XXVI.   perfect harmony

      Marlowe had seen thousands of movies in her lifetime. She'd read hundreds of romance novels. Sometimes, she thought it was foolish, that love like that couldn't exist. Not the way Mr. Darcy loved Elizabeth or like Matt fell back in love with Jenna, not even the way Troy and Gabriella could love each other so young. But then she met her Troy. Suddenly, all her views on love changed, and Marlowe was completely consumed by everything EJ Caswell was made of. The hatred she felt towards him no longer existed, and he took her hand and showed her that it was okay to open her heart.

Everything about him was real, not something she watched on a screen or read in a book. His kisses were real, his laugh was real, his smile was real. The way he held her was real. Marlowe's life before him was so simple and decided, dedicated to nothing but music. Now her life was. . .in a way, more real.

EJ glanced at Marlowe and smiled, only she couldn't see it because her eyes were covered by a blindfold. Her pink painted nails tapped against her exposed knee. "EJ, how much longer?" She asked for the third time since he picked her up from her house.

"I'd say five more minutes." He replied. He smiled at her again. "You look beautiful tonight."

Marlowe smiled. "You told me that already."

EJ shrugged. "And I'll keep saying it."

She giggled lightly. Marlowe sat in the passenger seat of his car, feeling both excited and nervous. She spent a total of three hours getting ready for her date, not being able to decide what to wear. Her mother help her, of course, while Luca was in his room getting ready for his date with Knox.

After about five more minutes of driving, Marlowe felt the car stop. "Anddd. . . We're here," EJ announced cheerfully. "Don't take off the blindfold yet."

"Wouldn't dream of it." She responded and heard him get out of the car.

Keeping the giddy smile on his face, EJ circled around the vehicle. He opened her door and held his hand out even though she couldn't see. "M'lady."

Marlowe laughed and searched for his hand. "

She couldn't help but laugh as she searched for his hand.  "Gracias." She replied and he helped her out of the car.

"Alright, just follow my lead."

"You're not taking me into the woods to kill me, are you? Because my dad has a gun safe."

EJ's eyes went wide at the information but he played it off with a chuckle. "Of course not. This night is about us."

Marlowe relaxed at his words and allowed him to guide her to wherever he was going. She suddenly felt another rush of excitement. It was their first Valentine's Day. The only spoiling she ever got from the holiday was her dad.

EJ stopped them when he reached their destination and he smiled big. "Okay, are you ready?" He asked her.

"I've been ready."

Smiling again, he untied the blindfold and dropped her from her eyes. Marlowe gasped at the sight in front of her.  They stood on a cliff edge that overlooked Salt Lake. There, EJ had laid out a very large blanket that was covered in food and snacks. His guitar case was there as well. "Oh, wow," she uttered in complete shock. She looked to him. "You did this for me?"

"Ash helped me a little. The snacks were all my idea,  though." He answered with a proud smile.

Feeling very emotional, Marlowe hugged his torso and her head laid on his chest. "Thank you so much. I love it."

"Of course." EJ responded and wrapped his arms around her as well. He kissed the top of her head.  "Come on, let's sit down."

Marlowe was still amazed as she sat on the blanket. "I can't believe this".

"Well, I know you don't like surprises but I also know how much you like romance, so—" EJ reached into the picnic basket he brought and pulled out a cart of strawberries. "For you."

Her brown eyes brightened and for more than one reason. Her smile stretched from ear to ear. "You might be my favorite surprise I've ever had, EJ Caswell."

EJ's cheeks flushed red. They dug into the food and talked about anything they could think of. The stars above them seemed to shine brighter the longer they were out there. With every conversation, Marlowe smiled bigger and laughed louder. "Why did you bring your guitar?" She suddenly asked, pointing a finger at the guilt case.

EJ sat down the sandwich he was eating. "Oh, that's your next surprise." He slid the case toward him and unlocked it. "So, I know that it's a known fact I'm a horrible song writer."

She chuckled.

"But you are my biggest inspiration. This one came really easy." He spoke softly and grinned at her.

Marlowe went red and she tucked her legs under her.
crossed her legs together. "You wrote me a song?" She asked, trying to contain the happiness.

"Well, after the song you wrote, I. . .I felt so happy that I just knew I had to write one for you." EJ told her and tuned the guitar. He looked at her shyly. "If you don't like, can you just lie?"

She scoffed. "Oh, don't say that."

He crossed his legs and sat the guitar on his lap. "Okay." He muttered and stared strumming. EJ tried not to act nervous when he was actually terrified. The first song he ever wrote was for Nini and that went horribly. He wanted to write something memorable for Marlowe so dug deep into all the feelings he grew for her since their first conversation. "Step into my world. Bittersweet love story 'bout a girl," he sang and looked at her again. "Shook me to the core. Voice like an angel I've never heard before."

Marlowe's face softened and she instantly got chills. It was so much different than the first song he wrote, the one he wrote for Nini. It was genuine and sweet and full of emotion.  Marlowe never had anyone write a song about her before.

"Here in front of me. Shining so much brighter than I have ever seen. Life can be so mean but when she goes, I know I know I'll never leave."

As he sang the lyrics, EJ stared at her and knew that he meant every word.

A soft smile broke on her lips. "The truth is finally breaking through. Two worlds collide when I'm with you," they both sang together. "Our voices rise and soar so high. We come to life when we're in perfect harmony,"

Marlowe's voice was special. It was beautiful, unlike anything he ever heard in his life. The first time he ever heard her sing was when she was casted as Ariel in The Little Mermaid. At just ten years old, Marlowe claimed her status as a star. She was his Star. EJ never imagined his life going in a different direction than how it was with Nini, but now he realized that he was chasing after the wrong girl all along.

And now, he couldn't be happier.

The next day at rehearsals, Marlowe couldn't stop smiling. She was always smiley, but today was different. She spent all night staying up with Luca and discussing their dates. He told her that Knox took him to dinner and gifted him a watch. Marlowe told Luca that EJ surprised her with a song.

When Ricky walked into rehearsal, he slowed down his pace when he saw Marlowe sitting there, smiling from ear to ear. "Mars, why do you look so. . . happy?" He asked weirdly.

"What's wrong with that?" She asked and her smile fell slightly.

"Nothing! I love seeing you happy." He quickly said. It's just today you look extra happy and it's kind of scary."

Luca walked in and listened to their conversation. "You should've seen her when she came home." He brought up.

Marlowe rolled her eyes. "Don't pretend like you weren't swooning all night. I'm happy because I had the best Valentine's Day—"

"Never thought that would happen."

Ricky and Luca high fived.

Again, she rolled her eyes. "EJ wrote me a song," she told Ricky and the large smile returned.

His eyes went wide. "He did? Like, the way he wrote Nini a song?"

"No, not like that! It was so beautiful. It was genuinely the most beautiful thing I've ever heard." She expressed with a dazed expression on her face.

The boys looked grossed out but Ricky managed to smile anyways. "Well, I'm happy for you, Mars." He came and sat beside her. "Have you guys said the word yet?"

Luca cringed. "Okay, I'm walking away now." He said and went to talk to Big Red.

Ignoring her brother, Marlowe looked at Ricky again and titled her head at the question. "What word?"

"Y'know, the L word." He elaborated and nudged her while smirking.

"Oh, no, definitely not," she quickly denied with wide eyes. "We haven't been dating that long. That would be weird."

"It's not weird. Love doesn't have a time line, Marley." He laughed.

"Well, I-I know, but—"

"Don't be afraid of it." He told her and nudged her again, this time softer. Ricky winked and looked in his bag for his script.

Marlowe's face stilled. Before she even had time to process, Miss Jenn walked into the rehearsal room. "Okay, everyone, gather around!" She yelled and the conversations died down. "We have for a two-hour window before the storm is expected to hit, and I intend to use every minute of it."

Marlowe grew excited clutched her script in her hand.

"Big, splashy group numbers always succeed at the Menkie Awards. So we need to workshop a punchy, breathtaking number that will put us in the number one spot."

Carlos took the lead and stepped forward. "As your head choreographer, I am so happy to announce that today we will at last, begin rehearsing one of the most show stopping, iconic, and bar raising numbers of the entire show." He expressed with a dramatic flare.

Marlowe gasped. "Gaston?"

"No, Marley, it's—"

"Be Our Guest," Gina interrupted him with a dire smile on her face. "Yeah, it's Be Our Guest, guys."

There was an awkward silence. Marlowe and Ricky shared a look. Everyone knew that Carlos always took the lead when it came to choreography. He was just as competitive as she was. Miss Jenn took the lead again. "Before we begin, I'm going to tell you a little story about hospitality."

"Here we go." Luca muttered and closed his eyes.

"Maybe we should—"

"Once when I was a little girl, my mom and I heard a clatter coke from the kitchen. We thought it was a burglar. So my mom ran over, hog tied the man, and promptly called the police,"

Ashlyn slipped out a gasp.

"As we waited for the cops to come, I watched my mother place a bowl of iced tea next to his face. Because, until the police come and her him, he's still our guest." Miss Jenn continued.

"That's better than our mom. She would've shot the dude," Luca chimed in and Marlowe quickly nodded her head.

"So, did he, like, get arrested or. . ." Kourtney trailed, slightly disturbed by the story.

"No. Turns out, it wasn't a burglar at all. Just a repairman who entered the wrong unit."

Marlowe titled her head.

"But the point remains the same! Just like the intruder, we need to make Belle—" Miss Jenn motioned to the leading lady, making her smile. "—and our entire audience feel welcome. And with that, Carlos and Gina, take it away."

Ashlyn clapped and Gina stepped forward. "Thank you, Miss Jenn, that wasn't terrifying at all," she spoke.

Ricky laughed at that and the girl's expression softened. "Okay, so." Gina chuckled. She reached forward and picked up the feather duster that was on the bleacher. "My vision to make this dance really soar is to stage. . . Wait for it, a Cancan-style dance that features a feather dusting spectacle," she explained with a giddy smile. "I don't know, it'll probably go a little something like. . ."

She did a clean high kick in the air. "Oh, that's cute!" Marlowe praised as the others girls gasped.

"Yes, Gina!"

"Yes!"

"I love that idea!"

"Interesting," Carlos laughed timidly."I had a different path that's a little more elevated and less basic."

"Oh, snap." Luca mumbled and his sister quickly hit his arm.

Gina's face fell and he looked at everyone else again. "Think. A noir inspired performance that Lumiere—" he motioned to Luca. "—Guides our audience through the entire time,"

Luca was all for it. "Me being the center of attention? I love that idea." They all laugh.

"M'kay. But I actually spent a month in France once,  so I kinda know this dance inside out," Gina argued.

"I'm getting uncomfortable now," Ricky whispered to the twins.

"I think it's going to get worse." Marlowe whispered as well.

"And I choreographed all three of my sisters' quinceañera dances, despite not getting one for myself, so I think I can teach Luca how to twirl with a salsas fork, okay?"

"Anddd I was right."

Miss Jenn took over again before a fight could break out. "Okay! You know what? Let's stick a pin in Be Our Guest and go with Marley's idea. Let's brush up on Gaston." She announced. "Big Red and EJ, to the front of the room, please."

That's when Marlowe realized that EJ still there yet. She leaned forward and saw Big Red rise from his seat.

"Wait, Marley honey, where's EJ?"

"I-I'm not sure. I called him earlier. He was supposed to be here by now," she explained and took out her phone. "I'll call him really quick." She stood up from the bleacher and put a hand on Gina's shoulder as she passed by. "I love that idea by the way, G!"

The girl smiled thankfully and Marlowe went to the corner of the room. She dialed EJ's number and held the phone to her ear, hearing it ring. She furrowed her brows when his voicemail started. She called again, and again, and again but he still didn't pick up. "I'm sorry, Miss Jenn. I don't know where he is." She told the woman and put her phone away.

"Okay, well, if anyone sees EJ, would you please tell him that rehearsals are mandatory, even to soon to be college students who are obviously suffering from seniorities."

Marlowe leaned close to her brother. "Do you know where he is?" She whispered.

Luca shook his head. "No. Knox is at his grandparents' house. It's his grandma's birthday. Does he have a flat tire?"

"I don't think so. I hope not." She quickly texted and asked if he was okay.

"NINI!"

Marlowe lifted her head and gasped when she saw the familiar brunette enter the room. "My Nina!" She squealed.

"I don't mean to interrupt. I just needed one more group hug," Nini told them and that's when they saw the suitcase in her hand.

She instantly ran off the bleachers and went straight to her, everyone else following. "I'm going to miss you, sweet girl," she whispered to her and held her neck tightly.

"I'm going to miss you too, Belle." Nini responded and hugged her just a tight.

EJ still wasn't answering her calls and Marlowe was beginning to worry. It was snowing hard outside and all she could think about was if he was stuck on the side of the road. She stared at their open messages as she walked down the hallway. He had not read the text she sent.

Coming around the corner, she spotted him leaned again the wall and she exhaled in relief. "Oh my god, E, there you are! I've been worried!" She exclaimed and walked up to him. "I thought you might've died or something."

EJ lifted his head and she saw his downturned expression.

Marlowe frowned. "Hey, is everything okay?" She asked and pressed her cold hands to his face.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm excellent." EJ lied but faked a smile. "I'm sorry I wasn't answering your calls."

"I don't care about that now. Why do you look so upset?" She dismissed and dropped her hands from his face to his forearms.

His face deepened into sadness. "I didn't get into Duke."

Marlowe's expression softened but her eyes widened. "Oh, I – EJ, I'm so sorry." She squeezed his arms. "You just found out?"

He nodded. "I opened the letter this morning. As soon as I saw the we regret to inform you, I couldn't keep reading." EJ looked sick as he tried to explain. "I mean, my grandparents went to Duke, and my parents, I. . . W-We're a Duke family. My dad's going to be so disappointed—"

"No, don't say that," Marlowe quickly said and cupped his face again. "You applied to other places, E. Maybe Duke just isn't meant for you—"

"Please don't say that. You don't understand." EJ shook his head and caused her to drop her hands. "My entire life, I've been working to get into Duke. My dad has done everything to make sure I'm a lock in. N-Now I can't even face him."

When he started to stutter, Marlowe wrapped her arms around his torso and put her head on his chest, hoping to comfort him in some way. She felt him breathe in and his head laid on hers. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. You deserve better than that."

"I-I just so many plans. I wanted to share them with you," EJ muttered and she felt his breathing become rigid.

Marlowe lifted her head and looked into his eyes. "I'll be proud of you no matter what, EJ. No matter what you decide to do with your life. You don't need Duke to be successful. You're so smart. You can go anywhere. And if your dad can't see that, then, he doesn't know you like I do."

His green eyes glistened. Again, she was the only person in his life who consistently told him she was proud of him. EJ was devastated. Duke was his dream school, the only thing he ever looked forward to, and now it was gone. He didn't know what to do.

"On the bright side, you're our Gaston and you're the star of the show today."

He managed to grin. "So I'm taking your place today?"

Marlowe smiled again and stared at him with a dreamy look in her brown eyes. Suddenly, the lights in the hallway cut off and they pulled away from each other. "What the—" Marlowe looked around. "That's terrifying."

EJ's eyes widened when he looked out the window. "Holy crap, Mar. Look."

Dhe followed his eye and gasped when she saw how hard it was snowing outside. "Oh, this is just great." She huffed.

"Is this our first getting stuck in a snow storm together?"

"Let's hope it's our last."