Didn't Know It Before( An EJ Caswell/HSMTMTS Fanfiction)

Chapter Twenty-Five: Thanksgiving

After the show almost fell apart and Miss Jenn almost got fired...it seemed like everything was finally coming together.

We were in our last rehearsal before Thanksgiving break, running 'The Start of Something New' with full blocking and choreography, which...was rough if I'm being totally honest, but Nini and Ricky were finally connecting on a level that we hadn't seen from them yet and it was amazing.

The song was cut off by the ringing of the bell, and EJ stood up.

"Yes! Yes, whoo!" He yelled. We all looked at him and I furrowed my eyebrows at him. "Sorry, I really love Thanksgiving." I smiled as he sat down on the risers again., beginning to gather his stuff.

"Ok, hold on!" Miss Jenn called. "I know everyone is excited for the holiday break, but I'm me and I have notes. Ricky and Nini, that was good, but it could be better. She said in the spirit of holiday cheer."

"Good save." Carlos whispered.

"Your homework over this break, all of you, is to please go on vocal rest. Megan, I'm looking at you." Everyone laughed at this and I sighed. "And go over your lines too, which is hard to do on vocal rest, but make it work. And remember, may nothing ever block your doorway to happiness."

"Excuse me!" I looked up to see Mr. Mazara standing in the doorway.

"Ok, starting now." Miss Jenn stated.

"Oh, don't mind me, I just came to return a missing item. Ashlyn," I furrowed my eyebrows as she turned around, "Cannot have our robotics team co-captain going home without her binder over the break." I raised my eyebrows and she smiled confidently, holding the binder to her chest and walking over to me.

"Robotics Team Co-Captain?" I asked.

"There's a lot you don't know about me." She pointed out. "And there's a lot I don't know about you, considering one minute you hated my cousin's guts and now you're acting like boyfriend and girlfriend."

"She didn't hate my guts," EJ denied, wrapping an arm around my shoulders, "Did you?"

"No, I didn't hate your guts." I said, wrapping my arms around his waist. "I just wanted to punch you...in the face...really really hard." Ashlyn chuckled at this, and I smiled up at EJ, who held his hand up in a 'surrender' position.

"Message received."

"Thank you Benjamin," I heard Miss Jenn say, "And I hope you have a lovely Holiday with whoever could possibly love you."

"Oh, well in fact, I will be enjoying three varieties of Peach Cobbler with a loving family so large, we're renting out the Rotary Club." Mr. Mazara shot back.

"Well, I'm sure it can't compare to the candied yam bake-off that we throw every year in my home, but I wish you joy, nonetheless."

"And I wish you had some Joy too."

"Ugh, Cobbler sounds so nice." Carlos said. "My family usually has three protein courses, and then everybody's asleep by six."

"My folks start eating at dawn and they barely make it past the Macy's parade." Big Red threw in.

"Well at least your folks are sticking around," Ashlyn said, "EJ's parents are treating my parents to a spa in Park City after dinner tomorrow. They told us to try and have a 'meaningful night at the movies'."

"Yeah...my parents had a big case come up last minute so my Thanksgiving is going to consist of frozen pizza and a case of Mountain Dew." I pointed out. They all looked at me with sad eyes. "No! No, its ok! Its fine I'm...I'm used to it, by now."