1.2.1. The Read-Through

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GracieWhere are you??The read-through is going to start soon and you can't be late to this one

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Gracie
Where are you??
The read-through is going to start soon
and you can't be late to this one

Gracie sighed and turned off her phone, seeing that Ricky wasn't going to answer her anytime soon. It was bad enough that he was late to the auditions, if he keeps on being late to everything, he can say goodbye to playing Troy.

She turned the corner to the hallway and was hit in the face with a strong but familiar scent. One that Ricky wore whenever he and Nini would go on a date.

"Oh, no," Gracie muttered to herself before the bathroom door flung open making the scent stronger than ever.

"Hey, Gracie," Ricky smiled walking over to the girl.

"No," Gracie held up a finger, keeping him an arm's length from her. "How much of that stupid cologne did you put on?"

"You mean Throb?" Ricky asked, knowing that the girl hated that word.

Gracie cringed as Big Red answered for him. "I'd say about 30 sprays worth."

"30?" Gracie's eyebrows shot up. "Okay, let's get this clear. One to two sprays, that's good. Three sprays maybe over doing it a little. But 30? That's headache inducing."

Gracie watched Ricky's eyes grow wide. It was obvious to the girl he had no idea what to do now.

She sighed and looked down at her watch. "Look, we've got five minutes before the read-through starts. Run over to your locker and exchange out that hoodie with your emergency one you keep in there. It'll help out the scent a little bit."

"Good idea," Ricky said, starting to jog towards his locker. "I'll be there, on time. I promise."

Gracie and Big Red watched as he rounded the corner.

"How come you don't help me out with girls?" Big red broke the silence between them as he stood looking at the place Ricky disappeared from.

Gracie turned to her friend and raised an eyebrow. "Have anyone in particular in mind?"

Big Red thought for a second as they turned to start walking down the hallway. "No, not yet, anyway."

"Okay," she looped her arm through his. "Well, when you do, talk to me. I'll be happy to help you."

***

"Better?" Ricky asked as he met up with his friends in the bomb shelter.

"As much as it can get," Gracie nodded her head.

"Could everyone take their assigned seats, please?" Miss Jenn asked looking up from her phone.

"Good luck, Troy," Gracie patted his shoulder as she took a seat between EJ's cousin, Ashlyn, and a dancer.

"Hi," Ashlyn smiled politely at the girl as Gracie set her stuff down next to her. "I'm Ashlyn."

"Gracie," Gracie held out her hand for Ashlyn to take.

"Don't forget to silence your phones," Miss Jenn said as she flipped through her script.

Gracie's eye widened as she saw Big Red take the seat that was reserved for the stage manager. She could only bite back a laugh as Miss Jenn started her speech.

"I realize that you all walked in here as strangers," Miss Jenn looked lovingly at everyone in the circle.

"Actually, EJ's my cousin," Ashlyn interrupted. After a brief silence Miss Jenn continued.

"But after today, you're a family. One tribe, committed to lifting this classic film to new heights."

Gracie smiled as she watched Carlos slowing raise up his choreographer card with his phone and take a selfie. He realized people were looking at him and put the card and his phone down as Miss Jenn tried to get through the rest of her speech.

"Please take your neighbor's hands," Miss Jenn instructed the group, causing almost everyone to follow along. Of course, Ricky was beyond happy to hold Nini's hand but on the other side of him sat EJ. "Hands."

Both boys grabbed each others hands not looking very happy to do it.

"Feel each others energy," Miss Jenn continued. "Let the silence speak volumes. In a world full of no, this is a space full of yes."

"Did you just come up with that?" Carlos whispered but everyone could hear him.

"I did."

Gracie closed her eyes trying to regain some sort of balance due to her constantly about to laugh since the start of all this.

We're all in this together

Gracie opened her eyes as Miss Jenn continued to sing softly.

Once we know that we are
We're all stars
And we see that

Gracie caught Ricky's eye as he let go of EJ hand. Ricky could see that the girl was biting back a laugh, causing him to smile as well.

We're all in this together
And it shows when we stand
Hand-in-hand
Make our dreams come
True

As Miss Jenn held the note, Ricky and Gracie's faces were turning red as they continued to make eye contact, seeing who would break first.

***

GRACIE:
This is the best read-through ever and we've only just just started. (Laughs).

***

"Sharpay heads for class, she hears singing, opens the door to the biology lab," Big Red read, earning some confused looks from everyone around him. "She finds Gabriella and Taylor washing their hands. They turn to find there are no paper towels in the dispenser. They-"

"Stop," Miss Jenn interrupted. "Don't run it all together. Read the punctuation."

Big Red looked back at the script. "Sharpay comma heads for class period."

Gracie put her head in her hands as silent laughter broke out.

***

"And they are hearing the songs in their heads period," Big Red finished the last page from act one, getting Miss Jenn to hit her script.

"And that's Act One," Miss Jenn smiled. "Let's take a break."

"I hated that," Big Red muttered as the trio met up by the piano and pulled out their phones.

"I could tell," Gracie sat next to the boy.

"And I could see you laughing at me from across the way," Big Red shook his head.

"Yeah, you have to admit, it was a little funny."

"Oh, yeah, definitely," Big Red gave a small laugh. "I would have been laughing too if it wasn't me that was reading."

Gracie smiled at him before she raised her phone that was playing a video up to Ricky. "Ricky, look."

Ricky glanced quickly at her phone before turning back to his. He gave a forced chuckle. "Funny, nice."

"Did you even see...?" Gracie looked down at her phone seeing the video had even reached the end yet. She turned back to Ricky who had a smile on his face, not taking his eyes off his phone. "Who you texting?"

"What?" Ricky broke out of his gaze to look at the girl.

"I said, 'who are you texting?'"

"No one," Ricky shook his head and stuffed his phone in his back pocket as Miss Jenn called them back to the circle.

Gracie watched as Ricky walked back to his desk, giving Nini a grin.

"Nini," Gracie answered, feeling the familiar pit of jealousy in her stomach. "Of course it was Nini."

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