𝐎𝐍 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐄 - 𝐡𝐬𝐦𝐭𝐦𝐭𝐬 (𝐢𝐢) | ✔

thirty-two

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thirty-two: at the end of the day
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     Yeah, Juliette will never learn. At the moment, the whole cast and crew was rummaing through the backstage, desperately trying to find Ricky's harness for the transformation. The music was already playing, their final act costumes were ready and none of them knew where the damn harness had gone.

     "You guys, the orchestra hasn't vamped this much since Bop to the Top," Carlos hurried them.

     "Okay, was anyone other than us here in the backstage?" Natalie asked, trying to think of someone who could have taken the harness.

     "My brother came visiting," Gina mentioned, "but he would never take it."

     "I talked with Howie on the hallways," Kourtney continued.

     "Lily came to wish good luck," Ricky finished, her voice failing, "but she has changed, she didn't take it."

     "Yeah, well, let me doubt that," Juliette spat, her heart racing. She couldn't believe this was happening to them.

     "You should learn to forgive, you know?" Ricky replied in the same tone.

     "I will whenever she earns it," she concluded. "I can't believe you're defending her."

     "I can't believe you're attacking her just because you find her threatening," he answered, immediately closing her eyes in regret. Ricky had the habit of not thinking before speaking, which usually led to people getting hurt, but they had no time for apologies now.

     "What's wrong?" Miss Jenn entered the room.

     "My harness is missing," Ricky explained in between all the voices.

     "What!? No, no, this can't be happening," she put her hands on her face. "For heaven's sake, can't you just off something high!?"

     The whole room fell silent at Miss Jenn's words, all eyes travelling to Ricky as Miss Jenn ran out of the room. Juliette, completely forgetting their previous argument, approached the boy and put a hand on his arm.

     "Hey, this is not your fault, okay?" she whispered, making Ricky look down at her. "We'll think of something."

     "Sorry for yelling," he replied, "you know I..."

     "It's okay, Ricky, it doesn't matter," she clarified. Both of them knew, however, that Ricky's words had hurt the girl. But there were more important things to do know.

⊱ ────── {.⋅ ♫ ⋅.} ───── ⊰

     Luckily, Nini had taken her role as their saviour once again and had suggested doing their initial transformation. Ricky and Juliette would have to work together to get the mask-tossing right. To say that Juliette was sweating profusely would be an understatement. She was on the brink of fainting, worried that she would not be able to catch the stupid mask and that the failure of the play would fall on her.

     Both teenagers walked side by side, their minds racing with everything that could go wrong at that particular moment. 

     "Okay, just... aim at my face. I'll catch it," Juliette tried to calm herself while talking to Ricky. However, the previous argument, the certainty that North High had something to do with this and the fact that this transformation had never turned out right were eating her alive.

     "You got this. We got this," Ricky assured her, putting an arm around her shoulders and bringing the girl closer to him. Juliette felt herself warming inside. "It's now or never."

     Ricky got on stage, quickly going over his lines, as Juliette positioned herself in her designated wing, ready for that mask to hit her in the face. In the meantime, E.J. put himself by her side just in case the girl, who was looking paler than she already was, actually fainted. However, and to everyone's surpise, Ricky and Juliette knew how to communicate with just a quick glance and the transformation went smoothly, nobody noticing that that was the first time they had got it right.

     Hiding their emotion until the scene was done, Juliette and Ricky smiled to each other even when the only thing they wanted was to engulf each other in a hug.

     The play was over sooner than expected and, before any of them could realize it, they had all the lights on their face as they bowed to the audience. Their claps collapsed their ears as they squeezed each other's hands, glad that they had managed to get through one more performance, even with all the added pressure they had had on this one.

     On her way to the backstage, Juliette bumped into a sad-looking E.J., who had remained separate from the rest of the group. Leaving Nini and Ashlyn behind, once more congratulating them on their performance, she approached her best friend, figuring that he would most likely be sad about him leaving East High soon.

     "Hey, senior-moment sadness?" she softly asked, putting her hand on his upper-arm. "Cheer up, you have a date to get to."

     "Yeah, I don't think that's happening anymore..."

     "Wait, why? What happened?"

     "She thinks of me as a big brother. As a big brother, Juliette," he looked up at her, his face of disappointment breaking Juliette's heart.

     "Oh my God but... she... I could have sworn she really liked you," he looked at him, completely confused.

     "Yeah, well, apparently not," he whispered. "But hey, I'll see yoy later at Slices, yeah? I think there's someone waiting for you."

     He kissed her forehead and left her there. Taking the hint that he needed to be alone for a moment, she turned around only to find Ricky in front of her with a huge smile on his face. "The transformation looked amazing," he hugged her, clear excitement on his voice. "I knew you could do it."

     "It was all team work," she hugged him back, closing her eyes in the process. God, how did she miss Ricky's hugs, especially in the nights in which she could not sleep or had had a bad day. "You really did amazing out there, Ricky."

     "So did you, Juli. It's only a matter of time that you start getting the leading role," he smiled, looking down at her. 

     "Speaking of time, I think it is time for this," she took out her card from her back pocket and gave it to Ricky, at the same time that he gave her his. Ultimately, they both decided to read it aloud. "Dear Juliette, I know it's been quite a journey but I'm so glad to be where we are. Here's to second acts and new beginnings. Love, Ricky."

     "Dear Ricky," he read, pausing to laugh at the fact that they had written very similar things. "Ours has been a long story but I hope this is not the end of it. You are one of the best persons I have ever met and I I love you more than you could ever think. What a plot twist you have been, Ricky Bowen. Love, Juliette."

     The two stood there, looking at each other. Neither of them knew how to said so, instead, they remained quiet as they approached each other. Hugging each other once more, enjoying each other's very well-known scents, Ricky leant down and kissed Juliette softly. The familiar taste of her chapstick and the nearly memorised movements of her lips put him at ease, especially after everything that they had lived that night.

     In a single semester, they had began and ended their relationship and, in between, they had experienced countless of emotions and adventures that had truly shaped them as persons. Both of them had learnt that, to love, sometimes you need to let go. That kiss tasted like goodbye, at least for the moment. Maybe more like a very long 'until we find each other again', because both of them knew, hoped, that, no matter what, they would always find their way to each other. 

     They were, at the end of the day, Ricky and Juliette.