Today Ophelia decided on wearing a black t-shirt that reached just above her belly button, blue jeans with holes, and white shoes. She had curly hair and went with simple makeup.
(this is the outfit she has on)
She was currently standing in the hallway by the door of the bomb shelter, conversing with a boy senior named Wesley. There weren't that many boys in the yearbook club, most of them not liking that or already involved with sports or clubs. Wesley was in the yearbook club since his junior year and he loved it since he has a passion for photography like Ophelia does. He was one of those seniors who was really smart and actually nice to the underclassmen. In fact, most of his friends are juniors, he only has a couple of senior friends (EJ being one of them. They're also co-captains of the water polo team).
The yearbook staff took turns to take pictures of different clubs, drama club stuff, and games. They often took multiple pictures at rehearsals, practices, and games that they go to just so they have a lot to choose from and some of them sometimes aren't that good of a shot.
After conversing with Luca, Fallon looks away when she notices EJ and Nini walking down the stairs that led to the hallway the drama club members were at. Everyone was trying not to listen in on EJ's and Nini's conversation, but it was hard when they were right beside them and talking loudly.
A frown was on Fallon's lips upon seeing the upset look on EJ'a face after Nini broke up with him. Nini turns to everyone, pointing at the door to the bomb shelter. "Hey, is the door locked or something? Why can't we go in?"
"The door isn't locked," Ophelia speaks up. "But Natalie Bagley lost her emotional support hamster."
Luca nods. "Yeah, Carlos and Gina are helping her look for it now."
Everyone looks at the door when a high-pitch scream is heard. Ashlyn points at the door. "I think they found it."
Fallon glances back at EJ, locking eyes with him. She mouths to him 'are you okay' as she looks at him with worry. EJ sent her a reassuring smile even though it didn't meet his eyes, mouthing back to her, 'don't worry, I'll be fine'. Fallon frowned, not believing EJ but she didn't say anything.
"I need a moment." Natalie voiced, walking out of the bomb shelter with a shoe box in her hand.
Carlos walks out a few seconds later. "Did you find him?"
"No." Carlos replies. "Now she thinks he's in her gym locker."
Luca looks at him with furrowed eyebrows. "Then who screamed?"
"That was me." Carlos responds. "She stepped on my toe." He looks at everyone. "We're ready to begin, people."
Everyone went inside the bomb shelter while he talked to EJ and Nini for a bit. Ophelia got her phone out and texted Ricky if he was going to practice since he wasn't there yet. Ricky responded that he might be a little late. Since Ricky is late EJ had to fill in as Troy. And things were awkward with him and Nini having to play love interests when they literally just broke up.
"Can you move a little closer together?" Miss Jenn questions, gesturing for them to move closer. EJ and Nini were standing a bit away from each other. Nini only takes one small step closer to EJ. "A little more."
"Come on, guys," Miss Jenn sighs. "We're blocking this as a low story, not a SARS epidemic."
EJ and Nini eventually move closer to each other until they're only a few inches away from each other. Carlos points at a chair nearby the piano and then points across the room. "I think that chair was over there."
Nini quickly went over to the chair, suggesting she could pick it up, and move it over in the scene. Miss Jenn glances at Big Red. "Strike the chair, please."
Big Red furrows his eyebrows with confusion. "With what?"
"Take it away. Remove it." Miss Jenn chuckled.
Big Red gets up and goes over to move the chair while Miss Jenn tells EJ to move across the room over to the piano at the intro of the song. Miss Jenn told Big Red to move the piano further down the downstage. Big Red was obviously confused at where that was and even moved it upstage since he wasn't for sure and then moved it to the right place after Miss Jenn told him where to move it.
Miss Jenn informed Nini to move slowly toward the piano and naturally rest her arm on it. "Can we make sure her bookbag is off stage right?" Miss Jenn asked Big Red.
"Sure." Big Red nods, a look of confusion on his face. "Um..." He looks at Seb who sat at the piano. "Which way is that?"
Seb pointed in the direction that was at in response, sending Big Red a small smile. "Okey-Dokey." Miss Jenn smiles, taking a seat besides Carlos. "Take from 'Wow! Now, that's really nice.'"
"Wow. Now, that's really nice." EJ said.
Miss Jenn gestured for Seb to start playing and EJ walked over to the right side of the piano. "It's hard to believe that I couldn't see. You were always there beside me."
"Thought I was alone with no one to hold," Nini walks over to the left side of the piano, resting her arm rather loudly on the piano. "But you were always there beside me."
Ophelia raises her eyebrows, sharing a look with Fallon and Luca before looking back at EJ and Nini as the two starts singing together. "This feeling's like no other. I want you to know that I've never had someone that knows me like you do. The way you do. I've never had someone as good for me as you. No one like you. So lonely before I finally found. What I've been looking for."
It was clear that things were awkward between EJ and Nini now. Everyone could tell by the way they acted with each other and sang together.
"Do do do do." They sang the first part together of the next verse, but Nini made sure to sing louder than EJ did. Half way through it he stopped singing, rolling his eyes at her while she kept adding runs doing that part of the song. When she was done awkward silence filled the room.
"Okay, freeze," Miss Jenn demands, standing up. "Nini, sweetie, this reprise comes at a decisive moment in the story once your hearts have joined. It's a love song."
"We're you not getting that?" Nini questioned, pointing at herself and EJ.
"I'd like you to get to his heart without cracking his ribcage." Miss Jenn responded.
"Sorry, I'm late." Ophelia looks over at the door when Ricky rushes inside the bomb shelter, her lips forming into a small smile upon seeing him. She was happy he made it to practice, but the smile on her face formed into a grown when she noticed his appearance. His hair looked like he ran his hands through it, and she hated the way his facial expression just read that he was breaking on the inside. "My mom, she caught an earlier flight."
Ricky looks at everyone, his gaze lingering on Ophelia a little longer. "Where are we?"
Carlos was the one to reply. "Scene seven."
"Right. I don't have it." Ricky looks at everyone. "Could I borrow-"
"You need your script, Ricky." Miss Jenn cut in. "And a pencil. It's a blocking rehearsal."
"Lia," Ricky glances at Ophelia and that was when she noticed his teary eyes which made her heart ache. "Could I borrow a pencil?"
"Yeah," Ophelia immediately answers, opening her backpack that rested on the floor beside where she sat. "Of course you can-"
"No, actually, he can't." Miss Jenn interrupts which caused Ophelia to lean back against her chair with a frown. She understood Miss Jenn was upset Ricky was late, but that shouldn't mean he can't borrow a pencil. He was in a rush after finding out his mom got an earlier flight and forgot a pencil. "When you come to rehearsal, people, you come prepared."
Fallon scoffs quietly, mumbling to herself, "I'm never prepared for class."
A few moments later Natalie rushes into the room in tears. "Was he in your gym locker?" Ashlyn asked her, walking over to her.
"No, just my cherry lip balm." Natalie sniffles. "But it had Elliot's teeth marks on it."
"Oh, I'm sure that wouldn't hurt him." Ashlyn assured her.
Natalie stares at her with disbelief. "It's sparkly."
"Then it'll be easier to find him," Seb speaks up. When all eyes were on him, he chuckles nervously. "If he smiles."
"Natalie," Miss Jenn walks over to the stage manager. "We feel your pain, but I was just explaining what constructive rehearsal requires. Focus. And honestly, another day like this and I am showing up with my emotional support coyote."
"Miss Jenn," Ricky speaks up. "I know the scene."
Miss Jenn glances at him. "Would you wait for me in my office, please? Thank you."
Ricky glanced at Ophelia once more and she sent him a small smile. Ricky went over to get his backpack, putting it on his shoulder as he left.
"Wait," Ashlyn looks at Miss Jenn with confusion. "Are we done?"
"We are, Ms. Darbus." Miss Jenn nods, looking at everyone. "Take a note. This is what a frustrated drama teacher looks like. Go. Scoot. Come back when you're ready to be punctual, park your distractions at the door and take work in here seriously." Ophelia closed her backpack, glancing at the door with a debating look as everyone else got ready to leave.
"Go after him."
She looks over at Luca with furrowed eyebrows when he said that. "What?"
"It's obvious something is going on with Ricky right now and you're the one who calms him down and makes him feel better." Luca tells her. He smiles at her and nods. "He needs you right now."
Ophelia returned the smile, grabbing her backpack as she stands up. She left the bomb shelter and went to Miss Jenn's office. She stopped by a set of lockers that we're near Miss Jenn's office when she heard the two were talking. She waited until Ricky walked out of the office to walk over in that direction.
"Hey, Rick." Ophelia speaks softly. "Are you okay?"
Ricky sighs, his shoulders dropping in defeat while walking over to her. "Not really." He admits, standing in front of her. "Just got told my parents are splitting up."
Ophelia frowns, looking at him with sympathy. "Ricky, that's awful. I'm so sorry."
She opens her arms up for a hug, knowing that he needed one, as it looked like he could use some kind of comfort at the moment. It didn't take him long to move closer to her, wrapping his arms around her waist as he buried his face in the crook of his neck. "I totally know what you're going through." She wraps her arms around him, rubbing his back comforting. She didn't care that her shirt was getting wet when he started quietly crying, all she cared about was comforting Ricky. "My parents got a divorce when I was in middle school, but you already know that. Anyways, it was so tough. I know it feels like the end of the world right now, but I can tell you that things do get better."
"Thank you, Lia." Ricky spoke but his voice sounded mumbled since his face was buried into the crook of her neck.
Ophelia furrows her eyebrows but still smiles. "You're welcome. But why are you thanking me?"
"Just for being there for me." Ricky replies, pulling away from the hug. He was still standing in front of her, now looking at her with a small smile. "I know I can always count on you whenever I need you."
Butterflies formed in Ophelia's stomach and she smiles brightly at him. "Rick, I'll always be there for you."
Ricky's smile widens. "And I'll always be there for you."
"Do you wanna come over for a movie night?" Ophelia asked him, tilting her head to the side.
She had a feeling that he wouldn't want to go home for a while and she figured he needed something that could be a distraction from the fat that his parents are getting a divorce. When her parents got a divorce Ricky invited her over to his house and he had built a fort of blankets in the living room, planning for them to have a Disney movie marathon. The fact that he cared enough about her to do that for her made her feel all giddy inside.
"Yeah," Ricky nods, his lips curving upwards into a small smile. "I'd love that."
A/N i added in another character for the yearbook club :) i love wesley so much. to know his personality think of reggie peter's personality & alex mercer's personality combined. (reggie & alex are characters from the show julie & the phantoms) this might not be that important but im gonna tell you guys anyway, evie (the senior yearbook club member i mentioned in the chapter before this) & wesley are dating.