Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
RICKY HAD TOLD Phoebe about him and EJ having an early rehearsal together before everyone else. Something about EJ and Ricky being in a room together basically alone screamed disaster. She stood near Ricky, the boy reading over his script, as she scrolled on her phone.
"Troy and Chad. Scene 45," Miss Jenn said as she walked in. "Oh - Phoebe. What are you doing here so early?"
"Just watching," she replied, turning off her phone. "Is that okay?"
"Of course," Miss Jenn nodded, continuing to walk away. The boys gathered around her and Phoebe took Ricky's spot. "Okay, let's take it from the top. And remember, these two are best bros. Which is a sacred thing for reasons I will never understand. Ready?"
EJ cleared his throat. "We had a meeting about how we haven't been acting like a team, Troy." He turned and motioned to the other two boys. "Us, not you. And the singing thing-"
"I don't want to talk about," Ricky interrupted as Troy.
"We just want you to know that we're gonna be there cheering for you," EJ stepped closer.
"Huh?"
EJ took another step closer. "Win or lose. . . we're teammates." He punched Ricky's shoulder, definitely harder than he needed to. "Even if you turn out to be the worst singer in the world."
The tension in the air was thick. "And you're not going to hear me sing. . . dudes," Ricky looked down at his script. "Because Gabriella won't even talk to me. . . and I don't know why."
"Okay," Miss Jenn could also sense the tension. "That was okay, uh, but it was a little stiff. Let's loosen up, pass some energy back and forth, right?" She turned to the boy with a basketball in his hand. "Let's use the ball and and improvise."
"Just say whatever?" EJ questioned.
"Chad it up," Miss Jenn chuckled. Phoebe tensed. Letting Ricky and EJ play with a ball was probably going to end very badly.
"Troy, you're the best player we've got," EJ started, bouncing the basketball over to Ricky. "We're so dang lucky."
"Wouldn't be anything without you," Ricky replied, shooting him a fake smile.
"The way you pretend to play basketball is really inspiring."
"Thanks, Chad, and the way you can dance is totally normal and not at all weird for a regular high school kid," Ricky shot back.
"You deserve everything that's coming your way," EJ remarked.
