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Contrary to popular belief, Ricky does understand that what he’s doing here is a bit much for a purely platonic relationship.
Yeah, maybe it took him two months to figure out that Gina kept flirting with him. Maybe he stumbled into a relationship with Nini five years ago and didn’t fully realise that until she broke up with him. Maybe he only discovered he liked boys because Big Red pointed out to him that he spent a lot of time talking about how awesome Jack Andrews was.
He’s a bit oblivious, he knows, but it’s not that bad. He’s very much aware that there’s something going on between him and EJ, even if he’s not entirely sure what that something is exactly. He’s not really planning on figuring that out now, either. He’s pretty occupied as it is, his feelings can wait.
But he knows they’re there and frankly, the idea that his friends have so little faith in him that they don’t think he knows that is a bit insulting. When they bring it up to him, that’s exactly what he tells them.
“I’m just saying,” Big Red counters, stuffing another vase with white roses, “that it’d be very easy for someone to see, well, this ,” he gestures around with one of the roses, nearly smacking Seb in the face with it, “and take it as a romantic gesture.”
“It isn’t,” Ricky insists for what feels like the billionth time. “I just really, really owe him an apology. Besides, it’s EJ. He’ll understand.”
“EJ’s known you for, what, a week?” Big Red raises an eyebrow at him. “And you’re giving the guy a red carpet, roses, and a serenade. How would that not give him the wrong impression?”
It’s the same argument he’s been making all day. Ricky knows there’s some truth in it, but that doesn’t mean he’s not tired of hearing it. As far as he’s concerned, it’s simple.
He likes singing with EJ. He likes talking to EJ and hanging out with EJ and when EJ’s hand brushes his arm his heart does a silly little dance in his chest. EJ, in turn, had made it pretty clear he liked singing with Ricky and doesn’t seem too opposed to his company. That’s kind of all that matters to Ricky.
There might be something more. He doesn’t know. He’ll work on that part later. After all, there can’t really be anything more until EJ wants to talk to him again and right now, he won’t even look at Ricky, so. He has some priorities, and those include apologising and getting the callback and winning the basketball match, and they definitely don’t include Ricky’s feelings.
“It’s just an apology,” Ricky takes the vase from Big Red and places it on the floor. “I’m gonna sing because that’s, like, our thing. He’ll get it.”
“And how are you going to explain the flowers? Flowers are super romantic, dude.”
Ricky looks up at his best friend incredulously.
“Red, the flowers were your idea.”
“And they look amazing!” Seb’s voice calls out from the other side of the gym. He’s carrying one side of Nini’s keyboard, shuffling backwards with small steps to bring it into the gym. Nini follows him, holding on to the other side, a folder of sheet music sticking out from the bag slung over her shoulder.
“Sorry we’re late,” she says, sounding a little out of breath, “but this thing is heavier than it looks.”
“It’s okay,” Big Red hurries over and takes Nini’s bag from her. “We calculated for some delays, we’re still on schedule.”
When Ricky had told his friends he had a plan to apologise to EJ, they’d jumped on board immediately. He’d asked Nini to help himself, and Big Red and Seb had gotten Kourtney and Ashlyn on board. All six of them had gathered in Big Red’s basement last night to work on the plan. Thankfully, Big Red and Ashlyn were both excellent planners - as evidenced by their little plot to pull EJ and Ricky apart - and between the two of them, Seb’s enthusiasm, Nini’s suggestions and Kourtney’s reality checks, Ricky’s hare-brained idea had turned into an actual plan within two hours.
It had gotten a lot more complicated, though.
Ricky had just thought that he needed to make clear to EJ that he really did want to do the callback, that it did mean something to him. He’d decided that the only way to do that, to get EJ’s attention long enough to apologise, was by singing. He’d just sing EJ part of their karaoke song, apologise, and hope for the best.
Ashlyn, however, had immediately shut down his idea of showing up at EJ’s place to do this. Apparently, EJ’s dad was pretty strict and likely wouldn’t appreciate Ricky’s serenade. Instead, she’d suggested they lure EJ to the gym, the place where everything went wrong in the first place.
Since EJ had joined the Scholastic Decathlon team, they could use that as an excuse. Ashlyn and Kourtney were currently with him. He thought they were heading to Ashlyn’s place for a strategy session. Instead, the girls were driving him to school and would push him through the gym doors before hiding somewhere so they could watch from a distance.
That was the only downside of this whole scheme. Ricky had wanted a moment like the one they’d had in the rooftop garden, something private. But he knew his friends would want to watch, would want to make sure they cleared the air properly, so he’d agreed that they could stay if they stayed out of the way.
“We wanted this to be on the third step from the bottom,” Big Red instructed. He and Ricky helped lift the keyboard onto the bleachers, adjusting it slightly so it was to the side of the carpet.
The bleachers had been Big Red’s idea. He’d thought that it would be best to decorate the gym a little, to make sure EJ immediately understood that things were different from the last time he had been in there. So they’d pulled out the bleachers to function as a stage of sorts, from where Ricky would be performing. The red carpet was from a past musical and would lead EJ from the door to the bleachers, and the white roses were, according to Big Red, to help set the mood. It was a trick he’d picked up in the restaurant, he said, conveniently forgetting that Salt Lake Slices mostly attracted young couples on dates.
Big Red really had no right to be nagging Ricky about his intentions tonight.
“I left the key under the flower pot.” Seb shook out his hands, sore from gripping the keyboard for so long. As the only one of their little group with unlimited access to a car, he’d been driving around all night to make sure everyone was at the right place. He and Big Red had picked up the flowers first, though neither of them would tell Ricky where they’d gotten them from, and had placed them in buckets with water in the locker room temporarily, while they’d gone to Big Red’s parents’ restaurant to borrow some vases. Ricky wasn’t entirely sure his parents were aware of the two dozen missing vases, but he wasn’t about to bring that up. Seb had picked Ricky up and dropped him off at Nini’s for a last rehearsal on the way back to school, where he’d left Big Red to sort out the flowers before getting Ricky, Nini and the keyboard on his final trip.
Ricky owed him so much gas money.
It was thanks to Seb that they could use the gym in the first place. Apparently, as the team’s student manager, he had a key to the gym and the school’s back entrance. He wasn’t allowed to use it without permission from Coach Mazzara, and he was a notoriously terrible liar, but Kourtney had used his phone to ask Coach about a private training session for Ricky and Big Red, and Coach had agreed immediately. They just had to hope he didn’t randomly show up to help.
“And I just got a text from Ash, they’re about to pull into the parking lot.” Nini sat down at the keyboard and tucked her hair behind her ears.
She’d been the first puzzle piece to fall into place. Ricky had barely explained what he wanted to do when she’d offered to accompany him on the piano or, as had turned out to be more practical, the keyboard she kept in her bedroom. Thankfully, Start of Something New wasn’t too complicated and she’d picked it up quickly.
“Okay, awesome,” Ricky bounces on the balls of his feet. He’s been calm, a little excited, even, all day but now, he’s getting nervous.
“We’re gonna go hide under the bleachers.” Big Red grins at Ricky. There’s a rose petal stuck on his shirt, several scratches from the thorns on his hands and he has specks of dirt on his face. Ricky has never loved his best friend more.
“Good luck!” He and Seb, who is covered in red lint from the carpet - he’d tried to unravel it by himself and had somehow decided to do that by lying down on top of it - say in unison, giving Ricky quick hugs and high-fiving Nini before running for the bleachers.
“You’ll be fine,” Nini says, placing her sheet music in front of her. Unlike his other friends, she’s not covered in dirt or dust. She doesn’t even look nervous.
“I don’t want to screw things up even more,” Ricky admits. He sits down one step above her so he can look her in the eye. “I really like being friends with him, I don’t want to lose that.”
Nini hums.
“Well, I doubt this can go worse than that time I got you an anniversary present and you hadn’t even realised we were dating. And look at us now, still friends.”
Ricky feels so incredibly grateful to have her back in his life. He hasn’t been able to dwell on it much, what with the excitement of the last few days, but he knows he’s lucky that she’s decided to give him another chance, and he’s determined not to screw it up this time. Big Red feels the same way, he knows, and has already added ‘serious chat with Nini’ to both of their calendars sometime next week so they can clear the air properly.
“Just make sure you’re not the only one who’s invested in this, ah, friendship.” Nini says carefully. When Ricky frowns at her, she elaborates.
“I think it’s great that you want to fix this, and you do need to apologise. But so does he, for not trusting you. He never even gave you the chance to explain.”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” Ricky admits. He has a habit of getting caught up in himself, his own mistakes, and not realising that other people were in the wrong, too. Now that she’s pointed it out, though, he can see where Nini is coming from.
“Yeah, I figured you hadn’t. Everybody else was probably too busy to point it out, but I thought you should know.”
“Thanks,” Ricky says. They smile at each other, and Ricky tries to express all his gratitude, all his regrets, his happiness, with that one smile. They’ll talk about it later but for now, she seems to get it, because she ducks her head and grins before shoving his knee and telling him to get into position.
He reaches the top of the bleachers just in time. As soon as he turns around, eyes firmly on his feet so he doesn’t fall, he hears the doors to the gym sliding open.
He hears Kourtney and Ashlyn, urging EJ to go on in hushed voices. Then, he hears the sound of footsteps into the gym, followed by the doors sliding shut.
When he looks up, he sees that EJ is looking straight at him.
EJ doesn’t know what’s happening.
He hadn’t known anything that had been happening this past day, really. It’s like he’s been wrapped up in plastic, a layer covering him just enough that he isn’t entirely aware of the world around him, but is still expected to function in it.
Yeah, maybe he was being a bit dramatic. It’s just that singing with Ricky had meant something to him. He’d thought it meant something to Ricky, too. Discovering that it didn’t had hurt.
Ashlyn’s confession hadn’t cleared anything up for him either, but it had been easy to forgive her. He knows that Ashlyn has always wanted the best for the people around her, and that includes him. She messed up, but she felt bad about it and promised not to interfere like that again, so he forgave her. After all, Ricky had been the one to hurt him. All she’d done was speed up the process.
He doesn’t know why he thought things at this school would be different. Taking risks just wasn’t worth it. It was easier to just give in, become the person everyone wanted him to be. To keep his head down in class, ignoring Gina’s glares, and focus on school. To finally join the Decathlon team, something that would make both his cousin and his dad happy.
So when Ashlyn had texted him earlier that night, inviting him over to her place to do some Decathlon prep with Kourtney, he had agreed to that, too. It wasn’t like he had any other plans.
When Kourtney had pulled up in his driveway, however, Ashlyn had been in the car already. That was his first sign that something was up.
The second sign had come mere minutes later when, instead of taking the right turn to Ashlyn’s place, Kourtney turned left, towards East High.
When he’d asked, all Ashlyn had said was that there had been a change of plans. All Kourtney had added was that he should trust them.
He did trust them. That wasn’t the issue. Maybe he shouldn’t, maybe he should be a little warier of them after the last couple of days, but EJ knew his cousin. Ashlyn knew she had screwed up and she wouldn’t do anything she thought might hurt him following that. If anything, she’d probably be extra careful with him. So EJ doesn’t question them further. He just leans his head against the window and watches the streetlights they pass, his mind in a thousand different places at once.
It keeps returning to one very specific place. He keeps turning it around and tries to focus on other things. It’s not really working.
When Kourtney pulls into the school parking lot, Ashlyn immediately jumps out of the car to open his door for him. She links their arms together when he steps out and guides him to a back entrance he’s never seen before as if she’s scared he’ll try to run away.
“Do I get to hear why we’re here now?” EJ asks when Kourtney fishes a key up from a randomly placed flowerpot. She doesn’t speak until she’s opened the door and they’re all inside, in the hallway connecting the locker rooms and the gym. Ashlyn hurries him past the locker rooms. EJ briefly wonders if there is a prank war going on he doesn’t know about yet. He can’t think of any other explanation for the buckets of water that fill up the largest locker room.
“For an apology,” Kourtney finally says. “Several, you could say.”
“But you already apologised to me.” EJ realises that their final destination must be the gym. He doesn’t like that idea very much, but Ashlyn’s grip on his arm is too tight to escape.
“We’re not the only ones who needed to explain ourselves,” Ashlyn said quietly. She shifts her grip so she can step away from him slightly and help Kourtney pull open the large gym doors. The lights inside are dimmed, but EJ can make out some kind of carpet and spots of white inside. He’s never been more confused in his life.
“Just promise us you’ll hear him out, too?”
“Ash...” EJ begins, but she doesn’t give him the chance to continue. She just shoves him into the gym and helps Kourtney pull the doors shut behind him, leaving him alone in the gym.
Well. He’s not alone.
When his eyes adjust to the light, he sees that the dark area is a red carpet and the white spots are small vases of roses. They’re the colours of East High, the red and white of their logo and mascot. All EJ can think about, though, is that the red matches Ricky’s basketball jersey and that his own lab coat is white.
It’s not that much of a reach. After all, Ricky is right in front of him on the bleachers.
Nini is there, too, sitting a few steps below Ricky behind a keyboard. She smiles reassuringly at EJ. It does very little to calm his nerves.
EJ steps back, his back hitting the solid door behind him, and takes a second to think about the situation.
Yes, he’s upset with Ricky. Upset that Ricky played him like that, that he’d lie so blatantly. But he’s upset with himself, too, for letting himself be played.
He’s been thinking a lot about everything that happened, and he’s realised that he’s also regretting some things. Like not letting Ricky explain himself before he’d stormed off in the hallway. It had made sense in the moment, when he’d been angry and hurt and not at all willing to burst into tears in such a crowded place, but he knows now that it was the wrong thing to do. Especially because Ricky’s hurt, confused face is still etched in his memory.
Maybe Ricky did mean it and he really isn’t who EJ thought he was. Or maybe it’s all just a huge misunderstanding.
There’s only one way to find out.
EJ pushes himself off the wall and steps forward, following the red carpet to the bleachers with slow but steady steps. He stops when he’s a few feet in front of the bleachers.
Nini winks at him. He lets his gaze trail up, then, to where Ricky is standing. He’s got his head down but after a second, he lifts it, as if he felt EJ staring at him.
As their eyes lock, Nini starts playing.
EJ immediately recognises the song. He hadn’t heard Start of Something New at all until New Year’s Eve but now, it’s one of the songs that’s stuck in his head constantly. He could dream it at this point and he’s willing to bet Ricky can, too.
Ricky sings along as he slowly makes his way down the bleachers, starting from the chorus. It’s beautiful, a stripped version of the song that connected them. Nini is playing softly, just adding some background notes, and though EJ can see the nerves on Ricky’s face, his voice doesn’t waver. It’s the best thing EJ’s ever heard.
There’s something missing.
Ricky seems to think the same because as soon as he finishes the chorus, he stops, the last piano notes fading away.
“It doesn’t work that well solo,” he says when he reaches EJ. He’s wearing the same ridiculous blazer from the party. “It was meant to be a duet, not split apart.”
“It was still good.” EJ hears himself speak before he decides to say anything. Ricky smiles, but it fades away just as quickly.
“Look, EJ, I’m really sorry about everything. I know you heard what I told Big Red in the gym the other day. I want - need - you to know that I didn’t mean it. The singing, it means a lot to me. It’s not just a distraction.”
“Then why did you say it was?”
“Big Red told me that the team was thinking of appointing a new captain. They were listening in on our conversation. I needed them to think the singing meant nothing so they would let me keep my position.”
That makes a lot of sense, actually, and EJ mentally kicks himself for not thinking of it sooner. He knows how important basketball is to Ricky. Of course he’d tell a little lie to keep that safe.
“I never thought you’d hear it,” Ricky continues, “and I’m so, so sorry that you did. It wasn’t right. None of it was.”
“I’m sorry, too.” EJ takes a step closer to Ricky. They’re standing close enough to touch, now, but EJ doesn’t let himself get distracted. Ricky deserves an apology, too. He needs to give him one. It’s like the plastic has been pulled away all at once. Everything is so clear to him now.
“I should have trusted you more, should have let you explain yourself. I didn’t even tell you why I called the callback off.”
Ricky snorts. “I guess we didn’t really handle any of that well.”
“We really didn’t.” EJ swallows, ducks his head. “I, uh, think we can do better than that.”
“Yeah?” Ricky sounds hopeful. EJ looks up again, meeting Ricky’s eyes. They’re twinkling. Even in the low light of the gym, they’re gorgeous.
“Yeah. It’s like we said on the roof. This,” he gestures between them, then realises how that could be interpreted and hurries to correct himself, “the singing, I mean, it feels right.”
“And you want to chase that feeling.” Ricky finishes for him. EJ nods. Ricky grins then, wide and bright and happy.
“I do, too. Does that mean we’re back on for the callback?”
EJ doesn’t reply, just glances at Nini, who is still sitting behind them and not even pretending she’s not eavesdropping, and raises an eyebrow inquiringly. She immediately gets the hint and wriggles her fingers above the keys.
EJ starts singing, joined by her playing a second later. He’s picked up Start of Something New where Ricky trailed off, serenading him right back.
Ricky joins in, too, their voices together sounding both incredibly familiar and like nothing he has ever heard before. They’ve had so much practice lately that EJ knows Ricky’s voice as well as his own, but they haven’t revisited this particular song. It feels just as electric, just as bright as the first time they sang it.
EJ dimly registers that the gym doors open again, that footsteps head their way from that direction and from the side of the bleachers. He doesn’t look away though, keeps his eyes firmly on Ricky.
Later tonight, when he’s lying in his bed, too excited to sleep, there will be plenty of time to analyse this, to dissect his feelings for Ricky. He doesn’t let himself dwell on any of it now, doesn’t let himself worry about what it might mean. All that matters right now is Ricky and their song.
When the song ends, their voices trail off together. Ricky is smiling dopily. EJ is pretty sure he’s looking at Ricky the same way, but he doesn’t care. He just savours the moment.
It doesn’t last much longer, though. After a few seconds of silence, he hears a loud cough coming from behind him. He whips his head around and sees Kourtney and Ashlyn, both smirking at him. He becomes aware of the others too: Nini, Big Red and Seb, who have gathered around Ricky, nudging him and giggling. Clearly, this whole apology was a group effort.
That explains the roses. EJ had heard Big Red mention his parents’ flower supplier in class a few days ago. He briefly wonders if the boys are aware of how romantic a setting like this could be, but decides not to question it. He doesn’t want to get his hopes up.
“So,” Kourtney says, moving around EJ to stand next to Nini, “does this mean I can start working on your callback outfits?”
Ricky raises his eyebrows at EJ, making it clear that it’s up to him. EJ grins.
“Just go easy on the glitter,” he says, and he’s met by loud cheers.
Together, they file out of the gym, all laughing and joking. EJ hadn’t realised they were friends, the basketball guys and his friends, but they certainly seem to get along well enough. It’s nice.
“Thank you,” Ricky nudges his shoulder. EJ smiles.
“No, thank you. You’re the one who serenaded me in a sea of roses.”
Ricky groans. “First of all, there’s not that many. Second, those were Big Red’s idea, not mine.”
“Third,” Ashlyn interrupts, coming between the boys and wrapping her arms around their shoulders, “those roses definitely need to be put away, and we’re all helping, so grab a bucket.”
“Yes ma’am.” EJ sloppily salutes her. She rolls her eyes, but her expression is fond. She slips out from between the two of them and jogs over to Big Red, who’s trying to pluck something green from the back of his head.
EJ looks at Ricky next to him. Ricky is looking at their friends, smiling. It’s like a weight had been lifted off of EJ’s shoulders. He feels much lighter, much more right now that they’ve cleared the air, now that the callback is back on.
He can’t wait to sing with Ricky again.