DAYS REMAINING: 63
EVER SINCE EJ HAD GOTTEN possession of Nini's phone, he had been snooping around on it only to find that his girlfriend had told Ricky Bowen that she loved him through a song. EJ had never gotten a song from her. He was not happy with it, even more frustrated when Ricky left a voicemail on his girlfriend's phone while he was still in possession of it. Ricky had only called her to tell her how sorry he was for ruthlessly trying to get her back, and wanting to explain he actually is trying very hard to do his best for this play. Of course, EJ didn't listen to the full voice message to know that.
Since Nini was without a phone, she didn't realize that Gina had sent her and Miss Jenn a text about meeting early to discuss a dance break for Gabriella and Taylor during Stick to the Status Quo. She had arrived an hour late to the rehearsal.
Luna sat next to Ricky and Ashlyn while she watched as her best friend ran through the new dance she added, with the approval of Carlos and Miss Jenn. As Gina went into her ending pose, Luna jumped up and clapped, being the only one to do so. She didn't care though. Ricky sent her a playful look, which she returned, additionally sticking her tongue out at him for making fun of her.
"G, that was fantastic!" She squealed, earning a few chuckles behind her from some of the other cast members.
Gina took a sip of her water. "Why thank you, Lu! I think it'll look really good on stage for Taylor and Gabriella," she smirked, seeing Nini enter the room out of the corner of her eye.
Luna's face dropped a little. "Wait, Gabriella is a part of that number? Gina, you know Nini can't do some of those moves," she eased out, crossing her arms.
Her best friend just shrugged with a small smile. "Oh she can't? Hm, that'll be tough for her then." Luna rolled her eyes, knowing her friend was playing very dirty.
"Okay no. You are going to promise me you'll work with her to get those steps down, okay?" Luna demanded, giving her friend a look. Gina nodded her head with a sigh, linking their pinkies in a promise.
The brunette is the one person who kept her from taking things too far, the one that kept her from going purely evil. She wasn't going to back down though. The role of Gabriella was hers, and she was going to get it.
•••
After rehearsal, Big Red and Ricky went back to the former's house to chill in his bedroom. Ricky was complaining about how Nini never responded to his voice mail and didn't talk to him at rehearsal about it as she just brushed him off with a small reply.
Big Red commented from his spot on the bed, "It's fine dude. You broke her heart, crashed her play, bugged her for a little bit and then left her a sad voicemail. No big deal."
Ricky bit his lip, hopping off the skateboard he was riding on. "Do you think it's time for me to move on, Red?"
His friend threw a ball up in the air continually. "I wouldn't, but you have that other thing," he pointed out.
"What's that?"
"Pride, Ric."
He shook his head. "Tell me. What am I supposed to do?"
Big Red sighed, getting up from his laying position on the bed and going to sit towards the edge of the bed. "Just be yourself. If it happens with Nini, it happens. You can't force it. If it doesn't happen, there's always Luna. You can't deny that you don't feel something for her," he pointed out, having noticed their chemistry as well as being there during their kiss at the party.
Ricky quickly shook his head, stammering out, "W-What? Luna and I are just friends, okay? I just got us back on good terms since I told her about using her to make Nini jealous. I'm not going to push it." He quietly added, "Even though I do think I might feel something for her."
His best friend jumped up. "I knew it! I can tell you like her, which is definitely okay, Ricky. Don't feel guilty about it. You're allowed to move on from Nini, but it's also okay if you still want to go after her."
Ricky stood up, pacing the room. "Which one do I follow though?" His best friend shrugged, knowing it isn't his place to decide for Ricky.
With a last flick of his wrist to shoot the tiny basketball, Ricky left Big Red's basement with a lot on his mind, but already having a feeling what he was going to choose.
•••
The next day, Luna had been walking the halls trying to find Gina as she was taking the sophomore home today, when she nearly got ran over by EJ coming out of the rehearsal room. He was just in a Troy and Chad rehearsal, and it went south real fast when Miss Jenn advised them to do some improv with a basketball.
"Woah hey, watch it EJ," she commented harshly after she was almost knocked over.
He immediately grabbed onto her, making sure she didn't fall. "Sorry, Luna. I wasn't looking where I was going," he apologized. She then took in the sight of him before her. His upper lip was bloody as well as a few dots of blood were spattered on his shirt.
"No, it's fine. But what happened? Why are you bleeding?" She asked, forgetting about looking for Gina as she walked with him down the hallway.
EJ let out a frustrated sigh, not at the girl but because of the previous situation. "Ask your friend Ricky," he sneered.
She shook her head, "I'm sure Ricky didn't mean to hit you, which is what I'm assuming happened. Are you okay though? I can get you some ice while you grab some paper towels to clean up the blood," she offered.
EJ was slightly taken back by her kindness. The two of them really hadn't ever spoken, yet she was being very considerate and kind to him. It felt nice having someone look out for him. Why hadn't he ever talked to her before? Maybe because she was friends with his current enemy.
He nodded, "You know what, that would be great. Thank you," he gratefully replied. She offered him a quick smile before heading off in the other direction to get ice.
On her way back to the boy's bathroom, she ran into Ricky, who looked pretty distraught. She was about to walk straight past him, but he stopped her by grabbing her hand.
"Why do you have ice? Are you good, Lu?" He asked, giving her a once over to see any physical signs of injury. This was the first time he called her by a nickname, so she was slightly taken back at his words.
She gazed down at their connected hands, wondering why he was still holding it. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just getting it for EJ. You did quite a number on him," she laughed a little.
A little laugh also escaped his lips. "Uh yeah, not my best moment. Things just got a little heated, and the ball just kinda changed aim to hit his face."
Since he still hadn't let go of her hand, she used it to pull him to walk with her. That's when he realized that their hands were still connected. He felt himself turning a bit pink, but thankfully, Luna didn't notice.
"I can see that. I mean he is your ex's new man, so I can see how you might feel a little anger towards him," she pointed out.
Ricky slowed down his walk, but she still pulled him along. "It's not even really like that anymore, Luna. I'm not sure that I even want Nini anymore," he stated, but she had zoned out on him and started her own sentence over top of his. She didn't even hear his second sentence.
"I don't know your reasoning, but it's not my business, Ric." Luna instructed, "Okay, now you are going to walk into this bathroom and give EJ this ice because I can't go in there. Then I want you to try to apologize to him, okay? Please," she persuaded, pushing out her bottom lip into a pout. They had stopped in front of the boy's bathroom where EJ currently was changing his shirt and getting the bleeding to stop.
Ricky couldn't say no to the girl, especially not when she looked so adorable pouting. He sighed and took the ice out of her hand. "I am only doing this because you said please," he huffed. She wrapped her arms around him quickly in a hug, catching him off guard, before pulling away again.
She smiled before pushing him towards the bathroom door. "Alright good. I'll see you tomorrow, Bowen." His heart skipped a beat as she waved goodbye to him, watching as she ran down the hall to find Gina.
Inhaling deeply through his nose, he braced himself for a weird conversation with EJ. He mumbled to himself, "Here we go."