𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐨
━━ 𝒎𝒓 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆

     If there was something that Juliette had not expected to witness in her first day of junior year was the Rini break-up. Ricky Bowen and Nini Salazar-Roberts had been the it-couple ever since they started dating back in sophomore year and people swore that they would end up getting married. Or, at least, that they would make it to the end of highschool together. Even more after the infamous post on Nini's instagram in which he told Ricky that he loved him through a beautiful song.

     Turns out they were completely wrong because, just as Juliette was walking to her locker with her sisters on each side of her, she heard the couple (better said, ex-couple) arguing. Of course, she could not help but slow down her pace, completely astonished about what was happening.

     "I don't believe this," Ricky continued, shaking his head and not paying any attention to the announcement, "You're blowing me off for some theatre punk you met four weeks ago? At a lake?"

     "Um, you kinda dumped me!" Nini exclaimed, completely perplexed about Ricky's reaction and surprising everyone in the hallway at the sudden outburst. No one, except for the couple's closest friends, knew that they had not been together during Nini's time at her usual Summer camp.

     "It was a break. It wasn't a break-up!" Ricky defended himself, his eyes not leaving Nini as he shook his head in disbelief.

     "I'm sorry Ricky, but it's a break-up now," she concluded harshly just before taking Kourtney with her as the latter started to bicker with Big Red. Juliette was too in shock to start walking right after what had just gone down in front of her, so Ricky and Big Red caught the three of them looking at them.

     "Need something?" the curly-haired boy asked her dryly, making Juliette shake her head while blushing in embarrassment. She had never heard Ricky snap at anyone, I mean, he was the East High's sweetheart of their year so it really confused Juliette, although she couldn't blame him; she was the one eavesdropping after all. But before she could apologize, Ricky had already scoffed and started walking towards the gym.

     "No need to be so rude, Mr Handsome," Ava replied, more to her sisters than to Ricky, who was not there anymore.

     "We were the ones eavesdropping a conversation that was not our concern," Juliette excused the boy, "we owe him an apology."

     "Okay yeah but have you heard? Ricky and Nini are not together anymore, it is your chance, big sis."

     "How many times do I have to tell you that I do not like Ricky Bowen? Don't put your crush on me," she replied, making both of them look at each other. Soon, both twins kissed their sister's cheeks and walked towards their lockers, whispering God knows what.

—

     "Okay but have you heard?" Alexandra, Juliette's best friend, whispered as soon as the redhead sat besides her for the assembly, "Ricky and Nini broke up. Apparently, Nini is dating E.J. Caswell."

     "Yeah I heard, I was there when..." at that moment, realization hit her, "wait, E.J. Caswell? As in senior, water-polo captain E.J. Caswell?"

     "Exactly. They met at camp," the brunette explained.

     "How do you know all of this?"

     "I have my ways," she confessed, making Juliette laugh just as the principal started to speak.

     "And now, for a special introduction," the principal announced to the microphone, "this year, East High has a new drama teacher with an announcement she swore, in writing, would not cost too much money."

     He moved to a side of the stage as a blonde woman with a bright smile shot a cannon with a white t-shirt, "Go Wildcats!"

     Juliette's eyes widened in emotion, Wildcats. High School Musical, a.k.a. the movie she had seen more than a thousand times in her short life. The movie that made her want to become an actress (and have Troy Bolton as a boyfriend), although she miserably failed at both.

     "My name is Ms Jenn and 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 shocked as an actress, inspired as a director and triggered as a millennial. At the heard of the last word, both girls could not help but chuckle softly.

     "Who defines herself as a millennial, oh my God," Alexandra whispered, making Juliette laugh a bit louder, which attracted a couple of looks towards her.

     "Auditions are tomorrow after school. This 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," she started rambling but cut herself quick, "Meet your student choreographer Carlos, who will assist me through this process."

     Juliette could only hope that Miss Jenn would talk to them, the art club, to make the props and decorations for this year. They had made them for every single production the school had put on stage and to say that Juliette was excited to draw the Wildcats logo over and over again would be an understatement.

—

     At the cafeteria, nobody could help but look at the most unexpected couple of the school year. Who would have thought that quiet Nini, the one had been head over heels for Ricky Bowen and the girl that had performed as little more than foliage in the school plays would end up dating Senior heartbreaker water-polo captain E.J. Caswell? Let's be honest, he was (nearly) every girl's dream and he, above all girls, had picked Nini, making her the envy and the talk of the school.

     If she had turned around just a few inches, Juliette would have seen Nini's ex-boyfriend looking at the couple, expecting them to suddenly burst into flames. But she didn't because, as she had expected and hoped, Carlos had approached them to tell them that Miss Jenn wanted them to do the props and decorations for this year's musical.

     Her instructions were clear: big wildcat signs, a lot of red and a lot of basketball. They weren't able to hide their excitement and, in between screeches and brainstorming, lunch went by extremely fast. The bell had not rang yet, but Juliette saw Ricky from the corner of her eye, so she excused herself and ran up to him.

     "Ricky!", she called, making him and Big Red turn around "I'm sorry I... I didn't mean to eavesdrop earlier. Neither did my sisters. I'm sorry if we made you uncomfortable or something."

     The boy could not help but smile softly. That was Juliette Duchamp. The girl next door. "It's okay. I would have stopped to listen as well, I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. Plus, it was a public hallway, we shouldn't have been fighting there."

     "No please, don't apologize," she smiled, "No hard feelings, right?"

     "Absolutely none, see you tomorrow," he returned the smile, looking at the girl.

     "See you tomorrow," she ended the conversation, joining her friends once agin and walking to class. Both Big Red and Alexandra shot a confused glance towards their respective friends, as if asking what had happened. However, they simply shrugged their shoulders and entered their classes.

—

     As soon as the bell rang, the entirety of the art club rushed to the auditorium, where they had been told Miss Jenn would be waiting to give them further instructions about what she had envisioned for the musical.

     "Okay guys, I have seen your previous artwork and let me tell you, you have talent," the teacher complimented the group of teenagers in front of her. That was off to a good start, never before had they heard the drama teacher truly complimenting them. "Carlos told me that you always work hand in hand with the drama department for the musicals so this would be no exception."

     "The costumes would have to wait until the cast is announced, although overall, we want the iconic outfits back. You can start working on the scenarios and props as soon as you want," Carlos continued, handing them a list, "that is what we need but don't hesitate to ask in case you need something."

     "I was told that you remain in a separate room while working."

     "Yes, the previous drama teacher did not want us distracting the cast or making them accidentally trip with our materials," Mathias explained from the back of the group.

     "Well, those days are over. I want you to be here, with the rest of the cast. The decorations and props are just as important as the actors themselves. Otherwise, the production would be an improvisation act. I want you to get familiar with them and crafts their props so as to reflect their personality," she explained, a smile breaking on her face just from seeing the teens' reaction.

     The conversation ended with the art club thanking Miss Jenn for that encouragement and then, all of them went home.