VII.   catching you across the room

      Marlowe was studying in the library when Nini ran up to her. "Marls, can I talk to you?" She whispered.

"Yeah," she whispered back and put down her pencil. When she stood up, Nini dragged her over to one of the bookshelves. Her eyes widened when she saw EJ. "Caswell," she greeted as casually as she could.

"Aguilar." He said back, also trying to keep it casual.

"Okay, Nini, what's up?"

Looking between the two of them, Nini unzipped her backpack to reveal of pair of sparkly translucent high tops. Both Marlowe and EJ's eye widened. "You stole Gina's shoes!" They looked at each other weirdly.

"Wasn't even that hard," Nini said with a proud smile.

"What if she retaliates?" Her boyfriend asked, shocked by her action.

Shockingly, Marlowe agreed with him. "Yeah, Nini, you already know she has it out for you."

"Then I'll come back at her twice as hard. I will rain down hellfire, you understand? I am the night."

She titled her head, surprised by her attitude. EJ practically read her mind. "Nini, I gotta be honest. This doesn't feel like you." He spoke what she was thinking.

"I know, it didn't feel like me. But I've stepped into the light. I play to win now," Nini proclaimed.

"But Nini, you've already won. You're Gabriella, you're the lead." Marlowe reminded her.

"I know, Mars, but she's messing with me to make sure I lose. I'm not going to let that happen." She looked to her boyfriend. "I thought you'd be proud."

EJ was conflicted. "Yeah, but stealing just seems a little low." He avoided the watchful eyes that were now on him. "You're better than that. You're better than. . . you're Nini."

Nini's face dropped slightly and she looked at her friend. "Mars?" She said, hoping that she would be on her side.

Feeling her stomach burn at his hypocrisy, Marlowe nodded anyway. "Nina Salazar-Roberts, I've know you my whole life and you've always been the good girl. That's what's gotten you so far in life. Don't let something as silly as a little rivalry cloud your morals. You are better than that." She declared.

Her words seemed to sink in. "Maybe you're right." Nini zipped up her backpack and slung it over her shoulder. She smiled at EJ. "And I like that you see me that way,"

"I always have." He responded with sincerity.

"You're a good person."

His face subtly dropped but she didn't seem to notice. Marlowe noticed, though. She started to feel awkward standing there.

"And I don't know if it's because you're a senior or somebody raised you right, I wish I had whatever you've got inside of you. It's like confidence mixed with morals. . . and abs. Thanks for being you." Nini continued to praise. She kissed him on the lips before pulling away and turning to her friend. She reached for her hand. "And you, I love you so much. Thank you for always being by my side."

Marlowe gave her a tight smile while Nini's was full of joy. She left the two of them standing there and EJ let out a sight. "Mar—"

"You still haven't told her." She interrupted, shaking her head.

"I'm going to, I promise. It's just. . . I don't want her view on me to change because of a mistake," he admitted and stood in front of her, towering over her 5'3 frame.

Marlowe continued to shake her head. "Wanting to admit your mistakes and being a hypocrite are two different things, EJ. I was stupid to believe you'd chose the right one."

She moved past him to go back her table and EJ frowned. He quickly followed her. "I know, I know. I don't know what to do. I feel so guilty." He watched her sit down in front of her homework and quickly slid into the open chair beside hers. "Don't give up on me yet, Marlowe."

Marlowe truly believed EJ had strong feelings for Nini. If he didn't, he wouldn't be going through the trouble. She wanted to say no, to tell him to figure it out on his own. It was his relationship. Marlowe didn't care. All she cared about was putting on a perfect performance. But then she remembered that she promised to help him and one thing that about her was that she never broke a promise. "You want my advice?"

EJ quickly nodded. "Please."

She turned sideways in the chair and leaned closer to him. "Coming clean is a good first step." She said in a whisper voice.

His eyes shifted to the table in thought. Soon, after a minute, an idea lit up in my his head and his eyes widened. "I know what I need to do."

She raised her eyebrows. "Apologize?"

"No—Well, yes, but like you said, I have to come clean first and own up to what I did. I need to do it on a way that she really hears." He explained in a light tone.

Marlowe blinked. "Like. . .?"

"She wrote a song for Ricky, right? So I need to write a song for her."

She nodded slowly. "Uh huh, and have you ever written a song?"

His enthusiastic expression deflated slightly. "Well, no, but I want to show her how sorry I am and how much she means to me. A song could do that, right?"

"It's a sweet thought, EJ, but how are you going to write a song like that if you've never written one?"

"I'll have Ashlyn help me. She writes songs. And Knox, too. He's a poetry geek!"

Marlowe wasn't going to tell him that's she wrote songs as well. Instead, she nodded. "That sounds like a good idea." She stated.

EJ's eyes brightened. "You think so?"

"Yeah, girls like big gestures." She leaned her arm against the chair. "Um, random question?"

He nodded. "Go for it."

"Does anyone know about this?" Marlowe pointed between them. "That I'm. . . helping you fix things with Nini?"

"Ashlyn knows. I told her that I trust you." EJ answered with no hesitation.

She was startled. "A-And she's okay with it?" She stuttered without meaning to. He nodded once again. "Wow. Well, uh, remember what I said, Caswell. Come clean." She repeated while pointing at him.

EJ smiled again and she noticed his vampire fangs. "I will, I will. Thanks, Mars!" His hand brushed her shoulder and he quickly fled the library.

Marlowe say there, frozen and in shock that he called her by one of the many nicknames given to her over the years. Especially Mars, which Ricky started when they were kids and it carried on all the way up to now.

Marlowe was in the middle of watching High School Musical when her phone started to ring. She paused the movie and wiped to answer. "Hello?"

"Marlowe!" EJ's voice shouted enthusiastically.

"Caswell?" Her eyebrows pinched together. "I-How did you get my number?"

"Oh,  um. . . Seb."

"Okay," she muttered oddly. "What do you want? I'm kinda busy here?"

"Oh, what are you doing?" EJ asked, forgetting the reason he called.

"I'm currently trying to mimic Ashley Tisdale's distressed expression," she explained and furrowed her brows together like Sharpay.

She heard him chuckle. "Is this what you do when you go home from rehearsal? You rehearse even more?"

"Practice makes perfect, Caswell. So, you called?"

"Shit, right, yeah. Um, I finished the song I was writing for Nini."

Her eyes widened. "Really? That fast?"

"Yep. Knox is like a machine with a pencil."

"Can I hear it?"

"That's why I called you. Are you ready?"

Marlowe paused the movie and laid back on the bed. "Ready as I'll ever be." She confirmed.

She suddenly heard music playing in the speaker. "Before you go and make that face you make when you're mad at me, so mad at me. Let me say it's not my place going through your voicemail and your history?"

Her face twisted into an unreadable expression.

"And if this were a TV show, you know I'd have to go and plead insanity. Cause the lyin and spyin and pryin isn't really my personality. I'm an idiot for taking your phone. Hey! this is my fault, my bad. If I said a million sorrys. How about a billion sorrys. ooh. . ."

As cringy as it was, Marlowe couldn't help but laugh. She put a hand over her mouth.

"You shine just like the stars and I'm not even a night light. Cause what I did wasn't so bright. I'm really sorry. Girl. . . girl, you know I was scared that this would end. That's why I checked your dms. This had been so hard for me to keep this secret from you and our friends. But given the chance, I would definitely do it again. . ."

Marlowe pulled a face. "Uh—"

"No wait, that's not right. I mean that I wouldn't do it again! No! This is my fault, my bad. If I said a million sorrys. How about a billion sorrys? Ooh. Can't we just start again? Once upon a time, I'm sorry. Nothing else to rhyme with sorry. Ooh. Not so great at saying sorrys. Hope you know I'm really sorry. Ooh!"

The music ended and there was completely silence. Marlowe was staring at her ceiling with bug eyes as she tried processing what she just listened to.

On the other line, EJ was waiting for her to say something. He sucked in deep breath. "Marlowe? Suddenly, she bursted out laughing, causing him to jump. "Mars?"

"I'm sorry," she said through her laughter. Tears formed in her eyes. "That was. . . cute."

"Cute? Cute as in you liked it or cute as on it's something you'd sing at a five year olds birthday party when you accidentally drop his cake?"

She pinched her brows together. "That's oddly specific." Silence. "I like the song EJ, it's just. . ." Marlowe trailed, looking for the right words. "I don't know. Maybe a little popish?"

"Popish?"

"I just think it needs to be a little more sincere is. You know, less trying to make her laugh and more make her cry of happiness."

"So I should make her cry?"

"Not on purpose cry but it needs to be so thoughtful and sincere that she cries anyway." Marlowe elaborated.

"Ohhh. You know a lot about this."

She shrugged even though he couldn't see. "I'm just a girl, EJ. I know what they want."

"Well, I will take all the help I can get. I gotta get going. I have to head to Ashlyn's so I can show her."

Marlowe titled her head. "Wait, so, I'm the only one who's heard it?"

"Yeah, it was your idea, I thought you should be the first one to hear it. I'll keep you updated. Bye, Mars!"

"Bye, Caswell." She muttered and ended the call. Marlowe laid back down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Why would he show her first and not Ashlyn or Knox? She bit the end of her thumb when she felt a smile threaten to grow on her cheeks. She unpaused the movie. 

One thing Marlowe was learning about Gina was that when she wanted something, she was going to make sure to put the other people through hell to get it. She had spent the rest of her rehearsal time in the bomb shelter going over the tray choreography for Status Quo. Ricky and EJ came walking in with the background dancers. "Hey, Mars." Ricky greeted when he saw his best friend.

EJ chuckled at the tray in her hand. "What are you doing?"

"I'm rehearing Gina's new tray choreography. That girl is flexible," she emphasized with a tired huff.

She could cut the tension between the two of them with a knife. It was extremely awkward. EJ went and sat on the opposite side of the room while they waited for Miss Jenn. Marlowe felt very awkward being in the middle but she needed to rehearse and more rehearsal time is better than no rehearsal time.

Soon, and thankfully, Miss Jenn walked into the room.  "Troy and Chad. Scene 45! Let's go." She announced. She smiled when she saw Marlowe. "Marley! What are you doing here?"

She motioned to the tray. "Oh, I was getting in some more rehearsal time. Gina's routine is really tough."

The woman gasped. "Using your free time to the best of your ability. I love it! Well, why don't you stay? You can help me redirect any mistakes."

Marlowe glanced at the boys and desperately wanted to deny the request but she couldn't say no to her. "Uh,  sure." She reluctantly agreed and took Ricky's seat to watch.

"Okay, let's take it from the top." said Miss Jenn,   "And remember, these two boys are best bros, which is a sacred thing for reason I will never understand.  Ready?"

Marlowe gave the camera a wowed look.

EJ cleared his throat. "We had a meeting about how we haven't been like a team, Troy," he read the script stiffly. "Us, not you. And the singing thing. . ."

"I don't want to talk about it," Ricky read, equally as stiff.

"We just want you to know that we're gonna be there cheering for you."

He stared at his script for a second. "Huh?"

Marlowe cringed at their bad acting.

EJ and the other boys took a step towards him. "Look,  win or lose. . . we're teammates." He punched Ricky awkwardly on the arm. "Even if you turn out to be the worst singer in the world."

"And you're not gonna hear me sing. . . dudes. Cause Gabriella won't even talk to me, and I don't know why."

They ended the scene and it was pure silence.  Marlowe's eyes flickered back and forth between them, feeling embarrassed and also annoyed.

"Okay!" Miss Jenn started, clearly thinking the same as her. "That was okay, but it was a little stiff. Marley,  what did you think?" She asked her.

"I could poke the two of you with a stick and you still wouldn't move."

"Yes, thank you," she muttered. She mustered up a smile. "Let's loosen up, pass some energy back and forth, right? Let's use the ball and improvise."

EJ caught Marlowe's eyes from across the room and she smiled at him, holding up her thumb for assurance. "Just say whatever?" He asked Miss Jenn.

"Chad it up." She chuckled.

He cleared his throat and moved the ball on his hand.  "Troy, you're the best player we've got. We're so dang lucky." He said sarcastically and bounced the ball to Ricky.

"Wouldn't be anything without you." Ricky said back, also sarcastically.

Marlowe and Miss Jenn shared a worried look.

"The way you pretend to play basketball is really inspiring."

EJ abrasively threw the ball at him. "Thanks, Chad,  and the way you can dance is totally normal and not at all weird for a regular high school kid." Ricky raised his voice.

"You deserve everything that's coming your way!"

"Back at you, dude."

"Back at you times two."

"Four!"

"Eight!"

"Back at you infinity plus one!" Ricky almost shouted. He threw the ball at EJ and ended up hitting him in the face.

Marlowe instantly gasped and covered her mouth.

"Oh, okay, major overcorrect!"  Miss Jenn shouted. "Let's take a soft ten. EJ, honey, let's get you some ice."

Blood dripped from EJ's lip and trailed down his white shirt. He glared at Ricky when he passed.

"Ricky, dude." Marlowe said in disbelief.

"I'm sorry. I got carried away!"

Mr. Mazzara stopped her at the door. "Marlowe, honey, can you go check on EJ, please?" The teacher asked.

"Me?" Marlowe pointed to herself. Miss Jenn began talking to Mazzara, and she looked at Ricky. Huffing, she stood from the chair and walked out of the room. "Seriously?"

Marlowe stood with her back pressed to the wall of the boy's bathroom. She was reconsidering her life choices at the moment. "EJ, are you okay?" She called out, internally cringing.

"Marlowe? What are you doing here?"

"Miss Jenn asked me to check on you. Are you okay?" She repeated.

"I'm fine. It's just, I can't get it to stop bleeding." EJ said while holding the bag of ice on his lip.

She tapped her foot on the floor in contemplation. "Crap," she muttered. After about five minutes of tough convincing, Marlowe covered her eyes with her hand and walked into the bathroom. "Heyyyy."

EJ's face turned the brightest shade of red, considering he was shirtless. "Marlowe, this is the boys bathroom." He said and fought his voice from going high.

"So? We all pee the same. . . sort of," she responded awkwardly and tightened her hand over her eyes. "I have a first aid kit in my bag."

"Why?"

"I'm a theater kid, EJ. Shit happens."

He nodded slightly. "Right. Okay."

Slowly, and very slowly, Marlowe took her hand off her eyes and saw EJ standing at the sink with his shirt off and he was trying to wash the blood out. Her eyes widened and she quickly looked away. "Wow, okay,"  she muttered. Collecting herself,  Marlowe cleared her throat and dug in her backpack for the small first aid kit she always kept. She handed him the bag of ice.  "Keep that on your lip."

EJ took it from her and held it on the wound while he watched her sort through the first aid kit. 

"I'm sorry about Ricky. He. . . He gets really aggressive."

"Yeah,  you can say that again." He scoffed, sounding meaner than what he intended.

Marlowe paused what she was doing and looked at him through her eyelashes. She took out a small bottle of hydrogen peroxide. "Hydrogen peroxide is good for getting out stains," she explained and took the wet shirt from the sink. "It breaks down the chemical compounds that makes the blood stain."

EJ cracked a smile. "You know your stuff."

"Well, when you've had over a dozen nose bleeds from stress, you learn a thing or two."

"Stress?"

Marlowe nodded silently, not elaborating any further. EJ watched her pour the hydrogen peroxide on his shirt. "I'm not going to tell him about the phone,  Marley." He confessed.

Another nickname. Marlowe was starting to think he was getting too comfortable. She looked at EJ and in her head, she was yelling at him for being a shitty person, the person she believed him to be. "You know I think you should do the right thing." She stated.

EJ nodded with his lips pursed. "I know, but, I can't. Not now."

Her movements slowed down and Marlowe took the bag of ice from his hand. She put it on the sink. "Then you're not the person I thought you wanted to be."

He felt a painful twist in his stomach.

Marlowe took out a cotton ball from the kit and poured some of the hydrogen peroxide on it. "This might sting a little," she warned and put the cotton pad on his lip.

EJ immediately flinched. Reactively, she put her hand on his shoulder to keep him from moving. She refrained from looking down.

They stood there quietly while she did her thing. "You think I'm a bad person." He declared, his eyes scanning her face.

Marlowe kept her eyes tightly concentrated on his bleeding lip. She battled herself in her head. Yesterday, she would have told you that she thought EJ was the worst person in the world, that he valued his reputation over anything else. But he wrote a song for Nini. He cared enough to try and keep her in his life. Marlowe didn't know what to think. "I don't know, EJ."

"Right. You still hate me." He replied with a small, disappointing laugh. He groaned again at the sting. "Ow."

"Sorry." She quickly said. Marlowe's hand felt hot against his bare shoulder and her palm that was holding the cotton pad shook nervously. Her eyes unconsciously looked into his. They were green. She all of a sudden felt her mouth go dry.

EJ stared back at her.

Realizing what she was doing, Marlowe cleared her throat and quickly backed away. "Um, i-if you leave the hydrogen peroxide to sit for about five minutes, the blood should go away. Um, t-the cut should heal soon.  It'll dry it pretty quickly," she stuttered and scratched the back of her neck. She cleared her throat again, it still feeling very dry, and she collected all her stuff. "Um. . . I'll see you later, Caswell."

EJ went to call out her name but she was already gone.  He looked at his reflection in the mirror and saw that he blood was indeed dry.

Marlowe fled the bathroom and pressed her back against the wall. She clutched her backpack close to her and let out a deep exhale. She lifted her shaking hand and pressed it to her beating heart.

She looked into the camera. "What am I doing?" She said and touched her hand to her forehead.