V.   operation get the girl

      "MARLOWE!"

At the sound Ricky shouting her name, Marlowe jumped and dropped her books on the floor. "Jesus, Ricky. What?" She exclaimed and bent down to pick them up.

"Sorry! Sorry!" He apologized and helped her. "You're never going to believe what Miss Jenn did."

She started putting everything into her open locker. "Did she replace you with EJ?" She asked and her eyes went wide.

His brows furrowed. "What? No, no, she added a kissing scene between me and Nini."

Relaxing, Marlowe blinked a few times. "Okay, why are you freaking out then?"

Ricky titled his head slightly, confused by the reaction.  "What?"

"That was your plan wasn't it? To win Nini back?"

"Well, y-yeah but she's not going to want to kiss me!"

Again, Marlowe blinked scratched her cheek. "I mean yeah. . . she has a boyfriend." She spoke the obvious.

Ricky threw his hands up. "Whose side are you on?" He said dramatically.

"Don't get an attitude with me or you can go vent to Big Red!" She pointed at him and shut her locker door.  "Look, Ricky, whether you two like it or not, you're the leads and we're counting on you guys. Please don't mess this up."

"I know, I know. I promise." He calmed down and she smiled.

The last person Marlowe expected to be at her locker was EJ. When her classes were over and the final bell rang, Marlowe went to her locker and grabbed her extra clothes for rehearsal because Miss Jenn wanted her to learn the dance choreography. When she closed the door, she yelled when she saw EJ standing there. "Jesus Christ, what's up with everyone sneaking up on me?" She exaggerated.

"Hey, Marlowe, I have a very important favor." He got to the point.

She stared at him like he was crazy. "Why would I do anything for you?"

"You're close with Nini, right?"

She nodded slightly. "Yeah."

EJ looked around to make sure nobody was looking and he leaned closer to her, much to her discomfort. "I need you to help get her phone." He whispered.

Marlowe stood there staring at him for a minute, her face not moving, which unnerved him a little. EJ was expecting her to slap him but then she laughed, really loud. "Wow, you're hilarious."

She turned around and walked away from him. EJ frowned and quickly followed her. He grabbed her arm and she turned around with a crazed expression. "Look, I know we have our rivalry thing but I really need your help on his. I need to know what's going on with Nini and Ricky." EJ pleaded.

"First of all, let me go," Marlowe said and jerked her arm back. "Second of all, there's nothing going on between Nini and Ricky. Stop being paranoid." She rolled her eyes and started to walk away again. He followed her. "Go away!"

"Then why'd he text her during the read through?  Why'd he sing her song at the audition? Why all of sudden is he so interest in musicals?" EJ threw rapid questions at her, growing more angry at each one.

Marlowe knew his suspicions were valid and that Ricky was still very much in love with Nini, but it wasn't her business. "You're being paranoid, Caswell. Ricky broke up with Nini. She's with you now. All is well."

"No, not all is well!" He argued and quickly ran in front of her so she would stop walking. He ended up walking backwards when she didn't. "Please,  Marlowe,  I need your help." He begged her again.

Finally, Marlowe stopped walking and she looked at him incredulously. "Why would I help you? I don't even like you."

"Which I get but that can change." He tried to convince her.

"Doubtful."

"Tell me one reason why you don't like me."

"I don't have to."

EJ crossed his arms. "I'm not leaving till you do."

"We're going to be late for rehearsal."

"Guess they'll have to rehearse without us."

Raging inside, Marlowe huffed. "EJ, you are literally the most conceited person I've ever met. You made Romeo and Juliet a living hell because you wouldn't listen to anybody, including me, and we were partners together. You think you know everything when really, you don't have a clue. You would hurt anybody if meant you could make it to the top and quite frankly, you don't deserve somebody like Nini."

EJ stared at her in disbelief and he could practically see the hatred swimming in her brown eyes. He wasn't used to people not liking him but Marlowe hated him, and she was the kind of person who loved everyone.

"Should I go on?" She asked and titled her head.

He didn't know what to say so he didn't say anything.

"If you don't trust Nini then maybe you two shouldn't be together at all." Marlowe finished. She walked away again and this time, EJ didn't stop her.

Luca sat across from Gina and helped her pop her back. With the bottom of their shoes touching and their hands attached, he pulled her forward and her back made serval popping sounds. Gina sighed with relief and he smiled. "Feel better?"

"Much."

Knox entered the room, wearing his usual cheery smile. He came and sat in the circle with his friends. "Hello, my theater people." He cheered.

Luca stared at him as he plopped on the floor beside him. "Hey. How's being Zeke so far?"

"Oh, dude, it's awesome! Zeke's always been my favorite character. I feel like we really connect, y'know?" Knox rambled. "Like he doesn't see Sharpay as the mean girl. He just sees a person that he likes. And he bakes, which I love to do." When he was done, Knox looked over and saw Luca just staring at him. "You alright, Luke?"

"Me?" Luca said and blinked rapidly. "Oh, yeah. Totally. Just. . .I really like your passion."

With another warm smile, Knox looked down at his shoes.

Marlowe came storming into the rehearsal room, now dressed in her dance clothes, which caught her brother's attention. "Marley, you okay?"

"No, I hate boys. They're a waste of creation." She sneered and sat down beside Gina. "No offense."

"That's fair." Gina said with a nod."

"What happened?" Knox asked.

"Your friend happened. I want to squeeze his head between my hands until it pops!" Marlowe emphasized and squeezed her hands together.

Everyone around her glanced at each other. "Wow, Mars, you're really channeling your inner Sharpay," Kourtney said from where she was sitting.

That seemed to calm her down and she smiled. "Aww, thanks." She took off her sweatshirt and began stretching with Gina.

"Wait, so who are you mad at exactly?" Gina asked and went into the splits.

Marlowe pushed a piece of hair that fell out of her clip out of her face. She glanced at EJ, seeing him stare pathetically at Nini and Ricky. "Just a stupid who likes to get on my nervous."

"So, like, all of them?"

She laughed. "Yeah, pretty much."

"But why are we practicing the bows when we haven't even practiced the play?" Ricky questioned Carlos.

"Cause you start with the hardest dance that takes the longest to learn," Carlos explained slowly, indicating that he was getting irritated. "It's in The Big Book of
Broadway,  page—"

"Page 374." He and Gina said at the same time. They high fived.

"Ricky, just go with it and stop being difficult." Marlowe said from the floor.

"I'm not being difficult!" He argued.

"Yes, you are." Carlos muttered and walked away. "Okay, people! Let's take it from three counts of eight,  right before Gabriella's entrance for the bows!"

Gina helped Marlowe off the floor and she went and stood by Kayden. He smiled at her. "Ready?"

She nodded. "Ready."

"A five, six, seven, eight!"

Seb started playing the piano and Kayden, Konnor, and Rico dropped on one knee. Marlowe and the other girls put their hands on their knees and flipped themselves over. Kayden caught her by the waist and she spun around. Grabbing his hand, he spun Marlowe around and she did a flawless high kick. Kayden lifted her off the ground and dropped her back down so that she landed in a split.

"Yes, Mars!" Big Red cheered from the side.

Marlowe, Steph, and Lauren stood on one side while the boys stood in the other. They came close together and swiftly backed up so Nini and Ricky could take the center. She cringed when Ricky messed up the dance moves and it affected Nini's performance.

Ricky gave up when he forgot the choreography. "I'm sorry."

"What is he doing?" Nini said to Carlos.

"Why are you talking to him? I'm right here,"

"Cause you're not here! At least not for the right reasons."

Marlowe's eyes widened. "Oh, snap."

Ricky looked offended. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what I said, Ricky. You hate musicals. You're only doing this so we'd be in each other grills." Nini expressed her frustration. 

Carlos got in between them. "Back to the dance,  please!"

"Now you're rubbing some weird cologne on your neck."

"Hey, you love Throb!" He pointed at her.

Marlowe shook her head. "Nobody loves Throb, Ricky." She spoke.

"And you're wasting everybody's time by making fun of something that the rest of us take seriously!" Nini said loudly.

"Okay, that's five! On a break, people! Everybody out!  Get out!" Carlos exclaimed passive aggressively.

While the pair still continued to argue, Marlowe snatched her phone and stormed out of the room, multiple eyes widening at her anger. She went into the hall and slammed her fist into the nearest locker.

"What did that locker ever do to you?"

She shut her eyes tightly. "Go away, EJ."

"Why are you so angry?" EJ asked, ignoring what she said.

"Because I told him to bring his A game! I told him to take this seriously! I told him that everyone else and I have a love for this and making a joke out of it is disrespectful!" Marlowe nearly shouted. Her face turned bright red from bothering exhaustion and hostility. "And it's all because of a girl!"

EJ only nodded. "Frustrating, isn't it?"

Marlowe turned and faced him. She sat her hands on her hips and studied his expression. Slowly, she began to understand how he was feeling. "Yeah, it is."

He took a small step closer in her direction. "So will you help me?" He hoped.

She decided a long time ago that EJ Caswell was not her favorite person. She felt angry when he was in per presence. It frustrated her when he got to do things that he didn't deserve because he never tried. But he was Nini's boyfriend, not Ricky, and as much as Marlowe loved him, he wasn't here because he wanted to be. Ricky was here for Nini. "I'm not going to steal her phone, EJ. . . but, I can help you make sure her focus stays on you." She negotiated.

EJ's eyes lit up. "You will?" When she nodded, he made a noise of delight and threw his hands up. "Thank you, Marlowe!"

Marlowe stared into the camera with a look of regret. "What did I just get myself into?"

When she got outside, she spotted Luca standing by the car waiting for her. "Sorry! Are you ready?" She asked as she ran.

"I've been!" Luca called back and climbed into the driver's seat. "What took you so long?"

She got in the passenger side and closed the door. "Uh. . ." She paused, not wanting to bring up her conversation with EJ. "I was talking to Seb. Sharpay stuff, you know? Being fabulous." She dramatically flipped her hair.

He narrowed his eyes. "Okay."

Luca pulled out of the parking lot and she noticed the way his fingers tapped against the steering while and how he fidgeted in the seat. "What's up with you?"

He was about to tell her it was nothing but he stopped himself, because it wasn't nothing. In fact, it was everything. "I really like him, Mars." Luca admitted.

Marlowe grew a smile. "He likes you too, Luke."

"But what if he doesn't? He's going to college soon. He won't even be thinking about any us, let alone me."

"Knox isn't like that, Luca. He would never forget about us. We're theater kids, we're kind of locked in for life." She attempted to joke. "Don't be afraid to tell him how you feel. Before you know it, it'll be too late."

Luca looked at her and laughed slightly. "You sure do have good advice for someone who literally refuses to even talk to a guy."

Marlowe rolled her eyes. "Why would I waste my time on something like that? Besides, the only good guys I know are either gay or I've known so long, I've seen them do very disgusting things. I have way too much on my plate to date, anyway."

"You're seventeen, Mars. We're juniors. Maybe it's time to start thinking about things outside of the play." Luca suggested, earning a wide eyed look. "Not forever! Just, you have a life outside of performing. Don't waste it."

She didn't respond to that. Marlowe looked out the window and sighed silently to herself. Taking her phone out, she opened Instagram and looked through her notifications. She saw a new friend request from EJ. Marlowe scrolled through his long list of photos and thought to herself, am I really going to do this? Am I really going to help the one person I've hated since ninety grade?

Taking a quick breath, Marlowe accepted his request and she turned her phone off, letting it fall to her lap.