1 | Operation: Heart Stealer ── Ricky Bowen ✓

021 ⎯⎯ The Real-Time Midlife Crisis

     While Megara dressed in comfortable winter clothes, Rita sported a burnt orange skirt with a black turtleneck.  Savannah didn't believe in seasonal colors as much as the others did, for she was still wearing bright pink jeans with a white lace long sleeve.  And K.C. looked similar to Megara, except her sweater had a worn-down Green Day logo on it.  The four definitely had different ideas of style and comfort, but together they worked perfectly.

     Megara sighed as they entered the chilly cafeteria, their sounds echoing as their small class were the only ones at the school after hours.  "Could you be any louder?"

     "Sorry," Rita quickly said.  "I just had you mistaken for someone who actually let a boy get a glimpse at the real you."

     Megara shuddered.  "No, never that."

     Rita grinned, but Savannah actually chuckled.  "You should have seen her, Rih.  They were all over each other."

     "Was not," Megara defended herself.

     "Was too!" Savannah quickly exclaimed as they took seats at one of the lunch tables.

     "No chance, no way!" Megara nearly shouted with a look of disgust, earning some looks from some of the other students.

     "Nothing to see here," K.C. said with an obviously fake smile.

     "What are we talking about?" Big Red approached the girl group of four.

     "Don't ask," K.C said.

     Rita sat at the top of the table on Megara's right and rubbed her knees with her hands in an effort to keep warm.  "Apparently Megara and Richard are in love and I missed it," she explained.

     Big Red snickered.  "Oh that," he said before seeing the look on Megara's dead serious face.  "Um... yeah, I think Ricky is more smitten, but you didn't hear that from me," he nodded and flipped a quick finger gun.

     "Hear what?" Ricky asked as he walked up from behind Big Red.

     "Ah, just the man I wanted to see!" Megara said quickly before anyone could ask any more questions. She patted the spot on her left with an eager smile.  "Come sit."

     "Okay," Ricky smiled as he swung up the table quickly and took a seat promptly next to her.   Big Red sent them an encouraging smile before taking a seat near their feet. 

     Even though the drama club was experiencing a bit of a rough patch with the fire and everything, Megara couldn't help but smile as she thought at the memory of them singing on these very cafeteria tables in an effort to save Miss Jenn's job.

     "What are you thinking about?" Ricky whispered, garnering Megara's attention.  "Is it me?"

     Megara snickered, bringing her hand to his cheek and swiping him away.  "In your wildest dreams," she whispered back.

     "Wait, where's Gina?" Miss Jenn asked loud enough to capture their attention and stop their conversations.

     "Who knows," K.C. answered with a grumble that surely didn't go unnoticed by her group of friends.

     "I think she's going through a family thing right now," Ashlyn awkwardly tried to ignore K.C.'s comment.

     "Okay, prayers to our Gina," Miss Jenn said before following up with a deep sigh.  "I'm really not sure what to say.  You've all worked so hard.  I've seen all of you grow so much.  But if we don't have a theatre, we don't have a show."

     "Wait, what?"

     "Come on, Miss Jenn, we've gotta do something."

     "I think we... I don't know, I guess we could consider other venues?" Miss Jenn suggested.