𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 , ricky bowen.

012.

WHEN HATTIE GOT HOME, SHE IMMEDIATELY FLOPPED ON THE COUCH FEELING HER SOCIAL BATTERY DRAIN.

"I'm taking it you had a fun time?" Heather asked, closing the door.

"Duh." Hattie commented, cuddling with a pillow on the familiar couch. "I wish Ricky could've stayed around much longer though. He left after a few minutes after we started slow dancing to go talk with Gina."

"Does he like Gina?" Heather asked taking a sip of water from a cup. The young brunette shrugged and looked up at the ceiling. "Who knows? But I know he's still on Nini. He claimed her as his girlfriend tonight and I got jealous."

Hearing the word jealous made the older brunette spit out her water loudly causing Hattie to leap up from the couch, "Are you okay?" She asked, running over to her sister giving her a paper towel.

"You were jealous?" Heather questioned, taking the paper towel and wiping off the droplets that were dribbling down her chin leading Hattie to frown.

"Shut up, he's an attractive guy, there I said it! But.. He's still on Nini." She folded her arms watching her sister place her cup and napkin down.

"Hang out with him once! Just you and him, no one else. No biggie. You blushed every time he interacted with you and couldn't keep your eyes off of him. Right?"

"Yeah, but I was just leaning—" Hattie started.

"Hattie, do you like the guy?" Heather abruptly asked.

"I don't know! I feel myself blushing whenever he does anything with me, he's funny without meaning to be although people around us try and tell me the joke wasn't funny.. and when he claimed Nini as his girlfriend, I got jealous. I wish he was talking about me." Hattie informed.

"Then you like him. Plain and simple." This time, Hattie couldn't bring herself to deny it. She liked Ricky Bowen. But oh god, how was she going to tell Nini? She couldn't tell her now, both girls weren't speaking to each other. Bringing her out of her realization, someone now knocked at the door. "Who's that?"

The older brunette shrugged as Hattie got up from the couch, placing the pillow down as she went to the door, "It's not Mom and Dad, we all know they're gone for hours."

Opening the door revealed Ricky, a small gasp coming from Hattie's mouth, "Hey.. I know we didn't get to finish our slow dance, so would you want to finish it properly now?"

Hattie looked back towards her sister which gave her an approving nod. She looked back toward Ricky and stepped outside, closing the door behind her. The curly haired boy placed his hands on her waist as Hattie put her arms wrapped around his neck awkwardly as the two swayed to the background chirping of crickets.

"Why'd you come here?" Hattie asked. "You could've gone home after you dropped off Gina. Or just head back to the dance."

Ricky sighed, "I wanted to come here after I ditched you. The whole time I dropped Gina off, my mind kept drifting towards you. I know tonight, I referred to Nini as my girlfriend.. but, she's not my girlfriend anymore and I'm going to have to accept that."

"Aw, I'm sorry Rick.. all good things come to an end, maybe you guys will get back together in the future? If it's meant to be, it's meant to be." Hattie assured, gaining a faint smile from Ricky.

"Thanks, but I don't think I'm gonna try and make it work with Nini anymore." Ricky answered. "I want to be with someone I feel certain about. Someone who I can actually say I love you to without having to take a break after hearing those three words."

Hattie nodded, "How are your parents? Anything going better?"

Ricky's faint smile vanished and shook his head, "Nah. They're splitting up for good. She's moving to Chicago, no, scratch that.. she's already in Chicago. It's just.. a lot to handle."

The brunette agreed silently, wishing she could relate to the situation but she couldn't. Her parents were very happy together and happily in love. "I'm sorry Ricky. Nobody deserves to go through that."

"I'll be fine. What's going on with you?" The curly haired boy asked.

"I- well.. playing Gabriella is a dream but I feel as if I took the role from Nini. She deserves this role way more than anything." Hattie said. "She's playing a role she doesn't want, she finally put herself out there and here I am taking a role from her that she so wanted—"

"Stop, stop, stop." Ricky cut her off, taking his hands off of her waist instead to put them on the sides of her face, "Nini is talented, yes, but you deserve the role of Gabriella. You do, I've heard you sing, you deserve this. Your intention wasn't to take the role from Nini because that's not the person you are." The brunette breathed in and out, butterflies erupting in her stomach.

"Thank you Ricky." Hattie whispered, her eyes flickering down to his lips, but back up to his deep brown eyes in a flash. "That was the reassurance I so needed."

"Good." Ricky mumbled, his eyes flickering down to her lips, the two teens leaning in but quickly jumping away from each other hearing a car honk. Both teens looked in the driveway and there were Hattie's parents, waiting to pull up in the driveway. "I guess that's my cue to leave."

"Yeah.." Hattie murmured, "See you tomorrow?"

"See you tomorrow Hattie." Ricky smiled, taking his hands off of her face as she finally took her arms off of his neck. Once Ricky reached his car, she opened up the door and slid down the door, her face breaking out in an instant blush. Yep. She liked Ricky Bowen.