Showtime

2. Read- through

[Avni: So, obviously I got Sharpay, and EJ and Gina did get Troy and Gabriella- almost. I guess they impressed Miss Jenn- just not enough? But Ricky and Nini are now the leads, which means *facepalm*]

Avni watched as Ricky watched EJ and Nini talk in the middle of the now transformed bomb shelter during break time.

The tension was palpable- but watching Ricky and EJ begrudgingly hold hands was probably the funniest thing ever. And when-

"You as Sharpay is everything," Ashlyn exclaimed from behind Avni, interrupting her trian of thought.

Avni chuckled in response, "Thank you. And you're going to be such a revelation as Darbus."

"Hey- cool glasses," The boy playing Ryan (Seb?) said to Ashlyn. He seemed oddly familiar.

"Thanks, they're my grandma's."

"I have the same ones at home," he replied.

"Do I know you? You look familiar," Avni butt in.

"Oh, my family and I come to your Dad's restaurant every other Sunday."

"Oh my gosh, yeah! Always take the spiciest food too. I remember when I was seven and your mother walked in the first time. No offense, but I don't think I've ever seen a woman like her down our spiciest biryani like that."

"Yeah, she talked about it for like a month," Big Red laughed from behind Avni.

"Well, you were the one who thought you could do it too and-"

Avni stopped, as she saw him flushing in embarrassment.

"Let's just say he didn't make it to school the next day," Avni finished.

♡♡♡♡♡

"C'mon, Avey I need help," Ricky plead.

He'd shown up at Avni's front door after Nini had yelled at him at rehearsal earlier today, and he'd allegedly quit the show.

"I just need to learn the steps for tomorrow. I want to impress Nini- and show her that I'm not a quitter."

Avni scoffed.

"What?" Ricky asked, affronted.

"I don't know, Ricky- I kind of agree with her-"

"That's a first."

"You've never been interested in theatre and now you're doing all this for the wrong reasons. It would've been fine if it was just a minor role or something- but you're playing the lead- and you're taking it too lightly."

"I'm not- I'm asking for help so I can do better."

"You're not a theatre kid, Ricky. You're going to have to work twice as hard- and I would rather you did it because you wanted to put on a show- just like everyone else. Not because you want to impress a girl."

"This isn't just any girl- this is Nini-"

"Darvajyavar kon aahe, Avni? 1" Avni's dad's voice boomed.

"It's just Ricky," Avni replied.

"Aat ghe mag tyala! 2"

Avni ignored him, "Look, Ricky-"

"I get it- you think I'm doing this for the wrong reasons because it's for a girl-"

"I'm worried because you're doing this for Nini. I'm not sure she's worth it," Avni admitted. Ricky furrowed his eyebrows, inviting her to go further. "I'm just trying to make you see that this experience doesn't necessarily have to end in heartbreak. You could really find yourself here. Theatre has that effect on people."

Ricky smiled, "I won't get hurt. This is going to work."

Avni knew that it would, and that's what scared her the most.

"Okay, I'll help you. But where did the sudden motivation come from?"

"Oh, um, the new girl, Gina sort of talked to me?"

"I'm sorry, what?"

♡♡♡♡♡

"Gina!" Avni called right as the other girl was slipping into her own class for first period.

Gina wheeled around, "What do you want?"

"You talked to Ricky about getting him back into the play?"

She shrugged, "I might've."

"Why in the world-"

"Honestly, Avni, your advice has been pretty shit so far. So excuse me for not caring."

Avni scoffed, "My advice was what got you that understudy role in the first place. And now that Ricky is back on, there's nothing stopping Ricky and Nini from doing the whole show. I've known them for a long time- they always work well together, even when they don't want to. Now if you would've let Ricky go, EJ would've stepped up for Troy, and breaking up EJ and Nini is significantly easier. You would've been Gabriella by the end of the wee-"

"Is that why you taught Ricky all the steps last night? Yeah, Carlos told me- and there's no way he did that on his own."

Avni, for one of the few times in her life, had no answer.

Gina just smiled and walked away.

Ughh.

♡♡♡♡♡

"...just not under Zac. I'm hoping I can get him to write something special if I ever meet him. You know, one Troy to another." EJ's voice said.

"EJ, Ricky hasn't quit the show," said Miss Jenn.

Avni was walking to class when she overheard the conversation. She leaned outside Miss Jenn's office, arms crossed. When EJ came out and spotted her, she quirked her eyebrows at him.

He groaned and made to get away.

"What was that?" Avni whispered, eyes wide, following him towards the end of the hallway.

EJ sighed and plopped down on the floor by the far wall, Avni sat down beside him.

"What is going on with you?"

He flushed, "I don't know- I guess I'm just thrown."

Avni furrowed her eyebrows, "By Ricky?"

"I really wanted this lead role, Avey. And I know Ricky's your best friend and all but I wanted Ricky to not get it even more. And now everything's just-" he huffed. "I really wished you hadn't seen me do that," he buried his face in his hands. "I just get so intense sometimes."

Avni half- laughed. "Look who you're talking to. I'm no stranger to intense."

He smiled down at her. "I sometimes wonder if I would be so upset over these things if I were just- me, you know? Without my Dad's voice in my head all the time."

"It used to be my Aai's 3 voice in my head. And I used to think- well she won't be around my whole life. Which is ironic because now she actually isn't here, but it's my voice in my head saying her words. That pressure just got internalised and now I can't shake it. So- I'm not above a little bit of cheating," Avni admitted.

"Oh?"

"You know, when you know you're going to fall short and there's nothing you can do about it- it can get-"

"Frustrating."

"Yeah."

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A/n

1- Who's at the door, Avni?

2- Well, bring him inside!

3- Mom's

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