𝐈𝐕𝐘 | ɢɪɴᴀ ᴘᴏʀᴛᴇʀ x ᴏᴄ

ᴀᴄᴛ ᴛᴡᴏ: ꜱᴄᴇɴᴇ ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ-ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ

ᴀᴄᴛ ᴛᴡᴏ: ꜱᴄᴇɴᴇ ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ-ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ

Previously on High School Musical: The Musical: The series...everyone seemed to spend some quality time during spring break with someone special. Well. Most... (Sorry Seb). Gina tried to take off on a flight, but, it failed, and ended up with me nearly doing something I'd regret (thanks, Nini).

Gina spills secrets I never thought existed. EJ becomes the child he always was, and Nini collabs with Ashlyn to make a song that slapped as much as the bridge of Cruel Summer. I said what I said.

Carlos dragged me along the corridor, walking towards Miss Jenn's office. She'd disappeared after Ricky and Ashlyn had just tried to work out the Beast transformation again, but Ricky still wasn't getting the mask off right, and was throwing it off in the distance for Natalie to catch, causing her to accidentally hit all three of the stage's trees I'd made in advance.

"She's going insane, right?" I asked him as we turned a corner.

"I wish I knew, Casey." The boy muttered before we walked in. "Knock-knock." Carlos said in a soft voice. "Are you okay?"

Miss Jenn was looking out the window as the two of us walked in, but when she turned to look at us, there was a face of anger and mourning showing. What the hell has happened in the two minutes of us walking down the corridor?

"It's time to face the music, Carlos." The teacher said, walking around to her desk as Carlos sat down, giving me an anxious look.

"What music?" He asked her, almost worried to ask.

"A source close to the administration has told me that North High has acquired the actual technical set design specs from the original Broadway production." My eyes went wide at the teacher's words as she sat down.

"Of course, they have..." I muttered, sitting down next to Carlos.

"I'm terrible at math, but I've done the math." Miss Jenn says. "Even if all our leads get a ten on performance..."

"Which, they will." Carlos pointed out.

"Our low-tech Beast transformation is not going to cut it." If I were looking away from Miss Jenn as she spoke, I could've sworn by her voice she was on the edge of tears. "There's no way we'll win best overall without at least an eight on technical achievement." She let out an exhausted sigh. "North High would have to get sevens across the board."

"Which they won't." Carlos added and I gave him a stare to tell him he was not helping the drama teacher's state of mind.

"I just don't want you kids to be disappointed." She told us, actually seeming to be close to tears, now. Her eyes darted to the back of the room, behind me. "High School Musical was wonderful." Carlos glanced back at the huge poster. "But it was not exactly..."

"A smooth going opening night?" I offered the end of the sentence with a grimace remembering how many character changes there were. Holy shit.

The teacher nodded, still not looking directly at us. "I think I may have been playing Troy at one point..." Girl, me too.

"Look," Carlos began. "our full tech rehearsal is tomorrow." Goody- only 24hours to fuck it all up. "We'll just practice until we're Broadway-perfect." The boy next to me told her.

"Of course, we will, honey." Miss Jenn said to him, and he nodded. "And while we're doing that, I will practice my gracious face for when Zackey and his gang of villains hoist that Menkie Award up high." While I had a concerned look to play for the teacher, she began to clap slowly, with the most fake, but realistic, smile on show. "Is this working?"

Yep, she's definitely going insane. I'm sure of it.

⊱⊰

The two of us strode into Slices, trying to catch our breath after the gay speed-walking we'd just done.

"There you are." EJ said while I caught my breath.

"You okay? Casey looks like she just did a mile run." Gina murmured.

"I'm fine..." I insisted, hand on my chest. "Never done that much paranoid speed-walking in one go." I told her.

"We all got your texts." Gina continued, looking us both up and down.

"You guys, Mother is freaking out." Carlos told them all.

"That is a very large understatement." I said, hands on my hips as I breathed out heavy. "She was practicing applauding with a smile in her office, and I am 80% sure I'm gonna have nightmares about it."

"It's about the Menkies." Carlos continued. "Is everyone sitting down?" Mostly everyone was standing up.

"No..." EJ murmured.

"We can't win." Carlos said bluntly and I sighed, exhausted with the drama the drama club went through. As they all muttered questions before he spoke over them again. "Listen, there's math involved. If we don't sweep the technical achievement awards, we don't have a chance." He then looked over at the boy. "And, no offense, Ricky, but..."

The moment of silence was filled with all heads turning to Ricky as he realised. "Ah, is this about the Transformation?" He asked us all. "'Cause I can throw that mask at someone other than Natalie." He said, pointed over at the girl in particular.

"You haven't, yet." She fired back.

"I hate to say this, you guys." Carlos said. "I mean, I know we all had a good time over spring break-"

"Some of us a little more than others..." Seb murmured.

"Not today." Carlos told the boy, and my eyes went wide at the fact the argument was still going on. "Honestly, we need to rally behind Miss Jenn. I mean, our sets are made of plywood and Elmer's Glue. We're humble. And, humble does not win awards."

"And after that order," All heards slightly turned to Kourtney's shouting to the kitchen. "you have one more, and then two more after that." She placed two juggs on the table in front of us before showing us all a huge grin. "Fresh soda. Y'all okay?"

"Carlos was just explaining..." Gina began.

"I heard it all." Kourtney told her.

"While you were yelling at Howie?" Gina asked her, eyes narrowed slightly.

"Multitasking..." Kourtney said, answering that fully. "Look, I'm a designer, Big Red's a crew guy, between the two of us, you're looking at your answer." She said to us all.

"Quit school, get a job at the pizza shop?" Seb asked, making me snicker for a second when I shouldn't have.

"Uh. No. We should invent something amazing." Kourtney corrected the boy. "Something we can run at tech rehearsal tomorrow night. A next-level transformation that out-broads Broadway and out-norths North High." She said before squealing, most chattering in agreement.

"Ashlyn, you have the biggest house." Nini said, turning to her. "What if I invite myself and the girls over after school, continue the collab thing?"

Ashlyn liked the sound of the idea and then EJ butted in. "I mean, square footage-wise, my house is slightly larger..." Gina nudged him with her shoulder and the two of us gave him a look. "Uh, I'm gonna shut up."

"A hundred percent, yes." Ash said to Nini.

"Wait, should we all stick together?" Gina asked and Nini was quick on reply.

"Oh, no way." She said, walking around the other side of Ashlyn. "Boys versus girls." She said with a grin.

Oh, fuck no to that idea. FUCK. NO.