CHAPTER FOUR!

Auditions were about to start, and Eliza was walking towards the auditorium. The halls were mostly empty, except Ricky, who was sitting against the wall next to the doors.

"Are you seriously not going to audition?" Eliza asked, gently kicking Ricky's feet, before sitting on the ground beside him.

"I could be asking you the same thing," Ricky stated.

"I don't want my decision about not auditioning make you not audition," Eliza said. "You could be the best beast the school has ever seen, and you're not going to try?"

"Well, I'm Ricky Bowen, I'm unreliable. I walk off mid-performance, I don't complete assignments, I—"

"Woah, what is this coming from?" Eliza interrupted. "Because that is not true— well the examples are, but you are not unreliable. You always— you're the person I can rely on the most."

"You're only saying that—"

"I'm not. Ricky Bowen, you are a very good person. You might have faults, but everyone does. If you enjoyed being on stage last semester, you should be on stage again."

"Your fault is that you don't listen to your own advice," Ricky stated. "Like you told me, if you quit, I quit. If you audition, I'll audition. You'll be the best Belle the school has ever seen."

Eliza took a deep breath, "Okay. I'll audition."

"You will?" Ricky questioned.

"Only because we'll be denying the school a glimpse of you as a prince and the Beast," Eliza stated. "And I'll try and listen to my own advice— I had fun last show, and it's not everyday you can be part of a Disney theater show." Eliza stood up, and dusted off her pants, before holding out her hand helping Ricky to his feet.

"You're not going to regret this," Ricky said, before leading her to the doors where they both rushed in. Miss Jenn stopped singing while everyone turned around to look at the two by the door.

"Someone tell Troy and Gabriella that we aren't doing HSM," someone commented.

🥀

"First is the group song, Belle, then individual auditions after, let's start," Miss Jenn announced.

"You're going to do great," Ricky said when he noticed Eliza play with the ring on her finger. Eliza gave him a smile. "Good luck," he whispered as everyone started to sing.

Since they decided to audition last minute, Ricky was reading the lyrics as he sang them, nervously.

"Oh! Isn't this amazing? It's my favorite part because you'll see. Here's where she meets Prince Charming, but she won't discover that it's him 'til chapter three," Eliza sang, before everyone finished the song as Miss Jenn walked towards the group.

"All right! I've already learned so much! That's it for the warm up. Please prepare your individual songs."

"Oh shoot," Eliza whispered. She hadn't thought about her individual song.

🥀

"May the best Belle win," the blonde from earlier told Gina. Eliza stopped behind Gina to refill her water bottle.

"Actually, my friends are incredibly talented," Gina stated.

"Oh, um, I'm sorry. I thought this was an audition, not a friendship circle," the blonde responded, getting Eliza's attention.

"Local theater or not," Eliza spoke up, "you should know that the way you talk about other people is a direct reflection of who you are."

"I don't think I asked you," the blonde responded, her eyes glancing at Eliza.

"Oh, I don't care," Eliza stated. "Clearly, with your attitude it's going to be sweet when you don't get the lead."

"What makes you so sure you'll get the lead?" The blonde asked.

"Oh, I'm not, but things happen for a reason, and you clearly don't deserve the lead. And if I were you, I'd stop giving my boyfriend eyes— I'm not usually for making anyone's life hell, but it can be done," Eliza told her. "Good luck."

🥀

They didn't have any time to rehearse for their audition. Eliza sang the first song that came to her head, which was Something There, from Beauty and the Beast, and Ricky sang Bet On It. He definitely had time to rehearse that when everyone though the show was High School Musical 2. And Eliza was tired of the song— she was now glad the show wasn't High School Musical 2.

"Yeah! Go Ricky!" Eliza cheered. Anything he would've done, Eliza would have cheered for.

"Uh, I'm sorry, Miss Jenn. I know you didn't call me yet. But if it's all right with you, I know I'm the last person to go, and I'd kinda like to get it over with," Big Red said running on the stage.

"Show me what you've got, honey," Miss Jenn responded.

"Whoo-hoo!" Ashlyn cheered.

Everyone watched as Big Red started to tap dance and gasped when he fell.

The blonde from earlier laughed. "Seriously?"

"I'm plotting something— and I'll need an alibi," Eliza whispered to Kourtney.

"I'll help in any way," Kourtney whispered back, glaring at the blonde.

Ricky ran to help Big Red up. He encouraged Big Red to continue, and he did. And he killed it. Everyone cheered.

"Do you think Miss Jenn is going to wait a day this time or just cast right away?" Eliza questioned as she walked out of the auditorium.

"You say that as if Miss Jenn hadn't already precast this entire show from last semester," Kourtney responded. "But I'm excited to see how I got. Clearly not Belle—"

"C'mon, Kourt. Anybody could have gotten Belle," Eliza stated.

"Not with the way you sang two songs from the show. If you aren't Belle and somehow that Lily girl got the lead, something bad will happen," Kourtney continued. "But I literally can't see anyone besides you as Belle. You're definitely a typecast. Lover boy, too."

"Wait, her name's Lily?" Eliza asked. Why did she have to have the same name as Eliza's sister?

"Miss Jenn just posted the cast list," Ricky said stopping in front of Kourtney and Eliza. "I haven't looked, I wanted to wait for you." He held his hand out, Eliza grabbed it and Kourtney's hand and they all made their way to the green piece of paper on the window.

"I can't look," Eliza said. "Tell me who I got, please." She closed her eyes. She was so sure the last time the cast list was posted, this time, she felt nervous. She wanted Gabriella and she got her. She kind of wanted Belle and—

"I told you!" Kourtney stated. "Belle's costumes are going to look so great on you, Liza!"

"I got Belle?" Eliza asked. She pushed her way to the front.

Her eyes glanced down the cast list, seeing Ricky's name next to Beast. Clearly their romance is meant to be a showmance too.

"Did you get it?" Ricky rushed to Eliza, then went to check the list. "We got it!" Ricky hugged Eliza as they both celebrated.

🥀

"How was auditions today?" Mrs Parks asked when Eliza walked into the house. They had let Eliza miss dinner that night to celebrate the casting with her friends. "Did you audition?"

"Ricky convinced me," Eliza admitted. "It's Beauty and the Beast."

"Well, isn't that your favorite—"

"Please tell me you got Belle," Nicole interrupted. Eliza gave a look at Nicole, but looked back at their mother. It was getting harder to pretend she wasn't back at home.

"Ricky got the beast," Eliza stated. "And Miss Jenn probably knows that if anyone is able to keep Ricky as the lead, it would be me. Uh, I did get Belle."

"Congratulations, little sis."

"Speaking of the show," Eliza paused, her hand went to the ring on her finger and twisted it, "second semester is always crazy. We've got cheer competitions coming up, but also we're entering this drama competition— the Alan Menken Awards for High School Musical Theater, hence why the show is an Alan Menken show. So I'm already asking if it'd be okay if I skip out on some dinners until after the show? I'll let you know if and when practice runs late."

Mrs Parks glanced between her two oldest daughters. "You need to be here at least two dinners a week," she stated. Eliza nodded. "Congratulations, baby. You're going to be a great Belle," Mrs Parks hugged Eliza.

I did name Eliza's younger sister Lily bc I totally forgot about Lily in season 2 and 3. smh.

anyways, wanted to update... hopefully the Valentine's Day chapter will be finished by next week so I can update next week.