CHAPTER FIVE!

Eliza's love for Valentine's Day started before she could even talk. Her parents always made a big deal for Valentine's Day for their children. Every year, there was always chocolate, flowers, and a teddy bear on the table labeled with each of their names and a 'date' night ticket, which was a dinner where each child would have a dinner by themselves with their parents. They had introduced this idea when Eliza was three— and Nicole was nine. It was the best thing ever to a young Eliza when she understood it.

Eliza picked up the teddy bear— it was a lavender color, and her mom had always knitted the bears. They would all be the same color, but their initials would be stitched under the bear's arm. This would be Eliza's seventeenth bear, it might be excessive but Eliza loved each bear, and they had their own space in her room.

"I found that color at the craft store, and I can't believe you haven't gotten that color before," Mrs Parks told Eliza.

"It's really pretty," Eliza commented. "Thanks for all of it. Did dad drop Lily off?"

"Thank you for making all those cupcakes for her class. She was so excited when she saw them this morning."

"Oh, that reminds me," Eliza went to the fridge to grab the second batch of cupcakes. It was a tradition and only for her homeroom, and only on certain holidays (Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's Day, and the last day of school). She was part of the baking club for a reason. "And I don't know if we're planning anything for tonight, but I will let you know. So I may or may not be home for dinner—"

"Don't worry about it, you have fun tonight, but not too—"

"Okay, I'm going to leave before you finish that sentence," Eliza interrupted. "Love you, mom."

🥀

When Eliza parked, Ricky was waiting by her usual parking spot. And as usual, he went to the passenger seat and grabbed her stuff as she stepped out of her car.

"Ricky, you don't have to—"

"You say this every day, Liza," Ricky interrupted as they walked towards the entrance. "And plus, I hope it earned me a cupcake."

"You being cute earned you a cupcake," Eliza stated. "But be careful with that— Ricky!" Ricky laughed as he pretended to fall. "If they fall, you're getting the ugliest one."

"So if I drop them all— I get all of them?" Ricky questioned.

"If you want to live, you wouldn't," Eliza said, pulling the doors opened, letting Ricky walk into the school.

🥀

"Okay, people!" Carlos yelled getting everyone's attention. "The title song of Beauty and the Beast is the centerpiece of our show. Written at the height of Ashman and Menken's powers, and it's their most romantic ballad since Suddenly, Seymour."

"Iconic," Eliza commented.

"As a reminder, Belle is finally falling for the Beast. And it's not because of Stockholm syndrome. Love is love."

"Ricky and Liza, it's time to review the waltz. Let's take it way under tempo," Gina said.

Eliza and Ricky to the middle of the room as Seb started playing the piano. Kourtney began to sing quietly as they started the waltz.

"One. . . Two. ." Ricky counted as they stepped back and forth. "Sorry."

"Are you okay?" Eliza asked, as the day went longer, the more tired he looked. It was concerning.

"Yeah, just super tired," he responded. He kept counting, Eliza tried to match his tempo. "Sorry."

"Kourtney," Miss Jenn interrupted. "I know we aren't at show tempo, but I need you to sing out, and make sure you really look at Belle and the Beast. Remember, what Mrs Potts is observing is a miracle. Belle is the most beautiful girl in the land, and the Beast is, I'm sorry Ricky, beastly. Maybe close your eyes and imagine the full scene in makeup and wardrobe. Ready?" They nodded.

"Can you use both feet this time?" Eliza asked Ricky.

"Yeah, sorry," he yawned. They started dancing again while Kourtney sang. It was quickly interrupted by the bell.

"Ricky, you need to take a nap somewhere, I'm sure the counselor will let you sleep on her couch," Eliza told Ricky. "Did you not sleep well?"

"I slept fine, I just— I'm sorry, Big Red needs my help. I'll see you later?"

"Oh, okay!" Eliza frowned as he rushed out of the room. "See you later."

🥀

"Anything special planned for tonight?" Luke whispered to Eliza. She was busy writing the notes from the board. "I know how much you love Valentine's Day."

"Why would I tell you if I have plans or not?" Eliza questioned. "Are you and Andrea doing anything?" Andrea was a senior and Eliza's co-captain who pursued Luke after he broke up with Eliza. Last semester, Eliza had a plan to get Luke back, but Andrea had ruined it, and now they were currently seeing each other, but it wasn't official like Eliza and Ricky were.

"We're on the outs again," Luke admitted and shrugged. "But Ricky does know how much you like Valentine's Day, right? I don't want you to be disappointed if he doesn't know. Have you told him?"

"I'm trying to take notes, not everyone has great memory like you, Lucas," Eliza stated. Luke was good in science, he was a football player with a brain.

🥀

Lily decided to cash in her date night ticket tonight, hope you have plans tonight. We'll see you later! Have fun and be safe. xoxo Mom.

"Great, I have to figure dinner out," Eliza mumbled. She didn't have plans— Ricky was busy with whatever he was doing. Maybe he didn't know that Eliza loved this holiday. She was never really vocal of it. They'd been dating for two months now, it was very early in their relationship to celebrate on a day meant for love. Especially if they haven't said the L word yet.

She shrugged off her jacket, hanging it on a dining room chair. She opened the fridge and stared into it— she loved to bake, cooking on the other hand, she hated it. She pulled out her phone to ask her mom to bring her something home before a text from Ricky came through.

Ricky Bowen

Ricky: you should go to your room
Eliza: that's really ominous, if I go to my room am I going to get stabbed to death?
Ricky: just trust me, you weirdo
Eliza: 🧑🏽‍🦱🔪 👩🏽
Ricky: okay, I'm leaving

"Do you have a knife?" Eliza called out before opening the door to her bedroom. "What's this?" Ricky was standing on a blanket he laid on the floor.

"Okay, so I know how much you love this day, and I know the last two years Luke had always done these big grand gestures at school for you, and I was planning on doing that, but I got into my head and whatever I did would not be as good as whatever he did in the past, and Big Red had pretty much the same plan for Ashlyn, but then he got stuck in a locker and—"

"Ricky," Eliza interrupted. "I don't care about big gestures, I just care about being with you. Question, do my parents know you're here?"

"I bribed your sister to use her parent date today, and I came in through the front door, I don't want to give your parents a bad impression. And I do remember you telling me that you'd like to have a picnic in your room like Troyella did in the third movie."

"I told you that like a month ago," Eliza stated, looking at the food Ricky laid out.

"I remember everything you say," Ricky said. "If I remember correctly, it's pizza and chocolate covered strawberries that they ate, but you have an extra sweet tooth so I also got marshmallows and pineapples because they're your favorite."

Eliza smiled as she took Ricky's hand that he extended. She sat on the floor beside him. "Thank you, Ricky. This is so much better than anything I could have gotten. You're amazing," Eliza leaned in and caught his lips with hers.

"I know," Ricky responded, kissing her back. "If we don't eat now, we'll have a full pizza by the time your parents come back."

🥀

"Hey, Ricky, your phone just beeped. I think it's your—" Eliza spoke up when Ricky's phone went off. She couldn't help herself but glance at the screen.

Gina: Happy v-day Ricky. Those chocolates made my night.

"Did you send chocolates to Gina?" Eliza questioned when Ricky walked back into her bedroom.

"No."

"Then why does Gina think you sent chocolates to her?" Eliza asked, giving Ricky his phone.

"I didn't send chocolates to her. She came over earlier, it's a hard holiday for her because her mom's not in town. She gave me some advice—"

"She gave you advice?"

"Not about— I was in my head earlier and everything was too much," Ricky explained.

"What did she give you advice about?" Eliza questioned. She didn't want to be jealous, but another girl thinking her boyfriend got her chocolates on Valentine's Day? She was jealous.

"Honestly, to get out of my head and think about us— and you, and the simple things are what we do and I don't have to show how much I like you with big gestures when I can just be here with you," Ricky said.

🥀

Eliza smiled at Ricky before saying goodbye. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"What's tomorrow?" Ricky questioned.

"A day ending in Y," Eliza responded. "Actually, we have this cheer thing happening in a couple weeks to qualify for Nationals next month during spring break. Would you maybe want to come and support us?"

"Are you serious?" Ricky asked. "I'd love to support you."

"Great. I'll see you later, Ricky."

"Good night, Liza."

this might be the longest chapter, but it's okay. don't expect any other chapter being this long... and I have a chapter for the cheer competition that Eliza mentioned (if anyone else remembers her being a cheerleader.)