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"Five minutes till act two!" Miss Jenn said as she and Gracie passed each other in the hallway.
"Thank you, five," Gracie called over her shoulder before starting to run up and down the halls in search for Big Red's card. She had spent almost the entire intermission trying to figure out different entrances the flower guy could have gone through and looking for the little envelope. Still, her hand were empty.
"It should not be this difficult," she muttered to herself, getting angry at the card itself and keeping her eyes trained on the floor.
However, she was so focused on the ground she didn't even notice anyone in front of her until she bumped into another body.
"Oh, God! I am so sorry," She quickly apologized, taking a step back from the person to see Gina standing right in front of her.
Gina shrugged it off. "It's fine, didn't hurt. You okay?"
"Yeah," Gracie answered, her eyes drifting back onto the floor as if the card would magically appear out of nowhere. "Actually I have a quick question for you: have you seen a little paper rectangle that looks like there might be a card inside."
Gina thought for a second before giving the girl a weird look. "You mean, like an envelope?"
"Yeah," Gracie let out a breath. "Yeah, it's an envelope."
"I'm lost," Gina shook her head, trying to figure out what was happening. "What's all this about?"
"You can't tell anyone about this until I find it," Gracie told her, getting a nod in return. "Big Red bought flowers for Ashlyn, but the card is nowhere to be found. So, now, everyone thinks the flowers are for Nini and Big Red asked me for help. So I need to find this envelope for him."
"Why doesn't he just tell her that the flowers are for her?"
"Because this is the advice I gave him when he asked me how to ask her out on a date," Gracie explained. "And I just want everything to work out for him. He deserves to be happy. And so I'm gonna find that card, even if it's the last thing I ever do."
"You are a really commited friend."
Gracie scoffed. "You have no idea."
"Okay, how about this?" Gina looked at her watch, trying to figure out how much time they had. "I will help you find this card, but can we watch Ashlyn's song and then start our search? I really wanna cheer her on."
"Yeah," Gracie nodded, relieved that she was getting some help. "When's that scene? When do we need to go."
"It starts any minute," Gina informed. "Like, we need to go, now."
Without another word, the girls ran towards the wings, making it with just enough time to watch the scene right before with Gabriella, Troy and Mr. Bolton.
"Wow. So, this is your real stage." Nini smiled as she walked onstage. She turned to face Troy a stopped in her step, seeing EJ where Ricky should be.
"Guess you could call it that. Or just a smelly gym," EJ said Troy's line, getting Gracie to turn to the nearest stage crew member.
"Where's Ricky?"
The stage member shrugged in response getting a sense of panic to settle in Gracie's stomach.
She turned to Gina who looked just as concerned as she felt. "I'll be right back, I need to make sure he's okay."
"Okay," Gina nodded as Gracie ran out of the room, not knowing what could've happened to get Ricky to disappear so suddenly, but she knew it had to be bad.
***
"Hey," Gracie ran up to the boy she had just spent that past twenty minutes trying to find, leaving out the times she had to go on stage. Ricky looked up from the table full of papers he had been focusing on to meet her eyes. "I've been looking everywhere for you. What happened?"
"It's a long story," Ricky sighed, sitting on the edge of the table.
"Well, I've got the time," Gracie shrugged. "I'm not on until curtain call."
"Todd's here," Ricky said quietly after a moment of silence between them.
"Wow," Gracie nodded, waiting for him to say something more. After a few seconds of silence, she decided to carry the conversation. "Is Todd the only reason you left the show?"
"Honestly..." Ricky stood up and shoved his hands into his pockets. "This is Nini's big moment. The best thing I could do for her is just take a step back and watch."
"Okay," Gracie gave him a small smile and held out her hand. "Come on, then. Let's watch."
"Uh, I don't know," he hestitated, looking at her hand. "Seeing that dude in my costume..."
"Nightmare fuel for sure," Gracie joked, getting a light laugh to leave Ricky mouth. "But we owe it to the team. Let's go watch EJ Caswell sweep himself off his feet."
Ricky smiled, looking down at his feet before meeting her eyes once again. "Thank you, for all your help with everything. I'm sorry it was all for nothing, though."
"I wouldn't say it was all for nothing," she shrugged. "I think this whole experience is exactly what you needed. And I really hope you'll try this again someday."
Ricky nodded before holding his arm out letting her go through the doors before him.
As they entered the gym, both Nini and EJ's heads turn to them, before EJ quickly tried to get back on track.
"Like kindergarten, remember?" EJ asked, getting Nini to look between him and Ricky. After a few seconds of deafening silence, EJ looked back Nini with a new sense of understanding. "Remember in kindergarten? There's nothing like the friends you made back then. And they never really leave, do they?"
"What are you doing?" Nini asked.
"Something right, I hope," EJ said sincerely. "I'm gonna play to lose. I'm not the Troy you want."
EJ left the stage, getting Gracie heart to drop to her stomach as she watched Nini look at Ricky. Gracie took a few steps back away from Ricky, knowing what was gonna happen next.
Ricky, however, looked like he had no idea what was going on as her looked back at Gracie, seeing she was no longer next to him. All she could do was try to give him her best smile and a slight nod as Nini started to sing.
You know the world can see us In a way that's different than who we are Creating space between us Till we're separate hearts
Gracie watched as Ricky and Nini talked for a second before Nini at the house band to continue playing.
But your faith, it gives me strength Strength to believe We're breaking free
Gracie couldn't help but let her smile drop as Ricky and Nini ran back onstage with bright smiles, looking like they were having the time of their lives.
She watched as Ricky looked like he was falling back in love with Nini. With tears pricking her eyes and her heart breaking in a way she had never felt before, she moved past a stunned Gina and EJ as she left the gym, letting her tears fall while holding back a sob.
***
GRACIE: See, it's like what I've been saying from the start of this: It's always has been Nni. And it always will be.
