𝐇𝐈𝐃𝐄| 𝐉.𝐁.

30: The El Ray theater

"How are you holding up?" Taylor asks me.

"I'm fine. Still a little shaken up but, I'm getting there." I sigh and she nods.

"Shit." I hear her mutter.

"What's wrong, Tay?" I ask her.

"Kayla can't do the play anymore." She groans and my eyes widen.

"Why?"

"She's getting her wisdom teeth out that day." She frowns, typing away on her phone.

Fuck it.

"I'll do it." I blurt out and she snaps her head up.

"What?"

"I'll come back to the play. I'll be Gabriella." I give in and she smiles.

"Oh my god, Lex, you're the best!" She shouts and hugs me and I laugh.

"I don't know about that, but thanks." I chuckle and she lets go of me.

"This is gonna be the best show ever!" She exclaims and I laugh once again.

"We have Ms. Jenn next period anyway, she's gonna be thrilled!" She squeals and I slowly nod with a tiny grin on my face.

"Remember, I'm doing this for Ms. Jenn, not for anyone else. I know she's worked too hard to just cancel it." I state and she nods.

                                        ||

"Oh my god, what happened?" I say as I slowly walk over to the other students gathered around.

Water drops from above, forming a puddle on the floor.

"It's okay, nobody was hurt. There was a small fire in the theater yesterday and the sprinklers did their job." Ms. Jenn grimaces and my eyes widen as Taylor raises her eyebrows.

At the corner of my eye, I sense Josh staring at me but I don't dare to make eye contact.

I honestly thought he quit the play since he got back on the team.

I guess not.

"We're almost done in here, we just have to finish up in the faculty room next." The firewoman says, handing Ms. Jenn a burning basketball, with fumes of smoke coming out.

I see Ms. Jenn freeze up as her body is still, almost like a mannequin.

"Some circuits blew in there too." The firewoman continues and I raise my eyebrows.

"What the fuck." I mutter to Taylor and she frowns, shaking her head.

"How did the fire start?" Kourtney whispers to me.

"I think someone brought in a box of matches as their prop and I guess...it slipped out of their hands." Taylor says and I sigh.

"Unfortunately, the show cannot go on." The firewoman says.

"What?" Ms. Jenn says.

"What?" I exclaim and everyone looks at me.

"The fire ripped through half your costumes and the sprinklers ruined a bunch of your sets. I'm sorry but, I'm gonna have to red tag the entire backstage area for a month, at least." The firewoman says and my jaw locks.

"Did she just say costumes?" Kourtney croaks out and I look at her in sorrow.

I frown and give her a quick hug.

"Okay, listen up." Ms. Jenn says, turning around and we all look up to her.

Her body looks shaky and her hands tremble as she clutches the burnt basketball in her hands.