𝐈𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭 𝐀𝐟𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐬| 𝗋𝗂𝖼𝗄𝗒 𝖻𝗈𝗐𝖾𝗇

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫

( 𝗂'𝖽 𝗌𝗁𝗈𝗈𝗍 𝗆𝗒 𝗌𝗁𝗈𝗍 , 𝗂'𝖽 𝗋𝗂𝗌𝗄 𝗂𝗍 𝖺𝗅𝗅 )

THE STUDENTS OF EAST HIGH were still moving things around to clear the stage. Some were chatting, others moving, but Mary's mind kept going back to Nini and Ricky.

Ricky and Nini. Nini and Ricky. It was always the two of them, never anyone else. It was the same between her and Atlas. It was always Mary and Atlas, Atlas and Mary. So then why did she feel so attached to Ricky. Was it because of summer? Was it because she had actual feelings for him? Was it because that when ever she saw him, she'd always smile?

She never did that with Atlas. When she saw Atlas her first instinct wasn't to smile, it was to say hi, kiss him and move on. With Ricky, she couldn't help but smile. It was her body's first reaction. And she couldn't stop.

Maybe she did like Ricky. Maybe more? She didn't know. She didn't know much about love other then she felt it when it came to Atlas. But when it came to Ricky, her feelings were indescribable and she hated it. Hated it because with Atlas it was black and white, with Ricky it was like a rainbow of feelings she couldn't pin point.

She didn't like complicated. She didn't like not knowing what she felt.

"Okay, we just need to nail done out lighting and out sound and ta-da, we have a show" Miss Jenn announced to the kids as she stood onstage. "Kelsi Neilson!" Miss Jenn called as Mary looked up from her script. "You being Gabriella's understudy, you'll read for the rooftop scene, now I need a Troy"

"I can do Troy" E.J spoke up and Mary instantly looked at Lina.

"No, I don't wanna play Gabriella with Caswell" Mary told Lina in horror, but Lina made Mary stand up.

Mary and E.J took the stage as Miss Jenn was asking about a light board and a light switch.

"Found it!" Big Red yelled as he pulled a switch and the light turned blue.

A few people screamed as they looked at the mannequins who had neon clothes on them.

"Sorry everyone!" Carlos apologized. "My uncle Ruben said there was gonna be some leftover stuff from the fashion show, I guess the theme was 80's rave?"

"In a nuclear reactor?" Ashlyn asked as the cast mates laughed at her joke while Mary looked at the neon things in horror.

"It's horrifying" Mary said to herself.

"Big Red, do we have anything more flattering?" Miss Jenn asked the very lost and confused boy.

"Uh, working on it!" He assured as Mary turned to look at Big Red trying to find a light switch.

"Use a spell Weasley!" Mary yelled at him and it was just in time because Big Red found the correct switch for the lightning.

"Perfect timing Red!" Lina clapped from the audience to him.

"Okay, Troy, basketball stuff, Gabriella, math stuff, nobody doesn't cry, and we end up here center stage" Miss Jenn listed off as the Mary and E.J flipped to the scene. "Gabriella, give us your cue"

Mary began reading off her script. "Remember in kindergarten, you'd meet a kid, know nothing about them, then ten seconds later, you're best friends?" She read in character with a smile.

"Yeah" E.J replied as Mary looked at her script before looking back up at E.J.

"Singing with you felt like that"