one time thing | ricky bowen ¹

nine

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the two piano playing girls sat on the bench as leighton slowly started out the start of the song. her fingers gliding nicely against the white and black keys as she waited for ashlyn to start singing.

"seems like a part of me will always have to lose, every single time i have to choose, swore that it felt right but was i wrong? is this where i'm supposed to be at all? i don't have the answers not today. it's like nothing makes the questions go away. what i'd give to see, if the grass was greener.." ashlyn sang and leighton really listened to the words.

she felt something with them. like they were for her to hear specifically.

"on the other side of all i've had and lost. would it be enough? or will i still be wondering? if i could go back and change the past, be a little braver than i had and bet against the odds. would i still be lost? even if i woke up in my dreams, would there still be something i'm missing? if i had everything, would it mean anything?" ashlyn looked over to leighton who was still watching the notes.

she felt a nudge in her side and ashlyn told her to join in the song.

both girls started to sing, "maybe i should turn around and take the other road. or maybe i'm just looking for what i already know.." leighton continued by herself for a second "i'm just wondering.."

she started feeling tears form in her eyes. her dad. ricky. the kiss. every emotion building up that she didn't realize she was holding in. it was all hitting her. going back to when ricky kissed her and been braver with it. her dad leaving her forever and hating how she let herself get so sad. even the fights with ricky seemed to really hurt her.

"it feels like i might have broke the best thing that i had, i said too much to ever take it back. i'm scared i'll never find something as good. and would i even know it if i could?" leighton still felt the tear fall. ashlyn noticed but didn't do anything, scared to mess up the beautiful piano playing.

neither of them seeing ricky standing there watching in awe at how beautiful leighton was doing singing and playing.

"if i could go back and change the past, be a little braver than i had. and bet against the odds. would I still be lost?" leighton held the note a little before ashlyn tuned in to complete the song.

"even if i woke up in my dreams. would there still be something i'm missing, if i had everything. would it mean anything.." ashlyn stopped and leighton ended with "to me?" as she stopped playing the last note.

taking a deep breath and wiping her eyes she looked at ricky who was at a loss of words.

"uh leigh, we're back. i stayed in the musical, and see you did too." he said wanting to hold her and remove the tears from her brown eyes. he didn't know why she was crying. but he had a feeling it could have been about him. he knew he shouldn't though. she needed her space.

"miss jenn wants everyone down stairs in the bomb shelter." he said as the girls nodded and smiled at each other. leighton thanked ashlyn for letting her play the song and as she turned to walk with ricky, but he was gone.

she took a deep breath and walked out the auditorium preparing for whatever she was about to see from miss jenn. still fixing the tears that spilled from her eyes and hoping ricky didn't notice.