Not a Love Song | Ricky Bowen [1]

06

When rehearsals ended, Sloane, Cooper, and EJ split up. Cooper went to meet up with some of his friends and EJ was god knows where.

Sloane was standing at her locker, packing her bag and grabbing her skateboard, when she heard footsteps behind her and she turned around to see Nini running up to her.

Sloane removed her headphones from her ears and let them hang around her neck, she smiled at Nini and asked 'what's up Neens?"

Nini gave her a nervous smile back.

Nini faces the camera "when I got the voicemail back I didn't know what to expect. I mean I was afraid Ricky was gonna get all dramatic about this but when I realized it was about Sloane (she grins) I swear I squealed.

"So uh, I managed to get the voicemail EJ deleted back" Nini started slowly, nervously pulling on her backpack strap.

Sloane smiled "nice! I'm so sorry he did it, I don't know what he was thinking"

"No it's ok, it wasn't your fault. Uhm, actually I wanted to talk to you about the voicemail 'cause uh you see ...." Nini trailed off.

Sloane frowned with a nervous laugh "what is it, Nini? You're freaking me out a little."

"It's about you"

Sloane blinked slowly as Nini bit her lip.

Nini faces the camera "I didn't know how she was gonna take it. She looks like she's in shock"

Sloane faces the camera "fucking Ricky Bowen"

"It's about... me?" Sloane repeated slowly and Nini nodded, she pulled out her phone and tapped on it a little, and Sloanes phone pinged with a notification.

"I just sent it to you. Whether or not you want to listen to it is up to you." Nini smiled as she squeezed Sloane's arm gently.

The two exchanged goodbyes as Sloane slid down the lockers and onto the floor. She stared at the voice message from Nini as she decided whether to listen to it.

Sloane didn't want to, she shouldn't want to. After all, that's happened, with all their history Sloane shouldn't even be considering it.

But there was still a part of Sloane, the very small part of Sloane that ached to know why Ricky said what he said, that craved his warmth and touch, that still wanted him the way he wanted Nini.

It was a very small part of her but the small part of her still won.

She took in a deep breath, played the voicemail, and raised her phone close to her ear.

The moment she heard Ricky's voice her heart ached all over again.

"Hey, it's me, Ricky. Sorry to bother you, I know you don't want to talk or see me but I saw you singing with Nini and Ashlyn today and I just- Sloane you've always been the most talented person I know..."

Sloane shut her eyes tightly as she listened to the rest of his message, her hand came up to cover her mouth as she tried not to cry.

Sloane knew she could never hate Ricky Bowen. She tried very hard all those years and while it may seem like she did she never had it in her to ever truly hate the boy.

But as she sat there against the locker, in the middle of the hallway, listening to the boy pour out his heart nervously to her she couldn't help but let her walls crack just slightly.

He said she was the one. That she had always been the one.

He never told Nini he loved her back because she was the one on his mind.