***********************
"Theater nerds," Damian earns the attention, taking a seat at the director's table, sporting the camp counselor attire.
"The past few days have been rough," He began, "There was some drama, and while we were able to push past it, I just wanted to make sure everybody knew that this is a safe space." He paused for the dramatic, everyone admires his words and actions.
"So," Damian continues, "I wanted everyone to say how they relate to their character. Or what you've learned from them."
Carlos raises his hand, "I'll go first." Already making his way to the front of the room.
"Carlos," Damian motions for him to continue, nodding appreciatively.
"I really relate to Elsa," Carlos starts, "I know what it's like to live with a huge secret that your family wants to keep away from the world. She isolated herself for so long, only ever dreaming of a day when she could be free. And while on the outside, people think she is put together, she's actually kind of a mess of her insecurities." He huffs a laugh, "But..she made it. She's free now and lives peacefully. She loves herself."
I am smiling wide, with a hand over my heart, proud of my best friend.
"And," Carlos continues, "What I've learned from playing her, is that I deserve to be up there playing her. Last time I was up on stage, I was a candlestick and almost passed out every time I sang. But now, I'm Queen Elsa, the lead!" He grins, before quickly bowing to conclude.
We cheer for him, with Jarred clearly overdoing it for Carlos' attention.
Damian smiles, "We're all so proud of you."
"Yes, we are." I grin, squeezing Carlos' shoulder supportively.
"I love you, guys!" Carlos beams, "Now, get up there, Anna." He encourages. I nod, going to the front of the room.
"Anna is enthusiastic," I start, smiling, "She waits for people without even knowing if they're gonna show back up again. She goes above and beyond for them, some would argue that they don't even deserve it."
Damian nods in agreement, offering a smile, knowing that I was talking about Dad. I smile at him.
"That's not it," I continue, "She finds someone who she thinks is so perfect and flawless, but then it turns out he's actually the worst. Like, royally.." I pause for the dramatic, earning some laughs from around the room.
Thankfully, the drama club now recognizes that I am referring to Howie, rather than EJ, when I say things like that. Truly, though, it could apply to any of the guys I've dated.
I smile, "And then, she ends up falling for someone completely unexpected, who awakens an adventurous side of her; a side that she didn't even know existed until him."
I glanced over, locking eyes with Ricky. Pure adoration is shadowing his features. I smile, which he returns.
"That's it." I finally conclude, tone playful after that moment of silence where Ricky and I stared at one another. Everyone applauds, and I take my seat.
"Wanna go next?" Damian suggests, looking at Ricky.
Ricky nods, going up to the front of the room, "Kristoff is really stuck in his own ways. He had little to no human contact, and thought it was best to stay that way. He wanted nothing to change, and then he meets Anna, a girl who wants her entire world to change." He huffs a laugh, looking at me. I smile, eyes soft.
Ricky continues, "She ends up changing him for the better, and gives him a much-needed reality check. But, I think he was cold towards her at the beginning, because fighting was the only way they could bond. After all, they're so different, despite what they have in common. I don't know, but she definitely knows more about love than he does."
I smile wide, nodding in agreement, before applauding, which caused everyone else to applaud.
************************
After a full day of rehearsing, everyone started to leave The Barn as the sun was setting, but Carlos and I stayed in our seats and ran the final scene. We shared the script, holding it between the two of us.
I sigh, "I'm scared I'm gonna blow the finale number's note. What if my voice cracks? Let it Go." I fake a horrible voice crack at the end, and we laugh.
Carlos shakes his head dismissively, "Honey, that's why we have the ensemble, just mouth while they're singing!" He playfully instructs.
I chuckle gently, nodding, "That's actually a really good idea."
"See!" We laugh.
"Speaking of ensemble," I start, closing the script, "Jarred still hasn't given up."
"Says who?" He grins, playfully.
I huff a laugh, "His loud-ass cheering every time you speak."
Carlos sighs, putting his arm around me, "Blanche, why are we so irresistible, that everybody must fall in love with us?"
I let out a sigh myself, resting my head on his shoulder, "I wish I knew. I'd ask us to tone it down." We laugh.
I gasp as realization dawns on me, pulling away, "He's Sharpay to you and Seb. Remember how she wanted Troy all to herself?!"
Carlos laughs, shaking his head in shame, "If he's our Sharpay, Jet's yours."
"I don't have a relationship for him to be jealous of!"
He raises his brows and crosses his arms in a challenging manner, "Oh, so there's nobody unexpected that you fell for like Anna? It seemed pretty real when you said it earlier."
I playfully wave it off, "I'm a great actress! You know what I've been thinking about recently?"
"What?" Curiously.
"I don't think I know what my love language is," I admit, puzzled, "Like, yours are gifts and quality time."
"And yours is squeezing shoulders." He teases, squeezing my shoulder to demonstrate.
We laugh, while realization dawns on me, "Wait, I do that.."
"I love it." He assures.
I playfully shake my head, continuing, "Relationship-wise, I have never been shown any of that love language stuff. Except...Ricky's been showing me it lately."
Carlos claps in excitement, grinning, "I've noticed!"
I smile, nodding, "Like, I melted when he got my favorite snacks and saved me a seat. And he's always saying the best things to me. I've never felt like this before, it's different, I don't know."
"How so?" Carlos pressed.
"Sometimes, when he just looks at me, I almost pass out." I blurt, giving Carlos the truth he wanted.
My best friend puts his hands on my shoulders, "Honey, that's what love feels like."
I squeal, grinning, with a hand over my heart. He chuckles gently.
"And it's in such a good way!" I continue, now spilling the truth, "And it's safe. I don't know how else to describe it..maybe a word that starts with L. But I'm not going to say it first, I don't wanna rush him into it, I know how he feels about that word. He just..feels so safe to me, but it's me that I'm scared of. If that makes sense?"
Carlos offers a sad smile, "Why?"
I sigh, "I hate who I am when I'm in a relationship. I get super clingy, and over the stop, and need reassurance, and I go above and beyond so they don't leave me, but the minute something goes wrong, they always leave."
"You have trauma from your family, that's not something that ever truly goes away. But it's been brought into relationships, because you've never been with someone who doesn't make you feel like you have to be like that. They've always just left, and never comforted you, or given you proper reassurance, when those are all normal needs in a relationship. Not to mention, you're so grown up now. Both of you are. The way you and Ricky met, was because you were both putting yourselves first, trying to sabotage a relationship to get back what you wanted. But with each other, you're putting each other first." He grins.
I nod along, smiling, "You think so?"
"I know so," Carlos assures, and then his phone begins to ring. He pulls the device out of his pocket, then smiles at the screen.
"It's Seb!" He beams, standing up, "We tried to talk last night, but the reception on his end was horrible."
"Farm life." I jest, and we laugh.
When Carlos opened the door to leave, he peeked his head out before looking back at me, "Someone's approaching from the Yurt." He teasingly informs, before walking out.
Soon enough, Ricky walked in; his smile grew upon meeting mine. "Anna," He greets.
"Your timing is impeccable, Kristoff." I grin.
We share a gentle laugh, as he takes a seat next to me.
"I was just thinking," Ricky starts, tone teasing, "You never showed me what's on that bucket list."
"Hm," I hum in realization, then pick up my phone from under my seat, next to my water bottle, "If I can even find it."
I look up from the screen, furrowing my brows as I meet his amused gaze, "Why do you even care, Bowen?" I tease.
He shrugs, crossing his arms, "I'm just curious, Sweeney."
I playfully roll my eyes, then begin scrolling. Shock crosses my face, "We talk a lot. And I'm literally on the picture section."
We share a gentle laugh, then I click on the photo of the list when I finally find it, now nervously grinning, "I found it. It's so stupid, and only has three on there."
"Let me see!" He insists.
"Okay," I sigh, "One, get serenaded."
He nods along, "Of course."
I smile, "That one is because of Camp Rock, Introducing Me."
"Hm," He hums, nodding, "We watched that sequel after the first movie, during the first movie night." He recalls.
I nod, "Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam', great movie, odd name. It sounds like everybody dies at the end."
He bursts out laughing, shaking his head, "It really does."
"Right!" We laugh.
"Now, continue." He insists.
I take a deep breath, looking down at the list, "Two, receive flowers."
Ricky was nodding along, but grew confused when I stopped abruptly.
I huff a laugh, looking down at number 3 on the list.
His brows furrow, "What?"
"Three," I blurt, "Get asked to a dance, and have the best night ever." My voice was quiet, with a small smile on my face, as I remember the camp prom that is coming up.
He huffs a laugh at the irony, smiling, "That's on there?"
I nod, meeting his gaze, "Yeah."
Ricky and I smile at one another, once again having the same thought about the camp prom.
"Are any of these checked off?" He questions gently, without breaking our intense stares.
"No," I answer honestly, voice quiet.
He was taken aback, "Seriously? Nobody's ever done any of that for you?"
"What about you?" I blurt, suddenly feeling embarrassed, "Is your bucket list complete?"
"Actually," Ricky starts, shoving his hand in his pocket to pull out paper, "I brought it." He grins.
"I have to read it, after you made me show you mine!"
"Fine.." He playfully rolls his eyes, before handing it out, "All yours."
I snatch the paper, with a mocking smile and hum, before opening it.
"You should feel special," He went on, "I haven't let anybody else here see this."
"Hm," I hum in admiration at that, raising my brows in amusement, before looking back down at the list.
After reading his ridiculous plans, my brows furrow, playfully judging him, "Walk on the moon?"
"Yeah." He grins.
I chuckle, shaking my head, "When you wrote this, did you really think this was something you could do? Like, in your head, did you really think you could achieve walking on the moon?!" I tease.
"Hey," With his hand out dismissively, laughing gently, "I had a very active imagination! That one's actually supposed to be crossed off."
My brows furrow, "Oh?"
He nods, "Yeah. The other day, my dad sent me a moon rock."
I chuckle gently, "That's cute."
Then, I look back at the list and point out, "Say yes to something that scares you? So, are you just gonna start saying 'yes, and' to me?" I tease, smiling knowingly.
He nods, eyes wide playfully, "Yes, and you're right."
"Always am!" I jokingly brag, shrugging, before looking at the list, "Teach someone how to skateboard?!"
He shrugs, "I learned how to skateboard and thought I was the best thing since sliced bread."
"And that's not crossed off?" I question.
Ricky shakes his head, "Nope."
"Well, a lot of these are crossed off," I observe, "Except for the easiest one: staying up for 24 hours."
"That's easy for you?" He questions, taken aback.
I nod, "Um, yeah. It's the only way I can fix my sleep schedule for school."
"Teach me your ways, Sweeney." He jokingly pleads.
I playfully roll my eyes, sighing, as if being forced, "Fine!"
"Hey," He blurts, "Do you know how to skateboard?"
I scoff a laugh, "I don't even know how to ride a bike!"
"My skateboard's in Big Red's car.." He grins, shrugging.
I raise my brows, pondering, "If I break my face before opening night-.." I pause and narrow my eyes, "I'm still gonna go on, I'll just be really mad at you." I playfully warn.
Ricky puts his hands up in surrender, "I've handled your wrath before, Sweeney.
I playfully roll my eyes, "That's true, Bowen."
His eyes narrow in question, "Do you trust me?"
The corners of my mouth quirk up, brows furrowed, "Maybe?"
***********************
After getting his skateboard out, Ricky shuts the trunk of Big Red's car, before approaching me.
He showcases the skateboard in hand, eyeing me up and down. "Heels? This is already going great." Ricky playfully obverses.
"Platforms." I correct, glancing at my shoes and then his converses, before looking up, "You better be the best thing since sliced bread." I challenge, bringing up what he said earlier. Ricky huffs a laugh.
We ended up where we were competing yesterday: on the basketball court. Mainly because this is one of the only areas at camp with actual concrete, and nobody else is around because the sun is going down.
"Let's say, if you had to kick someone for safety," He starts, holding the skateboard out for me.
I take the skateboard, brows furrowed as I wonder why he would ask that.
"Which foot would you kick them with? Whichever one it is, that's the one you place on the front of the board." He explains, I nod along.
"Okay," Finally understanding, I set the board down then place my right foot onto it.
He nods in approval over my confidence, "Now, push with your other foot."
I almost complied, before suddenly feeling anxious, eyes wide as I look at him.
"Ready?" Ricky teases, reading the fear on my face.
"No." I blurt.
"Why?" He pressed, with a smug smile.
"Don't make me say it!"
He shrugs, "Say what?"
I roll my eyes, before blurting out, "I'm scared, Bowen."
His eyes softened as true compassion crosses his face, and with a small smile, he held his hands out, "Here, I got you."
I grin, interlocking my fingers with his, while balancing on the skateboard with both feet; my shoes probably making it wobblier than usual.
"Can we move? Are you ready to go?" He checks in.
I shut my eyes, unable to control my nervous laughter, "My heart is racing!"
"It's like ripping off a band-aid!" He insists, with a firm grip on my hands to move the skateboard, making a scream of surprise escape me. We laugh.
"I soak my band-aids in warm water so it doesn't hurt!" I blurt, raising my voice a bit, as if talking would distract me.
He nods in approval, "That's actually a good idea!"
I take a few deep breaths, starting to relax, then we finally come to a stop.
"You did good! Are you good?" Ricky questions, smiling wide.
I nod in affirmation, grinning, "Yes."
"Gonna go back over. Can you handle that?" He teases, forcing the skateboard in the opposite direction anyway.
I playfully roll my eyes, "How many times before I get a headache?"
He shrugs, once again taking us the opposite way, "Until you can take off by yourself."
Once the skateboard comes to a stop, and we are near the basketball hoop, I let go of his right hand and put one foot on the ground.
"I'm gonna take off by myself." I declare.
"Go on," Ricky nods in approval, letting go of my hand.
"Wait!" I blurt, intertwining our fingers again, "Not all the way."
"Oh, you still need my help?" He teases.
I playfully roll my eyes, "No. Support." I correct.
I held my free hand flat out, then pushed off the ground, and the skateboard moved in the opposite direction. I did not stumble, with the help of Ricky's hand in mine.
"That was good!" He praised.
"I know." I jokingly brag, grinning. "I think I got it." I declare, letting go of his hand.
"Are you sure?" Ricky questions, taking a step back, but holding his arms out just in case.
"Yes!" I assure, taking a deep breath.
Finally, I took off on the board, it was a bit wobbly, but I did not travel too far.
I then forced my foot down, causing a hard landing, but Ricky was there to protect me, with his hands on my shoulders. We laugh in surprise.
"Check?" He questions, with both hands still firmly holding my shoulders.
"Check!" I confirm, grinning as I practically jump into his arms.
With my arms around his neck, as he tightly holds my middle, I lift my legs as he lifts me up to spin me around in the hug.
****************************
"So," I start, as we walk into The Barn, "Now, saying yes to something, the lotto ticket, and be a hero are the only ones not crossed off."
Ricky nods, "Yeah, as long as we can stay up until tomorrow."
I wave it off, "It'll be easy."
"Can I ask you something?" He blurts.
I nod, "Yeah."
"What you said, that day in your room before the wedding, about not sleeping well since spring break.." He trails.
I tense up at the mention, and at the fact that we are probably going to finally talk about spring break.
"I wanted to ask," Ricky continues, "Are you sleeping better?"
I nod in affirmation, offering a small smile, "I am. Oddly, I've been getting the best sleep since being here." I huff a laugh to ease the tension, and so does he.
"I'm glad. Speaking of spring break, though.." He trails awkwardly.
I did not respond, only nodded along, as my heart began to pound. We were bound to have this conversation at some point.
"Sweeney," Ricky continues, "I told you that, in the moment, you were the only good thing in my life.. and that has been true since the moment I said it. Honestly, it's been true since before I even realized it."
My eyes soften, "Bowen,"
"And I'm an idiot for not realizing it sooner." He went on, tone solemn, "I'm an idiot for calling Lily that night. I'm an idiot for not falling for you the day you stood up for me, before my audition, about how Troy was always late."
We share a gentle laugh at the memory, and he approaches closer and continues his sincere admission, "And I'm an idiot for every mean thing I've ever said to you. And I'm sorry for it all."
"I know," I assure, nodding, "I'm sorry, too. I avoided you after spring break because my feelings for you were so strong, that I felt like I couldn't breathe around you."
Ricky looked relieved at the admission, even though he had caught on that I felt the same way, this was his first verification after thinking I rejected him.
"And Carlos didn't tell me how you felt until after the show," I continue.
"That's not Carlos' fault," He assures, " I should've confessed that day at the bomb shelter, when we helped him with that song for Seb. But I didn't want you to think I was forcing anything. And then, when you said you had nothing left to say to me, I just assumed that was your way of letting me down gently." He pauses, huffing a laugh at that, and I smile.
"And," Ricky went on, "I said all of that stuff about you and EJ, because I saw the way he hugged you, and it just made me assume the worst to protect myself, I guess. I wanted to believe that he was the reason that you didn't like me back, even though I knew that you didn't have feelings for him anymore."
"I'm so sorry," I blurt, "I should have told you instead of storming out. But I'm glad I did, because I realized that I needed to put you first, before my own feelings, so you could love yourself first."
He huffs in disbelief, smiling in adoration, "Nobody's ever done that for me."
"And I've never done anything like that for anyone before. But, before that," I went on, smiling at the memory, "Spring break, when you opened every door for me, and when I saw how different our music taste is,"
Ricky nods, grinning, "The shift from Alicia Keys to Bowie was amazing. Sometimes, I blast 'If I Ain't Got You' in the car, thanks to you."
My eyes soften as I chuckle gently, "Her most basic hit, but still a classic. I'm glad my great taste rubbed off on you." We share a gentle laugh.
"But it wasn't just that," I continue, "It was also how you would always turn on the heater when you noticed that I got cold, even though you like to have the cold air blasting in the car!"
He shrugs, grinning, "You get cold easily." We laugh lightly.
I smile, eyes soft, "And when I finally sat down and..looked at you, when we wrote that song, I cried in the bathroom because the feelings hit me all at once. And I never cry."
"Really?" He admires, "I thought you just really liked our song." We share a gentle laugh.
"You wanna know when it hit me?" Ricky questions, "Like, really hit me? When I knew I was in deep forever?"
I nod quickly, smiling, "Yes!"
"It was when I walked into your room before the wedding." Ricky admits, "I forgot how to speak because it hit me all at once. I went home and cried that night, and I thought it was because you ignored me at the reception."
We share a gentle laugh, and I admit, "It killed me to do that."
"But it was because of how hard I fell." Ricky admits, "I was scared at how safe everything felt, how crazy is that? I was scared that I didn't have to question it, and I just knew."
"I could tell," I quietly confess, smiling softly, "Because when I opened the door, it felt like time stopped, because I finally saw it... I finally saw the way everybody says you look at me."
He huffs a laugh, nodding, "Everybody loves to point that out."
"Yeah," I grin, "And it made me wish that there was a way like that for you, so you could see how intense my feelings are for you."
"Are you kidding?" Any sign of humor was gone, Ricky was now completely solemn, while approaching even closer.
My heart was pounding, eyes glazed over with desire like his, as I glanced between his eyes and lips.
He continues, "I saw it during spring break, the way you looked at me after we sang together. I saw it on opening night, and newbie night across the fire. I wear my feelings carelessly on my sleeves, but you... I love how I'm the only one who gets to see the passion in your eyes; the only one who can make you blush. It sets me on fire. You set me on fire, Bianca Sweeney." His admission was sincere, and it heated my body as shock crossed my face.
The heavy tension brought us together naturally. He cradled my face with both hands and finally pulled me in. When our lips met, I put my arms around his shoulders.
Though the motion was fast, and he crashed his lips into mine, it felt like he wanted to take all of the time in the world with me. It was gentle, and felt as if a million fireworks were going off around us. It was a passionate, yet innocent, 'at last' kiss.
But then, his tongue trailed over my lower lip, in a silent plea for a way in, to which I responded with a soft moan and by parting my lips to allow the kiss to get deeper, more passionate; fueled by every fight, every mumbled remark, every glare, every argument—all of it.
My back was now against the wall, while tightening my arms around his neck to draw him closer, if possible.
Despite the heat, Ricky being ever the gentleman, held the back of my head in his hand, protecting it from the wall, before wrapping his fingers through my hair. While his left hand held my face. Our bodies naturally moved against one another, not quite feeling close enough.
I have pictured this moment many times. Imagining our first kiss to be rough, maybe during a fight; where he finally shut me up by crashing his lips into mine. But Ricky Bowen exceeds me timelessly. And it was better than everything I have ever imagined; better than any kiss I'd had before — it felt like my first kiss. I had forgotten about everyone else.
And that dreadful moment arrived, when we had to pull away. We caught our breaths, still holding each other close; the look of desire we shared just increased, before smiling at one another in disbelief and satisfaction, yet needing more.
"You understand that?" Ricky questions, adding onto the last thing he said; as if trying to get it through to me after my admission. His serious tone made my knees weak.
I nod quickly, still catching my breath. My head was spinning, like I would fall to the floor if he wasn't holding me up.
"Yes!" I finally speak, grinning, "Yes, I do. But.. show me again?" I tried to sound flirtatious at the latter, but I was beaming. Ricky smiled wide and pulled me into another sweet but passionate kiss.
After pulling away, Ricky gently caressed my face and put his forehead against mine, as we shared a smile, admiring one another.
"Is this us starting over?" I question, pulling back a bit.
Ricky shakes his head, with his thumbs still softly caressing my face, "I've been starting over with everybody recently, even my parents. But with you, I don't wanna start over."
"But, why?" I press, slightly confused.
"Because how we got here, it's not at all perfect, but I wouldn't change a thing about it." He was solemn, "And, starting all over again, means that I would have never sung with you. And singing with you is my favorite thing in the world. Well, second, after right now." He huffs a laugh.
I nod in agreement, grinning, "Mine too. That's a good reason."
"But," Ricky starts, "If starting all over again means I get to relearn you, and proudly appreciate those things this time, then I will happily introduce myself."
"You're playing Troy?" I beam, smiling wide.
"And you're Gabriella?" He goes along with it, grinning, "I'm not really a big musical theater person, so if you could teach me, that'd be great."
I nod, "Absolutely!" We share a gentle laugh, before our lips meet again in a sweet kiss.
"So, stranger," Ricky sarcastically starts, after pulling away, "If you wanna get to know each other better, I think there's this dance happening tomorrow?"
I playfully shake my head, sighing, "I would love to, but I might actually be too busy. I already planned on going with this super annoying guy, who showed up to camp super late and has never properly seen the musical we're putting on." I tease.
He goes along with it, "Ah, sounds tough."
I nod, "It is. He did everything to win my brother's approval, and is too damn respectful sometimes!"
Ricky huffs a laugh, "He sounds like a nightmare."
I chuckle gently, "He is! But, he's also right. I don't wanna start over. I like where we are now."
I crash my lips into his, and both of his hands hold my back to spin me away from the wall, to dip my back like we had just gotten married. I couldn't help but smile into the kiss, with my hands on his face and my leg resting at his middle. He smiled as well.
We pulled away, catching our breaths, and he still had me dipped. I licked my lips, then Ricky and I shared a smile, before our lips met again, where a gentle moan escaped me, into his mouth; to which he responded by leaning his body closer into mine.
The heat between us was overwhelming, but we have so much time to explore each other, and for today, to enjoy finally being able to kiss a million times, is enough for now.
***********************************
Ricky held his hand over my eyes, with the other on my shoulder, leading me somewhere.
"Open," He instructs, pulling his hand away.
The corners of my mouth quirk up as a gasp escapes me, gazing at the beautiful rooftop garden; it almost resembles the one from High School Musical.
"Are you kidding?!" I admire, walking around.
"Carlos and EJ were going on and on, and on and on," He repeats, rolling his eyes playfully, making me chuckle gently. "...about this rooftop garden,"
I nod along as Ricky continues, and he follows me as I explore.
"And at first, I didn't get it, but apparently-"
"It's like the iconic rooftop from HSM!?" I assume, mouth parted in awe.
He nods, almost surprised, "That's basically what Carlos said," in shock, he huffs a laugh.
I hum and shrug proudly, turning around to continue exploring.
"And he mentioned that I should take you up here, and.." He extended then paused.
My brows furrow curiously, turning around to find Ricky offering out his hand.
He smiles, "Can I have this dance?"
My eyes soften, before a gentle laugh escapes me, "The effort was there, but.. you've never actually seen the third movie, have you?" I assume, both teasingly and knowingly.
His brows raise, backing away as he caves in, "I have.. not. Sweeney, you can't be surprised."
I chuckle gently, "I'm not! Follow my lead," I instruct, offering my hand out as I begin Can I Have This Dance from HSM3; finally living out my dream. Ricky followed along wonderfully.
Afterward, to kill some time, we decided to go out to the pool, since everybody else is now asleep. We changed into our swimsuits from the other day when we performed Fabulous.
He held me in his arms, bridal style, and I warned him not to get my hair wet, but he did anyway while turning me gently into the water.
As I playfully scolded him, Ricky grabbed my waist and gently spun me around, while apologizing. I laugh lightly, with my hands on his shoulders for support.
"One hour after midnight," I point out, still holding onto him, "Only 6 more hours to go. Are you tired?"
He shakes his head, smiling, "Honestly, I'm more wide awake than I've ever been."
"Hm," I hum in admiration, nodding, "We're lucky we don't have rehearsal tomorrow, and get to sleep in because of the dance."
"Yeah," He agrees, "That might not be good for me. I'm trying to remember my lines for a musical I've never seen, but all I can think about is you. You're driving me crazy." He places a quick, sweet kiss on my lips, before kissing my face down to my jaw.
My face flushed, along with butterflies in my stomach.
I playfully roll my eyes, grinning, "You were like that before me, Bowen! But, if you're truly that unprepared, just mouth what the ensemble is singing!" I use what Carlos told me earlier.
"I might take you up on that, Sweeney." He grins, spinning me around in the water. I throw my head back, laughing lightly.
***********************************
After spending too much time in the pool, we dried off, with Ricky giving me the navy blue t-shirt he was wearing earlier, while he remained shirtless and in his pants, and we snuck into the canteen.
My hair was still drenched, droplets from the pool fell behind me and onto his shirt that is oversized on me. I am sitting cross-legged on the floor, behind the counter in the small kitchen. Ricky sat opposite me, and we laughed after I threw a piece of popcorn in an attempt for him to catch it in his mouth, but missed completely.
"One more time!" He insists, as we laugh.
I shake my head, "That was the 50th time!"
"Come on," He pleads.
I playfully roll my eyes, picking up another piece of popcorn to throw in his open-mouthed direction. Ricky finally caught the popcorn, and we laugh, both shocked.
"I told you!" He brags.
"50 tries ago!" I playfully remind.
"Still counts." He shrugs, standing up, to open the pack of Twizzlers on the counter.
"I don't get the Twizzler hype," I admit, watching him take a bite of said candy.
"Have you had the ones here?"
I jokingly gasp, my tone dramatic, "Susie Fine's bait?!"
He nods, grinning, "That's the one."
I wave it off, "No."
"Here," He insists, holding the candy up.
I playfully roll my eyes, opening my mouth and tilting my head up. I sat up for it, almost on my knees, while he was still on his feet. My dirty mind wandered as he held eye contact while placing the candy in my mouth, not pulling away until I took a bite of it. The look in his eyes told me that his mind went to the same place, making my face and body heat up.
I sat back down, faking a disgusted look after chewing and ingesting the candy. "I still don't understand."
Ricky shakes his head in playful shame, "More for me then." He rests his arm on his knee, while sitting down opposite me, and taking a bite of the candy before sending me a wink.
"So," I blurt, trying to put out the fire coursing through my body, to kill the heat between us and keep things pure. "Your birthday is soon. How does that feel?"
He shrugs, smiling wide, "After today, I just can't believe I survived that long without kissing you."
My face heats up once again, grinning, "Stop!"
"It's true." He defends, reaching over to capture my lips in a sweet kiss.
"I remember your birthday," He recalls, "It was during High School Musical rehearsal. Carlos and Miss Jenn made us all sing 'Happy Birthday' to you, and I just sat in the corner like a punk."
I chuckle gently, nodding, "Yeah, I remember that. That was right after the crazy 'saving Miss Jenn's job' stuff happened."
He huffs a sarcastic laugh, "And now she's on a cruise with my dad."
Confusion crosses my face, "I can't be the only one who wonders how he even afforded that, right?"
Ricky shakes his head dismissively, "Miss Jenn thinks he paid for it, but he just won a sweepstakes."
I cover my mouth as a light laugh of shock escapes me, "Wait, what?!"
He huffs a laugh, nodding, "Right? It's nice to be away from them. I know you get that."
I nod in understanding, "Absolutely. I don't think it's actually gonna hit that my mom married Mr. Mazzara, until I get back home and am actually around them. I'm really dreading it."
"Run away together in October?" He jokingly put forth.
"Yes, please!" I playfully agree, and we share a laugh.
"You know," I went on, "I like Mr. Mazzara, I really do. But, I feel like if I accept him, I'll be betraying my dad. If that makes sense."
He nods along, "That's understandable."
"But, I don't know why I still feel that way!" I scoff a laugh in disbelief, "My dad and I spend every summer together, but, this year, he bailed on me."
Shock and compassion cross Ricky's face, as he takes his hand in mine to gently caress the back of my hand. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know that."
I offer a small smile, "It's okay, I should be used to it. He's been like this my whole life. This isn't the first summer he's bailed on me, it just doesn't hurt any less than it did when I was a kid." I glance down to fight back tears.
"Hey," Ricky soothes, rushing over to my side to bring me into his embrace. "What he's doing is not right. I promise you have every right to be upset. I'm always here for you, and you can talk to me about anything, Sweeney." He kisses my forehead.
I smile, shutting my eyes in contentment.
"Okay?" He softly questions.
"Okay," I confirm, nodding.
"Good." He admires, and we share a smile.
Then, I put my hands on his face to gently pull him into a sweet kiss.
"Thank you," I blurt, after pulling away. "And I'm always here for you, Bowen."
"I know." Ricky assures, nodding. "So, Sweeney, we still have a few more hours. What's next on this adventure?" He questions, grinning.
I smile, gaining an idea, "Get your guitar?"
Ricky complied, and also put on a green and white t-shirt since I am still wearing his from earlier. We met back up in The Barn, and we sang together for so long, that my hair was almost completely dry. We were seated on the stage.
"Okay, okay," I try to compose myself as we laugh over nothing, "This is my favorite song in the world!"
"You say that about every song, Sweeney!" He playfully points out.
I chuckle gently, playfully shaking my head, "I mean duet! And I think you got it. Ready?"
Ricky nods, clearing his throat, "I think so." He then began strumming his guitar to play You're My Favorite Song from Camp Rock 2.
"And when I hear you on the radio," I begin the chorus.
He joined in, and we sang together, "I'd never want to change a single note. It's what I tried to say all along. You're my favorite song."
"My favorite song." He adds.
We smile, singing together, "And when I hear you on the radio, I'd never want to change a single note. It's what I tried to say all along,"
I sang, "You're my favorite song."
"You're my favorite song." He concludes.
Ricky and I share a look of adoration, smiling at one another, before mutually leaning in for a sweet but passionate kiss.