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Friday nights have become a sacred time for Ricky and Gina. It’s the night where they forget about everything happening at school, at home, and on the set of High School Musical 4: The Reunion, and just be boyfriend and girlfriend.
They’ve been concealing their relationship for many reasons, but the biggest one is likely a result of the many cameras that are hanging around East High nearly every day. With Corbin, Monique, Bart, and a bunch of other stars from the original movies at the school, Ricky and Gina both agreed that having their relationship be public might be a little more than they want right now.
However, Ricky doesn’t dislike the secrecy at all. If anything, it’s only making the time he spends with Gina even more special. It’s the way he can drive her to school in the morning, sneaking a kiss before they walk in separately, or the way she sends him selfies of herself when she’s doing math and making that really concentrated face that Ricky loves. But he especially loves the moments where it’s not so secret, the moments where he’s Troy and she’s Gabriella and they’re hopelessly in love with each other—on stage and off.
When Ricky sneaks out of rehearsal early on Friday, he goes straight home to begin his plan for the best date yet. Gina was stuck at rehearsal helping Carlos choreograph the curtain call, so she wouldn’t be arriving at Ricky’s house for another hour or so.
Ricky has planned the final details of this date for weeks now, and he cannot wait for Gina to see what he’s prepared. She’s gonna love it, Ricky has no doubt in that.
However, when Ricky’s phone starts abruptly ringing whilst he’s packing bags of various food items into the back of his dad’s old truck, he instinctively reaches for it, assuming it’s Gina.
“Hey,” Ricky says, smiling, anticipating Gina’s sweet voice.
“Ricky? It’s Kourtney,” Ricky’s heart immediacy drops in his chest.
“Is everything okay? Why do you have Gina’s phone?” He’s beginning to feel worried. Kourtney never calls him, much less off a phone that isn’t hers.
He hears a heavy sigh on the phone line, “relax, Bowen. Gina just left her phone at rehearsal and I figured I’d call you so you can tell her when she comes by your house tonight.”
Ricky’s eyes widened. “What do you mean? Why would Gina possibly be coming over tonight?” He’s a shit liar and he knows it.
He can hear Kourtney laugh, “she’s always busy on Fridays, and so are you. It wasn’t hard to piece it together.” Ricky knows that Kourtney has an impeccable ability to see through literally everyone. He just wishes she wouldn’t be so vocal about it.
“Fine,” Ricky huffs, “Just drop by and put her phone in the mailbox, I’ll make sure she gets it.”
He can practically see Kourtney’s “I told you so” expression in his mind, “will do. You two have fun tonight.”
Ricky smiles softly as he closes the passenger side door of his truck and starts walking back up to the apartment, “thanks, Kourt. But can you please keep this to yourself? We don’t really want anyone to know.”
“Will do, but if I hear a single thing about you treating her as less than the Queen she is, there will be consequences.” It’s so like Kourtney to threaten him, and that’s why Ricky trusts her more than some other people. She loves Gina as a sister, and he knows she keeps her word.
“I promise to treat her right,” Ricky vows, “thanks again.”
“No problem, Ricky.”
Ricky closes the front door behind him and sighs. How in the world is he supposed to tell Gina that their secret isn’t much of a secret anymore?
———
Gina slowly climbs out of her mom’s car, brushing her hands down along the front of her dress. Ricky had told her to dress a little nicer than casual, so a short dress and platform converse were what she interpreted that as.
Terri reminds her daughter to be home by midnight and to call her in case anything happens during the night. Gina smiles and reassures her mom that she will.
And before Gina can even knock on Ricky’s front door, it swings open and reveals his smiling face. “Gina!” Ricky exclaims happily as he lifts her up into his arms and spins her around. “I missed you so much.”
Gina grins down at Ricky, “you’re a dork.”
“And you love it,” Ricky replies as he gently places her on the ground. He kisses her cheek softly as she runs her hand through his curls.
“So what’s tonight’s plan?” Gina asks. “I don’t have my phone because I left it at rehearsal so you have my full attention.”
Ricky looks at Gina, “so I don’t normally have your full attention?” He jokes lightly.
She shrugs and grabs his hand, “no comment.”
“Anyways,” Ricky says as he wraps his arm around her shoulder. “Tonight is about the both of us, so I really need you to not freak out when I tell you this,” Ricky sighs.
“Tell me what?” Gina raises an eyebrow.
Ricky holds out Gina’s phone in the palm of his hand. “I have come into possession of this?”
Gina’s face lights up, “oh my gosh, you found it? Who gave it to you? Or did you take it on purpose from rehearsal?”
Ricky stops Gina from spiraling, placing a hand on her shoulder, “Kourtney gave it to me because she knew you were gonna be here tonight.”
He sees her face grow a little more solemn, “wait what do you mean? Does Kourtney know about us?”
Ricky takes Gina’s hands and holds them close to his chest. “She knows, but she promises that she won’t tell anyone unless we want her to.” Ricky looks into Gina’s brown eyes. They’re perfect in every single way. She is perfect.
“Okay,” Gina hums as she points towards the truck in the driveway, “so what’s tonight’s date?”
Ricky practically pulls Gina’s out of the door, escorting her towards the passenger side seat. “A ticket for you,” he smiles as he hands her a small slip of paper.
“What is this?” Gina grins as she looks down at the ticket. It’s general admission for something she isn’t sure of.
“The amphitheater in Ogden is doing a one-night special of Frozen. They’re showing the first two movies, and since we never got around to watching them the night you moved into your new house, I figured we could spend tonight in Arendelle.” Ricky watches as Gina’s face lights up.
“Really? This is what you’ve planned?” Gina throws her arms around Ricky, completely disregarding the console between them. “This is perfect, Kristoff.”
“Anything for my Anna,” Ricky says as he kisses her softly on the forehead.
———
They’re about twenty minutes into the car ride when Ricky brings up the discussion they have avoided for weeks now.
“When do you think we should tell the rest of our friends that we’re together?” Ricky asks as he reaches across the console to grasp Gina’s hand.
Gina loves when he holds her hand while he drives, even if she doubts the safety of him only driving with one hand. “I don’t know. Why do you ask?”
Ricky doesn’t want to worry her, “now that Kourtney knows, I can’t help thinking that everyone else does.” It doesn’t take a lot of thinking about the way they’ve been acting towards each other the last two months to believe they are dating.
This is high school after all, nothing remains secret for long. “I’ve wondered the same thing. But Ricky,” Gina reaches up to caress the back of his neck as his eyes stay on the road, “I like—I love what we have. I don’t want it to change unless we both are ready for it.”
Ricky looks over at Gina for a brief moment, “you know more than anyone else how much I hate change.”
Gina nods. She does. “I do. And you know I don’t like it much either, so maybe we should just play it by ear for now. Once everything with the documentary has subsided a little then maybe we can start being more open about this?”
Ricky wants their relationship to be on Gina’s terms. He wants what she wants because he knows she’s always going to do what is best for the both of them.
“That sounds good, Gi.” Ricky replies as he stops momentarily at a red light. He leans over and kisses her softly against the cheek. “I’m just glad we don’t have to hide from each other anymore.”
“Me too, Ricky,” Gina smiles gently as she admits that to him.
He’s never been happier in his life, and Ricky is certain that every next moment he spends with Gina by his side, that happiness will only increase.
———
When they arrive at the theater, Ricky goes to buy snacks from a small little cart that is near the venue as Gina goes to find them a place to sit.
The venue is full of little kids and their families, and not many teenagers or anyone close to their age are in sight. Gina appreciates that especially because she knows she won’t have to put on a face while she’s here. There won’t be any paparazzi stalking her house, there won’t be a camera in the corner of the hallway with its little eye pointed at her—everything is just normal.
Ricky meets her about ten minutes later with two large buckets of popcorn, a bag of gummy worms, and a box of skittles.
“Skittles, Ricky? Really?” Gina laughs as he hands her the bucket of popcorn and bag of gummy worms.
Ricky feigns offense, “Skittles are one of the greatest candies ever. If you don’t believe me, I can defer you to the science project I made during fifth grade.”
Gina raises her eyebrows, “you did a science project on Skittles?” She knows that Ricky is a little ridiculous in some ways, but this is beyond her.
Ricky nods promptly as he drops down into the seat next to her. “The only project I’ve ever gotten an A on.”
Gina giggles loudly before Ricky kisses her, stopping her laughter all together. “I love doing that.” Ricky grins as he pulls back from the kiss.
“I love it when you do that,” Gina replies with a large smile.
Gina is about to press her lips against his again, but is quickly interrupted by a girl who looks about eight years old, with a wide mouth, pointing at her.
“Oh my gosh!” The little girl exclaims.
Ricky and Gina sit straight up. If they end up getting caught by a child, Ricky is gonna feel like the most dumb boyfriend on the whole planet.
“Are you Gina Porter?” She asks with a high-pitched squeal.
Gina nods at the little girl, “I am.”
The little girl grins brightly at her, clapping her hands together, “I follow you on TikTok and I love your videos! I especially loved the ones you made with the girl who played Elsa in that Frozen show you did.”
Gina smiles as the little girl continues to speak excitedly to her. “Can I get a selfie with you?” She asks.
Gina agrees quickly, “of course.” Gina looks down at Ricky who is making doe eyes at her. He looks at her like she’s hung the whole moon. “Can you take it, Bowen?”
Ricky has to suppress his laughter at the use of his last name. They always use his last name whenever they’re in public. One time a waitress at the diner just outside of Salt Lake asked if she had seen them before and Ricky had replied saying that his name is Bowen, but he goes by Bowie and is in a rock band that once had a special on the local news.
He’s always been better at improv than her.
“Sure,” Ricky replies as he takes the little girl’s phone in his hand and snaps a couple photos of her and Gina.
He doesn’t for a second look at the little girl though, because his eyes are drowned on Gina’s the whole time. She’s stunning, even when she’s standing in the middle of a rundown amphitheater in a short dress that is entirely covered up by his East High sweatshirt.
“Thank you, Gina!” The little girl gives her one last hug. “I can’t believe I got to meet you.”
Gina waves goodbye to the little girl as they watch her go back to her family and show them the pictures she’d just taken.
“How’s it feel to be an official celebrity?” Ricky jokes as he wraps an arm around her, not caring who sees them.
Gina looks up at Ricky as he leans in closer to her and she rests her head against his chest, “it feels nice, but not as nice as I feel when I’m with you. You’re worth it all, Ricky Bowen.”
Ricky lets her words sink in, falling deeper and deeper into his chest, “you are too, Gina Porter.”
The opening scene of Frozen comes on just after that, and Gina settles in against Ricky. She could spend the rest of her life right here with him.
Secret or not, Gina knows that wherever Ricky is, so she will be. There’s not a world where she is anywhere else but in his arms. Whether that is Salt Lake, Albuquerque, Camp Shallow Lake, or Arendelle, she’s finding all she needs in him.