𝐈𝐕𝐘 | ɢɪɴᴀ ᴘᴏʀᴛᴇʀ x ᴏᴄ

ᴀᴄᴛ ᴛᴡᴏ: ꜱᴄᴇɴᴇ ᴇɪɢʜᴛ

ᴀᴄᴛ ᴛᴡᴏ: ꜱᴄᴇɴᴇ ᴇɪɢʜᴛ

Previously on High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Nini returns at a time where I most need her. Ricky and Nini become couple goals and I don't know how to feel about it.

I realise I'm better off single, with no special presents- expensive or not. And, if I'm being real? I never liked chocolate anyways, so, what's the big deal?... Really, I'm fine.

"Can you not, like, you know- leave? Please- for the love of GOD-" I began to ramble as me and Nini walked down the stairs with her bags. The weekend had gone too quickly for my liking, and I wasn't ready to face the music with Gina after her messages about the chocolates. I hadn't even told Nini about that yet, since if I did, I don't think she'd let me sleep at night.

"Casey, you're gonna be fine, stop worrying about the show, you're in good hands." My sister argued with me about the show like it was the actual problem on my mind. "You've got Miss Jenn, Carlos, Ricky, Gina... Ash-" She started to count every single one of us on her finger and I smiled as she did so.

"Not what I meant. I don't know how much longer of this... thing with Gina I can last." She gave me a look in return to my comment. "And I swear- before you say it-" Mama D suddenly shouted from the foot of the stairs, telling us how much she loved us and how we should both get going for the day. "OKAY. OKAY- WE'RE GOING."

Nini gave me a smirk. "See you soon?" She asked me, pulling me in for a hug. I smiled as she rested her head on my shoulder.

"You better, I mean- how else am I gonna get the best relationship advice in the world?" I mocked her, picking up my own bag from the couch. She sent me a short glare as I went to go to the door.

"Casey." I turned back to Nini as she called my name and caught the black beanie she'd just thrown at me. Glancing down at it for a moment, I smiled back up at my sister. "It's cold outside."

⊱⊰

Miss Jenn strutted into the practice room with her folder as she called for us all. "OKAY EVERYONE, GATHER AROUND." The teacher told us, but Ashlyn just nudged me to look up instead of actually stand up and get around her in a circle. "We have a two-hour window before the storm is expected to hit, and I intend to use every minute of it." Every minute? Get the weather app ready and a timer... "Big, splashy group numbers always score at the Menkie awards... So, we need to workshop a punchy, breath-taking number that will put us in the number one spot."

Only a moment of silence was there before Carlos then spoke up. "As our head choreographer, I am so happy to announce that today we will-" I glanced over at a confused Gina for a moment as Carlos continued. "-at last, begin rehearsing the most show-stopping, iconic, and bar-raising numbers of the entire show."

"Be Our Guest." Carlos glanced over at Gina as she stepped over towards where he was stood. "Yeah, it's Be Our Guest, guys." There was definitely tension beginning to boil between the two dancers as we all sat there, silent. Carlos stared over at her and she turned to look at him. "What?"

He called Gina his Co-Pilot? Oh god... this is about to end up all over the whatsapp groups...

"Before we begin," Miss Jenn tried to cut the tension in the room, but the only thing able to cut it was a knife. "I'm going to tell you a little story about hospitality."

Carlos tried to cut her off and get to the dance. "Maybe we should just-"

"Once, when I was a little girl," Miss Jenn ignored the boy. "my mom and I heard a clatter come from the kitchen. We thought it was burglar. So, my mom ran over, hog-tied the man, and promptly called the police." Ashlyn gasped beside me, but I was confused about how this had something to do with hospitality. "As we waited for the cops to come, I watched my mother place a bowl of iced tea next to his face. 'Because,' she said, 'until the police come and get him, he's still our guest.'."