Chapter Two:
Breakfast and Auditions
NINI RACED OUT to Lucy's car the next morning, sliding in with a slight huff as she quickly apologized, "Sorry. My moms would not stop wishing me luck for the auditions today."
"It's totally okay. I got you a refresher and a breakfast sandwich on my way here. I would have gotten us coffee, but with it being audition day, I think it's best if we stick to tea and water," Lucy clarified, motioning to the drink and bag of food in the center console.
"You're literally the best. I will totally pay you back later," Nini insisted, picking up the sandwich and digging in then washing it down with the drink
"Don't even worry about it, Nini. Seriously. It's my treat," Lucy assured her. "Do you like the drink by the way? I just got you what I normally get myself. Kourt said she thought you would like it."
"Are you kidding? This is amazing. I love strawberry, like, anything," Nini laughed, taking another sip of the refresher.
"I'm so glad you like it! Okay, okay, enough about the food. How's your grandma? You said you went to visit her yesterday, is everything alright?" Lucy asked curiously.
"Oh she's great! We played uno for most of the time I was there. Thank you for asking, by the way. That's really sweet of you," Nini smiled at her.
"Oh of course! Are you excited for auditions today? You and EJ are totally gonna get Gabriella and Troy. Everyone knows it," Lucy insisted.
"You're not going out for Gabriella? It's your senior year," Nini questioned.
"I mean, I am... I just think you have. A better shot than I do," Lucy admitted.
"Well, I think you'll do great, and if you don't get it, there's no way I will," Nini insisted.
"Well hey now, don't talk like that. I think you have a great chance. If I don't get it, I seriously want you to," Lucy replied, pulling into the parking lot of the school.
"Same to you, Lucy. Seriously, you'll be great. Thank you again for the breakfast and the ride, I really appreciate it," Nini insisted, crumpling up her trash in her hand and picking up her backpack and drink as the two got out of the car.
"Hey, not a problem! Lucy Carlisle, your friendly and not creepy Uber driver at your service," Lucy bowed. The two girls laughed and made their way into school together.
Lucy was super happy the whole school day, she ate lunch with Kourtney, Nini, and EJ again, and then joined them in the auditorium for auditions after school. Lucy was confident after the dance auditions, taking her water bottle from beside Kourtney who was keeping an eye on all of their stuff while they auditioned.
Finally they were stood in line to get their scripts for callbacks, and Lucy was stood between Ashlynn (One of EJ's twin cousins, the other being Adam who was stood on the other side of his sister to audition for Ryan) and a new girl Lucy learned was named Gina. When Miss Jenn and Carlos stopped in front of Ashlynn, Lucy felt her heart start to pound, knowing she was next to get her script.
"You're giving me uncommon depth. Miss Darbus?" Miss Jenn noted.
"I'm dying, I'm deceased. Yes," Ashlynn breathed out. Miss Jenn beamed as Carlos handed her a script.
"Your application says you play piano, is that correct?" Miss Jenn questioned. Ashlynn paused for a moment.
"I dabble," she admitted nervously.
"You ever written a song?" Miss Jenn questioned.
"I mean nothing I've ever shared with anyone," Ashlynn chuckled.
"I always thought the drama teacher should have an Act Two power ballad. We'll sidebar," Miss Jenn smiled at her. She took a next step to Lucy and looked her over. "I can't tell if you give me Sharpay or Kelsi vibes."
Lucy opened her mouth slightly then pushed her shoulders back slightly and said, "Then let's go in the middle. I would very much like to audition for Gabriella."
Miss Jenn smiled brightly at her, "I love that idea. Give her Gabriella."
Carlos handed her the script and when they walked away, Lucy let out a small sigh of relief and saw Kourtney give her a thumbs up on the side. She smiled warmly at her and stood confidently as Miss Jenn handed out the rest of the scripts.
Lucy was admittedly panicking after everyone else's auditions, but when they returned after a quick five, and they called her name, Nini and Kourtney's quiet cheers of encouragement made her relax a little more.
"Okay, let's hear what you've got with The Start of Something New," Miss Jenn requested.
"Actually," Lucy said quickly, "I've prepared When There Was Me and You if that's okay. I can go a capella too."
Miss Jenn smiled at her initiative and nodded at her, "Let's hear what you've got."
Lucy nodded and smiled briefly. What nobody, not even Kourtney, knew, was that Lucy had a double meaning behind her song choice.
She had never had a boyfriend, let alone a heartbreak in that sense, but Lucy had another heartbreak under her belt that she used to drive her performance. Lucy was dedicating this to her mom.
"It's funny when you find yourself, looking from the outside. I'm standing here but all I want, Is to be over there. Why did I let myself believe miracles could happen? 'Cause now I have to pretend that I don't really care," Lucy began. She thought about how isolated she felt when her mom died, and how she couldn't even force herself to be that ray of sunshine for everyone like she used to be, no matter how much she wanted to.
"I thought you were my fairy tale,
A dream when I'm not sleeping. A wish upon a star that's coming true, but everybody else could tell that I confused my feelings with the truth. When there was me and you," pictures of her mom flooded her mind, and Lucy felt her emotions bubbling up inside her. It worried her, she was scared it would make her shut down again, but still she pushed through.
"I swore I knew the melody, that I heard you singing, and when you smiled you made me feel like I could sing along.
But then you went and changed the words, now my heart is empty," tears filled her eyes, but Lucy shoved them down. Carrying on, using that raw emotion to make the performance sell. "I'm only left with used-to-be's, and once upon a song."
"Now I know you're not a fairy tale, and dreams were meant for sleeping, and wishes on a star just don't come true. 'Cause now even I can tell, that I confused my feelings with the truth, because I liked the view. When there was me and you," A few tears fell as she continued, and she could see others tearing up at her performance as well. "I can't believe that I could be so blind. It's like you were floating while I was falling, and I didn't mind, 'Cause I liked the view... I thought you felt it too. When there was me and you."
Everyone burst into applause after a small moment of silence and Lucy smiled tearfully, wiping her eyes as she let out a small laugh when she heard Ashlynn and Kourtney yell, "We love you, Lucy!"
"Wow! Wow, wow, wow! I only needed 32 bars, but I really felt like I had just watched you come to terms with a heartbreak! Great acting! Wonderful performance! Have a seat, sweetie," Miss Jenn assured her. Lucy smiled and walked back in the direction of where everyone was sitting, but they all looked confused when they saw her continue to walk out of the auditorium, wiping her face furiously.
She pulled out her phone when she got in the hall, quickly dialing her dad's work number as soon as she could. It rang a couple times before the line finally picked up.
"Carter Carlisle's office, Cash Caswell speaking."
"Oh, Mr. Caswell, hi. It's— it's Lucy, Carter's daughter," Lucy greeted with a shaky breath.
"Lucy! Hi, hon! How are you? I thought you and EJ had auditions today?"
"We... We do. It's just, is my dad there, Mr. Caswell? I really want to talk to him right now," Lucy choked back a sob, unable to get the picture of her mom lying unresponsive in her hospital bed out of her head. It was one of the most prominent memories she had of her mother, burned in her mind like an uncontrollable wildfire.
"He just went to the bathroom, sweetie, I'm sorry. Is there something I can do for you?"
"I just," Lucy finally broke down, sinking down to the floor and leaning against the lockers. "I want my mom. I really just want my mom back."
"Oh, Lucy. I'm so sorry. Hey, you know, I knew your mom very well. She was Mrs. Caswell's maid of honor at our wedding, did you know that?"
"Yeah, we have the pictures hanging up at home," Lucy nodded, sniffling and wiping her eyes, picturing the framed pictures of her parents smiling with Ej's parents, and Ashlynn and Adam's parents as well.
"Well, then I can tell you wholeheartedly, because I knew your mom and I know you, and how wonderfully you grew up, that she would be so, so proud of you, Lucy. She loved you so much, and she is with you every day, you know how I know that?"
"Because my dad says it all the time?" Lucy asked tearfully. Mr. Caswell laughed and she could tell he was nodding at her over the phone.
"Well yes, there's that, but you know your dad is always showing me pictures of you, and whenever he does all I can think is, wow. She looks just like Emily. I see her in you, Lucy. A lot."
"Really?" Lucy hiccuped.
"From the bottom of my heart, I mean that," Mr. Caswell agreed.
"Thank you, Mr. Caswell. That means a lot," Lucy took in a shaky breath and looked at the door of the auditorium. "I should really get back inside. Could you let my dad know I called, but I'm okay now and we can talk when we get home?"
"Of course, Lucy, and what is it that EJ always says? Oh! Break a leg, you've got this, Kiddo," Mr. Caswell told her cheerily. Lucy laughed and nodded her head.
"Thanks again, Mr. Caswell. This really helped," Lucy thanked him.
"Anytime, sweetie. You can always reach out to me or Mrs. Caswell whenever you need us," Cash assured her one last time. Lucy smiled and thanked him again, then bid him goodbye. She took in one last breath, wiped her face, then stood up and walked back in silently, like nothing had happened. Taking a seat right before Nini's audition.
"Hey, are you okay?" EJ whispered, leaning past Adam and Ashlynn to look at her. She forced a small smile and nodded at him, letting out a small hum in reply, then looking back to where Nini stood.
Nini opened her mouth to start when suddenly someone came barreling through the stage doors, making everyone turn around to look at the infamous Ricky Bowen. Nini's ex-boyfriend. He had broken up with Nini over the summer, and when they got back, expected everything to be the same between them, only to discover that Nini was with EJ now. Lucy knew all of this from when Kourtney gave her the rundown the night prior.
"Am I too late? Am I too late?" he asked rapidly.
"We're all set on Troys. We're low on Chads," Miss Jenn informed him. "You can read after the Gabriellas."
"I only studied the Troy scenes in the movie," Ricky admitted as he approached the stage.
"Troy would have arrived on time," Carlos reminded him. Lucy made a face and leaned over to Ashlynn to mutter, "Are we sure he's talking about the same Troy Bolton as the rest of us?"
Ashlynn made a face and patted Lucy's knee reassuringly, letting her know she agreed, while Miss Jenn sighed and muttered, "Thanks. Let me do the talking. Okay, Nini, let's try this again."
"You got this, babe! Whoo!" EJ cheered for her. Lucy smiling at his support for the girl as she quickly sent the girl a thumbs up as she had been looking in their direction.
Just then, Miss Jenn accidentally spilled her coffee all over the sound board and the lights went out, "Oh! Oh! Nobody panic! Nini, let's wait for the lights to come back on. I don't want this to throw you."
"I'm not thrown," Nini insisted through the dark. She took a deep breath and began to sing Start of Something New, making Lucy smile proudly at her through the dark. Nini was truly a star that shone even through the dark of the auditorium.
Lucy ignored Ricky and EJ as they stood up, shining their phone lights on her in a makeshift spotlight. Evidently Nini did as well, going into her own world as she belted out the song. Lucy was so proud of the girl as she sang, they both had come a long way from playing two halves of a cow together. She clasped her hands together and placed them in front of her mouth, watching the girl in adoration as she sang.
The lights came back on as Nini finished, and she smiled at Miss Jenn and Carlos, almost as if she hadn't believed that she had just done that. EJ and Ricky put their phones away, and Miss Jenn continued, "Okay. Well, thank you, Nini. I only needed 32 bars, but much like Lucy, I appreciate your commitment."
Lucy's cheeks burned slightly and she giggled bashfully as she and Nini made eye contact with one another. Nini made her way back over with EJ to take a seat again, Lucy and her passing another thumbs-up at each other in passing.
"You, late boy!" Miss Jenn called over to Ricky. "Let's do the Chad sides."
Ricky and Nini looked at one another awkwardly in passing, and she took a seat next to EJ, leaning into his side as he wrapped his arm around her. Lucy looked at Ricky with a furrowed brow and frowned slightly to herself. Something about this seemed fishy.
Ricky introduced himself, then began to read from the script. Lucy's confusion only furthered when he crumpled the script in his hand and started to improv his lines. Her eyes darted between Ricky and Nini rapidly, and she looked back at Kourtney who only shrugged in reply, clearly out of the loop as well.
It only got worse when Ricky started to sing. Not because he had a bad voice, but be cause he sang the song that Nini had written for him to tell him she loved him, which ultimately led to the breakup. The second hand embarrassment Lucy was feeling, was unmatched in that moment. When they let out, Lucy went to congratulate Nini, but she was quick to run after Ricky, and Lucy knew for sure it was not to get back together. He deserved a piece of her mind anyway.
"Did you know that was going to happen?" EJ asked Lucy. Lucy looked at him offendedly and the twins and Kourtney both looked shocked.
"What? EJ, of course not. I barely even know who he is," Lucy insisted.
"Then why did you go out to the hall right before he came in?" EJ asked.
"I was talking to my dad! Well, your dad, actually, because he picked up my dad's phone— but that's besides the point! How could you think I would do that to you? EJ, I've literally known you forever! Like, since we were in diapers, forever!" Lucy cried out. She was unbelievably hurt by this.
"I'm— I'm sorry, Lucy. It just, looked really suspicious," EJ apologized. Lucy only looked at him and shook her head.
"Luce, come on, Carlos is going to put up the cast list," Kourtney said softly, she glared at EJ briefly. Lucy stared at him with a frown on her face and turned with Kourtney to leave. Following everyone outside as Carlos walked down the hall to put up the cast list.
Nobody was really shocked that Nini made Gabriella, what was shocking was that Ricky made Troy and EJ made Chad. Lucy smiled briefly to herself when she saw she had landed Kelsi. Kelsi was still a very important part of the show, Lucy was just glad she actually got a character with a name for once.
"Hey! I told you you had this in the bag!" Lucy cheered, pulling Nini in for a tight hug to get her away from the drama that was finding out her ex would be playing her love interest.
"I can't believe I got it! I was sure it was yours," Nini insisted. She pulled out of the hug and put her hands on Lucy's shoulders. "Are you sure you're okay with this?"
Lucy laughed and grabbed Nini's shoulders as well, "Girl, I was destined to play Kelsi, ask Kourt, this is who I wanted if I didn't get Gabriella! You are going to be a dream as Gabriella. I'm so unbelievably proud of you! Look at us! From forks, cows, and trees, to two main characters! We got names! Our mooing paid off!"
Nini laughed and yanked Lucy back in for a hug, "I'm so proud of you too, Lucy."
"You're a star, Nina Salazar-Roberts. Don't let anyone dull that shine ever," Lucy muttered into her ear as she squeezed her in a tight hug.
"You deserve the world, Lucille Carlisle," Nini muttered back. EJ watched the two guiltily, feeling bad for accusing Lucy of something so mean. Lucy didn't have a mean bone in her body. He would make it up to her... eventually... after he got his part back.
Notes:
Ej you lovable idiot. APOLOGIZE NOW. ok ok, i know i said i was only gonna post a chapter a day but i'm excited so you guys get two chapters today. after this it's one a day, i swear. I will hold restraint, i just really wanted to start the musical process yk?
okay bye now xoxo
-SMK