"How am I supposed to think about anything else?
How am I to go on keeping this to myself?
I am done pretending I want anyone else"
or
Eliza's boyfriend broke up with her a week before their junior year and their two year anniversary. And her best f...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"I'm sorry— a what?" Eliza said after Miss Jenn mentioned a kiss. "There wasn't a kiss—"
"It was very much there in the original film," Miss Jenn stated.
"I only remember a hug," Ricky spoke up.
"The kiss ended up on the cutting room floor. Little racy for its time," Miss Jenn concluded. "So page 97."
Eliza looked at the paper in her hand, Troy and Gabriella kiss, was written in Miss Jenn's handwriting. Eliza understood from a theater point of view, but this was— it really was Eliza kissing her friend's ex, an ex she wasn't sure Nini was totally over. Totally against girl code.
"Miss Jenn, can we just talk in private?" Eliza questioned. Miss Jenn nodded. Eliza handed the page to Ricky and followed Miss Jenn out into the hallway and towards her office. "Miss Jenn, why did you add a kiss in?" Eliza blurted out.
"I added the kiss because our production needs it," Miss Jenn responded. "I've also added a cow bell, a power ballad for the drama teacher, and a Wildcat cheer for the curtain call."
"Which are all great ideas, but I can't kiss Ricky," Eliza said. "It's going against girl code, and well, he's pretty, yes, and I did like him back in sixth grade, but he's my best friend's ex. I just can't kiss him."
"Eliza, trust the process. You, Gabriella, only have eyes for Troy," Miss Jenn finished. Eliza smiled and thanked Miss Jenn before standing up and leaving, knowing there was no way of convincing the drama teacher of forgoing the kiss.
🏀
"I'm kind of lost, if the play's over, why would we still be dancing?" Ricky questioned.
"It's a curtain call," Carlos said. "You're the last two to come out. We want to bring the audience to their feet."
"Teach them the dance," Ricky added with a smile.
"Oh come on, Bowen. Once you've learned this dance, the rest of them will come easier," Eliza told him. "Besides, I trust Carlos and Miss Jenn to not make us look dumb on stage. Where is our wonderful director?" Eliza questioned, she was still upset at Miss Jenn for adding a kiss.
"She's busy tracking down a prop," Carlos said. "She's asked me to create a crescendo, people, so let's stop swirling and start twirling."
"But why are practicing the bows when we haven't even practiced the play?" Ricky questioned.
"Because you start with the hardest dance that takes the longest to learn. It's in The Big Book of Broadway. Page three hundred and seventy-four."
