CHAPTER SIX
·.¸¸.·♩♪♫ mr perfectly fine ♫♪♩·.¸¸.·

REECE COULD HEAR THE music playing from the radio as she walked up to her kitchen island. Where Anne sat eating a bowl of cereal while her mother and Victor made breakfast for themselves. She fluffed her sister's hair, gaining protest from the young redhead.

"Good morning, sweetheart," Scarlett said, plating her and her fiancee's eggs on their plates.

"Morning," she mumbled. Reece was not a morning person. She grabbed a bowl of cereal for herself and sat down.

"We won't be home until late tonight, maybe cook something this time." Scarlett said.

"Got it." she got a text from Josie letting her know she'd be ready in 10 minutes.

"I'm going over Ashlyn's tonight, we have to work on an art project." Anne explained, taking a spoonful of Lucky Charms.

"Well, looks like I'm alone for dinner...again" she whispered the last part.

♪♫ ♫♪

Reece sat as she watched Gina's Stick to the Status Quo pitch. Anne sat beside her doing her math homework, which she would ask Reece for help every so often. Josie took pictures of each of the students (and Ms. Jenn) who were hard at work.

About an hour had passed, at this time most people had gotten the hang of the choreography. It got to a point where Reece memorized it and she wasn't even in the scene.

"Everybody hold!" Ms. Jenn instructed. "Nini, where were you? We've been here for an hour."

"I'm so sorry, I lost my phone and basically spent last night living as a hunter-gatherer." she explained, "Which, by the way, did you know that there are things that are only on TV at a certain time? Anyway, I finally picked it up in the lost and found and...oh, wait, did you say an hour?"

Ms. Jenn nodded, "Gina sent you and me a text asking if we could come in early so she could talk through an idea. You didn't get it?"

"No, because my phone was missing."

"Well, honey, you've gotta keep better track of your stuff," she said, "A real triple threat means singing, acting, and being organized."

Nini nodded. "Got it."

"If you had been here, you'd know that Gina pitched a whole new dance break for Gabriella and Taylor in the middle of Status Quo. And she had Carlos work it all out with her and it is just dazzling."

"You and Carlos?" Nini questioned Gina as she handed her a lunch tray.

"Gina, why don't you hydrate and show Nini the new choreo?" Ms. Jenn suggested.

♪♫ ♫♪

"Hey, Ashlyn, I got your text," Reece said, looking down at her phone. "Your instructions were not clear, so I went to every single staircase in this school. But of course, the last one I choose is the right one."

She looked up but instead of seeing her sister's redhead best friend, she saw the girls' cousin. "Seriously? Here to yell at me some more? Maybe tell me I can't be in the play because it can ruin your relationship with Nini?"

"No," EJ said scratching the back of his neck. "I need your help with writing an apology song for Nini."

Reece burst out laughing, "No." He should've known that would be her response. "That's literally the dumbest thing you've ever asked me. I'm not helping you write a song for your girlfriend because you did something dumb. I'm sorry, Caswell, but no."

"Please, Reece." He pleaded, "I've never even written a poem before, let alone a song. I did something really dumb and I need to show Nini how sorry I am."

Reece sighed in defeat, "Let me give you some advice, all she wants is you to be honest with her. She would want you to come clean, tell her that you're sorry and if you have to say it a million times." with that she left.

EJ let her words sink in, he realized, yes she was talking about Nini but also about herself.

"I'm sorry." he whispered. He knew she couldn't hear him and maybe he didn't want her to but he needed to say it.

♪♫ ♫♪

The next day Reece made her way to the bombshell, she didn't have rehearsal today but she needed to ask Ms. Jenn a question about the musical. But, before she reached the room Ms. Jenn called out for her. "Reece, perfect!" she walked towards the girl. "Our Troy and Chad rehearsal got a little..." she searched for the right word, "out of hand. Do you mind getting EJ ice from the office?"

Reece nodded, "Sure." before she could say anything else Mr. Mazzara pulled the drama teacher away.

The whole way from the bombshell to the office, to the washrooms (she couldn't find the right one) Reece worried about what she was supposed to say.

"EJ?" she called out knocking on the door, "Please tell me you're alone or, ya know, at least in here."

"Right here, Reece." he answered. He recognized her voice instantly.

Reece walked in, he stood by the sink, whipping his bloody lip with a wet paper towel and not to mention shirtless. "Here." Reece handed him the ice, she didn't look at his eyes but she didn't let her eyes falter and kept them on his face, or pretty much anywhere but his body. It's not that she had never seen him shirtless, she just didn't want to see him like that at that exact moment.

"Anything else?" he asked as if her presence annoyed him. She looked at him taken aback. "Sorry," he apologized, "Ricky, is really starting to get on my nerves."

"It's okay, I get it." she was about to leave but quickly changed her mind. "Actually, there is something else. It's just you're washing your shirt wrong. It's not gonna..." she trailed off, "Let me just." she took his place by the sink taking out her tide pen from her backpack. "Ice that." she demanded pointing at the ice and then his lip.

EJ leaned on the wall, icing his lip, as per her request.

"Why do you have a stain remover pen in your bag?" he asked.

"Anne. Sometimes her art gets messy so I keep one in my bag, one in hers, one in Josie's, a few in my locker, and 3 in the art room."

He chuckled at her response, he forgot how prepared she was for any situation.

They stood in silence for a while the only noise coming from the facet.

"Did you show Nini the song?" she asked, still scrubbing the shirt.

"No, Ash told me it wasn't heartfelt enough and I have no idea what else to do."

She finished cleaning the shirt, getting most of the blood out. "Can I see it?" she asked. It took him by surprise, but he nodded, which took her by surprise.

She dried her hands taking the phone from his hand.

She smiled softly as she read it, which made him smile.

"It's pretty good." he took the phone back.

"Pretty good isn't going to get Nini to trust me. Besides, I'm not telling her anymore. I'm not going to make Ricky look like the hero."

Reece sighed and rolled her eyes, "Listen, EJ, just come clean and tell her you're sorry. You don't need to write her a song. Nini'll forgive you...I think."

He sighed in defeat. She knew he wouldn't tell her no matter how hard she pushed him but it was worth a shot. Once again silence filled the room, it wasn't uncomfortable nor was it comfortable, it was just silence.

"Hey, EJ?"

"Yeah, Reece?"

She bit the inside of her cheek to keep her from laughing, "Did you know that you shine just like the stars, and I'm not even a night light." she joked.

He glared at her playfully, "Seriously? Oh my God, I hate you so much right now."

She let out a laugh, "Would you forgive me if I said a million, no, a billion sorrys?"

He grinned at her, "I've never met a more annoying person in my life." he began to laugh along with her. It was almost like things had never changed between them. They didn't hate each other, they never broke up, it was the same as it used to be. Reece stared at the ground calming her laughter down. She didn't notice the way EJ was looking at her, like it was still his junior and her sophomore year like they were still happily dating like it was just him and her against the world.

Unfortuanly, Ricky came barging into the bathroom. "Hey-" Reece jumped and turned her head towards Ricky. "Did I interrupt something?"

"No," the redhead blurted, "I was just leaving."

INEZ SPEAKS

ok but EJ in the gif >>>> 🥵

also this was written in 2 and a half hours so if it sucks that's why.