𝐫𝐞𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬

𝟚

Nini

The bell rang for lunch, and everyone spilled into the cafeteria. Kourtney and I sat at a nearby table and we were joined by EJ's teammates and their girlfriends. It seemed like I was a part of the group now. I looked around impatiently for EJ while Kourtney had an argument with one of the players about what was worse; the mash potatoes or the french fries in the cafeteria.  

Ricky

This dude had been talking nonstop about himself for about 2 hours now. His name was EJ Caswell, he was the captain of the water polo team, he was a senior, he was a complete theatre nerd, he had a 4.0 GPA, and he was student body president, who happened to be 6'0, lean, and looked like a Hollister model.

"It's lunchtime, so this is the cafeteria. You can sit with me today." He said strolling into the famous East High Cafeteria like it was his bedroom. He was met with screams from his adoring fans. 

"Hey," Big Red said catching up to me, "Why are you following EJ Caswell around?"

"He's my tour guide," I explained.

"Hey Big Red," EJ said turning to him, "Why don't you and Ricky sit with us? It's like a first-day gift."

"No thanks," I said, but EJ was already slapping me on the back and dragging me off to his table.

"Hey, guys!" EJ said sitting down. I sat down next to him. He slapped hands with his friends. "Guys, this is Ricky. Ricky this is-" he proceeded to name every single person on his team as if I would remember. 

"And this," He said leaning back to reveal a girl next to him, "Is my girlfriend." I dropped the french fry I was holding.

Nini

My face lit up when I saw who EJ was giving a tour to. 

"Hi, Ricky!" I said. He gaped at me.

"I'm sorry, you two know each other?" EJ asked looking from Ricky to me.

"Yeah, we used to go to kindergarten together," I said leaning over and punching Ricky's arm, "We were like best friends!"

"You-you guys are dating?" Ricky asked in a raspy voice.

"Yeah," EJ said putting his arm around me, "I spilled my coffee all over her, and she was totally shocked. I was like, 'oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!' and she was like 'it's all good', and I was like, who is this adorable British girl. Then I realized, aw. She's just nervous to talk to me." I laughed and blushed a little.

"That's crazy." Ricky's friend said clearly intrigued, "Out of all the schools in the world, Nini, EJ, and Ricky ended up in the same one."

"Yeah, well the world sure loves me if he sent me this incredible girl here to be my girlfriend," EJ said turning to me.

"Awww, stop it," I said swatting his arm.

Ricky

I felt like I was about to throw up. EJ was being so mushy and cheesy I actually think I felt french fries rising to my throat. 

"I'm sorry, were you two like a thing?" her friend from earlier asked butting into the romance. Nini looked pretty surprised that she was being asked this question. EJ's smile began to fade as he looked from me to Nini.

"Oh, no." she laughed, "Ricky and I were just really good friends."

"Yeah," I said, "Like do you remember that time when you vowed to become the best ukelele player in the world?"

"You play the ukelele?" EJ asked curiously.

"Oh, yeah." Nini said laughing, "I'm not that good though-"

"She's really good," I said leaning into the conversation, "I remember actually the first time she picked up her ukelele and wrote a song about clouds." She laughed wich made me feel kinda good. 

"Well, song writing's a great talent to have," EJ said smiling. I would have almost believed he was having fun if he hadn't turned to look at me. The rest of him looked like a happy go-getter guy joking around with his buddies, but his eyes were sending death threats. Not gonna lie, that just got me riled up even more.

"Yeah, you remember that song you wrote about me?" I asked.

"Oh my gosh," she said laughing and shaking her head, "What was it called again?" 

"I Think I Kinda you Know." we both said at the same time. She laughed, and I felt myself smiling too. 

"That's fun," EJ said interrupting, "That reminds me of when I first asked Nini out. Do you remember that babe?"He launched into a whole story about how he and Nini had met and their first kiss, their first date, their first blah blah blah, basically everything. To be honest, it didn't sound that horrible. In fact, it sounded like Nini was living the romantic comedy that every girl wants to live.   

"So," EJ said pulling out his phone and scrolling to a picture of a girl in a red dress, "I was thinking that for auditions we should go full-on V Hudge.

"Oh, um," Nini laughed nervously, "I don't wanna jinx it or anything-"

"Babe, you got this. You have like the best voice I have ever heard. You're amazing." EJ said putting his phone away.

"Whatever you're wearing, I'm doing your makeup," Nini's friend Kourtney said.

"I'm kinda bummed that we have no competition." EJ sighed not looking bummed at all. The bell rang signaling lunch was over.

+++

"I mean really, what are the odds," Big Red said watching me pace back and forth, "Nini is like one girl. There are thousands of other girls you could like, so why her? I mean she already has a boyfriend. Isn't there someone else that you could go recall childhood memories with?"

"The only person that I can really recall childhood memories is currently on her honeymoon with a buff and much more rugged-looking Asa Butterfield."I said, " She has to see me in a whole nother light. I'm to audition for that play tomorrow."

"Woah Woah Woah," Big Red said, "You met this girl today after not talking to her for like a decade. Do you even know what High school musical is about?"

"Sure, it's about... Zac Efron playing basketball." I said shrugging it off.

"Wrong," Big Red said, "It about Troy Bolton, played by Zac Efron, the star athlete at a small-town high school, who falls for the nerdy beauty Gabriella Montez played by Vanessa Anne Hudgens at a holiday karaoke party. When they return to the campus of East High, Troy and Gabriella audition for the upcoming school musical. Meanwhile, the jealous Sharpay Evans played by Ashley Tisdale conspires to squelch their chances. The two must struggle to make it to auditions while also meeting their existing obligations to the basketball team and the academic decathlon."

"How... do you know so much about High School Musical?" I asked kinda weirded out.

"They had it on loop in my doctor's office." He said.

"Whatever," I said, "I'm auditioning for that thing tomorrow and nothing is going to stop me."