High School Musical || RJ AU

02. New school

ONE WEEK LATER

East High School is full of activity, students are mingling and discussing their vacations. EJ hops off the school bus and is immediately greeted by his fellow teammates.

"EJ! How ya doing bro?" asks his best friend, wrapping her arms around him in a hug. A dark-skinned girl with curly-afro like hair named Gina.

"Hey, Gina, what's up?" The boy replies and then turns to his teammates all smiles, "Hey guys, Happy New Year!"

Gina cheers, "Hell yeah! It's a Happy Wildcat New Year! In two weeks we're going to the championships, with you leading us to infinity and beyond."

"WHAT TEAM?"

"WILDCATS!"

"WHAT TEAM?"

"WILDCATS!"

As Gina is almost done with the chant, Brianne Matthew-Smith, the most popular girl in school and her twin brother Seb stroll straight through them in the hallways. Brianna is a short and skinny girl with blonde hair in a bob cut and fake acrylic nails. Much like her brother who is also short and skinny with short blonde hair.

"Looks like the ice princess returned from the North Pole," says Max, chuckling at his own joke. Max is another one of EJ's best friends, he is tall and lean with short, brown, curly hair.

The basketball team laugh at Max's joke as they pass Nini Salazar-Roberts and her quiet posse.

Nini is the most musical girl in the school. She writes her own songs but never performs them as she is scared to be judged and has never auditioned for the school musical as she doesn't want to work with Brianne Matthew-Smith.

"Ugh, behold the zoo animals heralding the new year," she says as she rolls her eyes. The warning bell then rings and all the students rush to their first class of the day.

At the same time, Ricky, his dad and the Principal are walking along another section of the school discussing Ricky's first day of school.

"Dad, my stomach.."

"Is always nervous on the first day at a new school. You'll do great. You always do, and I made my company promise that I can't be transferred again until you graduate," the older male reassures his son.

Principal Matsui smiles, "I reviewed your impressive transcripts. I expect that your light will shine very brightly here at East High."

Ricky looks to his father pleadingly, "I don't wanna be the school's freaky music boy again."

Mr Bowen hugs his son, kissing him on the forehead. "Just be Ricky," he whispers and pulls away.

"Right this way," Principal Matsui leads as Mr Bowen waves goodbye to his son as Ricky makes his way up a flight of stairs with his new principal.

They have small talk as they walk to Ricky's first class. As they get to the dorm they bid goodbye and Ricky enters the classroom staring at the floor, unaware that EJ is sitting right in front of him. On the other hand, EJ is equally as oblivious as he is facing the back of the classroom. Ricky hands some papers to the teacher at the front of the room.

"Miss Jenn?" Ricky questions the teacher who nods and dismisses him to go find a seat.

Ricky shyly squeezes past EJ and his friends with his head bowed down trying not to make eye contact with anyone. He catches EJ's attention as he passes and EJ subconsciously listens to his friend chatting in his ear whilst staring at Ricky. As soon as he sits down, an annoying blonde-haired girl sits down on the seat next to him.