" So, Ricky, are you trying out for the musical?" Ellie asks him, part of her hoping that he would but part of her knew that he wasn't going to try out. Ricky just seemed like the type of person that hated musicals.

Ricky shrugged his shoulders as he held his guitar case in his left hand. " Musicals aren't my favorite thing, but yeah, I'm trying out for this one. Are you trying out? You should, Ellie. You're really talented. And I'm not just saying that 'cause you stole my guitar." he mentally hits himself for even saying the last part. " I mean - you didn't steal my guitar, that's not what I meant to say it's just -"

Ellie chuckles and picks up her brother's music folder from off of the table. " I know what you meant. And I'm planning to try out. But with me being stupidly shy I doubt I'll even get an extra. You're the first person besides my family and my brother's band that had heard me play guitar and sing."

Ricky looks at her with surprise, thinking that someone with such talent would be more social. He shakes his head. " Well, you really are talented. And I bet you're not stupidly shy."

Ellie smiled at the compliment but she narrowed her eyes at his last statement. " Ricky, every time I try to talk to someone I clam up and run the other way before I even get to the person. You're the first person my age I've had a real conversation with in a long time." her eyes widened as a light pink of embarrassment covered her face. " I can't believe I just said that outloud."

Ricky chuckles and she freezes in her spot as he takes a step closer to her. " Well, you're talking to me right now aren't you? And you haven't run away yet so I think you're making progress."

She shakes her head and crosses her arms while bouncing on the ends of her feet, trying to not show him that she was freaking out on the inside. She pointed to the doors. " You have no idea how much I want to run out of this auditorium right now."

Ricky smiled at her. " You should try out for the musical. I'll be there to cheer you on. Just don't think of everyone staring at you while you're the only one singing."

Ellie stared at him with wide eyes full of panic. " Was that suppose to calm me down?!"

Ricky's eyes widened as he looked around frantically, not really knowing what to do. " Um, yeah, I guess. I'm sorry. Just, don't worry. Take a deep breath before you sing and keep your eyes close the whole time if you have to." he quickly says, hoping that would calm her down and he smiled seeing her taking a deep breath and so he continues. " And if that doesn't work, um, just look at something that will keep you grounded during the song so you won't panic."

Ellie slowly nods as she looks at him. " Okay, yeah, yeah, I think that should work. Thank you."

Ricky tilts his head to the side. " Why are you thanking me?"

" For not yelling at me for using your guitar and for helping me figuring out ways to calm down while I audition." Ellie told him and for some reason butterflies formed in her stomach as he smiled at her.

" You're welcome." Ricky said.

Ellie glances back at the folder that she was holding in her hands. " I should probably head back to the Art room. I uh, got a painting to finish."

The smile that Ricky had on his face fell as she said that since he wasn't ready to be done talking to her. " Yeah, you go do that." he awkwardly pointed at her.

She looked at him weirdly then she chuckled and shook her head. " I'll see you later, Ricky."

The smile went right back on his face as Ellie said that and he nods. " Yes you will." He watched as she walked out of the auditorium and scolded himself for acting so awkward with her as he leaves the auditorium.

****

After finishing her painting Ellie gets home minutes later. She leans against the front door once she was inside and it was closed.

Andrew, who was walking out of the living room, looked at her with a raised brow, noticing the dreamy look she had on her face and he immediately decided he didn't like it. " Oh no, that's a new look. I don't like that look. What happened?"

" I met someone. He's named Ricky." Ellie admits.

Andrew's eyes widened and he lets out a dramatic gasp. " You actually talked to someone and didn't run away as if you're afraid of people?"

Ellie glares at him and he raises his arms up in defense. " Okay, okay. What I'm trying to say is, that I'm proud of you. Now you have a friend that's your age!" he said and then his eyes widened as he realized what she said. " Wait a second, did you just say he? You had to meet a boy out of all people?! And out of all names his is Ricky?"

She rolled her eyes. " You need to stop being so protective of me, Andy. He was nice and told me I was talented."

Andrew raised a eyebrow. " Why did he tell you that?"

" I may or may not have played his guitar that was left in the auditorium when I went to get your music." Ellie admits.

Andrew's eyes widened and he scolded her, not believing that she did such a thing. " Ellie!"

Ellie sheepishly smiles and shrugs her shoulders. " I apologized and he was nice about it. Everything went fine."

She walked to the stairs. " Is mom home?"

" She's at work until closing remember?" Andrew says and Ellie nods.

" I also ordered pizza for dinner. 'Cause I'm too lazy to cook." he added.

Ellie chuckled. " That doesn't surprise me. Are you trying out for the musical tomorrow?"

Andrew lets out a loud laugh before he looked at her with a serious face and said, " No. Come on Ells, you know I don't do musicals. Just because you force me to watch them doesn't mean I like them."

Ellie shrugs her shoulders. " Just thought I would ask. Oh, here's your music." she hands him the red folder and he thanked her as she walks up the stairs to her room.

****

It was soon the next day and Ellie have been beyond nervous the whole day. Her friends and family keep telling her that she will do fine with the auditions but she just couldn't help think that she might mess up during the auditions.

The bell rang for the end of class Ellie was currently in. She got up from her seat in the back as the Principal spoke over the intercom reminding everyone of the auditions for the musical were in five minutes.

Putting her backpack on her shoulders she looks over to her right to see that Ricky was having trouble with his computer.

She walked over to him. " Hey, Ricky."

Ricky jumps and looks over at her with wide eyes. " Ellie! Um, uh," he glances back at his computer that had the music video of Start of Something New was paused on his screen.

Ellie looks at his computer screen as well and tilts her head to the side. " Why were you watching the music video of Start of Something-"

Her voice was cut off because Ricky quickly covered her mouth with his hand as he looked around frantically. " Ssh! I don't want the whole classroom to hear you!"

Ellie narrows her eyes at him and takes his hand off of her mouth and crosses her arms over her chest. " Why not? You have a reputation to keep?"

Ricky sighs as he shrugs his shoulders. " Uh, not really, it's just, it would be sort of embarrassing if I got caught with this," he pointed to the screen. " with someone who would make fun of me for watching it."

Ellie rolled her eyes. " You shouldn't care what other people think of you, Ricky."

Ricky raised an eyebrow at her. " Why don't you take your own advice?" he asks her and she looks at him with confusion.

He nods. " I know about your Art projects. I've seen you do them in class and I know you don't sign your name on them because you don't want people to criticize you and your artwork and anyone who would criticize your artwork would be crazy but you're really talented."

Ellie stared at him with wide eyes and she was sure her face was beat red. She felt like her heart was beating a hundred miles per hour and she couldn't believe Ricky knew about all of that. She didn't even know that Ricky knew who she was.

She swallowed nervously after finding courage to say something. " I, uh, I better get to auditions. Good luck with..." she gestures to the computer. " That."

Ricky's lips curved downward as Ellie quickly leaves the room. " Ellie, wait!" he calls out to her but she was already out the door leaving him with Mr. Mazzara.

Ellie gets to backstage where a lot of things were happening. There were so many people there and they all looked so much more talented than herself. Maybe she should just sign up to work backstage. She couldn't fail with working with lights or the sound system.

" Hi, are you here to try out?" a boy with glasses asked her. She remembers seeing him with Ms. Jenn yesterday at the assembly and remembers that his name was Carlos.

She nods and puts a smile on her face. " Yeah, I hope I'm not late."

He smiled at her and handed her a piece of paper that had a number on it. " Oh, not at all. We're just getting ready. Here's a number and good luck."

Ellie took the paper from him and smiled nervously. " Thank you."

He nodded and walked off, leaving her to take a deep breath to try and calm her nerves. She looked around the room, rolling her eyes at seeing E.J. in a Troy Bolton costume which doesn't surprise her.

" Ellie, you made it!" a voice said and she looked over to see Avalon and Trevor walking over to her with numbers on both of them.

She lets out a breath of relief, happy that she knows someone that is going to be auditioning for the musical.

" I'm surprise that you're here." Trevor said as Ellie and Avalon sent him a look. He moves over to stand besides Ellie and wraps an arm around her shoulder. " But I'm also happy that you're here."

Ellie chuckles. " Trevor, do you have your guitar with you?" she asks as Trevor takes his arm off of her shoulder. " Yeah, I'm using it for my audition, why?"

Ellie bites her lower lip nervously as she looks at him. " Would you be okay if I borrowed it for my audition after your done?"

Trevor nods and smiles at her. " Yeah, of course."

She lets out a relieved sigh. " Thank you."

After watching countless people audition she knows that this was a mistake for wanting to audition.

Trevor and Avalon did amazing with their auditions like she knew they would, she had no doubt that they would be awful with their auditions and she hopes they get a part. She was hoping that Ricky would be there but she hadn't seen him yet and she was starting to think that he was lying to her about auditioning.

" Elliot Hutcheson." Ms. Jenn called out, looking around the auditorium for whoever Elliot Hutcheson is.

Ellie cringes at hearing her name, wishing that her parents didn't name her a boys name. She took a deep breath and stepped out from the shadows while carrying Trevor's guitar he let her use. " Um, I actually go by Ellie. So, uh, just call me Ellie, please."

Ms. Jenn gives her an encouraging smile. " Alright, Ellie. It's your turn."

She looks at each of the people that were sitting in front of her and she smiled nervously. " Um, hi, I'm Ellie Hutcheson and I'm a junior. I don't really have a specific part I'm auditioning for, I'd be happy with anything."

She looks over at where Trevor and Avalon were sitting and they both give her two thumbs up and that was all the encouragement she needed to start.

She cleared her throat as she looked forward at Ms. Jenn and Carlos. " I'll be singing Capsize by Frenship and Emily Warren."

She took a deep breath as she closed her eyes and started playing.

(start video at 0:17 & end it at 0:40)

" I'm fine. Drop tears in the morning.

Give in to the lonely. Here it comes
with no warning.

Capsize, I'm first in the water. Too
close to the bottom.

I'm right back where I started, said
I'm fine."

She finished playing and she open her eyes, shocked to see and hear people were clapping and cheering for her. Did they actually like her?

She didn't think she had talent but everyone clapping and cheering for her, Trevor and Avalon being the loudest out of everyone, made her think that maybe she does have talent. Or maybe they were only clapping and cheering to be nice but whatever the reason they were doing it was it felt nice. She smiled and took a bow.

The cheering slowly faded and she looked forward seeing that Ms. Jenn was already looking at her with a bright smile, a smile that made her smile back. Ellie walked to the back stage where Trevor and Avalon met up with her.

" That was amazing!" Avalon hugged her but it was difficult since Ellie was still carrying Trevor's guitar.

" Hey! Girls! Watch out for the guitar." Trevor said and reached forward, grabbing his guitar from Ellie and wrapped his arms around it in a protective manner.

As the girls pulled apart from the hug they rolled their eyes at Trevor. Trevor sent Ellie a sheepish smile. " But good job! You did really good out there."

Ellie shrugs her shoulders. " Thanks. And thank you for letting me use your guitar."

Trevor smiled. " You're welcome."

" I'm gonna go. I don't wanna stay and watch other people that are much better than me." Ellie said as she walked out of the backstage and into the hallway.

" I can't believe I just did that." she mumbles as she ran her hand through her blonde colored hair.

" Well believe it," a voice says and she lets out a surprise gasp as she turns around since she thought that she was alone but her lips form into a smile seeing it was only Ricky.

Ricky smiled at her and continued to speak. " because that was awesome."

Ellie's lips curled into a shy smile as blush grew on her cheeks she looked away shyly hoping that Ricky wouldn't see her blush but he did. He just didn't mention it although he did thought it was cute.

" Thank you." Ellie said and after the blush went away she looked back at him.

And that was how Ellie realized that she was starting to fall in love with someone that just broke up with someone else.

A/N yay another chapter is up! I hope you guys liked this chapter bc honestly I did. tbh I'm shipping trevor & avalon if you haven't already noticed lol.