𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 𝐒𝐀𝐃𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒 - 𝐡𝐬𝐦𝐭𝐦𝐭𝐬 (𝐢𝐢𝐢) | ✔

twelve

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twelve: drama-free zone
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The Barn was already full, packed with theater kids eager to start their first read-through (especially because it was going to be in front of Corbin Bleu himself). Because Juliette had been cast as an understudy, she had no need to warm up with them and, therefore, was taken under Maddox's wing to help with the decorations.

"You know, this used to be my thing before getting into acting," she smiled, remembering how much fun she used to have with the art crew.

"What made you change your mind?"

"I fell in love," she whispered, more to herself than to the girl besides her, "with acting."

"Corbin's on the clock!" they heard the door to the Barn opening. "It's go time."

"Mr. Bleu, sir. We have a killer first read-through plan for today," E.J. explained as all of them took a chair and sat on a circle, scripts in hand.

"Keep warming up, gang. We're gonna check some sound levels."

Juliette sat on a chair, reading over the script just in case she was needed, although she knew that wouldn't be the case. Gina had a reputation: she would never back down from a lead role, no matter what happened to her. So, the redhead was fairly confident that she wouldn't even need to learn the lines by heart.

"Welcome to the first Frozen read-through!" E.J. exclaimed as soon as Corbin announced they were rolling. "Young Elsa and Anna are on a nature field trip but Juliette and Val will fill in for the both of them."

The boy, however, was soon interrupted by Corbin, who took a step forward: "I'll take it from here, R.J., thank you. All right, Camp Shallow Lake! I am pumped to be back for this full day of rehearsal. Figured that, with opening night only 10 days away..."

"Ten days away? That's a reason to celebrate!" Ricky exclaimed, getting up from his chair. "Bring it in!"

Juliette knew exactly what he was doing. As she saw him trying to hug Corbin Bleu (and being ignored), she remembered how his birthday was coming up and, therefore, he had to go through his 'before-I-turn-18' bucket list. The day he showed her, or, better said, that she saw it in his room, he told her how he had written it when he was seven and had not changed it since. It was the same day he helped her write one of her own because, according to Ricky, everyone should have a challenge to overcome before becoming an adult.

"Look, I understand that some of you know me as a name and not a person. But I'm just a regular guy who buys his groceries at Erewhon and has a personal trainer like anybody else. All right? I'm just here to campture some behind-the-scenes footage so think of me as a fly on the wall. Be yourselves. Let's have some fun, yeah?"

"Yeah, baby! Let's hug it out! Bring it in, come on," Ricky exclaimed once more, getting ignored once again.

And so the read-through began, Juliette reading young Anna's lines and Val taking over young Elsa and the stage directions. It all went smoothly, not a single mistake, not a single problem... just as it should be. Well, that would have been the case if Channing weren't constantly trying to stir up some drama. The camera man seemed more invested in their teenage relationships than in doing his own job.

"Uh, Mr. Bleu, if you're looking for dirt or like, jealous in-fighting, that's just not us."

"We're all good friends," Gina agreed.

"Yeah, like, really good friends. We're basically a drama-free zone," E.J. intervened.

"Yeah, we would never fight with each other," Juliette continued, Kourtney putting an arm around her shoulders.

"Great. All those Emmy-winning, drama-free reality shows."

"Okay. Let's just... let's move on," Corbin prompted them, and they continued reading the script.

Rehearsal, however, was interrupted when they realised Jett was not there to read his part.

"Jett's gonna be fine," Maddox explained, as if she knew exactly what she was talking about. Yet again, she probably did. She must have had to deal with tens of cases like this one. "He's probably just doing this for... attention."

"Maddie, Val, please track him down," E.J. pleaded, his voice almost trembling. "As for the rest of us, let's take a ten. I will be in the canteen having a cool beverage, because I am very cool. Everything is cool, Mr. Bleu. Juliette come with me."

Opening her eyes in surprise, confused as to why E.J. was asking her and not Gina to accompany him, she nodded and followed suit. The way there was quiet and neither of them made a sound until E.J. had a coke in his hand.

"What was all of that about?" he asked, his tone serious.

"What was what?"

"The yelling contest with Ricky."

"It was nothing, one of our fights. You should now the protocol already," she tried to joke, suddenly intimidated by her best friend's look.

"Well, as CIT, I feel obliged to ask you please to keep those things to yourself. If you two want to fight, that's okay, but please do it in private. We don't need more stress than we already have," he adopted a professional voice, taking his role as counselor seriously.

"It was not as if we had it planned," she commented back. "What do you think we did? Get together and decide we were going to fight in front of everyone?"

"I'm just asking you as counselor of this camp to please keep your relationship with Ricky, whichever that is, private."

"And what happened to my best friend?"

"What do you mean?" E.J.'s voice fell, suddenly taken aback by the answer.

"You're asking me as counselor but where is my best friend? The one who promised that this was going to be the best Summer ever? And all the things we were going to do together?"

"Do you think I wanted to be in charge of the show? I wanted more than anything to have a Summer with all of you before my dad sends me away this year but I can't!"as soon as E.J. noticed what he had said, however, he fell silent.

"What do you mean? You're staying in Salt Lake this year, aren't you? Your gap year?" Juliette whispered, desperate for E.J. to confirm that she was right, that he had made a mistake.

"My dad sent me a letter. He wants me to go to Saint Louis."

Juliette did not dare to open her mouth anymore. She simply stepped in front of E.J. and gave him the hardest hug she had ever given anyone. She was not ready to say goodbye to her best friend, not yet. This was not supposed to be it. He had to teach her how to drive so she could go visit him. He needed to stay in Salt Lake.

"Please, don't tell anyone. I need to be the one to do it," he pleaded, hugging her back. Juliette simply nodded.