BRUTAL • EJ CASWELL

ten

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𝗯𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗮𝗹
˚ ༘♡ ·˚ ₊˚ˑ༄ؘ
𝙥𝙞𝙯𝙯𝙖
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"IS THIS SEAT taken?" a voice asked june as she sat in the back of the cafeteria for the meeting. she looked up and saw ej. she shook her head 'no' and he sat down. a bunch of parents flooded into the cafeteria for the school board meeting "hopefully everything works out." june said looking around at all of the parents.

"miss jenn, it may not surprise you to learn that we have heard earfuls about your unorthodox style ever since you got to east high. personally, i always chalked it up to the well-known fact that people in the dramatic arts are insane." the principal said, which made june scoff.

"not true."

"but now, we have news that your resume is exaggerated. your teaching credentials are from some obscure online university, and your official name might be some version of a stage name. what do you say to this charge?" he asked looking a the paper he had in his hand.

"i have always done my best by these kids."

"just answer the question."

"excuse me? can i say something?" a man stood up from the audience of parents. "i'm sorry we are not opening up the floor to parents on this."

"let him speak."

"go ahead, mister bowen."

"i'm a little late to this party, but i've got to say, the real crime here would be booting a teacher who's making a positive impact. i've never seen my kid this invested in anything and i don't that's something that we should punish, your—honor." said ricky's dad.

"mister bowen, i appreciate your statement, but i think we can all agree that theater isn't unique to this regard. it doesn't have some special fairy dust that can't be filled by another extracurricular."

a humming came through the speakers.

"what—who's humming?"

all the students started to stand up and harmonize with each other. kourtney stood on the second level of the cafeteria with a book box. students with signs lined up next to her. all of the parents turned around in their chairs.

"don't say another word!" kourtney sung.

"some of us need to be heard! you want her big confession?" nini and ashlyn sung together

"she never saw dear evan hansen." students gasped

"whatever you think about her the show can't go on without her. maybe her class would be a little more classy."

"maybe her heads not in the game!" the whole cast sung as they started to dance around. "maybe her past is just a little bit sketchy we need her all the same."

"she's the one who cheers us on so what if she's dropping the ball?" seb sung. students shoes squeaked on the cafeteria floor as the danced. "she stands for truth, justice, and songs in our key she stands for all of us and what we believe!"

"before she got here we were so off track! then miss jenn gave us a chance! we used to fall asleep in chemistry class, now it makes us want to dance!"