here with you | ricky bowen ²

chapter one

·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚　　˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙

"ricky have you seen the ugly christmas sweater i have to wear for the instagram video?" leighton yelled from her closet to ricky who had been sitting on her floor and ordering the ring he wanted to give her for christmas. "uh, no leigh, i haven't. check your gym bag maybe."

ricky confirmed the order just in time as he heard her again and quickly closed the page he was on. "i found it!" leighton yelled walking back into the main room area with another christmasy sweater on for the upcoming holiday and weather.

"did you find a christmas sweater to wear?" she asked as she laid it over her desk chair so she wouldn't forget it the next day. "yeah, actually my mom got me one, she said i need to dress warmly so i don't catch a cold." he rolled his eyes as leighton laughed and sat on the bed right above him.

she stopped laughing and leaned down to kiss ricky sweetly before pulling away and ricky smiling wide at her. "she's just being a mom is all." she said, trying to be gentle with the subject of his mother still.

the night slowly died down on the wintery evening as the two teenagers talked about the dance moves they would do for the music video carlos wanted to make for their theatre instagram.

the couple even practiced singing a few of the lines from the song that had been created for the video, but soon got interrupted with liliana barrios calling them and her sister downstairs for dinner. nayeli playfully shoved them as they all met at the stairs to beat them down to eat dinner.

"you are such a child nay, the food will not vanish if we get here first." leighton laughed as the family of girls and ricky settled to eat. after finishing, the couple walked to the door as leighton spoke up. "i will see you tomorrow morning, bowen. last day before christmas break!" she happily clapped as ricky answered,

"yes you will my dear leighton." he said in a horrible posh accent, something they both found themselves doing as a joke constantly. they both laughed and kissed one another goodbye and she watched him leave her front porch before heading inside to her room.

the rest of the night leighton tried to finish the song she started writing for ricky as his christmas gift, but eventually found herself falling asleep and stopped. she could finish it another day, she had a video to worry about tomorrow or carlos would kill her for messing up anything.
—

the following morning before holiday break was a chilly and super snowy one. leighton wore the ugly christmas sweater she needed for the video and layered over a thick jacket with her doc marten boots. stylish, but warm. ricky walked out of his house with the christmas sweater his mom gave him and a thick jacket like leighton.

"so no one was going to tell me about the christmas sweater memo?" nayeli asked as they started driving in the snow towards the school. leighton chuckled and replied, "oh please we all know you wanted to wear that reindeer onesie more today than a christmas sweater."

ricky laughed and nayeli looked down at the large brown one piece over her legs, "i guess you're right, it's cute. the hood has antlers AND a red nose. what could be any better?" she asked as ricky poked at the nose from the back seat and glanced at leighton with an awkward smile.

the teenagers split up and went separate ways as they entered the school. all eyes slowly landing on nayeli's reindeer onesie, her not caring and going to her friends who had matching ones as well. the day consisted of constant class parties filled with holiday cheer and food. once the final bell rang, each of the drama club students made their way to the designated area to make the video.

"hi, you." ricky said as he snuck up behind leighton and squished his lips against her cheek. startled but happy to see her boyfriend, leighton turned around and kissed him. "i missed you, how was your day?" she asked him before not getting a reply as big red and gina appeared next to them.

"oh my day was amazing, you know still being here with all my best buds and stuff." gina said as she gathered the other three in her arms and squeezed them. leighton held her arm tightly, very happy her friend's mom was letting her stay without her supervision.

as they all waited for miss jenn to show up, the four of them discussed how gina needed to try big red's family pizza place during the holidays. "whatever you pick to eat from the menu is on me, well on my parents. they own it. we even hired some new people you guys will see when you come eat there. anyways i should find ashlyn before we start." big red rambled and left the other teens just as their teacher showed up.

"okay, is everyone at places?" miss jenn yelled over the talking festive teenagers throughout the hallway full of christmas decorations with a phone in hand. she slowly made her way through a checklist before starting to record and ricky and leighton walked to their spot holding hands. their spot happened to be inside lockers, but not fully locked in them.

she made it clear that everything needed to be done in one take and the drama club eventually settled down before a countdown from carlos could be heard, and him starting off the video.

music sounded through the school speakers and voices from all over the places could be heard from where ricky and leighton stood. poking his head out the locker, he asked leighton, "ready to sing together?" and squeezed her hand just as their part started playing and they moved from their spot.

"promise me you'll never let go, it's winter break. but we'll never break apart." the two of them sang as they smiled and twirled together down the main hallway everyone else was waiting at. "a season of celebratin'. the memories we'll be makin'" they continued and their friends joined behind them.

gina walked through the two of them and grabbed their arms as she twirled them and started dancing down the hallway. leighton couldn't keep the smile off her face as she practiced the choreography everyone else was doing.

carlos started speaking towards the phone miss jenn held up as everyone else vocalized behind him, following the given route they practiced before. just as the video had finished everyone cheered as mr. mazzara walked out to scold them. only to be joking and wished them a great break.

"new year's eve party at ashlyn's! everyone's invited!" carlos shouted. "gina and i are co-hosting!" ashlyn talked over the cheering as she and gina did a little dance together.

all the hard work for the video had finally finished, only to have an insane let down by their drama teacher who said she didn't press record. "oh you're joking miss jenn! this sweater is so itchy i can't leave it on for another take." leighton said as she scratched her neck where a decoration on the sweater rubbed at. it had only started to do this after lunch today.

the students all made their way back to their first positions as miss jenn apologized constantly for not knowing how to record off the phone she was using. ricky and leighton laughed as she kept yanking the collar of the sweater. "never wearing this thing again." she mumbled as they started from the top once more.

——————
delia notes: ah first chapter!! i was going to make this a filler but decided to start off the first episode as well. again if at anytime anything is confusing i will try to clean it up as best as i can here in the notes i leave! and a small note: nini was not present for the last day before holiday break, it'll be discussed more later. but her last appearance was at denny's (from book one).