"Oh shoot, should have brought my popcorn." Nova whispered as she came in the middle of Ashlyn and Seb, the group all waiting outside of the theater while EJ and Nini argued a few feet away, "Fill me in."

"EJ stole Ninis phone and deleted a important voicemail from Ricky." Ashlyn whispered over with a guilty expression, "I might have been an accomplice."

Nova laughed as she crossed her arms, a smirk resting on her lips as she watched the pair.

"Can we talk about-" he tried to say to Nini, encouraging her to walk away from the group, who'd all clearly been listening in.

"Don't." she said, but followed anyways.

"Am I happy Nini and EJ are pretty much on the verge of a break up?" Nova asked as she stood in the stairwell, talking to the film crew, "Better things left unsaid. But am I happy that maybe this means we can go to homecoming together like we always planned? Absolutely."

"Hey, is the door locked or something? Why can't we get in?" Nini spoke up, coming back feom her argument as she nodded toward the theater door.

"I'm sure you can get it open." Nova spoke up as Nini looked her way, "Bet you're just great at breaking and entering."

"Natalie Bagley's missing her emotions-support hamster. He got loose." Ashlyn cut in quickly, "Carlos and Gina are helping her find her. Him. It."

A scream echoed, making Nova lean on the lockers, "Guess they found her, him, it."

"Yeah, power couple, you guys were made for this." Nova cheered for Nini and EJ with a smirk rested on her face, "Prefect chemistry, perfect together."

EJ gave her a look as Nini tried to ignore Novas comments.

"Yes, thank you, Nova." Miss Jenn smiled, thinking Nova had truly been being supportive rather then a sarcastic shit head, "Can you move a little closer to each other?"

Nini and EJ took a single step closer, clearly she hadn't wanted to be anywhere near him.

"Little more." Miss Jenn encouraged again.

"Told you, unprofessional." Nova whispered to Gina, getting a smirk in return.

"Cmon guys, we're staring this as a love story, not a SARS epidemic." Miss Jenn added in again, waving the duo closer together as they finally gave in.

"I think that chair was over there." Carlos spoke as he pointed toward a smaller chair in the corner.

"Oh. I can move it over in the scene." Nini spoke up quickly and headed toward the chair. EJ looked out at Nova, who gave a sarcastic smile and a thumbs up.

"Feels awkward." Miss Jenn shook her head at Nini.

"It's fine. I can lift it above my head and walk." Nini spoke up. Nova hid a laugh at the thought.

"That would be ten times more awkward." she commented with a nod of her head.

"Sweetie, no one is walking with furniture on their head. This isn't the Lion King." Miss Jenn added in after Nova, making Nini put the chair down before glancing toward Big Red, "Strike the chair please."

"With what?" the ginger boy asked back.

"Take it away. Remove it." she said back, listing on with a minor laugh. Big Red stood up and headed over, "Troy, once the intro begins, cross downstage and plant yourself at the piano. Which should be further downstage, okay?"

Big Red headed over and began moving the piano the wrong way, making Miss Jenn jump in once more, "No, dear, that would be upstage. Okay, Gabriella, you slowly approach the piano and rest a arm on it, naturally. Can we make sure your bookbag is off stage right?"

"Oh, poor baby." Nova said as she saw Big Reds face hold so much confusion, "Miss Jenn, I can help Big Red and get him comfortable with the stage words."

"Lovely, yes, please do." Miss Jenn begged as Nova walked over, forcing a smile at Nini as she scooped up her bag and tossed it off stage right before pulling Big Red off to the side.

"Okey-Dokey. Take it from, 'Wow! Now, that's really nice.' " Miss Jenn encouraged the pair on stage as Big Red and Nova watched from the side.

"Wow. Now, that's really nice." EJ stated, staying in character and playing the role rather well. Seb began playing the piano as EJ headed over first, "Its hard to believe that I couldn't see, you were always there beside me."

"Thought I was alone with no one to hold-" Nini began as well, her tone completely off as she threw her arm up on the piano, "But you were always there beside me."

"People like that shouldn't be actors." Nova said as she nudged Big Red with a eye roll, "If you can't put emotional feelings aside and be professional, you suck at your job. I mean, I didn't act like that when we practiced I Don't Dance, did I?"

"No, you did really well." Big Red nodded his head.

"Exactly, thank you." Nova nodded her head, watching Nini and EJ sing with no chemistry what so ever and her constant glares and bad attitude being thrown his way, "Doesn't matter, I guess, Seb and I did this song so much better."

"So much better." Big Red agreed.

"I've never had someone as good for me as you, no one like you." the pair continued to sing, Nini seemed to be purposely messing up her tone to show her clear annoyance, "So lonely before I finally found what i've been looking for."

Nini ended it off with singing over EJ, forcefully and suddenly.

The theater was silent a moment, staring in disbelief before Miss Jenn finally broke the silence, "Okay, freeze! Nini, sweetie. This reprise comes at a decisive moment in the story, once your hearts have joined. It's a love song."

"Were you not getting that?" she asked back, pointing between the two. Nova rolled her eyes in disbelief.

"I'd like you to get to his heart without cracking his rib cage." Miss Jenn said to her with a knowing look, clearly trying to be nice about the situation but just as annoyed as the rest of them.

"Sorry, i'm late!" Ricky announced as he ran in, "My mom, she caught a earlier flight. Where are we?"

"Mid hypocrite scene." Nova spoke up as Ricky looked her way.

"Scene seven." Carlos informed him.

"Right. I don't have it. Could I borrow.." Ricky trailed off with a long sigh.

"You need your script, Ricky. And a pencil." Miss Jenn went on, her tone only getting angrier by the minute, "It's a blocking rehearsal."

"Can I borrow a pencil?" he whispered over to Nini.

"You can share mine." Ashlyn spoke up as she stood.

"No, actually, he can't." Miss Jenn spoke loudly as her face reddened in stress, "When you come to rehearsal, people, you come prepared."

Natalie charged into the room crying.

"Was he in your gym locker?" Ashlyn spoke up, hurrying over to her.

"No, just my cherry lip balm." Natalie said as she held it in her hands, "But it had Elliots teeth marks in it."

"Oh, i'm sure that wouldn't hurt him." Ashlyn reassured her, placing a hand on her arm.

"It's sparkly." she stated back.

"Then it'll be easier to find him." Seb spoke up as he rose with a bright smile, "If he smiles."

"Natalie, we feel your pain." Miss Jenn inhaled as she looked her way, "But I was just explaining what a constructive rehearsal requires. Focus. And honestly, another day like this and I am showing up with my emotions support coyote."

"I use to be a emotional support coyote." Nova whispered over to Bug Red.

"Miss Jenn, I know the scene." Ricky tried to calm her down.

"Would you wait in my office?" the blonde woman asked him as Ricky hung his head low and hurried off.

"Wait, are we done?" Ashlyn spoke up as Miss Jenn began walking off.

"We are, Ms.Darbus." their teacher stated with a serious look in her eye, "Take a note. This is what a frustrated drama teacher looks like. Go, scoot. Come back when you are prepared, punctual, and park you distractions at the door, and take the work in here seriously."

Nova waiting for Miss Jenn to walk out before heading over to Nini, "You're a funny little girl, Nini."

Nini sighed and tried to ignore her.

"It's funny how you were just preaching and lecturing to Ricky about how he needs to take this serious like the rest of us." Nova stated, leaning on the piano to stare at Nini, taking one of the pieces of gum hanging from her bag, "Yet, here you are ruining it for everyone else because you aren't a professional enough actresses to work with someone who's wronged you. Look around, my sweet girl, this room is filled with people that have hurt each other, yet you seem to be the only one immature enough to ruin the scenes for everyone."

Nova popped the gum in her mouth, pushing her hair behind her head, and walking off.

•

kylie speaks

nova is such a little
shit head but i freakin
love her. and honestly,
i didn't realize how
ridiculous nini was all
through s1 until i went
back and rewatched
hsmtmts. like she ruined
the scenes multiple times
and messed up the final
because of two guys lol.