༺ In This World, It's Just Us ༻
The rest of Megara and Ricky's impromptu road trip was less eventful — thankfully.
They walked in silence to the car shop where Megara's car had been towed and picked it up before grabbing the dresses for the wedding party and hitting the road back to Salt Lake City where the dark-haired girl would end up dropping him off at home, sighing in relief as she watched him walk up to his new apartment through the passengers' window rolled almost completely down all the way. The cool air blew through the window, but thankfully it wasn't as unforgiving as they had come to learn Colorado was.
Maybe relief wasn't exactly what she was feeling.
"Hey, Rick!" she shouted, surprising the boy who slowly turned around. They had been mostly civil the entire ride back, only speaking up now and then, but Megara's Spotify playlist took the reigns. He didn't look hurt, but there was something undetected in his eyes. "I'm sorry."
Ricky stared at her for a moment longer than most before finally saying, "it's fine, Megara, really."
Megara gave him a small nod. "See you at school, honey bun."
"I'm counting down the minutes until then, baby," Ricky turned back around, lugging himself towards the door as Megara waited for him to disappear before driving away. Even after she knew he got inside safely, she still sat in a puddle of her own confusion for a while as she thought to herself. She knew they couldn't help it, but would this hot and cold game they played ever ring dry?
What better way to test that theory than to throw a party?
KC was still doing this awkward dance between Nini and Gina — in which she was actively trying to dance away from one when the other was around. She wasn't sure why she felt so guilty, it wasn't like she had anything tying herself to Gina per se. Honestly, they were hardly even friends. And now that KC was spending more and more time with Nini, Gina was drifting off, farther and farther away from her.
As for Rita, she was definitely aware of the rising tensions in their friend group. It was in her human nature to be there for her younger sister even when she insisted she didn't need her, especially since KC had skipped a grade. Even though KC had always been more mature than other kids her age (she takes after Rita in that way), she was still a child under all those walls around her heart.
Between us, Rita would've loved to drop KC and Megara off at a therapist's office and call it a day.
Lastly, Savannah was venturing off into unknown territory, not that it ever scared her to do so. Out of the four friends, Savannah was almost always the first to do something. Get a boyfriend, have their first kiss, even get their period. So it wasn't surprising that Savannah had bounced back from the hell that was her last semester — not in an "I have to pretend to date someone I hate" type of way, but she had fallen behind in some classes the year before and had to retake them on top of her regular classes for the semester. She may not have gotten the role of Sharpay, but she did land a large dancing role and ended up doing Bop To The Top alongside Seb.
And in true Sharpay fashion, when Savannah's internship with the local food bank ended, she wanted to try something new. Out with the old, Savannah applied to work as a barista at the local coffee shop where she knew everyone loved to go for their drinks, especially the drama kids. At first, she was a little imitiated about the idea of kids from her school recognizing her, but her New Years' resolution had been to try something new... so here she was.
Out of the four, Savannah was most excited about the party. When the blonde got Megara's text message in an awkward group chat she pilled together, she nearly jumped out of her hot pink blow-up sofa.
Also out of Megara's three closest friends, she was the only one who had warmed up to Ricky.
The only thing she didn't like about Ricky (so far) was the fact that wherever he goes, EJ Caswell seems to follow. Savannah was already dealing with their breakup in her own spectacular ways when EJ decided to embark on his truth-telling journey. In doing so, he wrecked her plans of moving on. Okay... maybe wrecked was a strong word, but he definitely halted the progress.
When he approached her that day in school (well, technically it was Nini he was approaching) and insisted he had to come clean to her, she wasn't sure what to think. As far as she knew, EJ never lied to her during their relationship and why he was suddenly interested in being honest with her she could care less. What she least expected though, was his words to actually be of use to her. Before EJ did jazz squares back into her life, Savannah was moving on from him in every way she thought possible. Avoiding him in the halls at school (despite being in HSM), blasting 2000's Kelly Clarkson breakup songs, cutting bangs... the usual.
She had been walking to class one day when she heard the scuffing of sneakers hitting the ground below them, EJ's voice greeting her with a, "hey" as if this was a normal day. It would be far from it. Savannah held her backpack straps in her hands as she turned to him, asking what he wanted. She was busy, and she hardly had time for anyone, much less her ex-boyfriend. Especially the one who was ever too quick to move on with Nini Salazar-Roberts, even if lasted a month. Because Savannah and EJ's relationship wasn't like that, there was a connection that grew between them long before EJ ever met Nini, and despite being kids both of them knew it was irreplaceable.
"I need to tell you something," EJ frantically told her. When she nodded and waved her wrist, telling him to get on with it, he swallowed the lump in his throat. There really was no going back now. "Remember how we broke up because I said we were too young, and we weren't really in love with each other?"
"Mm," Savannah had groaned, thick eyelashes fluttering shut. She would have rather walked across hot coals than be part of that conversation. "How could I forget?"
EJ nodded, fiddling with his fingers nervously. "Yeah, well, turns out that I broke up with you because I was rapidly falling for you and I got scared," he shrugged as if trying not to get stuck in that thought. Savannah's jaw slowly fell at his next words. "I guess you could say I was a little too into it and got scared. Anyways, yeah, thought you should know," he flashed a toothy grin before skipping away, leaving the girl standing there in the middle of the hallway, watching him leave like it was happening all over again.
Did Elton John Caswell just admit that he loved her?
Ever since that day, Savannah had done her best to shake it off and avoid thinking about it even though it was becoming extremely difficult. With each passing glance between them, she could feel more and more compassion laced in each look, more fondness each time he said her name. She wasn't sure if it was all in her head, but suddenly it felt like she was seeing straight and there was hardly any animosity between them at all. Even the show had gone extremely smoothly, and EJ even went out to Denny's with them afterward.
"Is he here yet?" Savannah leaned closer to Megara as she walked through her friend's front door. She had been to her house all the time, but this would be the first time the Latina was hosting a party. Megara lazily motioned to the other side of the house where EJ was talking to a couple of other people from school. Savannah groaned. "I was really hoping I would beat him here."
Megara was fortunate enough to not have a clue about the lengths you would go through to get over a person. Not yet anyway.
"Come on, some of the drama dorks are hiding out in the kitchen, why don't you come get a Shasta and calm down?" Megara offered, closing the big front door behind her friend and cutting off the cold air from outside. Megara's house was still decorated for Christmastime (she was extremely proud of her tinsel hanging this year), and the house smelled of cookies even though she hadn't baked any. Bowls of snacks laid across tables and counters everywhere with things like chips and mini cookies from the store. Megara was sure Natalie was perched near the pretzels somewhere.
"You got Shasta's?" Savannah asked.
Megara nodded. "Just for you. And Dr. Pepper and Colas and flavored water. Ricky even helped me put all the drinks in a cooler. But if the ones in the cooler are gone, there's some in the fridge," she shifted herself to walk side by side, allowing the blonde to clutch onto her arm for support as they headed to the kitchen, to the left.
It wasn't necessarily a holiday party, but Megara was still dressed in a beautiful outfit. Today it was a mini black dress ("every girl needs a little black dress" Rita had told her) dressed up with a ladybug brooch on the right side of her chest. The dress hug her tightly from where it began over her knees until it stopped at her chest, where the fabric loosened and bunched together across her chest, spreading to her shoulders which were bare because the dress hung low. She wore a pair of red heels to complement the ladybug but left her hair and makeup light and essential, mostly just rocking a baby eyeliner and natural wavy curls. If you didn't know any better, you would have thought it to be solely Megara's house the way she was dressed and hosting.
"Look what the cat dragged in," Ricky hollered with a smile as his eyes landed on Savannah and Megara as they entered the kitchen area underneath the archway that separated the kitchen from the game room, which was near the doorway and some of the water polo guys were already crowded near the pool table, EJ included. That room formed into a den, where a couple of the quieter kids were sitting on that couch and watching tv. In the first living room with the main couch and tv, were Nini and KC, and Rita, along with some other kids from school. When he got closer, he tilted his head. "Nice to see you, Savannah."
Savannah was dressed in a pair of shiny black flats with black stockings running up her legs, ending at a white pearl embroidered skirt. She had a black sweatshirt but dressed it up with glossy makeup: red lips and flecks of gold eyeshadow sparkled above her big eyes.
As previously mentioned, Savannah was starting to see his charm. He followed Megara everywhere like a puppy, helped with anything she needed, and actually made the effort to listen to her and her friends. For one, she couldn't remember the last time EJ did that with her, and it was nice that her friend found someone who did. Savannah chuckled once, still gripping Megara's arm. "Hey, lovebird number two."
Ricky gave her a nod, lip-singing to Heart Made Up On You by R5 which played softly from a Bluetooth speaker on the kitchen's island, bouncing around to the other side of Megara, where Rita was there to greet him. "You are such an ass-kisser," she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Only for m'lady," he beamed, quickly bending to press a sloppy kiss to Megara's left cheek. Megara tried to bite back a smile as she wiped her cheek with the soft knuckles of her right hand, but a couple of laughs slipped from her lips, completely giving her away.
EJ shuffled through the doorway, smiling at the group. "Hey, guys, what's up?"
But before his question could be answered, Big Red shouted from the other side of the island where he stood with Ashlyn and some other kids, pointing in EJ's direction. "Oop... somebody's under the mistletoe!" he said in a singsong voice.
EJ and Savannah quickly lifted their heads back to catch a glimpse of the so-called mistletoe, and sure enough, a singular plastic piece was taped to the archway they were under. Megara, and everyone else for that matter, also looked up to see it, all knowing this couldn't end well. "Well, I... um..." EJ shook his head as if to say no, the last thing he wanted to do was cause Savannah more discomfort. Little did he know how much he had already placed upon her shoulders.
Megara rubbed her free hand over Savannah's arms still hanging onto her forearm, trying to give her friend a piece of mind. Of course, Savannah had aimed to sweep her heartbreak under the rug, and she nearly did if it weren't for the occasional cracks she let her friends see through. So when Savannah turned to Megara with glossy eyes, Megara was ready to turn back to everyone else and tell them to cut it off, no more egging on drama, she would protect Savannah in any way that she could. When Savannah turned to look at Megara, she did so out of the need for help, but since the group was already expecting someone to kiss under the mistletoe, Savannah reached up on her tiptoes and pressed her shiny red lips to Megara's nude pink ones. She could practically feel their friends eyes widening as she did so, it was so unexpected, but it was all in good fun. And Megara was a pretty good kisser, too.
Megara pressed her lips together, knowing some of Savannah's red lipstick definitely had transferred to her nude pink gloss, but it was all good. She laughed. "At least take me to dinner first," the dark-haired girl chuckled, ignoring various responses from the group about how nonchalant she was being.
"Excuse me, coming through," Ashlyn weaved through a crowd of kids with Carlos and Seb to find Ricky, Megara, and Big Red sitting on the couch in the den, with a box of pizza in her hand, sliding it onto the table near them. Headsets over their heads to connect them to the TV and whatever game they were playing. To the side, Savannah scrolled through Twitter with a Shasta in her hand. Ashlyn smiled, bringing herself to sit next to her while Carlos and Seb opted to share a chair. "Hey, Sav, what's up?"
"Nothing much, just work and getting ready to go back to school," Savannah shrugged cutely as she turned her phone off and put it down in her lap.
"Right, the coffee shop! That's where I love to get my iced mochas," Ashlyn said.
Savannah nodded. She and Ashlyn used to be pretty close when Savannah dated EJ, even if the girls were very different from each other, and she honestly missed talking to her. "Yup, I was walking by one day when I saw the help wanted sign in the window."
Ashlyn nodded. "So cool. Somehow, it makes sense for you."
"Thanks, I mean, it was my New Year's resolution to try something new and it kinda just fell together, so maybe in some way it was fate," Savannah added. "I'm really liking it so far. I know it's just making coffee, but I think I'm actually pretty good at it."
"Aw, I love that," Ashlyn patted Savannah's shoulder. "Good on you for sticking to your resolution," she added as Savannah beamed.
Rita huffed. "I don't know a single person who still sticks to their New Years' goals. Like me, I said I was going to exercise more, but the only running I've been doing is re-runs of Desperate Housewives." The game on the TV came to a stop, the competitive trio removing their headphones to join in the conversation, but also indulging in some of the drinks and snacks on the table. Megara, for one, was happy to reach for the pizza Ashlyn had brought over.
EJ walked over, a water bottle in his hand, which wasn't surprising. Gina was right behind him, the two previously talking about something. Megara suddenly remembered the first time she ever saw them conversing, which was during rehearsals and they were definitely talking about some kind of plan. Unless it was something that had nothing to do with the theatre kids, she was sure it had gone away. "Mine was to aim higher, in everything," he said, as Gina nodded along. That wasn't surprising for them.
"Why make one when you don't want any change?" Ricky laughed it off with a shrug as the group looked at him with different facial expressions. Mostly everyone was confused about how Ricky could follow up nearly everything he said with a chuckle, but those who were getting to know him more and more could see that he didn't like to accept things moving around him. As if suddenly realizing everyone was staring at him, he turned to Megara to save him. "Why, what did you say was yours?"
"Probably to love me more. I feel like most of us become very content with ourselves but it's based on a day-to-day superficial relationship we have with ourselves in which we are learned to cohabitate with our insecurities until they fester and rot inside of us, forcing us to confront true pain but it's all because we don't know what true self-acceptance is. It doesn't help that former generations have a low acceptance rate of self-esteem and their insecurities leak into our lives," Megara answered, bringing a cold can of Dr. Pepper to her lips. Her mind was far from what she just said, she was thinking about needing gum or a mint.
It was quiet among the group for a moment, only blinking lights from the TV filling the void. Finally, Carlos spoke up. "Girl, what?" Laughs interrupted throughout the group, but Gina sent Megara a nod, trying her best to communicate that she understood what she said.
"Guys, hold still, I wanna get a picture," Nini said, holding up her polaroid camera for the group, motioning for them to move in closer.
"Don't you wanna be in it?" Megara asked. In a sense, this was her going away party, but Nini didn't want to make such a big deal out of it.
"No, I want to hang this up at my dorm and remember all the fun I had with you guys," Nini insisted, tilting her head sweetly.
"Aw, Neens," Kourtney wrapped her arm around Nini and leaned her temple against hers before Nini pushed her off, insisting they all get near the couch. This one wasn't as sturdy as the one in the living room since this one was older, and it was also grey, but it was soft enough to fit a lot of them on. Everybody squished in close, and Megara swore someone's hand graced her backside, but she brushed it off. "Alright, everybody smile for YAC! One, two, three.." she said, before a bright flash went off, capturing the crew's grins from little and dainty to big and wide (even Rita's "smize").
"Are you sure you don't want one with you in it?" Megara asked.
"Yeah, ask Natalie to take it!" Gina added, motioning to the stage hand that was walking nearby, completely off-guard. But she was game, who wouldn't be? Despite them hanging out so much and getting to know each other over the last semester, hardly any photographic evidence existed of them being in the same room.
"Here, take a couple on my phone!" Carlos said, handing her his cell from his back point, the rest agreeing. They started off with good smiles, great ones even, and it quickly escalated from there.
Savannah swore EJ was pulling her hair (he was) but he blamed it on Megara, who was appalled since she was sitting on the other side of Ricky and therefore was no way she could have. Seb and Nini smiled wide and KC sat on the armrest next to her, trying her best to respect Gina's space behind her, but it was hard when Gina placed a hand on her shoulder and brought her in closer. Big Red complained about getting back to the game soon as Carlos rolled his eyes and placed bunny's ears behind Rita, who was doing kissy faces with Kourtney. Savannah and Ricky were currently teasing EJ for the way he was smiling. The cherry on top was Ricky cupping EJ's face and pressing a quick kiss on his cheek, EJ sitting in a pile of mush for a second and it was all perfectly captured on Carlos's iPhone thanks to Natalie Badgley.
"What was that all about?" Megara giggled along with the others, only a little surprised but not at all unfazed by Ricky's actions. If she had come to know anything about him, he was a lover, not a fighter. Well, sometimes. But mostly, he was a softie.
Ricky shrugged cooly. "Eh, just a little payback."
She turned away. "Oh yeah, whatever," she said, trying to seem as uninterested as possible, failing when Ricky pressed his lips to her bare shoulder. Then it was impossible to bite back a grin, from either of them.
"Oh my God, Lip is here," Megara said to KC and Nini, all of their eyes trained on the doorway where Phillip Cabot just walked in. The girls were standing around in the kitchen, dancing to various songs that played from the speaker as the night went on longer and longer. It was now darker outside, and almost everybody ate already, so they were spending the rest of the night playing games like pool and dancing.
"Are you going to go talk to him?" KC asked. Both KC and Nini had sensed something was up between them since Lip was the one who helped Megara (as Kelsi) through the final basketball during the curtain call of the show last year, and then the fact that he was quick to accompany them to Denny's once he learned Megara was going.
If anybody was catching onto Megara's facade (being in love with Ricky), it was KC.
"I don't know, I don't think so," Megara tried to be cool, returning her gaze to the other girls. She shrugged. "We're not really friends."
"I thought you liked him," KC furrowed her right eyebrow, taking another glance at the blonde guy who was going around saying his hellos to everybody.
Nini gasped. "Are you wishing ill will on her relationship with Ricky? That's bad ju-ju," Nini put her hands up, backing away from the problem. "Swear you guys are so cute together, don't let KC get into your head."
KC rolled her eyes. "No, I just heard her tell Rita a couple years ago that she thought he was handsome, and that he wore purple really well."
Now Megara was the one who was appalled. "Hey, I told her that in confidence!"
"Dude, he's making his way over here," Nini said quickly, trying her best to hush her voice and act natural as he approached the group. "Like right now."
"Hey girls," Lip said with a smile. He was dressed in his usual baggy jeans and a tee shirt with some layered necklaces and a baseball hat. "Meg."
Megara tilted her head, smiling sweetly back. "Cabot."
Lip smiled wider, getting a kick out of her nickname for him. "Sweet house party. No parents?"
Megara shook her head. "Mine for the week."
"Super cool," he flashed his teeth. "Do you mind showing a guy where he can find a drink?"
"I'll do you one better, how about a house tour?" Megara asked him, placing her hands on her hips. When he nodded, she motioned for him to lead the way, then she turned to KC and Nini and smiled before sticking her tongue out. So much for not liking him.
Since Ricky was nowhere to be found, Megara found herself striking up a lot of conversations with Lip and not only giving him a good tour of her house but also helping him with some of the snacks and introducing him to her friends (the ones he didn't know). The two were becoming fast friends, but it was at a good and natural rate so Megara felt totally safe and comfortable. This party was the best idea she had all year, and she was happy to be poking out of her turtle shell so to speak. In no time, she was back in the living room dancing with a group of people, including Lip, to the Jonas Brothers in true Megara fashion.
Yet across the room, Ricky had finally torn away from a game of pool with the boys and found his way back to Megara, only this time he was too late. Through the crowded room, he saw her dancing with some people he knew and some he didn't. Despite different colors from the light strips she plugged in just for this party, and all the different commotion going on, she still stuck out in the crowd. He was fairly certain he could find her in any room, in any sea of people, actually.
He was quick to notice the smile on her lips, and how any sign of worry was gone from her face. It was safe to say that since he had known her (and this means a lot between the sandbox buddies) she had never looked so happy or carefree. If he partook in her newfound joy, for that he was happy and glad. Still, the smile of his own was forced, because he couldn't help but feel a cloud of sadness looming over him... oh the things he would do to be the reason Megara was smiling.
one last totally bullshit chapter!! at least for now... with love 💜