home ➝ ricky bowen

12- hoco?

"What?" Gina demanded. "Who said you're staying home!"

"Uh, me?"

"Why?"

"No one asked me to be their date. And I can't even dance anyway."

"You don't have to actually dance, and you don't need a date either."

"But... it's a dance." Alexis argued.

Gina sighed. "You're impossible." She looked around and her eyes landed on Ricky. "Ha! Why don't you ask Ricky?"

Alexis sighed. "The guy is supposed to ask the girl, that's why. Plus, I was talking to him about homecoming earlier and he was just staring at Nini the whole time."

"You can go as friends, and plus, it doesn't matter who asks who. This isn't the 1900's." Gina persuaded.

"I think if he wanted to go with me, he would've asked by now."

As if he could hear the girls talking about him, suddenly Ricky appeared next to them. "Hi Alex. Gina."

Gina shot a look at Alexis as she gave a little wave. Alexis rolled her eyes back.

Not catching the exchange between the two, Ricky continued. "Alexis, can I talk to you for a second?"

Gina took that as her cue to leave, an "I told you so!" Look on her face.

"What's up?" Alexis said, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Well, I was just wondering... well, I know you said you didn't want to go to homecoming but, I was thinking, that maybe... we could go together? If you want? Like um-"

"Like as friends? Yeah, sure. I'd like that."

"What? I mean, oh, yeah. Definitely. That's definitely what I meant." He mumbled the last part under his breath so Alexis couldn't hear.

"Cool." Alexis replied.

"Cool." Ricky agreed. "I'll pick you up before if that works."

Alexis nodded. "Okay."

Ricky smiled tightly. "Okay."

Miss Jen called his name.

"Um, well I've gotta..." he motioned toward her.

"Oh, yeah, of course. See you later." Alexis replied.

Well that was awkward....

****
"Ugh! I hate all of these!" Alexis complained as she tried on dresses in the Macy's fitting room.

"What's wrong with this one?" Gina asked, holding up a black dress with an open back.

"The color is so dark and makes me look as pale as vampire." Alexis said.

"No it doesn't! I loved it on you!" Gina said.

"No."

Gina rolled her eyes. "What about this green one?"

"Too tight."

"And the pink one?"

"Too loose!"

"Well then I don't know what to tell you," Gina said as she pulled off the last dress she had tried on and began to put her jeans back on.

"Well you're getting the sparkly black one right?" Alexis asked to pull the conversation away from her.

"Yes."

"Good. It was my favorite."

Gina grinned. "Mine, too."

She opened the door of the fitting room and walked out.

"Um, where are you going?"

"To find a dress for you!"

Alexis waited for what felt like forever. She felt her phone vibrate and glanced at it to see Ricky's name appear on the screen. She smiled and swiped it open.

ricky
hey are you home?

She frowned. Him asking if she was home meant that maybe he wanted to hang out. But she wasn't home, so she couldn't.

alexis
no, im out dress shopping with gina. for homecoming. because, you know, someone finally asked me to go :))

ricky
oh. i was gonna ask if you wanted to go get slushees. you know, like we did that one time. but i hope you're having fun with g :)

alexis
hardly. cant find a dress that i like.

ricky
you're insane. you would look beautiful in any dress.

Alexis blushed.

alexis
aww youre so sweet. thank you.

ricky
im only speaking the truth. when you find one let me know what color so we can match.

alexis
will do!

She shut her phone just in time for Gina's return. She opened the door for her and got a purple dress tossed at her face.

"You will love it. Trust me."

Alexis tried it on and stared in the mirror.

"Wow."

It was short, silky material, and light purple. It was perfect. She did love it.