What Happens Now?

Chapter 8

Rehearsals

"I'm kinda lost," Ricky tells Carlos. "If the play's over why would we keep dancing?"

"It's a curtain call," Carlos answers. "You 2 are the last to come out. We want to bring the audience to their feet." 

"Teach THEM the dance," Ricky says. 

"Carlos can we just wait for Ms. Jenn?" Nini asked him.

"Ms. Jenn is busy tracking down a prop," Carlos answered. "She asked me to create a crescendo, people. So let's stop swirling and start twirling."

"But why would we practice the bows if we haven't even practiced the play?" Ricky asked. 

"Because you start with the hardest dance that takes the longest to learn. ," Carlos says. "It's in the big book of Broadway-"

"Page 374," Carlos and Gina say together. Carlos turns to give her a high-5. 

"Ok people. Let's take it from 3 counts of 8 right before Troy and Gabriella's entrance." Everyone gets in position. The music starts. 

Ricky is focused on the music, figuring out when he comes out. Ricky and Nini walk out and do their little dance, only for him to mess up and stop, mouthing to her "I can't do this."

"I'm sorry," Ricky says

"What is he doing?" Nini asks Carlos, pointing at Ricky.

"Why are you asking him, I'm right here," Ricky responds.

"Because you not... here," Nini replies back.  "At least not for the right reasons."

What's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what I said, Ricky. You hate musicals. You're only doing this so we'd be in each other's grills."

"Back to the dance please," Carlos tells them, trying to break the tension. 

"And now you have some sort of weird cologne on," Nini says

"Hey!" Ricky responds. "You love Throb" 

"And you're wasting everyone's time by making fun of something that rest of us take seriously." 

"Ok that's a 5 people," Carlos says. "On a break. Everybody out." Everyone files out. Nini walks to her things and grabs her water bottle. 

"No," Ricky follows. "C'mon. I take this seriously."

"No. No, you don't. You don't take anything seriously. The minute someone asks you to make a commitment, you coast. You make a joke or sink into some imaginary hole in the floor."

"I didn't sink... Nini... I just wasn't ready to say it then. But I went to that audition to show you-"

"Just because I met someone else you wanted... to drag me back into 10th grade as if my summer didn't happen." Nini turns to look at him. "If you really cared about me, Ricky, you'd let somebody who wants to play the part play it." 

"... Like EJ." 

"Can we at least try the dip?" Carlos asks. Ricky grabs his things.

"Woah woah woah," Carlos stammers. "What just happened? Why aren't we dipping?" 

"Mission Accomplished," Ms. Jenn says as she walks in. "A precious piece from the original HSM movies is on... It's... way... What happened? Where are you going, Troy?"

"It's Ricky." Ricky walks out.

Ms. Jenn looks at Carlos. "Get him back. Now." Carlos runs out after Ricky.