prompt: windy bluff high is putting on a musical, and what do you know? it just so happens to be brady's favorite.

warning(s): cringe; meet-cute? (you know of each other but never interacted until now) abused italics for emphasis on their tone in dialogue; a little ooc

note(s): I don't even know where this came from, I hadn't watched the movie in a looong time. it just popped into my head. I thought it was super cute sooo <3

edited: 2/2/24
words: 2659

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"Wet Side Story. A cheesy 60's rivalry musical between Surfer's and Bikers, who put their differences aside to save their beloved beach from being turned into a beach resort. A ridiculous plot with an even more ridiculous love story—but hey! At least their soundtrack has some bearable tunes!"

It was probably said by Mack once or twice, but she wouldn't dare admit the last part to Brady or anyone else who might know her. It wasn't something she couldn't be bothered to watch again, but for Brady? It was a whole different story.

To him, Wet Side Story was—is revolutionary. A test between "star crossed lovers". Would their love for another be the very thing the Surfer's and Bikers needed to work together? Or would it be the very thing that tears them apart? It was questions like these that raced across little Brady's mind that made him eager to find out over and over again.

Mack laughs incredulously. "I'm not watching that cheesy movie again." She rejects Brady idea for what seemed like the umpteenth time; it was a never ending argument that she fears will never be laid to rest as long as they lived. "I can't stand it!"

Brady throws his head back in annoyance, sighing exasperatedly, before following Mack down the hallway. "Why not? And don't even try to act you didn't like it! I heard you humming Surf's Up the other day." He grins triumphantly as her face drops in realization.

"You heard that?" She asks, but it wasn't to be answered. It was more said with disbelief, embarrassment, that she allowed herself to be caught by no other than Brady.

He nods, making her groan. "Sounded like you really enjoyed their fresh tunes." He teased, making her scoff and shove him out of the way of her locker.

"And so what if I found one song catchy? It doesn't defeat the fact that the story telling was weak!" She begins shoving her books carelessly into her locker, slamming the door shut to emphasize her statement. "Nothing, and I mean nothing, will make me sit through that again."

Brady raises a brow at her display, wondering if he could get away with a silly comment like "You should join the Drama Club with that scene you just put on", but he wasn't about to test his luck. "Not even if I offered to buy your lunch for a week?" Her stomach grumbles at her offer, making a tick of hope appear that maybe, just maybe, with the lack of lunch today, she'd give in.

Mack almost gave in. Almost. But she wasn't about to fall victim to the cheesy movie again, she's standing on business today! "No. That's my final answer." She tuts, before she continues to their original destination: the cafeteria.

The hall they had to pass through consisted classrooms where most extra curricular activities happened. Chess; Debate; Robotics; Art. And then there was the Theater Room. How she dreaded passing the auditorium.

She wasn't hating on the musical arts. If anything, she liked a song here and there, but she was more concerned about the possibility of them putting on a play about... you know what. Mack was able to make it through most of the school year scot free, but it was bound to happen.

She just wished it wasn't today.

Mack and Brady were able to pass the theater room without any problems. There was no music being played, no singing (they were possibly rehearsing lines). But just as they were turning the corner—Mack could see the Cafeteria's entrance—she heard it.

A familiar, soft and electric tune begins to play, the sound slightly muffled between the distance and double doors, but she still heard it. And so did Brady.

"Brady." Mack warns, taking a slow cautious step back, reading him like an open book. "Brady," his stupid dumb grin is on his face, "I'm warning you. Do not—!" She cries out in detest as he tugs her back to the theater room, her body jerked around like a ragdoll as she attempted to fight against the motions.

Mack huffs in annoyance with a cross of her arms, glaring at the back of Brady's head as the instrumental for Falling For Ya' carries on. "If this isn't a sign, then I don't know what it is!" He laughs, peering into the door's windows.

'A headache, that's what it is.'

He falls silent, any amusement he had nowhere to be found as he watched through the glass. "That's interesting. . . " Mack thought to herself, finally taking it upon herself to take a look of her own.

"Ohoho, that's rich." Mack grins, teasing a long, already fed up, sigh from Brady. Because front and center, there stood you playing no other than Lela. And to make it all the worse, everyone seemed to be in costume.

"Well, wouldn't you know! It's your dream girl portraying your other dream girl!" Mack laughs, reveling in the turn of events. "We should go in and watch!" She pushes the door open, only for it to be slammed shut by Brady.

"Are you crazy? We can't go in there!" He whisper shouts, not wanting to call anyone's attention from within the theater (especially you).

"C'mon, don't be such a scaredy-cat. Isn't this what you wanted? We could watch it right now!" She grins wide as Brady begins to panic, the boy pointing at her accusingly.

"I know what you're doing and it's not going to work!"

"Oh, it's totally working and it's hilarious."

"Ahem."

Mack and Brady tense, not having to look and see who the voice belonged to. Turning their heads, it was no other than Mrs. Shaw—head of the musical arts department. "Now I hope I'm not jumping to conclusions for suspecting you're in the middle of ditching class?"

"No! / No ma'am!" Both speak over the other. "We're in lunch right now, but not actually in lunch because we're right here." Brady fumbles, Mack pursing her lips to keep the amusement in.

"And so you thought instead of being on your way, you decided to stop and to disrupt?" Mrs. Shaw raises a brow in accusation, clearly talking about the door slamming and the not-so-quiet argument being had between them.

"Actually," Mack begins, a wonderful idea brewing right in front of her ", we skipped on lunch because we were interested in the play you're putting on!" She had smiled innocently, ignoring Brady's dumbfounded face as he stupidly agree's to save their hides.

"Is that so?" Mrs. Shaw hums in acknowledgement, a switch being flipped. Mack knew she was a passionate woman about theater and she also knew she had quite the soft spot for anyone who was interested in the arts. "Why don't you two come in? We're just about to wrap up on rehearsals." She invites them in, Brady silently cursing to himself as he followed the woman in.

"Feels like I tumbled into another world,
Into your arms and it's so secure.
Maybe I'll stumble but I know for sure,
Head over heels I wanna be your girl."

Only then was he able to really take it all in. The stage displays, the props, the choreography, how perfect you were to be casted as the female lead. You were sweet and pretty just like Lela; have amazing vocals, just like Lela. You were quite literally the embodiment of Lela and it blew his mind how he hadn't made the connections until now.

He watched intensely, trying not to make it weird as he watched you dance the choreography along with Struts and CheeChee's actors. He was way too absorbed in the play to be aware of what Mack was planning right under his nose as she conversed with Mrs. Shaw.

"It's not every day we get wanderers into the theater." Mrs. Shaw speaks quietly out of respect for the students, watching them with pride as they performed the choreography with fewer bumps than last rehearsals. "You said you were interested? As in, you'd like to take part?"

Mack glances to Brady as she hums with faux interest, seeing he's way too spaced out to confirm nor deny on what she's about to say. "Yeah, totally! My friend Brady here, especially. He loves Wet Side Story, he can never shut up about it."

Mrs. Shaw eyes Brady, seeing as she wasn't wrong. Looking at him now, she already haves the perfect role for him. "I see." Maybe a little too perfect.

As the instrumental break rolls in for the last time, Brady plays the oncoming scene in his head—arguably one of his favorites. Many times did he imagine himself in the place of Tanner. He'd walk through the Surfer's dancing, trying to pass through the crowd as he passed the stage, only to catch Lela in his arms; love at first sight. Embarrassingly enough, this time around, it wasn't Lela he had imagined catching in his arms.

Brady reels himself back in from his childhood fantasies, looking around the stage for a Tanner that seemed to be nowhere in sight. Would they be skipping that scene for now? He pauses, eyes filtering to the stage where a cord that wasn't successfully tapped down. That was for sure a hazard.

"Mrs. Shaw—" Brady says, knowing it should be pointed out before something happened. But as he watched you grow alarmingly closer to her, just about to spin around, there wasn't any time to sit and point at it.

And with that final twirl, you stepped over the cord, the heel catching onto it as you took a step back. "And now I'm—" You shriek, startling the backtrack silent along with everyone else as you began to fall off the stage.

"CUT!"

Mrs. Shaw shouts, horrified yet vibrating with excitement at the scene playing out before her. It was so authentic! She rushes up to her Lela and her newfound Tanner, the two of you already oozing chemistry as you both stared at each other in shock.

"Oh my god! / Are you okay?" Both students who portray CheeChee and Struts shrill, kneeling at the edge of the stage to become leveled with you.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." You repeatedly assured everyone, looking down to your bare foot then to the heel that still remained on stage. You could almost laugh at the situation if it weren't for how embarrassing it was to happen in front of everyone. It's one thing to act it out, but for it to actually happen (not to mention you're being carried bridal style)? Now that's a different story.

"Dear, are you alright?" Mrs. Shaw exclaims, ushering everyone that gathered around to back away. "What did I say about that cord? Did no one listen?!" She calls out, everyone avoiding eye contact, not daring to admit whose awful tape-job almost caused your downfall.

"You can put me down now." Your face burned, growing well-aware of all the stares watching you both keenly. Brady cringes, letting you down gently as he could as he muttered an awkward apology. "I don't know why you're apologizing when you just saved me from a sprained ankle." You chuckled, trying to lighten the air.

"Or at least from a broken nail." He joked weakly, delighted to hear he still had gotten a giggle out of you from his lame joke.

"Oh, my apologies my dear, I know this could have cost us our show, but that was just perfect!" Mrs. Shaw . . compliments, turning to Brady with such haste it startled him. "What did you say your name was?" She asks eagerly.

"Um,"

"Brady, right?" You answered, although you seemed unsure. You had to act unsure, you didn't want to come off as weird for knowing who he was without even uttering a word to him till now. "We have chemistry together."

'That you do, my dears!', Mrs. Shaw thinks to herself smugly, holding her excitement off to watch the wonderful exchange between you both. It was stupidly coy how Brady tried playing it off having to think about it, but would could the boy do? He's just a boy!

"Now Brady, your friend over there has expressed profusely how well acquainted you are with Wet Side Story, and frankly, we're short an actor." Mrs. Shaw starts, Mack innocently waving at Brady when he looked over to her with a dubious glance. "How would you like to play Tanner? I'm sure you'd do wonderfully!"

Brady blanches. "Oh—I'm not—I can't act, it's not really my thing. I can't even sing." He shrugs nonchalantly, almost saying 'oh well, what a shame!'.

"Liar." Mack cuts in.

"It would be a challenge, I won't lie. We're three weeks away from showtime, and our originally casted Tanner had moved schools on short notice." You begin, a little guilty for trying to convince him when he out-worldly expressed not having the skills nor will to accept the role. "But if you're as well acquainted with the movie as your friend says, I'm sure it'll be possible! I could even help you."

He's screwed. There's no way he could say no to you, especially when you're offering to help him with a role he knows in and out. "Okay. I'll do it."

Mrs. Shaw cheers, clasping her hands together in excitement. "Perfect! We have a script rehearsal after school, you'll get your copy then. Oh, my dear, you're a lifesaver!" She prances away, making you chuckle at her enthusiasm.

"Is she always that enthusiastic?" Brady asks, pointing into the direction she had left where she's seen fussing over the costume wardrobe.

"Yes and no. She's usually not this bad, but Wet Side Story is one of her favorite musicals." You smiled, it reaching your eyes endearingly. "Thank you for agreeing to the role. Mrs. Shaw was really stressing over it."

"It's not a big deal," Brady shrugs, "besides, I've always wanted to be Tanner." He expresses, pretending to comb his hair to the side just as Tanner does, earning yet another laugh.

"You've certainly got his mannerisms down." You complimented, your conversation cutting short at the sound of the bell. "Well, I'll be seeing you around more now. See you after school? It's certainly not mandatory, but it would be great practice for you."

"Uh-huh."

You purse your lips in amusement, nodding as you picked up your discarded heels. "Great. See you then." You waved to him, quick to make your way backstage to change out of Lela's dress.

Uh huh? Brady curses to himself as he turns around, finding Mack still waiting for him. "I don't want to hear a word from you." He's quick to say, knowing she has more than a word to share with him.

"Hey, I just set you up with your dream girls, don't get snappy with me." Mack says, holding her hands up in surrender. "Honestly, you should be thanking me."

Brady huffs, walking past her to leave the theater room without asking her to follow him, knowing she was close behind him as she got out her thoughts on yours and Brady's interaction.

"You were always moping about her saying how 'I don't know how to approach her without looking weird' or 'I don't know what to say to her'," Mack says while ludicrously mimicking Brady's voice, "and now when I gave you the opportunity you say 'uh huh' to her?"

It was the same argument that was brought up  throughout the rest of the day, and for the first time in forever, Brady got a taste of his own medicine. He wasn't sure when Mack was going to let up, but if it was anything like him asking her to watch Wet Side Story with him, it's going to be awhile.

Maybe it doesn't have to be like that anymore now that you're going to be around from here on out.