chapter nine
dylan and ricky sibling pt 18629

Channing began to point the camera at them all. Dylan rolled her eyes, she understood that they had to film for the documentary and that but she didn't want to act for anything, especially a strange of a situation as this one. She spared one look at EJ before spinning on her heels and leaving the canteen.

She stopped once she was outside, glancing out for a moment. Ricky's familiar voice was echoing from where some of the cabins were, and she made her way over there, only to find him reciting lines to himself while holding his script. Dylan watched him in amusement for a moment, crossing her arms across her chest.

"It's not your fault we were caught in a surprise magical summer blizzard and no one will give us a—a room," Ricky said. He paused for a moment, opening up his script to check his line. "Yeah. What do they have against reindeer?"

He then turned around and noticed Dylan standing there. Dylan raised her eyebrows at him with a small smile.

"How long have you been standing there?" Ricky questioned.

"Long enough to wonder if your imaginary friend came back." Dylan commented with a shrug.

"Don't diss Steve, he was great." Ricky told her.

"Sorry." Dylan held her hands up in surrender, moving to stand next to him. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine—"

"Ricky." Dylan deadpanned. "We're being stupid."

"That is the first time I've ever heard you call yourself stupid." Ricky looked impressed.

"Don't get used to it." She retorted. "But Rick—"

"You know don't you." Ricky made a face.

Dylan nodded, trying to ease some of the awkwardness by joking. "Of course I know, I always know."

"You didn't with EJ." Ricky pointed out. "How did you know with EJ?"

"I don't know." Dylan paused for a moment. "I guess one day I just started to smile when he was near, you know like, it was easy with him, fun. Not always the best, but fun. He was always there too, whenever I needed him."

Ricky hummed. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Dylan smiled. "But Ricky, EJ and Gina singing a love song doesn't mean anything, while I'll admit it was... strange. It definitely wasn't my favourite thing to watch but those paths will never cross. You need to remember that, because, you look like you saw a ghost in there."

"Wouldn't be the first time we saw a ghost. Which reminds me." Ricky said, pulling a folded-up piece of paper out of his pocket.

Dylan stared at it. "What's that?"

"It's nothing. Just a grocery list."

"Ricky you don't even go grocery shopping. Don't start lying to me now, I see right through you." Dylan narrowed her eyes at him, holding her hand out for the paper. "Hand it over, Rickster."

"I'm so the archer coded." Ricky placed a hand over his heart at her comment. "They see right through me." Dylan shook her head at his laughing, making grabby hands for the paper. Ricky huffed. "You'll laugh at me."

"When don't I laugh at you?" Dylan asked.

Ricky huffed, placing the paper in her hand. Dylan moved to the side slightly, knowing he'd try and take it back at some point. Her eyes scanned down the paper, and she smiled fondly at it. This was such a Ricky thing to do.

"Things to do before I'm eighteen." Dylan read aloud. Dylan laughed slightly. "You made a bucket list? Adorable! How did I never know about this?"

Ricky pouted like a little kid. "I told you that you would laugh at me."

Dylan looked back at the list. "Eat twenty hot dogs in a row? Don't know whether to be impressed or disgusted. Hug a celebrity." Her head snapped up to look at him. "Is that why you were acting so weird in the barn, trying to hug Corbin and initiate group hugs."

"No. Maybe I just love you guys." Ricky quickly caved under the knowing look that Dylan gave him. "Oh, yeah, maybe that's the reason."

She moved the piece of paper out of his way when he tried to get it back. "Walk on the moon. Wow, Ricky, you are so grounded." Dylan laughed to herself as she continued to read the list. "Play the lotto. Ooh, if you win big, I want half. Wait, did you know Eve won the lottery once, it's why I didn't assume she was a gold digger when she got with my dad."

"This is actual torture." Ricky admitted, moving to get his list back.

Dylan turned her whole body. "Say yes to something that scares me. Hmm."

Ricky unsuccessfully tried to get his paper back. "Okay, Dyl, you get the point."

Dylan stopped reading the list, turning to face the boy. "Was going out with Lily saying yes to something that scares you?"

"Ha ha, Dylan." Ricky stared at her. "Now, give it back."

Dylan narrowed her eyes before letting out a sigh, holding it out to give it back. The boy went to grab it but Dylan smiled, moving the paper so he couldn't get it with a laugh. Ricky stared at her once more, hesitating for a moment before grabbing both of Dylan's wrists, taking the paper out of her hands.

Dylan huffed, her eyes going to the side. She noticed the person the two had been talking about earlier. Dylan let a smile grow on her face, moving to stand next to Gina.

"Get the paper." Dylan whispered.

Gina walked over to Ricky, snatching the paper out of his hand. "Things to do before I'm eighteen. Huh. Cute, Bowen."

"Have you seen EJ?" Dylan asked.

"Oh, he just left." Gina replied. "Probably went back to the canteen. He's acting weird, though."

"Right." Dylan sighed.

Dylan left the two of them alone to work things out, while she went in search of her boyfriend, hoping she could figure out what's wrong. She went back to the canteen, only to see EJ sitting next to Val at one of the tables. Dylan slowed in her tracks, her hand finding its way to her Saturn necklace.

"Hey." Dylan announced, giving him a small smile. "I was just going back to rehearsal." EJ didn't say anything, averting his gaze from her to the table, where Val was decorating a huge poster. "Uh... everything okay?"

"It's perfect." EJ responded, getting up from the bench and walking over to her, placing his hands on her waist. "Break's over, anyways. Let's get back to the barn."

Dylan nodded at him and took one of his hands, starting to walk away from Val and towards the barn. EJ interlocked their fingers together, swinging his arm over her shoulder and pulling her closer. Dylan grinned to herself, allowing him to move her closer to him.

Back at the barn, all of them continued their read-through until the sun started to set. Corbin and Channing called that they would stood for the day. Dylan stood on the stage with Gina, Ricky and Carlos.

"Okay, we'll make this quick, team." Corbin told them.

"Yeah, EJ, just give them a generic goodbye so that we can help the audience with timeline, all right?" Channing instructed. "It doesn't matter what you say."

"Through c-camera, or..." EJ began.

Channing nodded to everyone and looked at the stage. "To them. That's it, boss. All right, we're rolling."

EJ cleared his throat and looked at the stage. "Um... that was our day. And now it is over. Thank you."

"Such a way with words." Dylan muttered making Gina stifle a laugh.

Corbin turned to the stage. "Till next time, Shallow Lake." He then turned to the camera. "Till next time, Shallow Lake."

"And cut." Channing voiced, turning off his camera.

"Well how did we do?" EJ wondered.

"You guys were... perfect." Corbin revealed.

Dylan blinked a few times, he didn't sound like he meant that at all.

Ricky then walked down the steps of the stage, approaching Corbin. "Thank you so much for everything, Mr Bleu. I... I think we're both feeling this, so..."

He leaned forward and put his arms around Corbin in a hug. Dylan rubbed her forehead, turning to Gina to stifle her laugh.

"Eight p.m!" Val exclaimed. "Don't be late, we're watching High School Musical 3 tonight!"

Carlos then stepped forwards, dramatically dancing down the steps. "We're getting ready for the night of nights, the night of nights—"

"Fun fact, I weirdly never saw that one, so..." Corbin revealed.

"It's the best one!" Dylan stated loudly.

Carlos stared after Corbin as he left, looking a little terrified. "Corbin Bleu is just a character in a documentary. He can't hurt me."

"God bless him and his thirsty Broadway heart." Dylan commented to Gina as everyone left the barn.

"Hey, EJ says we killed it in the read-through today." Gina told her. "Best big sis, little sis duo ever!"

"You are bursting with that good news energy." Dylan exclaimed excitedly, linking arms with the girl.

"You know, I loved living with Ashlyn, but I'm just so happy I get to go back to my own home. Mums are the best." Gina explained.

"Not all mums but Eve's pretty great." Dylan nodded, laughing slightly. "She just sent me my favourite guitar pick, three more books and my 27 dresses poster signed by Katherine Heigl. Somehow she always knows what I'm going through, despite me only knowing her for such little time."

"Mmm-hmm." Gina hummed. "Let's go get in our comfy movie clothes."

"Yes, let's do it." Dylan smiled, grabbing her hand and running towards the huts together, laughter echoing throughout the camp.

Dylan had gotten changed into a pair of black sweatpants and an oversized grey East High hoodie that she had so obviously taken from EJ for the movie night. She walked up to the canteen with Kourtney, both holding onto their tickets. Kourtney handed her ticket to Val, who was waiting by the door and walked inside. Dylan handed her ticket to Val as well, starting to follow after her friend only to be interrupted.

"Hey, Dylan, hold on." Val protested. Dylan stopped in the doorway of the canteen, looking back at Val in confusion. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

Dylan glanced back at Kourtney, who stared at her in confusion for a moment before shrugging as if to say go on then.

"Sure." Dylan agreed. She walked off to the side of the porch with Val, honestly feeling a little weird. "Uh... what's up."

"I know this is really none of my business, but... you're a good friend." Val told her and Dylan blinked in surprise. "And a really good girlfriend. I can tell."

Dylan tilted her head at her. "Uh.. thanks, I guess." She put her hands in the pocket of hoodie, playing with the rings on her fingers. "Did EJ say something to you earlier? Listen, I've never been a girlfriend before and we haven't been dating that long but I can tell something's... off. So, if he said something—"

"He didn't have to." Val interrupted. "I can tell. You're good people."

Dylan smiled softly at her. "Well, thank you. No one's ever said that to me so it means a lot."

She then went inside, sitting next to EJ on the floor, who greeted her with a kiss on the cheek. The movie started, and Dylan spread a blanket of hers over her and EJ's legs. They were sharing some popcorn and chocolate while they laughed at how Mitchie threw some flour on her face. Dylan had the idea that Gina had gotten the movie switched from High School Musical 3 to Camp Rock for Kourtney.

Dylan laughed at the movie. "Living a lie like this seems very complicated."

"Well, Mitchie's not exactly lying." EJ insisted, and Dylan glanced over at him. "She's just... you know, not telling everyone the entire truth about her situation."

"I'm pretty sure that's close to lying. And although it could be hypocritical because I am known for lying randomly but I dislike liars, unless it's justified."

EJ didn't have anything to say to that, so he just went quiet. Dylan didn't pick up on how his eyes widened in panic or how he slightly tensed next to her, praying that when he told her the truth she'd believe he was justified.

After the movie night, Dylan had given EJ a goodnight kiss before returning to honeycomb. However, when she got there Gina was turning the place upside down, looking for her script. Dylan told her to look somewhere else while she searched the yurt. Gina returned with her water bottle shortly after, sending a small smile to Dylan before getting into bed without another word. Dylan didn't think much of the interaction, getting into her own bed and drifting off to sleep, unaware of the inner turmoil Gina was having about the letter she found.

( 💌 ) isobel's notes
ricky and dylan 🩷🩷🩷
gina and dylan's downfall is nearing