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The sun cast lazy shadows across the school as cars pulled into the carpark. This early, it was mostly teachers arriving, getting ready for the day ahead. The early morning spring air bit at his fingers as EJ leant against the brick of the school building, scrolling through his phone, waiting for his East High Morning Show co-host.
It had become an unspoken agreement between the two of them since they started the show together. EJ arrived early at the school, with Gina pulling up not long after and they would accompany each other as they walked through the halls together. They would briefly stop at each other’s lockers, before arriving at the AV room, setting up and getting ready to be on air at 8:15am.
As he opens Instagram, which he knew he really shouldn’t be staring his day with, he hears familiar footsteps approaching him and looks up, a smile automatically spreading across his face.
Though her outfits and hairstyles change from day to day, there’s one thing he’s noticed doesn’t change. In Gina’s hand is always her travel mug. Its pale pink in colour, the same pink as the headphones that she has tucked away in her bag, and this morning, it also matches the ribbon that’s tied around the bun sitting atop her head.
Holding the mug in one hand, she scrolls on her phone in the other, walking up the path. She brings the mug up to her lips and takes another sip as she slips her phone in the back pocket of her jeans. She greets him with a smile as EJ pushes himself off the wall and joins her in front of the school building.
“Morning,” he greets and pulls her into a quick side hug, “how was your weekend?”
Entering through the glass doors, Gina burrows her eyebrows and shoots him a look. “You saw me on Saturday night.”
Since moving in with Ashlyn, Gina had learned that EJ often came around on the weekends for dinner.
For the first couple of weeks, things were slightly awkward, the two mostly keeping to themselves. But as time went on, and with Ashlyn there to break the ice, they would often end the night hanging out and playing card games.
“And?” he teased, bumping her shoulder as they rounded the corner heading towards her locker, “Something amazing could have happened yesterday that Ash didn’t tell me about!”
Her face melts into a smile and Gina just shakes her head at his antics. Up until recently, her Monday mornings were not exactly something she looked forward to. They were often the start of a tiring and difficult week ahead and more often than not, she would wake up with her shoulders tight with anxiety. But now? Since starting the morning show? She found herself smiling more on a Monday. It was something she now looked forward to. But if anyone asked, she would deny it had anything with the boy walking next to her.
“Sorry to disappoint, but my weekend really wasn’t that exciting.” She laughed as she pulled a book from her bag and placed it on the shelf in her locker, “Mostly just homework, musical prep, and dominating uno. Just the usual.” She glanced sideways, catching his reaction to the subtle dig she had taken at their weekend uno game.
“Ha. Ha. That plus 4 was just straight-out mean, and you know it. Just wait ‘till next time and we’ll see.”
More and more voices started to echo through the corridors as students started to arrive, forcing EJ and Gina to dodge a number of bodies as they walked through the halls.
“You know, I’ve never asked what you have.” EJ asked as he shut his locker door and avoiding yet another person as they walked towards the AV room.
“Hmm?”
“Your mug. You walk in with it every week and I’ve never asked what you drink.”
“Oh,” Gina looked down at her mug for a second, then back at EJ, “It’s just coffee. Nothing fancy. It’s sometimes all I get time to make in the mornings.” EJ makes a face at her.
“Wait, so like straight coffee? No milk or sugar?”
“One sugar,” she clarifies giggling at his reaction, “and sometimes I’ll add a splash of milk if I feel like it, but this morning I didn’t.”
“Weirdo.” He teases with a sceptical look and a smile as he opens the door to the AV room for her.
The small room is busy with activity. There’s AV students finalising the camera settings and angles, while Mr. Mazzara is at the sound desk checking over things with some others. He looks up, briefly acknowledging the pair as they enter the room, before going back to his task. EJ and Gina weave their way towards the front of the room, where they begin to review the topics for the episode. A couple of minutes later, Mr. Mazzara makes his way over with this week's guest, Mrs. Anderson, and they finish reviewing last minute notes.
As they get mic’d up and EJ settles onto his stool, Mr. Mazzara double-checks they’re ready to go.
“Hang on, let me just finish this.” Gina says, quickly downing the last mouthfuls of coffee from her mug she’s still cradling. With all their chatter on the way in, Gina often doesn’t finish her drink by the time they reach the AV room. EJ can’t help but chuckle as he watches quickly dash across the room to place her now empty mug on a side table and rushes back over to take her seat next to him. She turns to him a little flustered.
“Do I look ok?” she asks, turning to him.
EJ quickly scans her face before he replies.
“Yeah, you look great.” EJ replies, as casually as he can. His eyes linger on her face for an extra beat, as she adjusts her pink bow, fluffs her hair, and turns back to face the camera. He snaps back to reality just as Mr. Mazzara announces final places and starts the countdown.
“And we’re live in 3, 2, - “
“Good morning, East High!” EJ’s voice rings throughout tv speakers around the school.
His voice had become a grounding force for Gina. Some weeks don’t go the way she planned, but she has a feeling that this one might be ok.