𝐎𝐍 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐄 - 𝐡𝐬𝐦𝐭𝐦𝐭𝐬 (𝐢𝐢) | ✔

twenty-seven

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twenty-seven: just knocked
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     Kourtney's statement had shocked all the girls to the point that they had completely interrupted their conversation and ran to Ashlyn's living room. The girl, who had started talking to Howie agian, had managed to get North High's plans for the transformation. All they needed now was to get them to work for them and break the Beast transformation course that had apparently set upon them.

    Since none of them could drive yet and because the school was not too far from where Ashlyn lived, they decided to walk, enjoying the night's air and dividing themselves in different groups and choosing different topics of conversation. Juliette, on her side, walked alongside Seb, who was unsure of what to say to the girl after hearing her argument with Alexandra in the kitchen. After some minutes of uncomfortable silence, however, he decided to speak.

     "Juliete," he began, tentatively, and continued once the girl looked at him. "I heard you arguing with Alexandra in the kitchen and I wanted to say that... I may not know Ricky a lot but... what I wanted to say was that not everybody looked down on yours and Ricky's relationship. Carlos and I really loved both of you together, so did Nini and Ashlyn, even E.J."

     "Seb, I..." the girl stopped on her tracks, turning to face Seb and putting her small hands on his upper arms, "you really have no idea of how much this means to me."

     "Well, it's true. And, even if things are not the best at the moment, I have no doubt that you will manage to fix it. And if not fix it, overcome it. You always do."

     Juliette wanted to cry out of pure happiness. She needed to hear those words as much as a man on the desert needs water, and none of her friends had told her. Juliette had always admired Seb, being himself no matter what came upon him, always keeping a smile on his face and always remaining polite, and sometimes she wished that the two of them could be better friends. The two teenagers hugged and ran to catch up with the rest of the group, who had got ahead of them.

     Not much later, they arrived to their school and walked towards the auditorium door, after picking up the necessary keys. The whole way there, Big Red had desperately tried to find the correct one, soo narrowing his options to half of the 30-key keychain. 

     "You could've just knocked," Natalie opened the door, startling Big Red and making everybody else laugh. 

     With the plans on their hands, they walked into the now-empty auditorium. It was an intimidating place even like that, with the lights dim and the chairs empty and Juliette's hands began to sweat only from thinking about all the people that would be there to see them in a few weeks. 

     "Wait," Gina murmured, sitting down on the floor with the plans in front of her. The rest of them situated themselves around her to get a better look at what they had to do. "So, in the Broadway show, all they did was suspend the Beast in the air, and then he takes the mask off."

     "Wow, looks like today's theme is secrets," Juliette scoffed, making everyone turn to look at her. "Our ideas for the transformation were better than this."

     "Well, combine this with the wire from Get'cha Head in the Game, we're golden."

     As everyone dispersed to get things done, Juliette could not help but notice that neither Ricky nor Carlos were there to help them. Ironic when you think that the transformation was all about Ricky, but she didn't stop to think about it. While they were gossiping about Kourtney and Howie, however, Carlos's voice interrupted them, calling for Seb. Juliette only threw a small smile and a nod at him and closed the cirle, letting the boys talk. Apart from secrets, the day's theme was also surprises because, just in front of him, E.J. was talking with Gina and both of them had the hugest smiles Juliette had ever seen. 

     "Well, where's Richard?" Kourtney asked. "We need him to do this."

     Since nobody knew and he was not answering his phone, Nini offered himself to go looking for him, not wanting to put Juliette in the situation of having to face him. Her face fell, notwithstanding, when she heard what Ricky was doing. He was singing a song for Carlos and Seb, to fix their relationship. And, although happy for the couple of boys, Nini could not help by wonder why he hadn't put so much effort in saving his own realtionship, in not making the readhead feel the most insecure girl in the world. In making her feel worthy. She decided that it would be best for Juliette not to know about this so, instead of interrupting, she decided to go back to the auditorium and to explain that Ricky was talking with his mom on the phone. 

     Not much later, they managed to get the wire ready and Big Red called for Ricky. They had a Beast to transform and that better work because if not, they would have to keep awake all night to finish their initial plan.

     When Ricky stepped on stage, alongisde Carlos and Seb, both E.J. and Nini shot him a hard look, both with separate reasons. The boy ignored them, however, and put on the Beast mask as the girls helped him tie his harness. They were ready for this.

     "I, I, I..." he fake-gasped for air, pretending his death. 

     "Please, I love you..." Ashlyn whispered as Ricky choked and turned his head, signalling the end of his life. Big Red lifted him in the air and, just when everything seemed to be going great for the East High students, when everybody had their eyes on the prize, they heard a snapping sound. The next thing they knew, Ricky and Ashlyn were crying on the floor. 

     Everybody rushed towards them, trying to help them get up and praying for everything to be alright. 

     "Oh my God guys," Juliette whispered, "I think we need to go to the hospital."