Soaring [ej caswell]

Three: The Read Through

Emotions have been all over the spectrum.

I'm Taylor Mckessie AND Gabriella's understudy, Nini's understudy. Ej is Chad and if you put two and two together we're... oh god. I am so overwhelmed.

"Hey, you good?"

Ashlyn walks up beside me.

"Yeah I'm fine! Why?" I play it off.

"You look like traumatized" Ashlyn chuckles.

"Just overwhelmed with emotions is all"

We look ahead of us and Ej is talking to his phone.

"Get a load of this idiot" I giggle.

"Yo, what's up?" He says to his phone "I'm trading in my East High Leopards gear to be a Wildcat, starting today, because it's the day of the read-through! Blessed to be playing Chad"

"He is something else" Ashlyn says

"Swipe up for a link to tickets"

We both run up and I jump onto his back and Ashlyn runs to his side, both of us popping into the camera.

"Oh! Say hi to my cousin and my best friend and bye to my cousin and my best friend. They're the bomb. Peace."

I give a peace sign and he ends the video. I slide off of his back and we all walk down the hallway together.

"You're in a good mood" Ashlyn says.

"That's just for the fans, Ash. Inside I'm a bucket of sad"

"You're still not over the not-getting-Troy thing?" I ask.

"I put three years into this drama department and now I have to understudy my girlfriend's ex?"

"I know, it sucks. But, maybe it'll be good for you!" I encourage.

"Yeah, to not get what you want for once?" Ashlyn questions.

"Well I wasn't going to say that out loud but yeah" I agree.

"Why would that be good?"

"Then again, maybe you are who you are" Ashlyn says and we walk away giggling, leaving Ej confused.

We head to the theater room and look for our assigned spots. Mine was across the circle from Ash. I set my stuff down and I sit on her desk.

"Love that I'm all the way over there, next to no one I know, or like for that matter" I say crossing my arms.

"You like Nini, don't you?" She asks.

I give her a look.

"Oh yeah, right, sore subject. What about the new chick? Gina?"

"Yeah, I don't know how to feel about her yet. I feel like she's out to get me, she's probably out to get Nini too since she got Gabriella and not her"

"Well then she's not the only one out to get Nini" Ashlyn says and I gape at her.

"I'm not out to get Nini! I just don't like her that much" I shrug.

"Because she's with your man" she smirks.

"He's definitely not my man"

"Not yet" she winks.

"Oh my god, I hate you" I roll my eyes.

"Just straight up facts"

"Hey Bella!" See says excitedly.

"Sebby! Hi!" I say hugging him "How are you, my love?"

"I'm great, so excited! How about you?"

"I'm good! Nervous but good!" I smile.