XXII.   kiss you in a crowded room

      Carlos wanted to set up a pre audition medley. The group gathered around Ashlyn's piano. "Remember, my feedback is both precious and invaluable. So,  think of this medley as a pre-audition workshop," he made public to them all and put his hand on Seb's shoulder. "You may begin."

"Go, Marley!" Nine encouraged.

"Sing it, Sharpay,"

Marlowe smiled and stood behind the piano. Seb began to play. It's out with the old and in with the new. Goodbye clouds of gray. Hello, skies of blue. A dip in the pool." She laughed when EJ pinched his nose and acted like he was good under water. "A trip to the spa. Endless days in my chaise. The whole world according to moi!"

"Beautiful!" Carlos cheered.

Luca came up beside her and joined in. "I want fabulous! That is my simple request! All things fabulous! Bigger and better and best,"

The twins moved away from the piano and to the middle of the living room. Luca backed up and let Marlowe take the spotlight.I need something inspiring to help me get along. I need a little fabulous. Is that so wrong?"

"Take it, Ash!" Carlos called out and they moved so Ashlyn could take the piano. 

"Na, na, na, na," she sang softly. "Na, na, na, na,  yeah. You are the music in me,"

"That's my cousin!" EJ praised.

"You know the words once upon a time, make you listen. There's a reason. Come on, G." She said to Gina.

Gina smiled. "When you dream. There's a chance you'll find a little laughter, or a happy ever after!"

Marlowe put a hand over her heart and sighed. "So beautiful."

"You're a harmony to the melody," Nini began to sing.  Ricky strummed his guitar. "Echoing inside my head.  A single voice,"

"Single voice," he harmonized.

"Above the noise. Like a common thread."

Marlowe smiled softly as she watched them sing together. She latched onto EJ's arm and rested her head on it. "They sound so good together. Like a perfect harmony."

EJ looked down at her and slowly smiled. Perfectly harmony.

"One minute till midnight people!" Natalie announced in a hurry.

"Let's go!" Knox cheered and continuously checked his watch.

"Come on, Big Red!"

Red started to sing. "Everybody all for one! Our real summer has just begun!"

Ashlyn passed around a bowl pull of streamers and other party supplies and Marlowe took EJ's hand,  dragging him to join everyone.

"Let's rock and roll,  and just let go!" Kourtney sung.

"Feel the rhythm of the drums!" Gina joined.

EJ put a pair of plastic sunglasses over Marlowe's eyes and she scrunched her nose, making him laugh. He took her hand and spun her around. "We're gonna have fun in the sun!"

"Now that all the hard work, work is done!" She sang after him.

"Everybody one for all." They all joined in and Big Red put his hand out. They all put their hands on top of each others. "And all for one!"

"Ten seconds till midnight!" Shouted Natalie

"Ten, nine, eight,  seven,  six. . ." They started counting down.

EJ grabbed Marlowe and pulled her into him, rocking them side to side. 

"Five, four, three. . ." Luca and Knox cheered and grabbed each other's faces.

"Two, one. . . Happy New Year!"

Marlowe grabbed EJ's face and pulled him down, their lips colliding together. He smiled like a little kid and cupped her face in his hands.

Knox wasted no time pulling Luca into a kiss and the junior put his hands on his waist.

"I have an announcement!"

The couples broke apart and everyone turned around to see Miss Jenn. "You cut your hair!" Carlos gasped at the woman's new haircut.

"Thank you." She quickly responded then paused x "Wait, do you like it?"

"You look gorgeous!" Knox exclaimed in pure happiness, still high from the kiss.

Miss Jenn smiled. "Thank you! That's not the announcement. Okay. Um. . ." She cleared her throat. "Contrary to rumor, we are not doing High School Musical 2,"

The students gasped and Marlowe looked up at EJ with wide eyes.

"What?" Gina said with a slacked jaw.

Carlos almost collapsed until Kourtney and Steph caught him.

"We are doing an American classic. Beauty and the Beast."

Marlowe's jaw dropped and she covered her mouth.

"And I know East High just did it a couple years ago but you didn't do it my way, and you didn't win the most important award in all of theater."

"The Tony?" Luca guessed.

"Okay, the second most important award."

"The Drama Desk?" Seb asked with excitement.

"Everyone calm down!" Miss Jenn said quickly. "This semester, we are entering the Alan Menken Awards for High School Musical Theater. And we are going to win."

The students began to gasp and rave at the news. Luca met Marlowe's eyes and the twins grabbed each other's hands.

"Um. . . that means beating North High, Miss Jenn,"  Carlos told her. "They have a thousand gallon Little Mermaid aquarium,"

"Wish I could have had that." Marlowe said with a slight pout when she remembered the time she played Ariel.

"How is that possible?" Knox questioned.

"Money, honey." Kourtney answered him.

"Then we will have an aquarium, too."

"In Beauty and the Beast?"

Miss Jenn blinked. "Okay,  I need to study the text. . . but we have something better than an aquarium,"

They stared at her. "Huh?"

"What?"

The teacher's eyes landed on Marlowe in the corner and she grinned. "You'll all see at the auditions. . . So,  who is ready to show the world they deserve to get that scholarship to NYU? I mean, who is ready to go from amateur thespians to statewide award winners?"

Marlowe felt excitement bubble inside her and she squeezed EJ tighter, bouncing on her feet in joy.

"What team?" Ricky asked over the excited cheers.

WILDCATS!" They shouted.

Luca immediately turned to his sister and his eyes went wide. "Marley, do you know what this means?"

She clasped her hands together. "This is our chance.  We have a chance to go to New York."

"Babe, you need to audition for Belle." EJ stated and put his hand on her back.

She looked up at him. "Really?"

"Absolutely," Knox said, joining the conversation,  "You're literally perfect for you."

She smiled at their praise. When the school put on Beauty and the Beast the first time, she didn't get the lead roll, she was actually the understudy but she never got to be Belle. It was her favorite Disney movie. She thought it was the perfect opportunity for her until she saw most of them gathered around Nini and praising her to audition for Belle. She frowned, not thinking about how everyone would want the leading lady to audition again.

She felt a little bit of Sharpay come out in her. The play, on top of a potential scholarship, was everything Marlowe needed fo make her dreams of being on broadway come true. Like she said a dozen times before, there was nothing that was going to stop her from getting the part.

"And you never know. Maybe we could be the leads together," EJ continued with a charming smile.

Marlowe smiled again and grabbed his hand. More excitement erupted at the thought of them playing the lead role's together as an official couple.

"Ricky, I'm moving to Denver."

And the excitement deflated. All attention turned to Nini as she blurted out the news. Marlowe's eyes widened and she looked at Ricky, seeing him frozen in his spot.

"Well, that's a mood killer." Luca muttered.