LEMONADE | Ricky Bowen

25

LENNON RAE PHILLIPS

As we walked into the board meeting I looked across at all the parents and sighed, I wondered what it must be like to have someone care about you enough to attend a stupid meeting.

I think Ricky noticed because he grabbed my hand and linked our fingers together, pulling me towards a seat in which looked out upon the meeting.

"I don't want to dance, Ricky" I whispered up to him and he squeezed my hand three times.

"I've got you, just follow my lead and remember what I taught you" he replied with a soft smile that showed his dimple.

"You didn't show me anything" I hissed as the room went quiet and he looked at me with a raised brow.

"I didn't?" He asked and I shook my head so he clasped his hand around his mouth "whoops?" He chuckled and I shook my head returning my attention back to the principal.

"Miss. Jenn it may not surprise you to learn that we have heard earfuls about your unorthodox style ever since you got to East High. Personally, I always chalked it up to the well-known fact that people in the dramatic arts are insane." Said the principal looking around at the other parents.

"Thank you." Miss. Jenn said awkwardly leaning into the microphone and I cringed at the squeak the mic made.

"But now we have news that your resume is exaggerated, your teaching credential is from some obscure online university and even your official name might be some version of a stage name. What do you say to this charge?" The principal asked accusingly.

I held tighter onto Rickys hand and he gave it a squeeze while assuring me with a brief smile that things were okay.

"I've always done my best by these kids" Miss. Jenn stated and I looked across to Ashlyn who sad smiled at what she'd said.

"Just answer the question." The principal said cutting off Miss. Jenn quite angrily.

"Excuse me?" Ricky's dad said standing up. Ricky looked up to his dad innocently, all whilst I looked at Ricky with a small smile. "Can I say something?" He questioned.

"I'm sorry, we're not opening up the floor to parents on this." The principal said, making Mr. Bowen look around awkwardly.

"Let him speak." Nini's mom said interrupting the principal. Both Ricky and Nini looked at each other with a warm smile.

It annoyed me a little but I allowed it to brush over my shoulder like it didn't happen, after all it was my fingers that were threaded with his at that moment in time.

"Go ahead Mr. Bowen." The principal said defeatedly.

"I'm a little late to this party, but I gotta say, the real crime here would be booting a teacher who's making a positive impact." He pointed over to Miss. Jenn, although his eyes never once left the principal. "I've never seen my kid this invested in anything, and I don't think that's something we should punish, you-your honour?" He said questioningly, making me laugh quietly.

"Mr. Bowen, I appreciate your statement, but I think that we can all agree that the theatre isn't unique in this regard, it doesn't have some special fairy dust, that can't be filled by another extra curricular"

He paused and sad smiled but it was perfect timing because the plan was only just beginning.

"What's that?" He questioned as Kourtney began to hum, the principal tapped his microphone a few times, looking at his fellow staff members in confusion. "Who's humming?"

I too, although reluctantly, stood up and began humming. Along with the rest of the theatre group. Ashlyn looked to Nini with a smile, Nini pointed to Ricky, who pointed up to Kourtney.

Kourtney held a Stereo above her head as Big Red ran down the canteen's stairs to join the others.

"Don't say another word
Some of us need to be heard
You want her big confession
She never saw Dear Evan Hansen
Whatever you think about her
The show can't go on without her"

Nini, Ashlyn, Big Red and Ricky all went to the centre of the canteen to sing. Ricky gave me a quickly smile before he and the others began to dance.

"Maybe her class could be a little more classy
Maybe her head's not in the game
Maybe her past is just a little bit sketchy
We need her all the same"

I watched Ricky with a smile, I was strangely proud of him, not that I'd ever admit that to his face. However, I couldn't help but feel slightly jealous at the way he looked at Gina.

"She's the one who cheers us on
So what if she's dropping the ball?
She stands for truth, justice and songs in our key
She stands for us and we believe"

I made my way to the canteen table at the front of the cafeteria and for some reason my eyes never left Ricky.

"Before she got here, we were so off track
Then Miss Jenn gave us a chance
We used to fall asleep in chemistry class
Now it makes us want to dance."

I couldn't help but mumble Ricky's lines of the songs and smile proudly once he had sung them.

I perched myself on the table and placed my feet on the seats. My head rested on my hand as I tapped my feet to the beat of the song.

"She's the show that must go on
So we're puttin' in a good word 'cause we heard
She stands for truth, justice and songs in our key
She stands for us and we believe."

Ricky smirked once he saw me sat down. He knew he was breaking the routine, but he did it anyway. He ran up to the table I was sat on, and jumped up. He landed behind me and so I looked up to him with a huge grin.

"What's my motivation?
She provides the inspiration
Whatever about her reputation
Seems about time for a modulation"

Ricky grabbed my hand and pulled me to stand up on the table with him. I tried my hardest to shake my head and stay out of the dance, because I knew that I'd ruin it.

But Ricky wasn't taking 'no' for an answer. He pulled me up and twirled me around with a goofy grin. Ricky jumped down to join the others once again.

"She stands for truth, justice and songs in our key
Jazz squares in the choreography
Sharpay and Ryan, you know they'd agree
She stands for us and we believe
She stands for us and we believe"

Once the song had finished, there were a few seconds of silence before Nini's mom stood up and clapped, making everyone else join in.

"People, people, settle down! Settle down! We have any further questions?" The principal asked looked across to the other board members.

"Just one. So how do I snag two tickets for opening night?"