"Wait, so I was right?" Maeve asks Tabitha while they walk out of the school at the end of the day. Maeve grins. "So this is what it feels like to be right."

Tabitha just told her about what Gina did in practice and she told her how she told Nini that Gina was the one who took her phone. Nini was so relieved that someone knew where her phone was and was thankful Tabitha told her.

"Yeah, you were." Tabitha responds. "I also told Nini about what happened."

"That's a good thing to do." Maeve smiled.

Tabitha suddenly stopped her walking when she noticed EJ's car parked out front and saw he was talking with Ashlyn. She also noticed he had Nini's phone.

Maeve didn't know she stops which causes her to accidentally bump into her. Maeve tilts her head to the side, starting at Tabitha with confusion. "Okay, why did you stop suddenly?"

Tabitha didn't say anything and just nodded her head in the direction where EJ is at. Maeve looked in front of them, her eyes widening. It looked like the cousins were having a heated conversation and it ended with Ashlyn getting out of his car angrily.

Ashlyn starts walking away, and Tabitha didn't even realize she was jogging over to Ashlyn until she was standing in front of the red-haired girl. "Ashlyn, hey!"

Ashlyn's anger subsided a bit at seeing her and a small smile forms on her face. "Hi, Tabitha."

"I was just wondering if you wanted to hang out with me and Mae." Tabitha offered, glancing over at Maeve to make sure she was okay with it.

Maeve nods, looking at Ashlyn with a smile when the redhead looked over at her. Tabitha takes a quick glance at EJ in his car, frowning when she noticed it seemed like he was upset. She looks back at Ashlyn with a smile when she speaks. "Yeah," Ashlyn smiles. "I would love to."

****

Later that night, the three girls are having a high school musical marathon at Maeve's house since Tabitha's parents were home and Tabitha didn't want Ashlyn to find out her parents fight all the time.

"Okay, so I know it might be weird with me talking about your cousin," Tabitha speaks up, looking over to her right where Ashlyn sat on a bean bag chair beside her. "But I just want to know why it seems like he's been ignoring me lately."

"That's because he's an idiot." Ashlyn said causing Tabitha and Maeve to laugh.

"On some level, that might be true." Tabitha slightly agrees with her. "When I tried talking to him in class today, he pretended like he didn't hear me."

Ashlyn sighs, knowing the real reason why EJ has been ignoring Tabitha is because he's starting to get feelings for her and he doesn't want anyone to find that out since he's with Nini. "Things are just complicated for him lately. I promise you he doesn't hate you if that makes you feel any better."

"It kinda does." Tabitha admits, looking back at her tv while her lips form into a frown. "I just wish he would talk to me."

****

Tabitha sits beside Ashlyn at rehearsals the next day. They were watching Gina work on her dance solo and Tabitha had to admit she was very good. Tabitha had finished some more designs the other day for the play and showed them to Miss Jenn at school. The backstage crew had even already made some of the sets designed she came up with for the play.

"Everybody hold!" Gina and the music stops as Miss Jenn walks over to Nini who just arrived. "Nini, where were you? We have been here for an hour already."

"I'm so sorry." Nini apologizes, walking over to her. "I-I lost my phone and basically spent last night living as a hunter-gatherer, which, by the way, did you know there are things that are only on TV at a certain time? Anyway, I, um, finally picked it up in the lost and found..." Her eyes widen. "Wait, did you say an hour?"

Miss Jenn nods. "Gina sent you and me a text asking if we should come in early so we could talk through a new idea. You didn't get it?"

"No, because my phone was missing." Nini replied.

Tabitha looked at where EJ sat at the end of the room, noticing he was looking at Nini with regret. He then locks eyes with her which surprised her, and it surprised her even more when he sent a small smile her way before he quickly looked away from her.

"You've gotta keep better track of your stuff." Miss Jenn tells Nini. "A triple threat means singing, acting, and being organized."

Nini nods. "Got it."

"If you had been here, you'd know Gina pitched a whole knew dance break for Gabriella and Taylor in the middle of Status Quo," Miss Jenn gestures to Gina who walks over to them with a smile on her face. "And she and Carlos work it out with her, and it is dazzling."

After school, Tabitha gets home, not surprised when she sees a note on the kitchen table from her parents saying they will be working late. She goes to her bedroom, dropping her bag off beside her desk. She then went over to where her keyboard is set up, sits down at it, and starts playing.

-ˏˋ"I don't know why, but I just felt like writing a song all of a sudden." Tabitha admits, standing in her room as she looked at the camera. She shrugs. "It might be 'cause EJ's been on my mind lately..." She smiles shyly, her face red. "I don't know. I'm just gonna see how this song turns out."ˎˊ-

****

Tabitha stayed up a bit later the night before to finish her song she decided on calling Parachute. She facetimed Maeve and played it for her and was happy that Maeve liked it. Maeve also asked her if the song is about EJ. Instead of answering her, Tabitha pretended like she had to finish her homework, even though she didn't have any to get done, and quickly ended the facetime.

Now, it's the next day, and Tabitha was walking by the bomb shelter where EJ and Ricky were practicing the scenes with Chad and Troy. She stopped walking and her eyes grow wide when she saw EJ walk out with a bloody lip. Without thinking, she immediately went over to him.

"EJ, what happened? Are you okay?" Tabitha asks him. She then mutters to herself, "Obviously not 'cause you're bleeding."

"Ricky and I were throwing a basketball and doing some improv. Then he threw the basketball at my face." EJ explained, causing her eyes to widen.

"Was-Was that part of the improv?" She nervously questioned, happy that EJ was talking to her, but also concerned for him.

EJ shakes his head. "Not that I know of. I just know that I have a busted lip."

"Okay, well, let's go get you some ice." Tabitha said, gently grabbing his arm and started guiding him to the cafeteria, surprised when EJ didn't protest.

Once they get to the cafeteria, Tabitha gets a bag of ice and hands it to him. She gets a paper towel with some water on it, and started cleaning off the dry blood. "Why are you helping me when I've been ignoring you?" EJ inquired, looking at her wry furrowed eyebrows. He felt bad for acting like he ignored her because of some silly feelings. He was surprised Tabitha was helping him after what he did, but he was thankful she was helping him.

"Because we're friends and friends help each other out." Tabitha answers, locking eyes with him. "Right?"

EJ nods. "Right. Yeah, friends."

The two stare at each other longer than they meant to, and Tabitha just realized how close their faces are. Tabitha quickly takes a step back, setting down the paper towel. EJ clears his throat nervously, taking a step back as well.

"Here." Tabitha handed him a bag of ice.

He takes it from her, sending her a small smile. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Tabitha shyly smiles. "Um, I should probably go." She starts walking backwards towards the exit of the cafeteria. "I got some stuff to finish..." Her voice trails off when she bumps into a wall. EJ raises his eyebrows at her, looking at her with a small smile.

Tabitha looks behind her at the wall, and moved over to the door quickly while she embarrassingly blushed. "Uh, yeah, I-I'll just, uh...See you later." She stuttered, waving awkwardly to EJ and quickly left the cafeteria before she could embarrass herself anymore in front of EJ.

A/N the ending of this chapter was cute to write! get ready for the next chapter! it's gonna be interesting