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𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗢𝗥 𝗡𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥
chapter ten:
be confident, be aggressive !
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ATHENA AND RICKY stood in the wings on the stage. Carlos was in front of them, giving instructions to the two of them about their performance of What Do You Know About Love?
"Okay, Channing's on a ten-one," Carlos began. "That means peeing in Hollywood. How are we both doing?"
"I'm okay," Athena answered. "My shorts are still kind of wet from Gina throwing water at me that was meant for Kourtney, but . . ."
"Excellent. This is the last song of the day, so let's go out and really sell it. Capisce? Remember, Ricky, you're the sometimes jealous boyfriend. Use that jealousy that you have sometimes and use it to motivate you. Other than that, I want you to follow Athena's lead on basically everything."
Athena raised her hand. "My lead? Carlos, I don't even know what I'm doing."
"But you do," Carlos countered. "Listen, I know you two have a sweet relationship, but I don't want this to be sweet. I want this to be tense."
"I thought you said I was the sweetheart, though."
"We need to show that the sweetheart can be something other than sweet. I want you to try something different, 'Thena. Spice things up a bit. Be confident."
Athena nodded. "Okay. I'll try."
"And be aggressive," Carlos added.
Her eyes widened. "Aggressive? Carlos, I — I'm not aggressive. That's Violetta, not me."
"Well, today you are. Scrap everything. This is for the drama. I want you to be confident and aggressive. Take the reins on what you think that is."
Athena frowned slightly for a moment before wiping it off her face, taking a deep breath. "Confident and aggressive. Okay, sure." She looked up at Ricky. "Sorry in advance."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ricky asked.
"It means that if I push you up against the wall or, I don't know, spin you around, don't worry about it. If I hurt you in any way, please let me know."
Ricky blinked down at her. "You're going to push me up . . . against the wall?"
Athena's face instantly burned red at the shocked yet knowing glance in Ricky's eyes. "Oh my God, Ricky, not like that. I'm not going to make out with you in the middle of a song, and especially not on camera."
"So you're saying you would make out with me?"
"Please stop talking." Athena cleared her throat, trying to calm the redness in her face. "Hey, where's EJ? Isn't he supposed to be in this scene?"
The door then opened behind them. Athena turned around to see EJ in a full reindeer costume. Her eyes widened and her hand reached up to cover her mouth in shock. She tried her best not to laugh, but quiet giggles started to spill past her lips.
"Hi," EJ greeted.
Ricky patted him on the back. "Hey, buddy."
"I'm not looking forward to V seeing me like this."
Violetta, as if on cue, then let out an extremely loud laugh. "Oh my God, no way."
EJ sighed. "There it is."
Carlos clapped his hands together. "Let's do this."
Athena glanced up at Ricky for a moment as they walked out onto the stage. "If things get too much, you'll tell me, right?"
"I'm just going to play along," Ricky replied. "I'm following your lead, remember?"
"I'm not really liking the lead idea that I have in my head."
"It's going to be fine." Ricky sat down on the stage, and Athena did so as well. "Pretend it's just you and me. There's nobody else in the room except us two."
"Hey guys, um, I know we've barely run this song, so just mark it," Val instructed. "Use the space, but be safe. Half-energy."
"Gotta agree," EJ cut in from behind them. "No reason to go crazy, you guys."
"I disagree," Violetta argued. "Athena, send it."
Send it. Be confident. Be aggressive. Pretend it's just you and me. All of the instructions swirled through Athena's head. She kept repeating them over and over until Maddox pressed on the speaker, the song starting to play.
"Hans is not a stranger," Athena recited.
"Okay, so, what's his last name?" Ricky asked.
Athena paused for a moment. "Of the Southern Isles."
"Hmm . . . uh, foot size?"
"Foot size doesn't matter."
"But knowing a man before you marry him." Ricky stood up and crossed his arms across his chest. "Uh, kinda does."
Athena looked over at him. Suddenly, the camera in front of her and everyone else kinds of faded away. Her head was empty besides Ricky and Carlos' instructions.
She stood up and walked forwards, her shoulder knocking against his. "You've got opinions on my life and my relations." Athena stopped in the doorway and looked back at him, her eyes glinting. "But let me tell you what."
"Okay, enlighten me," Ricky stated, following after her in the room.
Athena sat down on the counter. "Love is the one thing that has zero complications." Ricky sat next to her, and she elbowed his side. "And I can trust my gut."
Without really thinking what she was doing, she stood up. Athena took his shirt in her fist and pulled him up, tugging him in closer into her, so close that they were chest-to-chest. She smiled to herself at his shocked gaze before she flattened her hand on his chest and gently pushed him back onto the yellow couch.
Ricky stared up at her, his eyes slightly wide. "Okay, you frighten me."
"Some people know their hearts," Athena sang, stepping up onto the counter and tapping the disco ball so it started to spin. "The minute true love starts."
Ricky stood up from the couch and rested his back against the counter. "Some people read a lot of books."
Athena placed her hands on her hips. "I like books."
She put her shoe on his shoulder blade and gently pushed it, making him stumble and fall into the chair next to him. Athena hopped down from the counter and walked over to the wall, leaning against it casually. "Some pеople simply know when true lovе says hello."
Ricky leaned against the wall next to her, his elbows resting on the bars. "Some folks are taken in by princely looks."
"Oh, what do you know about love?" Athena and Ricky harmonized. She walked past him, her gaze lingering on him for as long as possible before turning around to face him. Ricky went ahead of her and held his hand out to her, and Athena spun herself into him. "What do you know about love?"
Ricky started to climb a ladder that was on the wall, and Athena crossed her arms, staring up at him. "All I'm saying is when you go to climb a mountain, you don't just jump to the top."
Athena nodded at him. "If it's true love, you can."
"No, no."
Athena grabbed one of Ricky's hands. She pulled him straight into her, then walked backwards until suddenly her back was abruptly pressed up against the wall. Stumbling slightly, Ricky placed one of his hands on the rail above her head. Athena tilted her head back to look up at him and let go of his hand, placing it on the back of his neck, threading her fingers through the curls that rested there. She felt her heartbeat quicken, but she just grinned at him.
Somehow, they had been in this position before.
Oh, God. Athena didn't mean to say that. Ignore her.
"There's scaling and scrambling, and too many steps for counting." Ricky's eyes flickered down to her lips. "And the work doesn't stop."
Athena raised an eyebrow and took his chin in her hand for a second before walking past him. "Maybe for you."
"Love's not an easy climb, you have to take your time."
"We get a whole life, that's the plan."
Ricky swung himself around the pole that was in the barn. "That's not a plan! Love's not a thing you get, it's work, and tears, and sweat."
Athena rolled her eyes and walked out onto the stage. "So says the sweaty, smelly, mountain man."
"Oh, what do you know about love?" the two voiced as Athena sat on the rolling steps, Ricky pushing her forwards. "What do you know about." Their heads snapped over to look at each other. "Anything?" Athena and Ricky moved their faces closer to each other's, Athena smiling at him. "Anything?"
Ricky took a fedora off of the costume rack and put it on, crossing his arms. "Anyone with half a brain would have worn some winter gear."
Athena walked past him and stood next to EJ. "Anyone with half a life would have one friend who's not a deer."
"I do!" Ricky stepped up onto the small platform with steps. "Any fool who jumps headlong is gonna bang their head."
Athena snuck up on the platform behind him and pushed on his lower back, making him fall off, but he landed on his feet. "Any fool who doesn't jump right now is probably gonna end up dead."
She stopped and turned to Ricky. He had a knowing glint in his eyes. Ricky suddenly grabbed her waist and pulled her into him, dipping her. The two were stuck in a tense silence as they did nothing but stare at each other. And then Ricky pulled her back up, and he kept his hands on her hips while hers rested on his shoulders.
"Like I said," Athena continued.
"So what do you know about love?" they voiced, much slower this time.
Athena's hands trailed down from his shoulders all the way to his hands, which she eventually let go. "Wow, you're really strong."
"What do you know about love?" they sang, and Athena took off that stupid fedora, revealing Ricky's curls that she loved so much.
Ricky tilted his head at her. "I lift a lot of ice."
He then walked ahead of her, looking back at her with a grin. Athena walked up to the Elsa door prop, and he opened it. She walked through it and threw the fedora behind her.
"At least we know one thing, this trip should be interesting," they stated. "What do you know about love?" The two of them walked slowly up onto the platform, the curtains opening behind them to reveal some lights. They got close, extremely close, so that Athena had to tilt her head back to look at him. "What do you know about love?"
The song ended, and everything faded back into vision — the camera, the people . . .
Athena felt like she couldn't breathe. She just shared a very intense side of her relationship, one that she didn't even know existed, to all her friends and potentially thousands of other people. Not to mention she had pushed Ricky around, which she never wanted to do, but was just following instructions. Her mind started to spin with panic.
"Attie?" Ricky's voice began in worry, but it sounded underwater to her. "Athena, hey—"
"I don't feel good," Athena whispered, her chest rising and falling fast.
"Okay." His tone was gentle, and he placed his hands on her shoulders, trying to get her to look at him. "You're okay. Let's get you outside."
"Ricky, I don't — I can't—" Her hands started to shake, and she kept her gaze on the floor past his shoulder. "I have to go."
She shook off his hands on her shoulders and ran down the steps of the stage. Athena was aware of how the camera lens was trying to follow her, but unbeknownst to her, Ricky had pushed the camera away so it wouldn't.
Athena left the barn, her stomach churning. She walked out onto the green grass and went to side of the barn, not really wanting to be seen by anyone. Athena put her hands on either side of her face as she leaned against the wall, trying to take deep breaths, willing to calm herself down. That whole routine was off. She never wanted to pretend to be someone she wasn't.
Finally, when her breathing had gone back to normal, her heart rate had slowed down, and her mind spun less, Athena slowly walked back to the porch of the barn. She sat down on the bench, bringing her knees up so that her feet were resting on the bench too.
"Hey," Ricky greeted.
Athena looked up to see him standing there and gave him a small smile. "Hey." She looked down and played with a loose thread on her shorts. "I'm sorry I ran out so suddenly. I just . . . I didn't know what else to do. There were so many eyes on me, on us, and after that whole performance . . . I couldn't take it."
"I'm just worried about you." Ricky sat down and rested his feet on the bench as well so the tips of their shoes were touching. "What's going on? Are you okay?"
"I'm . . ." Athena trailed off. She couldn't get out the word fine. Her eyebrows knit together in thought. "I don't know."
Ricky frowned slightly. "You can talk to me, baby."
Athena sighed. "Carlos told me to be confident and aggressive. But in turn . . . I acted like somebody I'm not. I didn't want to push you down on chairs and throw you around. That's not me. And I don't want to be labeled as anything. Not the sweetheart, not the confident one, and especially not the aggressive one. I just want to be Athena." She looked out at the grass next to the barn. "But I don't even know who Athena is."
Ricky paused for a moment. "Do you want to know who Athena is to me?"
She slightly shook her head. "You don't have to do that."
"But I want to." Ricky stared straight at her. "Athena, to me, is my everything. She's the one who knows how to deal with me when my head isn't on straight. She has the biggest heart out of anyone I know and is the sweetest person ever, but she isn't afraid to call anyone out. She can sing and play the piano like no other, and just like she killed it as Belle, she's going to kill it at Anna. She makes me feel safe and she's the one I know I can always run back to, because she's my home."
Athena's voice was quiet, but her heart was pounding against her chest. "You really think all of that?"
"I do," Ricky confirmed.
Athena offered him a tight smile for a second. "You're my everything and my home, too. It's just, in there, I felt like I was exploiting our relationship for . . . views. That's not who I am — that's not who we are. I think that's why I really panicked."
"I'm sorry if things got too . . . intense," Ricky said.
"No, that was all me," Athena responded. She closed her eyes in embarrassment. "I pushed you around like you were nothing, and I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize. You were just doing what you were told."
"I could've done things differently." Athena opened her eyes and stared at Ricky, who was watching her closely. "Today has been too much, and I just want it all to be over."
Ricky gave her a small smile. "Well, rehearsal's properly over, so . . . we could go for a swim? This time, actually wearing proper swimming attire?"
Athena smiled back at him. "I would really like that."
"Hey," Channing called, snapping his fingers. Athena turned to see him running back up to the barn. "Break up the make-up, you two. I forgot something."
He entered the barn. Athena's eyebrows knit in confusion.
Ricky stood up and offered his hand out to her. "Two more minutes of this act and it can be over."
Athena took his hand and allowed him to pull her up. They continued holding hands as they walked into the barn, neither of them having any idea how much more awful this day could go in the next five minutes.
All of the cast was gathered on the stage, a huge Frozen banner above them. Some of them were holding signs.
Channing tapped Ricky's shoulder, making them stop. "Here, you're this one."
"Uh-huh," Ricky responded, taking the blue sign that said It's Frozen Time.
Channing handed Athena a crown on a stick. "And you're this one."
Athena turned to Ricky excitedly, holding up the crown so that it was positioned above her forehead. "Look, I'm a princess."
Ricky kissed her cheek. "You're adorable."
Athena sat down on the stage next to Violetta. She still seemed to be in a sour mood. Athena could only hope this picture could be done quickly so she could let Violetta get everything off of her chest. She always knew that made her feel better and become less stressed.
"All right, smile, guys," EJ told them. "We're almost home."
"I'm sorry, which home are you talking about?" Violetta interjected. "Salt Lake or St. Louis?"
Athena's eyes widened. Oh. So there it was.
"Wait, what?" EJ questioned.
"You seem confused," Violetta noted. "Congratulations, because. So. Am. I."
"What's this about St. Louis?" Channing inquired.
"Uh, it's where the World's Fair was held in 1904," EJ answered. "It's a great city." He looked back at Violetta. "V, please, can we talk about this later?"
Violetta narrowed her eyes at him. "We better."
"Smile," Channing ordered, starting to snap multiple pictures. Athena tore her concerned gaze away from Violetta and placed a smile on her face. "Harder, harder. Like you're angry happy. Yeah." After a lot of pictures, he put the camera down. "Thanks again. Great day, you guys. The Bleu Man's gonna be so happy. And I can call him that 'cause we're close. Peace."
They all watched as Channing left the barn. Athena let out a breath of relief and stood up, standing on the stage and crossing her arms.
Ashlyn stood up. "Oh, well, that couldn't have gone longer."
"I, for one, at I looking forward to being reviled by America," Ricky admitted.
"Ricky," Athena protested, and he gave her an apologetic smile as he stood next to her and placed an arm around her waist.
"You know, a simple thank you would do the trick," Carlos stated.
"Guys, can we stop getting worked up over this, okay?" Kourtney pleaded. "If we can't pull this summer together, then we're gonna have bigger problems than just some labels on a poster. I gotta be Elsa by the end of the week, and if I can't land that high E flat, then — then they're gonna edit me out of the show!"
"Kourtney, they're not going to edit you out of the show," Athena reassured her calmly.
Gina suddenly glared at her. "Stop, Athena. Nobody needs your sweetness right now."
Athena blinked in shock, staring at Gina incredulously. "Why are you suddenly coming for me? What have I done?"
"You've done more than you know."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Hey," Carlos said loudly, making them stop. Athena scoffed and shook her head. "Kourt, do you wanna take it down like a thousand? Being this anxious all the time is literally bad for your skin."
"Uh, I'm sorry, what was that word?" Kourtney asked.
"Anxious?"
Kourtney looked at Gina. "Did you tell him what my mom . . ."
"Wait," Gina said.
"Told me what?" Carlos questioned.
"Guys, this is all a natural response to a day of high tensions and intense emotions, so let's just walk it off, take a deep breath—" Val started to explain.
"Val, maybe now's not the time for your psychoanalysis," Ashlyn told her. "Read the room."
"Well, in my own experience, Val likes to read letters that aren't hers," Violetta announced.
"Vi, come on—" Athena began.
"Do not, Athena."
Ashlyn suddenly laughed loudly at Maddox. "I'm sorry, what? Wow, that's . . ."
"Okay—" Jet said quietly.
"I have a boyfriend."
Jet looked at Maddox. "Can you just once stop telling everyone who they are and how they should be?"
Maddox turned to him. "Oh, you're talking to me now?"
"Forget it." Jet started to walk away. "You're just gonna yell."
"Oh, yeah, that's right, Jet. Make me the bad guy, once again."
"Did I miss an episode of our reality show?" Ricky inquired. "Did these two know each other before camp?"
"Look, Maddie, I'm here, aren't I?" Jet argued. "I'm trying."
"Yeah, only because you were forced to come here after you literally got expelled from school," Maddox insisted. Athena looked up and shared a confused look with Ricky before focusing back on the scene in front of her. "Or are we just pretending that that didn't happen?"
"You have never let me explain that."
"Okay, then why don't you also explain why you didn't show up to my fifteenth birthday party? Explain why I lose all of my confidence when you're around me, and heck, Jet, why don't you explain why you told mom and dad about me and Madison when you found her texts in my phone? Explain that."
Jet said nothing else and left the barn. Athena's hand slowly reached up to cover her mouth in shock. Oh my God. Jet and Maddox were brother and sister, and he had . . . outed her?
"Mom and . . ." Carlos repeated.
"Wait, what?" Ashlyn asked.
"I have done a terrible thing."
"I need to sit down," Ricky revealed. He removed his arm from Athena and sat down in front of her on the stage. "I need to lie down."
He then laid down on the stage, putting his hands on either side of his face as he stared up at the ceiling. Athena stared down at him for a moment. Her mind had started to spin again. There was way too much going on at once.
"Seems to be a lot of secrets floating around," Violetta commented.
EJ walked up to her. "V, whatever you saw, whatever you read in that letter, it's not what it looks like."
"EJ, it said you were going to St. Louis. You had me believing that you were going to spend my senior year with me in Salt Lake, and you lied."
"No. I'm going to spend your senior year with you. My dad — you know how he is. He's trying to make me go to Caswell Success School, but I'm going to change his mind. If he sees that I can make this docuseries a success, he'll let the whole training thing go. I'm not leaving Salt Lake without a fight, I promise."
"I told you promise was a big word," Violetta said quietly.
"And I'm going to keep it," EJ stated.
"I just don't get why you didn't tell me. I hate feeling like you're keeping things from me."
"Can I be Team Violetta on this?" Val questioned.
Ashlyn stepped forwards. "Elton John Caswell, I am so disappointed in you."
Athena blinked. No. Way.
"Wait, that's what EJ stands for?" Carlos cried.
"Huh," Kourtney voiced. "Rocket Man."
Violetta let out a humorless laugh. "Wow, another thing that I didn't know about you. What else do I have to find out?"
"I always assumed you were, like, Eric Junior," Carlos continued.
EJ looked at him. "My dad's name is Cash."
"That is on brand."
"You guys!" Ricky shouted, sitting up. "Jet and Maddox are siblings?"
Athena placed her hand on her forehead and let out a deep breath, closing her eyes as she did so. "We've moved on, baby."
"V, please," EJ began. "I didn't — wait, no . . ."
Violetta didn't listen to him and instead walked towards the doors. "I said that I don't like liars. Look what you've become."
With that, she totally left the barn.
Athena scoffed and bounded down the steps from the stage. She walked quickly over to the doors of the barn. Violetta couldn't be alone right now. Not after this. Not after all the times she was there for Athena. It was Athena's turn.
"'Thena," EJ protested from behind her. "Athena, please."
"You don't have to say anything," Athena replied, turning back to face him for a moment. "Actually? Maybe you should, because judging off of that, you haven't said enough. You're making Vi feel like a last resort, and she doesn't deserve that. So right now, here's what we're going to do. I'm going to make sure that she's okay, which she probably isn't, and you're going to try and figure out some way to make it up to her."
"I don't think you should be telling me how to handle my own relationship."
"And I don't think you should be hurting her like this. You know what she's been through." She sighed and looked to Ricky. "I'm sorry, can we reschedule?"
"Go," Ricky urged, but his mind seemed elsewhere. "Jet and Maddox, siblings . . ."
Athena left the barn. She wandered outside, looking for the familiar head of curly hair. Athena finally found her standing against a tree, her gaze on the ground and her arms crossed defiantly over her chest like she was guarding herself.
She stood next to Violetta, staring out ahead. "He's really going to St. Louis?"
"Unless he really sticks to his promise this time," Violetta answered. "I don't know how long he's had that letter, but I assume he's been lying to me for the past couple of days. At the read-through, he made it seem like he was going to be with me for my senior year."
Athena shrugged and glanced at her. "I could be a better boyfriend than him."
Violetta allowed a small smile to appear on her face. "Ditch Ricky and let's get married."
"I'm so in."
═ • ° • ✧ • ° • ═
I HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY
1. HOW IS THERE ONLY ONE EPISODE LEFT OF SEASON THREE I'M SCREAMING SO LOUD WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITHOUT RICKY BOWEN FOR ANOTHER FIVE MILLION MONTHS
2. SEASON FOUR'S MUSICAL IS HSM3 AND I'M GONNA GET ATHENA AND RICKY SINGING RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW AND CAN I HAVE THIS DANCE AND JUST WANNA BE WITH YOU I'M SOBBING SO LOUD
3. RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW !!!!! "I'M LOOKING AT YOU AND MY HEART LOVES THE VIEW 'CAUSE YOU MEAN EVERYTHING" !!!!! THAT'S SO THEM !!!!!
4. AND POTENTIALLY RICKY BOWEN FINALLY SINGING SCREAM WITH ROTATING WALLS I'M GOING TO DIE
5. medicine by james arthur is so their song this chapter 😍😍😍 love that for them
6. athena not knowing what to do when she's panicking so she just runs away <3 she's just like me fr
7. please when ricky found out jet and maddox were siblings 😭😭😭 homeboy was STRESSED
8. also hey remember when I said that I wanted a scene of ricky comforting athena while she cries her little heart out . . . next chapter :)