dreaming like we'll live forever (but live it like it's now or never)

no grave can hold my body down

Carlos dreads lab days in physics.

It was every Friday, tacking the 45 minutes that would be his study hall onto his class.

And the assignments were always partner work. You would think after two years of having him in his class, Mr. Mazzara would begin to understand that Carlos doesn't exactly have friends.

Well, he does have friends now. He has the people in the show. But most of them are in the grade above him. The ones that are in his grade, like Gina and Ashlyn, are in the honors class. (Why they chose to take honors physics of all classes is beyond him.)

Nevertheless, it leaves Carlos alone and, by default, partnerless for all of their lab assignments.

It was Halloween this particular Friday, and Carlos wanted nothing more than to just go home, change out of his Halloween sweater, (it was black with two skeletons dancing together) and into his costume, (he was dressing up as the little March of the Falsettos character from Falsettos, respectively,) for the cast Halloween party that Ashlyn was throwing.

Unfortunately, before he could do that, though, he had to face the living nightmare that was his physics lab.

He takes a seat in the front of the classroom, gathering his notebook and pen and just hoping that someone will feel bad enough for him that they invite him to their group.

Carlos is met with no such luck, though. When Mr. Mazzara calls for people to partner up, he's once again left to do the lab on his own.

That is until another figure appears next to him.

Literally appears. The seat next to him that was once empty is now being occupied by a certain blonde-headed spirit.

Seb Matthew-Smith had been following Carlos around for a year now, ever since he choreographed their fall production of High School Musical his sophomore year. From what Carlos has gathered, it was in high school when they were filming the original movie. It was some accident in the theatre that... you know ... and caused him to be cursed to the auditorium.

He also didn't appear until Carlos showed up, leaving them technically the same age. (Where he was before he showed up, Carlos is still trying to figure that one out.)

"Need a hand?" the ghost asks, leaning forwards.

Carlos is still surprised to see him here. So far, he hasn't been able to leave the auditorium. Most of their conversations have taken place before or after rehearsals, or any other time he's been able to sneak out of class.

And yet, there he sits in Carlos's physics class.

He's about to ask how Seb even got here, before remembering he's still technically in class. Talking to himself probably wouldn't go over great with his peers.

Instead, he turns to his teacher. "Mr. Mazzara, can I go work in the hall?"

Thankfully, the lab they're working on is about speed-conversions and requires them to walk and hop around, (when are the people who make these things going to start making them with actual useful skills? If Carlos wanted to speed-walk, he wouldn't be trying to skip gym every day, ) so Mr. Mazzara gives him the go-ahead.

He gathers his phone, lab sheet, and pencil case, before subtly motioning for Seb to follow him out of the classroom.

"How did you get over here?" he asks the boy, not even batting an eye when the door passes straight through him. "The science wing is like, all the way on the other side of the school from the theater."