A/N: Anything in italics is a flashback! Please read it as such :)
Song Of The Chapter: Want You Back by 5 Seconds Of Summer
“No matter where I go, I’m always gonna want you back.”
Ricky’s POV- After
I watched Aaliyah storm out, hearing the door slam shut behind her. Tears were building in my eyes, as I turned towards the curtain. My mind was racing, thoughts coming at me all at once. Why wouldn’t you just tell her you regretted it? I asked myself, staring into the distance. You had one chance, and you blamed everything on her. Fucking idiot. I cursed, hearing the door open.
“Surprised you’re back.” I muttered, still not turning around. “Aaliyah actually ran into her cabin, saw her crying.” Nini said, as I whipped around. “Hi Ricky.” She greeted me, walking in my direction. “What’re you doing here?” I questioned, watching her get on the stage. “I can’t come and see my boyfriend? Make things right between us?” She asked, reaching out to touch me.
“You were the one that wanted a break.” I said, as her hand landed on my arm. “I was going all the way to California, I wanted to see what was out there.” She responded, and I shook my head. “No, you wanted more song material.” I spat, as she rolled her eyes. “You’re seriously still upset about the rose song?” She asked, and I nodded.
“Nini, you embarrassed me in front of the entire school!” I chastised, seeing her body shift. “That was months ago, and you deserved it!” She argued, and I scoffed. “What could I possibly have done for you to tell me that I’m suffocating you, Nini? What the hell did I do?” I probed, and her face scrunched up.
“You were still in love with her.” She declared, emphasizing the word her, as if it was heavy. “Why are you bringing up Aaliyah?” I asked, as she shook her head. “Even though you were with me, your heart was with her.” She answered, and I shook my head. “No, it wasn’t.” I retorted, trying to stand my ground. “Yes it was, and I remember exactly when I realized it.” She said, and I immediately knew the moment she was talking about.
Nini and I were walking in the hallway, hand in hand. We’d just celebrated our six month anniversary, and I was feeling content with the world and everything in it. “Hey babe, can we stop at my locker?” She asked, and I nodded. “Of course.” I answered, allowing her to lead me to it. A crowd walked towards us, and she tried pulling me out of the way, only to make me bump into someone.
“I’m so sorry.” I said, letting go of Nini’s hand to pick up the person’s books. “It’s fine.” A girl mumbled, as I looked up. Aaliyah’s eyes greeted me, quickly going back to the mess in front of us. “Hey.” I sighed, almost as if I was exhaling. I hadn’t really seen Aaliyah since the breakup, only getting occasional glimpses of her. Now she’s in front of me, and the girl I left her for is next to me. I finished grabbing her books, barely handing them to her before Nini grabbed my arm, pulling me in for a kiss.
My eyes were wide open, watching Aaliyah walk away. I wasn’t even paying attention to Nini, as I’d stopped kissing her back. She pulled away, staring at me with a small smile on her face. “You okay?” She asked, and I looked away from Aaliyah. “Yeah.” I answered, shaking it off.
“You were staring at her, Ricky. Hell, you stopped kissing me back!” She exclaimed, and I shook my head. “She didn’t have my heart.” I denied, memories filling my head. I could barely focus on Nini, my mind only reminding me of Aaliyah.
“If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?” Aaliyah asked, and I shrugged. “You answer first.” I said, as she nodded. “Jamaica.” She answered, looking at me again. I was staring at her, and a smile crossed my face. “Anywhere with you.” I mumbled, looking away. It’s quiet for a second, and I almost began to fake an answer.
“Anywhere isn’t a place, love.” She said, as I looked at her. “You heard that?” I asked, and she nodded. “You’re not a very good mumbler, Bowen.” She joked, as I pulled her closer. I was quiet, soaking in every detail she possessed. From the way her dark curls bounced, to the way her eyes had seemingly changed from brown to hazel within seconds. I ended up staring at her lips, seeing the small curve on the top one.
Without warning, she kissed me softly, guiding one of my hands to her back, while the other rested under her chin. Her hands were holding my face, and I felt my cheeks flush from their warmth. She pulled away, looking at me. “I’d go anywhere with you too.” She announced, smiling at me. I wrapped my arms around her, exhaling as her face rested in the crook of my neck.
“Why don’t you understand that she’s not good for you, Ricky?” Nini asked, ripping me out of my daydream. “Pardon?” I questioned, as she stepped closer to me. “Aaliyah isn’t the one for you, I am. I’ve been the one for you since the day of the play, you know that.” She said, holding both of my hands. “No, you haven’t. You were the one that took me away from her.” I scoffed, snatching my hands away from her.
“Oh boohoo, you two were gonna fall apart after that year anyways. You aren’t good enough to be with anyone, Richard. The only reason I stayed with you was out of pity.” She spat, as I shook my head. “I was good enough for Aaliyah, you just made me feel like she wasn't enough for me. You were wrong!” I reprimanded, and she rolled her eyes. “You already know that we’re gonna get back together, so you might as well stop yelling and kiss me.” She demanded, and I crossed my arms.
“No.” I declared, as she raised her eyebrows. “What?” She asked, her cheeks red. “We’re not getting back together, we will never be together again.” I said, and she chuckled. “So what, you’re gonna get your precious Aaliyah back?” She questioned, as I nodded.
“I love her.” I responded, hearing the door open. “Great work for the cameras!” Channing exclaimed, putting a thumbs up. I looked behind me, seeing that a camera was perched in the window.
Maybe it’ll be enough to get Aaliyah back. I thought, turning away from it. Suddenly, Nini kissed me, and my eyes were wide open. I pushed her off, wiping my mouth. “What the fuck?” I asked, as she smiled. “Enjoy opening night.” She beamed, leaving the barn.
Song Of The Chapter: “The Loudest Silence” by Maurice Moore Ricky’s POV- memory
I knocked on Aaliyah’s door, waiting for her to open it. Moments later, she appeared, clad in all gray. “Hi.” I said, as she inhaled. “What do you want, Ricky?” She asked, thunder rumbling after she spoke. “Can we talk?” I inquired, my hands in my pockets. “About the fact that you’ve been a dick all week or something else?” She retorted, as rain started falling.
“That.” I answered, and she nodded. “Come in.” She said, moving aside. She closed the door behind her, and we went to her room. Another door closed, and I sat on her bed. “I should not have reacted to you possibly being pregnant like that.” I began, as she crossed her arms. She’s standing in the middle of the room, not wanting to be near me.
“You’re 100 percent right, you acted like you were the only one that would’ve been affected. It’s my life too, Ricky!” She yelled, her face turning slightly red. “You were the one that wanted to have unprotected sex!” She spat, as I shook my head.
“You said you were on the pill!” I argued, and she scoffed. “How many times do I have to tell you, I accidentally missed two. That doesn’t make it all my fault!” She roared, her hands now balled into fists. “It sure doesn’t make you innocent!” I countered, as she inhaled.
“You are such a fucking asshole!” She screamed, her face now fully red. “Why are you so upset? I apologized when it happened!” I yelled, already seeing the tears in her eyes. I needed to get to the root of the problem, so I could fix it.
“Aaliyah.” I said, but she was silent. “Liyah.” I began, seeing a tear escape her eye. “Because I was fucking terrified and I needed you!” She cried, tears now streaming down her face. I got up, immediately standing in front of her.
“Come here.” I sighed, my arms open. She backed up a little, as I inhaled. “Please.” I said, and she stepped forward. I wrapped my arms around her, feeling her body shake as she sobbed. “Let it out, I got you.” I whispered, rubbing her back. Some tears trickled down my cheeks, rain gently hitting the window. A few minutes later, she stopped, standing in place. I pulled back, looking at her.
“I’m so sorry that I was being a dick when you needed me, you didn’t deserve that.” I apologized, cupping her face in my hands. “But I love you.” I declared, and she put her hands on mine. “I love you too.” She replied, kissing me softly. Ricky’s POV- Present- 2 days later
My dream was still heavy on my mind, the memory bringing more confusion and conflicted emotions forward. I sat on the stage, looking for Aaliyah. She’s not here. I noted, shaking my head.
“Ricky, we need to talk.” Channing said, motioning me over. “Yes?” I asked, as he inhaled. “I already told this to your director, but since you’re one part of the love triangle, I need you to bring the drama up.” He announced, and I raised my eyebrows.
“What do you mean love triangle?” I questioned, as he cleared his throat. “I mean, it’s obvious that you and the director have something for Aaliyah. That’s peak reality television!” He exclaimed, clearly excited. “EJ and Aaliyah don’t like each other, there’s nothing there.” I responded, as he chuckled, patting my shoulder.
“If I were you, I’d ask them personally. Get some real answers.” He suggested, and he walked away right after. He left the building, as everyone, including EJ and Aaliyah walked in.
“Hey Ricky.” Aaliyah said, a small smile on her face. She must have seen my expression, because her smile went away “What’s going on?” She asked, as I looked at her and EJ. “What happened with you and EJ while we were broken up?” I inquired, watching her demeanor shift. “Ricky.” She began, as I shook my head. “Don’t lie to me, Aaliyah!” I huffed, and EJ walked over.
“Don’t talk to her like that, Bowen.” He growled, and I scoffed. “Tell me what happened!” I yelled, as he chuckled. “I helped your ex pick up the pieces of the heart that you broke, she was with me. While you honeymooned with Nini, she was in my arms.” He revealed, a smirk on his face. I looked at Aaliyah. “Is this true?” I asked, and he stood in front of her.
“Yes, it’s true. You fucked everything up between you two because you aren’t good enough, Bowen. I’m better than you in every way possible.” He taunted, as I tried to breathe. “She wanted to be with me, until you rolled in and batted your eyelashes at her. Because heaven forbid you don’t get your fucking way!” He yelled, and I swung, nailing him in the jaw.
He looked at me, his face switching before he lunged at me. We’re on the ground, fists flying as everyone yelled at us. Somehow, EJ ended up on top of me, holding his fist up. “I’ve been waiting to do this.” He declared, before being pushed off. “Enough!” Aaliyah yelled, standing in front of me. “Move, Aaliyah.” EJ growled, as she shook her head. “Leave him alone.” She said, and I got up, quickly moving towards the exit. Aaliyah’s POV
Ricky left the room, and I ran after him. “Ricky.” I called, as he shook his head. “Leave me alone, Aaliyah.” He huffed, still walking. “Will you please let me explain?” I asked, and he turned to face me. “Explain what? That you slept with EJ fucking Caswell?” He questioned, as I inhaled. “First of all, we never slept together.” I replied, and he scoffed. “Bullshit. How do I believe you? He probed, his hands still curled into fists.
“When have I ever lied to you?” I asked, my voice slightly elevated. He’s quiet, sitting by the piano. “EJ and I have only ever kissed, there was no relationship or anything of the sorts. I promise you.” I declared, sitting next to him. “He’s right though.” He sighed, as I tilted my head. “About what?” I inquired, and he took a breath. “I did fuck everything up between us, and I left you to deal with it.” He confessed, as I messed with the keys.
“You found love somewhere else, it’s fine.” I responded, and he shook his head. “I could’ve at least tried to talk to you. We avoided each other for an entire year.” He lamented, as I nodded. “We went through a lot of shit together too, just abandoning each other was devastating.” I agreed, and he exhaled.
“I had a dream about the time you thought you were pregnant.” He revealed, as I inhaled. “That was a few months before we broke up.” I noted, and he nodded. “Did you stop loving me after everything?” He questioned, as I raised my eyebrow. “Why would I have stopped?” I asked, seeing his eyes water. “Because I left, because I’m not good enough. EJ said it, hell you probably think that.” He argued, the tears slowly trickling down his face.
Just touch him I thought to myself, as I put my hand on his back. “EJ doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” I said, and he looked at me. “You didn’t answer the question.” He pointed out, as I lifted both of my hands, cupping his face with them. “I never stopped loving you, Ricky. Nothing will ever change that.” I announced, as we stared at each other.
I cleared my throat, moving my hands. “You should give your girlfriend a call, sure she’d like to hear from you.” I said, getting up and leaving the cabin. 3rd Person POV
EJ walked into the Worker’s cabin, fumbling with his phone. “Hello?” A girl asked, and he cleared his throat. “Nini, hi. Miss Jenn’s on the other line.” He said, as another woman pops into frame. “Hello darling!” Miss Jenn exclaimed, grinning at him.
“I’m calling because I need a favor. Ricky and Aaliyah are are here at camp and they seem to be close to getting back together.” He informed them, seeing their faces drop.
“I need you guys to come here and put the final nails in their coffin.” informed them, seeing their faces drop.
“Do you guys think you can make a trip to Shallow Lake so that doesn’t happen?” He asked, as both of them took a breath. “When’s opening night?” Nini asked, and EJ grinned. “It’s in about 5 days.” He answered, as they nodded.
“We’ll be there honey.” Miss Jenn said, and they all hung up.
A/N: I promise that I'll be elaborating on RIcky and Aaliyah's past relationship more in upcoming chapters. I especially promise that the drama will begin picking up from here. Also- anything in italics is a flashback. Enjoy the chapter!
Ricky’s POV- Cast List
“Holy shit, it’s up.” Ashlyn said, looking at the green sheet. Everyone’s crowded around it, moving aside once they get a glance. EJ looked at it, grimacing as he turned to face me. “I swear, there is no way you win every single fucking time.” He spat, huffing away. Carlos came up behind me, looking at the sheet. He’s silent, but people were murmuring around us.
“Ricky.” Aaliyah said, as I looked at her. “Aaliyah.” I replied, and she inhaled. “Have you seen it yet?” She asked, and I shook my head. “EJ made a comment, but I haven’t personally seen it.” I answered, seeing her nod. “Aaliyah, come see it!” Gina exclaimed, pulling her by the hand. I followed behind them, as Aaliyah put her finger on the sheet.
“No way.” She muttered, and I stood next to her. It took less than a second for me to realize why she reacted that way, as I see our names directly at the top of the paper.
Anna- Aaliyah
Kristoff- Ricky
Hans- EJ
“We got the leads.” I noted, looking at her. She’s silent, shaking her head. “Liyah?” I asked, reaching for her shoulder. “I can’t do this right now.” She sighed, walking in the opposite direction. Gina and Carlos looked at me, as I stood in disbelief. “Go after her!” Gina chastised, pointing towards her sister. I nodded, jogging towards her.
“Liyah!” I called, and she looked at me. “Go away, Ricky.” She said, her voice shaking. “You can’t just wish me away, you know? I’m not going anywhere.” I responded, as she wiped her face. “Why are you even here? You don’t love me anymore, remember?” She questioned, and I could already picture what she was thinking about.
“I wanna break up.” I blurted, as Aaliyah looked at me. “What?” She asked, as I looked at her. “I want to break up, Aaliyah.” I said, and she sat up. “Why? Did I do something wrong?” She questioned, as I shook my head. “It wasn’t you.” I answered, my voice meek. “Then what was it, Ricky? Tell me so I can fix it.” She sighed, reaching for my hand.
“I don’t love you anymore, not how you love me.” I confessed, as she recoiled. She was silent, staring at me. “I love someone else. I’m so sorry Aaliyah.” I apologized, and she threw a pillow at me. “I already know who you love, you love Nini.” She spat, getting off the couch. “I didn’t mean for it to happen, it just did!” I argued, and she scoffed.
“You were with her all of the time during the play. You told me not to worry about her!” She yelled, as I stood up. “She didn’t like me then!” I retorted, and she shook her head. “I know you can be oblivious, but I never thought you could be so stupid.” She fumed, staring at me. Tears slowly cascaded down her cheeks, the result of my actions.
“I’m done.” She said, grabbing her jacket. She stormed out, slamming the door behind her.
“That was a year ago.” I said, and she shook her head. “Is that supposed to make a difference to me? The fact that the heartbreak was a year ago?” She asked, as I took a breath. “I didn’t mean it like that.” I responded, and she scoffed. “That’s exactly how you meant it. You came here and expected everything between us to be fine, when you haven’t even apologized!” She yelled, as my eyes widened.
“You never gave me the chance to, you stopped talking to me!” I argued, and she exhaled. “Because you and Nina were on a fucking honeymoon every single day, and I had to force myself to forget about you or it would’ve broken my heart even more, Ricky!” She cried, her face turning red.
“You were running around with the girl you told me not to worry about. That you would say was your best friend. I used to be that for you, and you left me the second she showed feelings towards you. You didn’t bother to think about the fact that you had a fucking girlfriend!” She chastised, jabbing her finger into my chest.
I grabbed her wrists, holding them between us. “Can you please give me a chance to talk?” I asked, as she blankly stared at me. We haven’t been this close in a year, a titanium wall separating us for so long. “Okay.” She answered, her face returning to its normal color. “I fucked up, I’m painfully aware of that. I am so sorry that I hurt you, Aaliyah.” I declared, seeing her shake her head.
“That’s all you got?” She asked, and I inhaled. “Always impatient, aren’t you?” I inquired, as she rolled her eyes. “Some things never change.” She replied, the familiar gleam in her brown eyes returning. “I can’t go back and change how things went down, but I can make a change now. We’re the leads of the show, we have to pull it together and get along.” I said, as she nodded.
“How would your girlfriend feel about that?” She asked, and I chuckled. “It doesn’t matter.” I answered, letting go of her wrists. “Then we have a truce.” She agreed, looking at me. “Alright. I’ll see you at the first rehearsal.” I said, turning and walking out of the cabin.
"Great. A Cold on My Birthday" (Ricky Bowen) - Sicktember 2024
IT'S HERE!!!! And it's over 2k words. So for my fellow Ricky lovers...you're welcome.
Here is sweet, sneezy Ricky on his birthday. Poor Ricky! Also sorry E.J. but you *can* be a gullible. We still love you. 😍
Sicktember 2024
"Great. I Got a Cold for My Birthday"
The Sniffles
AO3 LINK @sicktember
*SET AT CAMP SHALLOW LAKE*
“LET IT GO” S3, EP8 of HSMTMTS (REIMAGINED)
Ricky Bowen woke up on his 18th birthday feeling congested as hell but he was not going to let a little cold stop him.
He sat up in bed, his nose tickled and he let out a wet sneeze. “Aah-tschieww!!”
“Gesundheit” Carlos said, looking up at his sneezy friend. Ricky muttered a thank you, pulling the covers off of him and swung his legs over his bunk to face his friend.
“Great. I got a cold for my birthday” Ricky announced with disappointment in his hoarse and nasally voice.
Carlos scrunched his face at him, “Maybe you should go to the nurse,” he suggested. Ricky’s eyes bulged, jumping down from the bunk. He sniffled, “No way, dude! It’s opening night. E.J. will kill me if I’m–” Ricky paused, unable to say the word.
“Sick” Carlos added, finishing his friend's sentence. “No, no, no. It’s just a cold. I’m perfectly fine” he said feeling another tickle in his nose, “Aah-tschieww!!” he leaned into his elbow, catching the sneeze.
“Bless you. Right…Maybe a hot shower will help?” Carlos suggested. “But make it quick, we have to get over to The Barn for the final run-through.”
“Good thinking!” Ricky replied. As Carlos gathered his Olaf costume, he rooted around his bag with first-aid supplies including a packet of tissues and Vicks Vapor Rub.
Then a familiar brooding voice chimed in, “You might be able to get around E.J. But Val will smell you from a mile away. She’s like a hawk” Jet added looking at the two boys, wearing all black as usual. Ricky shuddered, forgetting about his other roommate.
“What…do you mean?” Ricky answered, slowly. Jet was right. E.J. could be gullible. So he shouldn’t have a hard time hiding this from him, but if Val was on high alert, he was doomed. The show would be ruined as well as his birthday.
“Val is a super sleuth. She can smell a sickness before it’s even coming” he said, his voice low and mysterious as if he were telling a ghost story, “A few summers ago, when some of the cast for The Music Man got food poisoning, she knew the minute it happened. Last year, she sent home a girl with pink eye during auditions for Annie. You can’t get anything past her” Jet said, shrugging his shoulders.
The mysterious boy walked toward the front door and wished his roommate “good luck” as he disappeared out of the yurt.
Carlos walked over to his curly-haired friend as he gathered his shower essentials out of his duffle bag. He tapped him on the shoulder, startling the boy. Ricky jumped in place and turned around to face his friend.
When he looked down at the gifts, Ricky grinned.
“Happy Birthday, Ricky” Carlos said, handing him the sick supplies.
“Thanks, Carlos,” he croaked, his voice hoarse, giving him a side hug.
The two parted ways, Carlos to The Barn for rehearsal and Ricky to the showers. He grabbed his towel, clean clothes, and toiletries, hoping and praying that no one saw him.
Ricky tried to hide himself from any friend he saw which wasn’t as easy as he thought it’d be. As he walked, he hid behind trees and bushes, trying to hide himself from his fellow Wildcats.
As he walked closer to the showers, he saw Ashlyn walking right toward him. The fortunate part of being at camp was the trees. They made great hiding spots. As he stood behind a tree waiting for Ashlyn to pass him, he started to sniffle. “Nooo”, he groaned at the thought of sneezing again. How was he going to make it through the day unscathed when he was drowning in mucus and his nose wouldn’t cooperate.
Ricky groaned loudly. “Oh, Ricky! There you are” Ashlyn said, looking at her friend with a puzzled look as he stood by the tree pinching his nose.
“Happy Birthday!” she exclaimed giving him a big toothy grin.
He tried to hold in the sneeze which was successful at first. He sighed of relief, “Ahh” feeling the sneeze pass. Unfortunately, the sneeze crept back up without warning.
“Hnn'gtt!!” Ricky caught the sneeze in his elbow, pulling out one of Carlos’ tissues.
He sniffled, “Thanks, Ash. Allergies, right?” he said laughing nervously, trying to play off his symptoms casually.
Ashlyn was quiet for a moment, noticing his pink nose. Maybe he should be playing Sven tonight…
Ashlyn was healthy as a horse. “Nope, not me!” she answered, patting him on the back. “See you later!” she said, walking off toward the girl’s yurts.
Ricky sighed, letting out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Today was going to be difficult and his chest was starting to hurt.
Carlos was right, a hot shower did help. His congestion had subsided for now which was going to help in convincing everyone he was perfectly fine. He wore his Kristoff costume which consisted of a dark pom-pom hat, a long sleeveless tunic with a long sleeve dark gray thermal shirt underneath paired with black pants and winter boots. Despite it being 92°F outside in sunny California, Ricky shockingly felt warm and cozy.
He cleared his throat, puffed his chest out, and fixed his posture, then walked into The Barn with a brave face on. Everyone was rearranging furniture, transforming the small space into a suitable arrangement for friends and parents to come watch their children perform their role on stage. Luckily since everyone was preoccupied, the attention would be off of him for the time being.
Ricky walked over to Gina who sat on the edge of the stage holding a piece of paper, mumbling to herself.
“Because she’s my sister!” she enunciated.
Ricky furrowed his eyebrow. “Hey G,” he said, standing next to her with a big grin on his face.
Gina put the paper down beside her on the stage. She furrowed her eyebrows and looked at Ricky, suspiciously. He was acting strange, she thought. Ricky was a chipper guy but to her, it seemed today, he was playing up his positive vibe.
“Hi” she said hesitantly, furrowing her brow at him.
“Ready for the big night, Anna?” he said playfully elbowing her in the side. Gina laughed, cracking a big toothy grin at him.
Moments later, E.J. stood by the stage shouting to get the room’s attention. Ricky held his ears at the sound as it felt like the boy was screaming in his ear. “I don’t think that was loud enough” the curly haired boy teased, plugging his ears which were beginning to ache.
His stomach dropped, anxiety fluttering in his chest as Val came and stood beside the director. Ricky got up and walked to the back of the clutter of people, to hide himself from Val as much as he possibly could. As everyone began to move and get to their places, Ricky couldn’t help but feel on edge.
Finally, it was Ricky’s turn to rehearse for "Kristoff’s Lullaby", his solo. He cleared his throat and crossed his fingers, hoping that his body would cooperate for the duration of the song. He grabbed his acoustic guitar, strummed the strings by the sound hole, and began to sing.
♪ What is this hollow kind of helplessness I'm feeling? ♪
♪This type of terror is new ♪
♪And, the fact that I can hardly breathe is now revealing ♪
When the chorus came, that is when all hell broke loose. His voice cracked as he tried to reach the high note, but his scratchy throat wasn’t doing him any favors.
Ricky’s chest tightened as E.J. started to bark at him, “Ricky, this is not what we rehearsed! You’re not supposed to sound like there’s a frog in your throat. This is Frozen” the taller boy flailed his arms in the air in disappointment.
Ricky frowned, holding his throat and stood up. “Why don’t we take 5?” Val intervened. She stood for a moment staring into Ricky’s eyes. This gave him goosebumps. He shuddered and turned his back toward her.
As he and his castmates were backstage taking a breather, Val worked on calming E.J. down. Ricky sighed loudly, relived to be out of the spotlight. He felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Gina with her long-braided hair in Anna’s winter costume.
“Hey, are you feeling okay?” she asked furrowing her brow. “Yeah, yeah. It’s just allergies” he said clearing his throat and wincing at the discomfort. He tried to brush it off with a grin but seeing Gina frown, he knew he was doomed.
“Ricky, you have to tell somebody” she said cocking an eyebrow at him, placing a hand on her hip and stared him down until he confessed.
Ricky shrugged, “But the show!” he whispered, his voice cracking as he spoke. “I’m sure you can still do the show. Why don’t we go and ask Val?” Gina suggested. Ricky immediately put his hands up in defense. “No way” he cried, envisioning the worst outcomes.
If what Jet said earlier was true, Ricky would be saying goodbye to his friends and fellow campers. Ricky started to feel sad as he thought about packing his bags and going back to Salt Lake. During his daydreaming, he completely missed Gina pulling him by the arm and over Val and E.J. who sat next to each other on the chairs for tonight’s audience doing breathing exercises.
“Hey guys. Ricky, how’s that cold?” Val asked, smirking at the curly haired boy. Ricky stood dumbfounded. Jet was right. “How did you—what?” he said frantically, stumbling over his words.
Val stood up and placed a hand on Ricky’s shoulder, “I have eyes everywhere” she told him. Ricky gulped in terror. “It’s just allergies, really!” he tried to reassure her, flailing his arms in the air to prove he was “healthy.”
His shoulders slumped as she nodded in disagreement.
What came next didn’t help Ricky’s case. A big ole’ sneeze escaped from his nasal passages.
“Haa'ekkSHIEW!!” Val stood in front of him holding out a tissue which he grabbed, blowing his nose hard.
“Don’t worry ‘bout me, guys. I’b fide! It’s just by dose, by ears, by throat, by chest” he explained in his nasally voice, as E.J. pulled up a chair for him to sit in.
Val kneeled on the ground making eye contact with him. “Ricky, I know it’s your birthday” she began. The barn erupted in chatter all wishing him a happy birthday. Ricky waved, thanking everyone and looked back at Val. “But you’re clearly not 100%. So, I have a proposition” the barn grew quiet as they awaited the girl’s next words.
“You have to go to the nurse with me, get some medicine and some rest. Then, you can perform tonight. But these are the conditions” she explained. Ricky frowned. His list still wasn’t fully complete. He checked the pizza off yesterday at Camp Prom but he was missing a lottery ticket, still.
Finally, as he thought about it, he was surprised Val wasn’t shipping him off on the next bus home.
“Fide” he muttered. “The show bust go od. Ab I right guys?” he announced to crowd. Everyone erupted into applause mixed with laughter.
Val stood up and gestured Ricky to follow her. He complied holding the packet of tissues in one hand and walking out of the barn doors following her lead.
When he got back to the yurt, hopped up on cold medicine, he raised his arms and yawned. The nurse checked his temperature, it was normal. That was a relief. But his sore throat, congested nose, aching ears, and headache confirmed it was indeed a cold.
“A cold on my birthday. Pssh” he mumbled in frustration as he slipped out of his costume, storing it away for that night and changed into joggers and white shirt and dozed off to sleep.
He woke to Carlos shaking him. “Ricky! Wake up! Curtain call is in 20” he said. Ricky woke up groggy, his throat was hurting, and his head pounded. He pulled himself out of bed slowly and walked over to his bag, grabbing his costume and leaving the yurt quickly with Carlos.
When they got backstage, it was dark and quiet. Ricky thought this was strange as Carlos had informed him about curtain call. This close to curtain call, everyone was usually pretty frantic. But maybe they did things differently at Shallow Lake than at East High?
Ricky shrugged and walked closer looking for a light. He turned on the light and jumped, dropping his costume as everyone surprised him. All of his cast mates and Wildcats including Big Red and Miss Jenn smiled big. “Happy Birthday, Ricky!” they shouted, cheering. The room was filled with balloons, streamers, and there was a cake sitting on a lone table.
Ricky sniffled, standing there in disbelief. All of the sudden commotion had him winded. He began to catch his breath and walked over to everyone giving side hugs and thanking them.
“EJ, you’re the director. You need to talk to him.” Carlos chimed in, and EJ exhaled. “FIne. I’ll talk to him after rehearsal.” He said, walking out of the room. “I don’t think we’re boring.” Ricky muttered, as I looked at him. “Unfortunately, it’s not about what we think. It’s about the audience.” I replied, looking back at my script.
I was being snippy with him, even though I didn’t really want to be. I’m tired of hearing everyone’s opinions on his and I’s sliver of a relationship, and I definitely don’t want to be put in a love triangle with him and EJ. Besides, doesn’t the girl have to like both of the guys for it to be a triangle? Everyone cleared out of the room, leaving Ricky and I by ourselves.
“I don’t think I like the idea of this love triangle.” I noted, as Ricky looked at me. “It’s not about what we think, remember?” He asked, directly quoting me. I inhaled, fully facing him. “Sorry for being rude.” I responded, and he shrugged.
A/N: I'm backkkkk ladies and gentlemen, they's and thems. After a long ass hiatus, Aaliyah and Ricky will be returning soon :)
“Indian Family, Seven Strong, Joins Canada’s Armed Forces,” Windsor Star. February 28, 1942. Page 6.
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SHALLOW LAKE, Feb. 28. - An indication of the loyalty to the Empire's cause by Canadian Indians, is shown by the enlistment of John McLeod and his family of five sons and one daughter, in the armed forces.
The eldest son. Alfred, enlisted at the outbreak of hostilities and is now overseas. One by one the sons, Malcolm, Donald, John and Max, left home for the Canadian armed forces.
Daisy, the only daughter, then enlisted in the C.W.A.F., and is at Toronto in training. John McLeod, the father, was the last to enlist as a carpenter in the R.C.A.S.C.
All were medically fit and will fight in the Canadian army until the war is over. They are descendants of a Highlander, Alexander McLeod, of Scotland, who came as a pioneer to Bruce Peninsula and married an Indian maid of Cape Croker.
