LEMONADE | Ricky Bowen

39

RICHARD 'RICKY' BOWEN

It was time to get me in my harness for getcha head in the game and the buzz and adrenaline of the show genuinely meant that my fear was slowly dripping away.

I got on stage and they were cheering and I'd had my good luck kiss from Lennon so I thought I was all set.

I span the basketball between my hands, it wasn't even the choreography I had just started to do it as a nervous thing I guess.

The crowd looked happy and more importantly my parents looked happy and seeing them two together again filled a void I didn't know had started to gape with the distance.

Everything was perfect.

I sang all the words perfectly, I hit every step in our routine, not a single basketball went rogue and at that point I genuinely felt happy.

And then they clipped me to the harness and shortly after my feet weren't even on the floor anymore. I was quite literally soaring.

Everyone in the crowd gasped, my parents looking shocked and excited as the spotlight hit me and the music quit and it was time for my solo.

"Should I go for it?"

While at such a height I had the quick chance to flash a glance over the crowd and over towards where a man had taken a seat next to my mom, embracing her in a hug.

It was her new boyfriend.

My stomach dropped and everything in me wanted to break out into a sob, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. My dad was literally sat two seats down next to her.

How could she do this to him? To me? Why now?

My head was so filled with questions I'd almost forgotten I was on stage and that's when the basketball fell from my hands and bounced upon the floor, the room still silent.

"I gotta shake this, yikes"

I finally finished so the music could start up again and the play could continue but I knew that I couldn't. Not anymore.

I kept loosing the basketball, I couldn't sing or dance.

I turned to look backstage, I saw Lennon who too looked distraught as she peered round the curtain and that's when I broke away from the stage and ran into her arms.

"Ricky!" Carlos complained but I hid in Lennon's chest knowing she was my only safe person right then "what happened out there?"

"It's a long story" Lennon tried to say to make them lay off but I pulled away from her and pointed at my mom and dad in the audience.

"My moms new boyfriend decided to show up and I want to punch a wall" I said starting to get angry.

Everyone looked at each other worriedly and then towards Lennon and back to me and that's when Kourtney said,

"Ricky you look like you're shaking do you need to sit down?"

I moved past everyone leaving Lennon stood at the curtain clutching at it like it was her life line, I felt guilty but I needed to do something first.

"Hey" I called to E.J bouncing back stage and ripping myself free of my Bolton jersey "listen"

"Woah what's going on" he asked shocked standing away from the mirror and furrowing his brows.

"You need to do the second act" I said passing him the jersey "as Troy" I specified. He asked loads of questions but I just couldn't do it anymore.

I had to finally hand over the reigns.