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"Do you really think they're both gonna make it to opening night?" Lilly asked, stretching on the floor as the trio sat in the corner talking as they watched the leads argue back and forth.

"I bet you 20 bucks he won't last a week." Zay answered, smirking down at the girl.

"Hmm. you got yourself a deal Mahar." Lilly grinned, shaking the boy's hand, making Esme roll her eyes.

"You guys are horrible people." Esme shook her head, smiling at the duo. "I don't know, I feel like they both will stick around."

"That comes from the people expert." Zay sarcastically spoke, causing Esme to hit his arm making him chuckle.

"Okay people." Carlos spoke up, gaining everyone's attention. "Let's take it from three counts of eight, right before Troy and Gabriella's entrance for the bows."

Everyone got up and moved out of the way as the dancers began taking their positions in front of Nini and Ricky.

"A five, six, seven," Carlos called, causing Seb to play the piano as everyone on the floor began dancing.

Then finally came to Ricky and Nini's entrance and you could tell Ricky was struggling with the dance.

"I'm sorry." Ricky apologized as he stopped dancing, causing Seb to trail off.

"What is he doing?" Nini asked, looking at Carlos as she gestured to the curly haired boy standing right beside her.

"Why are you talking to him? I'm right here." Ricky asked the girl, confused.

"'Cause you're not here..." Nini answered not even sparing the boy a glance. "Not for the right reasons."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Ricky questioned, sounding hurt.

"What I said Ricky. You hate musicals. " Nini pointed out, finally turning her attention to him. "You're only doing this so we're in each other's grills."

"Back to the dance, please!" Carlos interjected, stepping in between the fighting leads as he tried to usher them back to their starting position.

"Now you're rubbing some weird cologne on your neck." Nini adds, ignoring Carlos as she walks away still going back and forth with the Bowen boy, causing Carlos to walk away.

"Hey, you love Throb!" Ricky added as he followed her.

"And wasting everybody's time by making fun of something that the rest of us take seriously!" Nini snapped, ignoring Ricky's comment.

"Okay, that's five! On a break, people!" Carlos announces, turning to the rest of the cast and crew, ushering them towards the door. "Everybody out! Get out!"

Esme couldn't help but feel a slight pain for the Bowen boy as she watched his face fall as Nini spoke to him.

"Wowza." Zay spoke as the group emerged from the bunker, causing the other two to nod in agreement.

"You can definitely say that again." Esme muttered. "Shoot I forgot my sketchbook, I'll be right back."

"Don't get your arm bitten off by the piranha." Lilly jokes, causing Esme to chuckle as she shook her head, quickly making her way back towards the bunker.

As the girl was making her way around the corner when she felt herself collide with something hard, nearly knocking her over.

"Sorry." The boy apologized, holding the girl up by her waist as their eyes locked as he slowly let her go. "I should've looked where I was going. Just add it to the list of things I've done wrong."

"No, uh, it's totally fine." Esme said, sending him a small smile before it went quiet between the duo. "Uh, I don't mean to overstep any boundaries or anything but are you okay? I-I mean that was pretty intense in there?"

"Yeah, no I'm totally fine." Ricky nodded, causing the girl to nod. "Well, I should get going."

"Right. See ya." Esme smiled, stepping out of the boy's way.

"See ya."

"Hey, Ricky." Esme called, causing the boy to stop in his tracks as he looked back at the short girl. "Don't listen to what Nini said. You do belong here, I mean you wouldn't have gotten the part if Miss Jenn didn't believe so. All you need is a little practice."

Esme sent the boy a small smile before she turned around, continuing her way down the hallway.

A small smile grew on the boy's face as he turned, going the opposite way, glancing back at the girl once again before she disappeared down the hallway.

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"What do you guys think about this one?" Lilly asked, exiting her closet, holding up a white long sleeve blouse. "I want to seem like I'm trying for my mom even though I don't care at all."

"Maybe not that one then, it seems like you care." Zay spoke, causing the Ortiz girl to nod, making Lillianna let out a groan before she tossed it on the pile of clothes on her floor before she disappeared back into her closet. "How much longer are we gonna do this? You guys promised we could go to the skatepark tonight?"

"Not until I find the perfect outfit for this date with my mom and her new boyfriend!" Lilly snapped from inside the closet, causing the boy to quickly shut his mouth before she came back out with a smile and a green top."What about this one?"

"Hmm. definitely in the right direction." Esme commented, standing up from the bed as she grabbed the shirt from the girl before disappearing into the closet herself as Lilly plopped down onto her bed.

"Did you guys hear the way Nini was speaking to Ricky?" Lilly said, looking over at Zay. "I mean if I was in his shoes I would literally die of embarrassment."

"He's definitely gonna quit the show." Zay commented, causing Lilly to nod as Esme emerged from the closet with an entire outfit.

"Tada." Esme grinned, placing the outfit neatly on the bed beside the Reid girl. "And I don't know. I feel like Ricky's, not a quitter."

"What's this is Esme going soft for a boy?" Zay teased, covering his mouth.

"I have not. I..." Esme spoke, stumbling to find her words as she sat down on the edge of the bed, facing her friends. "It's just... this feeling I have."

"Whatever you say." Lilly smirked, causing Esme to grab a pillow as she threw it at the Reid girl, hitting her on her head, causing them all to chuckle.

"I thought we were going skating?" Esme quickly changed the subject.

"Finally." Zay groaned, quickly standing up from the chair in the corner of the room.

"Don't have too much fun without me." Lilly pouted, holding her hand out towards them.

"Oh, we definitely will." Zay teased, causing the girl to chuck the pillow at him as Esme chuckled.

"Very funny. Out." Lilly pointed towards the door, causing the boy to hold his hands up in surrender as he made his way towards the door.

"Love you, miss you already." Esme blew the girl a kiss as Lilly sadly waved as the Ortiz girl made her way out the door after Zay.

Lilly let out a loud groan as she fell backwards onto her bed.

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Esme sat on the stairs as she watched Zay skate around on the floor, letting out a cheer as he did a trick on one of the ramps.

"Esme?" A boy questioned, stopping on his way down the stairs right beside the girl, causing her to quickly look up to find Ricky.

"Oh, hey, Ricky!" Esme smiled at the boy.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Ricky asked, confused.

"My friends and I come up here all the time." Esme explained, nodding towards the Mahar boy as he made his way around the floor.

"How come, I've never seen you here before?" Ricky asked, causing the girl to shrug.

"I don't know, I'm not up here as often as them." Esme spoke, causing the boy to nod. "So is it true? Are you actually quitting the show?"

"Not officially but, yeah. I guess you can say so." Ricky answered, placing his backpack on the ground.

"Well that's too bad." Esme admitted, causing the boy to glance over at her. "I mean having you there kinda gave the department a whole new meaning. I mean you kinda keep everyone on their toes."

"It's probably better to have someone there who can actually keep time. That five-and-six stuff." Ricky explained, causing the girl to let out a light chuckle.

"You mean the dancing." Esme smiled. "You don't need anyone to tell you how to move. You move at your own pace."

"Right. Thanks." Ricky trailed off, giving the girl a look before putting his helmet on as he made his way onto the floor.

"Did you see that!" Zay excitedly exclaimed, rushing up to the girl with a giant smile, causing her to nod with a smile, glancing over his shoulder to the Bowen boy as he skated away before she turned her attention back to her friend.

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