home ➝ ricky bowen

11-blocking

At the end of the day, it was time for musical rehearsals.

Alexis was the first one to arrive, even before Carlos and Miss Jen. That's a first.

Slowly everyone began to trickle in. But then everyone was ordered to leave by Natalie Badgley. She had lost her emotional support hamster and was searching around the bomb shelter to find it.

Everyone else waited around in the hallway. Alexis found herself looking around for Ricky, but he wasn't there yet. Huh. She thought. That's weird.

She walked over to Gina. "Have you seem Ricky?"

"No, why?"

"Oh. I just haven't seen him since English."

Gina shrugged and the two launched into conversation about a different topic.

As this was going on at the school, Ricky Bowen had went back home searching for scene 7. He left his paper here this morning as he was in a rush to leave.

He heard his Dad coming down the stairs. "Hey, have you seen..."

He turned around and was shocked to see his Dad was out of his pajamas for the first time in months.

He thought it was weird that he'd suddenly start trying again. But Ricky was happy, it was a good start. Maybe he would finally go back to work...

Then the door opened.

"Shit," Mike Bowen mumbled, quickly kicking old beer cans and pizza boxes under the couch.

Ricky looked to see who was at the door and his eyes lit up when he saw her. "Mom!" He ran over and gave her a hug. It had been months since he saw her last.

"Hey Ricky!" She said, hugging him back. As they pulled away, Ricky noticed his Dad was just standing there with his arms crossed, staring at his Mom.

"I thought we agreed to do this at the restaurant." He deadpanned.

"Well, I caught an earlier flight and—"

Ricky felt his stomach drop. "Do what at the restaurant?" But he already knew.

"Honey..." Rickys mom glanced at his dad. "We're splitting up."

It was quiet for a moment.

"Oh." Ricky said finally.

"Listen, it's got nothing to do with you, we just... well, you're what's really been keeping us together all these years but we just—"

"You know what, I've gotta go." Ricky said, cutting off his mom. "I'll see you later. Or maybe not. I'm probably gonna stay over Big Red's tonight or something so... don't wait up for me."

He hurried out the door and went off back to East High.

"This is ridiculous," Miss Jen muttered under her breath to Carlos. "Natalie can keep looking, but we've got to get started."

"This is getting ridiculous!" Carlos mimicked in a louder voice toward the rest of the cast. "Everyone go in, we need to get started!"

"Okay," said Miss Jen once everyone had entered the bomb shelter. "Let's please not waste any more time. Scene 7. I need Troy and Gabriella up front, right there.... where's my Troy?"

Alexis had made her way into her assigned spot and there was still no sign of Ricky.

"Alexis? Have you seen Ricky?" Miss Jen asked, clearly annoyed.

"Um, no..."

Miss Jen sighed. "Has anyone seen him?"

The drama department all looked around at each other.