— act one, scene six: off book

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     The trio decided to meet up at Big Red's house first thing in the morning to go over Ricky's brilliant new idea.  However, his two confidants weren't exactly... vibing with it.  

     "No.  Absolutely not," Big Red shook his head.  He was sitting in a chair in front of the TV in the basement while Megara sat back on the sofa, braiding a random strand of her dark hair out of boredom.

     "Okay, I know it's crazy, dude, but she has to see me in a whole new light."

     "Here we go again," Megara said, crossing her arms over her belly.  She slouched in a low-cut orange and white striped shirt with black jeans. 

     "You hate musicals," Big Red stated the obvious.

     "I don't hate musicals.  I just think it's weird when people, like, burst into song in the middle of the street," Ricky defended.  Megara scoffed, earning herself a glare.

     "Dude.  That's a musical," Big Red said.  Megara nodded along.

     "Okay, look.  I'm auditioning for this thing tomorrow, and nothing is gonna stop me."

     "Oh, except that there's something that could," Megara tilted her head in a sassy manner and kicked her feet up on the bean bag on the floor.

     Big Red nodded.  "Do you even know the plot of High School Musical?"

     "Of course!  It's about Zac Efron dancing with a basketball," Ricky shrugged.

     "It's not about Zac Efron dancing with a basketball," Megara groaned.

     "It's about the character, Troy, having to choose between being true to his friend, Chad, or following his heart with Gabriella," Big Red added with a smile.

     "Why do you know so much about High School Musical?"

     "They, play it on a loop at my allergist's office.  The point is, you're out of your league here, man.  All right?  You can't pull this off."

     "You don't even have the hair for it," Megara added.  Ricky tilted his head.  "Okay, I'm sorry, but even if you audition, it doesn't mean you'll get the lead!"

     "You should tell Savannah that."

     "You should stop changing the subject," Megara said as they both squinted their eyes, facing off.  "You wouldn't do it."

     "Oh yeah?" Ricky said, instantly reminding Megara of when they were younger and everything was a competition.  "Wanna bet?"

     Megara stood up, uncrossing her arms.  "You'll either chicken out before you get the chance to audition, or you'll drop out when you're cast and things get too hard," she walked over to Ricky.  Big Red watched the two with wide eyes but didn't make any attempt to stop them.  Megara took a deep breath, looking Ricky in his eyes.  For once, neither one looked away awkwardly.  He didn't roll his eyes or turn away.  He waited for what she was going to say.  "Are you sure?"

     Ricky nodded, squinting his eyes at her.  "Positive.  I can do this."

     Megara was quiet for a second.  "You're not intimidating at all."

     "Really?  Because you are.  You're like a big guard dog."

     "Guys!" Big Red said, the two turning their heads in surprise as they (kinda, mostly, totally) forgot he was there the whole time.

     "People! Make sure your audition number is clearly visible on your clothes.  This isn't a game!"

     Megara gently rolled her eyes as she turned back around to face Savannah.  "I can't believe you theatre people.  Anyways.  You're gonna do great.  Knock them dead."

     Savannah blushed.  "Thanks, Meg.  You're pretty sweet when you wanna be."

     "Tell anyone and you're done for," Megara grumbled.

     Ignoring her, Savannah pointed across the room where EJ and Nini were standing around.  "Look," Savanah said in a hushed voice.  The latter was wearing casual clothes instead of showing up in costume as her new boyfriend had.  They watched for a moment as they saw them giggling.

     "Well..." Megara tilted her head.  "She might have a chance at a bigger role this year.  There's not any forks or cows in this play, you know."

     Just as the somewhat kind words had left her mouth, she was able to see EJ actively glaring around the room.  "You know, I'm actually kinda bummed that we don't have any competition here. It would make getting the leads all the sweeter," he said. 

     "I never liked him, Sav," Megara said as she still kept her eyes trained on the couple, for some reason unable to look away.

     At this, Savannah scoffed.  "Are you serious?"

     Megara softly rolled her eyes, turning back to look at her friend.  "What?  You're too good for him," and before her blonde friend could get a word in, she shook her head.  "You know what? I'm gonna go find Red and Rick, peace out."

     As she expected, Megara predicted ninety percent of the auditions.  Ashlynn as Ms Darbus, Nini and the new girl both grasping for the same spot as Gabriella, EJ as Troy, as well as Savannah and Seb neck and neck for Sharpay.  But even after watching all of the auditions, Ricky still hadn't shown up.

     "If you don't show up in your skinny jeans in two minutes, they'll be done.  Where are you?" Megara spoke into the phone pressed against her cheek, some of the black nail polish on her index finger chipping away.

     "I swear, I'm on the way, I just had an accident—" Ricky gritted from the other side of the phone.

     Blinking rapidly, Megara shook her head.  "Not another word from you, Bowen!  Just get down here!"

     "Ugh," Ricky groaned, cut off early by the beeping sound of Megara hitting the red circle on the other line.

     Big Red squeezed Megara's shoulder as he leaned into her.  Usually, she was upset when someone entered her personal space, but she was growing accustomed to the ways Big and Red acted together and now with her since they had all been spending some time together.  "Where is he?  What if he doesn't show?"

     The two sat a few rows away from Miss Jenn and Carlos, and unfortunately not far enough to make sure their snickering about other auditions went unheard.  Every now and then, Carlos turned around to give them a glare, mostly Megara.  "You think he won't?" Megara said.

     "I just worry about him," Big Red shrugged, the two couldn't be any less interested in the announcements Miss Jenn was currently giving to the group of theatre kids.  Well, theatre kids plus Megara and Red.

     "Don't worry, he's coming, I can feel it," she answered.

     "Am I too late?  Am I too late?" Ricky came rushing through the auditorium, guitar case in one hand and his backpack jumping after him. 

     Megara relaxed her shoulders as she turned to Big Red.  "See, told you."

     "We're all set on Troys.  We're low on Chads.  You can read after the Gabriellas."

     "I only studied the Troy scenes in the movie," Ricky took a nervous deep breath.

     "Troy would have arrived on time," Carlos retorted.

     "Yeah, I don't think we watched the same movie," Megara said out loud, earning a couple laughs from the kids around them.  Carlos turned and squinted his eyes as he glared at Megara.  She appreciated the fact that he wasn't afraid of her, but she surely wasn't afraid of him either.  She merely crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows before he turned back around.

     Miss Jenn turned around to see where Carlos's gaze lay.  "Oh, it's you."  Megara flashed her teeth as she grinned at the teacher, who she'd almost knocked over in the hallway earlier when she skated by on her board between classes.  She was honestly surprised Miss Jenn hadn't sold her out for that yet.  Miss Jenn turned back to Carlos, patting his hand gently.  "Let me do the talking.  Okay, Nini, let's try this again."

     With Megara calling Ricky and really not paying attention to anything coming out of anyone else's mouths, she had failed to pay attention to the fact that Nini was currently on stage doing her best to audition.

     And then Nini auditioned, which took longer than expected due to a small power outage and then EJ and Ricky both took out their phone flashlights to create a makeshift spotlight for Nini like the weirdos they are.  "Wow," Big Red breathed in awe.  "Who doesn't love a good love triangle?"

     Megara rolled her eyes, holding the temple of her head and her chin with her index finger and thumb.  "I could really care less."

     "Well, thank you, Nini.  I only needed 32 bars, but I appreciate your commitment.  You, late boy.  Let's do the Chad sides."

     "Uhh," Ricky stood up, making eye contact with Megara and Big Red.  His lips twitched upward as he realized it was them.  He wanted to laugh at the way she and Big Red stuck two thumbs up each in support.

     "Hey, there. I'm Ricky Bowen. I'm a junior. And here goes."

     "Total wild card here," Carlos disclosed to Miss Jenn.

     "I don't understand, Troy.  What spell has this elevated-lQ temptress girl cast that suddenly makes you wanna be in musical?"

     There was a long pause while Ricky crumbled the piece of paper he'd been given in his hand — Megara twitched her eye at the thought of him only needing the paper to read one line — but it was more than obvious that he was struggling as he stood alone in the center of the room.  A couple of the kids started looking at each other in confusion.

     "Look, I just did it," Megara whispered to herself, her plump lips glossy in the moonlight-esque lighting in the drama room.

     Big Red turned to face the girl for a brief second, and at that moment it was clear what he was going to do, even if his mouth decided before his brain did.  So he repeated the girl but louder, bringing more attention to the two as he nearly shouted.  "Look, I just did it."

     "Excuse me?" Miss Jenn and Carlos seemed as confused as Big Red did at his own words because they all turned to the girl slouching in the chair with curiosity — including Ricky.

     "What next?" Big Red whispered to Megara.

     "Somebody's off-book?" Carlos whispered to Miss Jenn, unsure of the situation himself.

     Locking eyes with Ricky, Megara nodded towards his hand, where he held that crumbled paper.  Ricky looked down as he realized she was motioning to the script, so he quickly tried to straighten it out.  "Look, l just did it, who cares?" Megara asked from her comfy spot, only offering a shrug and no more explanation.

     Ricky nervously chuckled, going back to the "Who cares?  How about your most loyal best friend?  Look, you're a hoops dude, not a musical singer person. Have you ever seen Michael Crawford on a cereal box?"

     Megara decided to cut out the librarian's lines and cut back to doing her best Troy impersonation, even if it wasn't that great anyway.  "Who's Michael Crawford?" she cocked her head curiously.

     "Exactly my point," Ricky said enthusiastically.  "He was the Phantom of the Opera on Broadway.  Now my mom, she's seen that musical 27 times, and put Michael Crawford's picture in our refrigerator."  Ricky pointed his index finger towards the side of the stage, bringing a smile to Megara's face as she was glad he was getting into the idea of the scene.  "Yeah, not on it, in it.  So my point is, if you play basketball, you're gonna end up on the cereal box.  If you're in musicals, you'll end up in my mom's refrigerator."

     Megara thought they'd be satisfied with that, but then everyone turned to her as if expecting the next line.  Of course, she knew it.  "Why in her refrigerator?"

     "One of her crazy diet ideas," Ricky shrugged.  "l won't attempt to understand the female mind, it's foreign territory."  A couple of random chuckles from the kids seated sporadically across the room and floor.  "How can you expect the rest of us to be focused on a game if you're off somewhere in leotards singing ''Twinkle Town''?"

     She really had to admit that he was selling this distressed friend act.

     Again more looks were directed at her.  "No one said anything about leotards," Megara put a defensive hand up, earning a couple more chuckles.

     "Not yet, my friend, but just you wait.  Look, we need you, Captain, big time."

     WOAH.

     Ricky's eyes watched the tile under his feet as he walked fast, but Megara was right behind him.  Her wavy hair flew behind her as she turned the corner of the bright hallway.  "Hey, you alright?"

     Ricky spun around on his heel.  "I think I blacked out for a second there."

     Megara dug her hands into her jean pockets.  "I think you did great.  Really captured the role."

     "What do you mean?  You literally nailed Troy," Ricky's smile showed in the laugh lines around his eyes.

     Megara looked at the floor, her dark curls acting as a curtain to protect her from the immediate danger that was a noticeable blush across the apples of her cheeks.  "Me?  What about you?" Megara smiled, her perfect white teeth radiating in contrast next to her mauve lipstick.  She dug the heel of her boot into the floor of the school.  "She'd be crazy not to cast you."

     "Hey!" Nini announced her presence as she came from around the corner.  "What are you guys doing here?"

     "Uh," Megara turned her doe eyes to Ricky while sticking her tongue in her cheek.  "Helping a pal out?"

     "A pal?" Nini asked, eyebrows raised.

     Instantly, Megara was reminded of the first time Ricky Bowen was brought up in conversation, back in gym class years ago.  Megara's eyes looked all over the place as she had a hard time coming up with the right words.  She and Ricky were a lot alike in that way.  "Okay, I understand why you'd be mad—"

     "We're just auditioning," Ricky said for her.

     "You hate musicals."

     "That's a little harsh."

     "We got kicked out of The Greatest Showman because you kept yelling THAT'S NOT REALISTIC! at the screen," Nini argued.

     "That was the old me.  The new me thinks musicals are awesome," Ricky smiled.  Megara chuckled dryly, crossing her arms.  Ricky turned to her and shook his head, his smile contagious as it made Megara's lips turn upward, forgetting everything else for a quick moment before Nini kept talking.

     "Okay.  Well, let me tell you about the old me.  All right?  The old me had her heart broken.  Okay?  And then she went away, and she found herself.  And you don't get to show up now, just to try and confuse things."

     Megara's smile faded, soft lips sealed. "You think that's why I'm here?  No, no, Nini.  I always believed in you.  In us.  Even if I sucked at showing it.  That's why I'm here."

     "He learned the song," Megara added, tapping her nails on her forearm.  When Nini cocked an eyebrow at her, Megara nodded.  "Heard."

     "Clear!  Carlos is posting the cast list!" someone yelled, breaking through the awkwardness of the trio, and it was followed by a bunch of students rushing to the bulletin board.  Everyone gathered around, some pouting in annoyance that they didn't get the part they wanted; Savannah and Gina being among those people.

MISS JENN: Okay. In the old days, teachers would wait two, maybe, three days to announce the cast. But when you know, you know. It's called instincts. And when in doubt, always bet on the underdogs.

     "Chad?" EJ was the first to complain.  "She thinks I'm a Chad?"

     "Holy crap, guys," Big Red grabbed his best friends by their necks, following their gaze to the paper in front of them.  Megara and Ricky were stunned by the casting, the former being surprised that her name was even on the list.

     "I got... Kelsi?" Megara asked no one in particular.  "I actually got Kelsi."  Her eyes tore from the paper to see Ricky still dumbfounded.

     Buckle up, Wildcats.  Shit's about to get real.

#JJ
all i do is eat hot chip and create animosity!