The Dream- Ricky Bowen (hsmtmts)

Chapter 5- 🦋the read through🦋

As I wait on the front steps of My house for Ricky watching Big Red attempt (key word attempt) to do skate board tricks I get a FaceTime call from Cleo.

"Hey! What's up Als!" She says. I giggle at the nickname she gave me. "Nothing much just waiting for Ricky to come so we can start heading to school. What's up?" I ask. "Well Carlos doesn't have your number so he told me to call you and ask if you can meet him and Ms. Jenn in the auditorium for lunch. I'll be there too." She said. "Yeah sure. For what?" I say as I look up to see Red wipe out off his board. I roll my eyes putting my attention back on Cleo. "I honestly Don't know what for, but I'll let him know you said yes! Thank you babes!" She said as she blew a kiss to the camera. Before I had time. To say anything she hung up. I slipped my phone in my pocket plugging in my earbuds to listen to music. "Ricky's here!" Big Red calls to me. I stand up and walk over to the two boys doing that god awful bro hug thing. "I have a plan!" Rick exclaimed taking a black bottle labeled throb from his back pocket. "What is that?" I ask as I examine the bottle taking it from his hands. "It's THROB! Take a whiff" he says making a hand gesture at the bottle I was holding. I follow his instructions plucking off the lid to spray some in the air and smell it. I immediately gag at the terrible smell. "That smells like toxic waste dude!" I say wiping the smell from my nose handing him back the bottle which he happily takes from me. "Yeah well, Nini likes it. This one time we were at he mall an-" "I don't wanna know but thanks for the offer." I cut him off. Ricky rolls his eyes slightly laughing putting the bottle back in his pocket. "C'mon guys if we don't leave now were gonna be late so lets get this show on the rode." Big Red says as he gets on his skate board rolling away with Ricky trailing close behind. I roll my eyes hitting shuffle on my show tunes playlist and walking behind them.

~time skip to lunch brought to you by that lady at the mall who ambushed Ricky~

As I walked into the auditorium I'm greeted by shouting. "Get as many chairs as you can carry, you, in the yellow shirt, can you go to the library to the printers to pick up the name tags, and- oh Ally! Thank the lords that you're finally here! Can you help me wipe down these desks!" Carlos says to me from the stage. I run up grabbing a paper towel from him and wiping down one of the many desks that were scattered across the stage. "What's all of this for?" I ask while spraying a desk with windex and wiping it. "The read through. Ms. Jenn wants it to be perfect." He says. "Are you strong, you look strong, can you carry these desks to the boom shelter, its down the hall and to the left." Carlos says to me. "Yeah, of course!" I say picking up a desk. I go to the bomb shelter carrying a desk and start to head back into the theatre when I accidentally run into someone. "Oh shit I'm so so so sorry, I wasn't paying attention." I say. Wow if I had a nickel for every time I have ran into somebody at this school. "What, Oh no it was totally my fault I was messaging My sister and not paying attention." he says in a cute British accent. "I'm Winston, Winston Sammuels." He says. Not only was his accent cute, but he was cute too. "I'm Ally Coleson. Is your sister Cleo by any chance." I say connecting the dots. "Yes how did you know that. Unless, are you the girl that she's always texting." He says. I nod. His phone dings with a text message. "Sorry that was my friend, he's waiting for me. See you around Ally." He says. I wave as he walks away. "Al! I'm not paying you to get a boyfriend, well I'm not paying you at all. Whatever come help!" Carlos says. I feel my cheeks start to heat up but shake it away running back to the auditorium to help finish setting up.

~time skip to the read through!~

We were just finishing up perfecting everything when the room started filling up with students. I spotted Ricky and Big red walk in, as I was walking over to the I felt someone pull me into a hug from behind. "Thank god I found you, I hear you've met my brother," It was Cleo "He's a senior, He say's you're very pret-" "Cleo, Stop. Hi Ally!" Winston cut her off. "Hi Winston." I say giving him a small smile while trying to get my enormous blush down. "Call me Winnie" he responds smiling slightly blushing also. "Can everyone take there assigned seats please!" Ms. Jenn calls. "well since I'm not in the show I better get going, see you at home Cleo, Bye Ally!" Winnie says exiting the room. "bye" I say. "You're blushing, you know that right?" Cleo laughs. "shut it and go sit down" I giggle rolling my eyes. I take a seat next to Carlos. Ms. Jenn looked around at everyone "I realize, that you all walked in here as strangers-" "Actually Big Red's my cousin." I say. "And EJ's mine!" a red haired girl says. Everyone turns around to look at us. I slowly slouch into my chair blush rising to my face. Goddammit why am I blushing so much today. "But after today, You're a family." She finishes her sentence that we interrupted. She continues her sentence but I'm distracted by Carlos who is tapping my shoulder and pointing to his phone. I lean in any smile as he takes the picture and notice Ms. Jenn looking at us. I take the hint and sit back in my own seat. "Please take your neighbors hands," Ms. Jenn says reaching for Carlos and Big Red's hands. Big red hesitates but takes her hand. I put my hand in  Carlos' hand and Seb's hand who is on the other side of me.  I see Nini hesitate to take Ricky's hand. From what Ricky told me their relationship ended on good terms.

*Flashback*

"Hey, you're a girl right?" Ricky asked Ally as they were sitting in her basement while Big Red was in the bathroom. "Glad to see you noticed." She replied sarcastically. "Seriously, I need a second opinion on something, and this isn't exactly Big Red's area of expertise." Ricky replied laughing. "Shoot" she said taking a sip from her water. "So I have a- Had a girlfriend, Nini, We kinda broke up," he started, "Why? If you don't mind me asking..." "of course not that's why I wanted to talk with you. I broke up with her because she was going to camp over the summer, and I can't do long distance."  He said staring at the floor, purposely neglecting to tell her that he couldn't say I love you back to Nini. "That's it? I feel like your leaving something out." She interrogated. "No, that's all. I just don't know if she's gonna jump at the opportunity to get back together once summer's over, ya know?" He said.  She thought for a moment before speaking, "You guys ended on good terms right?" Ricky nodded blatantly lying. "Well then I don't see why she wouldn't. It was a break, not a break up, and long distance is hard so she should understand." She finished, smiling. Ricky smiled back at the girl, hoping that she was right, even if she didn't know the real reason they broke up.

*Flash back over*

I understand why they broke up, Nini found someone new over the summer, I don't blame her, she wasn't technically dating anyone at the time, and it's not as if Ricky didn't do the same thing. But still, if the break was consensual, why should it be awkward?

(Time skip to that night)

I was laying on my bed listening to the Mamma Mia soundtrack when my phone started ringing. It was Carlos so I answered the phone. "Hiiii" I said. "Hi Al, Ms. Jenn and I were wondering if you could come early tomorrow morning for an extra rehearsal around 7:00 am" "For sure, is there any choreography or anything?" I asked. "Well, no. But Ms. Jenn said and I quote ' I need another opinion on this and the only person than you I trust, is Ally.' to me earlier." Carlos said causing me to giggle. "K, I'll see you there. Bye" "Bye Carlos!" I said as I hung up the phone. Wow, Ms. Jenn trusts me. I'm very happy. I pressed paly on my music and fell asleep.

To be continued...

Sorry it,s been a really hot minute since I last updated, I have really bad issues with focusing on one thing at a time and kinda forgot abt posting for a while. Imma right this book more often and will try to not forget but until then, stay safe💛