chapter one
back to school

Dylan Valdez didn't think that she would spend the entire summer trying to avoid one of her best friends but the world works in mysterious ways. Nini Salazar-Roberts had told her boyfriend Ricky Bowen that she loved him and instead of saying it back he asked for a break.

Now Dylan wasn't avoiding Ricky because of the breakup, she understood why he didn't say it back. When your parents, or in Dylan's case her parent, doesn't say i love you to anyone including each other it's hard to love someone yourself.

No, she was avoiding Ricky because she felt guilty. It was her who pushed Nini, her favourite person in the world, to confess her feelings for the Bowen boy. Nini constantly going on about how much she loved her boyfriend was starting to get on Dylan's nerves. So if she was one who pushed Nini to tell him and he broke up with her after she told him then isn't she partly to blame?

Nini didn't think so, hence why right now they were walking down the school hallway, chatting about Nini's theatre camp and new boyfriend she got over the summer.

"Oh, wait, I gotta show you pictures." Nini gushed, pulling her phone out, the girls girls next to her muttering an "okay" in reply.

"Okay, um... Oh, and this was my costume in Act Two." The girl turned her phone so her best friends could see.

"Flawless. Love it." Kourtney stated. Kourtney Greene was the third person in their trio. Kourtney, Nini and Dylan; that's how it's always been and how it will always be.

"Ugh, Nini you're so pretty." Dylan complimented.

"Ooh! Uh, oh, this is the wig that almost
fell off in the middle of my ballad." The girls laughed as they continued to Nini's locker.

"And this." Nini handed Kourtney her phone, Dylan looking over shoulder as Nini opened her locker. This time the photo was of her new boyfriend.

EJ Caswell was a senior, and the captain of the water polo team. Everyone seemed to fawn over him — he was like the schools very own Gaston and Dylan would quite happily be Belle. The girl hated EJ.

"I know who that is Nini." Kourtney stated zooming in on the photo of a shirtless EJ.

"Girl, I am like 0.2 seconds away from making that my lock screen." Nini gushed.

"I don't see the hype." Dylan made a face, the two laughing at her.

"You rarely do." Kourtney spoke up before turning to Nini, "I can't tell if your glowing or if you're sunburnt."

"Sunburnt."

"Definitely glowing. Yeah, I had the best summer. Ever." Nini and Dylan both said at the same time.

"And what does you-know-who have to say about this?" Kourtney asked raising her eyebrows.

"I don't think Voldemort cares about Nini's love life Kourt." Dylan joked, her love for the Harry Potter series shining through.

"You know who I mean." Kourtney laughed.

"I'm waiting for the right time to tell him." Nini smiled weakly. Suddenly Ricky calls from behind her, making his way up to the trio.

"Hey you feel about right now?" Kourtney asked sarcastically. Nini took a deep breathe, placing her phone down in her locker before closing it and turning around to face Ricky Bowen and Big Red.

"I so wouldn't want to be her right now." Dylan whispered to Kourtney.

"Hey." Ricky greeted.

"Hey." Nini replied. Kourtney shook her head whispering back to Dylan.

"So awkward." Receiving a nod in agreement they turned back to the ex couple.

"Um can we talk?" Nini asked awkwardly, Ricky furrowing his eyebrows in confusion at the question. "I met somebody else at camp, I didn't plan — "

"Wait. Wait is this a joke?" Ricky interrupted.

"Still talking here." Nini snapped. The entire group shared looks of surprise. Kourtney and Dylan both looked at each other impressed, glad Nini was finally sticking up for herself.

"Oh, snap." Kourtney muttered.

"I met someone at camp. I didn't plan for it to happen, but it happened. He was the Music Man, I was Marian, the librarian. It's called a showmance." Nini explained, Ricky looking slightly betrayed.

"Wait, you went to librarian camp? That's a thing?" Big red asked.

"Please... tell me you're joking."

"I'm not." Both big red and Nini spoke in sync, Ricky looking at Big Red angrily before turning back to Nini.

"I don't think he meant you." Dylan whispered to Big Red, the boy nodding awkwardly in response.

"Come on, Ricky. You know what you did! Or what you didn't do." Nini explained exasperatedly.

"Low blow." Dylan mumbled.

"Good morning, students.Please make your way to the gym for our annual back-to-school kickoff." A voice came over the PA system as the group stand awkwardly in front of Nini's locker.

The ex couple continued to talk. Dylan zoned out slightly, missing their conversation as she stared at the ground. She may love both of them, but their conversation mixed with the heartbroken look on Ricky's face was not something she needed.

"I'm sorry, Ricky. But it's a break-up now." Are the words to break Dylan out of her daydreams. Her eyes widened at the sudden outburst and the look of hurt across Ricky's features but stayed silent.

"Pop off, girl." Kourtney praised.

"Stay out of it, Kourtney." Big red snapped.

"Hey don't speak to her like that!" Dylan ordered the boy in front of her.

"You stay out of it." Kourtney retorted "I'm dismantling the patriarchy this year, and I'm not afraid to start with you."

The trio walked off, Kourtney and Dylan linking arms with Nini as she walks in the middle of them. Nini sighed happily

"You crushed it." Dylan praised, smiling at her best friend.

"That could not have gone better." Kourtney added.

The girls made their way into the gym, walking over to the bleachers and sitting in the only empty seats they could find. The principal stood at the front before introducing the new drama teacher.

She went on about how the school where High school musical was shot had never done a production of it.

"Auditions are tomorrow after school." The teacher, who had introduced herself as Miss Jenn told the students, "This show could change your lives, and I'm saying this as a background dancer from the original movie. Third from the left, back row, red headband, and those are my real teeth. So..." A young boy came up to her and tries to take the mic. She snatched it back before speaking again.

"Oh, and meet your student choreographer, Carlos. You know him as captain of the color guard. I know him as an unpaid, rising star." Miss Jenn introduced. The school bells rang and the student slowly pick up their stuff before making their way out of the gym.

✿✼:*ﾟ:༅｡.｡༅:*･ﾟﾟ･⭑

By the time lunch is around, Dylan is ready to go home — especially as EJ had decided to join the trio at their table. Dylan was doing some of the homework she had already been set, not listening to the conversation Kourtney was having with the Caswell boy. When he (eventually) decided to leave, Dylan looked up.

"Okay, is he the best or is he the best?" Nini questioned rhetorically laughing.

"He is. He is." Kourtney answered.

"But?" Nini pushed.

"I don't like him." Dylan stated bluntly.

"No 'but' I just... I don't wanna see another boy hurt you." Kourtney expressed her concern for the girl.

"Remember how crushed you were after Ricky?" Dylan commented.

""Crushed"is a little dramatic." Nini remarked.

"You didn't leave your bedroom for 48 hours." Dylan emphasised.

"I had to slide pizzas under your door. Girl, it was dark." Kourtney shuddered.

"This is different. That was then. I'm my own person now." Dylan smiled at Nini's revelation.

"Good."

( 💌 ) isobel's notes
i only now when editing realise
how rubbish some of these
chapters were but here we are