Chapter Text
“Honey, just… You seem so happy these days.”
Gina sat in shock for a moment, hardly believing what it was she was hearing. She knew that her mom and her hardly had the best relationship, but she couldn’t believe her mom would be so blinded to her happiness that she really thought it was Mack who could grant it to her.
“You think I wake up every morning before my alarm with a smile on my face because of Mack?” Gina asked incredulously.
“Yeah,” Terri immediately replied with a smile, before hesitating, frowning, sitting back in her seat. “I mean… I don’t know.”
“Yeah. There… You know what, never mind.”
Gina had never felt comfortable opening up to Terri. It had always seemed pointless. If anything she had to say didn’t further her success, her career, or her studies, then Terri Porter decided it wasn’t worth paying attention to.
But, in a split second, Ricky’s hurt expression came to her mind. The devastation she saw on his face when he found out she hadn’t told her mom about them was something that had been eating her up inside. In her mind, not telling her mom meant keeping them together longer. Terri Porter was a woman who wanted results, not contentment. If she had found out about Gina and Ricky, Gina was terrified that she might’ve forced them apart.
But, it was more than that, and Gina knew it. She was being selfish. She was keeping Ricky a secret because she finally had everything that she wanted, and she wasn’t willing to let it out, to let it breathe. She was hurting Ricky in the process. She was allowing herself to squash down his feelings – his loud, proud ones that he wanted to write songs about – so she could quietly relish in her own feelings.
She thought about Ricky’s relationship with Nini, about how he was desperate to change anything about himself to stay with her. She thought about Ricky’s relationship with his mom, about how he felt so hopelessly abandoned by her, how he felt like nothing he did was good enough to make her stay. Gina didn’t want to be just another person in his life that dulled his genuine self. She loved his innate desire to please the ones he loved, she loved that he wanted to be better for the people around him, she loved his self sacrificing spirit that made her so happy during summer camp. She loved him so much, and she wanted to be better for him as well. She had to let go of her fear of being perceived as perfect, not just by anyone, but specifically by her mom.
Tilting her head, Gina changed her mind in a split second. She had to tell her mom everything, no matter how it would cause her to react.
“Actually, Mom, there are a lot of things that you don’t know.”
Terri’s frown deepened minutely. “Like what?”
“The reason for my happiness,” Gina started, and once she did, she felt like she couldn’t stop, “It’s not because of Mack. Sure, the fact that I got a dream role is a part of it, but it in itself wouldn’t make me happy. It’s the fact that my life is so full now. I have a home , someplace I know I can come back to and the people will accept me with warm arms, not with a scowl and suspicion that I might light the auditorium on fire. I have friends, honest to God friends who care about me and my interests, who know my favorite foods and my favorite childhood TV shows and who make me gifts on my birthday. And…and I have Ricky.”
An angry flush made its way onto Terri’s face as she gulped down a calming breath, her voice shaky as she fought to steady it, “Ricky…as in Ricky Bowen? The boy from Halloween?”
Gina hesitated minutely, never having brought on her mother’s anger, the perfect daughter that she had always been. Then, she took a deep breath, thought of Ricky’s smile, thought of his loud support that ruined takes, thought of the fact that he had spent hours learning a dance with her so they could be the perfect Troy and Gabriella. He did so much for her. This was the least she could do in return.
“Yes. My boyfriend,” Gina clarified. She saw her mom open her mouth in protest and rushed to keep speaking, wanting to say her piece before being chewed out, “From the first conversation I ever had with him, he saw me differently than anyone else I had ever met. He saw past this front I put up to intimidate people, he saw me as just another student in the halls of East High. And that was everything to me. Finally there was someone who didn’t care about my past or where I was going in the future. He was just interested in me . As I got to know him, he became the only person in the world who just got me, and the best part about him is, he never stops trying to learn more. Mom, I can count on one hand the amount of people who make me feel like I can breathe , and Ricky is one of them. He cares about me. He wants to make me happy and he does . And…and I love him.”
Terri sat in silence for a moment, contemplating what she had heard. Her eyes scrutinized her daughter’s face, cold and calculative, before they softened just slightly, only perceptible by the slight lines sinking around the corners of her eyes.
“He’s disrespectful to authority figures,” Terri pointed out.
Gina winced, curious once again about what kind of conversation her mom had with Ricky on Halloween night, “He warms up to them. People underestimate him a lot, so he’s defensive. You just have to give him a chance.”
“He has bad grades. He could distract you.”
“Mom, my grades have never been better this year, and that’s on top of me spending half my time filming,” Gina replied, trying to be patient, trying to win her mom over, trying not to sound too exasperated by her skepticism.
Terri looked like she wanted to say more. After a terrifying moment where Gina thought her heart would thump so hard her veins might explode, her mom said, “He wants you to be happy. He makes you happy.”
Gina startled at the comment, unsure why Terri sounded so convinced of the fact. But, Gina would take any form of acceptance at that moment. She nodded vigorously, leaning forward to take her mom’s hand.
“He does,” Gina whispered, squeezing her mom’s hand in hers, “I promise you that he’s good for me. I’m better because of him.”
Terri sighed, slipping her hand around and clutching onto her daughter’s. “I’m not convinced that he’s good for you. But…I trust you, Gina. Just know that if I sense any of your grades or performances slipping because of this boy, I will be shutting this down.”
Gina would take it. She lunged forward across the dinner table, wrapping her arms around her mom. Terri laughed in a breathless, startled manner, awkwardly petting her daughter’s back.
The rain thundered down around the house, and Gina thought that the weather didn’t match her mood. She had never felt more sunshine warm than she had in that moment.
*
The rain pelted around Gina’s face, thundering in her ears and soaking into her clothes, but she couldn’t find it in herself to care. She was so happy. Her mom knew about Ricky, and there he was at her doorstep, in the soaking rain, like some kind of love interest from one of her favorite romantic films.
He settled her down gently after spinning her around, a huge smile stretching across his face, nudging his nose against hers playfully. He blinked rapidly against the rivulet of water dripping into his eyes, and Gina laughed giddily at the sight of him, eyelashes clumped together and curls stringy as they flattened against his face.
Gina’s eyes flickered towards the floor, suddenly remembering that he was holding something before she had sprinted out to meet him, not a thought in her mind other than kissing him. The object was red, and oddly shaped, and upon closer inspection…
Gina gasped in shock, unable to keep herself from reacting. Ricky frowned in confusion, following her gaze before pausing rigidly when he caught sight of what she was gaping at.
“Oh…” Ricky muttered, leaning down to pick up the object – a heart shaped box of chocolates, practically identical to the one she had thought Ricky had given her on Valentine's Day, the one period of their shared life they had silently agreed never to speak of again. Gina’s heart pounded as her mind reeled with possibilities of what it could mean. Though, judging by the look on Ricky’s face, she was sure she could figure it out.
With his free hand, Ricky laced his fingers in Gina’s, tugging her toward his car and out of the rain. He offered her a spare hoodie he had in the backseat and turned on the car engine to crank up the heating. Gina snuggled into her boyfriend’s hoodie as he settled, relishing in the fact that she could breathe in his scent again, without the crushing guilt of having upset him.
“I need to tell you something,” Ricky began nervously, the ruined chocolates sitting in the backseat of the car, noticeable in Gina’s peripheral vision. Ricky leaned forward to take her hands, fidgeting with her fingers, but he maintained eye contact as he continued, “You’ve probably guessed, but I want to tell you anyway.”
Gina stilled his fidgeting hands by clutching them tighter, giving a reassuring squeeze.
“Say it.”
Ricky smiled softly at her, at the nod to their past, and he reached forward to brush a curl that had stuck to her temple behind her ear. Gina felt a thrill trickle from her temple to her stomach at his touch, having missed it sorely in his absence. She kept as still as she could, trying not to ruin his momentum.
“You were right earlier this year…about the chocolates,” Ricky winced, a guilty expression bleeding onto his face, “I did buy them. I was the one who dropped them at your front door. I got in contact with your mom and arranged it with her to make it seem like they were from her.”
“Why?” Gina asked, genuinely curious. She was a little miffed that he had lied to her about it, especially with how embarrassed she had felt, but in that moment she was just so happy to have him back that she felt generous enough to hear him out.
Ricky breathed out a laugh, glancing out of the car window into the pouring rain.
“Why? I hardly knew myself at the time,” he admitted, looking back at her with conviction in his eyes, “All I knew is that you were upset, and I hated seeing you upset. You said that every girl loves a sweet gesture, and when I said you would get yours and you weren’t convinced, I – I couldn’t handle it. Something sour built up inside of me and I just – I had to prove you wrong. I had to be the one to bring a smile back to your face. In hindsight…I can see it’s because – well, it’s because I had already fallen for you. I just wasn’t ready to admit it.”
“So, that’s why you called my mom?” Gina asked, tilting her head, trying to understand, “You were trying to deny your feelings?”
“Maybe a little, but not entirely,” Ricky replied, “I called her because deep down I knew what would really make you happiest was acknowledgement from her. I know that feeling all too well. But, when you figured it out, I panicked, and I embarrassed you. For that, I’m so sorry, Gina. It’s something I’m starting to realize I do a lot – this running away thing. Running away from my problems, from my feelings. I think it’s helping people but…I’ve learnt today that I’m only really hurting them. And myself. I don’t want to do that anymore.”
“You’ve never hurt me,” Gina insisted, leaning forward to cup Ricky’s cheeks in her hands, wanting him to understand, “Not intentionally. I was hurt by the situation, not by you.”
“I’m still sorry,” Ricky whispered, pressing a kiss onto the palm of her left hand, “For running away from my feelings then. And for doing it this week too.”
“But you came back to me,” Gina pointed out, a soft smile on her face, and her love for the boy in front of her grew tenfold.
Yes, he ran away when things got hard. But ultimately, he had always returned, and always with much stronger conviction to be better than before. He didn’t give himself enough credit for that part – the way he could build himself right back up from blow after blow. She promised herself to remind him of his strength more often.
“Of course I did,” Ricky replied to her comment, his eyes wobbling with emotion, “I couldn’t bear the thought that my own cowardice might be the reason I lost you. I lost you once, I don’t think I’d survive if it happened again.”
“Ricky, it’s not all your fault,” Gina shook her head, sitting back into her seat and gripping her hands into the hoodie she was wearing in shame, flickering her gaze to her shoes, “I should’ve told my mom about us sooner. I was also being a coward.”
“No you weren’t,” Ricky shook his head, his voice trembling a little, “I understand. I’m not exactly the kind of person you bring home to your parents.”
“That’s not true!” Gina exclaimed, her eyes fiery as she refuted him, now fully facing him again. She couldn’t stand the thought that he was doubting himself, his value in their relationship. She took a deep breath as she continued, “You are exactly the kind of person I would bring home to my parents. You’re thoughtful, and loyal. You remember the little things, like bringing a hot water pack to school when I’m on my period. Or words I spoke a year ago that I don’t even remember myself. Most importantly, you make me happy . Any parent who doesn’t want that for their child would be crazy.”
“But…but, I’m not like Mack,” Ricky muttered quietly, red staining his cheeks in embarrassment, clearly struggling to admit his insecurity, “I’m not successful, or smart, or charming. I’m just…me.”
“I didn’t fall for Mack,” Gina insisted, “I fell for you, because of who you are. Everything that makes you you , that’s what makes me happy. I didn’t tell my mom because I was scared she would be disappointed in me, but not because of who I was dating. It was the fact that I was dating at all. I promise you, Ricky, it never had to do with you. I’m sorry that I ever made you feel that way.”
Ricky stared at her for a moment, before he leant forward and pressed a kiss to her lips. Short, soft, slow. Just enough to feel a hazy bubble of heat build between them before he pulled away, resting his forehead against hers.
“I guess we both have baggage to work through,” Ricky muttered, a small, cheeky smile tugging at his lips, and Gina knew at that moment that they were going to be okay. As long as they had each other, they would always be okay.
“We can help each other,” Gina suggested, leaning forward to kiss him again, breathing him in, her senses buzzing at the juxtaposition of his warm lips gliding against hers while cold droplets of rainwater from his hair slid down her cheeks.
“Together,” Ricky nodded between kisses, a hand lifting to cup her jaw, angle her head better so he could press against her more, pushing her up against the car seat as he awkwardly leaned over the center console.
“Together,” Gina repeated, putting her hands on his chest and pushing him backwards slightly, levelling a serious look at him, “Don’t run away without telling me again.”
“I don’t intend to run anymore,” Ricky replied, leaning back in to capture her lips again.
That time, Gina allowed herself to get lost in the sensation, ecstatic to be back with her boyfriend, his lips moving with hers, his hands rubbing tantalizing circles into her hips. She felt her entire body go warm, almost forgetting the fact that her clothes were drenched. Her hands shifted from his chest to his neck, his neck to the nape of his hair. She tugged at his curls, heating even more at the low noise Ricky let out, at the way he gripped her hips a little tighter, pressed his body against hers a little closer.
A wrap at the car window startled them out of their bubble, and Gina gasped in air to catch her breath, panic setting in at the sight of her mother knocking outside in the pouring rain, a flimsy umbrella losing the fight against the wind in her other hand. She gestured for them to roll down the window, and Ricky scrambled to get to the controls.
“Gina, when I gave you permission to date this boy, that did not include making out in his car for the entire street to see,” Terri deadpanned as she shot a dirty look at Ricky, “It’s time to come back inside. Now.”
“Sorry Mommy,” Gina muttered, her cheeks hot with embarrassment, “I’m coming in.”
“It – it’s good to see you again, Ms Porter,” Ricky winced, sounding even less convinced by his acknowledgement of Gina’s mother than Terri herself looked.
“Watch yourself,” Terri replied, pointing a finger at him.
Ricky looked like he wanted to snap back, an indignant furrow to his brow, but Gina gripped a hand to his elbow, shook her head at him when he turned to look back at her. He took a deep breath, before turning back to Terri and smiling as pleasantly as Gina knew he could given the situation.
“Thank you for your permission to date your daughter, Ms Porter,” Ricky spoke almost robotically, but Gina appreciated his effort nonetheless. That is, until he spoke again with a slight edge to his tone, “I promise to always be there for her. I know that the best way to support her is to cheer her on right by her side.”
Gina pinched him, not appreciating the obvious sarcasm. But secretly, she felt a little satisfied by his words. He was brave enough to say something she would never admit to her mother.
“Careful with the brakes in the wet weather, Ricky,” Terri raised her eyebrow at him, apparently not having caught his drift. Gina had half a mind to roll her eyes. Her mother still couldn’t pick up on what truly hurt her daughter the most.
“Bye Ricky,” Gina whispered, pressing a kiss to his cheek. Ricky’s hard eyes softened almost immediately.
He watched her the whole walk back up her driveway, waited until she had waved and closed the door behind her before he drove off. Gina hardly paid attention as her mom laid ground rules for her now that she was dating, trying to tamp down her incessant giggles when she received a text from Ricky ten minutes into her mother’s lecture.
From Ricky: your mom never said anything about making out in my car in secluded places though
From Ricky: just a thought
From Gina: you need to play it nice with my mom
From Ricky: sorry gi i promise i’ll try harder
From Gina: good
From Gina: now tell me about these secluded places
From Ricky: i think i’m a bad influence on you
From Gina: or maybe i was always like this
From Ricky: god gina stop flirting with me
Gina had her phone confiscated for the night after letting out an uproarious giggle during Terri’s eighth rule – no texting after midnight.