wanna be | ej caswell

¹ brutally honest

sage willis gripped the edge of her sleeve as she checked the time on her phone. he was late. he's never late. she sighed as her mum poked her head out the door. "ej's not here?"

sage shook her head, her brunette hair falling in front of her face. "did he forget?" her mum asked. "no he never forgets, we always go to the first day together." 

"maybe he had water polo stuff on sage, let me get my keys I'll drop you." her mum smiled at her. "we'll get coffee on the way." sage smiled at her mum. "thanks mum, I'm sorry." 

"baby don't apologise, it's okay." 

within ten minutes sage was sat in her mums hatchback and they were on their way with coffee in hand. sage sighed again as her message to her best friend went unanswered, much like all the ones she had sent over summer. "he hasn't replied huh?" her mum asked. sage shook her head and sighed under her breath, "I don't know what I did mum." "sweetie I'm sure you did nothing okay, don't let this shape your first day back. go to school with your head held high, find ashlyn and put your best foot forward okay."

sage smiled softly at her mum. "and plus if you get overwhelmed go into the dance room in your free period and dance it out, that always helps." 

"didn't ashlyn and you put a new song together as well? maybe create something to that if you need a moment to collect your thoughts honey." sage giggled softly. "yeah we wrote chaotic mum, you've heard it." 

"I know, I'm just reminding you that your life is more than your friendship with ej okay. refine your art and do what makes you happy." laura willis turned to her daughter after she pulled into a parking spot in front of east high. "I love you sage madeleine, have a good day honey." sage smiled at her mum as she grabbed her tote bag and her notebook which contained her thoughts including the words that sparked the song her mum mentioned. "I will mum, I love you." 

sage swung her legs out of the car and stood up, straightening out her jacket she walked towards the doors of her school. 

"woah watch out!" she heard behind her. quickly stopping and stepping to the right as she saw ricky bowen and big red over her shoulder. "sorry sage!" ricky called out. "no worries rick, be careful man." she cheered towards him as she laughed lightly at big reds goofy wave he gave her before she followed behind them into the school. taking a deep breath as she walked through the doors, "it's your year sage. go for it." 

the girl manouvered her way through the students in the hallway, making her way to her locker where hopefully her best friend, not the one who stood her up earlier, would also be at her own locker. the small smile on her face grew as she spotted ashlyn grabbing the final things out of her locker. 

"ashlyn" the brunette sang as she threw her arms around said girl. "sage" ashlyn turned and hugged her back. "how are you?" they asked each other at the same time before laughing and nodding. "I'm okay," sage replied. ashlyn looked around then looked at her confused, "where's ej? don't you two usually come together on the first day?" sage sighed, "he didn't pick me up today and he hasn't responded to my messages at all." ashlyn frowned, "sorry girl, if I had of known I would have come and got you." 

sage smiled and shook her head, "it's okay, mum drove me and I got a coffee out of it so I'm okay." ashlyn smiled softly before looping her arm through sage's and turning towards the hallway to go to the gym as the loud speakers announced the call for the school kick off assembly. sage laughed lightly at something ashlyn said before they entered the gym, just narrowly missing her best friend with his arm around a girl.

ashlyn and sage sat down together whispering as the principal went through the usual announcements the only new thing being something about the seniors but sage and ashlyn weren't affected so they didn't need to pay attention. their attention was sucked up as they saw a new face stand up and begin proclaiming haphazard words about the new musical. both girls grinning as they heard the show that would be on.

[

sage willis:

"high school musical. the high school musical. oh my gosh I have watched those films more times than I could count. it's always been my dream to be in it, but acting not really my forte that's more ashlyn and ej's but I could always dance. maybe?" 

]

the two girls grinned at each other and raced out of the gym after the assembly, chatting excitedly. "now if I don't see you as ms darbus I will riot ash." sage told the girl. "and if I don't see you as kelsi I will truly die." ashlyn retorted. "I don't act ash, that's your forte. maybe I'll go for dance." ashlyn shook her head.

"no no no, you're auditioning. did you not hear those notes you sang and that tune you made in chaotic? you would kill it." ashlyn wagged her finger in her face. sage laughed, "chaotic being a masterpiece is all you girl. all you." ashlyn shook her head but grinned. "please just audition and see how it goes. i need my emotional support there." she pleaded with the brunette beside her. sage sighed, "okay."

sage separated her arm from ashlyn as they made it to her class. "I have a free so i'm gonna go to the bomb shelter and dance, I'll see you at lunch?" she asked. ashlyn nodded, "please record and show me, I wanna see the masterpiece you make." sage nodded before walking towards the faculty lounge. 

on her way she bumped into the teacher she was looking for. "hey mr m, any chance I could use the bomb shelter to practice?" she asked the robotics teacher. he would usually let her but today he shook his head. "unfortunately the new drama teacher has it now so I can't let you in ms. willis." sages face fell, a quiet oh falling from her lips. 

"I do think the theatre is free at the moment though, I can let you in there. you have a free period yes?" sage nodded as she followed behind him. he pulled a card out of his pocket and gave it to her. "hall pass for your other free periods for if you wanna do this, you may have to start seeing the theatre teacher though for access but I'll let you in today." she grinned at him. "thank you mr m," 

[

sage willis: 

"mr mazzara acts like he doesn't like the arts but I know he does secretly.

]

she walked through the theatre and behind the curtains, setting her bag down and getting her speaker out, she connected her phone and let the melody play as the lyrics she had penned coursed through her veins and she began to dance. not knowing that she had gained the attention of someone as they watched from the curtains. 

"I have this paralyzing fear that I'll maybe go nowhere..."