𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 - 𝙀𝙅 𝘾𝙖𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙡

↳ 10

For a few moments, none of them dared to break the silence that installed itself around them. EJ and Autumn were still looking at each other, while Ashlyn was awkwardly looking between the pair.

"We're back." The senior boy says slowly, and Autumn's head tilts slightly in confusion. Noticing this, EJ rushes to explain. "Downstairs. Miss Jenn wants to see everyone in the bomb shelter."

"Oh, okay," Autumn says, rising from her seat. She felt her cheeks heat up as if she was caught in an intimate moment, and perhaps it was just that.

Autumn smiled at EJ before her eyes averted to Ashlyn for the first time since she noticed EJ's presence. "Are you coming, Ash?"

Ashlyn quickly packed her stuff, grabbing her bag, and then followed her cousin down the hall. Autumn and EJ were walking a few steps ahead of the ginger girl, giggling about something silly one of them said.

Ashlyn smiled at the two friends. She was thrilled that EJ had found someone, outside his relationship with Nini, that he could truly be himself around.

﹏﹏﹏

In the bomb shelter, the theater kids were gathered around Miss Jenn, who was unpacking some mysterious prop.

The woman slowly unraveled the plastic, smiling proudly as she raised the small phone in her hand. "Here it is, people." Miss Jenn announced.

"Is that a garage door opener?" Seb asked innocently, earning a few weird glances from the other teenagers. Autumn placed her hand on his shoulder, chuckling.

"No, Seb." Miss Jenn replied softly, her voice calm and peaceful, as she kept her eyes on the phone. "This is Gabriella's phone. From the film."

Everyone gasped, excited with the idea of having an item from the actual movie in the production. Miss Jenn proceeded to explain her plan. "I plan on creating a time-capsule display in our lobby."

Autumn's smile grew as she heard the teacher's idea. "If they can have 40 sports-ball trophies, we deserve a little movie museum." Miss Jenn declared, smiling proudly. "Okay, people, enough dazzle. Fetch your scripts, please."

Everyone started to stand up to grab their scripts on their bags, which were scattered along the multiple pieces of furniture on the bomb shelter. Autumn stepped closer to Miss Jenn, eyeing the small phone excitedly. "Is that really her phone?"

"Hold it to your ear, like a seashell. You'll hear echoes of V-Hudge crushing the B flat on 'When There Was Me and You'." Autumn grabbed the phone, placing it near her ear as instructed.

"Or you can let me disinfect it first." Miss Jenn said, and Autumn quickly returned the phone, nodding in agreement, as she stood oblivious to EJ grabbing Nini's phone from his backpack.

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ᴇᴊ ᴄᴀsᴡᴇʟʟ, sᴇɴɪᴏʀ

Nini forgot her phone in my bag when we were hanging out earlier. I know it's wrong for me to hold on to this but... Shouldn't I take a look? I promise I'll only see if Ricky's the one who texted her.

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"Places for the top of the ski lodge!" Miss Jenn ordered, starting rehearsal.

﹏﹏﹏

Autumn sat at the back of the room, laughing as Carlos directed the students. This rehearsal was exclusive for a few backup dancers – they were supposed to train how to maneuver a basketball so they could rehearse the 'Get'cha Head In The Game' musical number later.

Problem is, Carlos was making them learn how to dribble and pirouette at the same time, all while wearing a blindfold. The whole scene unfolding in front of her looked hilariously ridiculous.

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ᴄᴀʀʟᴏs ʀᴏᴅʀɪɢᴜᴇᴢ, sᴏᴘʜᴏᴍᴏʀᴇ

It's important to set up impossible situations in rehearsal. That way, by opening night, they've been through every possible emergency scenario. Someone has a heart attack in the audience? Keep dancing. The sound system goes off because of a tornado? Keep dancing. Tornados come and go. Dance is forever.

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﹏﹏﹏

"Thanks for waiting," Ashlyn stated as she entered the passenger seat in EJ's car. She frowned at the sight of him staring intensely at a cellphone in his hands. "You okay?"

"She told him she loved him," EJ said quietly, glancing at his cousin before his eyes went back to staring sadly at Nini's phone.

"Who?" Ashlyn asked, confused as to why EJ was so melancholic and who he was referring to.

"Nini." He revealed, gesturing to the phone. "I found an archived post on her Instagram."

Ashlyn's eyes widened, his statement causing her to sigh at his antics. "EJ, you can't just go snooping around someone's phone like a creepy stalker."

"I play to win, Ash. Have we met?" He asked, not noticing how wrong his actions actually were. He gave Nini's phone to Ashlyn, showing her the song his girlfriend made for Ricky.

"First of all, since when does he get a song?" EJ asked, indignant.

"Whatever." Ashlyn brushed the subject off. "It was four months ago."

"But it happened." EJ argumented.

"Okay, ancient history. Ricky and Nini are completely over. There is no Ricky." The ginger girl remarked, trying to get her point across. Just at that moment, Nini's phone started to ring. Ricky.

"It's him," EJ said slowly, frowning at the photo of Nini and Ricky that appeared when the latter called her phone.

"Okay, I spoke too soon," Ashlyn admitted. As she saw her cousin about to answer the call, she swiftly ripped the phone from his hands. "Do not answer that phone, EJ!"

– Hey, it's me. Your... buddy, Ricky. Sorry to bother you. I know we don't really do voice convos, but I saw you playing that song earlier today - what was it called? something like 'Driver's License' -, on the bomb shelter, and... I felt like we kinda shared like a moment or a thing. I don't know, maybe a moment is kind of a thing? Why am I still talking? Anyway, whatever. If this voicemail is too much for you, or too soon, or you're just... not into it, we can just ignore this whole thing and pretend nothing ever happened, okay? Puff! Gone. Ok, bye.