𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 , ricky bowen.

019.

FINALLY, THE TWO GIRLS REACHED ASHLYN'S HOUSE. Getting out of the car, the two girls went to the door knocking on it. A second later Ashlyn opened the door, flashing a bright smile at each of them. "Oh my gosh hi! I'm so happy the two of you could make it, come in!"

Both girls smiled and nodded, giving the hostess a hug, stepping into the house immediately hearing the loud noises of theatre people. Now, Nini and Hattie were in the kitchen as Ashlyn was maintaining the other guests.

"Look, I'm happy for you.. but also not." Nini confessed, "I don't want him to hurt you. He's already hurting you once, I don't want him to repeat himself."

"I'm a big girl. I can handle it." Hattie spoke with confidence. "And if anything does happen, I know the right girl to help me get through it."

Nini smiled and handed the brunette a water, "You can always count on me." Hattie grabbed the water and walked out of the kitchen, sitting down on the couch.

As she sat on the arm of the chair, the ensemble were doing all kinds of different things that Hattie couldn't keep track of. To keep herself busy while waiting for the rest to come, she took out her phone and immediately text the first person that came to her mind. Pen. 'Where are you? I'm at the party and there's nothing to do..'

Instantly, the three bubbles popped up signaling she was texting back right away. The bubbles disappeared and revealed the text, 'I'm almost there, I got a ride with Gina and Ricky. Don't be mad please.'

As she read the text over and over, the more betrayal she felt rising in her. She may have been overreacting but why would she do this? Get a ride with Gina and Ricky who used her as a distraction and pretend as if it was nothing? As a response to the text, she shoved her phone back in her pocket hearing Carlos' familiar voice, "The party may begin!"

Bursts of cheer rose through the air, ecstatic to see their familiar friends. Ashlyn and Nini came into the room, Ashlyn quickly going to help him. "Okay you know it's a potluck, not like catering right?"

"This is not food!" Carlos exclaimed as the two set the box down.

"Oh good, I thought it was pizza. Too much lactose." Big Red conveyed.

Carlos opened up the box and there revealed a High School Musical board game causing everyone to gasp and squeal in shock, sitting around it.

"What is that?" Big Red asked.

"This is something I've been waiting many long years to share with the world. You guys, this is High School Musical, the choosical!" Carlos boomed.

"The what now?" Ashlyn asked.

"Okay so when I was a child, I wanted to go into the movie but the movie was on a screen—"

"He's not wrong." Seb agreed.

"— So I decided to create the next best thing, an interactive, hyperactive, HSM experience that can be played by children and adults everywhere in the world. As long as they lived in my bedroom."

"Wait, so you've had this for 10 years?" Big Red questioned.

"And I've never actually played it!"

"Okay, we'll totally play it." Ashlyn agreed.

"I'm gonna cry!" Carlos cried, "Okay so there are two teams. The East High Wildcats," He took out a Wildcat statue. "And the West High Knights. So sort yourselves." Everyone then started splitting everyone into the two teams as Hattie got placed on the West High Knights team along with Ashlyn, Big Red, Nini and some of the dancers.

The doorbell rung and Hattie hoped it was Pen, but it was actually EJ. After everything that happened with him and Nini, EJ reinvented himself as telling everyone what he did wrong and owning up to his mistakes. It was annoying, but, it was good he was finally being truthful. Eventually, Ricky, Gina and Pen arrived and the game finally began.

"Okay, okay you guys. There are four basic categories. The 'Getcha head in the frame' trivia challenge, the 'Bop to you Drop' dance challenge, 'Sync to the Status quo' lip sync challenge and 'Looking for Glee' which I thought would be a fun name for the singing challenge because when I was a kid, I was obsessed with the show." Carlos explained.

"Hey, it still holds up!" EJ exclaimed encouragingly.

"Oh good. I thought you guys were gonna judge me." Carlos said relieved. "Okay so Knights, you won the coin toss so.. you guys get to pick the first challenge."

"We've got to look for Glee. Come on." Ricky persuaded.

"Okay, we're going to do Looking for Glee." Ashlyn confirmed.

"Excellent!" Carlos beamed, taking a card from the pile. "As fast as you can, please sing the lyrics to 'What I've Been Looking for' to the rhythm of 'Getcha Head in The Game'

"It's hard to believe that I couldn't see that you were always always always there beside me!" Ashlyn and Big Red recited.

"Thought I was alone with no one to hold, but you were always always always right there beside me!" Ricky, Ashlyn, Big Red and Hattie finished.

"That was terrible!" EJ smiled.

"Congratulations, you get to move four spaces closer to Center Stage at East High." Carlos announced.

"Wait they get four spaces for that?" EJ asked.

"Okay Wildcats, take a spin." Carlos instructed as EJ spun the wheel. "Alright we're gonna bop!"

"Okay, pick one member from each team." Carlos instructed. For the Knights, they chose Ricky and for the Wildcats, they chose EJ. Yikes.

"Your challenge is to stare at your partner and do the Sharpay and Ryan warm-up thing for 60 seconds straight without laughing." Carlos challenged as the two guys stood up. "Or killing each other. Okay.. go!"

It started off normal with the lip trills and fanning their faces, just as Sharpay and Ryan did in the original movies then over time, it got obnoxiously louder causing everyone to start cracking up. After that, it was decided that a picture was gonna be taken after a few minute break.

"How was the car ride over here?" Hattie asked her blonde friend.

"I'm sorry Hat.. I didn't know we were gonna pick up Ricky on the way over here." Pen apologized, "Gina text me and made it seem like it was just gonna be the two of us.. then Ricky came in the car and—"

"Don't sweat it. It's fine. Did he say anything? About me?" Hattie quickly asked.

Pen's eyes widened in shock, glancing toward the curly haired boy then back at Hattie. "I—it's not really my place to say."

Hattie furrowed her eyebrows, "What do you mean? Did he swear you to secrecy?"

Pen rolled her eyes and grabbed her arm, leading her on the couch where the picture was taking place. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Ricky sitting on the arm of the couch and the pain in her heart began again. She so badly wanted to talk to him.. but she was told him to give her space and he was respectfully doing that.