one time thing | ricky bowen ¹

seven

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leighton sat in the chairs of the auditorium, mind racing as she heard the word "kiss" from miss jenn's lips.

she never saw a kiss scene in the film and she was wondering why it needed to be added. hearing the conversation between the ex couple and the teacher, her mind once again shifted back to that summer night.

the kiss between her and ricky was something she never saw coming. it was shocking to say, but the girl could not process the moment while she was in pain from her father passing.

all she wanted was for the rehearsal who was just between nini and ricky to hurry and end already. she needed to discuss the moment with her best friend. she needed more answers and help understanding why it even happened.

looking at the time on her phone she saw it was almost time for the full cast rehearsal and left while the ex couple was still in a conversation. ricky noticed her leave and didn't understand how come she left without acknowledging it to him.

—
tightening the scrunchie in her hair, leighton walked out of the costume room back stage to meet in the main drama room. she saw ricky speaking to carlos and nini, but immediately headed to the opposite side of the room.

she ended up next to gina, the understudy of gabriella. she figured out she was not so happy with that outcome. the girl who was a moment ago doing the splits stood up and talked to leighton.

"no offense but it's pretty obvious you have something against her." gina said still stretching out her limbs. leighton looked over confused. "i'm sorry. who?" she questioned fully turned now.

"nini, you look at her like she killed your dog. not so much the tall guy. you look like a lovesick puppy looking at him." leighton scrunched her eyebrows wondering how she came up with that idea. "no ricky and i are only friends. have been forever. he's like my shoulder to lean on kind of person." she said, almost trying to convince herself.

"whatever you say leighton. i'm gina by the way, transfer student." she reached out for a hand shake that leighton gladly accepted. "seems like you know my name already so i don't necessarily have to introduce myself." the long haired girl laughed.

"yeah, i just heard about you from a few people, kind of curious since you seem like you're perfectly okay. i also heard about your father. i'm sorry about that and i don't want to make this weird either. just giving condolences." gina said with a soft voice. sort of worried leighton would be upset in a way.

leighton bit her lip and closed her eyes. she knew people around school heard about her dad passing away in the summer. she saw some of them show up to the funeral, but she was in no state to really remember. "yeah, i just... try to live my life you know. things happen and i have to keep going. thank you for being so kind about it thought." she told gina with a smile.

gina rubbed the girl's shoulder before walking off to do some stretching kicks. it was funny to leighton, she just thought gina was all about center stage and winning, but turns out she had more to her.

after her conversation, she heard carlos start speaking out loud. "okay people let's take it three counts of eight. right before troy and gabriella's entrance for the bows." leighton, alone like everyone else, had scattered to their designated sides. since she was portraying kelsi, she was normally playing the piano but this was the end sequence. she got to dance with everyone else as the music was being played by the other piano player.