KNOWING WHAT love was at the ripe age of eighteen seemed unrealistic. What young person knows when they're truly in love with someone?

Well Ricky Bowen stood with the question. It wasn't a bad thing but with how media represents young love... well it made you question it. Ricky knew he loved Shiloh and would shout it from the rooftops.

Maybe it's the way she parted her hair. Or the fact that her glasses made her stand out. Or... he didn't know. There was something to Shiloh Molina that Ricky Bowen couldn't quite figure out.

But for now, the boy laid in his bed, peacefully sleeping in his bunk when he sprang awake at the continuous shouts of "happy birthday".

"And happy opening night, to those keeping score." EJ smiled, "Our show might be in danger, but right now our focus is Ricky."

Ricky chuckled, "Guys, you shouldn't have. For real, you almost gave me a heart attack."

"You're an old man now?" Jet joked.

"But wait. There's more." Carlos said.

"There is?" Ashlyn questioned.

Carlos smiled, "Come on in. Your best friend is old enough to vote."

Big Red entered the cabin, holding a cake with a smile, "Please tell me these bunks are air-conditioned." He smiled, "We've spent every birthday together since pre-school."

"And of course you brought a lotto ticket."

"Brought a what now?"

"A lotto ticket? It's the last thing on my bucket list. That's why you're here, right?"

"You walked on the moon?"

"He actually did it all this summer. I'm Jet. Who are you?"

Big Red sat the cake down, "I am Ashlyn's boyfriend."

"My friend first." Ricky smiled.

He sat down at the small round table and Big Red lit the single candle on his cake.

Ricky held a wide smile, but it dipped slightly as the one person who'd been there for him... hadn't been in sight.

He closed his eyes, making a wish and opened his eyes quickly, "Where's Shiloh?"

"Oh!" Big Red exclaimed, "She told me to give you this."

Red handed the note to Ricky and he opened it with furrowed brows.

"Happy birthday! Things are crazy at the moment, but meet me by the cafe after making your wish. Love you endlessly, Bowen. I'll see you soon... be fast I'm probably gonna faint from stress. Love, Molina. P.S. Maddox gave me my camp name last night... just call me Sailor Moon."

Ricky smiled. More celebratory smiles from his friends and once they finally left, he made sure to get ready for the day and left the cabin and quickly found Shiloh sitting on top of one of the wooden dining tables with a cupcake sat in front of her.

"Sailor Moon, is it?" He called, making his way towards her, "I got your note."

She smiled and gestured for him to sit across from her.

"The only thing keeping me sane right now is your birthday, so if we could, can we please just sit here and enjoy this while we can?"

Ricky nodded and held his smile as Shiloh picked up the cupcake and lighting the candle on top of it.

"Happy birthday, Ricky."

He fluttered his eyes shut and blew out the candle, taking his finger and taking so of the frosting.

"Ask me what I wished for?"

"It won't come true if I ask." She chuckled, "Don't you know how birthday wishes work?"

"Just ask."

Shiloh sighed, "Fine. What did you wish for?"

Ricky smiled, leaning forward and placed a gently kiss upon her lips, feeling her smile as he did so.

"I'll tell you this much." He muttered, "I hope you're there when it comes true."

"You're so dorky it's insane." She laughed.

Ricky sat upright and furrowed his brows when he noticed the wrapped gifts sitting by Shiloh's side.

"For me?" He asked.

"Oh!" She smiled, grabbing the two gifts with very different sizes, "Open the big one first."

Ricky grabbed the bigger wrapped gift from Shiloh's hands and began to tear the wrapping paper off. His smile had grown when he took notice the neck of the guitar.

He smile soon turned into shock when he took the entire acoustic guitar out of the wrapping paper and noticed that it had been signed.

"No way." He muttered under his breath. He hopped off the wooden dining table and Shiloh watched as his smile grew, "No way! How!?"

"Some people actually pay the Love Club for interviews, so I got it signed when I could."

Ricky loved Billy Joel. He'd learned to play almost ever song by the him before he turned twelve... at least that's what he told Shiloh.

And even though it was a very long process that she didn't know would succeed... she sent a guitar with a begging note and bribed the man with cash and got it signed and returned before she left for camp.

Shiloh felt as if she never seen Ricky smile so hard.

"Happy birthday, baby." Shiloh smiled.

She began to lean in to press a kiss to his temple, but even in his excitement, Ricky was able to move his focus from the signed guitar to meet her halfway. Their lips meet in a tender kiss, his skin a bit more flushed than hers but the feel of him against her still the same in every way.

It's like the cool rush of fresh air hitting their faces. It was comforting and relaxing and a safe reminder for Ricky, that Shiloh was his home. That he felt safe with her. That she went out of her way to get him something he would treasure forever.

That's why Ricky loved Shiloh. She was his home.

It settled in that loving Shiloh was his favorite thing to do.

Ricky pressed another kiss onto Shiloh's lips before resting his forehead against hers.

"I just had an epiphany." Ricky muttered against her lips.

Shiloh smiled, taking her hands, cupping Ricky's cheeks, and pulled him back slightly, "You know what epiphany means?"

"Yeah. Shockingly." He said, "I mean, I hope I used it right."

"You did." She laughed.

Shiloh turned and grabbed the smaller box, "You can open this now or later. But, um, I hope you like it."

Ricky sat the guitar down and stood in between Shiloh's legs as he opened the smaller open.

A ring sat inside. He glanced up at her with a small smile and held the ring in his hand. He tilted his head slightly and found the words "Lover Boy Bowen" engraved on the inside with the date they started dating.

"I've upgraded from Stupid Boyfriend to Lover Boy. I think that's a plus." He smiled, slipping the ring onto his finger.

"You can't wear that during the musical."

"Who's stopping me?" He asked, "I love it. I love everything. Thank you."

Shiloh held her smile as Ricky played the the new ring on his finger.

"I can ask you something?" She asked.

"Anything. You know that."

"No matter what happens. Whether it's today, tomorrow... in three years, we're good."

"There's no Lover Boy Bowen without The Love Club girl. I will always be there for you."

"Don't you think that's a stretch?"

"It may be to some people. "What do two teens really know know about each other?" I know that I love you and I know that you're going to absolutely blow the crowd away with how beautiful and talented you are."

"You're too good to me, Bowen."

Shiloh's love life hadn't been perfect and many people knew that, but Ricky... Ricky Bowen made sure that Shiloh knew that she was worth so much more than that club.

"I have to get ready." Shiloh said, "Apparently Jenna needs to do my makeup now with all this waterproof stuff and see if it works because if I cry later she will not have time to fix it because she'll be crying."

"You're going to kill it out there." Ricky smiled, taking her hands, "I'm right by your side."

"Thank you. If I faint I'm sure my body will know to fall in your arms."

Ricky laughed softly, "I love you."

"I love you. Very much."

Ricky kissed Shiloh's forehead and she stood from the wooden table and headed towards the cabin.

Ricky looked down at the ring once Shiloh was out of sight and sighed. Lover Boy Bowen seemed to fit. She'd changed how he viewed love. He'd never really known that type of love before being with Shiloh and she had managed to show Ricky the love that he'd only seen in movies.

Those romances were fake and if they were real they never lasted long after. But what Ricky knew with his heart was that Shiloh was his girl, his home.

And even though he just turned eighteen and the thought of being an adult was troubling. He knew that he'd wanted to be with Shiloh for a long, long time.

"SHILOH." EMMY called, "Can I bother you?"

"You're never a bother. What's up?"

"What if I get up there tonight and I forget how to sing?"

"I understand." Shiloh smiled, "I feel the same way, but you're so talented. You're not going to forget."

"When I sing alone, I sound okay."

"You're not alone here. Even when you feel like you are." She explained, "Everyone here is like a family. Even when we have our setbacks. We always have each other backs. Trust the process and expected the unexpected."

"Aw!"

Shiloh furrowed her brows and turned, Miss. Jenn standing with her hands clasped together.

"Happy opening night."

Shiloh smiled as Miss. Jenn brought the girl into a hug.

"Didn't think you'd come back."

"I wouldn't miss this for the world." Miss. Jenn smiled, "This is your first show. I couldn't miss that."

Shiloh turned, grabbing Emmy's hand and pulled her forward, "This is Emmy."

"I play young Shiloh."

"Then you are a very lucky girl." Miss. Jenn paused, taking Emmy's hands, "Now go out there and find your voice."

With that short telling from Miss. Jenn, the girls left her side and began to get into hair, makeup, and costume.

This was one of the biggest nights of their lives. Time and effort meant everything in these moments.

Nightfall and arrived and the show was going to start soon.

With heads held high, Channing came into the room to only bring them down.

"Greetings, theater children. Listen up." He said, "You see this camera? There are about another ten of them planted throughout the theater. It all comes down to tonight. Okay? Big new announcement." He chuckled, "We will be live-streaming tonight's Frozen performance on Disney Plus in order to drum up interest in our documentary."

"Dude, what are you talking about?" Ricky asked.

"I may throw a few things at you guys, last minute. It's fun stuff to shake up the show."

"Was that not fun at rehearsals?" Shiloh asked, "I thought rehearsals were so fun. I don't think they need a change."

"It was fun. You guys were so great at that last rehearsal, remember? We need that, but more. Okay? So just change some dialogue, slap each other. Have that kid kiss that girl. Pull some wigs off. It's fun stuff to amp up the livestream, right?"

"We can do that." EJ said which quickly caused chatter amongst his peers, "No, we will do that."

"Excellent. Okay. Have fun, all right? At each other's expenses." He laughed, "And if you aren't trending in Brazil at midnight, you haven't done your jobs, okay. Yay!"

With that he left and attention was drawn onto EJ.

"Why would you say that?" Ricky asked.

"Elton! Eve I think we shouldn't pull each other's wigs off." Carlos shouted.

"Settle down. You guys. I was acting, okay? To get that jerk off our backs."

"You sure?" Ricky questioned.

"Channing may now what makes a good TV show, but we're theater kids. And we're gonna do tonight our way. Final decision." EJ said, "The Love Club, minus Shiloh are here to help. We're doing this our way."

The group sighed, some in relief and others with uncertainty.

Shiloh sat down at her small vanity, and shut her eyes for a moment. Having stage fright was normal, but Shiloh had never experienced what stage fright was and the fact that this show was going to be broadcasting live really put the vision in retrospect.

All she could do was hope of the best and expect the unexpected.

"Hey, SIM." Dylan called, "Can I talk to you before you head on stage."

"Anything to prevent me from going on stage would be a dream, right now."

She stood from her chair and the two of them stood close to the exit of the makeshift dressing rooms.

"I finally spoke to my dad."

"And?"

"I'll know in a week where I'll be staying."

Shiloh held a tight lip and sighed, "Remember, there's nothing bad about Australia. It's far, but you'll meet new people and you'll do great things."

"Thanks. For everything. You didn't have to be so nice to me."

"And yet, here we are. Talking like two normal people." She smiled, "I would rather do that than argue with you all the time."

"Whatever happens, I think I'll miss you."

Shiloh raised her eyebrows, "You think? I think about missing you. What ever happens."

She gave Dylan one last reassuring smile before leaving the dressing room and bumping into another person.

"I'm so sorry." Shiloh apologized.

"Oh, God. I wasn't supposed to be seen just yet." Nini smiled.

Shiloh returned her smile and brought the girl into a hug, "I haven't seen you in so long. Like, you look great."

"Says you." Nini smiled, taking Shiloh's hand and spinning her around, "I've never seen a better Anna. What's it like being the lead?"

"You should know, Gabriella." Shiloh joked, "But in all seriousness, I'm scared. People assumed that I'm prepared because I've been on camera before, but I've learned so much about theater, this camp, people, Ricky, myself. It's been a lot in so little time."

"I get it. I really get it. This whole music is fun. I've written so many songs."

"Is an and or a but?"

"And my moms are happy here. I just don't wanna disappoint anyone."

Shiloh paused, taking Nini's hands. Though the two of them had completely different summers they still somehow managed to relate to the same problems.

"Change is hard. And things will continue to change whether or not we like it." Shiloh said, "I don't take my own advice often and knowing me I'll never listen to myself, but I think we'll both benefit from knowing that no one well be disappointed for chasing our dream and figuring out what we like. Even if you have to figure yourself out on your own, but your journey is something people will always support. You are so talented, Nini. You deserve everything good thing coming your way. But it's your choice to figure out whether that journey continues in Salt Lake or California."

Nini sighed, blinking back tears as Shiloh spoke, "If I choose to leave I won't get advice like that from you anymore."

"Maybe not, but I'm a phone call away. You are going to do great things no matter where you are. But if this is goodbye, I rather say, I'll see you soon. Because saying goodbye means it's permanent." She chuckled, "And I really want to see you again, Nini."

Shiloh wiped the fallen tears from Nini who let out a breathy chuckle.

"You should probably head back." Nini said, "But I promise, no matter what, I'll see you later. You're gonna kill it as Anna."

Nini gave Shiloh one last hug and Shiloh turned heading towards her destination.

Talking to Nini put it into perspective for Shiloh.

Shiloh wasn't the same person her junior year. She'll probably never see that version of herself again. She, at this moment, didn't know if this was good or bad thing.

For now, the thought could only float in the air.

Shiloh had one last thing to do at Shallow Lake and she wasn't going to disappoint.

- lucy has something to say !!

(this chapter was gonna be way longer but 🧍 things happened and i changed my mind)

let's all cry and scream at the same time

let's discuss...

ej caswell i'm sorry about gina BUT that's not important what's important is that we know that cash caswell AINT SHIT BITCH ASS DAD FUCK CASH CASWELL

with that out the way

why does ricky sleep like that like flat on his back ain't no way that man sleeps like that 😭

billy joel signed guitars range from 700-900 dollars not bad tbh

anyways i have a lot to say about season 3 but there's one chapter of this section before i roll over and cry myself to sleep so i'll talk about it then...

for now enjoy this

bye :))))