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"Okay! Let's have some real talk!" Ms. Jenn shouted as she walked to the front of the stage. Nadia quickly walked over to a space where she could see her teacher a little bit better. "Welcome to tech rehearsal. I don't know if you've noticed, but most of the tech in this particular theater appears to be hand-cranked. Natalie Bagley, my dear, my stage manager, this is your chance to be the hero."
Everyone began to start looking around for Natalie since she didn't seem to be anywhere on stage. "Where is she?" Ricky asked.
"What is it? What's happening?" Ms. Jenn quickly asked.
"Natalie Bagley's getting her wisdoms teeth out," Seb told her.
"Of course she is," Nadia muttered to herself since that girl always seemed to have something going on.
"Okay. Okay, so, I'm down a stage manager, my 'Taylor's' MIA—
"Gina's okay," Ricky cut her off, raising his hand. "She's a fighter and she'll be back for opening night."
"Did she text you?" Nini asked him.
He shook his head. "No. You?" he asked, and she also shook her head.
Then, all of a sudden, a sandbag dropped from the ceiling onto the stage and everyone jumped and screamed. When Nadia jumped back, she ended up almost falling on EJ like she had done when they were taking those photos for the production. She quickly cleared her throat, stepping away from him awkwardly.
"That didn't happen when I was here years ago," Nadia said, swallowing hard as she shook her head.
"Totally normal! Just...heads-up from now on," Ms. Jenn told them all, obviously trying not to panic. "All righty. Big Red, do you know how to hang a light?"
"I know how to hang...out?" he said slowly which made everyone laugh.
"Cool...Carlos, let's set marks to light 'Status Quo',"she said to Carlos, before the boy quickly walked off the stage. "Troy and Gabriella, find somewhere quiet and run the rooftop scene. It's been awhile and I need you opening night ready by dinnertime, okay?"
"Um, we're staying through dinner? I have baking club tonight..." Ashlyn trailed off and Ms. Jenn gave her a look. "...which is completely irrelevant in the midst of our tragedy."
"Yeah, and I have soccer practice," Nadia said, and Ms. Jenn gave her the same look. "But...I guess since I'm one of the co-captains, it won't be such a big deal to call out," she said, shoving her hands in her back pockets as she bobbed up and down on her feet awkwardly.
"This is going to work, I can feel it," Ms. Jenn said, chuckling nervously and clapping. "Clear the stage! Let's go!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Okay, we just need to nail down our lighting and our sound and, ta-da, we've got a show," Ms. Jenn said as she clapped. "I need some bodies for the rooftop scene."
