┏━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━┓
𝗕𝗜𝗚 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗦
chapter sixteen:
my life would suck without you !
┗━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━┛
ONCE THE SHOW was officially over, all of them got out of their costumes to celebrate with each other for all of the hard work they put in, not only for the show but for the documentary. Violetta got back into her tank top, leggings, and jacket before taking off her makeup and putting her hair in a bun, not really having the strength to do anything else.
She walked back into the barn on the stage, her hands in the pocket of her jacket. EJ was right next to her. Everything felt strange now — neither of them mentioned the moment they had earlier, and Violetta missed the feeling of his hand in hers when he was so close to her. And yet it seemed like things between them became a little less tense. She shook it off and focused on the people who were already in the barn, which were Maddox, Miss Jenn, and Big Red.
"So . . ." Ricky started to say.
"My babies," Miss Jenn began with pride.
Kourtney stopped in front of . "Were we good?"
"No. You were incredible."
"Wait," Corbin interrupted, staring at Miss Jenn with wide eyes as he walked into the barn with Channing. "Jessica? From the first High School Musical movie?"
Violetta immediately looked at Athena next to her, shock written across her features. Miss Jenn had been so devastated about that last apple line she had being cut out of the original movie, but now, Corbin had actually recognized her. Well . . . sort of. He got the name wrong, but then again, it was the thought that counted.
Corbin let out a small laugh as he got closer to her. "It is you. Jessica."
"Close enough," Miss Jenn responded.
He hugged her for a moment. "You were our favorite extra."
"You were my favorite Corbin."
"Should we give you space, or . . ." Carlos trailed off.
"You know what?" Channing said, rummaging around in his bag. "Hold on. Actually, I wanna put a microphone on the girl. This is really good."
Corbin immediately rounded on him. "Actually, Channing, why don't you take a long five, okay?" He pulled the microphone off of him and shoved it into Channing's hang. "Get lost. It's done. We're done."
"We're done? Yeah, okay. Well, I always have final say in the editing room."
There seem to be a staring contest between Corbin and Channing before Channing ultimately backed off, leaving the barn. Violetta's eyebrows raised. Did that really just happen? It seemed like Corbin had gotten annoyed by Channing as well.
"What team?" Corbin asked, looking at their whole group.
"He's doing it," Gina announced excitedly.
"Wildcats," Ricky responded.
"What team?" Corbin repeated, much louder this time.
"Wildcats," all of them chorused.
"What team?"
"Wildcats!"
"Wildcats!"
"Get'cha head in the game!"
Corbin smied. "That felt right."
"Last night of camp, huh, kids?" Miss Jenn questioned as she walked up to the stage.
It suddenly hit Violetta. Due to all the chaos, she had suddenly forgotten that she was going home tomorrow. Violetta had thought that these two weeks would be the best time of her life, but it ended up being the exact opposite. So much had changed.
"So that's it?" Violetta inquired, her voice quiet as she tried to control her emotions. She slowly walked up to Miss Jenn and sat down next to her. "It's over?"
"What is it?" EJ asked, and Violetta looked up at him, her heart sinking further.
Violetta shrugged in response. "I don't know, it's stupid, but . . . it kind of feels like something's ended."
She loved him. Oh God, she loved him so much. But after everything she dealt with these past two weeks, plus everything EJ had dealt with these past two weeks, or maybe everything they had dealt with their entire lives . . . she wasn't sure if getting back together right now was in their cards. Perhaps one day, when the universe calmed down.
"Sometimes the really good stuff begins only when something else ends," Miss Jenn replied.
Violetta watched EJ's bottom lip quiver as he turned around to go. She went to stand up, but couldn't find the strength in her. Never in her life did she want this. Life without EJ didn't seem like a life worth living. But both of them were in two completely different places right now, and maybe they had to figure themselves out before coming back together.
"Once in a lifetime means there's no second chance," Corbin sang. "So I believe that you and me should grab it while we can."
She was suddenly taken back to that night EJ came to her house to tell her he didn't get into Duke on his own, and how they had watched High School Musical 2 together. They had danced around her living room to this song, nothing but carefree teenagers who had no idea what was coming for them. Violetta looked down at her lap, sadness hitting her like a tidal wave. She hoped that one day they could get back to that, but in that moment, it seemed so out of reach.
"Make it last forever, and never give it back," Miss Jenn continued, looking over at Corbin as he sat down next to her on the stage, and the rest gathered around them in a circle, either standing or sitting on chairs.
"It's our turn, and I'm loving where we're at,"
Ricky pulled his guitar to sit on his lap and started to play along to the song.
"Because this moment's really all we have," Athena and Ricky voiced together.
Violetta watched, her heart warming yet breaking at the same time as they leaned their foreheads against one another's. For years, she had watched them be so in love with each other, and here they were, happy as ever. Yet seeing them like this made her yearn for something like that. And she had it, but she had to let it go.
"Everyday, of our lives," Ricky recited.
"Wanna find you there, wanna hold on tight," Ashlyn added.
"Gonna run," Big Red said.
"While we're young and keep the faith," Maddox and Jet sang together.
"Everyday," Carlos began.
Kourtney joined in to sing with him. "From right now, gonna use our voices and scream out loud."
Miss Jenn extended her hand to Violetta, and Violetta took it, giving her a watery smile through her tears. "Take my hand."
"Together we will celebrate," EJ stated.
"Celebrate," Miss Jenn continued.
"Oh, everyday," all of them sang.
As per camp tradition, all of them had to sign a mural of the musical they had done that year on the wall. In the wings, a large snowflake that said Frozen on it was displayed. Violetta took the blue marker and signed her name in cursive, drawing a couple stars around it. She capped the marker and smiled a little at it before handing it back to Maddox.
They moved out to the campfire, where there were graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows for s'mores. Violetta wrapped her jacket a little closer around herself from the chilly air, standing close to the fire for warmth. Much to everyone's delight, Corbin had put on his iconic t-shirt that said I Majored in Vacation underneath his leopard print blazer.
Violetta stood in between Athena and EJ, something very normal for them yet seemed different now. She was roasting her marshmallow when all of the sudden a stick blocked her vision. Violetta looked up, only to see Ricky feeding EJ his marshmallow off of the stick. She smiled and immediately started laughing, the weight on her shoulders lifting a bit as she enjoyed time with her friends around a campfire.
Somehow, in between all of the s'mores, Violetta's eyes suddenly found EJ's. His skin was orangey due to the fire, and it made him look pretty. She let out a small laugh, even though the smile didn't quite reach her eyes. EJ grinned back at her, but like her, the smile didn't reach his eyes, either.
It was evident that they both just needed time to heal. Heal without each other, for each other.
They all were handed sparklers. Once they were lit, they separated into two rows while lifting their sparklers in the air so they could walk down the aisle. Violetta, in true fashion, made sure there was enough room before doing a split leap down the aisle, holding her sparkler up in the air like some kind of rhythmic gymnast. She spun out of it when she was back on the ground and giggled as she went back to her place in line.
All of them just kind of stood around once the festivities were over. Violetta's hands were back in her pockets, and she watched in curiosity as EJ suddenly took his phone out of his pocket from his place next to her.
"Uh, you guys?" EJ stated in shock, getting everyone's attention. "We're trending in Brazil."
Violetta's eyes widened. Oh my God, that was a lot of people. She was still kind of off about the documentary, but according to Channing, they must've done something right if they were trending in Brazil.
"Oh, dude, I forgot," Jet cut in, walking up to Ricky. "You got an opening night card." He pulled an envelope out of his pocket. "Found it behind the couch."
"From Nini," Maddox added.
"Go ahead," Athena urged softly when he looked down at her. "Open it. What are you waiting for, Wildcat?"
Ricky opened up the envelope, laughing quietly when he saw what was inside. "Yep, she remembered." He pulled a lottery ticket out of the envelope. "She remembered the lottery ticket."
Violetta looked up at EJ. "This'll prove something to your dad, I'm sure."
"I hope so," EJ replied. "Uh, so . . . home tomorrow, huh?"
"Yeah." Violetta was suddenly hit how she wouldn't be spending her summer with EJ anymore, even though it was almost over. "Don't run off to St. Louis without telling me first, will you?"
He rolled his eyes at the playful tone in her voice. "Never. I'm not going there at all."
And deep down inside, unlike a couple of days ago, Violetta truly believed him.
═════════ • ° • ✰ • ° • ═════════
one month later.
VIOLETTA HAD TO TALK to somebody at Disney, because who decided it was a good thing to name their documentary Frozen: The Musical: The Series?
Whatever. That wasn't important. It was the day of the premiere, and it was happening in Los Angeles, more specifically Hollywood. Violetta never really thought she would end up here, yet here she was.
She was wearing a black tulle dress that stopped at her mid-thigh, decorated with silver stars and tied at bows on her shoulder. Her hair was kept in its natural curly state, but some front pieces were pinned back with silver bobby pins. She had a pair of short silver heels on to match as well. It was her first time being styled by an actual stylist, and she actually really liked how everything came out.
After a blur of interviews and pictures outside, she moved inside with everyone else. Violetta was sitting on one of the chairs on the stage next to EJ. She was very hyper-aware of how close they were. Ever since camp, they hadn't talked much at all or seen each other much, only at a few hangouts.
And if she was being honest, it was killing her.
She was right. Life without EJ was not a life worth living. Seeing him again today reminded her of that, and she couldn't get him alone yet to tell him. There were too many cameras and people around.
"Hey, guys," Corbin greeted. "We're gonna keep this super casual, okay? Before we welcome all of the audience in for the premiere, we're gonna show you the first full-length trailer for your reactions. Just be you."
"Where's Channing?" Carlos questioned.
"Channing edited the doc, but we're no longer working together. Okay, here we go. Just your honest reactions. And for the record, I haven't even seen this."
They all cheered. However, Violetta didn't feel good about it. If Channing edited it . . .
"Summer," Corbin's voice began, and the screen showed Camp Shallow Lake. "Time to kick back, relax, and have fun, right?" It then started to show all of them, and Violetta's mind started to spin a little at seeing herself on screen. "But when you take the first-ever student production of Frozen and add a bunch of drama kids to the mix, sparks fly."
"Gina is my sister," Kourtney voiced. "I mean, you know Gina." It showed a clip of Gina sitting on the steps of the barn, rolling her eyes in annoyance. "Gina, Gina, Gina." It went back to Kourtney. "She's fantastic, right?" Kourtney winked.
"I'm sorry, she said what?" Gina inquired. "You think you know someone."
Kourtney gasped at that.
"I didn't say — that wasn't about you, I swear," Gina protested.
EJ came onto the screen. "Honestly, you come to Shallow Lake one way, and you always change."
And then, oh boy, Violetta saw herself on the screen.
"I have never been happier," Violetta revealed. Her eyes widened, and she slowly lifted up her hand to cover her mouth in shock, or to cover her red face. She had totally forgotten she said that. "EJ and I are going good, and I'm so in love with him. This is going to be the best summer ever."
Poor girl. If only if she knew.
"Hello, Val," EJ on the screen stated, and it showed him and Val walking together during Color War.
"Yeah, I have a lot of questions about those two," Ricky admitted.
"I was talking about the characters in Frozen," Ricky insisted. "I — I finally learned their names." He looked around at them helplessly. "You guys. Mr. Bleu?"
Maddox showed up on the screen. "There was a lot of new people this summer." It cut to a scene of Maddox staring at Ashlyn during Color War, almost longingly. "Some more memorable than others."
"I've never been to summer camp and I'm open to anything happening," Ashlyn added, and it went back to the scene of Maddox and Ashlyn.
EJ laughed. "Yeah, that's gonna be a thing."
"Oh, God," Ashlyn commented. "We should not have signed that release."
"Oh, I — I've got a boyfriend back home, and I can't wait to see him again," Carlos announced. There were then scenes of Carlos and another boy in his cabin, whispering together on a bench and walking out of the cabin together. "Honestly, I didn't come here to make friends."
"They cut off the second part," Carlos argued. "I said I didn't come here to make friends, I came to be a star."
"Yeah, dude, that's actually not much better," Ricky said.
"I'm in love with the girl playing Elsa, and it's eating me alive," Jet voiced.
Violetta pressed her hand to her mouth even further. There was just absolutely no way. Maddox, from the other side of Violetta, started to laugh very loudly.
"This summer is gonna get hot," Kourtney stated.
Athena then appeared on the screen, a soft smile on her face. "I'm just looking forward to spending summer with my boyfriend."
There was then a quick montage of moments of her and Ricky that Channing had caught on camera. However, everything went to black and white, and the montage changed to moments of her and EJ that Channing had caught on camera. That included that weird day where they had sang Love Is an Open Door together in the canteen, and then the montage ended with a shot of a very jealous Ricky watching from afar. Violetta lowered her hand from her mouth, but her jaw was still fallen in shock
"I was talking about Ricky," Athena protested. "Why would I be talking about EJ?"
Violetta then came back on the screen. "Her?" It showed a clip of Athena laughing before it went back to Violetta. "Oh, yeah, she's got to go."
No way. No way. No way.
Violetta frantically looked at her best friend. "I did not say that about you. You know I wouldn't do that. I was saying that about Val before I got to know her! My mind was screaming that it was going to be my version of a blonde girl situation!"
"I know, Vi," Athena reassured her, and Violetta's heart rate decreased.
Gina came on the screen. "I have my eyes set on one thing this summer, and one thing only." It showed a quick moment of Ricky grinning before it went back to Gina. "And I'm gonna get it." Gina flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Don't get me started."
Jesus Christ, this was a mess.
Big Red then showed up for some reason. "I'm Big Red, I'm Ashlyn's boyfriend, and I'm bi."
And that was the end. All of them sat there in complete shock, the silence tense. Big Red's words suddenly registered in Violetta's mind, and she sat up straighter. Oh, she was so right about that, she had just never said anything.
Athena pointed at the screen, which showed the logo of their documentary. "How'd he get in it?"
Ricky glanced back at Ashlyn for a moment, who nodded proudly. "Good for him."
"I knew it," Violetta muttered, mostly to herself. "I knew it."
"Is everyone okay?" Corbin asked.
"I'm calling Seb," Carlos answered.
"I'm calling Big Red," Ashlyn added.
Kourtney stood up as well. "I'm calling my agent."
"Wait, you have an agent?" Gina questioned.
"That's your number one question after seeing that?" EJ responded.
"Yeah, okay, I think we're just gonna, like . . ." Maddox trailed off.
Jet stood up with her. "Yeah."
"Yeah."
"Hey," Violetta said softly, making EJ look over at her. "Can we talk?"
EJ nodded. The two of them walked off the stage together, leaving Athena, Ricky, and Gina behind to clean up their own mess. Violetta clasped her hands together in front of her as she paused in the wings of the stage, finally looking up at him.
"Hey."
He blinked at her. "Hi, V. If you want to talk about the documentary—"
"Oh, no, it's not that," Violetta interrupted. "Well, it's kind of that. Um." She cleared her throat. "I . . . I — um, I know we haven't talked too much since camp ended, but it's given me a lot of time to think."
"Think," EJ repeated, his own heart dropping. "Okay, what about?"
"You. And me. Us, if you will." She paused for a second, letting out a breath. "When I started junior year, I never thought that I would end up being involved with EJ Caswell. But you've become such a pivotal figure in my life, and after not talking for weeks . . . I've come to realize that my life really sucks without you."
EJ's shoulders lost some of the tension in them. "Is now a good time to tell you that I've really missed you?"
Violetta smiled at him, the same fluttery feeling he always gave her coming back. "Yeah, it is. Sorry for not reaching out, I just—"
"Needed time," EJ finished. "No, I did, too. That's why I didn't reach out, either."
She nodded. "Glad we understand each other."
"Haven't we always?"
Her smile grew a little. "I guess you're right." She sighed for a moment, mostly in relief, because this was going way better than she thought. "Uh, I'm not saying we should get back together straight away. If that's what the universe has in store for us, then it'll come. But for right now, can we just be friends?"
EJ extended his hand out to her. "Friends."
Violetta took his hand. However, she got a mischievous grin on her face and used their hands to pull him in closer to him. Violetta threw her arms around his neck, and EJ instinctively wrapped his around her waist, holding her close and holding her tight. Even though she was wearing heels, EJ still managed to tower over her. And there they stood, just enjoying each other's embraces — a calm before the storm.
Things weren't the same. Violetta wasn't sure if they ever would be. But EJ Caswell still felt like home, and that seemed like one of the universe's big plans for her.
∘ ₊ ✧ ──── ✧ ₊ ∘
𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑬𝑵𝑫
OH MY GOD IT'S OVER? WHAT THE FUCK? NO NO NO NO NO
go see my author's note where I spill my guts lol