Showtime

5. Homecoming

[Avni: My last homecoming, ever- and I don't have a date. I completely forgot about it, and I suppose the only person I actually wanted to go with was EJ and it was way too early to ask him. So- stag it is.]

"C'mon dude, I'm just saying, this is your chance," Big Red exclaimed as we walked to our lockers.

"The last thing I want to do is ask Nini to homecoming on the day of the dance," Ricky replied, which was fair.

"But she's single and ready to mingle," Big Red protested.

"And I had to hear about it from Avni. I'm telling you dude, she hardcore friendzoned me."

"So invite her as friends! We could all hang out together, like the good old days!" Big Red called after Ricky's retreating back.

"Like the good old days?" Avni asked Big Red, eyebrow arched.

He faltered slightly, "Well, almost."

♡♡♡♡♡

"You wanna go together?" Ricky asked Avni at lunch as they watched yet another girl get serenaded. "As friends. But we could pretend we're in love."

Avni fake gasped, "What do you mean pretend? Do I mean so little to you?"

Ricky laughed, "No, my love, you mean the world to me." He ripped out a flower from the bouquet of a random girl. "Now, will you make me the happiest man and go with me to the homecoming dance? Or you could just go alone-"

Avni burst out laughing, "You sure know how to flatter a lady. Of course, I'll go. But mostly because of the alone thing."

Ricky grinned at Avni in response. "I'll pick you up from your place."

♡♡♡♡♡

"You came with Gina?" Avni asked EJ by the punch bowl.

"You came with Ricky?"

"Oh c'mon, you know we're only friends."

"So are Gina and I."

"Since when? Also, you call your friends babe?"

EJ huffed, "We've talked a few times. And I wanted to call you babe, but you said no."

"Because it's weird. And I'm pretty sure I've talked to Gina more times than you have. Actually, I think I've talked to Gina more than any other theatre kid, which is honestly disturbing."

EJ snorted, "What do you guys even talk about?"

Wouldn't you like to know.

"Eh, just random stuff. She's pretty cool once you get past the competitiveness."

"You both together just sounds like a recipe for disaster."

"Or the start of something new?" Avni cringed at her own words, and EJ burst out laughing. She joined in.

"That was-" EJ started.

"Yeah," Avni nodded.

His eyes caught hers and the smile slipped of her face as they sucked her in. Her breath shorted and the world narrowed down to just them again and-

"EJ?!" came Gina's voice. She looked mad. She practically stomped over to Avni and EJ.

"Gina," Avni said, her eyes wide. "Take it down a notch."

"What are you doing?" EJ whispered to Gina.

"Just go on me with this, okay?" Gina whispered back.

"No, I don't just go with things. You need to fill me in, now."

Things clicked in Avni brain at EJ's words. "Wait is this part of the plan?" She asked Gina.

Gina nodded.

"Hold on, so you know about the plan too? Am I the only one who doesn't know?"

Gina huffed loudly, and Avni watched as she reached over for a glass of punch.

"Gina, what are you doing with-"

"How dare you flirt with another girl while you're on a date with me?" She yelled, and then dumped the punch on EJ's head.

"Gina!" Avni exclaimed, mouth agape, eyes wide. But Gina was already halfway across the gym, and Avni was left there standing next to a drenched EJ.

"Is it okay if I laugh?" She asked him.

♡♡♡♡♡

"So, let me get this straight- you and Gina have been plotting behind all of our backs to recast the show?" EJ asked Avni as they sat in his car in the school parking lot.

"I mean- yeah, but it would've ended in your favour. Gina just wanted Gabriella and I just didn't want Ricky and Nini to get back together. If things had gone our way, you would've gotten Troy and would still be dating Nini," Avni said.

EJ hummed in response. And then- "Are you okay with playing Sharpay? Because I did manipulate you into giving up Gabriella."

"I actually like Sharpay, so I don't really mind that you did that. Honestly, I was running a little low on motivation to do this play after everything that happened at camp, but Sharpay's a literal bamf so it's been exciting."

EJ didn't reply and the car fell silent as he started the car and Avni stared out the window, pondering on something.

"I actually don't think anything's really gone our way," Avni said abruptly. "Ricky and Nini just feel like an unstoppable force."

"You don't know that they're going to get together."

"Let's be honest, they probably will. They're playing romantic leads."

"We've played romantic leads a bunch of times. We're not together."

"We're not Ricky and Nini," Avni replied, pretending that his words didn't just punch her heart.

"What is your deal with Nini anyways?"

"I don't know- I met her when she and Ricky started dating. She never really understood or allowed my friendship with Ricky- and once she came to my birthday party, but didn't get me a gift and then picked a fight- it was a whole thing. Anyways, we never really got along. We tried making an effort for Ricky's sake but we weren't really feeling it. We'd just be civil when we had to be, I guess, but it didn't ever go beyond that. I don't really have any reason to hate her. Well, other than the fact that I don't love how she treats Ricky.

"How does she treat Ricky?"

"Like he needs to be more than who he is in order to be with her. Their power dynamic is weird- I don't think a relationship should have a power dynamic to begin with."

"They have so much history, though. That has to count for something, right?"

"I guess. But I feel like that's the only thing keeping them together. If they don't have that, what do they have?"

"Feelings?"

"I don't know- Nini seemed pretty happy with you."

"I think I was just a rebound."

"And you're okay with that?"

"Well, it is what it is. Plus, now I have my darling Gina."

Avni laughed at that.

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A/n

Did. You. See. What. I. Did. There.

Ricky and Avni came with each other and left with their ships hahjakaudgdegodiuhoduih I can't even.

I love them :)