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

"JUST STAY OUT OF MY love life, or better yet, stay out of my life." he snapped.

Reece sighed, he was the one who asked for her help. He has no right to act like that. "Well if that's what you want."

"It is." he quickly said.

She scoffed, pushing past him, she made her way into the bomb shelter. How could he ask for her help but get mad at her when his relationship falls apart? She liked Nini, she didn't have to love her, to know that they were great together. Just because she was upset for a while about the relationship doesn't mean she didn't want them to be happy.

EJ was being an idiot, stretch that, he was being a jerk.

Reece thought they had gotten pasted that. She thought they were on good terms, but now he told her to get out of her life? That wasn't what she had envisioned in her mind. They were supposed to finally put everything behind them. It was time for new beginnings, but she guessed EJ had other plans.

She made her way to the piano, ignoring the stares she got as she whipped a tear from her eye. She had been doing that a lot this semester. She didn't look at anyone else besides Miss Jenn.

EJ made his way into the bombshell shortly after Carlos had gone to get him.

Nini and EJ stood at their stops as Miss Jenn instructed them to move a little closer to each other. Nini moved slowly towards EJ. "Little more?" She didn't budge so EJ was the one to move instead. "Come on guys, we're blocking this is a love story, not a SARS epidemic."

"I think that chair was over there," Carlos pointed to the chair that sat next to the piano.

"Oh, I can, uh, I can move it over in the scene," Nini suggested as she walked over to the chair.

"Feels awkward."

"No, it's light. I can lift it above my head and walk." She lifted the chair above her head.

"Sweetie, no one is walking with furniture on their head, This isn't The Lion King. Strike the chair, please."

"With what?" Big Red questioned the drama teacher.

"Takie it away, remove it." she let out a frustrated chuckle. "Troy, once the intro begins, cross downstage and plant yourself at the piano. Which should be further downstage, okay?" she turned to Big Red once again.

Big Red walked towards the piano, pushing it the wrong way. Reece shook her head, "Other way."

"Oh, thanks," he muttered.

"Gabriella, you slowly approach the piano and rest an arm on it...naturally. Can we make sure her bookbag is off stage right?"

"Sure, um..." the boy turned to Reece for help.

She pointed in front of her. He did as he was told.

"Okie-Dokie. Take it from, 'Wow! Now that's really nice!'."

"Wow," EJ repeated. "Now that's really nice."

"Hmm," Nini hummed.

Miss Jenn signaled to Reece who began to play What I've Been Looking For. EJ walked towards the piano and leaned against it. "It's hard to believe that I couldn't see you were always there beside me."

Nini followed suit as she sang, "Thought I was alone, with no one to hold but you were always right beside me."

"This feeling's like no other, I want you to know." They began to sing together. "I've never had someone that knows me like you do. The way you do. I've never had someone as good for me as you, no one like you. So lonely before I finally found what I've been looking for..."

Reece wasn't enjoying that she was, literally, in the middle of the tension. EJ moved closer to Nini as they vocalized. Nini, however, decided to run them longer than they were supposed to. Reece abruptly stopped her piano playing.

"Okay, freeze." Miss Jenn stood from her seat. "Nini, sweetie, this reprise comes at a decisive moment in the story once your hearts have joined. It's a love song."

Nini motioned between her and EJ. "Were you not getting that?"

"I'd like you to get to his heart without cracking his rib cage."

Ricky came running into the room. "Sorry I'm late, my mom, she caught an earlier flight. Where are we?"

"Scene seven," Carlos replied.

"Right, I don't have it. Could I borrow-"

"You need your script, Ricky." Miss Jenn interrupted him. She was clearly starting to become frustrated. "And a pencil. It's a blocking rehearsal."

"Could I borrow a pencil?" he asked no one in particular.

"You can have this one. I have, like, ten." Reece held out her pencil.

"No, actually, he can't," she cut in. "When you come to rehearsal, people, you come prepared."

Before Miss Jenn could continue, Natalie Bagley came rushing in. "Was he in your gym locker?" Ashlyn questioned.

"No. Just my cherry lip balm. But it had Elliot's teeth marks in it."

"I'm sure that won't hurt him." Anne comforted her.

"It's sparkly!"

"Then it'll be easier to find him," Seb stood. "If- if he smiles."

"Natalie," Miss Jenn said sharply. "We feel your pain. But I was just explaining what a constructive rehearsal requires. Focus. And honestly, another day like this and I'm showing up with my emotional support coyote."

"Miss Jenn, I know the scene." Ricky tried to convince the drama teacher.

"Would you wait for me in my office please?" She instructed. Ricky sighed and complied.

"Wait, are we done?" Ashlyn asked.

"We are, Ms. Darbus. Take notes. This is what a frustrated drama teacher looks like." Reece grabbed her bag as she spoke. "Go, scoot. Come back when you're ready to be punctual, park the distractions at the door and take the work in here seriously." she left the bombshell.

Reece quickly chased after her. "Miss Jenn!"

The women turned to face her. Reece handed her a sheet of paper.

"I was wondering if you could take a look at this song I wrote for Kelsi. It's not completely done but I thought it would be interesting to go more in-depth about her character. You don't have to look at it now, I understand that you're extremely busy but it's just a suggestion."

Miss Jenn smiled, "I'll take it into consideration." she turned on her heel and walked to her office.

Once the blonde woman was out of sight Reece couldn't help but jump up and down, pumping her fist into the air. But quickly put herself back together as her peers began to fill in the hallways.

—(••[ Reece Hastings ]••)—
junior

This might not seem like a huge deal but it is, for me at least. I've been asking the drama teachers to let me write a song for the plays but they always say they'll get back to me and they never do. Miss Jenn, however, said she'd take it into consideration, plus she's letting Ashlyn do it. Why can't I?" She smiled and the camera which never left her face the whole way home (which began to frighten Anne).

♪♫ ♫♪

"This is great! Maybe I'll finally be able to show everyone my undeniable talent." Reece told her family as they sat down for dinner.

"Exactly! And Victor and I will both, hopefully, be there at the opening night to cheer you and the others on." Scarlett said taking a sip of water.

Reece had just finished explaining to her mother, Victor and Anne that Miss Jenn would be taking her song into consideration. It was a great opportunity for everyone (not just the drama kids) to see her talent at creating her own music. She, and her family, was over the moon excited for the young redhead.

Anne, although happy for her sister, was nervous. She had planned to tell her parents everything tonight but she didn't know if it was such a good idea anymore.

They were smiling and laughing together like they used to and she wondered if everything would change if she said something now. So she kept her mouth shut, until she couldn't anymore.

Dinner was almost finished and Anne couldn't keep it in any longer. "I'm gay!" The sudden outburst startled the Hastings/Di Luca family.

"Okay were doing this now." Reece muttered. Smiling, encouraging her sister to continue.

"And I know you're excepting of Reece, but maybe that's because she had the option of marrying a guy but I don't. I like girls and I think I always will. I know this isn't what you'd want for your daughter and I know that you've always envisioned my wedding to be with a guy but just know that's not possible. And I have a girlfriend...ish, I'm actually not sure, it's complicated. But I do and I want you to be happy for me." She took a deep breath, finished with her rant expecting an outburst from the adults.

"Well, when do we get to meet this girlfriend of yours?" Scarlet asked calmly.

"Yes, I'd like to know too. I gotta give her a talk too." Victor joked.

"You already have, but maybe after homecoming." She answered softly. She smiled, they were ok with her. They wanted her to be happy and that's all she wanted. Was to be happy.

"How have I not heard you have a girlfriend?" Reece exclaimed. "You're supposed to tell me these things."

"Oh don't worry, you'll meet her soon enough...you actually have already."

"Oh you're mean." The sisters began to laugh, causing the parents to laugh and soon all that was heard was the laughter of the family. They were happy and as everyone wished it could stay like that everything happy must come crumbling down, one way or another.

INEZ SPEAKS

Oh you are not ready for the pain Reece will go through. I lied, I love making her suffer. Sorry Reece!

This is unedited but will be edited hopefully by Friday! (edit: that was a lie it's two weeks later) And I'm sorry how bad this chapter is, I'm trying my best here. I've never made it this far into any of my books.

Anyways, tomorrow's my first day of high school so I won't be posting as often but know I'll be trying my best.

SEE YA LOSERS 😌✌🏼