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Gracie sat on the stair case writing a few lyrics down in her notebook, waiting for rehearsal to begin later. The song was still going slowly, but on the positive side of things she has a lot of lyrics and ideas. She just needs to figure out how to phrase them and where to put them.
The empty flowers say he loves me not.
"No," Gracie sighed and crossed it off, hating the wording.
"Gracie!" Nini's voice made the girl jump and slam shut her notebook, looking up at the girl as she sat across from her.
"Nini?" her voice went up in confusion, wondering what the girl needed to talk to her about. "What's up?"
"I need to talk to you about Gina," Nini kept her voice down as if she was afraid anyone would her them in the empty halls.
"What about Gina?" Gracie put her notebook aside so she could focus her attention on Nini.
"I think she's trying to sabotage me," Nini spit out quickly.
It took a second for it to click in Gracie's head about what she said. "What?"
"Gina, the girl playing Taylor. Me, the girl playing Gabriella. Sabotage."
"That's a pretty big thing to accuse someone of," Gracie shifted in her seat uncomfortably.
"I know that, and you know me," Nini gave her a pleading look. "I would come talk to you about this unless I was sure."
"And how can you be so sure? Do you have proof?"
"Yes!" she replied quickly then faltered. "Well, sort of."
"'Sort of?'"
"Okay, listen, you know how I ran late to last rehearsal because I didn't get the text that rehearsal was moved?"
"Yeah," Gracie nodded, remembering clearly. "You lost your phone."
"Yeah, well, I didn't lose my phone. I think Gina stole it, texted Miss Jenn her choreography idea, told her to move up rehearsal so that I would miss, making me look bad in front of everyone at rehearsal, then added the most difficult choreography I have ever seen in my life to try to kill me or make me back out of the role of Gabriella, when in the movie just stands there because it makesshesnotdancingwheneveryoneelse-"
"Breath!" Gracie grabbed the girl's shoulders, snapping out of her rambling and getting her to take a deep breath. "It's okay. You were late to one rehearsal, meanwhile, Ricky been late to dozens and he's still in the show. And as for the choreography if you need help, I'm willing to help you. And Gina, you don't have to worry about her trying to take Gabriella away from you because I'm your understudy, not her."
"Yeah, but..." Nini started breathlessly. "I just want to warn that if she manages to succeed, you are going to be her next target. And you have already proven that you can keep up with her, she's going to try to do something big to get rid of you. I think she's even willing to hurt people and I don't want to see you get hurt."
"Okay, I don't think she as evil as you're making her out to be," Gracie shook her head wondering if inside Nini head Gina had horns or not. "But, I be careful and I'll keep an eye on her if it would make you feel better."
Before Gracie knew it, Nini flung herself at the girl wrapping her arms around her. "Yes, thank you! Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go return to Gina all the stuff I stole from her in retaliation for my phone. Which I am trying not to care about anymore despite that entire thing that just happened."
"You may want to go grab a drink of water before you do that, because you got crazy there for a minute."
"I will, thank you," Nini grabbed her stuff off the stairs and walked back down the hallway looking over her shoulder as if she thought someone was stalking her.
As Nini disappeared from her view, Gracie pulled out her notebook and looked at her scribbles all over the page.
It's time to escape, I'll call a taxi to take me anywhere.
"Oh, screw that," Gracie scoffed, shoving her notebook in her backpack and started to walk down the empty hallway.
Though, it wasn't empty for long as EJ turned the corner, cupping his face with a bloody hand.
"Nice face," Gracie commented as they walked passed each other.
"Shut up," EJ snapped, diving into the restroom, slamming the door behind him.
Gracie turned to look at the door and made herself fake sob. "Your face might be nice, but you have an ugly personality."
Her acting stopped when Ricky rounded the corner looking slightly concerned. "Oh, hey, Ricky," she smiled.
"Hey, have you seen EJ?" Ricky asked, looking around her any sign from the boy.
"He just went into the bathroom," Gracie pointed behind her. "Someone broke his face."
"Yeah, that was me," Ricky sighed walking into the bathroom, leaving Gracie all alone once again.
"What?" Gracie asked no one as she waited for Ricky to get out of the bathroom.
EJ was the first one out, not even looking at the girl as he passed. And a few seconds after him came Ricky, looking upset.
"What's wrong?" Gracie asked as Ricky looked outside the building.
"Nini," he said shortly before running outside the building, heading towards the girl he had one his mind.
Gracie walked slowly after him, stopping when she could hear the conversation going on between the two kids.
"I thought there was a little trust left between us," Ricky sighed. "I thought I still meant something to you."
"I just can't do this right now," Nini shook her head.
"Fine. But the next time I spill my guts to you in a voicemail, do me a favor and keep it to yourself. I don't need to be hearing from EJ that it's wrong and stupid."
"Wait? What voicemail?" Nini looked at him confused.
"What do you mean?"
"You heard this from EJ?"
Nini looked at Gracie, both of the girls think exactly the same thing.
