"Okay, let me just say- I am so proud of you," Ashlyn said to Avni at rehearsals.
"What are you talking about?" Avni asked quizzically.
"The song?" She asked like it was obvious.
"What- oh the song."
"Yeah, and it's so beautiful. Like the first verse is-"
"Wait, wait- how do you know about the song?"
"Big Red showed me," she frowned.
Avni breathed deep to keep in her annoyance. "Did you show it to anyone else?" Like maybe your cousin?
"I showed to Gina."
"Ok, thanks."
"Gina!" she called. The girl was currently talking to- EJ. Shit.
Avni pulled her away, "What are you doing?" she demanded.
"I'm talking to him about the Mob song choreo. Why?"
"Oh, thank god," Avni breathed. "Did you tell anybody about the song?"
"Oh- it's so good. And I can't believe you thought I would do that to you!" She said, gesturing wildly between her and where EJ was standing before.
"Sorry. But in my defence, I've already been betrayed by two best friends today. Although, I don't blame Big Red. He and Ashlyn are too cute."
"Okay, Wildcats," Miss Jenn called. "Let's shake spring break out of our systems and try the Beast transformation one last time. And remember, this is the triumph of the show, the moment the audience has been waiting for," she said, mostly to Ricky. "This has to work."
"No pressure, right?" Ricky asked Avni.
"Ricky, try not to rush this time. We'll speed it up when you're more confident," Miss Jenn said.
"Got it."
"Let's take it from- 'You came back.'"
Ricky and Avni took their positions- Avni sitting on the ground, Ricky in her lap. Everyone else cleared the stage.
"You came back," Ricky breathed.
"If only I'd come sooner."
"Maybe it's better this way."
"Don't talk like that," Avni said sadly. "Everything will be fine."
"No-" Ricky said.
"We're together now. You'll see."
"I'm just glad I was able to see your face one last..." he cradled her face, and it was super weird, and then he made these choking noises, which was weirder, but Avni fought through it.
"We are home, we are where we shall be forever; trust in me for you know I won't run away..." The fur from the mask kept annoying him, and Avni fought the urge to slap his hand away.
"Belle, I..." he said in a strangled? voice.
"Yes?"
He made weirder choking noises, and then died. "No, no, please don't leave me. Please," Avni pleaded, because the script said so. "I love you," she cried.
Ricky started to- very obviously take his mask off. Avni covered his struggle with her cape.
"Come on. Come on! It's stuck!" Ricky's voice came muffled.
"Rip the Velcro!" Kourtney cried.
"Okay. Okay. I got it." And he flung the mask and Natalie's face, who fell backwards on a set piece, which fell into another set piece and they all came crashing down like dominoes.
"Cut!" Miss Jenn called.
"Sorry, Natalie."
"It's okay. It was just my face."
"Guess I should practice that throw, huh?" Ricky tried to joke.
"Can I just say that was the awkward-est thing I've been a part of?" Avni said, getting up.
"I know, right?" Ricky said.
"It's because of you, you dumbass!" Avni cried.
"What did I do? The mask got stuck-"
"You could've not made the choking noises," Gina cut in.
"Yes," Avni said, nodding. "That is a big point. You're dying from battle wounds, not a dementor's kiss."
Ricky stared at her.
"You don't know what a dementor's kiss is, do you?"
He made an awkward face, and Avni tried not to yell. Who hasn't read Harry Potter?
"Okay, this is great. This is working. I will be in my office," Miss Jenn said, obviously freaking out.
"Guys, we're on a long five until Miss Jenn returns," Carlos said.
Avni walked up to Ricky. "You know, if you're terrible on stage, I look terrible by association. At least show all of us half the consideration you did for Nini last semester."
He scoffed, "I'm trying my best."
"Are you?"
"What is your problem today?"
"I don't know- probably the fact that you publicised a super private song to half the club?"
"What are you- I only showed Big Red!"
"Who sent it to Ashlyn, who showed to Gina. Guess who they were living with over the break?"
He back- tracked. "I'm sorry."
Avni stared at him, urging him to continue.
He sighed, "What should I do better?"
"Try to be more genuine? And natural. It shouldn't be you showing the audience Beast's journey- you should be taking that journey with the Beast on stage."
"Hey man," EJ came up, clapping Ricky on the back. He looks so tall- stop it Avni. "A word of advice," he said. "I've played the Beast before. I get that the prop is difficult, but you have to work with it."
Ricky looked at Avni, and she could tell that any advice from EJ was not well- received. She only shrugged.
"Okay," he said dryly. He started walking away, "Feel like I'm being yelled at."
"You are being yelled at," Avni called after him. He flipped her off.
She rolled her eyes and turned around, and now found herself face-to-face with EJ. Right.
"Don't worry," he said. "You guys will be fine."
"Mhmm," Avni nodded, and then made to get away.
"Wait!" EJ called. Damn it.
She turned back around, "What?"
He sighed, "I'm- sorry. For the Hrithik thing. I guess I was being a-"
"Top tier asshole for no reason at all?" Avni supplied.
"Oh, I had a reason," he said.
"What was it?"
He looked trapped, like he wasn't expecting her to say that- which seemed ridiculous. "I didn't like it," he murmured.
"You didn't like it? What are you, five?"
"He's the enemy!"
"He's the competition, this isn't a war, EJ. And Kourtney's dating Howie, kind of."
"I'm not that close to Kourtney."
"Oh," her heart leaped. He's close to me?
Avni's cell pinged, and so did everybody's around the room. It was Carlos- "Meet at Slices in 20."
♡♡♡♡♡
"C'mon!"
"No. Sahil, take table 2!"
"Baba-"
"I said no, Avni."
"But why?"
"You goof around too much with those kids."
"I am a kid. Goofing around is my job."
"Don't act smart with me."
"Why? You can't handle it?" Avni immediately ducked as her father threatened to hurl the pen in his hand.
She held up her hands in surrender, "Okay, sorry, sorry," she grinned. "You know, this is an investment in my future. Figuring out how to work the transformation means a better performance at the Menkies."
"I'm sure the other kids can figure it out without you. What are you going to do there?"
Ouch.
"You know, you're starting to sound a lot like Aai," she said. Her dad frowned at her, hands on his hips, waiting for her to take back her words.
She sighed, "Can't I just go for moral support? You don't even need me here. Restaurant isn't that busy."
He shook his head, "Don't waste my time. You're going home. End of discussion."
Avni huffed and walked out of the kitchen. "Call me when he starts packing up, please?" She begged Shanaaya.
"Yeah, okay."
Avni grinned and left the restaurant, and crossed the street to Big Red's house.
"What are you doing here?" Someone asked as she descended the stairs to the basement. "Shouldn't you be with the girls?"
"I think my unsolicited advice is much more appreciated here," she grinned. "Speaking of, what is that?" She pointed at a box Ricky was sitting on.
"We're building something to spin Ricky so that we can change his cape."
"It's ugly."
"Shut up," Big Red stepped forward really quickly with a drill in his hand.
Avni shielded her head with her arms, ducking away, "Don't put a hole in me!"
Laughter sputtered around the room. Big Red backed off.
Avni straightened up. "Does it work?" she asked.
"Yeah," Big Red said, the exact same time Ricky, Carlos and EJ said, "No."
Avni looked around the room as they looked at each other. "I thought I was going to be of no use- but you guys definitely need help."
Avni pulled out her phone and dialled Hrithik. She plopped down on the sofa, making herself comfortable.
"Hello," he said.
"Hey- wait what is all that noise on your end?"
"Oh, I'm at school."
"This late?"
"It's two weeks to opening night, Avni," he said in a duh? tone.
"Ugh. Don't remind me."
"You guys having trouble?" he sounded genuinely concerned. It almost made Avni back out of this. Almost.
"This whole transformation thing is so weird when it's done live. Honestly it was even weird in the live- action movie."
"I agree. The 1991 animated transformation was by far the best."
"Exactly. In that film they actually show like each of his limbs transforming- it's so much better. But like on stage- with the mask and the make-up-"
"I know! Even with these Broadway prints it's so hard to figure out."
Bingo.
"What were these Broadway people even thinking? It's all so basic," Avni shot her shot.
"I hardly think levitating is basic," he said. Still time to save it.
"We did levitation for Getcha' Head In The Game. I was expecting a more complex manoeuvre."
"I suppose you guys do have an edge. Especially since it's the same person. But the spinning is pretty hard to control."
So levitation and spinning?
"The taking off the mask and throwing it is harder, I think," Avni pried further.
"Fair enough. But we have an upper wing to the stage, so it's easier."
Show off.
Avni didn't think there was anything else that was going to come from the conversation, so she gestured Ricky to 'call her'.
"Avni!" he said loudly, and fake-ly. How is this dude an actor?
"Oh- I think Ricky's calling me," she said. "Talk to you later?"
"Yeah, of course. Bye."
She hung up, grinning proudly. "I got it!" she announced.
"That was really impressive," Carlos said. "And slightly scary."
"Oh, that was nothing," EJ chimed in. "I watched her get almost the entire question set to a test from our physics teacher once."
Avni only did a little shoulder shimmy, and then dialled Gina.
"Hey. I was just about to call you. Nini found out about the chocolates thing."
Avni's eyes widened. "Oh shit, what did she say?"
Ricky looked at her with questioning eyes, she waved him off.
"She just got real quiet and walked away."
"Eh- bound to happen at some point- and it was nobody's fault. Anyways- put me on speaker, I have news."
"Okay."
There was some shuffling at her end. "Okay you're on speaker."
"Alright so I just found out that in the original Broadway plans, all they did for the transformation is levitate the Beast and spin him around in the air while he removed the mask."
"Wait, that's it?" Nini asked.
"Yep."
"Well- we still have Ricky's harness from last semester-" Ashlyn said.
"And we could take it one step further with the cape," Kourtney finished.
"Meet you at school in 20?" Big Red asked.
"We'll be there in 15."
Shaanaya's caller id popped up on Avni's screen. "Bye you guys, I'm getting another call."
She picked up the call. "He's on the move."
"Shit."
She cut the call, gathered her stuff. "My dad's packing up at the restaurant, I have to get home before him. Tell me how it goes, yeah?" She didn't bother waiting for a response as she bolted out the door and onto the street.
______________________________________________
A/n
I definitely pictured the 'I don't like it' in the Chris Evans way iykyk
Jealous EJ is such a mood istg
I'll drop part 2 this evening.