet,” you admitted.

A knock on the door caught your attention. Your dad was standing in the doorway with a plate of fruit. “My lovely senior and junior…”

You and Gina rolled your eyes.

“Gina, your mother wants me to remind you that she’d like you home by ten thirty and that you two can talk tomorrow at school.”

“Got it.”

“Thank you, here you guys go. Let’s try to finish packing before the night is over.”

“If you really want us to finish. Dad, you could he—”

The sound of your window opening made you all turn. You laughed as Ricky practically fell into your room. He jumped up with a quickness.

“Hi, Mr. L/N. Y/N, Gina.”

“Hello, Richard. You do know we have a front door, right?” you father pointed to downstairs.

“Yeah but since you guys said I’m allowed over any time, it’s not as much fun unless I’m going through the window.”

Your dad looked up at the ceiling. “I have clearly overstayed my welcome talking to a bunch of teenagers. Okay, Gina, home by ten thirty. Richard no sleeping in Y/N’s room but you are welcome to take any other room upstairs. Bed time is eleven, no negotiations. School’s tomorrow… I can’t believe my baby is a senior.”

“Dad, Dad, there’s plenty of time before I graduate. We don’t need to start crying now.”

“Oh, whatever.”

You chuckled as your dad left the room before focusing on Ricky again. He had no problem showing affection towards you with Gina in the room because she was the only person that knew you and Ricky were a real couple. She wasn’t exactly sure how she felt about being sworn to secrecy no matter the reason but she was still just happy to be let in.

Your boyfriend sat on the bed, actually helping you pack up Gina’s closet. “I wanted to give you something but I couldn’t really wait until tomorrow. Well, both of you, kind of.”

“What is it?”

“So, I’ve had this melody stuck in my head all day and it reminded me of Y/N.”

“Sap,” Gina muttered.

“I think it’s sweet.” You leaned over to give him a peck.

“Anyway, I know you don’t really write songs but you have an ear for music Y/N and Gina does write lyrics so I thought maybe we could work on this together?”

“Of course.”

“Okay.” Ricky stood up to leave. “I actually do have to get home. One of Dad’s only rules is bed by ten on the first day of school.”

“Seriously?”

He nodded. “Yep, it’s been a tradition since I started… and it is nine thirty so I do need to go.”

You gave him another kiss. “Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow… Oh! Did Lucille send you the filming schedule?”

“Yeah, I’m just glad the filming is here. Senior year away from East High would’ve been such a bummer.”

“I know right. Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

~~

You leaned against Ashylnn’s locker, chuckling as you watched Kourtney and Carlos take pictures with fans. It was weird to say you guys had fans.

“So what do you think, Y/N?”

“Hmm?” You focused back on Gina and Ashlynn.

“About Ash and Maddie giving each other relationship advice.”

You and Gina shared a look before you stood up straight. “I think that’s for Ashlynn to figure out but we need to figure out how to get to the drama club before we’re late for Ms. Jenn’s big announcement.”

Ashlynn’s eyebrows furrowed. “For me to figure out what?”

“Nothing,” you said with a laugh before grabbing her and Gina’s hands and leading them to the drama club.

You guys weren’t sure why Ms. Jenn called everyone in for a “surprise.” It was pretty obvious that the next play was going to be High School Musical 3. Without stupid Zacky Roy around to throw the Drama Club off their game, you guys were going right back to doing Disney TV shows for musicals. You just hoped that next semester you guys did Teen Beach Movie before you graduated.

You felt Ricky squeeze your hand once before you guys broke apart and left the drama room with everyone else to go to the Pep Rally. Staying lowkey was going to be so hard. You let Ashlynn and Gina walk in between the two of you on your way to the field.

“Can you believe auditions are this Friday? I need to pick a song,” Ashlynn said as she started searching through a list written down on her phone.

“What part are you going for Ash?”

“I’m thinking Kelsey or Sharpay. You?”

You shrugged. “Whatever doesn’t interfere with filming and my calculus homework. You know I’ve been demoted at Saltwater.”

“What?!”

You chuckled at your friends’ expressions. “Not like that. Bennet agreed that Principal dancer is too much to handle with school and filming so I’m only principal for the fall ballet since we’ve been rehearsing it before filming next month and then I’m just a first soloist for the rest of the time. It’s better this way anyway. This is the exact arrangement I’m going to having at Berklee. I’m thankful to get but my academic advisor sends me an email like every other day with updates. My inbox is dying.”

You guys sat down in your seats, finally moving to be next to Ricky.

“That still means we get to come watch you perform at Saltwater, right?”

“Yeah, you are looking at Coraline Jones in our fall production.”

Before your friends could celebrate you, the pep rally started much to your relief. You were still getting used to being the center of attention without losing the ability to breathe. Part of the reason you weren’t so prepared to be the lead in a feature film. A small film but still… The first Twilight movie was an indie film.

At least you didn’t have time to overanalyze that because the dude who played Coach Bolton was at the pep rally? You and Ricky rolled your eyes and sighed at the same time with the announcement of High School Musical 4 being filmed at your school. Just why?

Of course all the students were cheering no matter what, hoping that filming would mess with classes a little. You had a little fangirl moment when they announced one of the new stars of High School Musical 4. Mack and Dani.

Kourtney played Dani’s TikToks over and over again when you guys were at camp. Hopefully she could act because her TikToks seemed so nice. And Mack? Well you couldn’t help but squeal a little when they announced him.

Your friends looked at you causing you to laugh. “You don’t understand, I had one of the biggest crushes on him when I was little.”

“Me too!” Gina said with excitement. “Mark and Spark was my comfort show.”

“You know, he was supposed to be the first male lead in the movie I’m filming and my heart stopped until he cancelled of course.”

“Well now we know why,” Ashlynn said before focusing back on the stage.

You leaned your head on Ricky’s shoulder, having felt him tense up behind you. He relaxed when you grabbed his hand for a brief moment.

“You know I don’t mean anything by it. It was just a stupid celebrity crush,” you whispered.

“Celebrity crushes are still crushes.”

“Well then it was a stupid little crush. Is that better?”

“Yeah,” Ricky said with a squeeze of your hand.

You made a note to stay at Ricky's for a late dinner later after ballet rehearsal just to make sure he wasn’t still jealous. This relationship really was new territory for the both of you. But that would have to wait because now it was time for a second surprise in the drama room. You were getting real sick of surprises. And super sick of the security guard trying to block access to the drama room because of “filming”.

“Ahh!”

You all turned at Kourtney’s scream.

“Corbin Bleu?”

“Oh great,” Ricky muttered.

“Okay, okay. I deserve that a bit. But I am here to make amends. I know that documentary wasn’t what any of us expected.”

“Seb isn’t talking to me.” Carlos pointed out.

Ashlynn nodded along with him. “Yeah and Big Red is in Cairo for six months.”

“I hear you but we’ve found a way to make it up to you.”

“Uh, who’s we?” you asked with a raised hand.

You heard footsteps before you saw the people attached to the noise. You couldn’t believe it. Standing right in front of you was the original cast of High School Musical. Honestly, Corbin might have actually gotten you guys the best apology gift ever.

Featured extras in High School Musical 4? That was sick! So was everyone character development. You had to admit that you didn’t see Troy and Gabriella being in couples’ therapy… because you thought they would’ve broken up freshman year of college since they were such an on and off again relationship. The entire class was giggling uncontrollably at the prospects of being together on set.

Kourtney raised her hand. “Well, if the movie is going for authenticity casting a drama class to play Ms. Darbus’ drama class then Mack and Dani should consult us. The real life kids of East High.”

“This is why she’s the smart one,” someone said as you all high-fived.

Apparently, the OG cast thought she was brilliant as well because it didn’t take them any convincing. She was immediately assigned to Dani. You playfully shook her shoulders to let her know you were proud of her.

“Do we have any volunteers for Mack?” Lucas asked.

“Right like someone who grew up loving his tv show. Or two someones?”

You tried to back out of being Mack’s guide but it was too late. You were stuck co-guiding with Gina. All you wanted to do was focus on movie rehearsals, ballet rehearsals, your relationship, school, and drama club. That was a lot of things. Guiding Mack was not on your list of things.

You acted like that wasn’t the case when you went to go see the superstar, putting on your best smile. Your eyes went wide at an almost naked man getting his calf measured.

“Oh my,” you and Gina said at the same time.

Mack looked over. “Can I help you?”

You let Gina take over as you tried to look everywhere but at Mack, feeling embarrassed and more awkward than usual.

“We are so sorry. We are real students here, only one credit on IMDb so far but anyway, we were assigned to give you a hand.”

“Yeah, I’d love to know who assigned you to interrupt my costume fitting.”

“No. That was our bad.”

“Yeah,” you offered up. “If we had known you weren’t dressed we would’ve come way sooner before school ended… Soo-sooner because you’d have clothes on. Not whatever you l-look like you, like you’re thinking of. Oh my goodness.”

“Would you mind turning around?”

You and Gina looked at each other before doing just that. “That was probably the first thing we should have done.”

“Okay. So, I do have to ask,” Gina started. “Do you still keep in touch with the dog from the show?”

“There were seven of them and they all retired to a farm upstate.”

“Oh that’s so swee—”

“Uh, G,” you cut her off. “That means they aren’t, um, currently pr—”

“It means they’re dead.” Mack had put on a shirt so you guys could turn around. “The farm is heaven.”

“Well that ruined everything,” your friend muttered. “Okay, we’re going to leave now and we can all pretend we never met.”

“Oh, I’m way ahead of you.”

“Good luck on the movie, Mack. Hope you break a leg, literally.”

“Good luck with your lives, superfans.”

You felt your face get hot as you marched up to him. “Her name is Gina Porter and can I just say, I’m so glad High School Musical 4 took you in. Acting alongside you in Sweet Pea Americano would have literally killed me… G-Gina, why did I just say that?”

“I’m proud of you.” She swung her arm over your shoulder so you guys could leave. “Even with anxiety, you always stick up for your friends.”

“I think I’m going to pass out.”

“Come on, let’s go see if Ricky got a smoothie for us at the food truck.”

While you were mortified at your actions, Gina proudly recanted the entire story to Ricky who echoed her sentiments. You guys went you separate ways. There was no carpool with Gina today. Carlos called her over for an emergency meeting of the Finer Things Club at Kourtney’s house, leaving Ricky to drop you off at Saltwater. You guys stopped at a salad bar first so you could get some real food into your system.

“Oh, Gina finished the lyrics to the song.”

“Already?”

“You know her. Once she gets started on a mission, she can’t stop until it’s complete. Do you want to hear it?”

“Of course, do you have the lyrics on you?”

You handed Ricky your phone to look at the screenshots of Gina’s song journal. Your harmonies were rough and sometimes the melody fell off but the two of you had fun singing all the way back to the car.

“Are you sure you don’t mind picking me up?” you asked him as you leaned into the driver’s side window after getting your bags from the back of the car once you guys reached your destination. “Because we don’t get out till eleven and Mrs. Porter said it was fine for her to pick me up since Saltwater is between Kourtney’s house and ours.”

“It’s fine, baby, I like picking you up.”

“Okay. Oh, don’t forget. Gina’s driving tomorrow morning.”

“I can’t believe she got a car.”

“I can’t believe she got a license.”

You said bye one last time and headed inside for you ballet rehearsals. While you were dancing, Ricky was doing homework, and Gina was laughing as she got into Kourtney’s room. Ashlynn and Carlos were already there and Kourtney… well, she was meditating at the edge of her bed. While, Ashlynn had nearly forty missed texts from Maddox. Gina so had to tell you about that when you and Ricky came over for breakfast tomorrow morning.

Her smile faded at the announcement that Kourtney wasn’t sure about doing the school musical or not. She wasn’t sure if Dani was the best thing for Kourtney. She especially wasn’t sure when her friend suddenly became supper eager and chipper to answer her phone call. Kourtney put Dani on speaker after the others swore to be quiet.

“Hi, so I was studying you. Not in a creepy way but I’m really trying to get into character as a real East High drama student.”

Gina made a face when Dani suddenly stopped the speak pretty harshly to the driver taking her to the airport.

“Anyway, you’ve got that X factor, Kourt, and I want to help you grow your footprint. But I’ve been looking through your post and to be honest I’ve noticed something.”

“It’s the honesty for me,” Kourtney said with a nervous lilt to her voice.

“If I’m going to show you exactly what it’s like to grow an audience and you’re going to do the same for me as an East High student, I want you to tell me everything you know about Ricky Bowen.”

Gina bit her tongue as her other three friends stared at each other with suspicious looks on their faces. She got strange vibes for some reason but didn’t want to act on what could be nothing. Besides, she promised you two that she wouldn’t say anything to anyone. And how could she tell Kourtney not to mention Ricky to Dani if she didn’t ended up revealing something?

~~

You looked down at your phone to see a text from Ricky.

I’m still on my way, baby. Don’t worry, I’m stopped at a red light. I’ll be there in like 10 minutes. I wish your rehearsal didn’t end so late so we could’ve stayed up cuddling.

You smiled at the text before sending a little heart emoji, nothing that would require Ricky to look down at his phone after the light turned green. You ruffled around your bag to get your water bottle, reaching for your phone again when you felt the familiar vibration of a text. Another one from Ricky.

This red light is long. Do you want to get McDonalds after this?

You shook your head, deciding it was better to just answer him in person. A groan left you mouth when you felt the vibration again. That light wasn’t going to be red forever, if he was texting while driving then you were going to scold him because that could seriously inju—

Why was Mack now following your Instagram?

(part 15)

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@mishtay​ @ifilwtmfc ​​ @moonysgal

PERMANENT TAGLIST:

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[mellowmadds]

Candy Hearts | Ricky Bowen

ricky bowen/fem!reader oneshot

fluff :)

summary: attending camp shallow lake wasn’t your ideal summer plan. however getting to spend a few weeks of summer alone with your boyfriend Ricky seemed to make all your nerves and anxiety ridden thoughts disappear.

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

word count: 3076

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Sorry rocketman.” EJ glared at you.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[melodyplucked]

2. how does your muse handle grief?

sad headcanon questions

--

how does ricky handle grief...

well suffice it to say that ricky doesn't tend to do well with strong negative emotions in general. he takes things hard- and loss... is something he'd take incredibly hard. even just losing nini in the sense of their breakup(s)... he felt like the world was ending. but she's special, so we can also pull that example out in its own sense.

ricky bowen has this not so fun little thing we like to call abandonment issues... so people leaving... one way or another... he doesn't take it well. he tends to feel as though it's somehow his fault- he would've could've should've done something differently... whether that's really the case or not.

he'll pack away his tears for the sake of others, hide away in the depths of his sorrow and self-deprecation. when he's in the worst way he tries to focus on Something... and almost everything else can end up neglected in those times. he needs to be shaken out of his funk sometimes- or at least needs someone or something to ground him again. you can't let him bury himself in it all.

honestly- having someone else relying on him makes it easier for him to deal with these bad things in his life. he might suppress the hurt more- but he'll also have something worth going on for. he can't break down and be a wreck when he has someone else who needs him.

obviously situations like- the royalty au for example... things are different because they have to be, but this is more like- general, standard ricky...

[fullstcp]

@unitcd continued from HERE

This summer feels like the world's worst case of whiplash. Camp just became manageable and now it's a mess of her own making. The cute boy she was dared to flirt with on the boardwalk is now a boy she's made out with. A boy who's standing in front of her, checking up on her amidst the fallout from a friendship implosion.

Ricky was gone when she got back to camp. Like gone gone. Like he packed up his things and bought a one way ticket back to Salt Lake type of gone. She tried calling him when she found out, but the phone didn't even ring. It just went straight to voicemail. So it's off or he blocked her. Which she can't really say she blames him for. But she doesn't take kindly to being judged on her decisions. Especially since he's only judging because he wasn't the choice she made.

It's not fair. But very few things about that friendship ever have been. Maybe it's a good thing that the tie has been severed. But she's not sure. It doesn't feel good. It hurts. And she's not sure what to do with this kind of pain. She's already felt enough pain when it comes to Ricky Bowen, and she thought she was done with all of the feelings she has for him. But he always finds a way to creep back into her heart at the most inopportune times.

"Things aren't super great." She says, squeezing his hand. "Ricky left." She didn't figure that she'd stumble upon that after he stomped away from the party. Ricky's always been a little overdramatic. And his threats often hold at least a dose of emptiness. She didn't figure he'd actually take action this time around. "And I don't really know how to feel about it."

She shakes her head. She probably shouldn't be wasting her breath talking about Ricky in front of another guy. But she can't help it. Her friends are important to her. Even if they're kinda being a dick. "Sorry, I'm sure that you don't wanna hear about my drama."

But her brain goes blissfully blank and quiet for a few seconds when his hand brushes against her cheek and then his lips press against hers. Her eyes open slowly once he pulls away. "You have a really beautiful way of taking my mind off of things." She jokes, an infatuated smile tugs at her lips as she looks up at him. "I'd like it if that's not the last time, too."

[neverscreens]

- HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL, SEASON THREE

Find in GALLERY. Like or reblog the post of it was useful. Your interaction shows me that I should keep making screencaps. And if you want me to post some in separate posts, tell me! ♡

[ilovefredjones]

actually the funniest thing about the teaser is ricky’s suit. didn’t he impulsively come to camp when did he have time to get a suit

[agathario]

ricky is going after ej now why he lied sorry makes no sense you were about to tell her regardless anyway psh

[hsmtmtsicon]

Joshua Bassett - Icons

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rina headers – dark grey

@astridmirage or like/reblog | © 11.07 - headers

[spiderypool]

Joshua Bassett - Icons

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[songbvrd]

—  JOSHUA BASSETT IN VARIOUS MUSIC VIDEOS AND TIKTOKS

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[jimblejamblewritings]

luck be a (leading) lady | part 9.

[Posted 2022.09.27]

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

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

Pairing: ricky bowen x black!reader

Word Count: 4.2k

A/N: I will get back to the Harry Potter series when I finish this one

Previous Part | (Series Masterlist)

You and Gina practically raced out the door when you heard the honk of a car door. It was time for summer camp. The only thing better about Camp Shallow Lake this year, aside from the fact EJ actually knew who you were now, was the fact that others were coming. You got into the empty seat in the back of EJ’s mini-van. Gina got into the empty passenger’s seat— she and EJ finally admitted they did have feelings for each other and decided to start dating. It was you, EJ, Ashlyn, Kourtney, Gina, and Carlos. Everyone else had other plans. Big Red was working, Nini was taking a music trip to LA, Ricky was… You actually didn’t know what Ricky was doing. 

Something about him seemed distant lately. Not just lately. When you thought about it, Ricky had been acting strange ever since the skate park. He didn’t come over as often for breakfast. Usually most physical contact was initiated by you. He got frantic and stuttered a lot when you asked him about certain things. You tried not to think about that as the car pulled into the campgrounds. This was your summer before senior year and you were supposed to be all about having fun at Camp Shallow Lake. 

You and EJ excitedly jumped out the car when he finally parked. The others were a bit slow to get out. The two of you had certainly done a good job of hyping the camp up. It didn’t help that even though she wasn’t going to be there Nini also had nothing but great things to say about the place. EJ adjusted his luggage in his hand. 

“Come on y’all, we’ll show you around. I came to this camp as an athlete and became an athlete-actor. Y/N?” 

“I came a dancer-actor and became an actor-dancer.” 

Your friends chuckled at the joke. 

“Are those Wildcats I see?!” 

Everyone turned at the voice. A very familiar girl came up the small hill with a wagon full of Shallow Lake stuff. The wheels rolled to a slow stop as she went to give you and EJ a hug. 

“What up, Rocketman? Sanderson?” 

“Hi, Gadget,” EJ said loudly while you said it quietly.

Kourt tilted her head. “Who are Rocketman and Sanderson?”

“Camp nicknames,” EJ explained. “Everyone gets one before their first year at camp is up.”

Gina nodded. “Okay, Rocketman seems pretty obvious. Sanderson?”

“First year here, the only time she ever talked past reading a script was when we played Hocus Pocus for movie night. The name practically fell into her lap.” 

Carlos sighed. “This is nice and all but we’ve only been here five minutes and I already miss Seb.”

You and EJ rolled your eyes. It was fine to miss Seb but it really had only been five minutes since you got to camp. It also would have been fine but it was just Carlos missing their partner. It was also Ashlyn and Kourtney. Wait till they found out that texting each other wasn’t going to be an option. Right on schedule, Maddox brought out the electronics bucket. You and EJ dropped your phones in without a care, having done this a million times before. The others took a bit more convincing. 

“Oh, wait.” You reached back into the bucket. “I just want to check my email one more time.” 

“She’s been obsessively checking every hour on the hour for weeks now,” Gina said. 

“They said that I could get the message at any time. Oh, I should also text Ricky.” 

While you, EJ, and Maddox were trying to convince your friends that giving up their phones for a couple of weeks wasn’t going to kill them, Ricky was bored out of his mind waiting for Lily to finish packing for their vacation. They were going to Jackson Hole, a place with lots of big lake houses. He didn’t tell anybody when you guys asked why he wasn’t going to Shallow Lake because he knew most of the cast would freak about him interacting with the “enemy.” Howie was fine— but he was the only North High cast member allowed. Lily was definitely not on anyone’s potential friend list. But Ricky was with her because he couldn’t be with you. 

He had been distancing himself ever since the skate park. The way you were clutching his hands as you balanced on his skateboard and the smile you gave him when you finally moved like two feet away without falling got him worse than he thought. Ricky realized that night that he was going to have an issue being just friends without having some time and space first. If only you had told him sooner that you used to like him, or maybe if he never went back to Nini. So he couldn’t go to Camp Shallow Lake with you and he couldn’t go to your grandparents house afterwards with you and Gina. Instead, he was face down on Lily’s bed while she ran around looking for stuff. 

“Richie, have you seen the cocoa butter?”

“Try the fridge.”

“It’s a skincare.”

“Well it sounds delicious… Are we ready to go?” 

“Right after we do a couple more TikToks.”

He tried not to sigh as he got up. Lily was a very social media friendly girl— she insisted she wasn’t at influencer status yet for him to call her one. Ricky didn’t mind her constantly taking pictures or waiting a little bit for her to stage their plates at cafes for perfect pictures. But he did have a dislike for being forced to do every single TikTok challenge that she stumbled upon. It might not have been a problem if she seemed like she wanted to just do it with him for fun. But the way he had to get it perfect, it was obvious that it was just a social media thing. He did the ones that she wanted and then waited for her to finish editing them. Ricky just sat on the floor, back against the bed. 

“Okay, finished. Let’s hit the road.” 

“Really?” He asked with hope. 

“Really. Hey, I know you’re taking a leap of faith going to the lake with me instead of your big summer camp thing. And I don’t take that lightly.”

“I don’t either.”

“Okay, let’s go.”

“Sure, just let me find my keys.”

“I think you dropped it by my closet?” 

Lily started to get her bags while Ricky looked where she said. It wasn’t right in the doorway of the closet. He patted himself down just to make sure that he didn’t have them on him. Maybe they were behind the closet door? A small squeak left his mouth as he moved the closet door, causing all the bags on the hooks to fall off. A few hit his back on the way down. He did find his keys but now he had a mess to clean. Ricky’s hand froze as he picked up something that wasn’t a purse or a backpack. 

“How did you get my beast harness?” He didn’t really need an answer. He was just curious about how Lily would respond. 

“Come on Richie—”

“Ricky.” 

“All’s fair in love and war and musicals, right? Zacky Roy taught us that.” 

Ricky scoffed. He threw his harness down on the floor. Barely giving Lily a goodbye, Ricky left her house. His car sped away and he just kept driving with no idea of what to do. He pulled up to an area where he could just look out at the city. Why did nothing seem to go just right for him? Getting out of the car, Ricky sat on the hood of it and looked out at the landscape. Taking in a few deep breaths, he began to think. His dad was on vacation with Ms. Jenn— he was somewhat used to them dating now. He could go see his mom? But he was already supposed to go later on right before school started again. 

The buzzing in his back pocket brought him out of his thoughts. Ricky took out his phone to see a text from you. It was a selfie with you and the others along with a message that you hoped he had a good time wherever he was and you wouldn’t be able to text him for the time you were at camp. The corners of his mouth pulled up as he looked at the picture. Ricky got back in his car with a both brilliant and stupid idea. 

You got into your cabin with the other girls. It was The Honeycomb Cabin— a room that you and Maddox had shared since you guys’ first year at camp. A lot of campers came and went but you two in Honeycomb were a constant. You always liked this cabin the best. It had a cuter sitting area with chairs that weren’t worn down. The beds were all nice quality and the mattresses weren’t that bad.  

“And our boys are in Yurt Locker which is two cabins behind us. This is pretty much the whole space. Choose a bunk and unpack.”

“This is serious lack of privacy,” Kourtney muttered as she put her stuff on one of the bottom bunks. 

“There are bed curtains in that locker if you want some.” You pointed to the shelving unit made of little yellow lockers. 

You put your stuff on the bottom bunk of the middle bunk bed, Ashlyn taking the top part. Gina took the top bunk of the bed right next to it where Kourtney had chosen the bottom. 

“Can I say…” Kourtney started as she made her bed. “You and EJ talked a very big game about this place. I was expecting a Four Seasons or Ritz-Carlton.” 

“Yeah, he gets so excited talking about camp,” Ashlyn agreed. “I would’ve joined him but I always go LARPing in Minnesota.” 

Kourtney and Gina looked at each other, having no clue what she was talking about. Ashlyn tried explaining it but quickly gave up when the looks on their faces didn’t change. The other two girls, one being Maddox, came into the cabin to unpack their own stuff. She gave you a high-five as she passed you on the way to her bed on the other wall. Gina sat down next to you. 

“I thought you said you had no friends last year.”

“Oh, we’re not friends,” you and Maddox said at the same time. 

She laughed when neither one of you offered more explanation despite everyone’s looks. Maddox simply threw an arm over your shoulder as you all walked towards the bonfire area for the first day of camp announcements. Everyone was busing because some celebrity was supposed to be showing up. You plopped yourself next to Kourtney and Carlos when you arrived. They kept speculating about who it was. 

In between guesses that ranged from drag queens to real housewives, they discussed how to make camp classier. Their two person Finer Things Club was about to meet Camp Shallow Lake. You would have joined their club but the three of you realized that you were just a girly girl. While you might have driven a cream colored convertible mini cooper, you were more of a cottagecore girl according to Kourtney, whatever that meant. You realized the Finer Things Club wasn’t quite your type of finer things when the two of them showed up on the last day of school with matching velour jumpsuits. 

No matter what you guys guessed, absolutely no one was expecting Corbin Bleu. The cheers for the man were near deafening. You couldn’t believe that The Corbin Bleu was at your camp. And with a camera man? Did that guy follow him everywhere? Corbin jumped up on the platform and took the mic from the head of the camp, Dewy. 

“I am ecstatic to be here at Shallow Lake! And I can’t wait to let you know what we have planned for you campers this summer. My pals at the House of Mouse decided that we needed something special to celebrate bringing one of everybody’s favorite characters from the big screen to the… well, small stage. I’m proud to announce that you guys will be the first group of kids ever to put on Disney’s Frozen Jr. And to celebrate our lovely movie making its junior theatre debut we will be filming the entire process and premiering it on Disney Plus.”

You guys didn’t hear whatever else Corbin had to say. You guys were doing Frozen and it was going to be broadcasted to the world. This was possibly the best thing that could happen to any of you. There was a chance to get noticed or just jumpstart a career. Then you thought about the documentary. It wasn’t filming only when you guys would be on stage. It was filming all the time. That meant you had to be Y/N, not a character. Breaking the internet as Clara— which you didn’t— was one thing, potentially breaking the internet as Y/N L/N was an entirely different matter. Nerves started to set in as you tried to recall any of your therapist’s words that could help you in the current situation.

“And I heard there were some relative Wildcats out there. I look forward to singing headshots for you all summer.”

You tilted your head. That wasn’t exactly what you thought he would say. Still, an autograph would be cool. You once got an autograph from Viola Davis because she was eating at your sister’s restaurant during a time when you were visiting. 

“Alright, see all you lovelies later. Corbin, out.” 

The night was alive as you all stayed up and talked about the show. Even inside your cabin, none of you could stay quiet long enough to get any proper sleep. You couldn’t get sleep because you were thinking about what Gina had told you just before she turned off the lantern by her bed. She had gone to find EJ who left to find Dewy who tried to find Corbin right after the bonfire and musical announcement. She did find EJ but she also apparently came back with a surprise for you. The surprise had to wait until morning per Gina’s arbitrary rules. 

She woke you up early in the morning— although not much earlier than Maddox’s bugle alarm which would probably start any minute now— and instructed you to leave the cabin with her. Gina didn’t even care that you only brushed your teeth. There was no changing out of pajamas, you had to go see your surprise. She left you outside the boys’ cabin and headed for the theater that you guys had named The Barn— it was in fact a renovated barn— where EJ was supposed to be waiting for her with a mug of coffee. 

You gave a small wave to Carlos who wasn’t in his bed and was on the top bunk right above his. You understood as he held a face steamer up. The top bunks had the better placed outlets. You were surprised that whoever was sleeping on the top bunk hadn’t woken up at all by the disturbance Carlos was causing. 

“Morning.”

“Morning, Gina said I have a surprise in here?” You sat on one of the stools in the boys’ sitting area of their cabin, picking up a random book. 

“Nothing like waking up to a face full of steam,” a groggy voice said as they slightly turned and sat up in bed. 

Carlos looked at Ricky with wide eyes. He nudged his head in your direction while frantically tapping his friend’s leg. With a confused face, Ricky looked over. He snapped into action when he noticed it was you. Before he could say good morning, you jumped out of your seat and ran to the top bunk right in front of you. 

“You’re at camp?”

Jett groggily got himself out of bed and gave you a hug. 

“Wait, are you the camper creeping everyone out?” 

“Whatever happened to good morning, Y/N/N?” 

“Morning, Jett. Are you making friends?”

“You’re talking to me about friends?” He laughed when you shrugged. “So, where can I get breakfast?” 

You left with Jett to show him where to get breakfast before heading back to your own cabin to get changed. Ricky looked at Carlos before flopping back onto his bed. He got up to get ready for the day which included auditions. Honestly, Ricky knew absolutely nothing about Frozen. He wasn’t even fully sure of the two guys’ main names. But he would still give it his all at auditions. Performing was something he found out that he really liked. Dare he say, he liked it more than being a skate rat. 

Your favorite part of being in the artsy sect of Camp Shallow Lake was dressing in cute stuff. You didn’t have to worry about everything being covered in dirt and dust and mud. Of course, you had working overalls for the garden part of Shallow Lake but for the most part you stayed relatively clean at camp. You were glad to have packed the way you did because auditioning for Corbin required a stellar outfit. You didn’t tell anyone but you were hoping for a lead. You were always hoping for a lead. All the good seniors graduated camp last year so that competition was gone. 

But now you had Gina, Kourtney, and Ashlyn to compete with. You loved your friends to death but it would be nice to be recognized just once by your peers for your talent. A small part of you was starting to think the universe was against you in that aspect. You finished applying your lipgloss and went to go slip on your lucky legwarmers. 

“I’m ready to go for gold at auditions today,” Gina said as she finished dressing. “I’m finally ready to play the lead. No prisoners, no apologies!” 

Ashlyn’s face scrunched up. “Sounds like you brought Gina 1.0 to camp.”

“No? I loved auditioning with you guys last year and we are forever a tercet but I’m ready to branch out on my own a little. Especially with this documentary, I mean this could literally be our future.” 

“Okay, 1.0,” Ashlyn said while tossing her pillow at Gina. 

“No, no… Y/N, you get it, right?” 

You nodded. “No one’s friends on audition day, unless someone forgot their script. It’s nothing personal. We’re strangers until the cast list is posted. No hard feelings, just don’t be rude to each other.” 

“Thank you.” 

“Come on, G. If we don’t leave now, the prime area of the floor will be gone.” 

You linked arms with the girl and walked towards The Barn. You and Gina stretched in relative silence. If you did talk, it was about anything other than auditions. The doors to The Barn swung open as more people came in to prepare. The arts section of Shallow Lake wasn’t very big so you knew everyone’s names. Your face dropped into one of shock when Ricky came walking through the doors with Carlos. 

“When did you— how di— you’re here.” 

“Hi.”

You gave Ricky a hug that he returned tightly. “Hi. Why are you at camp?” 

“I got your text and you guys looked like you were having a lot of fun.” 

“I’m glad you showed up. And now I can’t talk to you until auditions are over because right now we’re enemies, Mr. Bowen.” 

He gave a snort of a laugh and a salute. “Alright, Prima, have fun stretching.” 

You went back to stretching with Gina who was more focused on watching EJ hug some pretty blonde girl. She almost jumped when you leaned over to speak with her. 

“That’s Val.”

“Yeah, Maddox told me,” she said through slightly clenched teeth. 

“Oh… She and EJ go way back but there’s nothing going on between those two.”

“I wasn’t—”

“Gina, it’s EJ, I don’t think any of us wouldn’t have thought what you were thinking. I’m just helping you know that you don’t have to worry about Val.”

“Well, that’s a relief.”

You both put up your stuff against the chairs lining the room. Val got up on the stage to introduce herself to everyone as, not just a counselor, but as the choreographer for the show. You all gave her a little round of applause. Val was a good dancer so if she was doing the show it was sure to look good. Everyone’s eyebrows raised and their eyes went wide as EJ jumped on stage to announce he was the director. You, along with everyone else, were under the assumption that Corbin was directing the show. EJ clarified that he was directing the documentary about the show. 

“That’s not totally confusing at all,” Kourtney muttered. 

EJ clapped his hands together. “Let’s just get started. Everyone outside to warm yourselves up, Val and I will call you in a minute to announce what song you’re doing.” 

Unlike opening night of a show, at every audition you listen to classical music. You and Gina were using the porch banister of the barn as a ballet barre. Every few seconds the two of you would laugh at each other because it was clear that you were listening to different beats while trying to do the same moves. Gina pointed behind you as she took off her headphones. You turned to see two young girls behind you. 

“Hi! I’m Alex, this is Emmy. We’re eighth graders, almost freshmen and huge fans. We know all of Gina’s Tiktoks.” 

Emmy nudged her friend. “Way to play it cool. We both go to The Saltwater Company, th—”

“Guppy Troupe,” you said. “You both were party children? Are you guys auditioning?”

“Yes, maybe? We’ve never auditioned for anything before.”

“Never?” Gina asked with a raised eyebrow. 

“Guppy Troupe are too fresh to audition. They get assigned parts,” you explained. “You don’t start auditioning until Turtle Troupe.” 

“Interesting.” Gina turned her attention back to the girls. “Well, be confident. That’s the most important part. So is being prepared but confidence is key. If you don’t have it, fake it. And you have to keep your eye on the prize. From this moment, you aren’t friends but competitors.” 

“Really?” Alex asked. 

You nodded. “Really. Up until the cast list… What we’re saying is get’cha head in the game. Don’t dull your shine just so a friend can show off theirs.”

You and Gina fist-bumped before heading back inside. You sat down in a chair next to Ricky. He let himself look at the side of your face every now and then. You looked down slightly when something crossed your field of vision. A water bottle, attached to Ricky’s arm, was in front of you. You took it and sipped a bit. 

“Are you ready?” you asked. 

“Eh. Why are you rolling your eyes?” 

“Ricky, you’re the poster child for Kristoff. At least you already know your part.”

He scoffed. “That might not happen.” 

“Oh, please, Ricky. It’s exactly what’s going to happen.”

Ricky cracked his neck once before going back to looking at his sheet music. He only looked up when it was your turn. You took a deep breath and smiled at his thumbs up before going. Because of his loyalty to you guys, Val was casting the show without EJ. You had no idea how she was as a casting director but she seemed to be into your performance. Or at least she was smiling about it. 

After everyone went, it was time for scene work… only the scripts hadn’t come in yet. At Maddox’s suggestion, you all did lines from the songs but acted them out instead of singing them. Standing in a circle, you all decided to give it a shot. It was the middle of Kourtney’s turn when the saloon doors swung open. Your face read excitement while Maddox’s face read disappointment. 

“Jett!”

“Sorry. Auditions started an hour ago,” Maddox said fiercely.  

Jett walked over with his usual bored face. “I’m only here because Dewy made me and all your other activities are full.”

“Well,” EJ said with a clap of his hands. “Anyone is welcome to audition.”

“I’m not so sure about this.”

“Nobody’s judging you.” Ricky took his sheet music and handed it to the boy. 

You gave him a smile and mouthed out “you got this.” Jett gave you the worst looking smile you had ever seen. The only person you cheered for louder than Ricky was Jett. For as long as you’ve known him, he really needed support. Everyone else but you and Maddox were in awe at his voice. A side smile crept onto your face. That was Jett for you. It was also in his nature to leave right afterwards so no one would praise him. Since auditions were over, you decided to go try and find him. Ricky tapped you on the shoulder before you could leave. 

“Hi.”

“Hi?” 

“Hi.”

“Okay, I thought I was the awkward introvert with social problems.”

Ricky forced a laugh as he scratched his head. “I heard there’s a campfire tomorrow? I was thinking we could share a log.” 

“Yeah, sounds good. Sorry, I really want to hang out with you but I need to find Jett. Hopefully before Maddie,” you murmured the last part to yourself.

(part 10)

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@mishtay​ @ifilwtmfc​​

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@venomsvl @peaches-n-sunscreen @summerellaz @supernaturallover2002 @sambucky8 @9daykrisr @thebitchinleo @23victoria @scarlets-widow @pagetpagetpagetpaget @lovexnatasha @awesomebooklover17 @1234-angelika @imatrisk @blackreaderatrisk @princess-jules47 @alexloveskili @a-marie-a @siriuslysirius1107

[packsclass]

icons: @perfectlyedits (1,2,3)

headers: @firewoseoks, @randomwithpsd, @fixedheaders

like/reblog or credits on twitter: @/sunwroses

[overthegrdnwall]

Ricky Bowen pack.

Headers are not mine.

Like if you save/use.

[isapacks]

joshua bassett packs ⊹ like/reblog if you save