Work Text:
It had been a week since Gina had gotten back to Salt Lake from LA. Her mom decided they should spend some much needed time with Jamie so they were there a week before and after the premiere. It had been a longtime since they had all been under the same roof. At the moment all Gina felt was happiness.
She was getting everything she ever wanted. Things that always seemed just out of reach. There wouldn’t be anymore moving until after she graduated so she finally had a home, and a solid group of friends. When she first found out they would be moving to Salt Lake, she dreaded it but it ended up turning out to be home. No place had ever felt like that for her.
While she was glad to be back in Salt Lake, so much had happened in LA. At first she wasn’t sure if she wanted to see Nini but she knew they would end up crossing paths. Jamie had given her updates on what they were working on. He also invited her to the studio to see it firsthand. In a way she felt jealous because her brother barely gave her a second thought when she tried talking to him about her goals. Gina never struggled sharing her talents, the struggle was trying not to seem like she was outshining others.
****
It was the day before the premiere when Gina ran into Nini. She decided to go to the studio with Jamie while her mom was out looking for furniture for their new place. Gina hadn’t really talked to anyone since camp. Not even Ricky even though he had texted her a few times. She didn’t know what to say to him. Her heart was feeling conflicted after her breakup with EJ. The breakup wasn’t Ricky’s fault but he definitely crossed her mind those weeks at camp every time she considered ending things with EJ.
While walking to a cafe near the studio she literally bumped into Nini. Her mind was occupied with many things and she was distracted while looking at her phone which showed the directions. Walking around in LA was not like walking around in any of the other cities she had previously lived in. There was alot going on. Getting lost was not on the list of things she had planned for the day.
“Sorry” Gina muttered.
“It’s alright” the person responded.
That was a voice she would know anywhere. When she looked up she was face to face with a girl she hadn’t seen in months. Gina knew there was a possibility of bumping into her but she still felt caught off guard in a way.
“Nini” She finally spoke.
“Gina” The girl in front of her smiled.
This was the last person Gina expected to bump into on the street. LA was supposed to be a big place. At this point she considered Nini a friend but they still had some work to do. It was complicated when it didn’t have to be anymore.
“Where are you headed?” Nini asked. Gina responded by turning her phone to face the girl.
“You definitely don’t want coffee from there” Nini shook her head. “How about we go get boba instead?”
“Weren’t you headed somewhere?” Gina furrowed her eyebrows. Now that Nini had mentioned boba she wanted it but hanging out alone with Nini made her somewhat nervous.
“I was headed to you actually” Nini replied. “Jamie told me you were going to get coffee and I had to save you from that awful cafe”
“Is it actually awful or did you just wanna hang out with me?” Gina asked.
Nini didn’t know how to answer that. It’s not like they were close friends but Nini liked Gina. There was something about her that always had Nini mesmerized. Wasn’t it common knowledge that when someone you knew was in town it was your job to show them your spots?
“It’s awful” Nini laughed. “But i wouldn’t mind hanging with a familiar face in a town full of unfamiliar ones”
“Lets go get boba” Gina turned towards Nini.
****
The two sat on a bench at a park while drinking boba. Gina’s choice of drink being brown sugar milk tea while Nini had chosen matcha milk tea.
“This is a nice park” Gina broke the silence.
“I come here all the time to write” Nini looked around the park. “It reminds me of home”
Gina had forgotten about Nini moving permanently. She had only lived in Salt Lake almost a year and she couldn’t imagine leaving. Moving was something she was used to so she knew what to say she just wasn’t sure if Nini wanted to hear it.
“How was camp?” Nini changed the subject.
“It was fun” Gina smiled as she remembered all the best moments.
“How was Ricky?” Nini asked.
That question caught Gina off guard. It makes sense she would ask about her childhood best friend but was she asking the right person? Couldn’t she ask Kourtney or even Ashlyn? After the opening night card situation Gina had assumed Ricky would reach out to Nini.
“He’s Ricky ” Gina paused. “Camp was good for him”
“I still can’t believe you got him to go to camp” Nini shook her head.
“I didn’t” Gina furrowed her eyebrows.
“Why else do you think he would go to theatre camp?” Nini laughed.
The only response Gina could give was a shrug.
Nini still didn’t get how Gina didn’t understand how much of an influence she had on Ricky. He did things he would never do just for her. Ricky may have joined the musical for Nini but he stayed for Gina. He was better because of it.
“You guys looked great together on stage” Nini nudged Gina’s shoulder.
Gina thought back to performing “What Do You Know About Love” with Ricky. She also thought about Ricky singing Kristoff Lullaby. When he looked at her it made her think about every moment that led to that exact moment. They had something even if they didn’t know it. Everyone else could see it.
Gina took a sip of her boba. “I can’t talk about this with you.”
“It doesn’t have to be weird” Nini reassured her. She meant it. Obviously they didn’t have to talk about Ricky but she wanted Gina to know that it was ok if they did. Gina felt conflicted about this. Maybe this was Nini’s way of looking out for Ricky.
“I think” Gina paused. “well I know I have feelings for Ricky”
“That was never in question” Nini said. “The question is what are you gonna do about it?”
Gina thought about what Nini was saying. There wasn’t really a way she could answer that. She tried confessing her feelings before and it backfired on her. Ricky was the first person she ever told about her feelings. Since she moved constantly she never felt the need to tell a person how she felt about them knowing it would never go anywhere.
“There’s nothing I can do” She finally answered.
“Ricky won’t make a move unless he knows he has a chance with you” Nina looked at the girl next to her.
****
Now back at home the Gina was thinking about everything her and Nini talked about. It’s not that she wants to avoid Ricky but she’s scared. Him kissing her was the last thing she expected as his response to her telling him how she felt. Her phone went off on her nightstand. There was a text from Ashlyn, two from Ricky and a few from Carlos.
Ashlyn
We are having a movie night tonight so be here in an hour!!
Carlos
Just so you know avoiding Ricky forever isn’t possible since school is next week and we are also in the same friend group.
Also I know about the kiss 🤫
Also Ash is wondering if you are coming tonight
I told her you are 🤭
See you soon and if you aren’t here I will come by your house and drag you here
Ricky
Hey Gi, I was wondering if you are going to Ash’s tonight?
It will be nice to see you 😀
Gina got out of bed and started to get ready. Guess she would be seeing Ricky tonight. While walking to Ashlyns she was thinking about how she could explain to the others why she hadn’t been around lately.
****
When she got to Ashlyns she noticed Ej pacing on the doorstep. If she was being honest she had forgotten about him. Or not completely forgotten but he was the last thing on her mind. They were going down different paths that didn’t align. He must have heard her walk up because he turned towards her.
“Hey Gina” He dragged out.
“This doesn’t have to be weird if we don’t make it weird” She shrugged
“It’s definitely not weird” Ej nodded. Ashlyn had been freaking out about Gina avoiding her because of him. If there was one thing he could try to do for his cousin, it was this. All he had to do was keep his distance and be nice so she wouldn’t feel weird about the fact that they dated.
She laughed at that response which caused him to laugh. This was the moment Ricky showed up. He watched them laughing while he stood at the end of the walkway leading to the front door. He felt somewhat jealous because Ej never made Gina laugh.
“Hey guys” Ricky spoke up.
Gina and Ej turned towards him. She felt her heart start to race. Ej nodded in acknowledgment before walking inside. Ricky walked to the spot where Ej previously stood. He didn’t know what to say to Gina. If he was being honest he never knew what to say because she made him speechless.
“I’m glad you came tonight” He smiled at her.
Gina let out a breathe she didn’t know she was holding. Being around someone you know you like after you have kissed is harder than she thought.
“So am I” She smiled.
Ricky noticed the spark in her eyes. Maybe they were finally getting somewhere. It seemed like she wasn’t avoiding him anymore since she showed up tonight. He could finally give her the gift he got her.
“Are we okay?” The words left his mouth before he could finish the thought.
“Of course” She nodded.
“There you guys are” Carlos opened the door. He had been watching them out of the window the whole time. It’s a good thing Gina showed up because he would have had to hear Ricky complain all night about how she was avoiding him. He opened the door enough for them to walk in. “We have been waiting for you and we can’t be waiting all night”
Ricky moved to the side so Gina could walk in first. Carlos raised his eyebrows while looking at him. They both walked inside to see everyone getting situated in the living room. There was a spot on the couch next to Gina but Ricky couldn’t just sit there. Kourtney sat in the arm chair next to it. Ashlyn sat on the cushions next to Big Red that were laid out on the floor. Ej sat in the other arm chair. Seb went to sit next to Gina when Carlos pulled him on the floor.
“Since when do you like sitting on the floor?” Seb asked.
“These cushions look very comfortable” Carlos directed his eyes at Ricky while slightly nodding his head towards Gina.
“If you guys want the couch I can sit next to Ashlyn” Gina stood up from the couch.
Ashlyn looked up at Gina with a smile. They hadn’t really talked since camp. She assumed Gina was tired of her after living together for a semester or that it was because of Ej. He may be her cousin, but Gina was still her friend. Losing Gina was the last thing she wanted so to know that she was willing to sit with her made her relax a little. She patted the cushion next to her. Big Red decided that he also wanted his best friend sitting next to him so he did the same. Gina and Ricky sat in their respective seats.
“I just want everyone to know that Carlos picked out the movie” Ashlyn turned the tv on to show they were watching High School Musical 3.
“Does he know something we don’t?” Ricky laughed.
The first thought to cross Ricky’s mind was that if they were doing High School Musical 3 as their fall musical that this was his chance to make Gina fall for him. Then he realized that he had grown over the past year and that there were other ways to make a Gina fall for him. Little did he know that Gina’s first thought was that she hoped they could play Troy and Gabriella.
“There is snacks in the kitchen if anyone wants anything” Ashlyn got up from her spot on the floor. Everyone followed her to the kitchen except for Ricky and Carlos.
“Can you stop trying to help?” Ricky pleaded. Carlos rolled his eyes. If he didn’t help how else would they stop being idiots and get together. After Ricky confessed to Carlos about his feelings he connected the dots about the conversation he had with Gina months earlier during the night of the storm.
****
Ashlyn always went all out when hosting. She bought everyone their favorite snacks. Gina smiled when she noticed the twizzlers on the counter. She had to snap out of being lovesick or she wasn’t gonna make it through the night. Ricky watched as she looked through the snacks. Everyone grabbed what they wanted and hurried back to their spots. When Ricky was headed back he noticed Gina forgot her root beer on the counter so he grabbed it. Once he headed back to the others he kneeled down next to Gina.
“You forgot this” He handed her the can.
When she grabbed it she grazed her hand over his for a second longer than needed. Both of their faces heated up. If he wanted he could sit next to her. This was the perfect moment while everyone was getting situated. She hoped he took the hint she gave him.
Ashlyn looked around the room to make sure everyone was present. When her eyes stopped on Ricky she nodded. He took that as his cue to sit where he wanted. She nudged Big Red so he could turn off the lights and she started the movie.
When Right Here, Right Now played on the screen, Ricky and Gina fought the urge to look at each other. The song was a sign to both of them that this was finally their moment. They realized that right here and right now they were both sitting next to the person they wanted to be with.
By the time Just Wanna Be With You came on the stolen glances were at an all time high. Ricky noticed his palms getting sweaty. If they were actually doing HSM3 this fall he was never going to make it through rehearsals. Sitting next to Gina while watching was hard enough. Luckily the movie was almost finished.
“I miss Jet” Ricky spoke while Troy and Chad singing The Boys are Back played on the screen. Big Red looked at him. He knew he had competition when he met Jet at camp. If only he would’ve went to camp with the others.
“You’ve been replaced Red” Carlos laughed.
****
At the end of the movie there was lots of sniffling. Big Red turned the lights back on. Ricky covered his eyes. Carlos laid his head on Sebs shoulder. Ej walked out of the room. Kourtney patted her under eyes. Ashlyn grabbed one of Kourtneys hands and one of Ginas hands.
It was starting to hit them that this time next year some of them would be off at college. This group had something special. They had become a family. Gina was lucky to know these people. She hoped they felt the same about her.
They all snapped out of their sadness when they heard the back door slam from down the hall. Ashlyn got up to follow after Ej. No one knew what to do at the moment except sit out of fear of running into Ej. Things hadn’t been so good for him when he got home. Carlos checked his phone for the time.
“I’m going home” He got up and Seb followed.
They were out of the front door so fast there was no chance to say bye or goodnight. Carlos usually loved knowing stuff he wasn’t supposed to know but he was tired. Kourtney checked her phone knowing that her mom would be expecting an update on her being out so late. She gave Gina a hug and made her way out of the house. Seb and Carlos had been waiting for her on the porch. They didn’t want to leave her alone.
The last people in the living room were Gina, Ricky and Big Red. Ricky looked at Big Red. He hoped he could pick up on what he was trying to say. It could never be that easy. Red was determined to spend every moment with Ricky since he got back from camp to regain his role as best friend. Ashlyn walked back inside alone.
“You guys didn’t have to wait” she looked at the remaining three.
Gina shrugged. It’s not that she was waiting necessarily but she wanted to make sure Ashlyn knew things with them were ok since she had basically been avoiding her.
“It’s time I head home” Gina finally spoke.
“Reddie give Ricky your keys” Ashlyn nudged him. He threw his keys to Ricky. The boy caught them swiftly. He held his hand out to Gina to help her up which she took without hesitation. The two walked out hand in hand.
“When did that happen?” Big Red asked Ashlyn. She shook her head at him and walked into the kitchen to start cleaning up. He followed her to help like he always did.
****
By the time Ricky and Gina got outside they froze. There was no reason for them to be holding hands but neither of them wanted to pull away. Ricky thought Gina’s hand fit perfectly in his. All she could think about was that she should’ve held his hand sooner. When they got to the car Ricky opened the door for her. Gina turned to look at him. His nose was red, probably from the cold. He looked straight into her eyes. It was the same look he gave her right before he kissed her. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to kiss him at this moment so she turned and got into the car. Ricky closed the door for her and walked to the drivers side. After he got into the car they were off to Gina’s.
When he pulled into the driveway he took a deep breath. This felt just like the night of homecoming. When Ricky drove Gina home that night he never knew that anything more would come from it.
“I’m feeling a sense of deja vu” Gina broke the silence in the car.
“You can say that again” Ricky turned towards her.
“I do actually have something to say”
“Say it”
“Another sense of deja vu”
She could finally joke about opening night. That was the night she took a chance on expressing her feelings even though it caused her some pain for a while. They weren’t the same people from that night.
“Gina” Ricky laughed.
He still couldn’t believe how stupid he had been opening night. To him, Gina’s confession felt like a goodbye so he let her walk away. Then she stayed and he regretted letting her go. Ricky knew things were different now. He would never let her walk away again.
“I meant what I said at the premiere” She paused “Every bit of it”
“Now i’m feeling deja vu”
“Ricky” She turned away.
“I just mean everything from homecoming, to opening night, to camp, to the premiere, to now” He explained “So much has happened”
Gina took a deep breath. She wasn’t sure where he was going with this. It took alot to make her nervous but Ricky Bowen was always able to give her butterflies.
“I have something for you” He pulled something out of his pocket.
It was a box. There was no way he had that on him the whole night. Gina just couldn’t believe it. She wasn’t even gonna show up tonight. He really brought her gift with the hope that she would show up at movie night.
All of the nervousness she felt had gone away. He handed the box to her. She opened it slowly. Inside were matching rings. They were bands that had an engraving.
“Kristoff for me” Ricky grabbed his ring to put on.
“Anna for me” Gina whispered. She put the ring on. It fit perfectly. Suddenly she wanted to kiss him. Ricky knew this was the moment to say all of the things he had wanted to say for a long time.
Ricky took a deep breath and began “I’m not good at words. You have told me things I needed to hear. Things no one has ever told me. You inspire me to challenge myself and be better. I joined the musical for a selfish reason but I stayed for you. After homecoming you were the only person I wanted to be around. We just got each other. Then opening night you told me you wouldn’t quit on us if you weren’t leaving but then you stayed. I was confused and I probably made things even more confusing for you. You pulled away and I was so mad at myself. That’s why I showed up to camp. I wanted us to be us again. It was the only way I could show you that you that I still wanted to be in your life.”
Gina thought about what Nini said. She couldn’t believe Ricky showed up to camp for her. If it wasn’t for him and the girls camp would have sucked. Nothing she had in mind for the summer had went to plan. All of the feelings she tried burying came to surface when she bumped into Ricky the morning of auditions.
“The night of the premiere when you said I was a yes changed everything. At that point I was okay with us just being friends. Any thought of change freaks me out so I put away the thought of us becoming more. Now is the time that I tell you I have feelings for you. These feelings have been here for a while now. We have missed the mark twice but now is our time. I want us to be together.” Ricky finished.
Gina had no idea what to say. Maybe she had said all she needed to say or maybe words weren’t needed. She leaned closer to Ricky. There was no way she was gonna kiss him he thought. He looked at her lips then her eyes. After she nodded he closed the space between them. Her hands found their way to his face. The butterflies in both of their stomachs were out of control.
The first thing to cross their mind was if all of their kisses would feel like this. Gina had only kissed one person but it didn’t feel like this. Any person Ricky had kissed before didn’t hold a candle to this. The light on the porch was the thing that finally made them pull apart. This caused both of them to laugh.
“Goodnight Ricky” She kissed his cheek.
Unlike the night of homecoming he didn’t just let her get out of the car. He stopped her before she could leave. He brought his lips to hers once more. The kiss was short but sweet.
“Goodnight Gina” He smiled.
She shook her head and got out of the car. He watched her walk to the front door. Before she walked inside she waved at him. Ricky sat there for a moment to think about how lucky he felt. Gina went straight to her room. The moment she got there she laid on the bed and stared at the ceiling. When he got home he did the same. They never expected their night to turn out like this. Gina was glad she went to movie night. Ricky was glad he finally told her how he felt.
For both of them tonight had been a night to remember.