home ➝ ricky bowen

8- belonging

The next day, after a long day of rehearsing, playing games, and messing around in the mainly empty school, the drama club was now getting all dressed up for dinner. After showering in the gym's locker room, Gina waited for Alexis.

"Can you hurry up? I've already got my dress on and you're not even out of the shower!" She complained.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." Alexis stuck her hand out from behind the curtain and Gina handed her a towel. She wrapped it around her body and stepped out. "Wow, that color is so great on you G!"

Looking around in shock, she said, "did everyone else leave already?"

"Yes, duh, not everyone takes 10 years in the shower. Also, thanks." Gina replied.

"Well it's not my fault! By the time I got in here they were all taken and I had to wait."

Gina sighed. "Just get dressed so we can go back to the dressing room and finish getting ready."

Alexis' eyes widened, realizing that in her hurry to try and be the first one here, she had forgotten her dress in the dressing room.

"What?" Asked Gina in confusion.

"I left my dress!"

Gina smacked her forehead with her palm.

"Can you run back and go get it for me? Please?" Alexis begged.

"We don't have time! I'm sorry Alexis, you know I would but it's halfway across the school and by the time I get back here it'll be time to leave. We're already running late."

"Please!" Alexis said again, her voice going into hysterics. "Everyone will see me! Please!"

"It'll be fine!" Gina said. "You have a towel. You'll be okay. I can just run in the dressing room grab your clothes and go in the bathroom and give them to you to put it on! It will be quicker than me having to go all the way there and back. We're wasting time. Let's just go." Gina grabbed the girl's arm and dragged her outside.

As they got to the door that led back into East High's hallway, Alexis froze.

Gina rolled her eyes, pulled the door open, and did a sweep of the hallway with her eyes. "No ones out here. All clear."

She spoke too soon, though, because as soon as the stepped out into the hallway they ran into- literally, Alexis smacked into his shoulder- none other than Ricky Bowen.

She looked up at him and blushed. They hadn't spoken about last night at all. They had ended up falling asleep right on the floor of the cold and dark hallway.

Alexis felt her shoulder being shaken by Big Red. "Alexis! Ricky! Wake up! Everyone was looking for you guys!"

Her eyes snapped open and she looked around at her setting. She was laying on the floor, Ricky next to her. Not just next to her, he was practically holding her. Her body was pressed into his and his arms were around her body, his face pressed into her shoulder.

He woke up right then, and blushing, he pulled away from the girl.

Alexis' eyes widened. "Is Miss Jen mad?"

"No," Red replied in confusion. Then it hit him. "Wait, you guys didn't do anything did you..."

"No, of course not!" Ricky said exasperatedly. He stormed off down the hall, the other two teens shrugging then following behind.

"Ow! Sorry!" Alexis said quickly, her face going redder and redder.

"It's fine, uh, where are your clothes?" Ricky asked, also going red.

"Left them in the dressing room," Alexis said looking down. She started walking away quickly already embarrassed that Ricky saw her and hoping no one else would too.

Gina held back a laugh as she took longer strides to catch up with her friend. Ricky sped off in the wrong direction. He was originally headed for the dressing room as well but didn't want it to look like he was following the girls.

"What's going on with you two?" Gina asked once they were out of earshot.

"Nothing!" Alexis replied all too quickly. Finally, they were by the bathrooms right next to the dressing room. Alexis speed walked into a stall while Gina grabbed her clothes and brought them to her before walking off to go do her makeup.

Slipping on her dress, Alexis avoided the mirror.

She got this one a while ago for Freshman year homecoming. She figured she could wear it again, as no one would recognize it here. But back then, the dress hugged her body and she hadn't worn it since but she felt it was looser around her, and the straps kept falling down. She lost a lot of weight in the past 3 years and although she was in recovery she never fully gained it all back.

Looking at herself in the mirror at how the dress fit could potentially be a trigger for her, so she knew to avoid it.

She entered the dressing room and saw everyone finishing up getting ready. She glanced at the digital clock above the door that led to the backstage; it was just past 6, and Miss Jen wanted everyone outside ready to leave at 6:30.

Alexis sat down at an empty chair after grabbing her makeup bag and began to do her normal routine, concealer, powder, blush, and mascara. She also decided to add a little bit of eyeliner and eyeshadow as this was a special event.

"Can I curl your hair? I think it would look so pretty. Please?"

Alexis turned to where the voice was and it came from a freshman who was a part of the stage crew. The girl was already dressed and ready to go, in a short purple dress that hit just below her knees. In her hand she held an already heated up curling wand.

"I'm really good at it," she pressed, "see? I did Natalie's hair!" She pointed at the stage manager.

"Sure," Alexis said. "Are you sure you shouldn't be on the hair and makeup crew instead?" She joked.

All around her, the rest of the theater kids were all talking and laughing excitedly. Alexis stared at the people behind her through the mirror in front of her.

Suddenly Alexis felt a rush of emotion as she sat there looking at everyone around her.

She couldn't explain the feeling. It was a good one, for sure. She glanced over at Carlos and Seb who were bent over in laughter in one corner. Then at Gina, Ricky, and Big Red who were conversing and smiling. At a group of sophomores passing around a phone and laughing at a funny video on it. She looked at the girl doing her hair in the mirror and smiled at her and she grinned back widely.

Her heart swelled. This was a feeling she didn't recognize. The feeling of belonging. For the first time in her life, Alexis didn't feel like an outsider. She felt like she belonged and had really found her family.