A Summer Musical

🎶 Chapter 20 - Advice 🎶

Ricky's POV

Gina left rehearsal early, but before she left she had asked if we could talk sometime soon. I agreed to, and she invited me over. Now it's around 7 p.m. and I'm at Ashlyn's house. Only Gina seems to be there. I knocked on the door.

"Hi." She answered, letting me inside.

"Hey." I replied.

"Come on in." She said, sitting on the couch. I followed suit. "EJ told me he loves me."

"Oh."

"I couldn't really... say it back. And now I don't know what to do. And not to be weird, but you kinda... went through the same thing." She admitted.

"What did you say instead?"

"My eyes just... widened. Then he repeated himself; I told him I had heard the first time. So he asked me if I did, and I hesitated, and he took the hint."

"Then he left?"

"Exactly." She confirmed. "And now I don't know what to do."

"Do you love him?"

"I don't know." She sighed.

"Do you think you might?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Then try to tell him that. If he understands you, then that's good. If he can't handle a relationship that doesn't move faster than your pace, that's his problem." I explained.

"But... how do I tell him?"

"Yeah, that part's hard." I nodded. "Will he talk to you?"

"I'm going over to his house to talk tonight."

"Okay, good, you have an opening to talk." I once again nodded. "Just tell him you aren't ready to say it because you don't know."

"He knows that I don't know, though."

"Look, I don't really know. I had to chase after Nini for months. You really just have to... try. Hard. And it still might not work out. Honestly, I know I went through this too, but I'm an awful person to ask. Things didn't work out anyway." I sighed.

"Right, but... they did for a little while." She pointed out.

"Yeah, I just don't have any advice." I shrugged. "I kinda suck at relationships."

"Me too." She said. "I guess that's kinda how we connected."

"Yeah."

"About that night... after homecoming..." Gina started.

"Yeah..."

"It was a weird night. I guess, well, I mean... I did get feelings for you. But they really aren't here anymore, I think I just... took refuge wit the first person I could." She explained.

"Oh. Okay, that makes a lot of sense."

"Sorry it took us so long to talk about. Ashlyn knows, Nini knows, EJ knows... I definitely should have talked to you sooner."

"I should have too. I mean, clearly something happened. Wether your feelings were real or not... I got back with Nini right after, and just kinda... left you there." I apologized.

"So communication is good." Gina decided. "Anyways, that doesn't really matter. I'm over you and with EJ." She couldn't help but make a small smile. She was with EJ— well, for now, who knows what would happen when they talked.

"Good. I think, for both of us, that's good."

"Yeah."

"Fair heads up, I think EJ might think I have feelings for you... still."

"Surely not." She denied. "He knows I'm over you..."

"Oh, I don't think he's jealous or thinks we'll get together, he just... thinks I want to be with you."

"Okay, thanks, got it." Gina nodded. "And thanks for all the advice."

"It was pretty vague." I laughed lightly.

"I still think it helped."

"Okay. Well, anytime. I've gotta meet up with Big Red. He's been super excited today."

"Why?" Gina laughed.

"I don't know. Something must have happened between him running out of rehearsals and about an hour ago." I shrugged. "Bye."

"Bye."

Seb's POV

As I watched a movie musical, I got a call I had not been expecting. I picked up regardless, pausing the movie. "Howie, what's up?"

"I was wondering if I could have some advice?"

"Sure. I'm not as good with it as Kourtney or Ashlyn, but sure."

"Yeah, I don't wanna talk to them about it. It's, uh— how did you, er, know you liked guys?"

"Oh." I thought for a moment. "I... I mean, it definitely took time."

"Yeah."

"I just... never found myself having a crush on a girl, even if I tried to. But guys... I always had crushes on them, but I couldn't tell until I thought about it and, you know, knew what being gay was." I paused. "Honestly, it's so hard to articulate."

"Yeah... I think I might be bisexual..."

"Okay." I smiled lightly. "I'm here if you need to talk."

"Thanks."

"Anytime. And that's completely valid."

"Yeah, thanks." He said again. "Also... I know all our friends are supportive, but it still feels nerve racking to think about coming out."

"It's pretty hard, honestly." I replied. "And you don't have to make it a big thing if you don't want to."

"Yeah, that sounds better."

"Good."

"Alright, thanks again. I'm just about to get off a plane, I've gotta go."

"Alright, bye! Have a good time!" I smiled.

Kourtney's POV

"Kourt, you okay?" Nini asked. We were eating dinner with her moms in about an hour, but we were currently sitting in her room chatting on her floor. "You aren't talking much."

"I'm a little down. Howie and I were gonna go out, but his flight is messed up. It's weird to be apart for most of the summer." I vented, sighing.

"You guys are handling it pretty well, nothing's really come between you."

"Things work with the right person, huh?" I said, lying back on the rug. She laid beside me.

"Yeah..."

"You don't seem to believe that."

"I mean, it's complicated. I'm... I'm over Ricky, there's just a lot of what if's. It feels like it could be right person, wrong time."

"We'll just have to find out. With both of them." I grabbed her hand.

"Yep. Patience." Then a silence settled. "I hate being patient."

"I think everyone does." I laughed.

"It's just... how can I ever love someone that much?"

"Maybe you won't. Maybe you will."

"Blah, blah, patience."

"Nini?" I asked.

"Yeah, I know, that was a joke—"

"I think I love Howie."