LEMONADE | Ricky Bowen

10

LENNON RAE PHILLIPS

There hadn't been another practice since the read through and yet the theatre seemed occupied. Curiosity had gotten the best of me and so from the top off the theatre seats I sneaked in and sat down to watch the practice commence.

"I'm so sorry I'm late. I promise it won't happen again." Ricky exasperated running in late, again, that seemed to be his speciality.

"Thank you both for an early start today. Let's begin." Miss. Jenn thanked as she handed them both a script each and then moved backwards to watch their confusion.

"Wait, it's just the two of us?"

False because technically I was there but okay.

"We're diving into page 97." Miss. Jenn instructed flipping her own script right to the back. I watched intrigued to what she was doing.

"You mean the last scene?" Ricky asked confused, he always looked like he was squinting when he didn't understand something.

"You wanna rehearse this? It's just one line" Nini stated.

"Yeah, I've got one, too." Ricky added to make matters worse and then they both turned to Miss. Jenn in confusion.

"And then there's the kiss."

The stage erupted into hushed shouts and whispers and Nini scoffed and took off, leaving Miss. Jenn stood there staring at Ricky who barely moved an inch.

"What now?" Carlos whispered to Miss. Jenn and she held her hand up to stop him talking so she could think.

"Great so I came here for no reason" Ricky huffed and I felt so sorry for him that I stood up in the last row of the audience and coughed.

"Sorry" I apologised making Miss. Jenn turn to look at me as well as Carlos and Ricky "I don't really have anywhere to go in my free periods so I just came to watch?"

I sounded so guilty and everything I said accidentally came out as a question.

"Lennon, right?" Miss. Jenn questioned and I nodded standing on the aisle and beginning to walk towards the stage anxiously.

"Yeah" I brought my thumb up so I could chew on it's nail.

"Could we run Kelsi's scene?" Carlos asked Miss. Jenn and her eyes burst open in excitement.

"Yes! No need to fill in for our Gabriella, just let the scene run" she instructed handing me a script.

I had to take it even though I knew exactly what my lines were.

I hadn't practiced, I just knew the film well enough.

Ricky shot me a glare as if to ask why I was being so nice to him but I shrugged and took my seat behind the piano. I proceeded to tap my music papers together before purposefully dropping them upon the floor.

Ricky, as Troy Bolton, rushed to my aid picking up the stray pieces of paper. At one point his hand reached out for a sheet which I already had hold of and for some reason when our skin connected I couldn't breathe.

"S-so you're a composer?" Ricky asked but he stuttered over his line and my eyes scanned his face for a reason "Y-you wrote the song Sharpay just sang?" He asked again still tripping over his sentences.

My heart was starting to pound, we had never given each other eye contact for so long. We hadn't been nice to each other for so long either.

"A-and the entire show? Well that's really cool" he reached out for a handshake and I look at it anxiously, I began to nibble on my bottom lip "I can't wait to hear the rest of the show."

I stood along with him and he offered me a genuine smile so I mirrored it back, threading a strand of hair behind my ear.

"So, why are you so afraid of Sharpay? It is your show" he smiled and I gasped because I nearly lost myself in his eyes, so much so I nearly missed my next line.

"I-it is?"

"Isn't the composer of a show kinda like the playmaker of basketball?" He asked passing one more piece of paper he'd collected to me.

"Playmaker?" I whispered in fake confusion which made him break character with a smirk.

"You know the one who makes everyone else look good. I mean without you there is no show. You're the playmaker, Kelsi"

"I am?" I asked with a smile "d-do you want to hear how the duets supposed to sound?"

Ricky followed me to the piano, he watched over my shoulder as I set my papers over the top of the keys.

I closed my eyes for a brief second, I realised I was being watched and I was used to that especially seen as my piano lessons were literally situated in the centre of the foster home I was in.

But Ricky watching me was... different.

And after one final breath of air I began to let my fingers dance across the keys in a familiar tune.

It was then that Ricky began to sing and my mouth parted a little, luckily enough I could play without watching my fingers so I made eye contact with him as he carried on with his performance of 'What I've been looking for'

I looked towards Miss. Jenn who moved her hands signalling for me to carry on Gabriella's part. My heart pounded, god I couldn't sing.

I looked up at Ricky and he smiled and nodded as if to make me feel safe and so I began.

"Wow" Ricky breathed as the last key came to an end and the song ended. And genuinely I felt like it was real.

"Why does my Troy and Kelsi have more of a connection than my Troy and Gabriella" mumbled Miss. Jenn but I was in too much shock to say anything sarcastic back.