A/N: First of all, I'd like to sincerely apologize for my long absence. As you might know, I haven't written anything in the last two months. That's partly because school had me under a whole lot of stress and it seemed I couldn't climb out of that deep, dark hole of anxiety the school work threw me in. On top of that, my personal life has been... a mess. But, thankfully, after some deep reflection, I've sorted all my problems and I'm ready to come back! I hope you enjoy today's chapter.
"What's up, guys?" Autumn asks as she approaches Ricky and Big Red, who are standing in a corner of the gym. "I haven't seen Ricky this pouty since his favorite milkshake shop closed a few months ago." She joked, trying to lift Ricky's spirits.
"He's sulking because Nini didn't show up tonight," Red explained, sighing. It was no secret that Ricky was completely in love with Nini and Autumn was afraid that, now that Nini was single, the curly boy would assume he has a chance.
"Okay, Red, I got this. You can go dance with Ashlyn, I saw you glancing at her all night." The girl said, giggling as a crimson blush appeared on her friend's cheeks. Autumn had suspicions that Red had a crush on Ashlyn, but to see him acting so bashfully after getting caught looking at the Caswell girl was adorable.
Ricky watched as Big Red walked towards their table, probably mumbling out attempts to try to invite Ashlyn to dance on his way towards the girl. The Bowen boy smiled, knowing his best friend hadn't felt this happy in a while.
When Ricky felt a hand on his shoulder, he turned to look at Autumn, who stood beside him with a sympathetic smile. "Look, I know you still love Nini, but... You should take it easy." She softly advised, taking notice of the little frown that appeared on his face as he tried to comprehend the purpose of her words.
"Why are you saying that? I can totally take things slow." Ricky stated, playfully scoffing at her incredulous expression. "What? You think I'm gonna tell her I love her on the first chance I get?"
"Knowing you, I am already imagining you proposing to her when she shows up at practice Monday." Autumn joked once more, making the two of them laugh. Once they stopped, she pulled him into a gentle hug. "I hope you know I just want to see you happy."
"Of course I do. And I'm glad to see you happy too, even if I'm not exactly fond of EJ." Ricky replies, stepping out of the embrace. "Speaking of... I think someone is waiting for you." He affirms, pointing his chin to something - or someone - behind her.
Autumn turned around, spotting her date near the drinks table, looking absolutely handsome in his elegant suit. EJ's eyes were already on her, and a happy smile broke on the girl's face as she made her way towards him.
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ᴇᴊ ᴄᴀsᴡᴇʟʟ, sᴇɴɪᴏʀ
It feels like I'm dreaming. I still can't believe how incredibly lucky I am to have such an amazing date tonight. This girl will be the death of me, I swear.
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The hallway was barely illuminated when Autumn and EJ stepped out of the gym. It was still early, the music still blasting on the other side of the doors as EJ grabbed the brunette's hand and started sprinting towards the school exit, practically dragging Autumn with him. Their laughter echoed through the halls until the two finally reached the parking lot.
Autumn waved at Seb, who had seemingly just arrived and was pulling open the glass doors of the entrance. "Go get your man!" She yelled towards the blonde boy as EJ continued to guide her to his car - no longer running, he didn't want to tire her.
As soon as they finished the walk to the Caswell boy's car, EJ - ever the gentleman - opened the door for her. She smiled thankfully, climbing into the passenger seat. Autumn waited patiently for him to circle the car and sit on the driver's side, before placing the question that was plaguing her mind since they sneaked out of the dance.
"So, where are we going now? The night is still young." Autumn asked, trying to hide her nervousness. It wasn't the first time the two were alone, of course not. But still, as they sat in the car, the moonlight brightening his features, she couldn't help the feeling that this time was different.
"Well," EJ started, "I was going to suggest that maybe we could go get some food and hang out." His gaze was set on her, as it had been the whole night, carefully watching her reaction for any signs of rejection.
"I'd love that, actually. I'm super hungry." She confessed, chuckling, and the boy beamed at her. His heart skipped a beat at the prospect of spending more time with her. EJ carefully placed his hand on top of hers - that was resting on her thigh -, and his smile only grew larger when she intertwined their fingers together.
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"This was a great idea, I have to admit." Autumn declared before she took another bite of her cheeseburger. They were currently sitting inside his car, which he had parked on a hill a few miles away from the town center, just devouring the burgers and milkshakes they previously picked up and making small talk while they watched the city from above.
"All my ideas are great," EJ stated playfully, earning a chuckle from the girl. "What? Don't make fun of me, tulip. You know I'm right."
"Watch your ego, J." She retorted in the same tone, giggling, as she finally finished her burger. However, she didn't notice the remaining sauce that stained her lower lip until EJ leaned towards her, his thumb brushing against her lip to clean it.
"You had a little something there, sorry." He excused himself, not making any attempt to lean back. Autumn's face was just a few inches away from his and he could swear he would go crazy if he didn't do something.
"Oh my gosh, that is such a cliché." She replied, smiling playfully at him. "Is this the part where you confess your undying love for me and we kiss?" Autumn joked, trying to calm her racing heart.
"I might," EJ mumbled, so quietly that she almost didn't hear it. The familiar butterflies - the kind she only got when he was around - erupted in her stomach as she stared into his eyes.
"..What?" The word unconsciously fell from her mouth. Before she even had time to even formulate another sentence, his lips were already connected to hers in a gentle, and very sweet, kiss.
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𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 - 𝙀𝙅 𝘾𝙖𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙡
Teen Fiction❝ A group of students from East High School work together to prepare and stage a theatrical production of High School Musical. As the days go by, they realize that drama doesn't just exist on stage, but also behind the scenes. ❞ or ꒱ ❝ in which a l...
