The sun filtered in through the window, bathing the tiny apartment in orange, keeping Avni's chai warm, and the script in her hand lit up.
"Hey, baby," warm arms encircled Avni's shoulders, meeting just under her chin, as their owner planted a kiss on her neck.
She craned to look at him, faint blush on her cheeks, and butterflies in her stomach. He smelled like lavender and aftershave. He must've used her bodywash again. "Morning," she grinned. "You're happy."
"Ricky's coming by, no?" he said, bringing her cup to his lips. Very kissable lips.
"Hmm," she replied lazily, feeling absolutely content in his arms.
"Alright," he said, pecking her cheek; suddenly in action mode. "I gotta go-,"
"Wait, where are you going?" Avni asked, missing his warmth as he stepped away.
EJ paused. "Alex called and said I'd have to cover his shift, because Emily broke up with him."
"Wait, what?"
EJ nodded sombrely.
"I thought you said they were going strong."
"Apparently not. And I have a lecture after that, I'll be back by evening."
Avni frowned. "I have rehearsal in the evening."
EJ nodded, "Did you get the pirouette right?"
Avni grinned, got up and executed the move perfectly for him.
He smiled proudly. "I can't wait for opening night." And then- "Wait, didn't you have to meet your mom today?"
Avni groaned, plopping down on her comfy chair. "I cancelled."
EJ looked at her questioningly.
"Ricky's coming!"
"Avni!"
"EJ!" she replied in the same tone. And then- "I'll see her next week, okay?"
He sighed, "Okay. You go meet Ricky now, I'll switch with you in the evening. Cool?"
"Very cool," Avni said, as she sauntered up to him, kissing him deeply.
"Please be a little gentle with him," EJ said when they broke away.
"What d'you mean?" Avni frowned.
"You do tend to-," EJ picked his words carefully. "You're a little hard on him sometimes, you know. It just sounds like he needs some help."
"To me, it sounds like he's running away again."
"He probably is," EJ conceded. "Just hear him out first, okay?"
Avni huffed, "Okay."
"I'll see you later," EJ said, kissing her again. "I love you."
"I love you too," she smiled back.
*****
"Ricky!" Avni yelled across campus, charging ahead in full speed, ignoring all the weird looks cast her way. She couldn't care less what EJ's collegemates thought of her.
"Avni," Ricky grinned, hugging her hard enough to lift her off her feet.
"I've missed you," he said, his forehead touching hers, slightly breathless.
She picked it up immediately.
Quavering voice, slightly swollen eyes, and a smile that didn't reach them.
"What's wrong?"
*****
"So, where's EJ? I figured I'd be meeting him- seeing as you asked to meet on his campus," Ricky said once they'd ordered their food.
"Hmm," Avni nodded. "I did too, but he had to pull an extra shift at work, so he said he'll drop by later. And in any case, didn't you come here to see me?"
He smiled, "True."
"So?" Avni asked. "What's going on?"
He stared at Avni for a second. "Is EJ busy a lot? He takes an unnatural amount of time to reply to my DMs," he said.
She sighed. "He's taken up like four jobs and he has a full class schedule and like a hundred different clubs-" she broke off. "Don't change the topic. Miss Jenn sounded really serious on the phone."
Ricky groaned, "I don't know where to start."
"Is Gina okay?" Avni asked worriedly.
Ricky smiled, "Yeah, she's fine."
Avni smiled back knowingly, "And I assume y'all are fine too."
"Your order, ma'am," the server called.
Avni thanked him, and then she and Ricky walked out to her favourite tree on campus. It was a huge cedar, and she'd enjoyed quite a few memorable lunches under it in the past few months.
"Fantastic," Ricky said at his phone, plopping down on the ground. "My girlfriend's kissing her childhood crush."
"Hmm, lemme see-" Avni held her hand out for his phone. "Oh, yeah- Mack," she nodded.
"You know about this?"
"Duh, Gina told me," she paused. "You okay?" she asked when she caught a look at Ricky's face.
"I am great. Super good," he snarked, nodding violently.
Avni gave him a look.
He sighed, "Last summer, I was kinda terrified, when I realised I had real feelings for Gina. And I never thought even for a second that she might feel the same way," he paused. "My senior year was supposed to be the best. Me and Gina together, the musical- we even wrote a song together."
"Really?" Avni asked, midway through her sandwich.
He nodded, "Everything was perfect, for like a second. Just like with my parents, with me and Nini, with my dad and freaking Miss Jenn- it's like everyone's only allowed to be okay for like 10 seconds, then everything falls apart."
Avni hummed supportively.
"And then, Gina gets this huge movie opportunity, and her childhood crush is hanging out all time," he got louder. "And I'm like, I- I don't want to get in the way, but I don't know what else to do but hide."
"Do you know what she wants?"
"I don't- I'm too afraid to ask."
He looked at Avni weirdly.
"What?"
"No, I just realised you're actually better friends with her than you are with me," he scoffed.
"That's not true. It's not some competition."
He huffed, letting it go. "Aren't you ever just afraid to know the truth?" He looked at her. "You're not," he nodded to himself. "You never have been, you always say exactly what you mean."
"It's not easy, Ricky, and it's not to everyone's tastes. But I can't help it- that's who I am. But I would say it makes for way less drama- and honestly, if you don't say what you mean, you are responsible for what happens next. Not someone else, not fate, only you," she added.
"But speaking my mind, and hearing the truth- Avni-," he broke off. "I'm not ready for that. I don't know how- I don't talk to my mom because I don't want to know if she and Todd are back together again, I don't tell Gina the truth because I don't want to hear what I'm scared she'll say- I just- I'm tanking my senior year- I should be concentrating on my grades and college- but I'm just distracted by the fear of losing more people."
"I'm just tired," he added after a pause.
Things fell quiet between them as Avni absorbed his words and Ricky felt his feelings.
"Would you watch High School Musical if it didn't have the teenage angst?" she asked a while later.
"Huh?"
"Like if it was just Troyella being happy all the time and Sharpay and Ryan getting along great- would you watch that movie?"
"Probably not."
"Why not?"
Ricky laughed in confusion. "Why not?"
"You tell me."
"I mean- that's not a movie."
"Why not?"
"There's no plot- it'd be pretty bland."
Avni quirked an eyebrow at him, and he chuckled to himself.
"Happiness can't be a time, Ricky. It's a place, or a person, or something you do- and when you find that thing, that truly makes you happy, you have to fight to keep it in your life, so that you keep getting those happy moments. If you run away, you'll not only lose the happiness you lost in the first place, but also probably the thing that made you happy. Am I making sense?"
Ricky nodded slowly. "So, don't run, and say what you mean. Sounds easy enough, right?" he chuckled again.
"I'm sure it won't be," Avni smiled at him.
"Hey," came EJ's bright voice, causing a burst of flutters in Avni's chest.
Never want that to stop.
"Hi," she smiled as he plopped down beside her, pecking her lips.
"Wrong time?" he asked, looking back and forth between Ricky and Avni, sensing the tension.
"Perfect time," Avni assured, weaving her fingers through his.
"Yeah, it's great to see you, bro," Ricky said, leaning forward to hug him.
"Oof," EJ was caught by surprise at the surprisingly tight hug. He widened his eyes at Avni, asking a what did you do silently.
Avni only rolled her eyes and shook her head in response.
EJ clapped Ricky on the back as they separated. "You alright?"
"Yeah," he nodded. "I am now," he said, smiling slightly at EJ.
EJ held his glance for a while, trying to figure out the truth, until Avni cleared her throat, "Hate to break up you two lovebirds, but I kinda have to go, so-,"
"Wait, what? Are y'all like playing tag with each other or something?" Ricky protested.
"Kind of," EJ admitted. "Busy lives, Ricky."
Ricky scoffed and rolled his eyes, "Unbelievable."
"Stay for a while," he said. "It's been forever since I've seen this," he waved his hand between EJ and Avni. "I kind of miss the drama."
EJ rolled his eyes, "There's no drama now, Ricky, sorry to disappoint."
"Yep, we're going strong," Avni smiled at EJ.
"Mhm, okay. I don't believe that for a second. You left your dad, you're in the same city as your mom, and you're in therapy. I find it hard to believe there's no drama."
"I swear Gina's made you smarter," Avni remarked.
"What d'you mean?" EJ asked quizzically.
Avni sighed.
"Here we go," Ricky said gleefully.
"Shut up, Ricky," Avni said. "I guess, my mom's giving me shit about dating you. That's why I cancelled today."
"You were supposed to meet your mom today?" Ricky interjected.
"Yeah. I told her I was cancelling because I had to meet you, but I could've made both work."
"What's her issue with me?" EJ asked.
"She never did like you," Ricky said.
"I thought she had an issue with my dad. Which I don't blame her for, he is kind of an asshole."
"She has an issue because you are, what she calls, 'unsupported.' And that makes you not worth my time."
EJ raised his eyebrows, hurt in his expression.
"Which I obviously don't agree with," Avni remedied hastily. "Look, she would've found something wrong with us no matter what the case, just like she does in literally everything that I do."
"Shouldn't you talk to her?"
"I gave up talking to her when I was like 15."
"Didn't Dr. Sharma suggest-,"
"Yeah, he did."
EJ shrugged suggestively.
"I'll figure it out," Avni assured.
"I'm sure you will," EJ smiled back. "I just wanna have one parent's approval, is all."
"My dad loves you."
"Your dad loves everyone."
"True," Avni smiled, now suddenly missing her dad and the restaurant. "Hey, Rick, when's the opening night for HSM 3?"
"Umm, in a month."
"You wanna go?" Avni asked EJ.
"Hell yeah."
______________________________________________________
A/n
And the rest is history.