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1. Locker
This wasn’t happening. Not today of all days.
Gina had a history test next period and her locker was completely stuck.
She was the only one left in the hallway and Mr. Gerald was not the laid-back type. Especially on test days.
“Come on, work with me,” Gina whisper-shouted to her locker, as if it would have any idea what she was saying.
“Locker stuck?,” a familiar voice asked behind her. Her attention snapped to EJ’s intense green eyes and signature cocky smile.
“Yes, Sherlock. And it’s really bad timing considering if I don’t get to class in five minutes I’m going to fail this history exam.”
She slammed her fists on it a couple more times, but nothing budged.
“Let me try. I’ve been getting these lockers open for years.”
Gina stepped back and anxiously looked at the time on her phone. East High was a really big high school. She would have to run if she had a chance at making it.
Suddenly the locker was open.
Gina gasped.
“EJ! Oh my god- thank you. I… you’re amazing!,” she cheered as she grabbed her bag.
“Thank you, I am pretty amazing.”
“Okay, I’m officially never feeding your ego again.”
EJ laughed.
Gina liked his laugh. It was deep and contagious.
“You better get to class. See you around?”
“Yeah, definitely. Thanks again,” she said, turning around and grinning at him as she ran down the hallway.
She hoped she would be seeing him around more.
Sure, they would hang out at drama club with the others, but she wanted more.
He literally saved her today- just like he had been doing all semester without even realizing it. Honestly, she felt like he just understood her in a way that her other friends didn’t.
2. Hot Chocolate
“Have you finished your history paper yet?,” Ashlyn asked Gina as she typed at her laptop, her face illuminated in the blue light coming from the screen.
Gina looked at the time and sighed. 1:30 AM.
She tried to get her homework done earlier, she really did. But between rehearsals for Beauty and the Beast, homework, choreography, making sure to talk to her mom whenever she had free time, and having fun with her friends there just weren’t enough hours in the day.
“Nope,” Gina sighed. “I’m only three pages in.”
“Ugh, same,” groaned Ashlyn as she buried her face in her pillow. “All I want to do is sleep, but this is due in 48 hours and I won’t have any time with dress rehearsal tomorrow.”
“Come on, Ash. Channel your inner Belle. She could probably write a paper in a couple hours.”
“Wait, I have an idea,” the redhead said as she sat up and grabbed her phone from her dresser. She started typing quickly.
Her phone pinged almost immediately. When Ashlyn opened the message she squealed.
“Yes! He’s in,” she said, moving to throw on another jacket.
“Who’s in? What’s going on?,” Gina asked, confused as ever.
“Okay, so this is kind of weird but whenever EJ and I have to stay up super late to do something and don’t feel like doing it anymore we go to 7-11 and get hot chocolate. He’s coming in like fifteen minutes so get your jacket on.”
The Caswell cousins were something else, Gina thought for the billionth time in her life.
She sighed, it was always best to just give into the madness with them. Even if she couldn’t imagine that a sketchy gas station would have drinks that were that impressive.
Plus, she was excited to see EJ.
They’ve gotten really close this semester, and she was always down to spend more time with him.
“Um, are you wearing your pajamas?,” Gina asked, taking in Ashlyn’s giant fluffy hot pink slippers and kermit the frog bottoms.
“That’s part of the tradition! Besides, it’s 7-11 at an ungodly hour, who am I trying to impress?”
Gina was trying to impress someone, but Ashlyn didn’t have to know that.
If it was a Caswell tradition that they had to go in their pajamas, then that was what she would do. Her cheetah print sweatpants and EJ’s Duke sweatshirt were good, right?
Suddenly there was a soft knock on the door. He was here.
“Let’s go!,” Ashlyn said excitedly as the two walked into the snowy pitch black street.
Even though EJ was wearing grey sweatpants, an East High sweatshirt and yellow crocs, honest to God yellow crocs, Gina still thought he looked good.
“I am so glad we’re doing this. I really needed a break from AP trig,” EJ said as they walked to his car.
“How late do you stay up on a normal basis? You don’t seem that tired,” Gina said through a yawn.
“Well, I typically get five hours every night. Sleep is for the weak.”
“Okay, stop exaggerating,” Gina giggled.
“No, he’s being dead serious. Been like this since we were kids. I swear to God he’s a vampire or something,” Ashlyn remarked from the backseat.
“I just don’t sleep that much. I literally can’t between sports, school, theatre, AV club, AP exams, college apps… the list goes on.”
“I’m telling you. Vampire,” Ashlyn said again.
Gina laughed.
“Wow, you really overcommit yourself. Do we even have time to be having this conversation?”
“You know I’ll always make time for you,” EJ said, smiling at her. There was a vulnerability to his gaze that she didn’t see often.
“I love that you do that,” Gina whispered.
The rest of the car ride was spent in silence. It wasn’t uncomfortable but it was… nice.
By the time the group reached 7-11 there was almost no one in the store, which meant that they could sample as many flavors as they wanted without judgement.
Ashlyn decided on vanilla hot chocolate, Gina got hazelnut (her favorite), and EJ got no flavoring.
They piled back into the car, where Ash put on a 2000s hits playlist and they all scream-singed to Flo Rida and Hot Chelle Rae songs.
Since Ashlyn’s parents were out of town the three of them brought their homework and hot chocolates to the living room and started doing their assignments again. EJ and Gina shared a fluffy white blanket, sitting dangerously close to each other on the couch. Could he hear how fast her heart was beating?
History papers and trig homework went by a lot faster with the three of them together. EJ and Gina fell asleep next to each other on the couch and Ashlyn crashed back in their room.
When she woke up Gina decided that it was undoubtedly the best night of her life.
3. Left
EJ’s eyes burned.
It wasn’t a big deal. It wasn’t.
Maybe if he kept repeating that phrase he might actually believe it.
He just had to make it from the parking lot to his car where he could drive away and be completely alone like he wanted. It was only a few feet away.
As soon as he got to his car he opened the trunk, dumped his backpack and his water polo gear in, and closed it much louder than he intended. He walked to the front seat, put it in gear, and started to drive down the street.
“EJ, wait!,” a voice cried out.
Gina.
He forgot to tell her that he couldn’t give her a ride like usual today. She couldn’t see him in this messy and emotional state. And now he had no choice but to put on his usual facade and drive her home.
He pulled to the side of the road.
“I’m so sorry, Gina. Get in.”
She smiled at him. God, it was the best thing he’d seen all day.
She climbed in, and he was instantly hit with the intoxicating and irresistible smell of her lilac perfume. She told him she got it when she lived in France when they splurged on frozen yogurt last week.
“Oh my god, Eej. What happened?”
She looked so worried. This is exactly what he was afraid of.
“Everything’s fine. I just got a ton of water in my eyes during practice.”
Gina gave him an annoyed glare he was pretty sure was reserved just for him.
“That’s not even a creative lie,” she deadpanned.
He took a deep breath, unable to stop a couple of tears from escaping his eyes and silently falling down his cheeks.
EJ Caswell doesn’t cry. This was so embarrassing for him. Weak. Pathetic.
In a matter of seconds Gina unbuckled her seatbelt and held him in her arms. She took her fingers and wiped the tears away. She rubbed designs into his hair, whispering reassurances that everything was going to be okay and that whatever it was they would figure it out. Together.
She held his hand as he took a few breaths to steady himself.
“Let’s get out of here. Go somewhere quiet,” Gina whispers.
“Where?,” he breathed.
“I know a place,” Gina said.
After a couple of right turns and abandoned-looking roads they were at a run-down looking playground about fifteen minutes from school. There wasn’t a soul in sight. The pair made their way to the swingset and sat down.
“I found this place when I first moved here and my mom took a couple of wrong turns on the way to school. Now I come here whenever I need to think. Tell me what’s going on,” Gina said, taking his hand again.
EJ sighed.
“It’s stupid. My dad is gonna be pissed at me because I got a B on my research paper. I just hate disappointing him. I hate not being good enough.”
“EJ, that’s insane. That is not a bad grade. And you’re the perfect son, you shouldn’t have to worry about that.”
He paused. The only sound was the heaviness of his breaths.
“This really isn’t just about one grade is it?,” Gina asked, playing with his hair again.
She really had to stop doing that. He was sure to die of a heart attack if it continued. How could she make him feel so comforted with just one touch? No one had ever been this gentle with him before.
“I’ve never told anyone this, Gina.”
“I promise I won’t judge. Or tell anyone else, it can stay between us.”
That was exactly what he wanted to hear.
“I don’t even know how to start this conversation, but if you really want to know where my crippling perfectionism and people-pleasing comes from it’s probably because my mom left when I was nine.”
Gina gave his hand a squeeze.
“Yeah, it sucked. The worst part about it was that there was just no explanation. Everything was going normal until the night she took the car and left and there’s no way to contact her. Believe me, I’ve tried. And my dad refuses to talk about it under any circumstances.”
He took another breath to steady himself. It felt like Gina’s hand was the one thing keeping him tethered to the present.
“The three of us used to live in Florida but after she left my dad wanted to move back to Salt Lake, his hometown, to be with his family. Ashlyn’s dad is his brother. It’s crazy to think about, but Ash was basically a stranger back then. Like some girl I would see every Christmas and Thanksgiving for a couple hours and that’s it. She just- she saved me as a person you know? Even though she was too young to understand what was happening she knew that I needed a friend.”
Gina gave a small smile.
“Yeah, she’s pretty good at knowing when people need a good one,” she agreed.
“It just really hurt, you know? I always blamed myself for what happened. If I had worked harder in school, or helped her around the house more, or was better at sports maybe she wouldn’t have left. I wasn’t good enough.”
Suddenly Gina’s fingers were on his cheeks again, wiping away tears that EJ didn’t even know were forming.
“I wasn’t good enough,” he repeated in a broken whisper.
The moment seemed to last forever. Gina holding him as if he might float away if she let go.
“I know how you feel,” she said after awhile. “My mom doesn’t like to talk about it either but my dad left when she was pregnant with me. I don’t even know his name, or why he decided that we weren’t enough for him.”
She paused.
“It does really suck,” she concluded.
Suddenly the two burst into laughter, even though there was nothing funny about the situation.
EJ locked eyes with her.
“You didn’t deserve that, Gina. You are enough.”
It felt like she was staring into his soul.
“I think I’m getting to be okay with not being perfect. Like, if someone can’t accept you for the authentic, messy person that you are, why have them in your life?”
EJ smiled for the first time since he got his grade back.
“That’s starting to make a lot of sense, actually.”
“Come on,” Gina said, leading him back to the car. “Let’s get Chinese take out and watch YouTube together.”
God, she was so cute.
“Sounds amazing.”
“And Eej-,”
“Yeah?”
“I’ll never leave you.”
4. Sprained Wrist
Ashlyn Caswell was not having a good night.
Just a couple of hours before the theatre kids thought the Beast transformation was going to win them the Menkies, and then Ricky plummeted. Ashlyn broke his fall, but it was a miracle that the only casualties were two broken wrists.
It was only a minor injury, but enough to jeopardize the show as well as Ashlyn’s shaky confidence about playing the titular role.
Gina and EJ hadn’t left her side since the accident happened, alternating between taking care of her physical needs and her emotional needs.
“Ash, it’s all gonna be okay,” Gina said, fussing around her roommate again and situating another fluffy blanket around her.
“No it’s not! Ricky and I can barely hold our hands up. How are we supposed to waltz? Or carry our props? Or do anything?,” the redhead angrily declared.
EJ re-entered the room, holding a bottle of ibuprofen. He looked drained and stressed as well, because when Ashlyn was feeling bad EJ would inevitably feel bad too. He already told Gina on the drive to the doctor’s office that he felt guilty for not protecting Ashlyn from the dangerous plan. He said he should have seen it was dumb and stepped in sooner, and Gina rubbed his shoulder as he drove. One day that boy better stop feeling like everything was his fault.
“Okay, it’s been two hours so you can take two more of these,” he said, helping Ashlyn take the pills.
“I can’t believe Miss Jenn trusted me with this role. She made a huge mistake,” Ashlyn said again as she angrily scrolled through Lily’s Instagram account with her good hand.
“Okay, you seriously have to stop doing that. Gina, take her phone,” EJ ordered.
Gina took it, despite Ashlyn’s protests.
“Seriously, what is with you guys and stealing other people’s phones?”
Gina sighed. She did have a point.
“Because obsessively stalking Lily isn’t going to accomplish anything. You will be the perfect Belle and that’s that,” Gina said with absolute certainty.
Suddenly Ashlyn turned from looking pissed off to having tears in her eyes.
“You guys just don’t understand,” she said.
“Ash, look at me,” EJ softly demanded. “I’ve known you your entire life and you are way more talented, smart, and beautiful then you can ever see. I know with absolute certainty that you would be the perfect Belle despite the sprained wrist. I think you could get pneumonia and still kill it onstage next week. You’ve got to start seeing what I see in you, and all of your friends and especially Miss Jenn.”
Ashlyn hugged him. He really was the best big brother out there. As long as Ashlyn had EJ in her life everything would be ok.
EJ was a really good guy, Gina thought for the millionth time.
She was ready to be more than friends with him.
5. Sing
“WE’RE SOARING,” Gina scream-singed with EJ in the car ride back from the airport.
“FLYING,” EJ followed.
“THERE’S NOT A STAR IN HEAVEN THAT WE CAN’T REACH,” they finished.
“Okay, I’m glad that we became better people and didn’t lock Nini and Ricky in closets so that we could play the roles, but it would have been so killer if we performed this onstage together.”
“Hell yeah it would have,” Gina lamented. “I mean, during understudy rehearsals we took it to the next level.”
“Oh, 100%.”
Gina reflected on all of the understudy rehearsals she had with him, when they first started becoming friends. They would spend extra time making their performances more and more elaborate to prove to themselves that they deserved the leads. It was stupid, really. But also kind of fun.
“I guess the world will never know what it was missing,” Gina said.
“Well, we shouldn’t deny the world our incredible performances. Maybe we should put it on YouTube or something.”
Okay, now he has officially crossed a line in her heart.
From this point forward she could not just be friends with EJ Caswell. She needed all of him.
She didn’t know when she was going to tell him, but it had to be soon.
Gina had never wanted anything in her life this bad before. There was no award, leading role, or other accolade that could measure up to how badly she wanted EJ to be hers. For him to be her first kiss.
It was only a matter of time.