𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐓𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 - 𝐡𝐬𝐦𝐭𝐦𝐭𝐬 (𝐢𝐯) | ✔

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀𝒙𝒗. 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧
━━ 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕

That morning, it was Juliette the one that appeared on Ricky's door early in the morning. She had wanted to wait for him to pick her up but she could not be alone anymore. Her brain kept going over the lines and telling her she did not know them well enough, even if she knew that was not true.

    EJ had told her to break a leg that morning and Nini had called her to say that, even if she could not be there, she knew she was going to crush it. It was weird, not having them there. They had been such a big part of the last two musicals that Juliette had never thought she would be acting without them, but she promised to call them as soon as everything was over. Even Ben had texted her to tell her that he had secured tickets for that night and that he was eager to see her as the lead.

    "Good morning, Juliette." Mr Bowen interrupted her chain of thought by opening the door, making Juliette almost let out a cry of surprise.

    "Good morning, Mr Bowen. Sorry to come so early but... uh..."

    "Opening night jitters, huh?" he asked, with a smile, opening the door even more. "Come on in. My disaster of a son is still asleep. Did you have breakfast?"

    "Uh, I... did not. I don't know if I can eat."

    "Go wake him up and I'll make something in the meantime. Microwave waffles good?"

    "More than good, thank you Mr Bowen," she smiled back, walking into the flat and towards Ricky's room.

    "How many times do I have to tell you to call me Mike?" he raised his tone so that Juliette could hear him from further down the hallway.

    "Sorry, Mr Bowen," Juliette replied in the same tone, letting out a laugh and opening the door to Ricky's room. "Hey," she whispered.

    "Hey," Ricky whispered back, opening his arms. "Come here."

    Juliette closed the door behind her and walked to the bed, where she hugged Ricky. The boy pulled her closer to him, forcing her to leave her backpack on the floor and cuddle him.

    "As much as I would like to stay here, we have to get ready. Today's opening night."

    "I still can't believe that we are playing Troy and Gabriella," he admitted, his eyes still closed and his voice hoarse. Truth be told, Juliette would stay there all day if that meant Ricky would speak to her with that voice. "How are you feeling?"

    "I'm scared shitless," Juliette replied, leaving soft caresses on Ricky's face, which made the boy smile.

    "You'll be amazing, I just know it."

    Juliette smiled and both of them remained silent for some more minutes until the redhead stood up from the bed and pulled the blinds up, letting the sun hit Ricky's face. "Come on, we have to go. The sooner we leave, the sooner I'll give you your opening night gift."

    "You can give it to me here," he said, covering his face. "Don't tell my dad I said that or else he'll give us the 'be protected' talk."

    "Oh my God, Richard Bowen," she half-exclaimed, opening his wardrobe and throwing him a pair of tracksuit pants and a hoodie. "Go shower, I'll be outside."

    Leaving a last kiss on the boy's mouth, even despite his morning breath, he walked outside the room and to the kitchen. She hadn't been in Ricky's flat that often, most of the times they hung out at her own house because she knew Ricky needed it from time to time (or, at least, needed it while his father was dating his drama teacher), but she quite liked the house. It was painfully obvious that only boys lived there, which amused her to no end.