one time thing | ricky bowen ¹

twenty-seven

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after leighton got back to her house she fixed herself up. she took a long shower, changed to comfy pjs, and crawled into bed. she didn't cry anymore like she did on the way home. it was like she was in shock.

the last time she cried really hard was after she lost her dad. this didn't hurt like that pain, but it was near it. she wanted to scream a little, but she mainly just wanted to talk as well.

leighton did the next thing that didn't involve screaming. she grabbed her guitar from her stand and sat on her bed. her mom wasn't to be home just yet and nayeli was out with friends. leighton felt terrible from calling their relationship a 'one time thing'. it was more than that and she knew it.

strumming her guitar a little, she knew what song fit this situation. it was weird. she learned this song just because, but it was how she felt. wiping her nose and taking a deep breath she started the tune of 'when there was me and you'.

"i thought you were my fairytale. my dream when i'm not sleeping. a wish upon a star. that's coming true..." she sang as she closed her eyes. around her were pictures of ricky and she didn't dare to see them.

"but every body else could tell.. that i confused my feelings, with the truth. when there was me and you." she hummed a little to the song. "i swore i knew the melody. that i heard you singing. and when you smiled. you made me feel, like i could sing along..."

a tear fell from the corner of her eye. it caught her off guard but she still kept going as she strummed the guitar. "but then you went and changed the words. now my heart is empty. i'm only left. with used-to be's. and once upon a song"

"now i know you're not a fairytale and dreams were meant for sleeping. and wishes upon a star just don't come true.." she opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. the tears now flowing, making her heart ache. she didn't expect to really cry this much. it was never ending.

finishing the song she continued, "cause now even i can tell, that i confused my feelings.. with the truth. because i liked the view. when there was me and you.." she finished. she hated that she learned this song from ricky. hated how she heard his voice in her mind singing it to her.

she hated it. she hated how she told him she didn't love him. even though she did. she hated that he did this to her. how she was right about him feeling something for nini. it was heart crushing. leighton just wanted to disappear for a while.

she just wanted to talk to gina. to hear her voice, but she was having her own problems already and still not answering her. only resulting in texting the girl.

her thoughts were stopped as she heard her mom's voice downstairs. she set her guitar on her bed as footsteps started up the stairs. she tried to stop the tears but they kept coming. soon sobs left her mouth just as her mom got to her room. liliana barrios had not seen her daughter so upset in months.

she rushed to her and asked what was wrong, leighton wasn't able to catch her breath and liliana just held her tightly as she sat on her daughters bed. she brushed her fingers through her hair as she shushed her and rocked her.

leighton had a tight grip on her mother's doctor scrubs as her tears left a water stain as well. she just wanted to keep crying but she had to stop. she wanted to talk to her mom. she knew she could help her feelings.

after what felt like forever she regained herself and pulled away a little. she wiped her eyes as a tissue appeared in front of her face. her mom handing it to her with a small smile. she wiped her nose and hiccuped.

"mama, what happened? you haven't cried this way in so long. talk to me" liliana said as she brushed away leighton's dark brown hair from her face. leighton took a deep breath and pulled her blanket over her lap.

it took a while before she spoke. even though it was a low whisper. scared to talk or she will burst into tears again. "ricky almost kissed nini" she said. looking through her blurry vision at her mom. liliana's eyebrows shot up. not thinking that she heard her daughter right.

"how did that—" she started but leighton kept going. "they went to practice their lines in a different room. then big red and i were going to scare ricky before saying they were going to get pizza. we jumped in the room and i saw him.. close to her face. her hand was on his face and he was holding her hand too." she sobbed a bit explaining. liliana just continued her hair brushing.

"i felt it mom. i felt that something was off. i felt it before thanksgiving and on that day too. but then he asked me to be his girlfriend and it went away. just for it to only came back. i'm so stupid.." leighton said. falling back into her pillows. liliana immediately grabbed her daughter as she continued crying.

their hug lasted throughout the rest of the conversation. nayeli had come home a while later to see the two of them in the same spot. liliana only filled her in with shortened details, saying she would continue it later. nayeli was just as confused as their mom was. she offered to kick ricky's ass but leighton told her no.

leighton had not been on her phone since she left rehearsal. it was on silent and on it were dozens of calls, texts and voicemails from ricky, some from big red and a few from the rest of her friends. she ignored the messages as the three of them just laid in her bed for the rest of that evening.

liliana barrios eventually left to pick up a really late dinner for all three of them after a while. they all silently ate as they were worried leighton would blow up in tears again. that night, leighton stayed away from her phone. deciding to go ahead and stay off of it. she had a show to worry about.

she went over her music a little bit to take her mind off the situation. real soon the girl would have to face ricky bowen, she wasn't ready and probably won't be for a while. this wouldn't stop her from being anything but herself.

the show must go on. boyfriend by her side. or not. she wouldn't let it bother her.

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delia notes: okay this is still so meh too me, but it's something and i love miss leighton. barrios women for the win.