Was it real? [Ricky Bowen]

- 1 -

It's the first day of school and the first day at a new high school for Rosella Montez. She moved to Salt Lake City only three weeks ago, after convincing her mother that she wants to go to school where her parents met. That's  how she ended up here, at the entrance of East  High School. With a big smile she meets up with her cousin, Peter and his girlfriend Lara Jean, greeting both with hugs and smiles. Together the three enter the big corridors.

While the couple greet their friends Rosella looks around for any faces she may recognizes. She met some of her cousins friends at one of his best friends party last week but they're all seniors. Rosella is only a junior, having to do her sophomore year again after a family accident two years ago.
They continue on walking as the brown haired girl sees one of her new friends who she first met at a little diner on der second day in Salt Lake City.

"Hey Ricky" she greets the boy who walks with a red head. He wants to say some more, after greeting her back but her cousin beats him, telling her he wants to show her her locker before the assembly starts. "Can you save me a seat, please?" she asks her friend while walking away, Ricky only nods before she's gone.

After showing her her locker, the couple and the new girl walk towards the gymnasium where the assembly is taking place.
She spots Ricky easily and after saying goodbye to Peter and Lara Jean she makes her way over to her new friend and the boy next to him.

"Rosella, this is Big Red, Big Red this is Rosella Montez" Ricky introduces his new and old friend with each other. "Hey, nice to meet you" Rosella smiles, shaking the boys hand. "Hey" he simply greets her back with a smile of his own.

"Why are you looking so down, Rics? It's only the first day of school, lighten up a but, will you?" Rosella says, seeing Rickys pouty face, while the principle talks something about hats. "It's Nini" Big Red tells her for his friend over Rickys shoulder. "Nini as in your ex Nini?" "Yeah." "Why? You broke up with her like over a month ago." Rosella knows everything about what happened six weeks ago. Ricky told her one night while they were having a movie night. "I didn't break up with her. I wanted a break." "I told you this once before and I'm going to tell you this again. A break is a break up" the girl repeats her words from that night two weeks ago.

"And now for a special introduction. This year East High has a new drama teacher with an announcement she swore, in writing, would not cost too much money" the principle earns their attention again as a middle aged woman and a boy get up to the microphone.

Sighing Ricky looks at a brown haired girl on the other side of the seats. "Why, Big Red? Why do things have to change?" "Some things never change, dude" he says, "I've been wearing the same socks for three days." "Oh god, that's disgusting" Rosella exclaims in pure disgust, leaning away from the boy, just like Ricky does. "You know" she begins, shaking her head, "sometimes change is for the better. And I don't only talk about Nini"  she tells them, looking at Ricky, then at Big Red before looking back at the front where the new teacher takes a shirt-gun and shoots it at a student, screaming "go, Wildcats!" The three look at each other weirded out, as the woman starts introducing herself.

"My name is Ms. Jenn and when I heard that the high school where High School Musical was shot had never stages a production of High School Musical, the musical, I was shocked as an actress, inspired as a director, and triggered as a millennial. Auditions are tomorrow after school. This show could change your lives and I'm saying this as a background dancer from the original movie. Third from the left, back row, red headband and those are my real teeth . So..." she tries to continue on but the boy from earlier walks up to her, grinning. "Oh and meet your student choreographer, Carlos" she introduces him. "You know him as captain of the color guard. I know him as an unpaid, ricing star."

"High School Musical,  the musical, doesn't that sound great?" Rosella exclaims excited but the two boys don't seem like they share her opinion. "Oh come on, you guys. It's a new year, try something new! I'm going to audition and so should you. We just watched the movies last week and I know for a fact that you, my friend, can sing fantastic" she says the last part towards Ricky, while walking into the cafeteria.
"You watched the movies together?" Big Red asks, not knowing about any of it. "No wait, you can sing?" He didn't even really know about Rosella until today. Sure Ricky and him tell each other almost everything and he may mentioned a new friend but he didn't know he meant Rosella Montez and that they watch movies together and that Ricky apparently sings and in front of her too.

"I fell asleep halfway through the second one , Ella" the curly haired boy reminds her. "But you watched the first one" she tries again. "Hey E.J." she greets the boy sitting with two girls as they walk past the table. The senior greets her back, while the other four look at them and each  other awkwardly.
"You know E.J.?" Ricky and Big Red ask her at the same time. "Yeah, we met at Peters party over the weekend. Why?" "Did you see the girl next to him?" Big Red asks another question. She nods as he continues, "that's Nini ans it seems like E.J. and her are together now." "Oh, that's... awkward" she mumbles.

"Rosie!" someone loudly calls for her. The three look around as they see Peter waving. "How do you even know Peter Kavinsky?" Big Red wants to know as Rosella is about to get up to go over to said boy. "He's my cousin. Anyways, I better go over. See you guys in class or after school and until then I hope you decided to audition too. Bye!" With that she goes towards her cousin, his girlfriend and all the other popular jocks, leaving her two friends with their thoughts.

—

This is my first book I wrote in, like, 2-3 years. I hope you'll like it!