𝐫𝐞𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬

𝟙

Nini

I couldn't have been happier with the way junior year was going. Sure I was a little late, but Kourt and I got to school on time and ready to go. Not to mention EJ was waiting at my locker first thing in the morning to introduce me to his teammates. I was getting a lot of either death stares from some girls or curious stares from peers. I guess they were wondering why EJ Caswell was hanging out anywhere near the new girl. I couldn't blame them. We were having an assembly on the first day of school and I saw students flooding into the gymnasium. I sat between EJ and Kourtney and watched the principal tap the microphone. 

"Good morning students, and welcome back to a new school year. This year, we have a very special teacher joining us, please welcome your new drama teacher; Ms.Jenn." A scatter of applause followed as a pretty lady with blue eyes and blonde hair stepped up to the podium. 

"Hello, my name Ms.Jenn. When I heard that the high school where high school musical was shot had never staged a production of high school musical... the musical, I was stunned as a drama teacher. And triggered as a millennial." She then proceeded to pull out a cannon and shoot a t-shirt out of it while yelling, "Go Wild Cats!" Everyone stared at her as if she were crazy.

"Auditions will be held on Friday after school." She finished. I gasped and turned to EJ who was already looking at me. I beamed. This was going to be the perfect year. 

Ricky

"Dude, that was wild."Big Red said rubbing his face. The crazy drama teacher had shot Big Red in the face with a t-shirt cannon. 

"Yeah. She's some kind of nut case huh?" I agreed. The bell rang and everyone scrambled to get to class. I looked around trying to find my tour guide. They had told me to wait for them near the base of the huge wild cat statue. Either they were very late, or very lost like me. Great. This was going amazing. I was lost in a school that I hate in a state that I hate with the biggest idiot as my tour guide. Suddenly I spotted a girl with brown-black walking towards me. I straightened up as she approached. She sat the base of the statue. She seemed to be waiting too. 

"Excuse me," I said approaching her, "Are you the tour guide?" She looked up at me surprised. I stared at her. I could have sworn I had seen her somewhere before. 

"Oh no, I'm new here too." She said smiling. She was really pretty and had a sweet voice. "I'm Nini," she said sticking out her hand. Nini. No. She couldn't be the same one I had met in kindergarten. There was no way. 

"Ricky," I said shaking her hand."Ricky Bowen." She looked surprised for a moment but quickly tried to cover it up.

"What?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing," She laughed, "I knew a kid in kindergarten with the same name as you-"

"Richard Bowen," I said quickly. She looked up at me, "And you couldn't stop laughing because only grandpas were named Richard so you renamed him Ricky." Her face lit up.

"Oh my gosh Ricky!" she squealed getting up, "What are you-how-"

"What are you doing here?" I laughed. 

"I transferred here a few months ago!" She said smiling really big, 

"I came here a few days ago." I laughed.

"It's so great to see you again! I haven't seen you in what? 10 years?" she said.

"Yeah. That's crazy. Seems like yesterday I was sticking my tongue out at Ms.Furnel."  I admitted leaning back on the statue.

"For the record her name was Ms.Funnel." Nini said smiling, "And that was unbelievably disrespectful."

"She was annoying." I complained, "But yeah it kinda was."

"I can see that you can pronounce your a's now," Nini said proudly.

"Yeah." I agreed, "Turns out that I wasn't speech defected or anything, it was just a kid thing." We laughed.

"Hey," we both turned around. A black girl will orange glittery eye shadow and matching orange outfit was watching us.  "Nini, you're coming with me for the tour, other dude, you have to wait. You're tour guide's gonna be late."

"See you around Ricky," Nini said picking up her backpack and heading over to the other girl.

"See you around Nini," I said back with equal verve.

Nini

When we rounded the corner, Kourtney turned too me.

"What was THAT?" She half squealed half demanded.

"What?" I asked.

"I leave you alone for 10 minutes and I catch you flirting with some Israel Broussard lookalike?" Kourtney gave me a look, "Spill."

"It's not like that," I said.

"Didn't look like it." 

"He's a guy from my kindergarten class that I haven't seen in a really long time. We were just catching up." I explained.

"Yeah well I hope your little reunion went bad, cause from the looks of it if you keep laughing like that with Mr.Tom Holland, we are going to be having some male problems with Mr.Armie Hammer," Kourtney said taking my arm and leading me to my first class.

"Do you know who Ricky's tour guide is?" I asked curiously. Kourtney frowned.

"Who? Oh, you mean Shawn Mendez back there? No clue."

Ricky

I watched Nini and her friend round the corner and disappear. I checked my phone. 7:55. First period was bound to start soon. A few minutes passed when suddenly a tall boy with black hair and shocking blue eyes rounded the corner. 

"Are you" He looked down at the paper in his hand."Ricky Bowen?"

"Yeah," I said getting up.

"Sweet. I'm your tour guide." he stuck out his hand to shake."I'm EJ. EJ Caswell."